Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Patterns Of Diversity And Evolution In Mainland Anolis Lizards, Levi Nathaniel Gray

Biology ETDs

Patterns of organismal diversity and evolution are often difficult to interpret with a high level of confidence. The number of mechanisms and processes that contribute to shaping patterns of diversity is extensive and is reflected in the many methods researchers have used to infer causation. Taxonomic groups that are well-studied can offer more precise interpretation of pattern and process due to the considerable amount of research addressing ecology, natural history, and behavior of the organisms.

In this dissertation, I explore patterns of phylogenetic and phenotypic variation in Anolis lizards (anoles) by testing hypotheses that could have led to the observed …

University Of New Mexico Board Of Regents Minutes For May 11, 2018, University Of New Mexico Board Of Regents

Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Optimization Of Supersingular Isogeny Cryptography For Deeply Embedded Systems, Jeffrey Denton Calhoun

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Public-key cryptography in use today can be broken by a quantum computer with sufficient resources. Microsoft Research has published an open-source library of quantum-secure supersingular isogeny (SI) algorithms including Diffie-Hellman key agreement and key encapsulation in portable C and optimized x86 and x64 implementations. For our research, we modified this library to target a deeply-embedded processor with instruction set extensions and a finite-field coprocessor originally designed to accelerate traditional elliptic curve cryptography (ECC). We observed a 6.3-7.5x improvement over a portable C implementation using instruction set extensions and a further 6.0-6.1x improvement with the addition of the coprocessor. Modification of …

Split-Ring Resonator Waveguide Structure Characterization By Simulations, Measurements And Linear Time-Invariant Modeling, Mohamed Aziz Hmaidi

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Interest in Metamaterials has been rising drastically in the recent years as they have been used in several optical and RF applications, from antennas to perfect lenses and pulsed power devices. Nevertheless, the time-behavior of metamaterials remains opaque and poorly understood.

In this research work, characterization of a metamaterial structure in time and frequency-domain was made through simulations and experiments. The structure consists in a series of edge-side coupled Split Ring Resonators (SRRs) in a below cutoff waveguide. A linear time invariant model of distributed elements has been elaborated as well in an attempt to approach the structure’s behavior. The …

Vibrational Relaxation Theory For Systems Embedded In Microscopically Specified Reservoirs, Anastasia Aemilia Ierides

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

This dissertation is a study of the theoretical framework of the practical as well as fundamental problem of the process of relaxation to equilibrium of quantum mechanical systems. The fundamental aspect is concerned with the simultaneous occurrence of decoherence and population equilibration. The practical aspect deals with experimental observations of vibrational relaxation of molecules embedded in liquids or solids. The systems include, but are not limited to, the nondegenerate dimer and harmonic oscillator, in one case weak and in the other strong, interaction with a thermal bath. The time dependence of the energy and the temperature dependence of the relaxation …

Dispersive Quantum Interface With Atoms And Nanophotonic Waveguides, Xiaodong Qi

Physics & Astronomy ETDs

Strong coupling between atoms and light is critical for quantum information processing and precise sensing. A nanophotonic waveguide is a promising platform for realizing an atom-light interface that reaches the strong coupling regime. In this dissertation, we study the dispersive response theory of the nanowaveguide system as the means to create an entangling atom-light interface, with applications to quantum non-demolition (QND) measurement and spin squeezing.

We calculate the dyadic Green's function, which determines the scattering of light by atoms in the presence of a nanowaveguide, and thus the phase shift and polarization rotation induced on the guided light. The Green's …

How The Proximity Of Crime Impacts Housing Prices: A Hedonic Pricing Study Of Inner-Loop Houston, Tx., Samuel D. Thompson

Geography ETDs

This research used data on over 2200 house sales in inner-city Houston, TX to estimate the impact of crime on house prices. A GIS was used to tabulate home sale data from the MLS, neighborhood characteristics and crime data published by the Houston Police Department. Hedonic Pricing Models were built to assess how crime effects housing price and if proximity to the criminal event matters. Results show that crime does have a measurable impact on home sale price and that proximity of crime is important. An increase in number of violent criminal events leads to a discount in home price. …

