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Distant Suns: Eva Peng Part I
Get PDFDistant Suns: Eva Peng Part I is the first part of a novel-in-progress. Eva Peng Part I covers the first half of one of four nested stories. It was written with a critical preface in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Building Positive Gender Expressions Among Mexican-American College Students
Get PDFThis thesis explores the need for college programs to nurture and support positive gender expressions among Mexican-American college students. It does so through a historical and cultural analysis of gender identities and expressions within the Mexican community and how they impact the lives of Mexican-American college students. Additionally, it offers an exploration of potential practices and programs that support the development of positive identity and gender expressions, with a lens of intersectionality, to ensure students are allowed to critically explore and develop gender identities that move away from domination/subservience power structures and that are founded on their unique cultural background
Relations Between Printability And Rheology In A Ceramic Paste Extrusion Process
Get PDFCeramic additive manufacturing (AM) uses the same fundamentals as material extrusion (MEX) that utilizes polymers or resins for printing applications. Ceramic AM uses the same process of slicing an STL file to determine a toolpath for the printer that will facilitate material deposition to manufacture full parts; ceramic AM also provides a low-cost advantage when compared to processes that require high powered lasers for melting metal powders or heated nozzles used for dispensing thermoplastics. Despite having the similar design freedom and ability for rapid prototyping that other printing methods benefit from with the addition of low cost, ceramic AM has unique challenges and disadvantages that must be understood and characterized before benefitting from the roles that ceramic parts can fill.Ceramic pastes are vulnerable to drying, which can cause nozzle clogging and cracking after deposition. They are also heavily reliant on the initial chemical formulation and accompanying material characteristics since ceramic pastes need to be easily extruded while maintaining shape after deposition, mitigating the drying effects mentioned earlier, and must have the ability to produce a high-density ceramic part after sintering. These challenges compound when considering a final part since favorable changes that affect shape retention may negatively impact drying, and changes that positively impact drying may affect the density of the final part due to the inclusion of voids after extrusion. Ceramic AM depends on the shear thinning and shape retention characteristics of paste, thus, it is important to obtain rheological characteristics of the paste and the effects of printing conditions on that paste. This research focuses on the rheological characterization of barium titanate ceramic paste and dimensional characterization of printed single 50 mm long ceramic beads in response to changes in ceramic solid loading volume percent, PEG molecular weight, and print parameters such as extrusion factor, print velocity, and nozzle type. A full factorial design of experiments was made using 5 factors with 2 levels for a total of 32 runs. Beads were printed, then scanned 10 times in intervals of one minute. A separate container of paste was then taken and used to determine material properties using rheology. This was done to determine the significance of each variable on the dimensions and leveling of ceramic beads, which would provide insight into the requirements that would produce successful beads with favorable characteristics and measurements matching the intended dimensions. This research was impactful since characterizing single beads can be expanded to the outcome of a full part without the necessity of longer print times and more material waste that would come with printing full parts. Although full parts printed at the end of this experiment were not successful, bead characterization was used to determine the challenges associated with printing each paste using different factors. The printed beads exhibited errors that were also present in printed parts while also providing data to determine the most impactful factors without using the larger amount of time and material required for printing parts. Measurements of printed beads collected using a laser profilometer determined that lower solid loading vol% and PEG molecular weight caused greater deformation after extrusion and beads lost 22.2% of their height over 10 minutes. Beads printed using high solid loading vol% and PEG molecular weight had better shape retention, only losing 4.2% height over 10 minutes with no increase in width, however, these beads also experienced discontinuities due to nozzle clogging. Rheology of these pastes revealed that high solid loading vol% had significantly greater yield stress and flow point values, having a magnitude increase of 728% and 1,385.3%, respectively, when considering 39BTO-12-400 and 55BTO-12-400. A statistical analysis of the results determined that a combination of high extrusion factor and high PEG molecular weight was most impactful for producing viable beads using both solid loading vol%, while the best overall combination was high extrusion factor, high PEG molecular weight, and high solid loading. Based on the statistical analysis, print velocity and nozzle type had no impact, while solid loading was the most significant, followed by extrusion factor, and finally PEG molecular weight. Statistically significant parameters identified using ANOVA were used to print four parts to determine if dimensionally accurate parts could be printed using the best levels for each factor. Although printing was successful, the extrusion factor was insufficient for the designated standoff distance and layer height used for each part, resulting in discontinuities and clogging, which were the same issues present in single bead printing
Fundamental Reporting Differences in Nonprofit Operating Models
Get PDFNot all nonprofit organizations rely on donations to achieve their social mission. Some nonprofit organizations, which Dart (2004) classifies as social enterprises, generate revenue through commercial transactions. This study identifies significant operating, monitoring, and efficiency differences between traditional fundraisers and social enterprises. Using panel data and fixed effects regressions, I find that social enterprises report more revenue persistence and better program ratios - a common metric for evaluating nonprofit performance - than traditional fundraisers. I also find that social enterprises are less likely to audit their financial statements than traditional fundraisers. Furthermore, when evaluating operating efficiency, social enterprises appear to have a higher asset turnover to program revenues, suggesting that this model may be more concerned with the operating efficiency of the social program. These results provide evidence that if the operating model is not considered, financial information can give misleading results when comparing traditional fundraisers and social enterprises. Additionally, the operating model may drive management decisions about investments, operations, and external monitoring, defining different goals in nonprofit behavior
Our Author is Crazy
Get PDFThis thesis delves into the realm of young adult (YA) fantasy literature, exploring how its meta-narrative elements, fast-paced story beats, and relatable characters can facilitate the acquisition of healthy coping mechanisms among its readers. In the preface, I discuss the importance of providing YA audiences with narratives that not only entertain but also serve as tools for navigating the complexities of adolescence. Drawing upon psychological theories and literary analysis, I argue that meta-awareness in YA fantasy can offer readers a unique perspective on their own struggles and encourage them to develop resilience and coping skills.
