Digital Commons Network^™

The Multicultural Study Of Psychopathy: An Examination Of Latin American Differences, Chelsea Spraberry Tekell

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that is composed of characteristics that include poverty of empathy, lack of anxiety or fear, impulsive actions, and manipulation of others. The definition and measurement of psychopathy has changed over time and remains controversial. Ethnicity is an under researched area of psychopathy. In particular, previous psychopathy research has focused primarily on European American men. Despite increased attention to differences between African Americans and European Americans, Latin Americans continue to be overlooked, with only a small number of studies examining psychopathy among individuals from Latin ethnicities. The current study is among the first to examine psychopathy …

Finite Density Qed At Strong Magnetic Field, Paul Lee Springsteen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this Thesis we study the effect of a dense medium on the quantum properties of a relativistic electron-positron plasma under a magnetic field. From the calculation of the photon polarization operator depending on temperature, chemical potential, and the magnetic field; we study how the electric susceptibility of the strongly magnetized plasma is charged with temperature and density. In the same manner we study the dependence of the Debye mass with density. Then we investigated the phenomenon of magnetic catalysis of chiral symmetry breaking for a dense medium. We found that there exist a critical value of the chemical potential …

3d Printed Spatially Variant Anisotropic Metamaterials, Cesar Roman Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The recent advancement in 3D printing has created a new way to design electronics and electromagnetic devices. This allows for a new breed of non-planar designs to be used, fully exploiting all three dimensions like never before. More functions can be fit into the same amount of space, products with novel form factors can be more easily manufactured, interconnects can be routed more smoothly, interfaces can be better implemented, electrical and mechanical functions can be comingled, and entirely new device paradigms will be invented. When departing from traditional planar topologies many new problems arise like signal integrity, crosstalk, noise, and …

La Vida Es Truco, Luis Eduardo Álvarez Marí­N

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

La colección de historias La vida es truco, se centra en la historia de Eliseo, un niño de ocho años que espera a que su padre, un mago callejero y ladrón, regrese a casa. Durante la espera, el niño va contando a un narratario enigmático cada una de las aventuras que ha vivido con su padre, y a su vez va reconstruyendo la imagen que tiene sobre él: una figura mítica, un superhéroe que nunca se equivoca en nada. El volumén plantea temas como el engaño, la supervivencia, la paternidad y la infancia, en una familia disfuncional que intenta salir …

Perspectives On The Nature Of Science From A Group Of Students Attending Predominantly Hispanic West Texas High School, Cameron King Wilson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The United States is falling far behind the rest of the world in its ability to fulfill its needs for qualified workers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The Hispanic population is now the largest minority in the United States but is proportionally underrepresented in the STEM fields today. It is shown that students who have a good understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) are far more likely to be interested in science which may lead to an interest in careers in STEM fields. There is very little if any research identifying Hispanic high school students' view …

An Avian Survey Conducted At Five Water Sources Within The Northern Chihuahuan Desert On Indio Mountains Research Station, Texas, Geoffrey Hugh Wiseman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study was to conduct an avian survey of five water sources (four ephemeral former cattle tanks and one perennial spring), determine how many species inhabit or use Indio Mountains Research Station, and show a hierarchal similarity between the survey sites. This survey was conducted in a Chihuahuan Desert scrub landscape on Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS) in Hudspeth County, Texas. There have been no previous formal studies of the avifauna at IMRS. All species accounts or sightings have been from casual sightings.

Eighty-five avian species were recorded during this project bringing the total of avian species …

Essays On The Digital Divide, Belal Abdelfattah

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The digital divide is a phenomenon that is globally persistent, despite rapidly decreasing costs in technology. While much of the variance in the adoption and use of information communication technology (ICT) that defines the digital divide can be explained by socioeconomic and demographic variables, there is still significant unaccounted variance that needs to be explained if the world's population is expected to be brought more fully into the digital age. The present research addresses this need with three cross-country studies. Study 1 primarily investigates the time individuals spend with traditional media sources as a likely explanation for their frequency of …

Social Determinants Affecting The Mental Health Of Hiv Infected Latino Men Who Have Sex With Men Living On The U.S. - Mexican Border, Oscar Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The HIV/AIDS global pandemic is more than three decades old, and although the continual advancement of antiretroviral therapies have successfully decreased the mortality rates of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), little has been done to improve their mental health status and positive inclusion in society (eliminating discrimination and stigma). This is especially true with the Latino PLWHA living in the U.S.-Mexico border area.