Density And Velocity Measurement Of Ari And Arii Using Laser Induced Fluorescence (Lif) In A Large-Scale Helicon Plasma, Ralph F. Kelly

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Helicon plasma sources are widely used in basic plasma science, as well as for materials processing. These plasmas typically operate at high gas fill pressure, and therefore have significant densities of neutral particles. However, the role of neutrals in the overall plasma dynamics, such as ion flows, remains poorly understood. There are at least two possible mechanisms for neutrals to influence ion flows. One is an FxB drift, where F is the force exerted on ions by neutrals through collisions. The second is through Pedersen conductivity which is dependent on the ratio of the ion cyclotron frequency, ω …

Srtio3 As Cathode Buffer Layer For Inverted Polymer Solar Cells, Hongmei Luo

Energize New Mexico (NSF EPSCoR Track 1 IV)

polymer-assisted deposition method has been utilized to prepare SrTiO3 film as cathode buffer layer in inverted polymer solar cells.

Hybrid Perovskites For Optoelectronics, Hongmei Luo

Energize New Mexico (NSF EPSCoR Track 1 IV)

electric-field induced dynamic electronic junctions have been manipulated for photodetection and energy harvesting through the ion-migration under external electric field. Ion-migration induced p-n or n-p junction has been successfully created via tuning the polarity of the external applied voltage, which is used for photodetection with a relative fast response. By frozen out of the non-uniformly distributed ions after migration at low temperature, we demonstrate that the ion-migration induced dynamic junctions can function as an energy harvesting device

Characteristics Of High Achieving High School Band Programs In Low Socioeconomic Settings, Steven W. Iliff

Music ETDs

The goal of this study is to determine several best practices for teaching high school band in low socioeconomic settings. University professors with over 25 years of experience teaching in the state were asked to recommend three high school band programs in different settings that exhibited the following characteristics: 1) a high level of musical skill and achievement, 2) an excellent teacher responsible for the program, and 3) a high number of program alumni continuing to play music after high school, and 4) eligible for federal Title 1 funds-at least 40% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. …

Realidades Culturales De Argentina: Demystifying (Trans)National Ideologies In Study Abroad Curriculum, Matthew Hoeg

Communication ETDs

The study focused on discourses in a study abroad textbook titled Realidades Culturales de Argentina which was designed for students from the United States studying abroad in Argentina. The aim was to understand what educational texts in (trans)national spaces such as study abroad programs, are expecting of students in relation to communicative practices that extend beyond language learning. The study used a critical discourse analysis approach to deconstruct first the expectations of the students and second how these expectations worked in the (re)construction of (trans)national ideologies. Examining four recurring discursive practices in the textbook demonstrated that students were expected to …

The Costs And Benefits Of Outsourcing Marketing, Student Recruitment And Retention Services In An Online Rn-To-Bsn Program, Jacqueline M. Wuellner

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

ABSTRACT

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine advised that by 2020, 80% of working nurses should have at minimum a baccalaureate degree. Across the country, the profession will fall short of that goal. In New Mexico, the numbers of associate degree nurses and baccalaureate degree nurses are nearly equal. As the flagship university for the state, the University of New Mexico has offered a program for baccalaureate degree completion for registered nurses for over 55 years. Wishing to fulfill the IOM mandate, the University of New Mexico, College of Nursing desires to grow its RN-to-BSN program by expanding its marketing, …

Revealing Biotic Diversity: How Do Complex Environments Influence Human Schistosomiasis In A Hyperendemic Area, Martina Rose Laidemitt

Biology ETDs

Human schistosomiasis is one of the great neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) of our time with more than 206 million individuals infected and more than 90% of those infected reside in Sub-Saharan Africa (WHO 2017). Chemotherapy based control programs play an essential role in contributing to the elimination of human schistosomiasis; however, there is an increasing consensus that chemotherapy needs to be supplemented by other means if interruption of transmission and elimination are to be achieved. Given this situation, the focus of this dissertation was to better understand transmission dynamics in a hyperendemic setting in western Kenya and to find alternative …

Fe2o3, Michael Heagy

Energize New Mexico (NSF EPSCoR Track 1 IV)

Fe2O3 was chosen as a photocatalyst for bicarbonate reduction to formate. Different Fe2O3 nanostructures were synthesized and evaluated under the parameter of size, band gap, surface area, and crystal structure.

