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Estimating Exploitation Rates In The Alabama Red Snapper Fishery Using A High-Reward Tag–Recapture Approach, Dana K. Sackett, Mattgew Catalano, J. Marcus Drymon, Sean P. Powers, Mark Albins

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Accurate estimates of exploitation are essential to managing an exploited fishery. However, these estimates are often dependent on the area and vulnerable sizes of fish considered in a study. High-reward tagging studies offer a simple and direct approach to estimating exploitation rates at these various scales and in examining how model parameters impact exploitation rate estimates. These methods can ultimately provide a better understanding of the spatial dynamics of exploitation at smaller local and regional scales within a fishery—a measure often needed for more site-attached species, such as the Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus. We used this approach to tag 724 …

Young Adults In Transition: Factors That Support And Hinder Growth And Change, Mona Treadway, Elizabeth Holloway

Student Articles, Chapters, Presentations, Learning Objects

A therapeutic model referred to as young adult transition programs has emerged to better address the unique developmental challenges found in this age group. This study examined 317 critical incidents that supported or hindered young adults in a therapeutic transition program. The research design used a combination of an instrumental case study and critical incident technique (CIT). Using interviews and the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2, the study explored in-depth the experiences of 17 young adults who were alumni of a young adult transition program. The objective was to better understand the transition experience from a participant perspective and, through the findings, …

Back On The Block: Spousal Transitional Difficulties In Military Retirement, Rhianna Kelsey Flohr

PsyD Program in Clinical Psychology Doctoral Dissertations (New England)

Service members who serve active duty for 20 years qualify for military retirement with retired pay. This study examined whether sociodemographic and clinical factors are associated with higher levels of transitional difficulty in spouses of retired military service members following at least 20 years of active duty service. Veteran research has shown that a variety of sociodemographic and clinical factors influence the ease with which the service member transitions back into a civilian lifestyle. Factors contributing to greater transitional difficulties for veterans include: (a) experience of a traumatic event, (b) probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), (c) race and ethnicity, (d) …

Police, Race, And The Production Of Capital Homicides, Jeffrey A. Fagan, Amanda Geller

Faculty Scholarship

Racial disparities in capital punishment have been well documented for decades. Over 50 studies have shown that Black defendants more likely than their white counterparts to be charged with capital-eligible crimes, to be convicted and sentenced to death. Racial disparities in charging and sentencing in capital-eligible homicides are the largest for the small number of cases where black defendants murder white victims compared to within-race killings, or where whites murder black or other ethnic minority victims. These patterns are robust to rich controls for non-racial characteristics and state sentencing guidelines. This article backs up the research on racial disparities to …

A Practical Guide To Meta-Synthesis Method For Identifying Professional Competencies Of Teachers In Teaching Nature Of Science, M. Mohammadi, M. Saberi, Gh. Salimi, Noushin Nouri

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Qualitative meta-synthesis is a new interpretive integration of qualitative findings that provide coherent descriptions or explanations of phenomena, events, or concepts. Considering the increasing rate of qualitative research, such interpretive synthesis is vital to provide a cohesive vision or a new theory with putting all scattered research together. Therefore, in the present study, the practical guide to the methodology, principles, steps, and other details of the meta-synthesis are explained using the six steps of meta-synthesis presented by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). Along with each step of the methodological description, the process of presenting a model for the professional competencies of …

Impact Of Patient Demographics And Health Insurance On Hospital Discharge, Ana Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Based on discharge data collected with 241 patients who received medical care from a fall injury between 2014 and 2015 at the emergency room in a general hospital in El Paso, Texas, I will examine whether individuals over age 55 have health insurance and the type of care that is recommended to patients after being discharged. In particular, I will examine demographics, including ethnicity, age, and language on whether the patient paid with insurance and the disposition of discharge from the emergency department after a fall. Additionally, I will examine which demographic factors are associated with disposition of discharge- facility, …

