Digital Commons Network^™

On Racial Barriers, Kayla Rachel Mehl

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

My Thesis examines: the nature of racial barriers, by what means racial barriers manifest in society, and the ways in which we can use racial barriers to evolve toward a more just society. I argue that within particular contexts a look of the Other will construct a racial barrier between racialized bodies. More specifically, when one perceives a threat from a look of the Other, one will undertake a particular-what social psychologists call-self-representation, in attempt to exhibit a particular type of persona they feel is called for in that context. Furthermore, I argue in my paper that racial barriers emerge …

Spatial Genres Of Revitalization: Desiring-Machines And The Production Of Public Subjects, Larry S. Morgan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This project, Spatial Genres of Revitalization: Desiring-Machines and the Production of Public Subjects, is guided by the need to understand how the recent changes in El Paso's gentrifying downtown are impacting the development of public subjectivities. This Thesis is concerned with how the formation of public subjectivities is occasioned by changes in a city undergoing "revitalization" in terms of how people move through urban space. At the same time it is also concerned with how the people moving these spaces imagine and configure it to different ends which surpass the intention and violence of gentrification.

To this end, Spatial Genres …

Indios To Vecinos: Identity And Classification In Paso Del Norte, Eric Murillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Identity for Native Americans in the US-Mexico borderlands is still a challenge in many ways. Native Americans in the US-Mexico borderlands often struggle to be seen as such, and many are subjected to a fragmented identity. This research explores how Spanish colonial classification continues to affect Native Americans from the borderlands.

Characterization Of 3d Printed Polylactic Acid/ Polycaprolactone/Titanium Dioxide Composites For Bone Replacement And Grafting, Sandra Elena Najera Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A material that mimics the properties of bones was developed by optimizing the ratio of polymer composites of polylactic acid (PLA) and poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL), containing small amounts of titanium oxide (TiO2). Although titanium-based alloys have commonly been used for bone replacement procedures due to their biocompatibility with the human body and their mechanical properties, stress shielding continues to be a problem. The structure of a bone has a porosity which permits the flow of nutrients, blood, oxygen and minerals, and is an issue at the time of creating bone replacements using conventional methods. PLA and PCL have been used in …

A Survey Of Youtube Video Resources For Helping Beginner Clarinetists Cross The Register Break, Flora Newberry

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The internet is currently a much-used source of information for instruction and pedagogical information among students and teachers. The importance of the internet, specifically video instruction, in the dissemination of pedagogical information, combined with its largely unevaluated body of information, calls for serious study and consideration. It is necessary for the teaching community to understand the impact these resources have on teaching and learning, and how internet video resources can benefit teachers and students. This survey compares current video resources on YouTube for helping beginner clarinet players cross the clarinet register break, to the traditional print resources that make up …

Process Evaluation Of The Batterer Intervention And Prevention Program Of The Center Against Sexual And Family Violence In El Paso, Texas, Kathleen Anne O'Connor

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue. One in five women and one in seven men will experience severe physical violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime in the US; and one in three women globally (Breiding, Basile, Smith, Black, & Mahendra, 2015; World Health Organization, 2017). Notwithstanding such stark statistics, there is a gap in research on batterers and on batterer intervention and prevention programs (BIPP). Purpose: Program processes related to follow-up of clients were evaluated at the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence Batterer Intervention and Prevention Program (CASFV BIPP) through a mixed-methods …

A Voiced Labiodental Fricative [V] In El Paso Spanish, Roberto Israel Ortega

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A Voiced Labiodental Fricative [V] in El The present study analyzes the voiced labiodental fricative [v] as a variant of the Spanish phoneme /b/ in El Paso Spanish under the scope of language contact. The data used was elicited from thirty one participants employing a task where the influence of the orthographic representation of the graphemes and was absent. Results are compared to previous studies where the influence of orthographic representation was present. This research analyzes the following three factors: 1) the linguistic factors of stress, position in word, and previous and following segments. 2) The social factors gender and …

The Design Of A Rocket Propulsion Labview Data Acquisition And Control System, Dylan Allan Ott