Zno, Michael Heagy

Energize New Mexico (NSF EPSCoR Track 1 IV)

ZnO was chosen as a photocatalyst for bicarbonate reduction to formate. Different ZnO nanostructures were synthesized and evaluated under the parameter of size, band gap, surface area, and crystal structure.

Hole Scavenger, Michael Heagy

Energize New Mexico (NSF EPSCoR Track 1 IV)

Six different hole scavengers were evaluated for bicarbonate reduction to formate.

Birth And Evolution Of The Virgin River: ~1 Km Of Post-5 Ma Uplift Of The Western Colorado Plateau, Cory J. Walk

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

The uplift history of the Colorado Plateau has been debated for over a century with still no unified hypotheses for the cause, timing, and rate of uplift. 40Ar/39Ar dating of semi-continuous basaltic volcanism over the past ~6 Ma within the Virgin River drainage system, southwest Utah and southern Nevada, provides a way to calibrate differential river incision and compare patterns of basaltic migration, mantle velocity structure, channel steepness, lithology, incision history and the birth and evolution of the Virgin River. New detrital sanidine ages constrain the arrival of the Virgin River across the Virgin Mountains to a maximum depositional age …

Automatic Conversation Review For Intelligent Virtual Assistants, Ian R. Beaver

Computer Science ETDs

When reviewing the performance of Intelligent Virtual Assistants (IVAs), it is desirable to prioritize conversations involving misunderstood human inputs. These conversations uncover error in natural language understanding and help prioritize and expedite improvements to the IVA. As human reviewer time is valuable and manual analysis is time consuming, prioritizing the conversations where misunderstanding has likely occurred reduces costs and speeds improvement. A system for measuring the posthoc risk of missed intent associated with a single human input is presented. Numerous indicators of risk are explored and implemented. These indicators are combined using various means and evaluated on real world data. …

Effect Of Exercise Interventions On Fatigue For Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Julien Succar

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of different exercise interventions on fatigue in patients with breast cancer undergoing active therapy. We found that exercise generally improves fatigue outcomes at 12 weeks after initiation of the exercise intervention. Aerobic exercise intervention improved fatigue, but anaerobic and combination regimens did not show improvement compared to controls. Moreover, no exercise intensity was found to be superior compared to controls. Our findings revealed that there is a need for standardization of exercise regimens in studies in order to identify the most effective exercise regimen.

04-10-2018 Hsc Committee Approved Mtg Minutes, Patrice Martin

HSC Committee (A subcommittee of the UNM Board of Regents)

No abstract provided.

Thinking With Images, Ed Sarkis

Philosophy ETDs

This thesis argues that images are necessary for thinking. If this is true then the nature of images needs to be understood. The problem with many accounts of perception is assuming that representing what we see is a matter of accurate depiction. The problem is solved by attending to the skills of visual discernment rather than judgments about those perceptions. My approach is both historical and analytic. Aristotle, Hume, and Wittgenstein give accounts of perception which are critically discussed. The notion that an image is a copy is rejected by showing how complicated and indeterminate that relation is. Images have …

Managing Riparian Succession And Stabilizing Native Plant Assemblages In The Middle Rio Grande State Park, Roman M. Lopez

Architecture and Planning ETDs

Anthropogenic alterations of hydro geomorphological conditions of the Rio Grande River have changed the processes that have created the mosaic of riparian habitats valuable for ecosystem functioning, wildlife, and enjoyment by residents. These changes have created conditions that have increased the frequency of historically unprecedented disturbances such as fire and aggressive invasion of exotic species. Restoration activities and planning efforts have begun to reverse these effects, yet large areas of the Middle Rio Grande State Park, commonly called the Bosque, are still being affected by ecosystem changes. Studies of the Rio Grande and other Riparian corridors suggest that lack of …

