Identity is a powerful concept that influences behavior and health. For over thirty years, researchers in sport psychology have been using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) as a research instrument providing insights into the relationships between athletic identity and health variables. While musician identity is recognized as an important factor to be investigated in relation to occupational health, there are no known robust instruments like the AIMS in music psychology research. The current study aimed to adapt and validate the athletic identity measurement scale for use with musicians. The AIMS history includes episodes of modifications for performance enhancement of the instrument that resulted in five different models. The validation process includes evaluating the psychometrical properties across all five models. The sample included student musicians and non-student musicians (N = 1040). The traditional confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the maximum likelihood (ML) estimation method were used. The exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and robust weighted least squares (WLS) was utilized to explore a new method of estimation that was known to resolve issues consistent with the CFA and ML method. The goodness-of-fit indices of CFA and ESEM were compared. The results showed that the MIMS is a reliable and valid …

Report providing information about progress on programs to improve mental health services in rural Texas. This update "focuses on jail diversion and communiy integration as central themes in coordinated care that can significantly impact the four strategies [identified by regional groups]. Each rural-serving [local mental health authority]or [local behavioral health authority] choses [sic] a strategy within the theme that would best meet the needs of their local community, with 17 of the 30 having a funding source for implementation" (p. 1).

Recent epidemiological studies have demonstrated a correlation between the manifestation of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and ambient air pollution levels, which is exacerbated by the presence of other risk factors, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension. We investigated the hypothesis that exposure to a mixture of gasoline and diesel engine emissions (MVE) coupled with the concurrent consumption of a high-fat (HF) diet promotes the development of a NAFLD phenotype within the liver. Three-month-old male C57Bl/6 mice were placed on either a low fat or HF diet and exposed via whole-body inhalation to either filtered (FA) air or MVE (30 µg PM/m3 gasoline engine emissions + 70 µg PM/m3 diesel engine emissions) 6 hr/day for 30 days. Histology revealed mild microvesicular steatosis and hepatocyte hypertrophy in response to MVE exposure alone, compared to FA controls, yielding a classification of "borderline NASH" under the criteria of the modified NAFLD active score (NAS) system. As anticipated, animals on a HF diet exhibited moderate steatosis; however, we also observed inflammatory infiltrates, hepatocyte hypertrophy, and increased lipid accumulation, with the combined effect of HF diet and MVE exposure. Immunofluorescence staining and RT-qPCR of the liver revealed the presence of lipid peroxidation, altered expression …

My thesis is to understand the concept of compressive sensing algorithms. Compressive sensing will be a future alternate technique for the Nyquist rate, specific to some applications where sparsity property plays a major role. Software implementation of compressive sensing (CS) takes more time to reconstruct a signal from CS measurements, so we use the orthogonal matching pursuit and basis pursuit algorithms. We have used an image size of 256x256 is used for reconstruction and also implemented a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) of the orthogonal matching pursuit using an image.

Data management plan for a grant seeking to analyze existing support structures for transfer students in Chemistry between the University of North Texas and Dallas College.

This thesis covers applications of machine learning to the fields of remote sensing and environmental monitoring. First, a generalized background on the concepts, tools, and methods used throughout the remainder of the research project are introduced. Chapter 3 covers the implementation of artificial neural networks to improve low-cost particulate matter sensing networks using collocated high-quality sensors with varying dataset parameters. In Chapter 4, an attention-enhanced LSTM-Convolutional neural network is presented to reconstruct satellite-based aerosol optical depth data lost to atmospheric interference. Chapter 5 applies attention mechanisms and convolutional neural networks to the reconstruction and upsampling of satellite-based land surface temperature maps. Chapter 6 presents a model employing geospatial techniques and machine learning methods with a combination of ground-based and remote sensing data to produce a daily ultra-high resolution 30 meter mapping of the PM2.5 concentration across Denton County, Texas.