This paper presents data from a qualitative study focused on exploring the mental health issues of a subsample of 40 Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV/AIDS on the U.S.-Mexico Border. This subsample …

Rolodex Of Saints: A Collection Of Short Stories, Yvette D. Benavides

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A critical preface and collection of short stories.

Smart Grids: A Paradigm Shift On Energy Generation And Distribution With The Emergence Of A New Energy Management Business Model, Jesus Alvaro Cardenas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An energy and environmental crisis will emerge throughout the world if we continue with our current practices of generation and distribution of electricity. A possible solution to this problem is based on the Smart grid concept, which is heavily influenced by Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Although the electricity industry is mostly regulated, there are global models used as roadmaps for Smart Grids' implementation focusing on technologies and the basic generation-distribution-transmission model. This project aims to further enhance a business model for a future global deployment. It takes into consideration the many factors interacting in this energy provision process, based …

A Circuit-Based Algorithm For Two-Phase Flow At The Pore Scale In Porous Media, Todd Dorethy

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Models of two-phase flow in porous media are of practical interest in many fields of science and engineering such as in oil recovery and hydrology. For this class of problem, an immiscible fluid is injected into a single-phase, porous medium to evict its valuable, native fluid. Because the aim is to amass as much of the indigenous fluid as possible, models attempt to output reliable flow regime patterns depicting how well the invading fluid displaces the native fluid.

Flow regime patterns generally depend upon the geometry of the domain, stimulation at the boundaries, and properties of the invading and native …

A Comparison Of Water-Related Perceptions And Practices Among Residents Living In Colonias In West Texas And South New Mexico, Relying On Container Or Well Water, Lydia Berenice Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

In the U.S. - Mexico border region, colonia residents must cope with the lack of clean water supply and other basic sanitary services. Because of the lack of infrastructure, colonia residents rely on alternative water supplies including either private wells or hauled water stored in large above-ground containers. Little is known about residents' perceptions of their water supplies, their use practices, and how water-related use and perceptions might differ between colonia residents relying on well water or container water. The purpose of this study was to examine the water-related perceptions and practices of people living in colonias, and to …

Reinventing The Old West: Concordia Cemetery And The Power Over Space, 1800-1895, Nancy Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Utilizing Concordia Cemetery as a framework, this study analyzes the social and economic development of El Paso County and the surrounding areas after the U.S.-Mexico War (1846-48). The cemetery was a vast commercialized zone before it was a burial ground, and silenced histories, voices, and people that lived and thrived on this land are incorporated into this work. The role of the original owners, Hugh Stephenson and Juana Maria Ascarate, as well as the Mexican networks, intermarriage and Mexican American women, and the presence of ethnic Mexicans are subjects that are also examined. In addition, this Dissertation interrogates the pioneer …

North Korean Supernotes: Nuclear Arms Financed By Counterfeit Currency, Michael Yatskievych

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Michael Yatskievych, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract of Master's Thesis, Submitted 21 May 2014:

North Korean Supernotes: Nuclear Arms Financed By Counterfeit Currency

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate whether DPRK is producing high quality counterfeit US currency, supernotes, and has determined to what extent supernotes are financing North Korea's emerging nuclear arms program.

The application of Analysis of Competing Hypotheses, ACH, satisfied this study's purpose by meeting the following objectives: the development of multiple hypotheses in an attempt to explain a supernote-nuclear arms program link, assessing evidence from assorted sources, providing a diagnostic weighing …

Decollations, Joseph Mcbirnie

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The following presents the critical preface to the unpublished manuscript, Decollations. Through the tapestry metaphor, the author describes the process of creating the collection through the lenses of aesthetics, psychology and mythology.

