This study uses a mixed methods approach to investigate how individuals perceive nature and engage with Texas state park (TSP) programs and resources while also identifying major barriers that visitors perceive/encounter when visiting TSPs. This study looks through the anthropological lens by using theoretical frameworks such as habitus, presentation of the social self, space and place, as well as communities of practice (CoP), to better understand the factors that influence the establishment and maintenance of an individual's relationship to nature and participation in related practices. This study illustrates how an individual's relationship to nature is influenced by experiences in early life that involve activities, landscape or bioregion, and social factors. Relationships with nature are strengthened through social support especially when CoPs are involved. By understanding park visitor experiences through motivations and limitations to participating in the outdoors, parks can expand engagement tactics, foster existing and create new CoP related to nature that aid in the introduction and adoption of outdoor learning and experiences creating lifelong stewards. The study offers recommendations on how TSPs can address visitor barriers and increase nature affinity with the use of targeted outreach and engagement methods through agency interpretive resources and programs with the goal of …

Family functioning has long been a focus of research in psychopathology. Decades of research has shown that family factors are associated with symptom severity, relapse, functional outcomes, and conversion to psychosis among at-risk individuals. Previous studies suggest family functioning varies across cultures, which raises the possibility that associations between family factors and psychopathology may also differ by culture. Furthermore, family functioning assessment generally involves instruments that have not been systematically validated for use with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. The current study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (N = 11,138) to: (1) evaluate three family functioning scales (i.e., Family Environment Scale, Child's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory, Parental Monitoring Survey) and the Prodromal Questionnaire – Brief Child version for measurement invariance across racial/ethnic groups; (2) investigate the relations between family factors and psychosis; and (3) compare relations derived from Step 2 between racial/ethnic groups. Full scalar invariance was tenable for the CRPBI and the PQ-BC, providing statistical support for mean comparisons across groups. The FES and the PMQ lacked scalar invariance, which suggests mean comparisons across groups may not be appropriate. The CRPBI and the PMQ are significantly associated with the PQ-BC, and all three family …

Closer to Earth explores a Black midwestern family's generational spiritual connection to nature through the power of spiritual archiving, ancestral veneration, and oral storytelling.

Developmental psychology aims to elucidate how children's early relationships influence their interactions with the world. Piaget's cognitive development theory is often noted when discussing development, and although his cognitive descriptions of decentering (i.e., perspective taking) were compelling, they neglected interpersonal contexts. Accordingly, Feffer conceptualized decentering within a social context. To expand on Feffer's consideration of the social context, the current study explored early parent-child bonds and their impact on child development, specifically interpersonal decentering, in adolescence. In the present secondary analysis of data from the Institute of Human Development longitudinal Guidance Study at the University of California, Berkeley, I hypothesized that, for both boys and girls, conflict with relatives and a parent's nervous instability would moderate the association between early strong parental bonds and more mature decentering at ages 12.5 and 18 years, and that more imaginative play, introspection, and better physical health would moderate the relationship between strong father-son bonds at age 21 months and the son's more mature decentering at age 12.5 and 18 years. The findings revealed that the association between strong father-son bonds at 21 months and the son's more mature decentering at age 12.5 was strongest when the son was less introspective compared to when …

This project consists of a union between sci-fi, magic, and realism. Using magic in the same contexts of realism is to make a legend come to life in our modern world. All three stories deal with difficult situations: the struggle of creation and insecurities, the struggle of suicide and overcoming traumatic experiences, the struggle of disabilities and disadvantages and turning it into strength. These topics are introduced through characters who find themselves coming up with solutions through fantastical means as outlets for their pain. In "She Who Fell in Love with the Sky and Sea," an artist and an unlikely mythical muse come together to create the best art the world has ever seen, yet the art becomes unclaimable to the artist at the twisted eyes of her muse. In "Death Date," death has visited Sola through a psychic prediction arriving with perfect timing. She is given one year to live. Struggling with a traumatic past, her death date encourages Sola to live out the rest of her days and stop her original plans. The Switch explores the conditions of living in dystopian lands with a neighboring land that is a utopia. This novel explores the life of Sain as …

