Digital Commons Network^™

Crisis, Cooperation, And Coercion: Migration Diplomacy In Europe, 2014-2017, Jessica L. Jones

Political Science ETDs

In this dissertation I ask when and how states employ migration diplomacy – and its coercive and cooperative variants – during the European Migration Crisis, 2014-2017. I argue that states use migration diplomacy to minimize the costs of migration crises and are more likely to use migration diplomacy when either the incurred or anticipated costs of migration crises are greater, when they are less powerful, and when anti-migrant domestic political pressures are higher. I use a multimethod approach to answer my questions. Results from my multivariate logistic regressions support my expectation that states are more likely to engage in migration …

Open-Ish Access:" Collaborative Solutions For Sensitive Information In Unm's Native Health Database, Jonathan M. Pringle

Posters and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Relief And Reward Drinking Across Time In Community And Treatment-Seeking Samples, Julia E. Swan

Psychology ETDs

Classifying people with alcohol use disorder into homogenous groups based on observed characteristics (i.e., phenotypes) could match individuals to specific treatments. The reward-relief phenotype classifies individuals based on whether they drink to enhance rewarding experiences and/or to relieve negative states. The current study is a secondary data analysis of a community sample of non-treatment seeking heavy drinkers (n = 189) and two randomized clinical trial samples of individuals with alcohol use disorder (n = 1726, 1383) that aimed to determine if the reward-relief phenotype is identified across samples, is stable over time, and predicts long-term alcohol consumption and consequences. We …

Essays On Human Capital, Soumyajit Chakraborty

Economics ETDs

The first essay: Agriculture in Nepal is the most critical sector for economic growth – it directly benefits the poor, and a considerable proportion of the population derives their livelihoods from agriculture. This essay uses the 2017–2018 baseline survey data from Nepal Seed and Fertilizer (NSAF) project funded through the USAID’s “Feed the Future” program. The essay explores a causal relationship between agronomical knowledge and productivity-enhancing farming decisions. Evidence indicates that there are significant, consistent, and positive returns to agronomical knowledge via engaging in advisory contact through traditional agricultural extension. Given the drawback of the institutional irregularity of advisory services, …

Comparative Phylogeography Across Multiple Scales: Small Mammals, Their Ecology, Pathogens, And Drivers Of Diversification, Schuyler W. Liphardt

Biology ETDs

Comparative phylogeography has historically been defined as the study of how genetic variation of co-distributed species has been shaped by biogeographical history. This is a mature field of study out of which several techniques have been developed directed at identifying the role ecology and geography in diversification patterns across time. I employ the tools developed in classical comparative phylogeography across multiple taxonomic scales and across regions that historically have been understudied. My first two chapters study the complex history of host-switching, codiversification, and reassortment of hantaviruses in their mammal hosts across North America. By taking a host-centric comparative phylogeographic approach …

Cognizant Composites: Seamless Integration Of Circuitry And Sensors Into Structural Composites, Reuben Fresquez

Computer Science ETDs

This thesis describes a set of novel techniques for embedding sensors, circuitry, and electronics into structural composites. I leverage recent developments in human computer interaction to create sensors and circuitry that are seamlessly incorporated into structural composites. I fabricate bend and compression sensors, along with circuitry, from textiles, which enables me to add electronic capabilities without impacting the composite’s structural integrity. I describe the construction of these “cognizant composites” and demonstrate their functionality. I also explore techniques for embedding standard electronic components, including microcontrollers, into structural composites. Potential applications of this technology include buildings that can warn occupants if load-bearing …

Cyber Physical Systems For Non-Contact Infrastructure Monitoring, Roya Nasimi

Civil Engineering ETDs

In recent decades, the decay of infrastructure has become a relevant challenge of both developed and under developing countries. Prioritization of maintenance and repairs of transportation infrastructure is a new worldwide priority since it is important to quantify the rate of decay of assets to increase both safety and cost-efficient operations. Infrastructure owners need frequent inspections on their assets to predict and to avoid unsafe conditions prone to cause disasters. Frequent infrastructure inspections call for cost-effective methods. Traditional measurement methods require human access to the infrastructure, are subjective, expensive, and unsafe. Therefore, infrastructure managers are interested in exploring new non-contact …

Beauty, Real Or Apparent: Christian Kings, Muslim Artisans, And The Development Of An Imperial Image Through The Silk And Horticulture Industries In Sicily. (Ca. 1090-1190), Casey K. Brown

History ETDs

In the wake of the Norman conquest of Sicily in the second half of the eleventh century, the Mediterranean island housed a diverse collection of Greek, Latin, and Muslim communities. Norman kings chose Palermo to become the seat of Latin-Christian Sicilian government for its productivity and strategic location and included the island into the complex world of self-fashioning politics and exchange. For Sicilian and ‘foreign’ Muslims alike, the imperious pose Roger II and his successors held created a precarious balancing act between the real and imagined worlds of Sicily. The content of this thesis is primarily concerned with the impact …

