Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Behavioral And Neuroimmune System Model Of The Effects Of Chronic Low-Level Lead Exposure In Young Male C57bl/6j Mice, Mayra Gisel Flores-Montoya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chronic low-level lead exposure reduces memory in children however the brain mechanisms mediating these effects are not known. In previous studies we showed that early lead exposure reduced olfactory memory and exploratory behavior in young mice, and reduced microglia cell density in hippocampus/dentate gyrus. The present studies aimed to identify additional behavioral tests that were sensitive to early low-level lead exposure in young mice; and to examine whether microglia upregulated factors known to promote cell migration. Seventy-two C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to 0 ppm (controls), 30 ppm (low-dose), or 430 ppm (high-dose) of lead acetate via dams' milk from …

Agents Of Global Armament: Analyzing Masculinity And Militarism In "Captain America" And The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jodie Nikole Lout

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the current zeitgeist, there has been a surge in the popularity of superhero movies. For many decades, Hollywood has been producing films that propagate ideologies of hyper-masculinity and militarism. This study suggests that it is possible to analyze the recent character "Captain America" as propaganda for militarism and hyper-masculinity. This study proposes to analyze the character in the films Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), The Avengers (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), and Captain America: Civil War (2016).

Dual Enrollment Participation In The United States: Findings From The High School Longitudinal Study Of 2009, Luis Eduardo Rivera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Today, dual enrollment programs are ubiquitous in the United States' secondary educational system. As a form of accelerated coursework, policy makers and school districts push dual enrollment as a means to improve college readiness and attainment. This paper studies the composition and characteristics of dual enrollment participants in the United States. Employing the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 restricted dataset, three discrete logistic models are created to estimate the probability of a high school student participating in any dual enrollment coursework across the United States. The results from these models suggest that gender, prior academic achievement, and family socioeconomic …

The Rhetoric Of Mental Health: An Examination Of The Recategorization Of Autism Spectrum Disorder In The Dsm-5 And Its Absorption Into Public Discourse, Elsa Martin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation explores the discourse of mental health across genres and public spaces. The research of this project is situated within the overlap of the fields of Disability Studies (Brewer, Selfe, Yergeau, 2014; Brueggeman and Kleege, 2003; Kerschbaum, 2012; Lewiecki-Wilson, 2003) and Rhetorics of Health and Medicine (Keränen, 2013; Kopelson, 2009; Segal, 1994; Scott, Segal, & Keränen, 2013), a space that focuses on the rhetoric of mental health (Chrisman, 2008; Emmons, 2008; Hacking, 2009). Following the principles of these fields, this project deconstructs the recategorization of autism in the DSM-5, the media coverage it received, and the public reception of …

Do Coaches Practice What They Preach? An Evaluation Of The Usage Of Evidence-Based Practices Among Probation Officer Coaches, Tamara Kang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Probation supervision has the potential to serve a rehabilitative function through the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs; practices supported by empirical research). Often, when administrators adopt EBPs in their agency, these programs may not be implemented with fidelity by probation officers who interact with offenders. Thus, there is a critical need to examine methods of increasing the effectiveness of implementing EBPs among officers. One method, peer mentoring (i.e., coaches), is gaining popularity; however, little is known about the highly-motivated officers who volunteer to be coaches. Consequently, this Dissertation investigates compliance with EBPs among officers who have volunteered to become coaches …

The Texas Sales Tax Rebate Program, Jose Angel Moreno

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The sale tax rebate program has existed in states along the U.S. â?? Mexico border for over 60 years and, in Texas, it has been the subject of much debate regarding both its legitimacy and its efficacy in stimulating real retail sales particularly in border cities. No empirical research exists, though, that provides insight into the statistical relationships between the Texas retail sector and total certificates issued by Private Customs Brokers (PCBs) in border cities. This study fills this research gap by creating a model that tests the statistical significance of real retail sales on total certificates issued in Texas. …

Metropolitan Business Cycle Analysis For Lubbock, Macie Subia Subia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to develop a business cycle index (BCI) for Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Stock and Watson (1989; 1991; 1993) methodology is used to develop the BCI and assumes that the co-movements of key economic indicators have a single underlying, unobservable factor. This factor is extracted from the indicators and used to calculate an index that represents economic conditions through an econometric approach. The model uses the Kalman filter smoothing approach which smooths across variables and over time. This results in an index that is smoother with less pronounced expansions and recessions. Indicator series …

The Thin Body, The Able Body, And The Student Of Color Athlete: Physical Capital In University Viewbooks, Grace Lavin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

