Texas A&M University-Kingsville: AKM Digital Repository
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A survey of male juvenile delinquency in Corpus Christi, 1936-38
No full text1. NEED OF RELIABLE DATA CONCERNING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
This study is based on the assumption that it should be the duty of every community to do its utmost to curb any tendency of youth toward the formation of anti-social habits. In the organization of a plan for crime prevention among juveniles, it is important to have accurate and complete information concerning the known delinquents.
The experience of the author, as an educational worker in an adult reformatory, showed that inadequate records were a great handicap in the work of reformation. The classification committee was composed of the prison Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Chaplain, and Educational Director. Plans for intelligent action and adjustment by this group were impeded due to the lack of a complete picture of the physical, mental, personal, social, and economic forces which had influenced the life and experiences of the offender, It would seem that this same problem would act as a hindrance to the work of the authorities of the community in their solution of the delinquents' problems
The philosophy of the Hull reciprocal trade agreements as illustrated by the Anglo-American pact
No full textThe problem of how to promote world peace has been a vexing one for centuries, and man has invented many agencies and instruments to aid in the solution. Like the multi-headed monster, the Hydra, War rears his ugly countenance in spite of peace conferences, good-will societies, the League of Nations, and the World Court. one agency or instrument will subdue the monster, war, for a time, only to have him break forth again, more insidious than before. Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, has had a vision. Like Hercules, he believes that there must be a source to all the trouble. The source which Mr. Hull would attack is Economic Depression. The specific weapon needed, he believes, is his program of Reciprocal Trade Agreements. Why such agreements are needed, what they are, and how they will help will be the burden of this theme
Design of impedance matching transformer to integrate an antenna on chip
No full textThe aim of this work is to implement an impedance matching transformer circuit to integrate an antenna-on- chip with a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO). This work involves using a VCO circuit and a common drain configuration as a buffer and as a potential impedance matching transformer which transforms the high impedance of VCO to a lower value at the output. The common drain configuration in cascade with VCO helps in isolating VCO circuit. The proposed work can potentially solve the problem of integrating antenna-on-chip
Administrators' perceptions of transitioning second language learners into the mainstream classroom
No full textA leadership concern relevant in today’s public education system is the disparity of scores also known as the achievement gap between the general education population and the English Language Learner (ELL). This qualitative study addressed administrators’ perceptions of transitioning the Second Language Learner (L2) from the bilingual classroom into the general mainstream classroom. Despite an extensive literature review focusing on educational policy in a historical context, little was known about administrators’ perceptions or participation in the transitioning process of L2s that would be conducive to enhancing English proficiency once mainstreamed. This descriptive case study selected sample a size of eight administrators from a pool of the campuses that ranked the highest on the upcoming State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) in a similar socioeconomic status (SES) in the southwest areas where there is the largest Limited English Proficient (LEP) population. This naturalistic inquiry relied on the researcher being the primary instrument (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), and the semi structured interview protocol served to examine administrators’ perceptions in order to identify the successful transitioning of L2s into the mainstream classroom. The research design logistics employed a qualitative methodology of trustworthiness and credibility, reliability, and validity beginning with the professionalism and anonymity of the respondents to the analysis of the transcription, coding, and analysis enhanced by NVivo reflection technology. The respondents in this study did not have Ivy League backgrounds. They are ordinary, hardworking educators who have come up the ranks as teachers. In reviewing the transcripts, one can tell these administrators struggled to express themselves eloquently both in English and in Spanish, yet it did not hinder them in propelling their students forward in spite of their distressed social conditions or the education policy currently in place. Ultimately, the research served to promote greater awareness of the benefits of principals’ decision making to promote best practices used to facilitate successful transitioning of L2s into the mainstream classroom in order for them to meet the standards on tests like the STAAR
Patterns of mentorship through validation among first-generation Hispanic senior university students
