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2012

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Applied Evaluation For Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methodologies In The Medical Industry, Aaron Arturo Martinez Jan 2012

Applied Evaluation For Life Cycle Impact Assessment Methodologies In The Medical Industry, Aaron Arturo Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the present thesis, a comparative evaluation using different Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) Methodologies is presented; the study is performed considering the LCIA of ChloraPrep 26 mL Hi-Lite Applicator produced in a local manufacturing company. The focus of the research is to analyze the different aspects such as: characterization, classification and normalization; that each of the LCIA methodologies evaluate and are used for a policy regulations and sustainable development. The evaluation will determine which aspects could be used depending on the Life Cycle Inventory, since limited information is available if not using softwares, such as SimaPro or GaBi, to …

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Systematics Of Leptopelis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) From The Itombwe Plateau, Eastern Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Francisco Portillo Jan 2012

Systematics Of Leptopelis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) From The Itombwe Plateau, Eastern Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Francisco Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Leptopelis, a genus of Central African treefrogs, includes 51 species that live in tropical forests and savannas. Currently, only two species of Leptopelis are known from the poorly explored Itombwe Plateau in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Itombwe is renowned among conservationists for its rich and endemic amphibian fauna, including: Xenopus itombwensis, Chrysobatrachus cupreonitens, Laurentophryne parkeri, Hyperolius leleupi and at least three species of Arthroleptis. Evolutionary relationships of Itombwe Leptopelis were examined by sequencing two mitochondrial genes (16S: 557 bp [base pairs], cyt b: 620 bp) and one nuclear gene (RAG1: 761 bp). Results recovered strong support for …

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Microelement Localization In Leaves Of Populus Spp. And Tolerance Mechanisms To Boron-Salt Toxicity, Daniel Arriaga Jan 2012

Microelement Localization In Leaves Of Populus Spp. And Tolerance Mechanisms To Boron-Salt Toxicity, Daniel Arriaga

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Phytoremediation has been proposed as a low-cost, environmentally friendly alternative to clean highly contaminated sites. Phytoremediation using trees offer the advantage of metal immobilization (phytostabilization), high hydraulic pumping pressures, produce large plant biomass, absorption of total dissolved salts within their tissue, long life spans, less frequent irrigation and, a massive root system that helps soil attachment. Hybrid poplar varieties are long-lived, perennial, fast growing, and produce a large amount of foliage to harvest. Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants. Certain locations, such as California and Turkey, have suffered from high boron efflux from irrigation waters. It has been identified …

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Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms And Alcohol-Related Outcomes Among Municipal Firefighters: Exploring The Mediational Role Of Drinking Motives And Maladaptive Coping Strategies, Anabel Cardiel Jan 2012

Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms And Alcohol-Related Outcomes Among Municipal Firefighters: Exploring The Mediational Role Of Drinking Motives And Maladaptive Coping Strategies, Anabel Cardiel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Due to the frequent exposure to traumatic events, the firefighting profession places firefighters at high risk for PTSD symptoms (Berger et al., 2011). Consequently, those experiencing PTSD symptoms are inclined to consume alcohol to cope with related symptoms or to alleviate psychological distress. Two theories that guided this study are the Stress and Coping Theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), and the Self-Medication Hypothesis (Khantzian, 1985). The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between PTSD symptoms and alcohol-related outcomes including At-Risk Drinking, Alcohol-Related Outcomes and Alcohol Consumption, in a population of El Paso firefighters (n = 740). …

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Implicit Attitudes Of Ethnicity And Language: Evaluative And Associative Priming, Eva Margarita De La Riva Lopez Jan 2012

Implicit Attitudes Of Ethnicity And Language: Evaluative And Associative Priming, Eva Margarita De La Riva Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Most members of minority groups belong to both an ethnic and a linguistic minority. The interplay between these two related yet independent constructs has not been explored. For this reason, this study examined language attitudes following the theoretical model of social categorization by using implicit measures. This study also investigated the implicit association between language and ethnicity. In this manner, the relationship that exists between attitudes towards minority groups and attitudes towards minority languages can be disentangled. A simultaneous study of implicit attitudes of ethnicity and language, and the association between ethnicity and language, may elucidate possible mechanisms involved in …

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This Is The Art Form: Examining Concept Albums' Methods Of Constructing Meaning In The Digital Age, Mario Alonzo Dozal Jan 2012