Transition metal oxynitrides are of growing interest for their use as electrocatalyst for nitrogen reduction reaction. The metals in the oxynitride used for catalytic process are stabilized in intermediate state for effective activation of nitrogen. Therefore, studying the interaction of metal oxynitrides films to ambient exposure is necessary. Here, sputter deposited vanadium oxynitride is compared to cobalt oxynitride using insitu Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). After deposition in Ar/N2 environment, in situ AES spectra indicate that film is vanadium oxynitride despite oxygen is not the reactive gas. In contrast, in situ AES indicate film is pure cobalt nitride at the same base pressure and deposition condition (as vanadium). For ambient exposure, in situ AES indicate the incorporation of oxygen in the cobalt nitride film to form cobalt oxynitride. Ex situ XPS indicate both films get more oxidized but uniformly distributed as there is only slight difference in grazing and normal emission XPS. XRD and SEM also indicate how homogeneously distributed both films are. These finding confirms how important it is that transition metal centers are kept in intermediate oxidation state for the activation of nitrogen bond.

What explains the shape of Zauzou noun phrases? Zauzou (Trans-Himalayan, China) noun phrases exhibit considerable diversity in both the choice of the phrase's primary reference type, and the presence of classifiers, demonstratives, modifiers, and case marking. This investigation uses a large, previously existing Zauzou textual corpus. The corpus was annotated for variables hypothesized to predict the variation in noun phrase form. Syntactic variables investigated include word order, subordination, subordinate role, and a new variable called "loneliness." Participant semantic variables include thematic role, agency, and affectedness. Referential semantic variables include boundedness, number, and animacy. The information packaging variable investigated is accessibility. Statistical analysis of the corpus revealed that case marking was predicted using a variable called "loneliness." This is where a multivalent verb has only one argument that is explicitly referenced in the clause. Lonely noun phrases are more likely to be case marked. The role of loneliness in motivating case marking confirms that disambiguation can be an explanation for differential case marking. Animacy and accessibility are important predictors of noun phrase weight. Overall, high animacy and high accessibility correspond to reduced noun phrase weight. Agency and thematic role were also significant variables. The Zauzou data makes clear that speech act …

Nondestructive testing (NDT) using ultrasound band 1-5 MHz, has been widely used for the early-stage detection of structural failure; however, it fails to detectf material degradation, fatigue, and microcracks. NDT with nonlinear ultrasound (NLU) can detect a microscopic discontinuity or imperfection that may be a source of the second harmonic in the reflected signal. In this research, we focus on creating a metamaterial band filter that filters out nonlinearities induced by the instrument itself. A 1D elastic superlattice (SL) acoustic filter is designed with a bandgap in its frequency spectrum that covers the frequency range of second harmonic. The SL is made of periodically alternating Cu and Sn-Pb solder layers. We conducted analytical and numerical calculations to obtain the appropriate thickness of each layer. The metamaterial in this study has the pass band for the fundamental frequency of 5 MHz and the first stop band centered near the frequency of 10 MHz; 5 MHz was chosen because the second harmonic at 10 MHz can detect 200μm micro-scale damage. Experiments with aluminum as the reference specimen and with SL filter were conducted. A function-generator generates 3 pulses sine signal, within the frequency range from 2.5 MHz to 20MHz. Spectral analysis of …

The Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex (DFW) serves as a diverse resettlement location for globally displaced refugees. While research examines how the nation impacts refugee resettlement, studies that examine the role of the city and community in placemaking are still lacking. In city resettlement investigations, research often focuses broadly on advocacy and political movements rather than the impacts of local-level structures and policies. In this paper, I develop an evaluation model using Jenny Phillimore's categories for successful refugee resettlement that examines how structural barriers, community interactions, and resource accessibility affect space and place for refugee populations. Through an ethnography of Chin and Rohingya refugee communities in DFW, I explore the differences between community-settled and state-settled refugee groups and the idea of an integrated resettlement program. Additionally, I argue that refugees who choose their settlement location in the United States are empowered and thus have a stronger connection to their host community than state-settled refugees. For example, in interviews, the Chin emphasized their ownership of Lewisville and feelings of home, while the Rohingya expressed feelings of placelessness and dispossession in Dallas. As governments push towards an entirely privatized system of refugee resettlement, this research argues for an integrated method that draws upon federal …

Doble Identidad conveys my experience as someone who struggles with their cultural identity. Through the expository modes of self-reflexivity, participatory, experimental, and poetics, the film displays the factors that molded my cultural identity. My childhood memories and interactions with my loved ones help me tell the story of how my cultural identity has and continues to leave me with feelings of inadequacy of not being Mexican or American enough.

