PIXE Analysis of Aerosol Soil Artificial Turf and Running Track Samples

Proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE) has been performed on aerosol, soil, artificial turf, and running track samples using the 1.1-MV tandem Pelletron accelerator in the Union College Ion Beam Analysis Laboratory. PIXE analysis of the aerosol and soil samples was performed with 2.2-MeV proton beams. X-ray energy spectra were measured with a silicon drift detector and analyzed with GUPIX software to determine the elemental concentrations in the aerosol and soil samples. Of particular interest are the concentrations of airborne pollutants, such as sulfur that can contribute to acid rain and the acidification of Adirondack lakes such as Piseco Lake. PIXE analysis was also performed on artificial turf and running track samples in order to determine the possible concentrations of lead in these samples. Significant concentrations of sulfur were present in small particle sizes in the aerosol samples, which indicate that the sulfur can travel great distances and may have originated as far away as the Midwest. Trace amounts of lead were present in the artificial turf, perhaps justifying recent concerns about the safety of artificial turf

Client Engagement in Psychotherapy: The Roles of Client and Beginning Therapist Attachment Styles

Client engagement in psychotherapy has been identified as a significant component of the therapeutic process, and research has found compelling links to psychotherapy outcomes. Attachment theory has been used to explore the various domains of client engagement in therapy. Specifically, the development of the therapy relationship and the client’s engagement in therapy can be understood as reflecting how a client forms new relationships in general. The primary aim of this dissertation is to explore how the attachment styles of adult clients and beginning therapists (still in training) influence clients’ engagement in individual psychotherapy, in terms of regularity of attendance, self-disclosure of important/relevant topics to the therapist, and the client’s perception of the working alliance. More specifically, this study explores the roles of client and therapist attachment style in client attendance and client self-disclosure, over and above what is explained by the alliance’s relationship with these other engagement measures. Data used in this dissertation were collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal study conducted at the Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services, a community-based outpatient training clinic at Teachers College. Participants were 181 adult individual psychotherapy clients and their masters and doctoral level student-therapists (n = 118). In this study, client and therapist attachment style (attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety) was measured using the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale- Short Form. The client engagement variables were measured using the client-rated Disclosure to Therapists Inventory-IV (client self-disclosure and self-disclosure discrepancy), the client-rated Working Alliance Inventory- Short Form (client-rated alliance), and objective measures of client attendance at scheduled sessions collected from a review of clinic attendance records (session attendance). Results showed no significant relationship between client or therapist attachment styles, or their interaction, and the client-rated alliance in this sample. Results also indicated no significant relationship between client or therapist attachment styles, or their interaction, and attendance during the initial sessions of therapy, after accounting for any effects of the alliance. However, results did show significant relationships between client and therapist attachment style and attendance in therapy after the initial sessions and self-disclosure discrepancy (extent of self-disclosure based on importance and relevance of topics to the client), after controlling for any effects of the alliance. Specifically, results showed that clients with a more secure attachment style had a higher percentage of attendance after the initial therapy sessions than clients with a more insecure attachment style. In addition, clients whose therapists were higher on attachment anxiety had a lower percentage of attendance after the initial therapy sessions, whereas clients whose therapists were higher in attachment avoidance had a higher percentage of attendance after the initial therapy sessions. Results also showed that clients with higher attachment anxiety showed greater self-disclosure discrepancy, in that they disclosed less to their therapists than was expected based on the salience of topics to clients. There was also a trending interaction between therapist attachment avoidance and client attachment anxiety on self-disclosure discrepancy. Study findings are compared to findings in the literature, and results are discussed in terms of attachment theory. Specific limitations and strengths of the study are then discussed. Implications of the study findings in terms of the development and training of beginning therapists are outlined. Findings in the current study indicating that client and therapist attachment style play a role in client attendance at therapy sessions and client self-disclosure in sessions, point to the need for more research in this area and additional consideration of the relationship between these variables and how they impact the therapeutic process, and ultimately therapy outcome

Ion Production and Mitigation in DC High-Voltage Photo-Guns

One of the biggest obstacles to operating a GaAs polarized electron source with a long charge lifetime is the mitigation of ion back-bombardment. Several techniques exist to either clear ions from the accelerator or to mitigate ion damage of the photocathode. Predicting the effectiveness of these techniques requires sophisticated simulation models of electron impact ionization within the photo-gun. In this work, the effectiveness of applying a positive anode bias voltage to mitigate ion damage and increase the charge lifetime of the GaAs photocathode was studied over three run periods at the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) at Jefferson Lab (JLab). The charge lifetime with the biased anode configuration was 1.80±0.51 times longer than the lifetime of the usual grounded anode configuration. Simulations of ionization within the CEBAF photo-gun and adjacent beamline were made using General Particle Tracer (GPT) and a new C++ custom element to predict and explain the substantial improvement in charge lifetime. The experimental results and the development of the ionization custom element, with its use in simulations of ion back-bombardment with the biased anode, are described in detail

City effectiveness in initiating and planning urgan [sic] development: the Welfare Island development.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. Thesis. 1974. Ph.D.Vita.Bibliography: leaves 344-365.Ph.D

Simulating Electron Impact Ionization Using a General Particle Tracer (GPT) Custom Element

A new C++ custom element has been developed with the framework of General Particle Tracer (GPT) to simulate electron impact ionization of residual gas molecules. The custom element uses Monte-Carlo routines to determine both the ion production rate and the secondary electron kinetic energy based on user-defined gas densities and theoretical values for the ionization cross section and the secondary electron differential cross section. It then uses relativistic kinematics to track the secondary electron, the scattered electron, and the newly formed ion after ionization. The ion production rate and the secondary electron energy distribution determined by the custom element have been benchmarked against theoretical calculations and against simulations made using the simulation package IBSimu. While the custom element was originally built for particle accelerator simulations, it is readily extensible to other applications. The custom element will be described in detail and examples of applications at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility will be presented for ion production in a DC high voltage photo-gun

Economic Impact of Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Goods and Services and Integration Into Restoration Decision-Making

Sustainability of natural resources requires balancing exploitation and conservation, enabled by management based on the best available scientific and economic information. Valuation of ecosystem goods and services is an important tool for prioritizing restoration efforts, recognizing the economic importance of conserving natural capital, and raising public awareness about the contribution of healthy ecosystems to social welfare, now and for future generations. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DHOS) in 2010 was a Gulf of Mexico ecological and economic disaster adding to decades-long degradation of the region’s coastal and marine environment. In 2010, revenues from provisioning ecosystem goods and services generated by the five U.S. states bordering the Gulf of Mexico contributed over $2 trillion per year to the nation’s gross domestic product, including$660 billion from the coastal county revenues and $110 billion from ocean revenues. Mexico and Cuba contribute at least another$40 billion per year from their Gulf coastal and ocean economies. Total economic value of Gulf ecosystem goods and services also requires valuation of nonmarket regulating, cultural, and supporting services, which are far more difficult to assess, but add billions more dollars per year. In light of this total economic value and trends in ecosystem stressors, new investment is necessary to ensure completeness, accuracy, and availability of Gulf economic impact data. Civil and criminal settlements related to the DHOS provide unprecedented opportunities for improving integration of ecosystem goods and services into decisions that affect Gulf restoration and sustainability. This paper highlights the economic contributions of Gulf ecosystem goods and services to the nation’s welfare, and recommends actions and investments required to ensure that they are valued, and integrated into decision-making