Digital Commons Network^™

Twenty-Sixth Report Of The Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee: 2016, Andrew Kratter

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Back Calculation Of Intelligent Compaction Data For Mechanical Properties Of Soil System, Afshin Gholamy

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For national economy, it is very important to have a reliable infrastructure. Because of this, all over the world, new roads are constantly being built and old roads are being maintained and, if necessary, expanded and/or repaired. Building a good quality road is very expensive, it costs several million dollars per kilometer. It is therefore crucial to make sure that the newly built and newly repaired roads are sufficiently stiff - so that they can withstand the predicted volume of traffic for a sufficient number of years. Current methods of estimating the stiffness are time-consuming and labor-consuming. The most accurate …

A Narrative Inquiry Of Experiences Of Validation Of Graduate Students In Economics, Eva Ximena Quintana

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of students in a graduate Economics program located at a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution using narrative research design, a methodology that is not used in economics literature. The research question that guided the study was: How are graduate students validated throughout the process of their graduate education at a Master's in Economics program at a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution? The researcher interviewed 3 graduate women economics students, and 3 graduate men economics students to ensure triangulation of data. After conducting the study it became apparent that graduate women economics students and graduate …

Hybrid 3d Printing Demonstrated By Arbitrary 3d Meandering Transmission Lines, Ubaldo Robles

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation focuses on the automation of multi-material direct write three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing of arbitrary metal-dielectric structures. The technology was demonstrated by manufacturing 3D meandering interconnects and transmission lines (TLs). Manufacturing 3D functional electronics with multiple materials required pushing the current state of 3D printing (3DP) technology to utilize simultaneous multi-material processes combined with sophisticated slicing and bonding under one process. Multi material 3DP is known as hybrid 3DP. This research pioneered the process for producing meandering transmission lines, starting with design and manufacturing, using hybrid 3DP through micro-dispensing and fuse deposition modeling. The research starts by 3DP magnetic and …

Public School Based Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs And Their Approaches To Curriculum: A Naturalistic Case Study, Jessica D. Slade

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study explores the beliefs about teaching approaches and classroom practices of public school-based early childhood pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teachers on the U.S. -Mexico border. Additionally, introduced in this work is a new framework for making visible the belief and practices of classroom teachers, as well as theories and approaches to Early Childhood Education, called the process-product continuum. This naturalist multi-case study utilized semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, artifact collection, and construction of visual timelines from three participants; participant narratives are presented, classroom practices and belief statements are analyzed, and mapped on the process-product continuum. Findings indicate that in addition to …

An Integrated Machine Learning Geological Field Tool In The Age Of Big Data And Drones, Guillermo Vargas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and machine learning are relatively new research tools in the geosciences that can be used to collect and analyze large data sets rapidly. We combine the power of rapid data collection using unmanned aerial vehicles with machine learning algorithms to develop a field-based system to identify targeted geological features. For data collection, we have used a commercial-grade UAV which carried visible-wavelength and multispectral (visible- infrared) cameras. We analyzed the data with machine learning and machine vision algorithms that can classify rock units exposed in a field area. We have identified algorithms that in previous literature have …

Electrocatalysts Based On Organic Macrocycles For Electrochemical Water Splitting, Yanyu Wu

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Water splitting, which is the dissociation of water into hydrogen and oxygen gases, can be separated into two half reactions corresponding to the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER, respectively). Both reactions offer a promising way for storing energy into the form of chemical bonds, which is an important strategy for the development of clean-energy technologies. A main area of interest while studying HER and OER is to design effective and robust electrocatalysts made from earth-abundant materials. This dissertation describes several homogeneous and heterogeneous systems for the electrocatalytic generation of hydrogen and oxygen gases.

In Chapter …

Testing Of A 1n Af-M315e Thruster, Daniela Ivette Aguilar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR) at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is currently pursuing various space propulsion and small satellite projects. One of these projects is called Orbital Factory X (OFX), which mission is to design a 2U Cube-Satellite (Cube Sat) with 4 green mono-propellant thrusters along with multiple micro-cathode arc thrusters. A CubeSat is a small-scale version of a satellite that is usually placed in orbit for near earth missions. However, they have a relative short life and limited maneuverability due to their limited source of power and restricted payload. Now, technologies …

Language Attitudes Toward Mexican Spanish-Accented And Standard Varieties Of English, Michelle Aguilar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The unique demographics of El Paso, Texas show that it is a site with intense Mexican-American ethnolinguistic contact that creates a co-existence of different English and Spanish varieties. In El Paso, approximately 80 percent of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino and approximately 95 percent of that group has reported to be of Mexican ancestry (Statistical Atlas, 2015). As a result, Spanish is spoken by 68 percent of the population (United States Census Bureau, 2016). Yet, particular Hispanic-accented English varieties spoken in the region, (Chicano English and Mexican Spanish-accented English), are stigmatized. The focus of this study will be …