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When designing a rocket engine, both the propulsion system and propellant choice(s) are an important deciding factor. Desired rocket engine behavior, specific impulse, and levels of thrust are all different between the various propulsion systems. A bi-propellant cryogenic liquid 5lbf, 500lbf, and 2000lbf rocket engine was designed and manufactured by UTEP. The 5lbf rocket engine is a Reaction Control Engine and the 500lbf and 2000lbf rocket engine is a throttleable Main Engine. To provide a reliable and safe data acquisition and control system for this experiment, a Real-Time control platform was needed. A compact DAQ system was purchased and configured …

Suicide Attempts In Latinx: Findings From A Household Survey Among A Predominantly Mexica-American Sample Living In El Paso, Tx, Giovanna Monique Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Suicidality in the U.S. has increased dramatically in recent years (Stone et al., 2018). In 2016, 1.3 million U.S. adults attempted suicide (NIMH, 2018). The demographic breakdown showed that Latinx adults had a suicide attempt rate of 6%. In addition, among Latinx adolescents rates were highest among Latinx students (11.3%) compared to white students (6.8%) (CDC, 2016). Latinx are the largest minority in the United States and make up 17% of the U.S. population (United States Census Bureau, 2016). El Paso presents a unique demographic since over 80% of the city's population is Latinx (Pew 2016). To date, there has …

Mapping Complex Fold-Thrust Systems In An Inverted Rift Basin: Indio Mountains, West Texas, Samantha Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study reports on new geologic mapping in the southern Indio Mountains of west Texas, where minimal research has been done since development of modern fold-thrust belt concepts. This study integrated an analysis of structure and the stratigraphy of the region. A stratigraphic column of the middle Cretaceous upper Yucca Formation was measured to 1) compare the lithology to that of the section previously measured in the hanging wall of the Squaw Peak thrust in the footwall of the Indio normal fault, 2) create informal members in the formation to aid mapping; and 3) identify previously unmapped structures in the …

The Effect Of Data Marshalling On Computation Offloading Decisions, Julio Alberto Reyes Muñoz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Computation offloading consists in allowing resource constrained computers, such as smartphones and other mobile devices, to use the network for the remote execution of resource intensive computing tasks in powerful computers. However, deciding whether to offload or not is not a trivial problem, and it depends in several variables related to the environment conditions, the computing devices involved in the process, and the nature of the task to be remotely executed. Furthermore, it comprises the optimal solution to some questions, like how to partition the application and where to execute the tasks.

The computation offloading decision problem has been widely …

The House On Jordan Road, Angela Ridley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

N/A

Mathematical Modeling Of Tumor Growth For Free-Boundary Problem By Enhanced Finite Volume Method, Mashriq Ahmed Saleh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Modeling tumor growth due to infiltration of immune cells presents several challenges in numerical computations. First, it involves multiple cell species whose total number should be a constant, due to the incompressibility assumption; second, by mapping the Eulerian coordinate of the free-boundary problem onto a fixed logical domain, geometric source terms appear and they need to be addressed properly in numerical methods. In this work, we use a simplified model that contains two species and prescribed infiltration velocity and to show that the conventional finite volume methods fail to preserve the trivial (constant) solutions. To this end, we introduce the …

Geophysical Studies Of Southwestern Part Of The North American Craton, Luis Martin Sandoval Magallanes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The present study, based on combined geophysical, geochronological and isotopic data identifies a cratonic block which we call the Western Chihuahua-Mesa Central megablock (WCMB) in northern Mexico. New Bouguer and isostatic gravity anomaly maps revealed a conspicuously distinct, spatially-extensive gravity minima over a region extending from north western Chihuahua to as far south as the Mesa Central (MC). This region can be differentiated from the surrounding mobile belts with significantly higher gravity anomaly values. Gravity modeling combined with sparse seismically determined crustal thickness estimates indicate that the proposed WCMB region has crustal thicknesses ranging from 38 to 42 km. The …

Validation Of A Lottery, Xiaona Zhou

Publications and Research

The NY Pick 4 lottery consists of four "randomly" chosen digits from 0 to 9. For this to be fair, each digit should be equally likely to occur. To determine whether this is the case, a Chi-squared goodness of fit test will be applied to historical data. This provides a quantitative way of measuring how well the observed frequency of digits matches our expectations of a fair lottery. The Chi-squared distribution gives us a number beyond which we reject fairness. However, there is another possibility. If the difference between the fair model and the observed frequency is too small, that …

