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Exploration And Optimization Of Biomaterials And Cells Required For The Fabrication Of A "Cardiac Patch", Shweta Anil Kumar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cardiac failure induced by myocardial infarction is believed to be one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Affecting more than 26 million people worldwide, its prevalence has been observed to increase steadily. Myocardial infarction, which intitially begins as the occlusion of of a coronary artery, results in the death of millions of cardiomyocytes by obstructing blood flow to the serviced regions of the myocardium. The dead myocardium is replaced by a dense,collagenous scar which reduces the contractility of the heart, gradually leading to heart attacks. Most of the existing treatment therapies are palliative in …

Bioprinted Mcf7 Breast Cancer Cells, An In Vitro Model For Drug Discovery, Aleli Campbell

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Current breast cancer treatments are successful in eradicating this disease in the majority of patients, though there are quite a few cases where relapse or recurrence follow, which may lead to continued cancer therapy or death. Thermal inkjet bioprinting (BP) is a novel technique that is used to bioprint biomaterials or diverse cellular organisms to engineer tissue or organ models in vitro. In this Dissertation, we investigated the molecular effect of BP MCF7 breast cancer cells (BCC), cell survival of the cells when exposed to FDA approved systemic therapy alone and in combination with radiation and lastly, the ability of …

Assessing Spatiotemporal Exposures To Transportation Pollutants In Near-Road Communities Using Aermod, Mayra Consuelo Chavez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Traffic-related air pollution has a profound impact on human health especially for residents living in near-road communities which are constantly exposed these air pollutants. A near-road community is expected to observe significant spatial and temporal variations in pollutant concentrations, as air pollution resulting from emissions from major highways decreases rapidly from the highway. This research conducted on-site traffic and air quality measurements on four critical transportations related air pollutants, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3, as well as emission and air dispersion modeling of transportation emission impacts in a near-road community. Using numerical models provided by the EPA, integrated with field measurements …

Let's Talk About We Otherwise Risk Ignoring: Sexual Health Among Women Who Have Sex With Women, Denise Natalia Delgado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Sexual health research suggests that women who have sex, or have had sex, with women (WSW) are at a higher risk for negative reproductive health outcomes, however, WSW are less likely to use preventive reproductive health care than heterosexual women. This research aims to examine the constructions of knowledge and risk perceptions of sexual health practices and sexual health behaviors among WSW in the US. Sexual health practices and sexual health behaviors measures were based on self-reported sexual health knowledge, sexual health perceptions, and sexual activity. A convenience nationwide sample of 254 WSW participants recruited through online LBGTQIA+ social groups …

Disciplining The Female Body Through Fitness: "Women Participating In Crossfit And Perceptions Of The Body", Noemi Dimuzio

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Women's self-surveillance has been shaped through nutrition, technologies, social media and fitness. Women are constantly struggling with disciplining their bodies to produce a particular body image. The use of technologies has produced images of ideal bodies of beauty, perfection and constant awareness of body parts. The body can be shaped and molded in a variety places, most notably the gym. Fitness allows for the construction of the perfect body. Fitness creates a constant urge to develop and change the body and produces self-surveillance and discipline. There has been a shift from the Western thin ideal image to a new fitness …

Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience And Mental Health Among College Students In The El Paso Texas Border Region, Maribel G. Dominguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mental health and resilience among adults living in the United States - Mexico Border region. Background: Numerous studies have investigated the negative impact of ACEs on adult mental health, but the concept of resilience as a protective factor for mental health has limited consideration in ACE treatment interventions. The proposed study addresses this gap in knowledge by investigating relations between ACEs, resilience, and mental health in the understudied U.S - Mexico Border population. Method: An online survey was administered to 221 university students to …

Energy Management And Control Of Smart Power Distribution Systems, Eric Galvan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With the development of distributed energy resources (DERs) and advancements in technology, microgrids (MGs) appear primed to become an even more integral part of the future distribution grid. In this transition to the smart power grid of the future, MGs must be properly managed and controlled to allow efficient integration of DERs. Over the past years, there has been rapid adoption of roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Although roof-top solar PV and BEVs can provide environmental benefits (e.g., reduction of emissions), they also create various challenges for power system operators. For example, roof-top solar PV generation …

