Digital Commons Network^™

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Language Shift Of Ikalanga In Botswana: Implications For Language Revitalization, Annah Sephene Macha

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

This study explores the phenomenon of language shift among the Bakalanga community in Botswana, focusing on the gradual displacement of the iKalanga language by dominant languages such as Setswana and English that hold official status for education and broader communication. iKalanga faces significant challenges, as minority languages face extinction globally, the Bakalanga’s experience reflects broader trends where dominant languages supplant indigenous ones in education and wider communication. This research employed a phenomenological approach to investigate how the Bakalanga transmit knowledge amidst this language shift. Data was collected through focus groups, life history narratives, documents, and individual interviews, and analyzed using …

Insight Into Complexity: Novel Information Theoretic Analysis Of Spatiotemporal Interactions, Humayra Tasnim

Computer Science ETDs

Complex systems are comprised of different components. Interactions and associations among these components define the functionality of the system. For example, T cells must directly interact with virally infected cells to kill them. This research characterizes the most relevant components of complex systems by analyzing interacting relationships using information theoretic measures. It emphasizes the importance of spatial and temporal dynamics, which occur when components share spatial proximities or temporal sequences. Novel information theoretic analyses are proposed for quantifying the degree of association among system components, which is key to defining the spatiotemporal dynamics. One focus of this work is the …

Wars Of Position: The Construction Of An Antifascist Public Sphere In Spain, 1931-1939, Carter David Barnwell

History ETDs

This dissertation explores antifascist culture in Spain during the decade of the 1930s, and the ways in which it was developed and disseminated by a host of intellectuals and activists under the Second Republic from 1931-1939. In considering parliamentary addresses, performative speech acts, election propaganda, public demonstrations, newspaper and journal articles, multi-media art, and photographs, the study demonstrates how political and cultural leaders came to define and understand “antifascism” and what they hoped to achieve by embracing this term. An antifascist culture developed amongst broad elements of the Spanish political left and center under the Second Republic, which came to …

The Borders Of Embodiment: Transgression, Transformation, And Corporeality In Chicanx Speculative Fiction, Chrysta Carson Wilson

English Language and Literature ETDs

This dissertation develops a clearer vision of Chicanx Speculative Fiction (SF) as its own genre anchored to the experiences and histories of the Chicanx community, with a particular interest in the avenues through which race and gender shape the experience of embodiment. SF resists hegemonic narratives that justify racial hierarchies and reveals both the cultural and concrete pressures exerted on Chicanx bodies in the United States as a minoritized and often exploited community. Furthermore, my analysis illustrates that Chicanx writers utilize elements of SF to defamiliarize traditional notions of race, class, and nationality. Through the use of defamiliarization, Chicanx SF …

Agave, Tamarindo Y Jamaica: Testimonios And Movements Of Jotería Rural And Afro-Jotería Rural From The Ranchos And Pueblos Of Rural Southern Mexico, Luis Oswaldo Esparza

Chicana and Chicano Studies ETDs

This project aims to celebrate and honor resistance strategies by Jotería Rural and Afro-Jotería Rural, who have originally inherited, implemented, and recreated life-affirming survival mechanisms of joy and survival. I accomplished this using a Nagualing Jotería methodologies that humanizes participants by treating their testimonials as legitimate community-based knowledge (Fierros & Delgado-Bernal, 2016). Together, my contributors and I constructed a list of resistance strategies as they tied their experiences in relation to and against repressive colonial rhetoric that continues to be re-articulated in the rural.

White Corn Boy Yellow Corn Girl Find Success On Their Educational Journeys, Sarah Curley

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study aimed to provide a narrative analysis of the storied Diné beliefs and values of three Yellow Corn Girls and one White Corn Boy. My research questions were: How do Diné language and culture influence high school students’ success in high school? What cultural beliefs and values contribute to the success of high school students transitioning into their first year of community college? Utilizing the theoretical framework of The Beauty Way of Life (BWOL) model and its philosophies, I gathered narrative data using individual interviews. I examined the impact of the Diné language, cultural beliefs, and values on their …

Effect Of Air Filtration On Water Quality During Atmospheric Water Harvest In The Southwest United States, A.J. Barney