Highly educated and skilled Indian nationals are the largest recipients of H-1B visas in the US. An employer must be willing to sponsor an H-1B work visa for the worker to continue to live and work in the US. This stipulation has granted US employers unprecedented power over H-1B visa holders, which can be understood as status coercion; employers have state-sanctioned power to threaten or discharge a worker from their status, i.e., visa status, which interconnects work and migration status. While the expansive power of employers to curtail a worker's status is one factor driving the ongoing coercive conditions, the other factor is precarious work. There is a gap in the literature in understanding what occurs at the intersection of status coercion and precarious work, especially within high-skilled information technology (IT) jobs. For instance, how does status coercion operate for employer-sponsored H-1B visa holders? Is it similar for dependent visa workers on H-4 EAD visas that rely on their spouse's H-1B, and F-1 OPT visa workers who have employment authorization from USCIS? Lastly, do these visa workers ever resist status coercion? In this study, I draw on twelve in-depth, semi-structured interviews of Indian nationals in the IT sector on H-1B, …

Texas is the leading producer of renewable energy in the U.S, and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) is the largest metropolitan area in the state. Texas has a deregulated energy market, with three types of providers: privatized, public-owned, and co-operatives. Privatized providers compete in the deregulated market, and consumers choose between hundreds of electricity retailers. Public-owned providers are owned by the municipality, and electricity consumers that live within the city limits must use the municipal provider. Electric co-operatives operate similarly where customers within the region must use the co-operative, but instead of being owned by the city, co-ops are owned by the members (customers). To date, the availability, cost, accessibility, and outreach of renewable electricity among these provider types remains unclear. For this reason, my research examines the renewable energy market in DFW by asking: (1) Who has access to renewable energy and how do they understand it? (2) How do electricity retailers distribute and make renewable energy available? and (3) If consumers can choose their provider, why do they select certain electricity plans over others? My findings suggest that while many consumers want or are open to using renewable energy, uncertainties surrounding how to find or choose a provider, price, and …

This study explores the role Comunidad Milpa (Milpa) plays in implementing agroecology food systems in Comunidad Pacheco, Argentina. From teaching residents about food cultivation practices, to the importance of a healthy diet and developing relationship with local agroecology producers, the method builds upon the idea of food sovereignty and self-governance. Research conducted for this study focused on obstacles residents encountered while seeking to incorporate local agroecology foods into their diet. Incentives encouraging residents to support area agroecology efforts were also investigated, as well as barriers producers experienced while marketing their products. Design methods used for the investigation included both qualitative and quantitative methods in the form of surveys and interviews with members and participants of Milpa. Data gathered through both methods resulted in identifying the perspective Milpa participants have of the organization, their food practices and choices, and obstacles food producers encounter within the community.

Past research demonstrates that participants who label themselves as ‘victims' experience worse trauma-related outcomes than those who label themselves as ‘survivors.' Self-labeling in trauma research is typically measured using a dichotomous measure where participants choose either victim or survivor, but this construct may be better conceived as more continuous. The current study assessed self-labeling as a possible continuous construct and explored its predictive validity. To capture self-labeling as a continuous construct, we created and utilized a new scale, the Trauma Self-Labeling Measure. Two hundred eleven participants completed a battery of questionnaires to measure self-labeling and four trauma-related outcomes: posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, anxiety, and resilience. When tested on the continuous trauma self-labeling measure, an overwhelming number of participants chose in-between victim and survivor (78.9%) which suggests self-labeling is better assessed using a continuous measure than dichotomous. However, correlation analyses revealed that the continuous self-labeling measure was not significantly correlated to the four trauma-related outcomes, whereas the dichotomous self-labeling, continuous victim, and continuous survivor measures were. When conducting post-hoc analyses, we found an unexpected positive correlation between the continuous victim and survivor self-labeling measures. This unexpected positive correlation suggests that self-labeling is not a singular construct, as previously assumed, but …

Narcissism is currently being redefined as a multidimensional construct. While some researchers hold that narcissism remains a unidimensional phenomenon, others have suggested that bi- and tridimensional conceptualizations may better represent the construct as well as align more succinctly with the experiences of individuals with varying levels of narcissistic traits. Also, since the latter conceptualizations offer a broader assessment of narcissistic tendencies, they may provide greater accuracy in identifying differing narcissistic phenotypes (e.g., malignant vs vulnerable). Given the variety in conceptualizations of narcissism, it remains an open area as to how their respective domains are associated with various risk factors and behavioral outcomes, particularly within antagonistic forms of narcissism. This thesis explored the multidimensional approaches to defining narcissism and examined the associations between narcissistic traits and attachment style, self-concept, self-esteem, emotion regulation, and aggression. Also, the current study explored how differences in college degree (business vs. psychology) and gender may influence the expression of narcissism and associations with attachment style. Overall, the study provides results relevant for a tridimensional view of narcissism and adds to the literature on narcissism's link with factors involved in personality pathology, gender, and choice of college degree.

