Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Car-Less Cities, Maryam Moeinian

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The rapid growth of world population along with the sprawl growth of towns and suburbanization, has affected the human life and its surrounding nature dramatically. The fact is this level of growth is not sustainable with the current patterns of development. Most cities all around the world are designed in a way that encourages car dependency which is harming the environment and human health.

During the past decade, urban planners formulate new principles of land use development to preserve the environment and protect public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens. These concepts are characterized by some movements such …

Understanding The Process Of Selling, Cheryl A. Burkhart-Kriesel

Cornhusker Economics

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and then the countdown to Christmas… tis the season for buying! But if you work in the retail environment, it is also the season for selling. The act of “selling” is obvious in face-to-face retail environments but the steps of the selling process are also embedded in all sorts of product and service settings.

University Students' Willingness To Assist Fellow Students Who Experience Alcohol-Related Facial Flushing To Reduce Their Drinking, Lanyan Ding, Lok-Wa Yuen, Ian M. Newman, Duane F. Shell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

This study explored bystanders’ willingness to help a friend who flushes when drinking to reduce his/her drinking. Alcohol-related facial flushing is an indicator of an inherited variant enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), that impairs alcohol metabolism and increases drinkers’ lifetime risk of certain aerodigestive cancers. Individuals who flush should reduce their alcohol exposure, but they may continue to drink if social pressures and rules of etiquette make not drinking socially risky. The analysis used data from 2912 undergraduate students from 13 universities in southwestern, central and northeastern China from a survey asking how they respond to someone’s flushing in various scenarios. …

Partners In School: An Innovative Parent-Teacher Consultation Model For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Gazi F. Azad Phd, Steven C. Marcus Phdd, Susan Sheridan Phd, David S. Mandell

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

Little research examines the best ways to improve communication between parents and teachers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and its effect on child outcomes. The present study tests an innovative parent-teacher consultation model, entitled Partners in School. The goal of Partners in School is to improve parent-teacher communication aboutevidence-based practices (EBPs), and subsequently, outcomes for children with ASD. Participants were 26 teachers and 49 parents of children with ASD from a large urban public school district. Parents and teachers completed measures of their communication and child outcomes prior to and after receiving consultation through Partners in School. Results …

Unemployment Insurance Reform: Fixing A Broken System, Stephen A. Wandner Editor

Upjohn Press

The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system is a lasting piece of the Social Security Act which was enacted in 1935. But like most things that are over 80 years old, it occasionally needs maintenance to keep it operating smoothly while keeping up with the changing demands placed upon it. However, the UI system has been ignored by policymakers for decades and, say the authors, it is broken, out of date, and badly in need of repair.

Stephen A. Wandner pulls together a group of UI researchers, each with decades of experience, who describe the weaknesses in the current system and propose …

Female Cyclists: Two Essays From The 1869 Hancock Jeffersonian, Paige Zenovic

Nineteenth-Century Ohio Literature

Paige Zenovic introduces and explains two nineteenth-century essays from the Findley, Ohio Hancock Jeffersonian on the subject of women riding bicycles from the time when they were first being introduced to Ohio.

Radicalization And The Internet, Dustin Covert

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

How extremist groups use the internet has recently become a major national security issue. This paper discusses the role that the internet plays in the radicalization process. It will review recent research that analyzes how extremist groups use the internet and properties of the internet that may help to radicalize an individual. This paper will lay a foundation for future research to establish relationships between the internet and the radicalization process.

An Electrophysiological Study On Sex-Related Differences In Emotion Perception, Natalie Wiswesser, James Houston Phd, Philip Allen Phd

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this research project was examine the following question: Do men and women respond differently, on a neurophysiological level, to stimuli that elicit an emotional valence? Participants completed an emotional expression face identification task in which participants made speeded responses to angry, happy, and neutral emotional faces. Behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) methods were utilized to examine emotion processing differences between females and males and whether those differences were associated with emotional arousal or emotion regulation differences. Results indicated that females and males did not differ in accuracy or response time. Furthermore, there were no observable differences in …

Using A Coupled Bio-Economic Model To Find The Optimal Phosphorus Load In Lake Tainter, Wi, Mackenzie Jones

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In Dunn County, Wisconsin the lakes suffer from algae blooms due to excess phosphorus runoff. A coupled bio-economic model is studied with the intent of finding the optimal level of phosphorus that should be allowed into the lake depending on certain biologic and economic parameters. We model the algae and phosphorus concentration in the lake over time based off the phosphorus input. Community welfare is modeled by comparing the costs and benefits of phosphorus fertilizer. This model is proposed to find the phosphorus level that maximizes community welfare and then determine how certain environmental and social change initiatives will affect …

Organizational Pursuit Of A Beloved Community, Christina Aronhalt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following paper is an examination of three organizations, Vamos Puerto Rico, The Well CDC, and the Karen Community of Akron, who are working towards the betterment of their community by fighting the injustices that their communities face. In this paper, I argue that the choices made by each of these three organizations, reflected in their organizational structure and the initiatives they focus on, can be understood as linked to the common goal of the beloved community when examined through the framework of the six steps of nonviolent social change. The steps of nonviolent social change are information gathering, education, …

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 …

Practical Models For Interpreting Traffic Speed Deflectometer Data, Setare Ghahri Saremi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For more than 30 years, FWDs have been the most viable device for structural pavement evaluation. During the last decade, several moving deflectometers have been introduced, among those, traffic speed deflectometer has been proven as the most utilized device. Since TSD can measure the deflection parameters of pavement at traffic speeds up to 50-60 mph (80-95 kph), it overcomes FWD shortcomings. However, the analysis of the data collected with TSD is in its infancy.