Association Of Opioid Metabolism With Aberrant Drug-Related Behaviors Among Non-Malignant Chronic Pain Patients, Eduardo Aguila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An estimated 100 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic pain. Chronic opioid therapy (COT) use in non-malignant chronic pain patients (NMCPP) has markedly increased over the past two decades due to growing consensus that COT is suitable for the treatment of moderate-to-severe non-malignant chronic pain. Yet, COT for NMCPP has been widely associated with multiple aberrant drug-related behaviors (ADRB) such as misuse, abuse, diversion, addiction, and pseudoaddiction. One reason for the relative high incidence of ADRB among NMCPP on COT may be genetics-induced medication response variability, which, can result in pharmacotherapy failure and/or toxicity

The present study evaluated …

Advancing A Transnational, Transdisciplinary And Translingual Framework: A Professional Development Series For Teaching Assistants In Writing And Spanish Programs, Alyssa G. Cavazos, Marcela Hebbard, José Esteban Hernández, Crystal Rodriguez, Geoffrey Schwarz

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Considering the need for writing and language programs to develop translingual and transdisciplinary pedagogies for teacher development at the graduate level (Canagarajah, 2016; Williams & Rodrigue, 2016), the authors examine the design of a multilingual pedagogy professional development series for first-year Spanish and Writing teaching assistants (TAs). As designers of and participants in the series, the authors explore the benefits and challenges inherent in transdisciplinary and translingual conversations and discuss implications for teaching and research in language and writing instruction and teacher development. In order to advance transdisciplinary and translingual approaches as a new normal in composition studies (Tardy 2017; …

The Professional Identities Of Child And Youth Program Assistants (Cypas) At A Military Installation, Katherine Susan Clark

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This six-month long phenomenological case study seeks to add to the body of literature regarding the impact of learning on the construction of professional identities for early childhood care and education professionals by drawing on sociocultural theories of learning and identities. Specifically, this study explores how nine Child and Youth Program Assistants' (CYPAs) professional identities construction was impacted by their personal and professional learning experiences. The study was conducted in the Southwestern region of the U.S. at Quartz CDC (QCDC) located on Ft. Gem Military Installation where the CYPAs were employed as early childhood professionals.

The analysis of multiple data …

Biologically Available Phosphorus In Biocrust-Dominated Soils Of The Chihuahuan Desert, Grace Margaret Crain

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In desert soils, phosphorus (P) is an important limiting nutrient and its cycling characteristics are less understood compared to nitrogen and carbon. Phosphorus cycling is controlled by both geochemical and biological factors. Traditionally, P availability has been characterized via sequential extraction analyses such as Hedley fractionation, but newly developed extraction methods allow for the examination of more biologically relevant P fractions, providing insight on mechanisms of P acquisition by plants and microbes. We examined these P cycling features in the context of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which have been found to be important drivers of nutrient cycling and have the …

Fluoxetine Exposure Results In Decreased Sensitivity To Cocaine And Sucrose Later In Life: A Study In Female C57bl/6 Mice, Francisco Javier Flores Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Preclinical evidence indicates that exposure to psychotropic medications, during early development, results in long-lasting altered responses to stress- and reward-related stimuli. However, these animal studies have been conducted, primarily, using male subjects. This is surprising, given that clinical data suggests that females have a higher likelihood, than their male counterparts, to be diagnosed with mood-related illnesses, and thus, be prescribed with psychotropic medications, mostly antidepressants. Therefore, to examine whether enduring reward-related alterations are exhibited as a result of antidepressant exposure, in female subjects specifically, we exposed C57BL/6 female mice to fluoxetine (FLX; 250 mg/l in their drinking water). Specifically, separate …

Factors That Influence The Perceived Risk Of Driving Under The Influence Of Small Amounts Of Marijuana And Alcohol (Dui-Sama), Gabriel Andrew Frietze