Unipolar depression is a leading cause of disability and overall burden of disease for millions of individuals across the world. Depressive symptoms (e.g., depressed mood, anhedonia, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, difficulties concentrating, etc.) can drastically affect an individual's life leading to occupational, social, and personal impairment. Past research shows significant ethnic and racial differences in depression rates and treatment. Moreover, previous literature has also begun to explore the multidimensional nature of depression, investigating its occasion-like (or episodic) and trait-like (or stable) factors. However, prior studies have not explored differences in occasion and trait depression by race or ethnicity, nor have they explored these questions in nurses, a group that faces substantial workplace stressors. To redress these gaps, the current study investigated trait and occasion depression in a large sample of nurses (N = 390) tracked across 12 months and aimed to understand whether trait versus occasion rates of depression differed by racial and ethnic minority status. Findings indicated substantially more trait depression (65.93%) than occasion depression (34.11%) across the year in nurses. However, there were no significant differences based on racial and ethnic minority status. Results highlight the importance of understanding depression as a much more stable aspect of an …

Sequential single-axis vibration testing strategies often produce over-testing when qualifying system hardware. Multi-axis excitation techniques can simulate realistic service environments, but the hardware and testing strategies needed to do so tend to be costly and complex. Test engineers instead must execute sequential tests on single-axis shaker tables to excite each degree of freedom, which the previous two decades of vibration testing literature have shown to cause extensive over-testing when considering cross-axis responses in assessing the severity of the applied test environments. Traditional assessments assume that the test article responds only in the axis of excitation, but often significant response occurs in the off-axes as well. This paper proposes a method to address the over-testing problem by approximating a simultaneous multi-axis test using readily-available, single-axis shaker tables. By optimizing the angle of excitation and the boundary condition through dynamic test fixture design, the test article can be tested using a Single-Input, Multiple-Output (SIMO) test in a way that approximates a Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) test. This paper shows the proposed method in simulation with a 2D finite element box assembly with removable component (BARC) model attached to springs with variable stiffness. The results include quantified test quality assessment metrics with comparison to …

This thesis describes a research study to understand the current state of human trafficking data collection practices and reporting in the province of Alberta, Canada, and gather end-user design considerations for cyberinfrastructure that will enable data sharing between multiple and diverse stakeholders. The research also examines the barriers to change and the needs of stakeholders to improve the collective understanding of human trafficking in the province. Virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted with nineteen organizations including law enforcement and community serving non-profit agencies. While the research resulted in design considerations for a cyberinfrastructure prototype, findings revealed the complexity of the human trafficking ecosystem in Alberta and suggestions for how the community of stakeholders can shift towards a sustained collaborative data sharing culture. This study responds to the need to collect actionable data from multiple sources to reflect the prevalence and context of human trafficking more accurately.

Community based youth programs play a significant role in promoting positive youth identity development outside of the classroom. This can be particularly important for racialized groups such as Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Based on ethnographic research conducted at Asian American LEAD, this thesis explores the effect of a five week summer program on AAPI youth identity development. Data collection methods include participant observation, a pre- and post- survey, and semi-structured interviews with staff, participants, and program alumni. The research findings highlight how ethnic and racial identity development is fostered through the creation of safe spaces, shared struggles with peers and staff, and recognition of one's AAPI identity.

Over the years, last-minute cancellations and no-shows have presented difficulties for the hospitality sector, negatively affecting hotel operations and revenue. The cancellation policies of hotels have changed significantly as a result. These rules have been modified to act as "price fences" as a result of revenue management strategies used in the hotel industry. This study aims to find out how various cancellation policies impact consumers' perceptions of risk and intent to reserve hotel rooms at various times. The study provides insight into the factors that affect consumer behavior and choices for hospitality goods and services by examining these elements. The results of the study offer some understanding into how hotels and other hospitality businesses can use cancellation policies to customize their marketing strategies to meet consumer needs and preferences while successfully managing revenue and profitability.