A Variationist Sociolinguistic Study Of /R/ Deletion In Turkish, Sevda Rahymov

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Variable /r/ deletion in word final position has been explored in several languages such as English and different dialects of Spanish. This study will investigate /r/ deletion in Turkish, an Altaic language that belongs to Ural-Altaic languages family. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to explore the influence of linguistic and social factors in the variation of /r/ in the progressive affix, /-yor-/ in the dialect of Turkish spoken in Istanbul. I hypothesize that the variability in the deletion of /r/ is not random, but can be accounted for by the study of linguistic and social factors.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Fluorophores For The Detection Of Lanthanides And Actinides, Robinson I. Roacho

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A series of fluorophores based in the boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) family were synthesized and characterized. These fluorophores have the capacity of being introduced to a carbamoyl methyl phosphine oxide (CMPO) lanthanide/actinide extractant. These blue, green and red emission fluorophores show high thermal/moisture stability and high fluorescence efficiencies. The fluorescence intensity seems to be dependent on the restricted rotation about the C(8)-C bond in 8-Ph-BODIPY. By taking advantage of this feature, a hydroxyl- containing BODIPY with high fluorescence intensity was synthesized to be incorporated to a CMPO carboxylic acid via esterification. Unfortunately, we did not observe an optical response upon the …

Transracial Adoption: Racial Identity, Resilience, And Self-Esteem Of African American Adoptees, Jennifer Aufiero Bumpus

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study compared self-reported racial identity, resilience, and self-esteem of three independent sample groups consisting of African American adoptees (N = 45), aged 18–72. One group (n = 25) had been adopted by two Caucasian parents, the second (n= 10) by two African American parents, and the third (n = 10) by a single African American parent. The Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, Resilience Scale, and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were used. Adoptees had higher levels of racial identity when they had been adopted by two African American parents as opposed to two Caucasian parents. Racial …

Enchanted: A Qualitative Examination Of Fairy-Tales And Women's Intimate Relational Patterns, Amanda Schnibben

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Fairy-tales and myth have long been held as ways of communicating what is happening in society and within a culture. This dissertation study examined the interview narratives of 10 women regarding the impact of fairy-tales and myth on female identity in the context of intimate relationship patterns. This study utilized definitions of fairy-tale and myth derived from Biechonski's (2005) framework, while augmenting these conceptualizations with depth psychology perspectives. The study's findings were produced using qualitative, phenomenological research methods (Merriam, 2009). Results of the study demonstrated that some of the female participants identified with fairy-tales during their youth; however, all participants …

Combustion Synthesis Of Molybdenum Silicides And Borosilicides For Ultrahigh-Temperature Structural Applications, Mohammad Shafiul Alam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Molybdenum silicides and borosilicides are promising structural materials for gas-turbine power plants. A major challenge, however, is to simultaneously achieve high oxidation resistance and acceptable mechanical properties at high temperatures. For example, molybdenum disilicide (MoSi₂) has excellent oxidation resistance and poor mechanical properties, while Mo-rich silicides such as Mo₅Si₃ (called T₁) have much better mechanical properties but poor oxidation resistance. One approach is based on the fabrication of MoSi₂−T₁ composites that combine high oxidation resistance of MoSi₂ and good mechanical properties of T₁. Another approach involves the …

Civic Deliberative Dialogue And The Topic Of Race: Exploring The Lived Experience Of Everyday Citizens And Their Encounters With Tension And Conflict, Jacquelyn Yvonne Mccray

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The research explored the interactions and experiences of participants and facilitators in civic deliberative dialogue and how they worked through tension and conflict. The dissertation question asked: What is the lived experience of participants and facilitators of civic deliberative dialogue and how do group members collectively move beyond tensions and disagreements that surface during dialogue processes? The study analyzed the joint influences of tension and disagreement within the context of seven deliberative dialogues convened on the topics of race, race relations and racism. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze qualitative research data collected from participant volunteers and facilitators. A …

Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence And Alcohol Use Among Hispanic Women In The Border Region, Sujehy Arredondo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: Hispanic/Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority group in the United States and are disproportionately affected by alcohol use and intimate partner violence (IPV). Although a strong relationship between substance use and IPV has been documented in the literature, no studies have explored this relationship among Hispanic women in the El Paso, TX. STUDY AIMS: The aims of this study are to (1) determine the prevalence of alcohol use and intimate partner violence and (2) assess the association between IPV and alcohol use among Hispanic women living in the El Paso Border Region. METHODS: Project VIDA …

Effective Networked Nonprofit Organizations: Defining The Behavior And Creating An Instrument For Measurement, Andrea Leigh Hernandez

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This correlational research design, which included a convenience sample of 157 nonprofit staff and board member responses to a Likert-type survey, was used to conduct a principle components analysis (PCA) to develop subscales related to networked nonprofits. As defined in the study, a networked nonprofit has a set of intentionally built trusting relationships and has systems and strategies that engage various stakeholders in meaningful conversations. They achieve their missions by developing strong partnerships where they invest in the goals of other organizations to mobilize resources for a common shared mission and values. While there were correlations between the level respondents …