The accompanying YA Fantasy story follows Raz, a character aware of his fictional existence, the Author\u27s existence, and the reader\u27s existence. After being created in the opening chapter, he is thrust into OC World, where he meets his new housemates. A group of highly intense OCs with their own problems and quirks that Raz can\u27t wrap his head around. However, that\u27s the least of his concerns, as the Author has a bet with him that they didn\u27t bother to tell Raz about. Now Raz has to figure out the nature of the bet, survive this new crazy world and his housemates, all while hoping his own mental mindscape holds up.
By intertwining the theoretical framework presented in the preface with the narrative exploration of the YA fantasy story, this thesis aims to demonstrate the potential of literature to serve as a catalyst for personal growth and resilience in young readers as well as tell an engaging and fun story
Selective Transfection Of A Transferrin Receptor-Expressing Cell Line With Dna-Lipid Nanoparticles And Synthesis Of Parasite-Derived Glycans As Biomarkers For Leishmaniasis
Get PDFDespite notable progress in lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mediated gene delivery, achieving selective transfection of specific cell types, such as cancer cells, remains a significant hurdle, hindering the advancement of innovative gene therapies. In this study, we engineered an LNP formulation encapsulating plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding the monomeric Green Lantern (mGL) fluorescent reporter protein. The DT7 peptide ligand targeting human transferrin receptor 1 (hTfR1) was also conjugated to the LNP surface for targeted delivery to hTfR1-expressing cells. Optimization of LNP composition yielded favorable particle diameter, ζ-potential, yield, and pDNA encapsulation efficiency. Evaluation of transfection selectivity using a panel of two engineered cell lines, CHO-TRVb-hTfR1 expressing hTfR1 and CHO-TRVb-neo lacking this receptor, was accomplished through flow cytometry, measuring the expression of the fluorescent mGL protein. Our experiments revealed a dose-dependent mGL expression in the evaluated range of LNP concentrations, with up to 20% transfection efficiency in CHO-TRVb-hTfR1 cells and markedly lower efficiency (up to 4%) in CHO-TRVb-neo cells, indicating a five-fold enhanced selectivity for hTfR1-expressing cells. These findings suggest the potential of this LNP platform, or similar ones modified with DT7, for in vivo applications, particularly in the selective targeting of malignant cells overexpressing hTfR1. Further work aims to enhance LNP selectivity, including the development of dual-targeting LNPs and exploring additional ligands for improved therapeutic precision
Towards a More Subtle (and Hopefully More Adequate) Fuzzy And -Operation: Normalization-Invariant Multi-Input Aggregation Operators
Get PDFMany reasonable conditions have been formulated for a fuzzy and -operation: idempotency, commutativity, associativity, etc. It is known that the only and -operation that satisfies all these conditions is minimum, but minimum is not the most adequate description of expert\u27s and , and it often does not lead to the best control or the best decision. Many other more adequate and -operations (t-norms) have been proposed and effectively used, but they do not satisfy the natural idempotency condition. In this paper, we show that a small relaxation of the usual description of and -operations leads to the possibility of non-minimum idempotent operations. We also show that another natural condition -- of normalization invariance -- uniquely determines the resulting and -operation. This new and -operation is not only more intuitive, it leads to better application results
Haiga in the borderland: Sociolinguistic perception and variable production among bilinguals in El Paso
Get PDFThe linguistic variant haiga in the Ciudad Juárez, Mexico – El Paso, Texas border region is often a stigmatized feature within the bilingual community. This non-standard form, derived from haya (the present subjunctive of haber “to be” in Spanish) carries negative social connotations and is often perceived as incorrect. Our aim was to investigate the use and attitudes towards haiga in the bilingual population at the U. S. – Mexico border. A text infilling task was employed to elicit the use of haiga and an attitude elicitation task using memes was used to investigate the participants attitudes towards the form. The text infilling task revealed an important overall occurrence of haiga. Results showed that the Spanish-dominant bilinguals had the lowest usage of haiga and the strongest negative attitudes towards it. English-dominant bilinguals had the highest use of haiga and less negative attitudes overall towards it. Among English dominant bilinguals, those whose first language is English did not show a clear pattern of assigning specific sociolinguistic indexes to the use of haiga. The text infilling task also showed an overall preference for using haiga when presented as a main verb as compared to an auxiliary verb. Our results also pointed to a positive shift in attitudes towards haiga, as it is not associated with rurality and lack of class, but to a characteristic feature of border speech, and used mainly in informal contexts
Unraveling The Behavioral Ecology Of The Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (crotalus Atrox) Through The Lenses Of Personality, Predator-Prey Interactions, And Crypsis