Civil Engineering ETDs

Access to sustainable drinking water is a concern across the globe. Atmospheric water harvest (AWH) offers a potential supplemental drinking water source. However, the sources and processes affecting AWH water quality are not well understood and must be thoroughly studied to consistently utilize AWH for drinking water. The objective of this research is to assess how removing particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 in the air used to produce AWH with air-filters affects the water quality of AWH. AWH samples were collected simultaneously with three identical dehumidifiers, utilizing three different air-filter configurations (no-filter, MERV8, and MERV12) in Albuquerque, NM from …

3d Printing Of Local New Mexican Soil Material: Improving Durability Properties By Assessing Traditional Methods Towards Alternative Sustainable Construction, Daiquiri Devon Zozaya

Civil Engineering ETDs

3D printing (3DP), or additive manufacturing, represents a dynamic and swiftly advancing manufacturing method in which diverse materials are deposited layer by layer through computer-controlled processes, creating intricate geometries. This technology has demonstrated success in various construction applications, including the construction of bridges, bus stop stations, and even residential homes. Nonetheless, the predominant application of 3DP in construction relies heavily on cement due to its robustness, convenience, and ease of use. Regrettably, the cement sector is a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for approximately 8% of worldwide CO₂ emissions. Investigating all facets of carbon emissions reduction is …

Building A Trusted Relationship Among Project Participants In Construction Projects On Tribal Land, Dominica J. Bennett

Civil Engineering ETDs

There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States, and these tribal communities differ by culture, language, history, and self-governance. Performing a tribal construction project is different than a non-tribal project due to tribal sovereignty, tribes are both legally and regulatory independent. The United States has recognized its trust with Indigenous tribes through treaties, statutes, and historical relations, however treaties and statutes have been broken over time. This paper aims to qualitatively and quantitatively identify relationships and trust built between contractors, designers, and owners on construction projects while identifying challenges. The methodology involves survey distribution to rank the level …

Media Road To Violence: A Process Of Racialization Of Rohingya Ethnic Minority, Md Didarul Islam

Communication ETDs

ABSTRACT

This dissertation examines how ideologically loaded news media representations advanced the complex and ambiguous process of racialization of the Rohingyas, an ethnic Muslim minority in Myanmar. This study first interrogates the dominant patterns in news sourcing and thematic emphasis in the coverage of Rohingya; secondly, it sheds light on how these representations contribute to reproducing dominant ideologies and power relations. I selected two English-language newspapers published in Myanmar: The Global New Light of Myanmar and the Myanmar Times. I applied the notions of media representation (Hall, 1997), ideology (Althusser, 2007), and racialization (Garner & Selod, 2015) as the central …

A Stable Isotope Study To Investigate Water Movement In The Los Lagos Region Of Southern Chile, Kritan Subedi

Civil Engineering ETDs

The Los Lagos region in southern Chile, located in northwest Patagonia, features rain-fed agricultural lands, glacial lakes, forests, farmlands, and volcanic soils. This study investigates water movement within a micro-basin using stable isotope analysis and hydrological modeling over eight weeks. It aims to develop a conceptual model of water movement by elucidating interactions between precipitation, soil water, and streamflow. Findings highlight the critical role of deeper soil layers in sustaining streamflow during dry spells and indicate that soil acts as a buffer, maintaining hydrological continuity despite variable precipitation. Improved understanding of these dynamics can inform watershed management and water resource …

Engineered Cementitious Composites: The Good, The Bad, And The Possibilities, Michele M. Anderson, Michele M. Anderson

Civil Engineering ETDs

Construction materials require testing in the laboratory and field to be accepted as viable tools. Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) are a new material in the class of ultra-high-performance concrete studied and tested in the lab but not in the field. This research aimed to answer questions about ECC's ability to be a viable and cost-efficient construction material. The cost of ECC continues to be a factor in the acceptance of the material. Cost savings in construction and labor have not been identified until now, and it is good. Field condition testing of ECC in a desert climate known for extreme …

Optical Responses Of Hybrid Electromagnetic Nanostructures, Dominic Bosomtwi

Optical Science and Engineering ETDs

Fano resonances result from the interference between a broad background and a narrow state, producing asymmetric scattering profiles. Under specific conditions, destructive interference collapses the Fano resonance width, leading to bound states in the continuum (BICs) that localize light within a nanostructure while maintaining an infinitely high-quality factor (Q-factor).