Numerical Prediction Of Collection Efficiency Of A Personal Sampler Based On Cyclone Principle, Antara Badhan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A personal bioaerosol sampler is a self-contained, operation flexible, high-efficient device for indoor air quality (IAQ) and health risk exposure monitoring and measurement. Bio-aerosols such germ-laden viruses, microbial species, airborne microorganisms and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are sucked into the sampler and are deposited on the inner wall surface based on cyclone principal. The major concern with bio-aerosol samplers is the collection efficiency. In this study, we used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to evaluate key design parameters, specifically the inlet tube angle and collection tube inner wall roughness. 3D incompressible turbulent flow was simulated using commercial software ANSYS FLUENT. …

A Block Precondtioner For A Mixed Finite Element Method For Biot;S Equations, Maranda Lee Bean

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this Thesis, we explore the solution methods for the linear system resulting from a mixed finite element method applied to the Biot's consolidation model. This model describes the coupled interactions between a porous solid and the fluid contained within it. Specifically, we use a method developed by Yi [Numer. Methods for PDEs, 29(5), pp. 1749-1777] that expands Biot's system to include fluid pressure, solid displacement, fluid flux and total stress as primary unknowns.

As the resulting linear system is a large, sparse, saddle point system, we attempt to solve this system via a Schur complement preconditioned iterative method. Using …

Numerical Investigation Of Impact Of Relative Humidity On Droplet Accumulation And Film Cooling, Luz Irene Bugarin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

During the summer, high inlet temperatures affect the power output of gas turbine systems. Evaporative coolers have gained popularity as an inlet cooling method for these systems. Wet compression has been one of the common evaporative cooling methods implemented to increase power output of gas turbine systems due to its simple installation and low cost. This process involves injection of water droplets into the continuous phase of compressor to reduce the temperature of the flow entering the compressor and in turn increase the power output of the whole gas turbine system. This study focused on a single stage rotor-stator compressor …

Message Matters: Application Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Increase Household Hazardous Waste Program Participation, Amy Dyer Cabaniss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Removing household hazardous waste (HHW) from the municipal solid waste stream is important to protect health, safety and the environment. Communities across the U.S. separate HHW from regular trash for disposal with hazardous waste, however nationally, participation rates are low with only five to ten percent of households estimated to participate in any given collection. This two-part study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand individuals’ beliefs and attitudes toward HHW collections, and to develop a print message intervention to increase participation. In Study 1, respondents (N = 983) completed a survey administered to homeowners in the Connecticut …

Gas-Solid Bed Hydrodynamics Of Non-Spherical Particles, A S M Raufur Rahim Chowdhury

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Gas-solid beds are ubiquitous in industrial and energy production applications. Examples include fluidized beds, which are used in many systems such as in Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants or in chemical looping systems. These examples and others involve complicated interactions between each phase of reactants in the system. The motivation of this work stems from the need for a better understanding of bed hydrodynamics in existing energy systems; results from this work can be used directly in software such as Fluent to more accurately predict flow behaviors of gas and solid phases. The experimental data are collected from …

The Role Of Law, Judicial Reform And The Protection Of Human Rights In Moldova And Transnistria, Judithanne Scourfield Mclauchlan

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

This article will provide an overview of human rights violations in Transnistria, with an emphasis on the cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights. The role of human rights NGOs (such as Promo-LEX), reform-minded civil society, and the influence of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Moldova in the PMR will be explored. The current situation will be analyzed in the context of the resumption of the 5+2 negotiation, as well as the major judicial reform effort (the Strategy for Justice Sector Reform, 2011-2015) that the governing coalition in Moldova, formerly the "Alliance for European Integration" and …

Colombia's Herbidice Spraying In The Crucible Between Indigenous Rights, Environmental Law And State Security, Paola Solano

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

For many years Colombia has struggled with eradicating illicit narcotic crops. Spraying coca and poppy crops aerially with chemical herbicides has been one of Colombia's strategies. However, this practice has resulted in serious violations of human and environmental rights. Because the herbicides were aerially sprayed at locations near, at and across the border with Ecuador, it has caused transboundary damage not only to people, animals and crops but also to bordering Ecuador's natural environment. It has also caused damage to the Colombian environment, population, and Indigenous groups. In 2008, Ecuador submitted an application instituting proceedings to the International Court of …