Assessment Of Climate Change Impact On Hydraulic Design Procedures Of Bridges, Anjuman Ara Akhter

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The significant change in climate is evident from the records of increased temperature, changed precipitation pattern, increased frequency of extreme weather events like storms, floods, and so forth. Like other infrastructure highway infrastructures also suffer the consequences of these climate change. Since the hydraulic design of these infrastructures is performed using historical climate data, the designs may not be able to provide services because designs are not considering climate change influence especially in terms of precipitation intensity. This study aims at identifying the most accurate source of climate database that predicts future climate change with less uncertainty and links them …

Does A Family History Of Type 2 Diabetes Affect Exercise Induced Improvements In Insulin Sensitivity, Metabolic Flexibility, And Myokine Expression In Mexican-American Males?, Manuel Amador

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A family history of diabetes (FH+) is considered a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, it is not known whether exercise induced improvement in insulin sensitivity (IS) and metabolic flexibility (MF) are impacted by a FH+. Purpose: To determine if a FH+ limits exercise induced improvements in Insulin sensitivity, MF, body composition, and strength following an 8-week combined aerobic and resistance training intervention compared to those without a family history of diabetes (FH-). Methods: 19 (FH- n=9, age 21.89 ± 0.60 years, BMI 27.51 ± 1.68 kg/m2; FH+ n=10, age 23.41 ± 0.86 …

Geostatistical And Geospatial Distribution Of Multiple Metallic Elements In Agricultural Regions Of The Mid-Continental Usa, Najwah Alssaeidi Ahmed Almesleh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Regional geochemical mapping constitute the chemistry of the surface of the earth in a large scale and relatively low sample density. It is widely accepted scientific activity and man uses some cases to identify contamination. In the present study, data present in national geochemical survey database was used to investigate the chemical loading loading of the agricultural soil. In the mid-continent region of the United States. Several traditional parameters were used mainly the enrichment factor (EF), and geoaccumulation index (I geo). Total chemical influence (TCI) maps were used to guide sampling. In addition, regional trace element chemistry of bedrock was …

Integrated Statistical And Machine Learning Algorithms For Predicting And Classifying G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Fredrick Ayivor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are transmembrane proteins with important functions in signal transduction and often serve as drug targets. With increasing availability of protein sequence information, there is much interest in computationally predicting GPCRs and classifying them according to their biological roles. Such predictions are cost-efficient and can be valuable guides for designing wet lab experiments to help elucidate signaling pathways and expedite drug discovery. There are existing computational tools of GPCR prediction that involve principal component analysis (PCA), intimate sorting (IS), support vector machine, and random forest (RF) techniques using various sequence derived features. While accuracies of over 90\% …

Detection Of Pharmaceuticals And Personal Care Products In The Rio Grande And Their Effects On A Model Aquatic Invertebrate (Rotifera, Monogononta: Plationus Patulus), Enrique David Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Rivers, including the Rio Grande, receive discharges from urban, agricultural, and industrial areas. These discharges have potentially harmful contaminants that may affect life span, fecundity, and/or behaviors of aquatic organisms. In this project, water quality was analyzed near a discharge point source and impacts of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) on a non-target organism (Plationus patulus) were investigated. Long-term and integrative organic samplers (POCIS) were left in situ for about 1 month near a wastewater treatment plant that discharges effluent into the Rio Grande. Over 40 PPCPs, including carbamazepine (ranging from 17.50 to 584.29 ng/L), erythromycin (ranging from 0.51 …

Regional Differences In Feto-Infant Mortality In The U.S. - Mexico Border Region: Using The Perinatal Period Of Risk (Ppor) Approach, Dyanne G. Herrera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction. Infant mortality (IM) is a critical indicator of the health of communities because societal factors that affect population health directly impact the mortality rate of infants. There is limited infant mortality data for the U.S. side of the U.S.-Mexico Border Region, defined as the areas within 100 km north of the border. Data from 2005-2007 show that the average IM rate for the border states combined was 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births; for the border counties, the rate was 5.4 per 1,000. Although IM rates were lower in the border counties than in the border states, risk …

A Framework To Audit Scheduling Events In The Linux Operating System, Edward G. Hudgins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Soft real-time systems have responsiveness requirements that are desirable but not critical for operational effectiveness. This Thesis describes a new scheduler logging framework named "Integrated Process Scheduler Archiver" (IPSA) intended to assist with this analysis. Due to human sensitivity to interface delays on gesture-driven devices, mobile devices are a common case of soft-real time systems. Mobile systems generally do not incorporate real-time schedulers, but instead utilize over-provisioning and a variety of scheduling heuristics to generally provide acceptable responsiveness. These devices are highly multi-programmed Energy limitations on mobile limit the extent of overprovisioning, thereby increasing the sensitivity of system behavior to …

