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The epidemic of mental health amongst young adults
No full textThe trends of mental health issues among young adults over time, and the impact on the demographics in the year 2022.Health SciencesBusines
Development and validation of a self-report instrument assessing psychological closeness to suicide methods
No full textPsychological closeness—defined by construal level theory as the perceptual proximity that one has to an object, event, or person,1 may be relevant to one’s practical capability for suicide. Psychological closeness to preferred suicide methods has been robustly linked to increases in suicidal intent and behaviors over follow-up periods ranging from 2 hours to 1 month, with large effect sizes. Preliminary work was limited by unclear definitions of “psychological closeness” and single-item measures.
The aims of this study were to:
1. Refine the conceptualization of psychological closeness to suicide methods through stakeholder feedback.
2. Develop and validate a brief self-report measure to comprehensively assess psychological closeness to suicide methods in research/clinical settings.PsychologySocial Wor
Assessing Lidar-Based Forest Structure Change of Ground Beetle Habitat Association within the Rocky Mountain National Park Neon Site
No full textMy research focuses on the application of lidar derived metrics and change in forest structure as habitat variables for three species of ground beetle (Calathus advena, Pterostichus restrictus, and Pterostichus protractus) found in the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) NEON site. Temporal analysis of forest structure using lidar-derived metrics is an infrequently studied topic due to the cost of acquiring lidar data. Fortunately, the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) provides freely available lidar data collected over several years which facilitates lidar-based change detection. The changes in forest structure being identified using lidar derived metrics to quantify portions of the forest structure as habitat variables. Calathus advena and Pterostichus restrictus appear to associate with forest structures that can be represented by Gap Fraction and mean canopy height, but Pterostichus protractus did not associate with any forest structure represented by the lidar metrics calculated in this study. Further, I found that there was no significant change in beetle population attributable to the temporal change in forest structure. Based on limitations of the lidar metrics, it is possible that there was not enough change in forest structure to influence a change in ground beetle presence from year to year. Additionally, the generalizing nature of the lidar metrics calculated in this study may have reduced any meaningful representation of forest structure. It is also possible that the species included in this study are not readily influenced by minor changes in forest structure.Geography and Environmental Studie
A Western Lens Provides a Western Frame: A Literature Review of Human Sexuality Across Time and Culture
No full textHuman sexuality is a topic of interest that is gaining traction as time progresses. Understanding human sexuality remains a challenge because of humanity’s proneness toward ethnocentrism and the generalizability of research findings on the topic. This literature review examines the human sexual experience in context or setting. The literature on this topic published in Psychology and Anthropology databases, popular textbooks, along with the works of Sir Richard Burton and additional contemporary Victorian authors, has been written from a Western perspective which has framed the way we have viewed human sexuality across time and context. This literature review will begin with background information on the existing theories for how human sexuality has been approached in social sciences, provide some insight on the variance of sexual attitudes and behaviors between and within cultures, show changes in human sexuality over time, identify universals which may exist across time and context, and give examples of factors which have controlled and given shape to sexual expression. The focus of this research is to summarize and compare pre-existing literature, often outdated and biased, and call for fresh additional intercultural research to be conducted through a more objective lens.Psycholog
Analysis of reflectograms of pile integrity test using image processing technique
No full textPile foundations are typically used for major constructions and in cases when the soil at shallow depths is insufficient to withstand excessive settlement, uplift, and so on. Excavating a hole in the ground and filling it with concrete with various types of reinforcement is how cast-in-situ piles are constructed. It has become clear that even the most advanced piling technique can't guarantee flawless results. Integrity testing identifies areas with reduced cross-sections (necking) or poor material qualities. Minor faults, such as microscopic cracks, can often be predicted, but their nature must be confirmed through visual inspection. The main objective of this thesis work is to identify the condition of the cast-in-situ pile and to identify the faulty piles. From recent studies, Sonic Integrity Testing (SIT) is a type of low-strain testing that is an effective instrument for detecting faults and estimating pile length. The success of integrity testing in its current state is dependent on two key factors: the quality of gathered signals and the interpreter's experience. A computer-based analysis of the test results is required to determine the best result in place of the human.