No full textFirst-generation Hispanic students have a rough time navigating the university system. Challenges in navigation lead to attrition. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to understand patterns of mentorship through validation among first-generation Hispanic students who are at the end of completing a bachelor’s degree from a university in South Texas which serves a high population of Hispanic students. Rendón’s validation theory served as the framework to explore mentoring through academic and interpersonal validation. Fifty first-generation Hispanic student participants selected through purposeful cluster sampling were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. The researcher did not define mentor and learned that first-generation Hispanic students perceive a mentor as an individual who offers emotional support, support through personal and professional struggles, demonstrates connection through knowledge areas, and serves as an encourager. Results confirmed previous mentoring research about the importance of connections with faculty, staff, and friends. Two surprising points were revealed by this study. The importance of parental support among graduating first-generation Hispanic university students was discovered. Surprising was the lack of mention about formal mentoring programs which are widely implemented in institutions of higher education. The study is significant to student, parents, instructors, administrators, families, and the field. The study is significant to students, parents, and families for understanding the importance of mentoring to promote student success. The study is significant to instructors and staff. Their validation of students in daily interactions can foster an environment or encouragement or discouragement. Administrators might be interested in the surprise findings of the study including the lack of mention of formal mentoring programs and the importance of family and parental support among first-generation graduating Hispanic students. The study contributes to the field by adding to the literature about how to promote student success among the fast-growing student body of Hispanic students
Analysis and simulation of a microstrip patch antenna for a sensor based non-invasive method for blood glucose monitoring
No full textDiabetes Mellitus has been a significant health issue in recent years that impacts millions of people across the world. According to the survey by World Health Organization, in 2016 about 425 million people around the world were diagnosed with diabetes. There have been numerous researches and technological advancements in monitoring the blood glucose levels continuously. Currently, the most widely used technology of blood glucose monitoring is an invasive method which is a painful process that needs blood samples. The proposed work focuses on a non-invasive method of blood glucose monitoring which is a painless and bloodless method which can significantly reduce pain in the procedure for monitoring a diabetic patient. This work analyzes a method of non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in diabetic patients. The proposed method uses a model of micro-strip patch sensor that will be kept in contact with the human skin to supervise the glycemic levels. The proposed method uses a model of microstrip patch sensor etched in a microstrip antenna which uses the electrical properties present in human blood. The disturbances in electrical properties other than the normal will be observed in the form of resonance, the microstrip patch antenna receives the signals when variation in glucose levels is observed and it is noted. This work involves the simulation of microstrip antenna considering different dielectric materials at different frequencies like 2.4GHz, 1.6GHz and 1.45GHz to compare and analyze it to determine an optimal dielectric material that serves the purpose of Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring. The main motivation of this thesis work is to design a flexible microstrip patch antenna sensor, hence the flexible dielectric materials with dielectric constants like FR4 - 4.8, polystyrene – 2.55, foam – 1.03, etc., are considered for the design. This work results with a good return loss of -24dB, -23dB and -47dB for the material foam at the designed operating frequencies of 2.4 GHz, 1.6 GHz, and 1.45 GHz, respectively
Potential transmission of baylisascaris procyonis to ocelots and wildlife caregivers
No full textBaylisascaris procyonis is a nematode found in the small intestine of raccoons (Procyon lotor). Infective eggs consumed by other vertebrate species, including humans, develop into migrating L3 larvae. These have the potential to cause severe systemic damage, including blindness and central nervous system disease. While B. procyonis primarily affects small vertebrates, the larvae have been found in larger vertebrates and have the potential to be a substantial morbidity and mortality factor for endangered species, including ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). Caregivers of captive wildlife are at risk of contracting zoonotic diseases because they have prolonged contact with, and potential exposure to, many species of wildlife and their feces. Roadside scat sampling near an ocelot population in southern Texas was not effective for determining contamination of, or interaction with, B. procyonis in the area. Surveys of captured raccoons and collected scats at the Tio and Janell Kleberg Wildlife Research Park of Texas A&M University – Kingsville indicated the parasite was present near areas where caregivers and animals interact daily, indicating the potential for wildlife and humans to contract the larval form of the parasite. Fire is a recommended environmental decontamination method for eradicating viable eggs of many intestinal parasites but was only proven to reduce the quantity of viable eggs on the soil surface