Comparison Of Mesoscopic Fracture Analysis Techniques: A Case Study Near Onion Creek Diapir, Paradox Basin, Utah, Muhammed Tarik Iraz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Faults and fractures are abundant along the diapir contact in the Onion Creek Diapir in eastern Utah and relate to the mechanisms of diapir formation. Western Onion Creek exhumes two spectacular exposures of the diapir contact and adjacent wall rocks providing two nearly orthogonal transects oriented ~E-W and S-N. In this study, I used field measurements from natural outcrops and a 3D model developed using Structure-from-Motion/Multiview Stereo photogrammetry to evaluate fracture reservoir development along diapir margins. The 3D-Model was developed using Agisoft Photoscan from ~3200 ground-based images and was georeferenced using 76 ground control points located with a GPS unit …

Onshore-Offshore Velocity Models North Of The Mendocino Triple Junction In Northern California, Alan Jacquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ) marks the boundary where the Gorda plate, North American Plate, and Pacific Plate meet, separating the Cascadia subduction zone to the North from transform tectonics of the San Andreas plate boundary. This actively deforming region experiences high seismic activity and young geological features. Here we examine offshore and onshore seismic wide-angle reflection and refraction data north of the MTJ crossing the Cascadia subduction zone from offshore northern California to the Western edge of the Sierra Nevada. We image subsurface structures in this region by creating P-wave velocity models using datasets collected in 1993 to 1994 …

Environmental Injustice And Racial/Ethnic Heterogeneity In Houston, Texas, Michel G. Loustaunau Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis seeks to contribute to distributive environmental justice (EJ) research by analyzing racial/ethnic and intra-ethnic disparities in potential health risks from exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in Harris County, the most populous county in Texas. Previous EJ research in this urban area has not examined intra-ethnic heterogeneity in exposure to air pollutants or attempted to compare social disparities in exposure to air pollution caused by vehicular (mobile) and point (stationary) sources. The goal of this study is to determine how the EJ implications of cancer risks from inhalation exposure to HAPs from mobile and stationary sources differ across …

Titanium Incorporated Gallium Oxide (Ga-Ti-O): Structure Property Relationship And Performance Evaluation For Extreme Environment Applications, Sandeep Manandhar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The existing power generation systems, which utilize fossil fuels, are in dire need of efficient, reliable chemical sensors that can operate safely at higher temperatures. These sensors control the combustion environment and the emissions during combustion. Several sensing materials such as SnO2, ZnO, TiO2, WO3, and Ga2O3 exhibit high sensitivity to certain type of chemical molecules and in a certain range of temperatures. Among these candidate materials, β-Ga2O3 is stable at very high temperatures and has shown functionality for oxygen sensing at higher temperatures (>700°C). However, the response time and sensitivity must be significantly improved in order to derive …

Evaluation Of Recycled Gypsum Application Dosages To Enhance The Water Infiltration Rate At Water Retention Ponds, Jorge Luis Navarrete

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The retention ponds play central role for efficient collection, removal, and drainage of rainfall runoff from surrounding streets to minimize flooding and damage. However, low percolating retention ponds may result in an extended ponding of water, abundance bacteria accumulations, mosquito breeding, environmental hazards, among others. The presence of clayey soils and soil sodicity reduces infiltration rates of retention ponds. To enhance the infiltration rate of ponds, it is proposed to use recycled gypsum (RG), as a soil amendment in retention ponds consisting of clayey soils to enhance low infiltration rates.

To evaluate the influence of RG in clayey soils as …

Evaluation Of Brackish Water Desalination By Membrane Capacitive Deionization Systems: Performance Tradeoffs In Salt Removal, Hydraulic Recovery, Charge Efficiency, And Specific Energy Consumption, Oluwaseye Michael Owoseni

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

As potable water demand continues to exceed availability in several regions of the world, alternative water sources such as desalination and direct potable reuse have become of high importance in water sustainability discussions. The conventional desalination technologies include reverse osmosis (RO) and thermal distillation. Major barriers to the applicability of these technologies for desalination include inorganic scaling (RO) and high energy requirements respectively. This research provides an evaluation for the feasibility of Membrane Capacitive Deionization (MCDI), which is a technology gaining interest due to its theoretically low energy requirements for brackish water (less than 3 g/L) desalination. The motivation for …

A Combined Field, Experimental And Modeling Approach To Understand The Impacts Of Flood Irrigation On Pedogenic Caco3 And Co2 Dynamics In Drylands, Anna Cristina Ortiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Soil salinization is a global problem affecting 10% of agricultural soils, particularly in irrigated arid-lands. This study investigated salt loading through flood-irrigation, particularly of calcite (CaCO3) salt in the southwest of the United States. To evaluate the impact that flood-irrigation has on CaCO3 buildup and its effect on C-cycling, a natural soil and two agricultural soils were sampled: a pecan orchard and an alfalfa field in the El Paso, TX region. Agricultural soils in this study are flood irrigated by the Rio Grande river and by ground waters in its absence, both of which are oversaturated with calcite.