The dissertation covers three major topics: metal-assisted aromaticity, synthetic approaches to tailor donor-acceptor supramolecular stacks, and photoluminescence properties of cyclic trinuclear complexes (CTCs) of d10 metals. First, multiple theoretical approaches are adapted to discuss in detail the origin of aromaticity of CTCs, putting forward a metal-assisted aromaticity model. Next are the discoveries of donor-acceptor stacked CTC–CTC' complexes from both experimental and computational perspectives, reporting multiple novel crystallography-determined structures and revealing their pertinent intermolecular ground-state charge transfer. The spontaneous binding behavior is also determined by UV-vis and NMR titrations and rationalized as the cooperation of multiple supramolecular interactions, including metallophilicity, electrostatic attraction, and dispersion. The last part includes systematic investigations of photoluminescence properties of halogen-metal-bonded CTCs and sandwich-like cation–π-bonded heptanuclear clusters based on CTCs. The cooperative effects of metal-centered conformation, the heavy-atom and relativistic effects from both the halogen and metal atoms play complementary roles in the phosphorescence process to promote the inter-system crossing and radiative transitions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the intersection of preservice teachers' personal identities as queer individuals with their emerging professional identities as educators. Political and social environments contribute to a separation of these identities, which can further the marginalization of these individuals to the detriment of both their identities as people as well as their professional practice. Guided by a theoretical framework of figured worlds, interviews with students in teacher education programs that identify as queer explore the ways in which unique confluences of contextualizing factors play a role in the lived experiences of these individuals. The study additionally examined the nature of teacher education programs as experienced by these participants in order to discuss the ways in which these programs serve to challenge or reinforce the heteronormativity pervasive in educational spaces.

The data surrounding barriers to student-athletes seeking mental health care are limited, but show that stigma is one of the most frequently reported barriers. Further, the effect of sharing demographic identities (i.e., race, gender) between a student-athlete and their mental health treatment provider has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of reported barriers and facilitators to mental health as well as the importance of sport psychologist characteristics as a facilitator of mental health treatment. Participants consisted of student athletes from an NCAA Division I university, representing 11 sports. A series of two-way, repeated measures ANOVA analyses were conducted to determine within-subjects differences in overall reporting of barriers and facilitators, as well as between groups differences in race and gender. Significant differences were found in the rating of barriers and facilitators. Female student-athletes rated sharing a gender identity with their mental health treatment provider as more important than did male student-athletes. The findings of the study may aid athletic departments in developing targeted interventions to lower barriers and increase use of mental health resources to promote psychological well-being among student-athletes.

My research examines how primary stakeholders interact with Texas' most harvested big game animals: white-tailed deer, which are increasingly impacted by chronic wasting disease (CWD), and feral hogs, which impact the landscape but effectively have no management strategy. Drawing on literature on wildlife governance in Texas, managing property and the commons, and disease landscapes, and broadly framed by themes of political and historical ecology, my research asks: (1) how do management goals for deer and feral hogs compare to hunting practices and hunting culture in Texas? (2) How are deer commodified by the Texas deer breeding industry? (3) How does the commodification of deer by breeders impact deer hunting practices in Texas? To examine how local stakeholders manage CWD and feral hogs, I conducted interviews among 21 stakeholders, including hunters, game wardens, game ranch managers, and deer breeders in Texas, as well as conducting participant observation at three deer conferences. Analysis shows that contrary to my expectations, not all participants viewed feral hogs negatively, with some viewing them as profit-making ventures. Inversely, how stakeholders contend with and understand CWD varies by a stakeholder's ability to generate profit from deer breeding. Furthermore, the majority of participants identified deer breeding operations as …

This narrative inquiry study sought the voices of bilingual teachers through their lived experiences in relation to the success of Hispanic emergent bilinguals in schools. Two research questions guided the study: (1) What practices do bilingual educators consider important in helping Hispanic emergent bilingual students succeed in schools? and (2) How do bilingual teachers negotiate the curriculum and school structures to support Hispanic bilingual students' success in their classrooms? Two theoretical frameworks were used. Constructivism provided the structure for honoring the lived experiences of these teachers and culturally relevant pedagogy provided the lenses of culture, funds of knowledge, and deep sociolinguistic awareness. The use of narrative inquiry as a methodology affirmed the bilingual teachers' voices as important and authoritative sources of knowledge. Semi-structured interviews and classroom observations allowed the participants to engage as storytellers about their history and experiences that contributed to answering the questions. Three resonant reverberations emerged from the analysis: (a) the emerging rhythms of the classroom; (b) the realms of instructional and learning design; and (c) the orientation towards a culturally relevant pedagogy. These major findings revealed that teachers were student-oriented while also being content-oriented. They designed a positive learning environment by tapping into their students' funds …

