Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Social Marketing As A Means Of Promoting Enviornmental Conservation: A Case Study Of Indonesian Biodiversity Campaigns, Alesia Za Gara

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As a means of preserving Indonesia's natural allure and resources it is evident that there must be a conscious shift made wherein environmental conservation becomes top priority among the people of Indonesia and the world. Traditionally dealt with through a country's governmental facets, a new tread of social marketing is now being employed ENGOs in various countries such as Indonesia as a way to promote biodiversity conservation. For example, one such ENGO is Rare Conservation, an international organization that teaches social marketing tools to classes or cohorts of individuals around the world as a means of improving a variety of …

Observer-Dependent Model For Analyzing Subjective Parameters In Epidemiology, Milad Zarei

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although medical technologies for preventing the contagion and spread of infectious diseases have improved steadily throughout the last century, new infectious diseases are still emerging and spreading swiftly. The modeling of infectious disease spread is crucial in addressing the lack of predictive ability in epidemiology. Managing the spread of infectious diseases requires processing quantitative epidemiological data and the ability to capture the dynamics of the infectious disease in order to provide a measure of control.

In this thesis, I have introducing cognitive biases in diseases spread modeling. For the first time, to the author's knowledge, the human subjective experience has …

Stochastic Optimization For Learning-Based Super-Resolution: Algorithms And Applications, Jun Zheng

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Human beings get much of their information visually and depend on perception of images for many critical tasks, such as object identification, medical image analysis, photography, etc. In many visual-based applications, higher resolution images are required for perceiving and receiving critical information. A high resolution image can contribute to a better identification of a suspect's face, or a more accurate localization of a tumor in a mammogram, or a more pleasing view in high definition television, and so on. However, it is hard to obtain the high resolution images needed for some applications, for example, the cost of sensors increases …

Atopy In Us-Mexico Border Elementary School Children: A Pilot Study, Julia Laura Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance. Atopy is a hypersensitivity disorder that mainly affects the mucous membranes and the skin. It is reported to be the most prevalent type of clinical allergy syndrome. Persons who have atopy suffer from various combinations of asthma, rhino-conjunctivitis and/or eczema. Atopy is defined as an inherited predisposition to generate IgE against common environmental allergens. Atopy is a type I hypersensitivity condition mediated by IgE immune response, while allergy is any excessive immune response to a foreign antigen. Thus, all atopic disorders are allergic response but some allergic conditions are not atopic per se.

The etiology of pediatric …

Popular Plotlines And Passionate Conversations: Interpreting The Sex And The City Breast Cancer Storyline, Monica Victoria Alvillar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Using the framework of entertainment-education as a media strategy, the present study sought to determine how viewers of Sex and the City (SATC) interpreted its highly gripping breast cancer storyline through conversations and group sense-making. Some 17 heavy viewers of SATC, all women, participated in this study, watching three episodes of the SATC breast cancer storyline in small group contexts. The viewings sparked conversations and discussion on a variety of topics, and five major themes emerged from an analysis of the transcripts: (1) personal identification with SATC's characters, especially with Samantha, (2) the importance of social support during a cancer …

Isolation, Characterization And Molecular Cloning Of Dnase Iiib From Drosophila Melanogaster, Brenda Cristina Anchondo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nucleases are enzymes that breakdown nucleic acids; they are classified by their biochemical properties into different groups (Evans et al., 2003). The ββα-Me finger family of nucleases are enzymes that combine structurally different groups but they are defined by a highly evolutionary conserved active site, a stretch of 22 amino acids composed by a β-hairpin (ββ) and α-helix (α) that anchor a catalytic metal ion (Sokolowska et al, 2009). Within this family is found the DNA/RNA non-specific nucleases. Nucleases that belong to the DNA/RNA non-specific group hydrolyze both ds and ss DNA, as well as RNA at equal or similar …

Neighborhood Deprivation, Neighborhood Aculturation, And The Retail Food Environment In A U.S.-Mexico Border Urban Area, Teresa Mercedes Anchondo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The prevalence of obesity in the United States is increasing at a rapid rate, and is the result of an imbalance of caloric intake and expenditure. Obese individuals are at significantly greater risk for coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer, as compared to non-obese individuals. Both individual correlates and neighborhood conditions contribute to the risk for obesity. For example, family history, race/ethnicity, and residence in a low socioeconomic status neighborhood are all associated with increased risk of obesity. The retail food environment is one aspect of low socioeconomic status neighborhoods that may contribute to increased obesity risk. …