Get PDFTo thrive in an environment, individuals need to be able to forage efficiently and acquire mates. These resources are limited, and their acquisition depends upon the energy and time an individual chooses to allocate to each activity and the environmental conditions, leading to behavioral trade-offs. Different species, or even different individuals within the same population, respond to these trade-offs by employing contrasting strategies, leading to differential life-history outcomes. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to gain a better understanding of the trade-offs cryptic ambush mesopredators are facing using the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) as a model species. Each chapter of this dissertation focuses on different aspects of these trade-offs: personality, predator-prey interactions, and camouflage strategies.In Chapter 1, I investigated personality in wild western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) across five axes: activity, exploration, boldness, sociability, and reactivity. The objectives of this chapter were to develop a protocol to successfully test personality traits in rattlesnakes following these axes and to determine whether Crotalus atrox exhibits repeatable personality traits and behavioral syndromes. To do so, 22 wild rattlesnakes were captured and submitted to a series of captive behavioral trials. Crotalus atrox exhibited individual differences that were repeatable through time across the five previously mentioned axes. Activity was the only axis that was sex-dependent, with males moving more than females on average. Moreover, these axes were grouped into three personality dimensions: reactivity, exploration, and activity-boldness-sociability. This last personality dimension provides evidence for the presence of a behavioral syndrome (i.e., correlation between several personality axes) within this species. This chapter provides a repeatable and ecologically relevant protocol to study personality in rattlesnakes. Crotalus atrox exhibits individual behavioral differences consistent through time and behavioral syndromes comparable to other species. This chapter provides a baseline to answer questions pertinent to personality in rattlesnakes such as conflict management and will help provide insights into the secretive life of serpents. In Chapter 2, I investigated the effect of personality on the spatial ecology of the western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) and tested the predictions that bolder, more active and exploratory individuals will move more and have larger territories compared to shyer and less active individuals. I tracked 14 rattlesnakes for one year and then I assessed their personality in captivity across four different axes: activity, boldness, exploration, and reactivity. Bolder and more active individuals traveled more than shy, less active individuals, but only during the non-mating season. Shy individuals increased their movement rate significantly more than bold individuals during the mating season, thus leading to no significant difference in movements between shy and bold individuals during the mating season. Moreover, less bold and less active individuals were more responsive to the change in reproductive status. These results suggest the existence of two different strategies for resources acquisition within the same population, indicating that the pace-of life-syndrome hypothesis (i.e., species or individuals exhibit distinct set of physiological and behavioral traits that evolved with their specific life-history requirements) may be context-dependent. Ultimately, my results show that the existence of different life-history strategies within the same population are dependent upon the reproductive status of these individuals. In Chapter 3, I researched how the landscape of fear affects the foraging decisions of Crotalus atrox by investigating factors influencing detection risk and prey availability. To do so, 30 biologically accurate 3D-printed snake replicas, each associated with a game camera, were deployed at Indio Mountains Research Station for two years to estimate the spatiotemporal factors affecting prey availability and predation risk. Concurrently, 25 Crotalus atrox were radiotracked at the same site to gather activity and microhabitat selection data regarding this species. Random-forest algorithms were trained using data obtained from the game camera and applied to predict the probability of predation and the probability of prey encounter for each radiotracking event. Time of the day, month, vegetation structure, and concealment percentage all had a significant effect on the probabilities of predation and prey encounters. Overall, rattlesnakes chose to be active when and where the probability of prey encounters was significantly higher than the probability of detection by predators, thus following optimal foraging theory. In conclusion, this study showed that the combination of 3D-printed models, game cameras, and telemetry provided effective and non-invasive methods to study predator-prey dynamics. In Chapter 4, I investigated the trade-offs between background matching and thermoregulation in western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). Rattlesnakes were predicted to better match selected microhabitats in terms of color, luminance, and pattern than random microhabitats within their home range. Body temperature was predicted to influence their body coloration with higher temperatures favoring lighter colors. Pictures of 14 radiotracked western diamond-backed rattlesnakes were taken in situ with a full spectrum camera (UV/VIS) and body temperature was recovered from internal temperature-datalogging radiotransmitters. Crotalus atrox matched the color, luminance, and pattern of the background better than a randomly selected background, thus enhancing background matching. Additionally, rattlesnake coloration varied independently of temperature indicating that rattlesnakes are behaviorally modifying crypsis regardless of thermoregulation
Fighting For A Health Diagnosis: An Autoethnographic Journey Into The Role Of Access And Limitations Of Resilience In The Face Of Poverty
Get PDFThis research represents a highly personalized account of the complexities, interpretations, and reflections of the journey of a doctoral student navigating the challenges of health through access on a U.S.-Mexico border. Using myself as the subject and the researcher in the social context of schooling provided the impetus for this self-study. Through an insider’s vantage point, I have chronicled and traced the experiences of my own identities’ transitions and multilayered intersectionality using the qualitative methodology of autoethnography. This genre of qualitative research brings the reader closer to the subculture studied through the author’s experiences.
