Graduation date: 2006

This study was designed to investigate a phenomenon, retention of Hispanic adult second language learners in Washington State's community colleges, from a qualitative paradigm and phenomenological approach. The focus of this study was to capture eight foreign-born Hispanic ESL non-continuators' voices and experiences, in their native language of Spanish, who dropped out of Washington State's community colleges and unveil the phenomenon behind the factors leading to their retention barriers. The following questions guided the research: (1) What are the retention barriers of Hispanic English as a Second Language population in Washington State Community Colleges? (2) What is the profile of the foreign-born Hispanic ESL learner in Washington State's Community Colleges? (3) Why do Hispanic ESL participants drop out? (4) What services are needed and provided to increase retention patterns of Hispanic ESL learners? (5) What services could make a difference in retention of Hispanic's English as a Second Language participants? A qualitative methodology and phenomenological approach of in-depth interviews was the research paradigm utilized for data collection. Participants were recruited from a survey implemented at various community colleges' and communitybased organizations' ESL programs in Washington State. Criteria for inclusion as a potential participant in this research required adult participants to be: (1) foreign-born Hispanic, (2) a resident of Washington state, (3) in the age range of eighteen to thirty years of age, (4) a prior drop out student from one of Washington State's community colleges adult basic education ESL programs, and (5) a volunteer to participate in the study. This study unveiled factors that caused retention barriers for eight foreign-born Hispanic ESL adult learners that dropped out of Washington State's community colleges Adult Basic Education ESL programs. In many Adult Basic Education ESL programs in Washington State, foreign-born Hispanic adults are largely voluntary candidates, and the role of student is just one of the countless roles competing for their time and attention. From the eight foreign-born Hispanic non-continuators' voices and experiences, the findings indicate that retention is a complex phenomenon involving various institutional, situational, and dispositional factors. This study's findings also unveiled structural issues for the eight foreign-born Hispanic participants, creating systemic structural barriers to their socioeconomic and education development in the United States. This means no one factor could provide an explanation for the retention phenomenon. The eight foreign-born Hispanic adult non-continuators' situational and dispositional factors overwhelmed their zeal for ESL instruction, ESL level completion, and/or ESL program completion. The interview question guide unveiled reasons often voiced as the causes for non-continuation: (1) family struggles and hardships, (2) lack of childcare, healthcare, and transportation, and (3) long work hours. At the same time, the eight foreign-born Hispanics adult non-continuators had pragmatic reasons for engaging in ESL, and felt that the programs would provide meaningful contextual learning for immediate or long-term goals for the home, workplace, or community. / Graduation date:2005

The pesticide carbaryl is applied annually to tidelands in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, WA to control populations of burrowing shrimp which modify sediments making the habitat unsuitable for oyster culture. Fish trapped on sprayed mudflats are often killed, but little is known about effects on fish present in subtidal channels or migrating over treated mudflats with a flood tide. The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of estuarine carbaryl applications on fish present in these areas. Field studies with caged juvenile English sole (Pleuronectes vetulus) indicated that brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity is decreased following carbaryl application. Mean brain AChE inhibition was 26% in fish placed on treated mudflats and 24% in fish placed subtidally. Maximum individual values approached 50%. Maximum carbaryl water concentration measured by HPLC was 1.2 ug/ml at the cage sites. Sediment concentrations on treated mudflats were as high as 2300 ug/g OC 24 hrs post application. The concentration of carbaryl in invertebrates collected from treated mudflats has been measured as high as 76 ug/g, and English sole likely ingest these contaminated prey in the field. Laboratory studies conducted to evaluate the effect of such an oral exposure indicated that brain AChE activity is decreased with the ingestion of as little as 1% body weight of food pellets spiked to field concentrations. AChE inhibition exceeding 25% is predicted in wild fish based on the ingestion of average quantities of food (5% body weight) at average measured concentrations (30 ug/g). Limited recovery occurs 24 hrs after exposure indicating effects can be compounded with further ingestion. This oral exposure coupled with the effect measured in caged fish suggests AChE inhibitions exceeding 50% are possible assuming the effects are additive. The significance of this decrease in AChE activity was then evaluated in terms of two ecologically important endpoints. First, the effect of carbaryl on the ability of English sole to bury in sediments was determined Results indicate this behavior is affected by carbaryl in a dose-dependent manner with fish not burying at higher concentrations. A regression model indicated that 50-60% brain AChE inhibition is a threshold value below which burying decreased sharply. This is within the range of estimated field exposures. Recovery of burying behavior occurs shortly after the removal of the exposure with all exposed fish in the present study recovering the ability to bury in sediments within 24 hrs. Mean brain AChE inhibition at the time of recovery was 60%. The effect of carbaryl on the English sole nonspecific immune response was also evaluated. Head kidney phagocytes were isolated from English sole and exposed to carbaryl in vitro. Phagocytosis was then evaluated based on the percentage of cells ingesting heat killed yeast. The percentage of phagocytic cells decreased at doses of 10 and 100 ug/ml. These concentrations are likely higher than can be attained during an in vivo exposure. Effects on this immune response are thus unlikely in field exposed English sole. / Graduation date: 1999