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The national trend toward the legalization of recreational marijuana use will likely increase the number of opportunities for young adults to legally drive under the combined influence of small amounts of marijuana and alcohol (DUI-SAMA). Research suggests that driving performance is moderately impaired when small amounts of marijuana and alcohol are consumed independently; however, driving performance is dramatically impaired when both substances are consumed in combination. The present study investigated the perceived risk of DUI-SAMA under two levels of stress (no stress, stress) and three levels of urgency (non-urgent, semi-urgent, urgent). One-hundred and sixty-five marijuana users (Mage = 20.3) were …

Environmental And Genetic Factors Affecting Antibiotic Resistance Of Extended Spectrum Î?-Lactamase Bacteria From The Rio Grande River In El Paso, Tx And Cd. Juarez, Mexico, Maria D. Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The Rio Grande River provides a major source of potable and agricultural water for the population of the Texas/Mexico border region. Cattle farming and ranching are the most prevalent activities, which may contribute to the microbial burden of pharmaceuticals into our state's water resources. Antibiotics, presumably released into the environment by discharges originating from waste-water treatment plants, septic disposal systems, animal feeding operations and urban runoff have a definite impact on the ecosystem and may contribute to an increase in antibiotic resistance. We hypothesized that waters of the Rio Grande River contained Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO) and mobile …

Investigating The Role Of Parp-1 In Hiv-1 Replication, Sara Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is a cellular protein that that has multiple roles in the cell including DNA repair and transcription. PARP-1 has also proven by our laboratory to impair HIV-1 replication in T cells infected with HIV-1 strains entering via CD4/CXCR4. The goal of my Thesis is to increase our understanding of the mechanism implicated in the anti-HIV-1 activity of PARP-1. Initially, I focused my research in deciphering the impact of PARP-1 on the replication of HIV-1 strains entering the cell through the alternative pathway CD4/CCR5. However, technical difficulties prevented answering this question. Nevertheless, aided by the technical …

Auditory Selective Attention Performance In Older And Younger Bilingual Adults, Ninive Corina Gomez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Recent research has suggested that bilinguals may have enhanced cognitive abilities resulting from the constant management and maintenance of their two language systems. This cognitive advantage has been evidenced in studies showing that bilinguals outperform monolinguals on tasks of visual selective attention. However, very little is known regarding how bilingualism influences selective attention in the perception of auditory information. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of bilingualism on auditory selective attention. A total of 61 participants were recruited to participate and divided into four participant groups: 15 younger monolinguals (between the ages of 18-25), 15 …

Communication Barriers Between Patients And Healthcare Providers Regarding Disclosure Of Herbal Product Use, Armando S. Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A considerable portion of our international border Hispanic population traditionally uses medicinal herbs as an alternative option for treating various chronic diseases and may take them alongside prescribed medications. More in-depth research is very necessary to determine why and under what conditions patients use herbs concomitant to medications, and why many do not discuss this with their physicians. Barriers to communication between patients and healthcare providers can encourage non-disclosure of herbal product use, which may interfere with prescribed medications, placing patients at serious risk for various herb-drug interactions. This qualitative descriptive study utilized purposive sampling, employing six focus groups consisting …

Acculturation, Biculturalism, And Familistic Cultural Values' Relationship With Latino Mental Health, Nathalie Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As the Latino population increases in the United States, mental health professionals encounter mixed research findings on immigrant mental health. There seems to be an epidemiological paradox in relation to Latino mental health and the effect that acculturation has on anxiety and depression symptoms among this minority population. One discernible research limitation in the existing literature is that researchers measure acculturation as a unidimensional, rather than multidimensional, construct. The present study examined not only acculturation, but also biculturalism, as correlates of depression and anxiety symptoms in a Latino population. Additionally, the present study identified potential Latino cultural buffers against depressive …

Geant4 Study Of Protons - Body Interactions, Omar Hernandez Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Proton beam therapy for cancer treatment uses high-energy protons to destroy cancer cells, a problem that needs immediate attention is the determination of where in the body the protons are hitting, in real time, i.e. during the irradiation. One possibility is to pay attention to the gamma rays produced during the irradiation, and use the information they carry to infer the body part that produced the gamma ray.