Novel Methods For The Inactivation Of Cruzain For The Prevention And Treatment Of Chagas Disease, Veronica Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Chagas Disease, also known as American Trypanosomiasis, is endemic to Latin American and is gradually making its way to other countries. The disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan parasite that causes lesions and inflammation of organs including the heart, esophagus, and colon. Over 30% of people infected will develop heart disease which can be fatal if untreated. While no vaccine is yet available, research is currently being conducted in finding new treatments for the disease. One target is an enzyme that is believed to help the progression of the disease. Cruzain, a cysteine protease expressed as a pro-enzyme, …

Decision Support Tools For Parking Management On University Campuses, Okan Gurbuz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

University campuses generate and attract trips with unique characteristics. Most universities are constantly challenged by the parking congestion issues. To manage campus parking infrastructure, most universities have established parking departments. This department is referred as the University Parking Office (UPO) in this Dissertation. There is no methodology or tool to assist the UPOs in their decision-making process. This Dissertation focuses on student parking and has developed models and methodologies as decision support tools to assist UPOs in managing student parking on campuses.

This Dissertation answers six Research Questions related to parking management on university campuses: (1) How many students are …

Development Of An Ionic Green Monopropellant 1 Newton Thruster For Small Satellite Application, Jaclyn Mona Mejia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In effort to advance green monopropellant propulsion using AF-M315E, a 1N thruster was developed to demonstrate the propellant capabilities for low thrust requirement missions. The current study presents the development of a 1 Newton thruster. The thruster was designed based on available literature for initial parameters. In house developed catalyst was packed into the 1 Newton thruster, and mounted onto a thrust stand for testing. Two configurations of catalyst were used for this testing campaign. As a result, temperature peaks from AF-M315E decomposition gases reached up to 1400°C with an iridium loading factor of 25% by mass with both catalyst …

Platelet Biology And Thrombosis: Juul E-Cigarette Exposure And 5ht2a Receptor Drug Discovery, Jean Emmanuel Montes Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

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Skirting The Law: Women In Vice During U.S. Prohibition In South Texas, 1900-1933, Carolina Monsivais

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation explores both women's participation in the vice industry north of the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas and the ways in which women were policed. The Dissertation analyzes the interactions that occurred between law enforcement agents and the women they arrested, primarily ethnic Mexican women. This analysis illuminates law enforcement tactics that were honed during this era through the interactions that agents had with women who worked in vice industries. I also argue that women in this industry demonstrated knowledge, agency, and resistance. In addition, it created avenues of work for women, particularly in South Texas. However, studies examining …

The Drones' Impact On Precision Agriculture, Ibrahim Naji

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A study to assess the overall impact of drones in the agricultural sector. The specific goal of this research was to provide a drone system to ward off pestering birds from crops to allow for better growth and an increased yield. Along with providing a user-friendly coded drone system for farmers that is cost effective, this project has inspired other areas of use for the drone.

Non Linear Optics For Materials Fabrication And Medical Instrumentation, Aurelio Paez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Two-photon absorption is a nonlinear optical process where two photons are absorbed by a molecule simultaneously. The probability of this quantum phenomenon is proportional to the quadratic excitation of light intensity. It has many applications in biomedical and materials research, such as two-photon fluorescence microcopy. The first project is to apply two-photon absorption induced bond cleavage in photoreactive materials for engineering 3D tissue scaffolds. The major challenge for growing thick 3D tissues is the lack of vasculature, where nutrients and oxygen can be delivered to the growing cells. Our collaborators have synthesized a novel polypeptide that is composed of 34-mer …

Magnetic Nanoparticles For Hyperthermia For Cancer Treatment, Bianca Paola Meneses Brassea

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Fe3O4 and NixCu4-x magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized using supercritical conditions of liquids and wet chemistry, respectively. Characterization methods (VSM, SEM, TEM, and magnetic hyperthermia) yielded results that prove feasibility for magnetic hyperthermia for cancer treatment.

Whose Faith Matters? The Fight For Religious Liberty Beyond The Christian Right, Elizabeth Reiner Platt, Katherine M. Franke, Kira Shepherd, Lilia Hadjiivanova

Faculty Scholarship

By offering a sweeping account of religious liberty activism being undertaken by numerous progressive humanitarian and social justice movements, and uncovering how right-wing activists have fought for conservative Christian hegemony rather than “religious liberty” more generally, this report challenges the leading popular narrative of religious freedom.