Vocabulary Acquisition Of Bilingual Students Through The Implementation Of Dialogic Shared Storybook Reading Techniques, Samantha Kamille Ariaz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Children who are learning English as a second language and whose caregivers speak only Spanish were chosen to participate in the study. Parents were trained using Dialogic Shared Storybook Reading (DSSR) techniques (Whitehurst, 1988). The study was a single subject multiple baseline design across behaviors. Reading conditions were counterbalanced to control for acquisition of new vocabulary. There were a total of five participants, three children and two mothers (n=5). The participants were separated into two families. Each family was exposed to three reading book conditions while the parents implemented the specified techniques: 1. Shared reading with an electronic, bilingual Spanish/ …

Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Green Tea, Alejandra Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by an intracellular parasite belonging to the genus Leishmania. The cutaneous form of the disease causes often significant disfigurement, accelerates progression to clinical AIDS and tuberculosis, and is associated with a number of adverse economic, psychosocial, and nutritional consequences. An estimated 350 million persons are at risk for this globally distributed disease and 1.5-2 million new cases occur annually. Leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries on five continents. It is distributed throughout most of the Americas ranging from southern Texas to northern Argentina. It is also regarded as a threat to the readiness …

Central Bank Independence: Rules, Practices, And Outcomes, Douglas Aaron Block

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In recent years interest has grown in central bank independence as research has shown that it may affect many important financial issues such as unemployment, inflation, and inflation variability, among others. However, empirical evidence regarding its effect has been inconclusive and there is low correlation among various legal central bank independence measures. In this thesis, I attempt to resolve these problems by generating a new measure of legal central bank independence that takes into account divergence between laws and practices. I then measure the impact that democracy and proportional electoral systems have on reducing this divergence and find that democracy …

Closing The Achievement Gap: Impact Of Inclusion Upon Achievement Rates Of Students With Special Needs, Kathleen Black

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the relationship between the amount of time a student with special needs spends in the inclusive classroom and their achievement passing rates in mathematics and reading. TAKS passing rates for mathematics and reading for third graders in 2007-2008, and the same cohort of fourth graders in 2008-2009 were analyzed to determine the strength of relationship between the predictor variable of TAKS achievement passing rates, and the independent variables of amount of time included (PEIMS Instructional Setting) and socioeconomic status.

Logistic regression was utilized to analyze the relationship between amount of time …

Smoking Cessation, Reduction And Motivation Change In A Predominantly Hispanic Sample, Jose Alonso Cabriales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To date, few studies have focused on smoking cessation specifically for light and intermittent smokers (fewer than 10 cigarettes per day). Light and intermittent smoking have been on the rise for the past years, and multiple studies have documented the detrimental health effects of low-level smoking. This study assessed the efficacy of a brief smoking cessation intervention for light smokers in a predominantly Hispanic community sample. Additionally, predictors of quitting were also assessed. Two hundred and fifty light and intermittent smokers were recruited primarily from a family health clinic and the UTEP campus. Participants completed baseline measures assessing demographics, tobacco …

Oxidation Of Dibenzothiophene To Dibenzothiophene Using Metal Nanoparticles Supported On Silica, Karina Castillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Silica and nanoparticles of Pt, Au, and Ag supported on silica were tested for the ability to oxidize dibenzothiophene (DBT) to sulfone. High performance liquid chromatography was used to study the removal of DBT from solution. In addition, X- ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and Raman Spectroscopy were used to characterize the product of the oxidation reaction. Further studies involved the use X-ray absorption spectroscopy to characterize the nanoparticle catalysts before and after the oxidation reaction.

To better understand the reaction, silica was synthesized at different pHs using three different acids. The acids used to synthesize the silica were HCl, HNO3, …

A Survey Of Variables Influencing Speech-Language Pathologists' Use Of Evidence-Based Practice In Clinical Settings, Ailbhe Tressan Cormack

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although the need for evidence-based practice (EBP) in speech-language pathology has been well attested, multiple barriers hamper its implementation. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare variables influencing the use of EBP by practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Method: Eighty-five SLPs based out of different primary work settings in El Paso, Texas responded to a survey addressing: 1. attitudes and perceived barriers toward EBP, 2. exposure to EBP, research methodology and statistics in graduate courses, 3. time in practice, 4. practice setting(s), 5. amount and nature of support for EBP in work settings, and 6. use of research literature …

Identifying Influential Observations Through The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient, Angel De Jesus Davalos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this thesis, we analyze the performance of adapting the DFBETA statistic for identifying influential observations on the intraclass correlation coefficient under the assumptions of the one-way random effects model. Additionally, we introduce an approach for transforming negative intraclass correlation coefficient estimation values using the method of moments estimator. We apply this method on a data set of repeated blood pressure measurements, after which we will investigate implications of identifying influential observations.