Increasing PM2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers) poses a significant health risk to people. Understanding variables critical to PM2.5 spatial and temporal variation is a first step towards protecting vulnerable populations from exposure. Previous studies investigate variables responsible for PM2.5 variation but have a limited temporal span. Moreover, although land-use classes are often taken into account, the vertical environment's influence (e.g., buildings, trees) on PM2.5 concentrations is often ignored and on-road circle buffers are used. To understand variables most critical to PM2.5 concentration variation, an air pollution sensor and GPS unit were affixed to a bicycle to sample for variables over three seasons (spring, summer, fall). Samples were taken on a route during the weekdays at four targeted hours (7AM, 11AM, 3PM, and 7PM) and joined with meteorological data. 3D morphology was assessed using LiDAR data and novel wind-based buffers. Wind speed only, wind direction only, and wind speed and direction buffers were computed and compared for their performance at capturing micro-scale urban morphological variables. Zonal statistics were used to compute morphological indicators under different wind assumptions in seasonal ordinary least squares regression models. A comprehensive wind and buffer performance analysis compares statistical significance for spatial and temporal variation …

The following thesis documents the collaboration process behind Idle Flux, a collaboration between Samuel A. Montgomery, a graduate composer at University of North Texas, and Emily Jensen, a graduate choreographer at Texas Woman's University. Comprising an 18-minute stereo fixed media composition and choreography for seven dancers, Idle Flux seeks to challenge the traditional spatial relationship between audience members and performers through restructuring seating and stage arrangements while featuring immersive sound design in multiple venues. This thesis considers multiple sources of inspiration, including Immersive Van Gogh® Exhibit Dallas, John Jasperse's Canyon, Zoe | Juniper's BeginAgain, Francisco López's installations, Alexander Ekman's A Swan Lake, Imagine Dragons' "Enemy," Son Lux's "Dream State (Dark Day)," and Ryan Lott's dance compositions. This thesis also examines the interdependent collaborative relationship between composer and choreographer by considering the issues of autonomy and creative control, examining previous collaborative models proposed or implemented by Van Stiefel, José Limón and Norman Lloyd, John Cage and Merce Cunningham, Doris Humphrey and Norman Lloyd. In addition, this thesis discusses the creative process and foundational concepts behind the fixed media composition, including the use of sound samples, exploration of timbre through synthesizers, development of motives and musical language, and the spatialization of sound …

At the Northwest Regional Learning Center (NRLC), an alternative high school in Arlington, Washington serving only at-risk youth, a new ethics course was conducted to assist students with their social-emotional learning development (SEL) and provide NRLC staff with greater insight into the lived experiences of students. Through semi-structured interviews, longitudinal ethical position surveys, and in-class observational ethnographic notes, this study presents shifts in student ethical positions over time as students engaged in this new course. By drawing from the knowledge at-risk students bring to school and focusing on behaviorism, progressive teaching theory, and constructivism, this course promoted open, student-led discussion that helped establish and build critical thinking skills, learn about perspectives in relation to others, and analyze various ethical positions. Through learning more about the lived experiences of their students, teachers at NRLC were able to contextualize and accommodate individual student behaviors, needs, and beliefs over their high-school experience. Drawing from student beliefs and experiences, the new course content was largely created by the students, providing at-risk youth an environment to openly share their beliefs while directly relating course content to their lives outside of school. As a representation of the power that social connection, redistribution of power dynamics in …

This thesis explores the critical role of usability in software development and uses usability heuristics as a cost-effective and efficient method for evaluating various software functions and interfaces. With the proliferation of software development in the modern digital age, developing user-friendly interfaces that meet the needs and preferences of users has become a complex process. Usability heuristics, a set of guidelines based on principles of human-computer interaction, provide a starting point for designers to create intuitive, efficient, and easy-to-use interfaces that provide a seamless user experience. The study uses Jakob Nieson's ten usability heuristics to evaluate the usability of Stack Overflow posts, a popular Q\&A website for developers. Through the analysis of 894 posts related to usability, the study identifies common usability problems faced by users and developers, providing valuable insights into the effectiveness of usability guidelines in software development practice. The research findings emphasize the need for ongoing evaluation and improvement of software interfaces to ensure a seamless user experience. The thesis concludes by highlighting the potential of usability heuristics in guiding the design of user-friendly software interfaces and improving the overall user experience in software development.