Potential Of Nanoscale Elements To Control Fusarium Wilt Disease In Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum), Enhance Macronutrient Use Efficiency, And Increase Its Yield, Ishaq Olarewaju Adisa

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanotechnology has a great potential in ensuring food production, security and safety globally. Over the past decade, research on the use of nanomaterials to supply nutrient elements and protect plants from pest and diseases has significantly increased. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most consumed vegetables in the world and United State is one of its largest producers globally generating billions of dollars annually in revenue.. Tomato plants are affected worldwide by Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici. There is growing concern about excessive use of conventional pesticides in controlling Fusarium and other diseases in tomato …

Under The Skin: Psychophysiological Consequences Of Racial Discrimination, Miriam Josephine Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background. Attitudes toward one's ethnic group can have particular implications for health functioning among groups that are misrepresented or discriminated against by societal institutions. The present experiments tested the consequences of experiencing racism on psychophysiological stress and executive function. Resilience and ethnic identity are examined as a protective factors. Specifically, Experiment 1 testes how discrimination impacts (1) anxiety, (2) heart rate, (3) working memory, and (4) the role of resilience as a protective factor. Experiment 2 sought to (1) replicate Experiment 1, (2) explore the interaction of ethnic identification and perceived prejudice on stress among Latinxs, and (3) establish a …

Computer-Aided Classification Of Impulse Oscillometric Measures Of Respiratory Small Airways Function In Children, Nancy Selene Avila

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Computer-aided classification of respiratory small airways dysfunction is not an easy task. There is a need to develop more robust classifiers, specifically for children as the classification studies performed to date have the following limitations: 1) they include features derived from tests that are not suitable for children and 2) they cannot distinguish between mild and severe small airway dysfunction.

This Dissertation describes the classification algorithms with high discriminative capacity to distinguish different levels of respiratory small airways function in children (Asthma, Small Airways Impairment, Possible Small Airways Impairment, and Normal lung function). This ability came from innovative feature selection, …

Raman Computational And Experimental Studies On Label-Free Biological Investigations, John Ciubuc

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Raman spectroscopy is an optical technique that allows for label-free biological investigations to take place. This approach presents both new perspectives and a means for visualizing investigations. This thesis confronts two biological cases: dopamine (DA) detection at physiological levels and assessment of renal osteodystrophy (ROD). We employed surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy on silver nanoparticles recording DA concentrations as low as 10−11 molar. Quantum chemical density functional calculations were carried out using Gaussian-09 analytical suite software. Good agreement between the simulated and experimentally determined results indicates the existence of distinct DA molecular forms, such as uncharged DA±, anionic DA−, and dopaminequinone. Disappearance …

U.S. Perceptions Of Economic Mobility Since The Enactment Of Nafta And Their Impact On American Politics And Society, Jairemy Quinton Edwards

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this study, I examine how perceptions of NAFTA developed over 20 years since its enactment, measured as perceived economic mobility in 2016, have affected more recent public perceptions leading to increased, controversial tendencies towards nationalism, protectionism, and pessimism about the future of the U.S. economy. I then assess whether and how such perceptions in turn may have affected voter perceptions about Donald Trump, setting the stage for his 2016 election victory. Therein, I have found that among U.S. voters in 2016, those with perceptions of reduced economic mobility since the enactment of NAFTA were significantly more likely to have …

Assessing Delamination Of Concrete Bridge Decks With Aging In Arid Regions Using Nondestructive Testing Methods, Melissa Escalante

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Bridge decks usually experience deterioration at a more rapid pace than other infrastructure components due to the heavy traffic loads and environmental conditions that the deck sustains. Delamination within concrete bridge decks accelerates due to water and deicing salts penetrating the concrete; resulting in the corrosion of reinforcing steel. The corrosion of rebar may result in a fracture parallel to the surface of the concrete structure at the top of the reinforcement layer. The delamination is then subjected to expansion over a large span; risking the overall stability of the structural element. Health monitoring of concrete bridge decks is therefore …