This Thesis presents the results of an investigation of the interaction of protons with different body parts. Focusing on gamma ray-producing interactions, the goal is to determine the type of interaction that …

Examining Paths To Success By Assessing Performance Of Undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers On High-Stakes Texas Examinations Of Educator Standards Teacher Certification Exams, Héctor Hernández Jr.

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify predictors of success for pre-service teachers in state mandated high-stakes teacher certification exams. In the last decade, Texas legislators have centered their attention in the preparation and certification of educators and have turned to more rigorous accountability measures to reach their objective of having programs be more selective about the candidates they prepare. The uniqueness of the student population at the institution served as the catalyst to bring to light the importance of not leaving behind these vulnerable populations. A path analysis model was developed to analyze the relationships of four exogenous …

Tunable Surface Interactions In Adsorbing Polymer Solutions, Sorour Hosseini

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A simple formalism is suggested, to calculate the most likely configuration of a finite polymer, between two surfaces on which the monomers can adsorb. Grafted polymers typically enhance the stability of colloidal dispersions, via the long ranged steric repulsion due to the overlap of their polymer brushes, which can be thicker that the typical range of the DLVO interactions. However, if the polymers are adsorbing on the colloidal surfaces, there is the possibility of bridge formation between particles and therefore long-range attractions are induced (a procedure commonly used for the flocculation of colloidal suspensions). The two effects are competing and …

Predictive Modeling On The Piezoelectric Properties Of 3d Printed Functional Nanocomposites Using The Data Analytics Approach, Md Didarul Islam

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper presents research done on prediction modeling using a data analytics approach to determine various factors affecting the piezoelectric properties of the 3D printed pressure sensors. Previously, the material extrusion 3D printing technique was used to fabricate pressure sensors composed of multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT), barium titanate (BT), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) using simple fabrication and low-cost methods. This sensor produced a voltage output of 725 mV (0.13 pC/N) which is enough for pressure sensing applications. However, a holistic study to determine impacts of all factors was not carried out in the previous model. In this study, the design …

Hidden Diversity In Aquatic Habitats: Lessons From Cryptic Species In Microscopic Invertebrates (Rotifera), Azar Kordbacheh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Speciation is a continuous and adaptive process by which lineages are diverged into multiple groups, and species are the product of this process. Taxonomy is the study of relationship between organisms, classifying and naming them, and one of the taxonomical challenges is delimiting species boundaries. Species delimitation can be controversial because biologists do not agree on species concepts and approaches for defining species boundaries. One of the well-known species concepts is the Biological Species Concept that requires studying reproductive barriers among populations. Investigating strength of reproductive isolation among populations is not always practical in the wild. Therefore, many biologists have …

Catching On Dark In Public, Joshua Robert Long

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Catching On Dark In Public contains sixty pages of poetry compiled by the author during his time in the MFA program at The University of Texas at El Paso.

The Empirical Relationship Of Income And Body Mass Index In El Paso, Tx, Jessica Rubyn Mares

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To understand the determinants of obesity in El Paso, TX, this study examines the relationship between income and the body mass index for adult men and women using County-level data from the Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Specifically, two periods are considered, 2002-2010 (BEFORE) and 2011-2015 (AFTER). Key results show that during the BEFORE period women are highly susceptible to unhealthy weight levels at lower incomes. Obesity prevalence is high among men and women as Age rises. During the AFTER period, Age and Race/Ethnicity are related to BMI in men only. Unexpectedly, no associations are found in women.

Registered Nurses' Experiences Of Passing The Nclex-Rn After More Than One Attempt, Tammy L. Kasprovich, Leona Vandevusse

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background:

In the past decade, little research has been conducted regarding individuals' stories about not initially being successful on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. An unsuccessful licensure examination attempt may affect the individual personally and profoundly in ways that could influence their future success.