Charles Koechlin (1867–1950) has been a notable figure in French music since the late nineteenth century. However, Koechlin's mélodies are not performed as often as the art songs of many other French composers. Koechlin's Cinq chansons de Bilitis is a collection of five songs based on Pierre Louÿs's Les chansons de Bilitis. The cycle was completed in 1898–1908. The stories of Bilitis are beautifully set by Koechlin, who uses his wide compositional facility. This dissertation serves as a guide to be used by performers, vocal coaches, and instructors in their preparation and performance of Koechlin's Cinq chansons de Bilitis. The introductory Chapter 1 is followed by Chapter 2, which presents Koechlin's biography, an overview of his selected vocal works, and information related to Cinq chansons de Bilitis. Chapter 3 includes Pierre Louÿs's biography and information related to Les chansons de Bilitis. Chapter 4 concentrates on the stories of the invented figure Bilitis from Les chansons de Bilitis. Chapter 5 examines the five songs by discussing the background of each song; giving an analysis of the music and performance suggestions; providing an International Phonetic Alphabet transcription and a word-for-word translation; and evaluating the difficulty level. Chapter 6 summarizes the significance of …

Newsletter of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement dsecribing news, events, and activities of the Commission, as well as updates about changes to laws or other information of interest to readers.

Annual report of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute discussing the institute's personnel and finances as well as compiled papers summarizing in-progress and completed research, with biographical information about authors and in-press publications.

When autism interventionists within behavioral intervention programs continually assess the child's behavior and context and adjust their teaching behaviors accordingly, the child can quickly progress towards their goals. While evaluations of flexible behavior-change techniques implemented by experienced clinicians are present in the literature, systematic evaluations of staff training procedures to train interventionists in responsive decision making are lacking. In the current study, flexible training procedures were utilized to not only teach direct-line staff to make decisions based on the learner's behavior, but also to understand and articulate the variables they were responding to. During in vivo training sessions, trainers tailored their use of instructions, modeling, practice, feedback, narration modeling and shaping, and decision-making guidance to the dynamic needs of the staff and child. The effects of the treatment package, which consisted of an in-service training and in vivo training sessions, were measured by observing staff teach vocal manding, which was chosen based on the importance of the skill for the child and because it afforded many opportunities for the staff to learn to make decisions about how to occasion and shape responses. The three children with autism who participated in the study made progress in terms of increasing their frequency …

Evidence-based practice in ABA is a complex decision-making process involving frequent adjustments in goals and procedures as informed by science, client need, and clinical wisdom. Consistent with the science's foundations, incredible gains are possible for children with autism when practitioners are systematically trained to understand, produce, and be responsive to shifting conditions for change. However, minimal standards for training promote inflexibility and rule following, at the expense of frequent and responsive adjustments. Although research has demonstrated that well-trained staff can effectively implement flexible procedures using in-the-moment assessment and clinical judgment, minimal research has targeted and evaluated the development of these repertoires. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a staff training package, including an in-service training and in vivo training sessions, on staffs' ability to make responsive, goal-directed, and rationale-based decisions directed towards accelerating progress with vocal manding for children with autism. The evaluation was the second part of the larger Change AGENT Project. Results suggested the training was effective at producing socially validated progress across staff and child measures. In essence, the trainer, staff, and child acted as change agents for one another's behavior within the flexible paradigm. Implications, limitations, and future directions are …

Photograph of a miniature version of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol from Philadelphia, Pa. Running Press with an inscription from David Chares Dickens, great-grandson of Charles Dickens.

Photograph of a miniature version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol from Tony Firman Bookbinding in Hazlet, Texas.

Photograph of the inside of a Chapman A. Hall print of A Christmas Carol, in prose. A Ghost Story of Christmas, with illustrations by John Leech.

