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Evaluation of Salt-Free Electrodialysis Metathesis for High Recovery Inland Desalination Brine Management
No full textSalt-Free Electrodialysis Metathesis (SF-EDM) is an emerging electro-driven membrane technology designed to minimize brine discharge while enabling selective ion separation and resource recovery. This dissertation presents an evaluation of SF-EDM, spanning bench-scale studies with synthetic brine from the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in Alamogordo, NM, real reverse osmosis (RO) brines from the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Desalination Plant in El Paso, TX, and finally a weeklong pilot demonstration at the Yuma Desalting Plant in Yuma, AZ. Bench-scale experiments established process feasibility and performance trends, while pilot results revealed the value of pre-treatment and system configuration. SF-EDM demonstrated high hydraulic recovery (up to 97%) and total system recovery of 99% when combined with upstream RO. Calcium and sulfate were successfully partitioned into two separate concentrate streams, offering downstream valorization opportunities and validating the permselectivity of the monovalent ion exchange membranes. This study further assessed the implications of full-scale integration on water quality and scaling risk using the Yuma Desalting plant as a case study. These findings confirm the potential of SF-EDM as a scalable solution for inland desalination brine management that poses opportunities for resource recovery and supporting the transition to a circular economy
Systematics Of African River Frogs (anura: Pyxicephalidae: Amietia) In Central Africa, With The Description Of Two New Species
No full textAmietia is a pyxicephalid anuran genus that is prevalent throughout central, southern, and eastern portions of sub-Saharan Africa. Recent phylogenetic studies have been in conflict regarding the validity and composition of several Amietia species in the Albertine Rift region. The goals of this study are to: (1) generate an updated molecular phylogeny for Central African Amietia with new sampling; (2) clarify the relationship between the previously unsampled taxa A. amieti and A. chapini; (3) clarify the status of A. desaegeri; and (4) confirm the taxonomic status of potentially new species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods were used to generate phylogenetic trees from three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, and cyt b) genes and one nuclear (RAG1) gene. Based on my findings, I synonymize A. amieti (Laurent, 1976) and A. sp. 6 (sensu Larson et al. 2016) with A. chapini (Noble, 1924), and A. desaegeri (Laurent, 1972) with A. nutti (Boulenger, 1896). I describe two new species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift, a region renowned for its amphibian endemicity
Still Life of a Girl Gathering Membrillos
No full textStill Life of a Girl Gathering Membrillos is a poetry collection in which the speaker (myself) reflects on childhood and intergenerational trauma, as well as the fragmentation of memories over the passage of time and through historical and cultural contexts. The reader becomes a witness to life-altering moments of sexual assault, imposed cultural and religious beliefs, familial dysfunction, and chronic illness. The effects of these experiences are both internalized and externalized in adulthood, confronted by the speaker through writing and art. The speaker is thinking in retrospection, reflecting on pivotal moments of youth stitched together through dreamlike instances or unreliable memories which she struggles to cope with. The poems carry a self-awareness that addresses the nuance of language and the difficulty of confronting trauma through language and poetry
\u27She Hys Dwelling-Place\u27: Corporeality And Female Sanctity From The Medieval To The Post-Modern
No full textThe intention of this thesis is to explore the ways that medieval sanctity has been performed by the female body in the Middle Ages and now, and how the sanctity represented and received in the hagiographical writings of the Middle Ages is redeployed in the visual culture of 21st century horror film. In other words, it will trace how medieval hagiographical conventions surrounding sanctity either persist in their original forms or are altered for 21st century audiences, to the end of contributing to ubiquitous discourses of femininity as it relates to the corporeal body
The Moderating Effects Of Motivation And ADHD On The Relationship Between Academic Burnout And Prescription Stimulant Misuse Among College Students With ADHD
No full textThis study examined whether ADHD symptom severity and motivational orientations moderate relationships between academic burnout and stimulant outcomes in college students with ADHD symptoms. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 180 undergraduate students who screened positive for ADHD symptoms completed measures assessing academic burnout, motivation orientations, ADHD symptomatology, and prescription stimulant misuse behaviors and expectancies. Testing these moderation hypotheses addresses important gaps in understanding risk and protective factors that may influence stimulant misuse risk. Negative binomial regression was employed for stimulant misuse analyses using the full sample (N = 180), while linear regression examined expectancies across all participants. Results revealed one significant finding and consistent null effects across moderation analyses. Academic burnout did not directly predict either prescription stimulant misuse or positive expectancies about stimulants, contradicting self-medication models. None of the hypothesized moderation effects were supported, suggesting that relationships between academic stress and stimulant outcomes operate universally rather than conditionally across individual characteristics. The single significant finding provided important support for