Method:

Individual in-depth interviews were conducted once with 15 RNs who were initially unsuccessful on the licensure examination and subsequently passed. Data analyses were conducted using both manual and electronic coding through thematic identification. Rigor was ensured by meeting quality criteria for qualitative research.

Results:

Four themes were identified: (a) Pressures all Around, …

Stigmatizing Effects Of Visible Versus Invisible Disabilities, Noel A. Ysasi, Alicia B. Becton, Roy K. Chen

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The concept of disability is complex and has been interpreted in a variety of ways. The degree to which a disorder is "disabling" depends on the interchange between the condition and other factors including the individual's environment. Modern society's emphasis on self-sufficiency and productivity contribute to the tendency to devalue those who are perceived as unable from these valued characteristics. Research suggests the visibility of a condition may lead to stigmatization, a concept generally associated with feelings of shame due to discontentment and devaluation of others. The authors present literature related to persons with visible and invisible disabilities, and the …

The Implications Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury And Malingering, Knowledge Base, And Opinions In Life Care Planning, Rigel Pinon, Irmo Marini, Tiffany Cantu, Iliana Escandon

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications

The current study surveyed 86 rehabilitation educators from 27 universities spanning 17 states teaching graduate rehabilitation counseling students regarding to what extent, if any, they address the medical and psychosocial aspects of traumatic brain injury in their curriculum to students. Students of various disciplines who develop life care plans particularly with mild traumatic brain injury must be aware of the symptomatology and prognosis in relation to long-term medical and psychological care needs. Knowing how to distinguish and assess valid subjective complaints, neuropsychological testing, and diagnostic findings regarding traumatic brain injury is key to developing a methodologically reliable and valid plan. …

The Value Of Reflective Thinking Among Public Elementary Teachers In Ontario, Canada, Margeaux Natalie-Ann Levy

Dissertations

This research study investigated the perceived value of reflection among in-service teachers in Ontario, Canada. The surveys were randomly distributed to 140 teachers within the Toronto District School Board (TDSB; the largest school board in Canada). The teachers all had Ontario teaching certification, were surveyed at their current school, and had taught from one to 35 years. I investigated to what extent in-service teachers engage in reflective thinking, specific aspects of the teaching process that teachers reflect about, and sought to determine whether engagement in reflective thinking is related to years of teaching experience, elementary teaching levels (primary, junior, intermediate), …

The Influence Of Social Support And Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction On Student Academic Motivation At A Cameroonian University: Structural Equation Modeling, Samuel Adamou

Dissertations

Problem

The growing number of students at the university level in Cameroon created maladaptive behaviors including lack of behavior adaptation, interests, respect, happiness, self-esteem, which led to strikes, vandalism, academic failure and resulting in school dropout (Nwaimah, 2008). The Cameroonian government proposed a number of reforms to solve these issues. One of the major proposed reforms consisted of implementing the Bologna Model in higher education through borrowing and transferring of policies, ideas, and practices from a European higher education area (Eta, 2015; Mngo, 2011). Yet despite the surface progress, the question of how to enhance student learning and improve instruction …

Temporal Trends In Human Vulnerability To Excessive Heat, Scott C. Sheridan, Michael J. Allen

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Over recent decades, studies have examined various morbidity and mortality outcomes associated with heat exposure. This review explores the collective knowledge of the temporal trends of heat on human health, with regard to the hypothesis that humans are less vulnerable to heat events presently than in the past. Using Web of Science and Scopus, the authors identified all peer-reviewed articles that contained keywords on human impact (e.g. mortality, morbidity) and meteorological component (e.g. heat, heatwave). After sorting, a total of 71 articles, both case studies and epidemiological studies, contained explicit assessments of temporal trends in human vulnerability, and thus were …