University and college brochures and pamphlets provide high school students with the first images and insights into a prospective college. The images of the campus and the students portrayed within them help college-bound students decide whether the institution is a fit and if they can picture themselves on campus. In order to meet the current demand for diversity representation, institutions have capitalized on campus diversity as a marketing strategy to pull in both white students and students of color to their institutions. Previous literature has shown that there exists an overrepresentation of Black and Asian students, but studies have yet …

Concreteness, Frequency, And Bilingual Language Dominance: Implications For The Impact Of Context Availability In Explicit Memory, Randolph Taylor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One explanation for why concrete words are better recalled than abstract words is systematic differences across these word types in the availability of context information. In contrast, explanations for the concrete word advantage in recognition memory do not consider a possible role for context availability. Like concrete words, low-frequency words and L2 words also demonstrate item recognition advantages over high-frequency words and L1 words, respectively. Although the theories explaining these advantages do not explicitly discuss context availability, the mechanisms described suggest that context availability may play a role. The present study examined the extent to which context availability can explain …

Corporate Sponsorship And The Consumer Socialization Of African American Women Athletes: A Qualitative Study, Tahla Monique Wade

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

African-American consumption is a unique feature of the American consumer market. A characteristic of African American consumers is their participation in conspicuous consumption. A look into the sociological concept of consumer socialization can drive insight to what initiates purchases of this group. However, this is not studied as an evolving process. Over time, individuals may encounter several new influences that affect their consumer socialization and purchase behavior, including the possibility of corporate sponsorship. To explore this evolution, I examine if corporate sponsorships affect the consumer socialization of African-American women collegiate athletes. Fifteen NCAA Division I African-American women athletes from a …

Mimicry Deception Theory Applied To Grooming Behaviors Of Child Sexual Abuse, Melissa De Roos De Roos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Mimicry Deception Theory (MDT) is a theoretical framework used to analyze deception in terms of long- vs. short-term strategies employed by the deceiver. Grooming behaviors used by sex offenders to access child victims and to prolong the abuse while minimizing detection are a specific form of deception. We conducted two studies, coding 121 and 164 court reports of sex abuse appeal cases with child victims. Grooming that was more complex in nature was associated with abuse that lasted longer and was more difficult to detect. Further, victim vulnerabilities contributed to a sense of confusion in the victim, and a decreased …

Trade Cluster Impacts On Southern Border Transportation Costs, Ernesto Duarte Ronquillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis develops a fixed effect model to analyze the impact of trade clusters on transportation costs. CIF/FOB ratios are utilized as the measures for transportation costs. Grubel-Lloyd and Herfindahl-Hirschman indexes are utilized as variables that identify trade clusters. The focus of this study encompasses four custom districts (El Paso, Laredo, Nogales, and San Diego) located on the southern border of the United-States over the period of 1995-2015. Driscoll-Kraay robust standard errors are calculated for each estimated model. The 9/11 terrorist attack effects are taken into account in the fixed effect model. Empirical results suggest that trade clusters have a …

Octopamine In Sexual Behavior, Ana Isabel Fernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Octopamine is a biogenic amine neuromodulator present in neuronal and non-neuronal tissues in invertebrates (Roeder, 1999). It modulates numerous physiological processes such as motivation, pheromone response, olfaction, ovulation, learning and memory. Octopamine together with its precursor tyramine have roles restricted only to invertebrates (Roeder, 1999). It is believed that octopamine is the invertebrate homolog of norepinephrine, a catecholamine present in mammals that acts as a neuromodulator in the sympathetic and central nervous systems. Both octopamine and norepinephrine are derived from the same amino acid tyrosine and are monoamine neurotransmitters. The main objective of this study is to understand the role …

Advancing High Spatial And Spectral Resolution Remote Sensing For Observing Plant Community Response To Environmental Variability And Change In The Alaskan Arctic, Sergio Armando Vargas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Arctic is being impacted by climate change more than any other region on Earth. Impacts to terrestrial ecosystems have the potential to manifest through feedbacks with other components of the Earth System. Of particular concern is the potential for the massive store of soil organic carbon to be released from arctic permafrost to the atmosphere where it could exacerbate greenhouse warming and impact global climate and biogeochemical cycles. Even though substantial gains to our understanding of the changing Arctic have been made, especially over the past decade, linking research results from plot to regional scales remains a challenge due …

A Tale Of Two Cities: A Business Cycle Index For Midland-Odessa, Elisabeth Downs

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to estimate a coincident index for the Midland-Odessa region using the Stock and Watson (1988) methodology. The model assumes that the co-movements of indicators have a common element that can be summarized as a single underlying and unobservable variable, the “state of the economy” (Stock and Watson, 1988). The model utilizes the Kalman filter smoothing approach which smooths the index across time and across indicators and results in index movements that are less pronounced during expansions and recessions. Indicator series used to estimate the Midland-Odessa BCI are: employment, unemployment rate, real retail sales, and …

Analysis Of Infectious Diseases Screening Systems For Transatlantic Air Passengers, Lukas Gold

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since transportation systems, especially air transportation, have the potential to spread infectious diseases (e.g. Ebola, SARS) quickly across large geographical area through its users, passenger health screening systems installed at the airports can help to slow down the international spread.