Integrated Immunoassays On Paper/Polymer Hybrid Microfluidic Devices For Low-Cost Detection Of Disease Biomarkers, Sanjay Sharma Timilsina

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Infectious diseases and cancers have been the major cause of global death and disability causing a significant impact on global health and economies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is one of the most widely used laboratory diagnostic methods for infectious diseases and cancer. ELISA detects proteins based on their binding to immobilized antibodies or antigen. Even though most ELISAs performed today in 96-well plates are well suited for high throughput assays, performing ELISA in low-resource settings is limited by several factors, such as long incubation time, large volumes of precious reagents, and well-equipped laboratories. Herein, we have developed multiple simple, miniaturized …

Using Data Mining To Model Student Achievement On The 4th Grade Timss 2015 Mathematics Assessment: A Five Nation Sudy, Annette M. Siemssen

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Data mining has been successfully used by financial and retail companies since the mid-1960's to create predictive models and reveal unexpected relationships. However, it remains underutilized as a tool in educational research. Large-scale standardized assessment programs such as the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) provide vast amounts of data with the potential for providing new insights in education. Five nations, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Germany, Kuwait, and Kazakhstan were selected based on General Response Style theory to represent a spectrum of cultural backgrounds, from acquiescent to midpoint to individualistic (Hastedt, D. & van de …

Random, Timed, And Self-Paced: How Preparation Time Affects The Loading Of The Body Prior To Flight In A Two-Footed Forward Jump, Dorothy Marie Stewart

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Although numerous studies have replicated Fitts speed-accuracy trade-off relationship in reciprocal and discrete tasks, little research to date has examined the applicability of this lawful assessment on whole body ballistic tasks, such as jumping. A study by Juras et al., (2009) suggests that the lawful relationship is violated in ballistic jumping by showing no differences in movement time when target width decreased. Additionally, the authors suggest that the kinematics of the jump are pre-programmed prior to the execution of the movement. A recent study by Boyle and colleagues (2016) furthered this idea by showing an inverse relationship between the height …

An Integrated Study Towards Curing Neurodegenerative Disorders Using Materials Science And Stem Cell-Based Tissue Engineering Approaches, Nishat Tasnim

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases affect around one billion people globally that are characterized by irreversible degeneration of brain tissues. These diseases cause serious effects on patients degrading their brain functions and causing enormous physical and mental health issues. Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide which results from loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the mid-brain. Unfortunately, no medical treatment is effective to date for these significant brain disorders, except some symptomatic therapies only focusing on improving the quality of patient's life.

Two current approaches hold great promise in targeting PD as well …

Development And Characterization Of Novel Materials For The Advancement Of Additive Manufacturing By Material Extrusion 3d Printing, Jose Gilberto Siqueiros

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The development of additive manufacturing technologies has been under the spotlight from the past decade due to its enormous potential to disrupt current manufacturing processes. Material extrusion 3D printing (ME3DP) is the most common type of additive manufacturing technology as it experienced an exponential growth after the expiration of the fused deposition modeling patent filed in 1989 by Scott Crump. The large interest behind this technology is generated from the capacity to create complex shapes, rapid prototyping, relatively ease of use, low cost, and high accessibility. The gradual evolution of material extrusion 3D printing calls to become a technology ordinarily …

The Soldier's Journal, Randall Russell Surles

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Soldier's Journal is a military thriller. Camila Mason is one of the first women to qualify as a green beret in the U.S. Army. Here first mission is to deploy to Afghanistan where she faces the memory of her father, a green beret killed thirteen years earlier by an IED. Soon, she begins to understand the environment surrounding her, filled with sexism, ineptitude, and enemies, both foreign and domestic.

Decision Making For Dynamic Systems Under Uncertainty: Predictions And Parameter Recomputations, Leobardo Valera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this Thesis, we are interested in making decision over a model of a dynamic system. We want to know, on one hand, how the corresponding dynamic phenomenon unfolds under different input parameters (simulations). These simulations might help researchers to design devices with a better performance than the actual ones. On the other hand, we are also interested in predicting the behavior of the dynamic system based on knowledge of the phenomenon in order to prevent undesired outcomes. Finally, this Thesis is concerned with the identification of parameters of dynamic systems that ensure a specific performance or behavior.