This Is The Art Form: Examining Concept Albums' Methods Of Constructing Meaning In The Digital Age, Mario Alonzo Dozal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how the communicative characteristics of concept albums (music albums that center on a specific theme) have been adapted from a traditional physical form to exist in the digital age. Using three rock concept albums, this study examined how three different formats (vinyl, audio compact disc, and digital download) of the same concept album communicated the overall theme of the album to listeners, and also examined the advantages and disadvantages of each format. Additionally, using discursive analysis, this study sought to expand the academic literature on concept albums by examining the role that supplementary material plays in helping …

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An Assessment Of Land Cover Change At The Indio Mountains Research Station, Rebecca Anne Escamilla Jan 2012

An Assessment Of Land Cover Change At The Indio Mountains Research Station, Rebecca Anne Escamilla

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Land cover change is a significant contributor to environmental change on a global scale. In the arid regions of the southwest US, shrub encroachment is one of the most important forms of land cover change. Many factors contribute to shrub encroachment, which can impact structure and function. In the Chihuahuan Desert, mountain ecosystems are known as biodiversity hotspots and are especially susceptible to environmental change making them useful indicators of global change. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to improve i) understanding of land cover change in a Chihuahuan Desert mountain landscape, and ii) how knowledge of land cover …

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What Is The Role Of Isolation And Disturbance On The Diversity Of Aquatic Invertebrates In Former Ranchlands Of The Northern Chihuahuan Desert?, Gena Esposito Jan 2012

What Is The Role Of Isolation And Disturbance On The Diversity Of Aquatic Invertebrates In Former Ranchlands Of The Northern Chihuahuan Desert?, Gena Esposito

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Chihuahuan Desert is considered one of the most diverse deserts in the world and its aquatic systems have been identified as unique and of global importance. Despite this, the Chihuahuan Desert has remained relatively unstudied, especially concerning its aquatic systems and how the extreme desert environment has shaped the diversity of the organisms within them. In this study we examined the effects of isolation and disturbance on macroinvertebrate diversity in both temporary and permanent desert ponds. To examine the effects of isolation and desiccation, macroinvertebrates were collected from a permanent spring (Squaw Spring) and six nearby temporary ponds (tanks) …

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Deaf Culture: The Creation Of Self And Socialization Through The Use Of Sign Language, Marisela Garcia Jan 2012

Deaf Culture: The Creation Of Self And Socialization Through The Use Of Sign Language, Marisela Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is a strong perception of the physicality of disabilities. The review of literature in this project shows that there is a large number of disability related studies in the field of communication that focus primarily on physical and/or visible disabilities. The purpose of this study is to incorporate research on hidden and/or invisible disabilities, specifically deafness. The literature in the field of communication relating to hidden disabilities is limited and much more limited in deaf related research. There are an estimated two thousand deaf individuals in El Paso. Their participation and integration in the community is hindered by societal …

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Disparities In Park Availability, Features, And Characteristics By Social Determinants Of Health Within A U.S.-Mexico Border Urban Area, Amir Kamel Jan 2012

Disparities In Park Availability, Features, And Characteristics By Social Determinants Of Health Within A U.S.-Mexico Border Urban Area, Amir Kamel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Parks have been shown to be a key feature in the built environment that promote physical activity and positively influence health. However, a number of studies have highlighted that park availability, park features (e.g., park facilities, amenities, and aesthetic features), and park characteristics (e.g., quality/safety concerns of the park and surrounding neighborhood) are not equally distributed across neighborhoods in the U.S, specifically areas of low socioeconomic status and diverse racial/ethnic composition. The overall aim of this study was to examine and describe park availability, park features, and park characteristics, and determine their association with two social determinants of health …

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The Effects Of Extended Access To Methamphetamine Self-Administration On Dopaminergic Markers In The Striatum, Joe Luevano Jan 2012

The Effects Of Extended Access To Methamphetamine Self-Administration On Dopaminergic Markers In The Striatum, Joe Luevano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Methamphetamine (METH) abuse is a persistent problem in the U.S. and abroad. Escalation of METH use among independent users occurs for a variety of physiological and psychological reasons. Methamphetamine dependence may be attributed to the rewarding effect of this drug via the dopaminergic systems of the central nervous system (CNS). The presence of METH in the CNS increases synaptic release of dopamine. This increase in dopaminergic neurotransmission is thought to be directly attributed to the rewarding effects of METH. Following METH use, compensatory changes have been found to occur in the dopaminergic system during various periods of abstinence. It is …

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A Survey Of Selected Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In A Binational River And Their Effects On A Member Of Its Zooplankton Community, Plationus Patulus (Rotifera), Diana Angelica Martinez Gomez Jan 2012