As highlighted in the ICE manual handbook, CIRIA 144 (1997), proposes a taxonomy of three types (Type 0, 1, and 2) of Reflectogram signal responses. Here, MATLAB is used to create an image-based analysis that digitally represents the signal type. After that, the data is sorted in an Excel file for numerical analysis. The created method was used on 204 signals of 68 piles at SKS LPG Mongla, with 2 piles classified as Type 0, 171 piles classified as Type 1, and 31 piles classified as Type 2. The image-based algorithm and expert judgment were found to be almost identical. Because the analysis is so good, it's more practical to apply it instead of the traditional approaches for pile testing mechanisms.Engineerin
Study of Systematic Error in Biaxial Torque, and Magnetic Characterization of Strontium Ferrite
No full textMagnetic anisotropy (MA) describes how the magnetic properties of materials, such as ferri- and ferromagnetic thin films and composites, change with the field angle. To determine a sample’s magnetic anisotropy constant, torque curves are used, obtained either directly with a torque magnetometer (TM) or indirectly with a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). While most TMs operate only at room temperature, a biaxial VSM can measure torque at various temperatures. VSM torque curves often show a 2θ background due to sample misalignments or asymmetry, caused by the sensitivity matrix's position dependence of the VSM pickup coil-set.
This thesis investigates the magnetic torque of 3D-printed strontium ferrite/PA-12 samples using a biaxial VSM and compares these measurements with those from a torque magnetometer. Torque curves were recorded from 16-22 kOe at 2 kOe intervals for a 4.8 mm wire and a 1.23 mm dot sample using a MicroSense EZ9 VSM. Fourier analysis determined the second harmonics from each torque curve. The wire samples’ biaxial torque curves showed a larger torque amplitude background due to Y-coil cross-talk, stemming from the sample's asymmetry and misalignment on the sample-holder. Background interference can be minimized by using cylindrically symmetric samples and precise mounting.
The magnetic anisotropy constants determined from the torque curves measured with the TM slightly depend on the sample size and shape. A model was developed to describe the torque exerted on the sample by the image dipoles of the pole pieces. A 2 component is present in the torque curve even for a perfectly centered sample. The centering of the sample is also expected to affect the torque though. Direct measurements using a permanent magnet in zero field show however that the image effect might be smaller than 0.120 dyne.cm for a sample with a magnetic moment of 1.3 emu. In addition, the effect of the sample’s stray field on the field sensor however can also contribute to a background in the torque curve.
Furthermore, the 3D printed strontium ferrite sample was characterized through VSM to investigate the coercivity and magnetic anisotropy for different field directions. It was noticed that the easy axis of the 3D printed samples was at an oblique angle in between the print-bed normal and the extrusion direction.Physic
The Legal Violence of Liminal Status: Navigating United States Immigration Courts and Asylum Seeking
No full textAlthough “open to the public”, immigration courts are obscure administrative bodies that rule on life-or-death asylum decisions in a traffic court equivalent setting. The objective of this study is to identify the geographic unevenness inherent in what should be a uniform federal application of immigration law across the U.S. This study uses a mixed methods approach including a qualitative institutional ethnography of the immigration court system, case precedence analysis, and quantitative analyses of data from the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) immigration court proceedings and outcomes. Legal violence experienced by those seeking asylum or another means of regularizing their immigration status is normalized via unjust processing through an overburdened system that changes based on geographic jurisdictions. This study includes three specific aims at three distinct scales of analysis. (1) At the national level, this study explores liminal (in-between) statuses for migrants in removal from northern Central American countries that exclude them from full immigration benefits and may subject them to removal in the future. (2) At the regional level, this study highlights the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals as the worst for asylum outcomes and the most conservative on immigration laws and appeals, highlighting disparity based in geographic jurisdictions. (3) At the local level, this study followed migrants’ processes and interactions within immigration court actors in the 5th Circuit jurisdiction, analyzing the small human interactions that courtroom actors and migrants use to connect and direct administrative processes. Ultimately, this research brings to light the increased vulnerability of migrants with liminal or in-between legal status; either waiting for asylum decisions or falling out of the system through case terminations due to extensive backlogs and the complex nature of immigration law.Geography and Environmental Studie