This dissertation explores the design of nanostructures with multilayer hybrid plasmonic-dielectric metasurfaces using full-wave numerical simulations, facilitating multiple Fano resonances and BICs. By adjusting nanoantenna dimensions, multiple modes are excited at plasmonic-dielectric interfaces, leading to strong interactions and hybridization of energy levels, manifested as Rabi splitting.

These findings enable advancements in …

Transnational(Izing) African Communication: A Post-/Decolonial Approach To Nollywood And Globalization, Tomide Oloruntobi

Communication ETDs

In this dissertation, I examine culture and communication in transnational Nigeria, focusing on Nollywood and its industrial politics. Through a critical ethnographic examination of Nollywood’s reception among global and transnational audiences, I critique the evolving patterns of difference, power, and politics informing production, distribution, consumption, and performance/communication of otherness. With four composite dimensions of decoloniality: structural, epistemic, personal, and relational as theoretical foundation, I analyzed observations and interviews with 21 transnational Nigerians, online focus group discussions, user reviews, movies/series, and blogposts. I discuss the emergent themes of coloniality of space, mobility, and culture; re-making of racial otherness and hetero-patriarchy/normativity; cultural …

Embracing Social-Emotional Learning And Nurturing Character: A Systematic Review Of Intersectional-Eq Strategies For Educational Leaders, Leticia G. Candelaria-Archuleta

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The COVID-19 pandemic expanded education beyond traditional academics, highlighting the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) and character education (CE) for positive youth outcomes. This study examined the role of educational leadership in implementing SEL and CE in schools through a term coined Intersectional-EQ. This study centered on a cutting-edge approach using grey literature, specifically doctoral dissertations, to capture current trends in unprecedented times. A systematic review through Covidence, guided by PRISMA and PICO frameworks, was conducted. Findings highlight the impact of leadership on SEL and CE through an intersectional lens. Future work is aimed to support holistic student growth by …

Dental Hygiene Burnout In Clinical Practice From Covid-19; A Pilot Study Using Self-Reported Questionaire, Yvette Valladares

Dental Hygiene ETDs

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Covid-19 pandemic had increased feelings of burnout in registered dental hygienists who were employed in clinical practice before and during 2020. A survey of registered dental hygienists in California was employed. Participants completed a modified Maslach Burnout Inventory, to evaluate emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and personal accomplishment (PA). One open-ended question explored specific aspects of Covid-19 contributing to burnout. 162 surveys were completed and 139 met the inclusion criteria. Data analysis revealed that 40.29% reported high Emotional Exhaustion, 43.17% experienced low Depersonalization, and 85.61% reported high Personal Achievement. Lastly, …

Essays Analyzing Economic Consequences Of Caste Dynamics In India, Nikhil Ganvir

Economics ETDs

Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) are historically disadvantaged communities that face discrimination on the grounds of their lower social positioning in society. This dissertation comprises 5 Chapters. Chapter 1 provides a brief outline regarding the stratification in India based on Caste and illustrates the importance of studying the economic consequences of caste-based discrimination in India. Chapter 2 analyses the effect of caste-based residential segregation in rural India and its effect on marginalized children's education outcomes. The results show that caste residential segregation dampens the education outcomes for children belonging to SC/ST communities with no discernable effects on students …

Ergonomics And Musculoskeletal Disorders: An Evaluation Of Self-Assessment Using Surveys, Shannon L. Sherman

Dental Hygiene ETDs

Musculoskeletal disorders, MSDs, are a serious issue many dental professionals experience. It is understood that improper ergonomics are a contributing factor to developing MSDs. Several factors can be implemented into a dental hygienist’s everyday routine to help decrease the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate how many practicing dental hygienists experience musculoskeletal pain from daily hygiene practice and how ergonomics contributes to their level of pain. The study also discovered through self-assessment, areas participating dental hygienists would be willing to improve on in their daily ergonomic practice to potentially help decrease or prevent …

The Intersection Of Covid-19 And Rural Health Infrastructure: Evidence From Rural New Mexicans, Maria Gaboldon-Parish, Kate Cartwright