A novel systematic approach for determining snake venom toxicity for next generation antivenom development
No full textAccording to the World Health Organization statistics, it was estimated that in 2018 there were 81,000 138,000 new deaths world-wide reported for both men and women, due to snake envenomation. In spite of its importance as a neglected tropical disease and global health issue for snake bite envenomation, very little is known of the mechanism of action of snake venom’s intrinsic toxic activity and lethal contribution. In order to neutralize snake venom toxins, it is important to understand the toxin components or combination of toxic proteins that are causing the most lethal effects. Inasmuch as individual toxins have been evaluated, synergistic mechanisms for snake venom pathology are lacking and are warranted for antidote/antivenom development. Herein, we developed a systematic approach for the identification and quantification of Viperid and Crotalid snakes venom toxicity using a Toxicity Score. Using Western Diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) venom as a model, we found that anion exchange DEAE chromatography was more favorable in separating the venom when compared to the other chromatography methods based on number of fractions, retention of fraction activity, and venom fraction protein composition using integrated HPLC peak analysis. Fifty percent lethal concentration (LC50) values for C. atrox venom and for each fraction were determined for gelatinase activity, blood coagulation, cytotoxicity, and lethality to determine Toxicity Scores. Our results show that in the gelatinase assay, the most toxic fractions were 13, 12, 11, and 1 respectively, the most toxic fractions to exhibit blood coagulation activity were 1 4, 9, and 7 respectively and in the C2C12 cells, the most cytotoxic fractions were 9, 1, and 8 respectively. Overall, we found that the most toxic fractions consisted of SVMP, SVSP, PLA2, CRiSP, and CTL. Crude venom exhibited a Toxicity Score of 16.89 in an in vivo lethality assay; however, individual fractions did not cause any observable lethal effects after 48 hrs. Although this method allows for the observation of synergistic effects between the fractions, we did not observe any due to the variance in protein abundance (%), and a lack of individually isolated proteins. These data shed new light on the utility of a Toxicity Score to account for the most toxic snake venom component/s and will provide a model in which priority can be given for antidote targets. Furthermore, our approach can be adaptable to a variety of complex venoms to help elucidate the venom toxicity and synergistic effects in snake venom. Taken together, this approach will lead to further understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of snakebites in order to study synergistic effects and to create a more precise and effective antidote
Impact of grove floor management and irrigation practices on citrus root distribution
No full textTotaling approximately six million tons of production each year, the citrus industry is one of the most important in the US. The South Texas region, specially the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), ranks third in the nation when it comes to citrus production and produces more than 250,000 tons of fruit annually. Nevertheless, production can be limited due to many factors, including increasing temperatures and drought, which play a large role in total yield. Furthermore, water availability is affected by soil and management practices, which can impact tree health and production. Previous studies have shown certain management practices affect citrus root health and distribution within the soil profile. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of different management and irrigation practices on citrus root systems in the LRGV. The practices include flat or raised bed, the use of groundcover, and different irrigation techniques. Citrus roots were collected from three groves then measured using WinRHIZO software to analyze their differences in root distribution and morphology. Treatments and irrigation affected root growth at each site depending on the soil type and location. Clay soils reduced root parameters overall and sandy soils improved when using the management treatments. Management efforts that improve the soil environments for tree roots have shown to positively impact tree and root growth
Feed forward neural network approach for diagnosing the faulty functioning in digital circuits
No full textThis study explains a technique for modeling multiple faults in digital circuits developed on the basis of Neural Network. This study is performed by collecting information from models expressed in Verilog hardware description language. The method uses various quantities of chosen circuit test data, which is generated by introducing single stuck-at faults into the sequential circuit; the observed test vectors which is generated by using Design for Testability (DFT) are then applied to train models of neural network expressed in MATLAB. The neural network models trained are capable of replicating circuit behavior in the presence of faults. The research is based on a benchmark ISCAS-S27 sequential circuit. This approach generates more accurate models than previously published methods. In the presence of faults, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is
able to replicate the circuit output