The Relationship Between Family Structure Variations and Political Socialization of Children
No full textParents are one of the principal factors in a child’s political socialization. This means that children emulate their parents as role models in their political affiliations, beliefs, and practices. There is a large amount of research supporting this, but majoritively about two married-parent households. Does this hold true and at the same rates of transmission in other family structures? The problem addressed by this study was answered through an online survey looking at whether there is a relationship between variations in family structure and parental political socialization. The definition of family has dramatically changed over the past 50 years, from two-parent families to other variations such as LGBTQ+ parents, single parents, and stepparents and is now often quite complex. Many parents wish to transmit their affiliations to their children, but it is unknown how family structure plays a role in the transmission, or the passing on of ideas, especially after the child has left the home. Using an online survey distributed through email, data from students was collected. It was found that biological mothers were the most influential parental factor in a child’s political socialization. Children growing up in a married-two-parent family household had a significant relationship with their parents’ political affiliations and ideologies, while all other family structures did not. Political communication was implied to be unimportant while political behavior was. 5,300 surveys were sent out but due to a small number of responses, not all hypotheses were testable.Political Scienc
Towards Constructing a Tunable Register Allocator
No full textCompilers are the unseen heroes of Computer Science. They apply transformations to source code that improve the performance of applications so that users may use them without fault. The register allocation process is a critical phase of the compiler, assigning program values to fast access storage known as registers. Efficient register allocation can address memory wall challenges, but it is difficult given the task of assigning a finite number of registers to an infinite number of variables in a program, a problem that is NP-Complete. This is further complicated due to varying allocation policies that exist between different architectures. The lack of runtime and system information also makes efficient register allocation challenging. Although work has been done to improve the amount of information available during the register allocation process, it can still be limiting by what information is available in general. Documentation can also be sparse beyond developers choosing to explore a compiler’s source code to understand how it works, let alone the register allocation procedure.
Our research explores ways to create a tunable register allocator. We detail a general overview of the current state of compiler implementations. We explain how one popular compiler toolchain technology, LLVM, performs this, along with a detailed description of its register allocation process. We then investigate ways to expose tunable parameters at the live range level for better control of the register allocation process. Using hardware performance counters, we can provide feedback to the register allocator at the instructions level. We see how learning about certain hardware counters, such as cache miss events, on a variable reference in a baseline allocation can help the compiler develop a better allocation policy. We finally analyze different performance monitoring metrics and how these may be integrated with the register allocator implemented by LLVM.Computer Scienc
Exploring Holistic Medicine in Mexican American Culture: A Perspective on Sobadores and Curanderos
No full textMexican American communities use a variety of alternative approaches to well-being and healthcare rooted in indigenous knowledge. This study explores how the integration of holistic medicine practices contributes to the overall health and healthcare experiences of Mexican Americans and shapes their diverse approaches to healing. The research employs a literature review study, focusing on holistic Mexican American medicine, particularly through traditional healers such as curanderos and sobadores. Through a combination of secondary sources and interviews with practitioners in south Texas, this research aims to shed light on the cultural practices these healers employ in their training, and spiritual preparation, as well as the techniques they use in the diagnosis and treatment of alignments. Additionally, it will cover the varying outcomes for patients/clients who consult traditional healers for remedies. It concludes by comparing Western medicine with holistic medicine, exploring factors influencing patients' healthcare choices. Emphasizing the need for ongoing exploration into socio-cultural elements shaping healthcare decisions among Mexican Americans, this research contributes to the evolving discussion about access to healthcare in minority communities. It also highlights opportunities to create a more inclusive healthcare environment while advancing a deeper understanding of the dynamic interconnections between culture, health, and healing within Mexican American communities in Texas.Anthropolog