self-determination theory: extrinsic motivation significantly predicted positive stimulant expectancies (β = .181, p = .013), accounting for 4.73% of variance. Students driven by external rewards and approval developed more favorable beliefs about prescription stimulants\u27 potential benefits. However, given the multiple hypotheses tested (eight total), this finding requires replication to rule out Type 1 error. These findings indicate that academic burnout and prescription stimulant misuse represent independent psychological processes requiring separate explanatory frameworks rather than overlapping self-medication phenomena. The consistent null moderation findings suggest that relationships between academic motivation, ADHD symptoms, and stimulant-related outcomes are more stable and universal than current theoretical models propose. The strong correlational relationships between burnout and motivational variables suggest that future research should examine sequential pathways to better understand underlying mechanisms. Practically, addressing academic burnout and prescription stimulant misuse requires distinct intervention approaches. Campus interventions should focus on creating autonomy-supportive educational environments while providing separate, targeted prevention programs for stimulant misuse. The study\u27s theoretical implications highlight the need for replication studies examining mediation pathways to better understand the mechanisms underlying prescription stimulant phenomena in academic contexts
A Brighter Future Lies Ahead? The Impact of Juvenile Records on Adults\u27 Hiring Prospects
No full textHaving a record can make obtaining employment difficult - while the stigma against criminal records is well established, the effects of a juvenile record on hiring outcomes is less clear. Juvenile records can often be sealed; however, when sealing is not done consistently or transparently, people with juvenile records face a difficult decision when applying for jobs - disclose a record that may be sealed, or omit information about a record that shows up on a background check? Experiment 1 used a hypothetical applicant paradigm with a sample of hiring managers to evaluate the impact of juvenile record disclosure and background check report on hiring outcomes. Results suggest that juvenile records can be harmful to employment outcomes, as applicants with a juvenile record on their background check were penalized compared to applicants without a record on their background check. Experiment 2 used a correspondence audit to evaluate the effect of disclosing a juvenile record on hiring outcomes. Response rates were between 8% and 14% but did not significantly differ between different disclosure methods. These experiments highlight the detrimental nature of juvenile records, raise questions regarding hiring managers\u27 practices and the ability to disclose a juvenile record, and support the argument for strict adherence to record sealing policy
The Role of Occupational Therapy in Postnatal Mental Health: An Eight-Week Postpartum Program
No full textPostpartum mental health includes various conditions such as postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression amongst others (Barbic Skye et al., 2021). Rates of postpartum depression (PPD) have been increasing in recent years, impacting mothers, children and entire families by changing the way a mother interacts with others (WHO, 2024). Postpartum mothers face unique challenges when transitioning into motherhood resulting in increased maternal stress and ultimately leading to PPD or PPA. Although rates of PPD and PPA are increasing, there is limited research involving non-pharmaceutical treatment options for new mothers.
Occupational therapy (OT) plays a vital role in maternal mental health because it addresses various challenges mothers face during this critical time. Occupational therapists can work with mothers to help facilitate the transition into motherhood by teaching coping skills that promote emotional stability (Slootjes et al., 2016). Very little research addresses postpartum mental health, decreasing the number of resources available to mothers. Additionally, the role of occupational therapy (OT) in maternal mental health is a growing field, but there is limited information about OT and mothers experiencing PPD or PPA (Barbic Skye et al., 2021)
The purpose of this project is to develop an eight-week program addressing mother’s mental health up to eighteen months postpartum. The program aims to help mothers learn how to recognize symptoms of PPD and PPA, implement coping techniques to decrease symptoms, and consider techniques to smoothly transition into the role of motherhood to help improve their occupational engagement and performance.https://scholarworks.utep.edu/otcapstones/1013/thumbnail.jp
Bright Futures: A Transitional Resource Guide
No full textBright Futures: A Transitional Resource Guide (BF) is a caregiver-informed collection of personal narratives shared by 15 caregivers of children with Down syndrome (DS), designed to promote preparedness, advocacy, and connection through storytelling and peer-recommended resources during key life transitions, including starting school and entering adulthood. Professionally published on the DS Coalition for El Paso website, BF was developed in collaboration with a software developer and funded by a grant from the College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, ensuring long-term, public accessibility.
Goals of BF: Disseminate trusted resources and lived experiences among caregivers of children with DS to support fellow caregivers during key life transitions Advocate for caregivers by providing a platform to share their stories Foster a sense of community among caregivers of children with DS in the El Paso, Texas Highlight the role of occupational therapists as transition managers and caregiver support professionalshttps://scholarworks.utep.edu/otcapstones/1005/thumbnail.jp