InterProfessional Education Research and Scholarship

Rural communities experience notable health disparities compared to urban areas. These include an aging population with higher illness rates, worsened by inadequate healthcare infrastructure. Shortages in healthcare facilities, supplies, testing sites, and medical personnel further exacerbate these disparities, especially in remote areas. Addressing these challenges is crucial for equitable healthcare delivery and improving health outcomes statewide. Our goal is to analyze rural New Mexican residents’ perceptions of their community’s infrastructure and its interconnection with health. Key themes include (1) the disparities in community and public resources available, (2) limited access to healthcare facilities due to distance, staff shortages, and limited …

Unm Hsc Students Address Low Rate Childhood Covid Vaccination Via Podcasts, Taylor Russell, Anna Pounds, Cat Tally, Amy Bachyrycz, Melissa Martinez, Melissa Mason

InterProfessional Education Research and Scholarship

The rates of COVID vaccination in children are alarmingly low in New Mexico. Medical, Pharmacy, and Nursing Students at UNM HSC joined with the New Mexico Pediatric Society to address the root causes of low immunizations rates in two podcasts. In a series of meetings, those involved, learned about and discussed low vaccine COVID vaccine rates in children and brainstormed reasons why rates may be low. Two podcasts were created, researched, and scripted. The podcasts each had a different focus, with one podcast specific for parents and guardians and the other podcast made more towards health care workers. Each twenty-minute …

Carbonate And Organic Proxies And The Impacts Of Climate On Lake Systems: Paleoclimate Interpretations From Lake Chalco, Mexico, Aria Holmes

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

This project incorporates several lines of evidence to better understand the climate at Lake Chalco. Chapter 1 utilizes oxygen isotopes from carbonates and show that the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone varies on primarily glacial and millennial timescales; precession is not observed. These data indicate glacials periods were shallower and interglacials were wetter periods at Lake Chalco. Chapter 2 studies carbon, nitrogen, C/N, and TOC proxies and finds that the lake conditions during the glacials and interglacials are primarily a mixed algal-macrophyte-terrestrial organic matter. Deviations show that the lake during the interglacials had more algal organic matter- reflecting influxes of nutrients …

Sand, Ice, And X-Rays: Developing Xct Methods For Frozen Samples And Refining Siliciclastic Facies Models For Perennially Ice-Covered Lakes, Utilizing Cores From Lake Fryxell, Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Holly M. Levett

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Sedimentation in perennially ice-covered lakes (PICLs) is proposed to be bi-modal, with mud deposited by stream inflow and sand deposited on the ice cover by aeolian processes and then melting through by absorption of solar radiation. Here, we consider Lake Fryxell, a PICL in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and several lake bed cores about 30 cm in length, to better understand PICL facies through time, using micro X-ray CT (XCT). Using XCT images along with sieve and laser granulometry data, we constrained the grain-size of PICL deposits to dominantly medium / fine sand with a coarse component. The presence of …

A Dream Deferred: Communism, Secession, And The Decline Of Hardrock Unionism, Dominic Alexander Treadwell

History ETDs

This thesis examines how the changing conditions after World War II impacted organized labor, focusing on secession movements within the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. Secessions in Connecticut and Alabama and the differing responses by the CIO Executive Board highlight how external pressures from postwar dynamics and increasing anticommunism undermined the left-liberal alliance in the Congress of Industrial Organizations. World War II increased labor’s reliance on government mediation, reducing the effectiveness of militant strategies. Following the war, assertive capital, restrictive labor legislation, the Cold War, and the rise in anti-Communism exacerbated tensions in the CIO, leading to …

Diagnostic Evaluation Of Palpitations In Obstetric Triage, Annslee J. Lowe, Anna Shields

InterProfessional Education Research and Scholarship

Palpitations are a common reason for pregnant patients to pursue medical evaluation. The range of etiologies that can contribute to palpitations is broad and includes life-threatening causes, while the physiologic changes in systemic hemodynamics that occur in pregnancy add further complexity to medical decision making in obstetric (OB) triage. While the literature suggests that diagnostic evaluation of palpitations in pregnant patients does not meaningfully differ from that of non-pregnant patients, many OB triage providers experience uncertainty in working up palpitations in pregnancy. Within University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) OB Triage, underlying causes for uncertainty were assessed and found to …