Since TSD measures the vertical component of pavement velocity (a.k.a. deflection velocity), relationships to convert deflection velocities to deflections for further analyses are needed. Computer software …

Comparisons Of Accessibility To Public Transit Stations By Ridesourcing And Its Competitors, David Hoblí­K

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis assesses the role of ridesourcing as a mode of first and last mile transport. Review of ridesourcing and taxi business models has been provided as well as a comparative review of laws and regulations regarding ridesourcing and taxi. A potential accessibility gravity based model and logit mode choice model have been applied to compare ridesourcing with other possible modes for first and last mile transport that serve a transit station in Prague, Czech Republic and a transit station in El Paso, Texas. Based on the results, recommendations for ridesourcing companies and local authorities and transportation systems managers are …

Just War: New Customary International Law To Combat Violent Non-State Actor Groups?, Lisa Marie Holz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The issue that this study focused upon was the legitimacy of military interventions by a state against a violent non-state actor group located within another state's territory. The research sought to answer how interventions by the United States and its allies have evolved during the post 9/11 era. It additionally explored if the justification for military interventions had changed. This study used data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program and the United Nations Security Council to create a hybrid data-set and analyzed the data for the location and number of states participating in operations against violent non-state actors ("VNSAs"). This …

Literacies Of The Disaster Zone: New Media Genres And Participatory Rhetorics After The 2010 Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill, R. J. Lambert

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

On April 20, 2010, explosions at the British Petroleum (BP) Macondo Project in the Gulf of Mexico initiated what would become the world's largest accidental release of oil into the ocean. This ecological disaster, a unique combination of natural and human causes, is one of many significant traumas over approximately the last two decades that various stakeholders have documented, participated in, and responded to largely through the expanding and increasingly ubiquitous media of the internet, computers, cell phones, and other networked communicative technologies, which both enable and constrain the variety of responses to traumatic events.

This Dissertation improves our understanding …

Development And Testing Of A Culturally Tailored Intervention To Promote Hpv Vaccination Intentions In Latina Young Adults, Erica Landrau

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States and a known risk factor for cervical cancer. Several HPV vaccines have been approved as a primary prevention option. Vaccine administration is recommended for individuals between the ages of 9 and 26. Despite recommendations to vaccinate and a disproportionately high rate of cervical cancer among Latinas, rates of vaccination remain low among this population. The HPV vaccine consists of three doses applied six months apart. Vaccination initiation and completion rates are particular low among Latina young adults (18-26 years of age) and adolescents (13-17 years …

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.

Voice Onset Time Of Voiceless Stops In The English Of The El Paso Del Norte Region, Kyla Mcmillan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study analyzes the English voice onset time (VOT) for voiceless stops in stressed initial positon in the El Paso del Norte Region and compares the results to those from previous studies. This was done in order to determine if the English in the El Paso area, on the border with Juárez, México is being influenced by Spanish. VOT is a great measure to analyze voiceless stops in initial stressed positon due to the noted short lag of Spanish stops and long lag of English stops in this phonological environment. To test whether the English of this region conformed more …

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 …

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 …

A Comparative Assessment Of Food Deserts Using Geographic Information Systems (Gis) In El Paso County, Tx And Loudoun County, Va, Amit Ugamraj Raysoni

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND & SIGNIFICANCE: Consumption of processed foods high in sodium and fat can have a plethora of health complications, including, but not limited to hypertension, high cholesterol levels, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Previous studies have documented that lack of access to viable healthy eating options' grocery stores selling affordable fresh fruits and vegetables - in any neighborhood or area can result in negative public health outcomes. These areas devoid of such grocery stores and healthy eating options can be classified as "Food Deserts", as per one of the criteria adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In addition, …

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 …

A Quality Control Performance-Based Methodology For Pavement Management Systems, Edgar Daniel Rodriguez Velasquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transportation Asset Management is a decision-making process, which allocates available resources for operating, maintaining, enhancing, and expanding transportation infrastructure while considering its entire life cycle. Transportation infrastructure includes different types of assets and pavements are one of the main assets due to its social, economic, and environmental impacts to society. Transportation agencies implement Pavement Management Systems to support the pavement management process. While implementing and operating a Pavement Management System, one of the costliest procedures is collecting pavement condition data from the field. Good quality for pavement condition data is required to select the right preservation treatments, estimate the associated …

Walls And Wilderness: Analyzing The Impacts Of Border Barriers On U.S. Government Lands Of The United States - Mexico Border, Bryce Garrett Fugate

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper seeks to describe the impacts of physical structures (fences, walls, barricades, etc.) on five selected areas of federally-protected U.S. lands along the U.S.-Mexico border that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The five selected areas are: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Big Bend National Park, Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument, the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The research looks into the historical development of structures put in place on the U.S. - Mexico border, how they have become ever more ubiquitous in the region, and what …

Book Reviews — Monographic Musings, Regina Gong

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Cases Of Note-Copyright-Contrib Infringement - Safe Harbor, Bruce Strauch, Bryan M. Carson, Jack Montgomery

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Letters To The Editor, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

And They Were There-Reports Of Meetings-37th Annual Charleston Conference, Ramue K. Kubilius, Sever Bordeianu

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Atg Interviews Nancy Percival, Sales Director At Prenax, Inc., Katina Strauch, Tom Gilson

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.

Letters To The Editor, Katina Strauch

Against the Grain

No abstract provided.