A Survey Of Selected Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In A Binational River And Their Effects On A Member Of Its Zooplankton Community, Plationus Patulus (Rotifera), Diana Angelica Martinez Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The presence of 9 selected PPCPs (acetaminophen, caffeine, cotinine, codeine, fluoxetine, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, sulfamethazine, and trimethoprim) was surveyed in water samples collected at four sites along the middle Rio Grande during two flow regimes (irrigation and non-irrigation). Water collection for PPCPs analyses were conducted from August 2010 through September 2011. Three of the sites were located upstream, in, and downstream of the El Paso, TX/Ciudad Juárez, MX metroplex. Site selection was based on their proximity to the metroplex and due to the fact that the Rio Grande in this region is an effluent receiver water system (IBWC, 2011). The fourth …

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Lacking A Connection To A Community Water System: Water Quality And Human Health Impacts In El Paso Colonias, Yolanda Jane Mcdonald Jan 2012

Lacking A Connection To A Community Water System: Water Quality And Human Health Impacts In El Paso Colonias, Yolanda Jane Mcdonald

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water-borne disease and its symptoms, such as stomach cramps and diarrhea, are a serious concern in areas that are not connected to a public water system. To investigate the impacts of not being connected to a community water system, I surveyed households in El Paso County colonias that were not connected to a community water system (household n = 75, individual n= 293) and households that were connected to a community water system (household n = 75, individual n= 320). I conducted 150 door-to-door surveys and tested water samples from each household for free residual chlorine level, turbidity level, presence …

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Multi-Objective System Design Optimization Considering Environmental Emissions, Olivia Carolina Moreno Jan 2012

Multi-Objective System Design Optimization Considering Environmental Emissions, Olivia Carolina Moreno

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The well-known reliability optimization problem, the redundancy allocation problem (RAP) involves the simultaneous selection of system components and a design level configuration that can meet several design constraints in order to optimize the predefined objective function(s). The RAP has been predominantly solved as a single objective optimization problem with the reliability of the system to be maximized or system design cost to be minimized. When considered as a multiple objective reliability optimization problem, the system reliability is maximized and the cost and weight of the system are minimized. In this work, the RAP was formulated as a multiple objective optimization …

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Examination Of The Neurochemical Mechanisms That Mediate Nicotine Withdrawal In Adolescent And Adult Rats, Luis Alberto Natividad Jan 2012

Examination Of The Neurochemical Mechanisms That Mediate Nicotine Withdrawal In Adolescent And Adult Rats, Luis Alberto Natividad

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: The mechanisms that mediate nicotine withdrawal are presently unclear and age group differences in the neurochemical effects of withdrawal have been largely unexplored. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated that adult rats display a decrease in extracellular levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) during nicotine withdrawal and this decrease is reduced in adolescent rats (Natividad et al., 2010). The goal of this dissertation was to examine whether these age group differences in dopamine during withdrawal are mediated via excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms that modulate dopamine in the cell body region of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Methods: …

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Knowledge Of Adjective Reference By Monolingual Spanish-And English- Speaking Children, Martha Elizabeth Rayas Tanaka Jan 2012

Knowledge Of Adjective Reference By Monolingual Spanish-And English- Speaking Children, Martha Elizabeth Rayas Tanaka

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies (Waxman and Kosowski 1990, Waxman, Senghas and Benveniste, 1997 and Waxman and Guasti, 2009) have concluded that there is a distinct inclination for Spanish-speaking monolingual children but not for English-speaking children (3 and 4 years of age) to "extend" a novel adjective that is applied to an individual object, to other members of the same superordinate level category due to the Determiner-Adjective construction in Spanish, in which a postnominal adjective occurs in the same surface position as a noun such as in: La azul `the blue (one)'. In an Across-Category condition, children were presented with a model object …

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Spatial Ecology Of The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis Subocularis) In The Chihuahuan Desert Of Trans-Pecos Texas, Arturo Rocha Jan 2012

Spatial Ecology Of The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis Subocularis) In The Chihuahuan Desert Of Trans-Pecos Texas, Arturo Rocha

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Trans-Pecos Rat Snake (Bogertophis subocularis) is a medium to large rat snake that occurs from south-central New Mexico, south-central Texas, down into the north-central and northeastern states of Mexico. There is paucity in the ecology of B. subocularis to date. Some North American colubrid snakes, such as Thamnophis sirtalis, are the most represented species in thermal ecology and life history studies in all reptiles. There is nothing known on the winter ecological aspects of this species, and very little information regarding its overall ecology. The goal of this study is to determine home range, movement patterns, habitats and utilization …

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Arachidonic Acid Signaling In Invasive And Non-Invasive Breast Cancer Cells, Debarshi Roy Jan 2012