Three-Dimensional Lattices As Effective Impact Absorption Layers For Space Applications, James Youchison

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Additive manufacturing (AM) is increasingly becoming a viable manufacturing process due to dramatic advantages that it facilitates in the material selection and design complexity. This paper investigates the potential of additively manufactured lattice structures for the application of dissipating impact energy. In this research the role of geometry and material properties on the static and dynamic energy absorption properties of additively manufactured wave spring lattices composed of various materials were studied under drop/impact and compression tests. A finite element simulation of the lattice structure was also conducted, although the results were overall inconclusive, it gave some great insight into the …

Intersectionality, Relational Positionality, And The Lived Experiences Of Inequality: Contextualizing Intergenerational Opioid Use And The Constrained Choices Of Indigenous, Latina, And White Women Caregivers In Rural New Mexico, Carmela M. Roybal

Sociology ETDs

Opioid addiction is a serious and persistent global health issue. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that between 1999 and 2016, more than 630,000 people in the United States died of an overdose of a prescription opioid or illicit drug (CDC 2018). Extant research has suggested that for nearly a century, New Mexico has experienced some of the highest rates of prescription and illicit opioid death in the nation (Goldstein and Herrera, 1995; Landon, 2003; Shah et al., 2008). I examined intergenerational opioid dependence through the lived experience of women caregivers of opioid-addicted family members. Data …

The Profound Photophysical Effects Of Organic Chromophore Connectivity And Coupling, David J. Walwark Jr

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Through-bond and through-space interactions between chromophores are shown to have wide-ranging effects on photophysical outcomes upon light absorption in organic molecules. In collapsed poly(3-hexylthiophene), through-space coupling creates hybrid chromophores that act as energy sinks for nearby excitons and favorable sites for molecular oxygen to dock. Upon excitation with visible light the highly-coupled chromophores react with the docked oxygen and subsequently do not quench nearby excitons as efficiently. In tetramer arrays of perylene diimide chromophores the central moiety through-bond connectivity is synthesized in two variants which exhibit vastly different single-molecule blinking behavior and theoretically-predicted electronic transition character. In the more-connected tetramer …

Silica Sol-Gel Control With High Voltage Contactless Electrodes, Jonathan C. Hebert

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

High Voltage Contactless Electrodes (HVE) non-evasively modulates silica sol-gel reactions by redistributing charge in solution. HVE induces formation of local neutral band (LNB) strata (pseudo interfacial surfaces) where the gradient of potential is zero ∇𝜓𝜓=0. HVE LNB shape corresponds to solubility and ultimately sol-gel form. HVE silica sol-gel control works by localizing pH and creating conditions where silanol polymerization is biform; condensation by protonation (cathodic), or by deprotonation (anodic). Steric modified Poisson-Boltzmann equation is used to develop a theory on HVE control of silica sol-gel formation and a nucleate potential functional of potential 𝜓𝜓. Technologies developed during this research are …

The Birth And Incision History Of The San Juan River In The Past 5 Ma, Micael T. Albonico

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This study addresses the evolution of the San Juan River system and its confluence with the Colorado River, ~ 100 km above the regionally important Lees Ferry knickzone. The San Juan River is a 600-km-long continental-scale tributary of the Colorado River. From its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado, the San Juan River flows across the Colorado Plateau, and into the Colorado River upstream of Grand Canyon. Published apatite fission track and apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronologic data show that rocks in Marble Canyon, as well as in middle and upper reaches of the San Juan River, were >75 °C …

Three Essays In Development And Environmental Economics, Michael Benjamin Goodwin

Economics ETDs

This dissertation explores three unique topics in development and environmental economics. The first paper looks at the value people place on clean air in Mexico City using an alternative air pollution measure to the typical ground measurement. Research and policy addressing air pollution remains hampered by a lack of ground level air quality data. This study attempts to overcome this issue using aerosol optical depth from satellite imagery as a proxy for air pollution. Using a hedonic framework and least squares estimation, results show that Mexico City residents place a significant value on clean air as demonstrated by their choices …

The Personal And Relational Impact Of Varying Responses To Fat Talk In The Context Of Female Friendship, Riley M. Sebastian

Psychology ETDs

The current study aimed to measure the immediate impact of various responses to Fat Talk on college women. Participants were given trait-level questionnaires followed by prompts to imagine a scenario in which they engaged in Fat Talk. Participants were presented with four counterbalanced audio response conditions followed by several single-item measures. Repeated-measures one-way ANOVAs examined the impact of response and significant differences in personal and relational factors across the four response conditions were found. A mixed-model ANOVA demonstrated that baseline variables did not impact participants’ reactions to the different Fat Talk responses. Finally, frequency of Fat Talk was correlated with …