Understanding the …

Design Of Cloud Based Robots Using Big Data Analytics And Neuromorphic Computing, Ashwin Satyanarayana, Janusz Kusyk, Yu-Wen Chen

Publications and Research

Understanding the brain is perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing twenty-first century science. While a traditional computer excels in precision and unbiased logic, its abilities to interact socially lags behind those of biological neural systems. Recent technologies, such as neuromorphic engineering, cloud infrastructure, and big data analytics, have emerged that can narrow the gap between traditional robots and human intelligence. Neuromorphic robotics mimicking brain functions can contribute in developing intelligent machines capable of learning and making autonomous decisions. Cloud-based robotics take advantage of remote resources for parallel computation and sharing large amounts of information while benefiting from analysis of …

We Make Our Own Heaven Here, Allyson Whipple

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The poems in We Make Our Own Heaven Here are grouped around a series of artistic and intellectual concerns. The opening section of We Make Our Own Heaven Here covers a wide range of distances, as well as a number of topics, but ultimately, the pieces are grounded in the variegated landscape of Texas. In terms of subject matter, these are poems of ambivalence and tension. In these pieces, the speaker comes up against the beauty of the natural world, but also the danger within it. The poems in the second section of We Make Our Own Heaven Here engage …

Re/Framing The Hispanic/Latino Nonprofit Identity, Jasmine Villa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The focus of my Dissertation is to examine how an organizational identity is constructed rhetorically by three Hispanic/Latino based non-profit organization. By looking at how a non-profit organization's online presence contributes to the transformation of the organization as a public, we are able to see rhetoric as a discursive and material practice taking place.

Fear Of Missing Out: Scale Development And Impact On Brand Loyalty, Zhuofan Zhang

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The trend on experiential marketing has propelled a new wave of studies examining the underlying motivations of individual's desire for experiential consumption: keeping updated with new trends, trying new brands, spending on experiential products, or seeking new brand experiences. Some authors contend that individuals' desire for new experiences derives from a concept called Fear of Missing Out (FoMO). Although the term FoMO is gaining attention in the social media literature, there is little conceptual and empirical research exists on the topic. In this Dissertation, I attempt to fill this gap by conceptualizing, defining, and measuring the construct. In addition, I …

No Laughing Matter: Failures Of Satire During The 2016 Presidential Election, Jamie Noelle Smith

Honors Theses and Capstones

The 2016 presidential election was so full of unusual characters and unprecedented scandals, that media outlets, from the nightly news to late-night, had to adjust to this new normal in politics. Indeed, not even the jokesters on the handful of political satire shows on television were immune to the necessary changes that all the media had to take in covering Donald Trump. Given how many people tuned into to these shows each week, it is no surprise that the role that political satire television may have played in the election results was fodder for those giving post-election hot takes. Many …

Changing Attitudes: The Impact Of A Disability Awareness Class, Christine Ann Masci

Honors Theses and Capstones

Attitudes towards people with disabilities can be either positive or negative. A undergraduate college course about disability awareness followed a structure focusing on awareness, interaction with PWD, and education in order to make a positive impact on attitudes. The study compared the disability awareness class to a general education humanities class. While results indicated that there was not a significant change in pre and post scores when comparing the classes, there was a significant change in the disability awareness class upon further analysis of data. There are additional suggestions to further the impact of the class within the disability awareness …

Understanding Self-Reported Sexual Violence Perpetration: Correlates And Prevention Participation, Jacqueline F. Klatt

Honors Theses and Capstones

Bystander prevention programs seek to educate individuals on the nature of sexual violence and increase bystander efficacy. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the Bringing in the Bystander (BITB) prevention program through self-reports of perpetration behaviors as well as risk factors associated with perpetration. The bystander prevention program was implemented on a rural mid-sized public university and first-year students were surveyed three times at separate time points (2 weeks, 5 months, and 12 months) after the program conclusion. Results from a correlational and logistic regression analysis show that endorsement of violent peer norms, rape myth acceptance, and rape …

Effect Of Word Choice On Comfort Level In Male Collegiate Hockey Players During Air Displacement Plethysmography Assessments, Elizabeth A. Suschana

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.