This Thesis identifies and tests health screening system designs using discrete event simulation. The three objectives are: (1) to provide the necessary background regarding the diseases and screening technologies, (2) to create models of an air transportation network in a simulation software, and (3) to conduct simulation experiments, analyze and interpret the results including the formulation of recommendations for decision …

Bilingual Novel Word Learning In Sentence Contexts, Justin G. Lauro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

According to the Instance-based framework of adult vocabulary learning, each time a learner encounters a new word in context, an episodic memory trace, containing the word itself and the surrounding context, is formed. Previous research has demonstrated an advantage in memory for words encountered in a variety of semantic contexts. This advantage occurs because distinctive contexts generate more distinctive memory traces. While research has demonstrated that a variety of contextual characteristics are encoded (e.g. semantic context, modality, and language), it is unknown whether varying the language context in which a word is encountered has a similar benefit on memory for …

Parental Understandings Of The Meaning Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Kylara Leyva

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examines how parents understand autism, their child's behavior and development. Parents can understand their child's behavior and development through a medical model perspective, which sees the childâ??s autism as a series of deficits and deviations. However, a growing number of parents understand their child's behavior and development through a neurodiversity perspective, where a child is seen as having differences in behavior, instead of deficits. Parents' understandings of autism can influence how they see their child's behavior and development and be a driver for seeking diagnosis. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of children with autism to probe for …

Black Police Uniforms Implicitly Increase Hostile Perceptions And Behavior, Amber Kristin Lupo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Use of excessive, and sometimes deadly, force by U.S. law enforcement officers is a critical and costly problem. An enclothed cognition framework suggests that clothing, such as a uniform, can implicitly affect cognitive processing and behavior of the wearer (Adam & Galinsky, 2012). Previous research demonstrated that darker clothing implicitly affects judgments and behavior in two ways. First, persons who wear darker clothing are perceived more negatively (Vrig, 1997; Vrig & Akehurst, 1997). Second, actors wearing darker colored clothing demonstrate greater aggressive behavior than actors wearing lighter colored clothing (Frank & Gilovich, 1988; Peña, Hancock, & Merola, 2009). The present …

Instilling Positive Beliefs About Organ Donation: An Information Processing Approach, Gerardo Jose Moreira

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The number of those seeking a kidney donation in the United States continues to increase while the number of donors is not growing at the same rate (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services USDHHS, 2010). The lack of donations is more prevalent in low health literate communities which suffer from misinformation and ultimately negative beliefs toward organ donation. Thus, it is important to understand how marketing efforts can effectively change individuals' beliefs about organ donation.

Drawing on the Self-Determination Theory and Schema Theory, I proposed that the effectiveness of health education programs, which is to motivate individuals to be …

Machiavellianism And Endorsement Of Appeal Type: An Examination Of Organization Recruitment, Steven M. Mueller

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Machiavellianism is characterized by a cynical worldview, a relativistic ethical orientation, and a willingness to manipulate others. Because those higher in Machiavellianism are successful at obtaining positions of power, research is needed to better understand the ways these individuals influence others' attention and behavior. This study examined the effect of Machiavellianism and related personalities narcissism and psychopathy on appeal type preference (guilt-based, ego-promoted, or neutral). In this study, Machiavellianism was not associated with appeal type preference. Those higher in psychopathy, however, were more likely to endorse guilt-based persuasiveness. Further, those higher in narcissism reported positive attitudes toward the recruitment statement. …

Error Correction Exchange Rate Modeling For Bangladesh, Dipanwita Barai

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Several error correction models are estimated for analyzing the nominal exchange rate dynamics of Bangladesh between the taka and the United States dollar using annual data. The theoretical frameworks utilized include balance of payments and the monetary construct. The bilateral taka / dollar exchange rate model based on the balance of payments approach exhibits better econometric and statistical traits than the model based on the monetary construct. Out-of-sample simulation indicates, however, that the balance of payments ARDL model does not generate very accurate forecasts for this bilateral exchange rate.