Arachidonic Acid Signaling In Invasive And Non-Invasive Breast Cancer Cells, Debarshi Roy

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Breast cancer is the second largest cause of cancer-related deaths in women all over the world. Epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of high-fat diets can promote the incidence of breast cancers in both developed and developing countries. In particular, the lipid-rich diet contains arachidonic acid (AA, a C20:4 polyunsaturated fatty acid), which has been shown to be associated with tumor formation in breast tissues. Nevertheless, the actual mechanism by which AA induces the metastatic transformation and malignancy is not well understood. The goal of my dissertation, therefore, is to identify the molecules and unravel the pathways that participate in …

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Book Of Rooms, Miranda Arocha Smith Jan 2012

Book Of Rooms, Miranda Arocha Smith

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This book of poems is a meandering journey through various rooms, temporary residences. Lyric poems alternate with prose-poems. In sections such as "Body Orbit" and "Exits and Edges," the poet probes artifacts of memory and culture, investigates her relationship to a variety of places (a monastery, a used bookstore, Taco Bell, a website), and explores silence and the sacred. Of central concern is impermanence and the nature of awareness itself. Grounded in autobiography, the poems reflect time spent in a Buddhist monastery and the city of El Paso, TX.

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Assessment Of Carbon Nanoparticle Exposure On Murine Macrophage Function, Raquel M. Suro Jan 2012

Assessment Of Carbon Nanoparticle Exposure On Murine Macrophage Function, Raquel M. Suro

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

There is growing concern about the potential cytotoxicity of nanoparticles. Exposure to respirable ultrafine particles (2.5uM) can adversely affect human health and have been implicated with episodes of increased respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergies. Nanoparticles are of particular interest because of their ability to penetrate into the lung and potentially elicit health effects triggering immune responses. Nanoparticles are structures and devises with length scales in the 1 to 100-nanometer range. Black carbon (BC) nanoparticles have been observed to be products of combustion, especially flame combustion and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) have been shown to be found in both …

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A Study Of International Wastewater Challenges And Policy In The Tijuana River Watershed, Gloria Ann Villaverde Jan 2012

A Study Of International Wastewater Challenges And Policy In The Tijuana River Watershed, Gloria Ann Villaverde

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Since the 1930s, untreated and undertreated sewage from Tijuana, Baja California, México has been released into the Tijuana River Watershed causing contamination of the water supply, crops, the Tijuana Estuary and California beaches. Passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has exacerbated the problem by causing population and industrial growth explosions for which there have been insufficient services to meet the needs of the people. The waters of the Tijuana River flow (from México) north over the International Border, into the Tijuana Estuary, discharge out to the Pacific Ocean and often flow north, up the California Coast; therefore, …

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San Miguel Volcanic Seismicity And Structure In Central America: Insight Into The Physical Processes Of Volcanoes, Ezer Patlan Jan 2012

San Miguel Volcanic Seismicity And Structure In Central America: Insight Into The Physical Processes Of Volcanoes, Ezer Patlan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

San Miguel volcano lies near the city of San Miguel, El Salvador (13.43°N, 88.26°W). An active stratovolcano, it presents a significant natural hazard for the city of San Miguel. In general, the internal state and activity of volcanoes like San Miguel remains an important component to understanding volcanic hazards. The main technology for addressing volcanic hazards and associated processes is through the analysis of data collected from the deployment of seismic sensors that record ground motion. Six seismic stations were deployed by UTEP around San Miguel volcano during the 2007-2008 the time period to define internal structure or magmatic plumbing …

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The Impact Of Literacy Through Movement In A 3rd Grade Hispanic Classroom, Daniel Peregrino Jan 2012

The Impact Of Literacy Through Movement In A 3rd Grade Hispanic Classroom, Daniel Peregrino

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This case study examines the effects of a kinesthetic literacy-training program on the complexity of narrative production and performance on the Garfield Motivation to Read Survey in a group of four 3rd grade elementary students. The 3rd grade teacher attended a Literacy Through Movement workshop to learn a range of movement-based literacy activities and methods for the classroom. The LITMO program was then implemented as part of a language arts poetry module for 3 weeks in her classroom. Changes in four students' performance on the Garfield Survey and narrative samples were measured before and after the LITMO intervention. Results suggest …

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Mother Of Three Drowns Children And Other Stories, Laura L. Stubbins Jan 2012

Mother Of Three Drowns Children And Other Stories, Laura L. Stubbins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A collection of short stories depicting fictional characters facing what is absent from their lives.

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