While every story has its unique layers of complexities, the introspection, and evaluation provided by the methodology of autoethnography greatly facilitates an understanding of the processes of concepts constructions through a lens of the theory of resilience. The distinctive impact this dissertation makes on interdisciplinary health sciences is the aim to incorporate autoethnographic research into a popular narrative with cultural viewpoints of the lived understanding as praxis for public health. I am for this to be a new way of approaching community-engaged research. I contend that legitimizing social and individual elements of the lived experience is a way to comprehend the culture and the politics of dealing with hardships such as illness, violence, and residual effects of ongoing complex-trauma. The experiences I have encountered, the problems I have faced, and the interpretations derived from them will strengthen my own practices as a social justice activist and provide insight into the ever-changing positioning of nationality, gender, race, and social class perspectives within distinct geographical and political socio-contexts.
The themes that I address in this introspective journey revolve around the power of identity, utilization, and access. Concepts such as social class status, gender, and disability/different abilities, in context, are mentioned through theories of resilience, with a greater focus on the redefining and role of education in fighting mental health and social class stigma, resisting “giving in,” and “giving up,” and forging a new path to survive and thrive in adversity. This qualitative autoethnographic study was the process by which I, a woman struggling with financial and health concerns, was able to evocatively and therapeutically write about the traumatic events I experienced. It was also the method by which I decided to disclose how I moved from being an at-risk Special Education student and high-school dropout to refusing to settle and concurrently strengthened my resilience. This study demonstrated the basic tenets of autoethnography and how, by overcoming mental health concerns, thriving while facing financial struggles and housing insecurity, and refusing to abandon seeking a correct medical diagnosis, I was able to embrace the spirit of forgiveness and increase my resilience. Insights into the discourse of a dysfunctional family are shared, allowing me to offer a message of hope and shatter stereotypes. The study concludes that autoethnography, as a process, permits tapping into new-found autonomy. Autoethnographically, this study represents my life journey, but it can represent the life of many readers who have lived in the United States in disadvantaged conditions and/or have encountered physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse. This study legitimized and validated my story as a survivor. Consequently, the plot of the story focuses on the long-term effect of trauma, how I coped, and how I am now, thriving through it all. Focusing on the acts and conditions while incorporating dialogue permitted me to involve the reader more closely in the story.
I leaned on my doctoral studies to expand my understanding of the abuse and financial disadvantages I experienced (Holt, 2003). I found that resilience was central to my life story. Embracing resiliency empowered me to discover new ways of thinking about my life experiences, which included using an interdisciplinary approach or a positive model that offered “alternatives to the deficits-based explanatory models of environmental determinants of health that have dominated the literature” to accept the raw and cruel encounters I was exposed to and turn my thoughts into a healthier way of thinking (McWhirter, L., Ritchie, C., Stone, J., & Carson, A. (2020). Tugade and Fredrickson (2004, p. 320) would say that I obtained a psychological resilience to effectively cope and adapt, even though I faced “loss, hardship, or adversity.” Ultimately, I discovered that resilience is a “state, a condition and a practice” (Knight, 2007, p. 544).
Keywords: Theory of resilience; Theory of identity; Gender; Social Class; Post-Traumatic Growth; Health Care Access; Resources; Reactive Attachment Disorder; Health Equity; Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE); Mental Distress; Resilience; Stressful life events; Trauma & Healing; Complex Diagnosis; Recovery