Multidisciplinary Collaborative Model For Complex, Angel Ernesto Delgado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nowadays, most devices with advanced technology require the development of embedded systems with mechanical and electrical components as well as software including more than one discipline. These are devices that are usually complex in terms of composition and functionality and that design must follow a methodology in order to successfully design and launch a device of this nature. Hence, the assembly of a multidisciplinary engineering group is required to carry out such complex devices and develop a fully functional product. The group may also need an expert on the field that can provide guidance and knowledge where needed. This is …

The Sunk Cost Fallacy And Individual Differences In Health Decisions, Norma P. Fernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Sunk Cost fallacy is a biased committed when individuals base their decisions to stop or continue a course of action solely on past irrecoverable invested costs (i.e., monetary or time-related). Individuals' susceptibility to the Sunk Cost fallacy has been justified as the need to try to avoid appearing wasteful, to avoid appearing inconsistent, to learn a lesson from and to punish self for a poorly made decision. A study by Bornstein and Chapman (1995) evaluated these justifications along with a normative response and found statistical differences among all justifications. However, the study of the Sunk Cost fallacy and these …

Assessing Annual And Seasonal Spatial Variability Of Ambient Pm10 Using Linear Regression Analysis In A United States-Mexico Urban Sprawl, Mario Ivan Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As air quality issues grow progressively in the consciousness of the global community, stakeholders are pressing for epidemiologic studies of air pollution. The effects of chronic exposure to ambient air pollution remain a difficult challenge due to its substantial small-scale spatial variation. Recent approaches to assess intra-urban exposure have employed the use of proximity-based assessment, interpolation methods, emission-meteorological models, dispersions models, and land-use regression (LUR) models.

This thesis assesses the spatial variability of ambient particulate matter (PM10) obtained by five self-governing models for the area of El Paso. Using multiple linear regression analysis five regression-based equations were developed to predict …

Repeated Measures Of Impact Verbal Memory Scores Of Concussed And Non-Concussed Individuals, Deshea Davis Gornowicz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study compared ImPACT verbal memory scores of concussed and non-concussed athletes (n=6). This purpose of this study was to determine stability of verbal memory scores with repeated measures. Stability was determined using the ImPACT normative data for university of men and women published in the ImPACT manual. Based on visual inspection of the data, differences between groups was observed. All concussed participants demonstrated scores that were not stable according to the operational definition. All non-concussed participants were demonstrated stable verbal memory scores.

Controlling Features And Processes For Radionuclide Release From Unsaturated Zone Geological Repositories, Lubna K. Hamdan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the long run, nuclear waste packages will fail gradually due to localized and general corrosion and radionuclides will be transported to the accessible environment by ground water.

Two main failure scenarios are expected for the waste packages: Flow-through model and bathtub model; in the flow-through model water flows through the waste container, while in the bathtub model water pools inside the waste package. The Department of Energy, in their performance assessment of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, excluded the bathtub model from their analysis and assumed the diffusion and advection to be in the same direction in the …

Evaluation Of Academic Policy Formulation And Implementation, Transmountain Early College High School, El Paso, Texas, Virginia Margaret Heidemann

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transmountain Early College High School (TMECHS) opened in August 2008, created by a partnership between the El Paso Community College (EPCC) and the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), and supported in its conceptualization, start-up, and first few years operation by grant funding and guidance from the Texas High School Project (THSP) and its major foundation funding partners, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and Communities Foundation of Texas. TMECHS is a T-STEM early college high school located in a large city on the U.S.-Mexico border.

As educational institutions begin implementation of ambitious reform …

The Relationship Between Soft Body Composition And Bone Mineral Density In Premenopausal Hispanic And Caucasian Women, Clarelouise Anita Highfield

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Investigating the relationship between soft body composition and bone mineral density of premenopausal Hispanic and Caucasian women may help in determining strategies to lower the risk of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between BMD and soft tissue body composition, including lean mass and fat mass, of premenopausal Caucasian and Hispanic women. METHODS: Participants were 76 Hispanic [mean ± SD age: 42.7 ± 4.6 y; ht: 161.3 ± 5.66 cm; body mass: 70.14 ± 15.09 kg; BMI: 26.92 ± 15.09 kg/m2] and 46 White [age: 43.8 ± 4.3 y; ht: 165.5 ± 6.16 cm; body mass: 66.37 …

Perception And Identification Of Voice Disorders: A Comparison Study Between Hispanic And Non-Hispanics, Jacqueline Nicole Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The extent of public education in the Hispanic population regarding voice disorders has been unidentified thus far, motivating the current study to assess knowledge and perception of functional and organic voice disorders among Hispanic individuals in the El Paso region. The project involved an experimental research design to investigate whether demographic variables influenced the accuracy of knowledge of voice disorders in the general population residing in the Greater El Paso Region. Results indicate that the majority of the participants perceive articulation, fluency, and voice disorders as interchangeable and are unaware of the role of medical and rehabilitation professionals in the …

Awareness And Knowledge Of Hiv/Aids Among Female Indian University Students In South India And As Immigrants In The U.S.-Mexico Border Region, Thenral D. Mangadu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The prevention of HIV/AIDS is a major global public health goal. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) estimates that 33 million individuals are infected with HIV worldwide and over two million of these cases are from India. The main mode of transmission of HIV in India is heterosexual contact.