Critical Geospatial Data Science: Principles For Curating, Analyzing, And Sharing Geospatial Data, Daniel Beene

Geography ETDs

Critical geospatial data science (CGDS) offers principles for engaging with geospatial data, methods, and translation by pulling from critical epistemologies in geography. CGDS interrogates objective “truths” in science by actively engaging in critique of geospatial data and methodologies. Specifically, CGDS contends with the political context and motivations behind geospatial data science (GDS) while using GDS methods to understand how social-spatial arrangements manifest and are reinforced through data. CGDS explicitly aims to inform practices for criticality from within GDS and provides opportunities for multidisciplinary research that incorporates social theories, contextualizes geospatial data, and critically evaluates the effects and ethics of (under)representation …

Functional And Structural Analysis Of The Neimann-Pick Disease Type C Pathway To Include Caveolin-1, Anthony Michael Seat

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Human disease is often thought of as an all or nothing prospect, either one has the disease or one does not. This does not bear out in clinical or personal experiences, instead demonstrating that disease occurs within a spectrum ranging from presumed unaffected to demonstrably and detrimentally affected.Neimann-Pick disease is one example of this spectrum look into diseased states, with multiple named versions of a phenotypically similar disease. We focus on Neimann-Picktype C (NPC), which is the result of a disruption in the efflux of cholesterol and sphingolipids from the endocytic pathway. NPC demonstrates this concept of a spectrum of …

Chemical And Physical Properties Of Fine Fractions From A Village Proximate To A Uranium Mine: Insights About Soil Health, Mary P. Haley

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Thousands of abandoned uranium mines (AUM) in Native American tribal lands have not been fully remediated, leaving uranium mine wastes exposed and accessible for potential erosion and transport by wind. Analyzing the metal and organic content of the fine-grained fractions in soils could uncover the impact of mine legacy on the soil health in communities that live in proximity to AUM. This study investigates the physical and chemical properties of the fine-grained fraction (μm) of soils to quantify the effect of heavy metal-bearing particulates on the soil health in the village of Paguate and within the Jackpile-Paguate AUM located on …

Diagnostic Evaluation Of Dizziness In Obstetric Triage, Annslee J. Lowe, Anna Shields

InterProfessional Education Research and Scholarship

Dizziness is a non-specific term used to describe various sensations of spinning, disequilibrium, imbalance, or near-syncope. The differential diagnosis for this symptom is rather extensive and includes potentially dangerous etiologies, which contributes to the significance of diagnostic evaluation. Dizziness is a frequent concern prompting pregnant patients to seek medical care, and the hemodynamic changes that occur in pregnancy further complicate clinical assessment in obstetric (OB) triage. While often familiar with dizziness as a symptom of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, many OB triage providers experience uncertainty in working up other causes of dizziness. Root causes for uncertainty and the potential for …

Script Your Future 2024, Alexander Nihart, Nicholas Olivas, Kaitlyn Zbylut, Amy Bachyrycz, Melissa Martinez

InterProfessional Education Research and Scholarship

Script Your Future (SYF) is an annual campaign run by the National Consumers League (NCL) which promotes health outreach by health professions students. A number of focus areas are established each year, with the foundation being the promotion of medication adherence. The UNM College of Pharmacy student leaders, with assistance from the IPE office, called for students from all programs on the Health Science Center (HSC) campus to come together as a part of SYF.

This is extremely important because, as the NCL states, medication adherence is a cornerstone of effective disease treatment, with non-adherence being the cause of an …

Admission Requirements Among Dental Hygiene Programs: Key Indicators To Student Success, Justin R. Nance

Dental Hygiene ETDs

This descriptive study evaluated both cognitive (academic) and non-cognitive (personal) factors considered in the admission process and their correlation with student retention rates in dental hygiene programs. The research examined admission criteria and student retention rates for students who matriculated in 2021 and 2022, aiming to develop more effective admission criteria that predict student success and retention. A survey consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions was distributed to 327 accredited dental hygiene program directors in order to gather data. The survey achieved a 16% response rate. The results of this study provide insights into how to develop more effective admission criteria …