The Risk Principle Paradox: A Multilevel Approach To Examine Which High-Risk Offenders Successfully Change During Rehabilitation Programs, Cole Higley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The empirically supported risk principle demonstrates that correctional agencies can reduce recidivism by providing greater supervision and rehabilitation services to higher-risk offenders. The current study examined the paradox that offenders with the greatest risk to reoffend also have the most potential to successfully change; yet, little research has examined why some high-risk offenders succeed in programs, while others do not. Analyses examined whether certain demographic, motivation, and rehabilitative group features were related to program performance and post-release recidivism. Results showed that in certain rehabilitation types, statistically significant interactions were observed, such that the relationship between individual risk and outcome (either …

The Development Of A Drinking-Specific Compensatory Health Beliefs Scale, Sandra L. Oviedo Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to investigate the applicability of the Compensatory Health Belief (CHB) model in relation to drinking by developing and validating the Drinking-Specific Compensatory Health Beliefs (CHBs) Scale in adults between the ages of 18 and 29 living in the United States. In phase 1, a pool of 41 items was administered to 293 undergraduate students. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to construct the Drinking-Specific CHBs Scale, which consists of 13 items that encompass four different factors - physical activity, no consumption of other drugs, amount of alcohol consumed in future, and rest. In phase 2, …

Effects Of Gender Stereotypes On Judgments Of Career Tracks, Scott Frankowski

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Occupational gender role stereotypes may impact how others evaluate the career choices of women and men. Women more so than men are employed in occupations that are viewed as communal. Men more so than women are employed in occupations that are viewed as agentic. In the first experiment, participants evaluated the career paths of male and female targets when the targets were considering a career change to a gender role congruent, incongruent, or gender role neutral career path. Female targets' career choices were evaluated more favorably in gender role congruent versus incongruent career tracks. Female targets' career choices were also …

Perceptions On Collaborative Writing: Exploring Student And Instructor Perceptions Of Collaborative Writing Practices In Professional Communication, Levi Ray Martin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research study focuses on the perceptions of collaborative writing held by undergraduate students enrolled in professional writing course at The University of Texas at El Paso. Working with current scholarship surrounding effective collaborative writing practices as well as Achievement Goal Theory (AGT), the author observed two different courses of professional writing. Three types of data were collected: 1. survey responses from participants at the beginning-of and end-of the course; 2. interviews with participants at the end of the semester; and 3. classroom observations. The range of data collected provided similar and different perceptions held by the student participants. The …

Source Monitoring In Bilinguals, Renee Michelle Penalver

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Source memory is memory for the context in which a particular target item is learned (Parker, 1995). The source-monitoring framework is the leading model of source memory (Johnson, Hashtroudi, & Lindsay, 1993). It remains unknown at what level context-to-word associations are made (e.g., at the word form level or conceptual level). Three experiments examined the effects of word frequency and language proficiency on source memory, with each experiment addressing one of the different types of source monitoring identified in this framework. In Experiment 1, we examined how language proficiency and word frequency affect external source discrimination. Participants had to discriminate …

Crash Rate As A Function Of Access Point Density And Traffic Flow, George Pinal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

High crash rates on U.S. highways results in a considerable loss of human and economic resources. It is estimated that the U.S. loses about $10 billion every year in motor vehicle crashes in terms of fatalities, injuries, and property damage. Demand for access points from highways to properties has steadily increased due to rapid growth in local economies creating thereby compromises between accessibility and mobility or capacity and safety. On the other hand, the availability of access is essential to residential and commercial developments and often occurs at the cost of safety and traffic operations. This often directs the need …

Evaluation Of Mechanical Parameters Of Contaminated Road Base And Railway Ballast, Prajwol Tamrakar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation comprises two topics in the area of transportation geotechnics that focus on the evaluation of stiffness parameters of contaminated road base and railway ballast. The abstracts of these two studies are provided in the following two paragraphs.

The performance of a flexible pavement depends on the mechanical characteristics of its unbound granular base layer. The mechanical characteristics such as stiffness and deformation resistance depend on many factors such as the material gradation, fines content, moisture content, physical properties of coarse aggregate and more. The base materials are often contaminated by the excessive fines that is caused by improper …

European Migration Crisis. Aspects Of Border Control., Karolina Zofia Zajakala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

My Thesis focuses on the problem of the European Migration Crisis. I ask the question what the EU can do to improve control over its borders. I analyze the 2016 Frontex reform and investigate whether cooperation between the EU and NGOs on search and rescue operations is possible.