In the past decades there has been a steady increase in immigration rates from India to the U.S. Education and marriage are the main reasons for immigration from India to the U.S. In general, the frequently risky sexual and substance use behaviors of college students in …

The Literary Fictioning Of John Gregory Bourke's Imperial Nostalgia, Toni K. Mcnair

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nineteenth-century Army Captain and American ethnographer John Gregory Bourke (b. 1846 - d. 1896) meticulously described and documented a vast amount of information on military life, geography, ecology, and people on both sides of the Mexican-American border, offering observations and opinions of American, Mexican, Mexican-American, Apache, Pueblo, Zuni and Plains Indian cultures. Because of his ethnographic studies of Mexican-Americans along the Rio Grande, cultural studies scholars, José E. Limón and José David Saldí­var have identified John Gregory Bourke as complicit in the U.S. government's imperialist project. Referring to Renato Rosaldo's anthropological theory of imperialist nostalgia, These authors declare Bourke's work …

Tuberculosis And Stigma: Impacts On Health-Seeking Behaviors And Access In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico And El Paso, Texas., Eva Margarita Moya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This exploratory research is a study of tuberculosis (TB) and health-related stigma which examines the experiences and perspectives on the disease from the vantage point of the Persons Affected by Tuberculosis (PATB). Research on the causes and sustainability of stigma will be useful to guide health and social interventions that reduce its effects. Also of importance is research that focuses on the behavioral and psychological as well as in the social context and dimensions of TB-related stigma. The personal experience of tuberculosis illustrates that an infectious disease entails much more than treatment involving medications, microbes and risk categories. Stigma associated …

A Comparison Of Career Technical Education - 16 Career Pathway High School Participants With Non-Participants On Academic Achievement, School Engagement, And Development Of Technical Skills, Edith Aimee Orozco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this research was to compare Career Technical Education- 16 Career Pathway high school participants with non-participants on academic achievement, development of technical skills and school engagement. Academic achievement was measured by Exit Level Math and English Language Arts Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) 2008-2009 scale scores. Development of technical skills and school engagement was examined through a developed survey using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) as a reference. TAKS scale scores employed to measure academic achievement was obtained from secondary data and perceptions regarding development of skills and school engagement were obtained …

Safe Medication Use Among Hispanic College Students: Knowledge, Attitudes And Behaviors, Tania Guadalupe Quiroz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

College students are at increased risk of medication errors. Research suggests that young adults are active users of over-the- counter (OTC) medications and other products that may increase the risk for negative health outcomes. Therefore, it is very important to analyze young adults' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about medication use among college students in order to provide them with the necessary information. Due to language and cultural factors, the issue is particularly relevant in U.S.-Mexico border communities. This casual-comparative study examined knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding medication use among Hispanic college students. Data was collected through a survey developed by …

The Latina/O Mental Health Paradox Or Racial/Ethnic Disparities? Depression Among New Immigrants To The U.S, Sandra Iveth Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Latino/a Mental Health Paradox states that the foreign-born immigrants have better mental health outcomes when compared with native-born groups of various ethno-racial backgrounds, with the gap in mental stress minimizing overtime. The objective of this study is to examine whether Latina/os immigrants suffer an ethno-racial disparity in mental health or if they have favorable mental health outcomes as predicted by the Paradox. Expanding on the Latina/o Mental Health Paradox, rather than comparing Latina/o immigrants with native-born, this study will compare depression among recently legalized Latina/os with recent legalized European immigrants.

Fabrication Of Miniature Drug Screening Platform Using Low Cost Bioprinting Technology, Jorge Ivan Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the pharmaceutical industry, new chemicals and substances are being tested to find appropriate compounds or mix for treating a specific disease. The demand for screening large compound collections against and increasing number of therapeutic targets has stimulated technology development in the areas of assay automation and miniaturization. Current methods for evaluating the reactions of cells use a volume in the range of microliters. We have developed a new and low-cost deposition method to fabricate miniature drug screening platform that can realistically and inexpensively evaluate biochemical reactions up to 4 substances per trial in a picoliter-scale volume. This paper describes …