The Role That Language Proficiency Variables Play On Grammaticality, Morphosyntax, And Semanitc Skills In Bilingual Children, Stephanie Escobar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: A number of experiential factors contribute to bilingual development. Factors such as opportunities to hear and use language, age of first exposure, context of learning, social value of a language, education and others have been discussed in other studies. (Bedore et al 2016; Bedore et al 2012). Language questionnaires and self-reports have been used to quantify language variables and current usage of a language. The current study was part of a larger project examining diagnostic accuracy of various assessment tools for Spanish English bilingual children living in a US/Mexico border city (Curtis, Summers, Stubbemann, & Smith, 2017). The purpose …

Application Of Urinary Metabolites For Cancer Detection, Qin Gao

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the 3rd most common cause of male cancer mortality in the US. Early diagnosis and treatment of PCa will improve the quality of care and reduce mortality. The prostate specific antigen (PSA) is commonly used in the current PCa screening, but its limitation has resulted in an intense search for more reliable biomarkers. Studies showed that dogs could differentiate PCa patients from negative control by sniffing their urine. As the odor profiles are generated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the finding suggests that particular VOCs could be linked to PCa, PCa risk levels and other cancers. …

Lenders' Influence On Borrower Firms' Internal Controls, Md Mahmudul Hasan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

I identify a covenant in commercial loan contracts that requires borrowers to provide lenders internal control-related private information. Lenders use accounting information to monitor loan contracts and reliable accounting information is dependent on effective internal controls of the firm. I argue and provide evidence that lenders are more likely to demand internal control-related private information when borrowers have weak internal controls, when lenders use more accounting information in debt contracts, and when debt contracts have terms that expose lenders to greater risk. I further show that lenders' demand for internal control-related private information is positively associated with improvement in borrower …

Assessing The Predictive Utility Of The Positive Achievement Change Tool At A Texas Juvenile Justice Agency, Elizabeth Perez Hutchins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the United States, millions of youth are processed in the juvenile justice system each year. Juvenile probation officers, case managers, and clinicians have the daunting task of making critical case-processing decisions for this vulnerable population including program placement, supervision, and treatment. Moreover, juvenile justice professionals must be mindful of numerous factors such as risk to public safety and the juvenile's risk to reoffend when making these decisions. In recent years, juvenile justice agencies have employed the Risk-Need-Responsivity model, the pre-eminent evidence-based model for offender assessment and management, to aide in the decision-making process. Although implementation of risk assessment tools …

Development Of Ligand-Kinase Binding Affinity Predictive Model, Govinda Kc

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prediction of interaction between drugs or drug like compounds and targets, is of high importance in drug discovery process as it provides important insights into therapeutic potential and possible adverse effects. As the experimental testing would be highly expensive, laborious and time consuming, screening the molecules computationally before performing experiments would be cost effective, faster and convenient as a method of approach. In this study, I have developed computational models, leveraging machine learning techniques, to predict drug-kinase binding affinities. The predictive model is mainly built using the Random Forest (RF) machine learning method. This study is focused on kinases because …

A Bottom-Up Modeling Methodology Using Knowledge Graphs For Composite Metric Development Applied To Traffic Crashes In The State Of Texas, Daniel Michael Mejia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Data is a key factor for understanding real-world phenomena. Data can be discovered and integrated from multiple sources and has the potential to be interpreted in a multitude of ways. Traffic crashes, for example, are common events that occur in cities and provide a significant amount of data that has potential to be analyzed and disseminated in a way that can improve mobility of people, and ultimately improve the quality of life. Improving the quality of life of city residents through the use of data and technology is at the core of Smart Cities solutions. Measuring the improvement that Smart …

Women Legislators & Representation Of The Indigenous Interests: The Case Of Mexico, Michelle Muñoz Cisneros

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Elsa Chaney (1979) argued that women legislators in Latin America exhibit a supermadre approach in their legislatures. As a result of this, women legislators are relegated to "less important" committees, such as those dealing with family, children, and social issues. Based on her approach, this Thesis argues that due to gender socialization women legislators create an inclusive political environment in the legislature for minorities and marginalized groups. Specifically, it investigates women legislators' bill initiation behavior regarding the inclusion of indigenous populations' interests. This Thesis analyzes original data gathered from the 2009-2018 Mexican Congress using logistic regression. The findings indicate that …

Ghosts Of Madmen: A Generational Tale, Kristen Leigh Olin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A family story depicting an immigrant family that must deal with the horrors of the past while delving through the psyche of the present. One woman's look into the deepest reaches of her American family and their generations of alcoholism and abuse and her resolution to the ghosts that haunt the family's women.