Quantification Of Soil Microbial Biomass In The Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Emily Ruth Reynebeau

Biology ETDs

Quantifying microbial biomass is important for understanding microbial contribution to nutrient cycling and population flux. Widely accepted biomass estimation methods are sufficient for well-studied and high biomass systems, though are often not sensitive enough for systems with extremely low biomass. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are characterized as an extremely harsh environment with severe restrictions on life, with perhaps some of the lowest biomass in the world. We measured prokaryote biomass across Taylor and Wright Valleys using four estimation metrics to determine the most appropriate method for this ecosystem. The chloroform fumigation method was not sensitive enough for the …

The Reward Positivity In Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder, Garima Singh

Psychology ETDs

The Reward Positivity (RewP) is a positive deflection in the EEG after receiving a reward. Recent evidence suggests that the RewP is modulated by both reward probability aside from affective liking. Here we examined the sensitivity of the RewP to affective and alcohol images in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). We recruited 55 participants (AUD =28, Control= 27). Participants completed an image rating task and a reinforcement learning task with picture feedback (puppy or alcohol images over a green or red screen). Although there was no between group differences in puppy image ratings, there was a significant group difference …

Measurement Of Resilience Performance For Infrastructure Construction Project Delivery, Fei Han

Civil Engineering ETDs

In the past decade, infrastructure resilience in the U.S. has become critical due to increasing disruptions to the built environment and the resultant consequences on economic, social, and environmental goals. This attention to resilience research is drawn to investigating the ability of existing structures and facilities to resist and recover from natural and human-caused hazards. From a broader view, resilience also applies to processes, such as infrastructure project delivery processes. During these processes, a project often suffers inevitable threats and disruptions, which can significantly delay or derail the project if the process is not resilient.

This research aimed to conceptualize …

Effectiveness Of Growth Mindset Intervention On Elementary Students’ Academic Performance: A Systematic Review, Salma Yeasmin

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The lack of academic success of the U.S. adolescents and wide achievement gap have become a persistent problem of the United States. Therefore, several educational reforms have been made to increase U.S. students’ academic performance as well as close achievement gap. However, despite the various reforms and efforts that have been enacted in educational sectors, U.S. students’ academic performance seemed not enough. Therefore, psychological factors were considered in the educational reform strategy, in which promoting growth mindset among students has become a way to accelerate students’ academic performance as well as reduce the achievement gap. Since then, numerous growth mindset …

Monte Carlo Perturbation Analysis Of Dimension And Density Variations Of The Annular Core Research Reactor Model Fuel, Karissa Currie

Nuclear Engineering ETDs

This thesis assesses sources of uncertainty in the neutron energy spectrum of the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) model. Uncertainty evaluations have been performed on the ACRR core but were computationally intensive and could not isolate the uncertainties associated with discrete sources. Monte Carlo Perturbation Theory (MCPT) is used in MCNP to calculate 640-group neutron energy fluences and their associated uncertainties [1]. To understand the uncertainties associated with only the UO₂-BeO fuel, perturbations in densities and dimensions were evaluated. A 640 by 640 covariance and correlation matrices were produced and compared to …

Staying Afloat: Experiences Of Previously Incarcerated Students, Jodi Burshia, Jodi Burshia

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The experiences of Previously Incarcerated Indigenous Students (PIIS) need to be understood so that educators and administrators can include the experiences, perspectives, and realities of Indigenous students who have been previously incarcerated in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and collegiate programs at Tribal Community Colleges and Universities (TCUs). To date, considering and providing targeted support for this population has not been part of the focus of TCUs even when all tribal colleges work to strengthen the cultural heritage of their respective tribes (Bad Wound, 1990) and some students at TCUs are PIIS. This qualitative study offers a respectful critique of higher …

African American Female Caregivers’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Expectations Of The Special Education Process, Lenell Denise Walton

Special Education ETDs

A select few African American families who have a child with a disability have the skills and knowledge to be proactive in the special education process. Special education teams must guide and mentor African American students and their families through the special education process. However, African American families have consistently contended that their child’s special education team does not provide the services necessary to meet their child’s academic goals. This qualitative study examined the perceptions, experiences, and expectations of African American female caregivers regarding the special education process. Participants were nine African American mothers and one sibling whose family members …

Social Informatics Techniques Used To Develop A Tool For Testing Electronic Prescription Systems For Substance Use Management In A Pandemic, Azka Riaz Naru

Biomedical Informatics Seminar Series (BioMISS)

Learning Objectives

Effective prescription practices for opioid addicts involve a complex process. This seminar describes how informatics need assessment techniques clarified prescribers’ needs for a software interface.

By completion of this seminar, participants should be able to:

1. Describe how the Covid-19 Pandemic complicated an already complex prescribing decision making process.
2. Summarize how the investigator conducted the needs assessment process using social informatics techniques.