A Speleothem Record Of Climate Variability In Southwestern North America During Marine Isotope Stage 3, Justin G. Peinado

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

During Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS-3) of the last glacial period, there were rapid transitions between warm and cold climates referred to as Dansgaard-Oeschgerr (DO) events. In Southwestern North America (SWNA), two speleothem paleoclimate records document changes in moisture source delivery in response to DO-events during MIS-3, but do not address potential changes in effective moisture for the region. In this study, we introduce a new high-resolution speleothem paleoclimate record from Carlsbad Cavern in the Guadalupe Mountains. The speleothem, sample BC-5, grew continuously from 46-31 kya during the latter half of MIS-3, based on U-Th dating. We also tied stable …

Growth Of An Algae Polyculture And Dunaliella Tertiolecta In Oilfield Produced Water At A Range Of Salinities And Nutrient Concentrations For Biofuels Production., Thomas C. Hopkins

Civil Engineering ETDs

Growth of algae in saline produced waters (wastewater) from oil and gas production is of interest for potential production of algal biofuels, wastewater treatment and potential reuse or disposal. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of salt concentrations and nitrogen source (ammonia or nitrate) and concentration on algal growth, lipid production, and nutrient removal to help determine suitability for growth on saline produced waters. Dunaliella tertiolecta (a marine algae) and a polyculture (previously discovered growing in PW) were grown on produced water with a range of salinities and varying nitrogen source and concentration, in a series …

Does The Relationship Matter?: Empathy, Hostility, And Drinking Outcomes In The Combine Study, Anthony J. O'Sickey

Psychology ETDs

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a pervasive problem in the United States, costing approximately 250 billion dollars in 2010. Several decades of rigorous scientific approaches to treatment have yielded several effective treatments for AUD, however, the human and economic cost continues to rise. Recently, Moyers and colleagues reported that higher than average therapist empathy within-subjects was significantly associated with reductions in drinking following treatment. The finding of a within-subjects effect indicates that either a client or therapist characteristic may be responsible for the variability in empathy within client therapist dyads. There is evidence to suggest that client levels of hostility …

An Analysis Of Socio-Economic Consequences Of Cancer In Nepal, Soumi Roy Chowdhury

Economics ETDs

This dissertation investigates the socio-economic burden of cancer patients using a primary survey in Nepal. Given the low uptake rate of cancer screening facilities in developing countries, my study covers three important issues: the need of information dissemination on cancer prevention among asymptomatic individuals, the emotional stress of cancer patients in relation to a control group of patients, and the severity of economic burden due to premature cancer related deaths measured at the national and individual levels. In developing countries with low level of information and awareness, it is difficult to communicate the importance of cancer preventative measures to the …

"Health Is An Achoot Beat": Factors Influencing Pakistani Journalists' Coverage Of Polio Vaccination, Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah

Communication ETDs

Pakistan is one of the three countries where polio remained endemic in 2017—the other two being Afghanistan and Nigeria. The highest number of polio cases, 15, was recorded in Pakistan in 2016. A majority of the polio cases emerged among the ethnically Pakhtun population living in Pakhtunkhwa, FATA (the Federally Administered Tribal Areas), and Karachi, a metropolitan city in the Sindh province where Pakhtun immigrants from Pakhtunkhwa and FATA work and live. The resistance to polio vaccination among Pakhtuns has been associated with several factors, including a lack of knowledge about polio and anti-polio vaccine, the ongoing “war on terror,” …

05-08-2018 Revised Hsc Committee Meeting Agenda, Patrice Martin

HSC Committee (A subcommittee of the UNM Board of Regents)

No abstract provided.

05-08-2018 Hsc Committee Agenda, Patrice Martin

HSC Committee (A subcommittee of the UNM Board of Regents)

No abstract provided.