The ex-vessel coho salmon market has been paid scant attention in the study of the salmon resources. This study is an attempt to advance an understanding of the variations of ex-vessel prices and landings during the coho season as well as between the various coastal ports where the fish is landed. This study presents an empirical analysis of the ex-vessel port markets for coho salmon in Oregon and Washington. The objectives of the study are to investigate the variation in landings and prices during the fishing season and to compare those differences between ports for both states. This study focuses on the determination of the ex-vessel price mechanism and the decision behavior of coho fishermen in their choice of ports to land the catch. An economic model of each port is developed to explain the buying behavior of processors and the selling behavior of fishermen. Each port is treated as a distinctive market subject to external changes in the abundance of coho, the conditions of the wholesale markets, and the responsiveness of fishermen to prices in other ports. Several econometric models are constructed to determine the distinctive characteristics of the Oregon and Washington ex-vessel port markets. The demand and supply at the different ports are estimated by applying regression analysis to 32 different sets of data. These data include a single year (1976) of transaction records for the twelve Oregon ports, and four years (1973-1976) of landings records for the five Washington coastal ports. Three different models are used; a simultaneous equations model, a recursive model, and a single equation model. The major findings in the study are as follows: the ex-vessel demand in most Oregon or Washington ports is highly elastic, which suggests that changes in seasonal landings at a port do not have any significant impact on the ex-vessel price. While fishermen and other industry observers have noted differences in seasonal ex-vessel price between ports, such differences do not appear to exist. Average seasonal price differences between ports do not vary when appropriate weights are applied to the average price calculations. The size (in pounds) of the coho salmon plays a major role in the determination of the intraseasonal ex-vessel demand at all ports. Estimations performed without accounting for this variation fail to adequately explain ex-vessel price variation. Another variable found to be a key factor in the explanation of ex-vessel prices is the wholesale price. This factor and the size variable accounted for most of the variation in ex-vessel port prices. Even though the seasonal prices between ports are similar, the intraseasonal variation in port price is partly the result of competition for the fisherman's catch of coho. When two ports are located in such a way that fishermen may easily land at either one, fishermen appear to land at the port where price is greater. Ports such as La Push and Neah Bay in Washington, and Bandon and Winchester Bay in Oregon are the ports found to be alternative ports for the fishermen catching coho in those areas. Coastal ex-vessel prices do not appear to be established as a result of equilibrium conditions at any particular port. Rather, ex-vessel price and market clearing quantities are determined in the aggregate. Each port's buyers will establish port price based on the current aggregate equilibrium condition. The aggregate coastal demand for coho at the ex-vessel level was estimated for the 1976 season and found to be highly price elastic. Given that aggregate supplies are augmentable, increases in coastal landings will increase total returns to the ex-vessel fishery. One additional finding suggests that the number of buyers in most ports does not play a significant role in the determination of intraseasonal variation of port ex-vessel prices. / Graduation date: 1979

Thesis (M.A.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1982. / Vita. Abstract. Bibliographical essay: leaves 95-105. Also available via the Internet.

SURFcity reorganizes, redistributes, and recentralizes the peripheral urban environment of diffuse and urbanized architectures into condensed architectural form. Through surface elaboration and densification techniques, it produces a new model for a contemporary city and community. Bringing together differences otherwise experienced at a regional scale to the human scale, it produces hybrid programs, new interior public space, and allows the surounding exterior area to return to nature.

Thesis--University of Pennsylvania. / Published also without thesis statement. Bibliography: p. 132-135.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Catholic University of America, 1938. / "Annotated bibliography": p. [167]-198.

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