Data management plan for the grant, "Collaborative Research: CyberTraining: Pilot: Research Workforce Development for Deep Learning Systems in Advanced GPU Cyberinfrastructure." This project aims to develop a novel set of interactive training materials, including hands-on lecture modules, invited research talks from renowned researchers, and an interdisciplinary collaborative project in an intensive workshop, integrating a wide variety of advanced and inter-connected techniques employed by research workforce for deep learning (DL) systems in advanced GPU cyberinfrastructure (CI). Specifically, this project focuses on training seniors, graduate students, and researchers on how advanced GPU CI can be efficiently utilized and improved to enable high-performance DL systems for data-intensive DL applications in geoscience (GS) and computer science and engineering (CSE) research. The goal is to foster future CI users and contributors to adopt, develop, and improve advanced GPU CI for DL systems in their research.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current state of community participation in Pakistani schools in the capitol city of Pakistan. All national education policies developed by the government of Pakistan stress the need for community participation in the schools. School leaders are mandated to develop strategies to involve parents and community members in schools. This research focused on a single case with multiple subunits geographically situated in Islamabad, Pakistan. In the current study, participants were educational leaders at the central office, campus principals, and representatives of parents and community members in the school and college management committees. Qualitative data included one-to-one interviews, focus groups, and collection of available documents related to community participation in Pakistani schools. Findings of the study revealed four goals and outcomes of the community participation in Pakistani schools. These goals are financial support to the schools, advocacy for schools, academic support and feedback, and support in administration. Major challenges faced by community members and parents during participation in schools include lack of information and awareness, role ambiguity and lack of training, financial constraint and unwelcoming behavior of school and central office administration. Data revealed that educational leadership behaviors which impact community engagement include …

Secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) students commonly face obstacles that put them at greater risk for learning gaps in computer assisted learning (CAL). These obstacles include but are not limited to computer attitudes, computer self-efficacy, digital empathy, and connectivity gaps. Student attitudes towards computers as learning devices play an important role in reducing learning loss. This study intended to identify the underlying causes of ESL learning gaps in CAL by studying students' attitudes toward computers as learning tools. The study used a mixed method approach by collecting self-reported data from the Computer Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ) to compare ESL students verse native English-speaking students' computer attitudes. Three hundred sixty-nine secondary students successfully completed the CAQ for the purpose of this study. Of the eight subscales, four produced statistically significant findings. These include Computer Enjoyment (J), Empathy (E), Computer Anxiety (CA), and School Enjoyment (SC). Demographic factors were also analyzed which found that female ESL students have higher levels of empathy compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, 9th grade students reported better study habits and an increased perception of computer importance. Each of the subscale findings along with demographic factors, and qualitative results showed that ESL students are at a …

Assessment is a core component of the counseling identity. While previous literature has explored child clinicians' attitudes and use of standardized assessment instruments, less is known about the assessment practices of counselors providing play therapy to young children. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the subjective experiences of counselors who regularly use standardized social, emotional, and behavioral tests in their play therapy practice. Eleven professional counselors in the United States who regularly used standardized tests in play therapy participated in this study. The primary researcher utilized a transcendental phenomenological approach within a social, constructivist paradigm, along with an adapted phenomenological data analysis method. Six major themes were identified: professional development journey, use of standardized tests to enhance play therapy process, considerations for implementation in play therapy, counselor theoretical orientation and standardized tests, challenges in using standardized tests in play therapy, and advocacy and social justice issues. Implications for counselor education, clinical practice, and social justice advocacy are provided, along with recommendations for future research.

This study aims to understand customers' preferred attributes and features of curated subscription box services (CSBS) for pet products and to segment customer groups by favored attributes and features to optimize the CSBS. First, a pretest with 46 students at a southwestern public university in the U.S. was implemented to explore customers' preferences on attributes and features in the subscription service. Choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis was employed in the challenging tradeoff situations after MaxDiff (best-worst scaling) evaluation. Next, the main study was conducted using the survey method with 350 American pet owners recruited by the commercial data platform called Prolific. The preference of five CSBS attributes (i.e., product, personalization, e-service quality, communication and interaction, and price) and 18 related features were examined. Cluster analysis for the 350 respondents identified customer segment groups based on their CSBS preferences derived from the conjoint analysis. The results of this study support that customers prioritized price, product, and personalization attributes in their CSBS choice. The three groups are product-oriented, personalization-oriented, and price-favored segments. This study provides practical implications for understanding customers' preferences and traits and how to tailor subscription box services for the pet business and even for eCommerce subscription retailers in other product …