To trace …

No Habrá Rey Sin Reina: Gender Discourse In Isabel, A Contemporary Representation Of Queen Isabel I Of Castile And King Fernando Ii Of Aragon, Michelle Sabrina Peters

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

By examining the figures of the Catholic Monarchs -Isabel and Fernando- in the popular television show Isabel, this research demonstrates how the historical fiction genre tends to privilege the stories of exceptional women and the men surrounding them. Unlike other historical fiction shows where the emphasis is placed on the empowerment of a single female character, Isabel emphasizes the mutual empowerment and equitable dynamic between a woman and a man. In an era when gender roles and prejudice were particularly strict, Fernando and Isabel enter into marriage with diametrically opposed notions of gender roles. However, when they begin ruling and …

Effects Of Unweathered Or Soil Weathered Copper-Based Nanoparticles And Compounds On Soil Grown Bell Pepper (Capsicum Annuum) And Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) Plants, Swati Rawat

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) find large scale industrial application because of their promising chemical, physical, electrical, magnetic, optical, and electronic properties. Copper-based ENP are used as gas sensors, in catalysts, electronics, semi-conductors, and in agriculture. They have been useful as agricultural amendments in the form of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers because of their antifungal and antibacterial properties. They also find application in electronics and sensors used in precision agriculture. Due to their massive production and use, ENPs are likely to be ubiquitous in the environment around us in the near future. Application of biosolids for fertilization and water from wastewater treatment …

A Leveling Production Strategy To Automotive Assembly Using Queuing Systems Software Through Simio Simulation, Ivan Arturo Renteria Marquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The automotive manufacturing industry is challenged with an unpredictable costumer demand with considerable fluctuation. In addition, the number of products (vehicles) and the complexity of them are constantly growing. These characteristics make very difficult to plan and schedule production. This Thesis presents a methodology to model with a high degree of accuracy the production floor, warehouse and material handling system of an automotive assembly facility through Simio simulation software; resulting in a dynamic model that combines all the critical variables of the system. The presented methodology includes an algorithm developed with the goal of modeling the automotive facility Kanban system. …

A Psychometric Evaluation Of The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (Tsrq) For Assessing Motivations For Responsible Drinking, Dylan Keith Richards

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Self-determination theory (SDT) may be useful for understanding alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences among college students. A version of the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ; Ryan & Connell, 1989) exists for assessing motivations proposed by SDT for responsible drinking, but no study has evaluated its psychometric properties. Thus, the purpose of the present studies was to provide a psychometric evaluation of this version of the TSRQ. In Study 1, among a convenience sample of college student drinkers (n = 308), a four-factor structure of the TSRQ that is theoretically consistent with SDT was supported; however, the amotivation subscale demonstrated unacceptable internal …

Data-Driven Predictive Framework For Modeling Complex Multi-Physics Engineering Applications, Arturo Schiaffino Bustamante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Computational models are often encountered in multiple engineering application, such as structural design, material science, heat transfer and fluid dynamics. These simulations offer the engineers the capability of understanding complex physical situations before putting them to practice, either through experimentation or prototyping. The current advances in computational sciences, hardware architecture, software development and big data technology, have allowed the construction of sturdy predicting frameworks for analyzing a wide array of natural phenomena across different disciplines, either through the implementation of statistical methods, such as big data, and uncertainty quantification, or through high performance computing of a numerical model. The objective …

"Wommanly Noblesse:" Female Gender Dynamics In Medieval Romance, Mary Elizabeth Shaner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Exploring systemic, gendered power dynamics and inequalities for women within medieval Matters of Rome, France, and Britain Romances is essential to understanding real-world sociopolitical power structures and female gender roles. Diverging from most previous scholarship in my use of critics as well as in my interpretation of Criseyde and Guinevere as protagonists, my argument examines how scholars would laud the heroic bravery of Geoffrey Chaucer's Criseyde and Sir Thomas Malory's Guinevere if they were male heroes, yet because of the narrative conventions of medieval Romance, Courtly Love, Chivalry, and the Antifeminist Traditions, these fictive women are seen as the destroyers …

Mccluskey V. Airbnb, California Superior Court

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.