Target Audience

Anyone from UNM or who has an interest in biomedical informatics including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, educators, researchers, faculty, and staff.

Explorations And Developments In Multifunctionality, 3d Printing, And Accelerated Aging For Thermoplastics And Thermosets, Zachary Brounstein

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

If the world is to progress through the fourth industrial revolution, rapid advances in materials science must complement new technological feats in manufacturing, computation and device functionality, and a broader understanding of how materials behave as they age and degrade. To this effect, much effort has been directed towards polymeric materials to address and solve many problems in this new era. This includes developing polymer composites that incorporate fillers to imbue multifunctionality, fabricating novel formulations for additive manufacturing, and conducting aging studies to assess the performance of these materials over long time spans. Building and expanding on the latest research …

Washington Monthly Interviews Vinay Harpalani: Asian Americans And The Pursuit Of Unhappiness, Vinay Harpalani, Reginald C. Oh

Faculty Scholarship

EXCERPT:

There are, however, several problems with depicting Asian Americans as victims of affirmative action. First, it is necessary to distinguish between affirmative action and negative action. Affirmative action refers to admissions policies that use the race of an underrepresented racial group as a “plus factor” in admissions. According to the law professor Vinay Harpalani, negative action “refers to policies or practices which disadvantage Asian Americans” in comparison to whites. If schools like Harvard covertly impose a higher standard for Asian Americans than for whites, the problem is negative action, not affirmative action. And if Harvard’s admissions decisions are …

Assessment Of Preference, Health Issues, And Spatial Dependence In A Solid Waste Management System, Mohammad Mashiur Rahman

Economics ETDs

The insurmountable population growth in developing countries, specifically in the urban cities, has posed numerous socio-economic and environmental challenges. The growth of household solid waste is one of them, creating environmental disruption and climate change from a broader perspective. This dissertation investigates three issues related to a solid waste management system; the health risks from improper waste management behavior, household's preference to participate in a waste management system, and the solution to a municipality for optimal allocation of waste disposal by multiple techniques. The first paper uses a primary survey data collected in 2016 to investigate the association between health …

Life-Or-Death: An Assessment Of Covid-19 Messaging In New Mexico And Potential Consequences For The Spanish-Speaking Population, Victoria Pena-Parr

Shared Knowledge Conference

A common theme throughout history is that marginalized communities are typically the communities hit the hardest during times of crisis. When the fatal coronavirus put the entire world on lockdown in 2020, there were great concerns that marginalized communities would be the most affected by the disease. This was met directly with promises from government officials ensuring that minority populations would not be left out of COVID-19 relief efforts. These promises included some from New Mexico's own Governor Michelle Luján Grisham. However, our study shows that the state of New Mexico not only neglected but failed to provide equity for …

The Documentation And Grammatical Description Of Sanapaná (Enlhet-Enenlhet, Paraguay), Jens Van Gysel

Shared Knowledge Conference

The Sanapaná language is spoken by around 1000 people in the Paraguayan Chaco region (Crevels 2012). Only about a third of the members of the ethnic Sanapaná group still speak the language, and in five of the seven Sanapaná communities, children now learn Spanish or Paraguayan Guaraní as their native language. This makes Sanapaná one of the many languages that are in danger of disappearing. Documenting such endangered languages is of vital importance to preserving the world's cultural and intellectual diversity, as well as a representative sample of human linguistic behaviours and their social functions. Language endangerment has also been …

Creating A Corpus Of Navajo Historical Narratives - Prospects And Challenges, Lukas Denk

Shared Knowledge Conference

Linguistic research and language instruction have benefitted from linguistic corpora (digital databases containing numerous texts written in one language). For low-resource languages where written records are scarce, the creation of corpora can be a challenge, but has the benefit of supporting conservation and revitalization. My project consists in the creation of a corpus of Diné Bizaad (Navajo), based on existing publicly available narratives written in the 1950's. I present examples from the corpus as well as mention challenges faced in the annotation of the first 5000 words. One problem that pertains to Native American Languages in general is that only …

Beyond Green Hell And Eldorado: Milton Hatoum's Amazon In "Relato De Um Certo Oriente", Luisa Geisler

Shared Knowledge Conference

Since initial contact with outsiders, the Amazon region has often been described through a colonial lens. These descriptions engage with stereotypes of an impenetrable green hell, as well as its opposite, Eldorado, a land of riches and infinite possibility. Listening and engaging with voices from the region is essential to break the most prevailing stereotype: that of an inscrutable wasteland, impossible to understand. To that end, Relato de Um Certo Oriente is a 1989 novel written by Amazonian author Milton Hatoum, and it is one example of decolonizing narratives. Set in Manaus in the early 20th century, the plot presents …