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A Guarantee for Confusion: The Impact of Texas��� Guaranteed Tuition Legislation on Tuition and Fees
No full textIncreases in tuition and fees annually charged to students have resulted in public universities and colleges under scrutiny from state legislators. There are as many approaches to increases in tuition as there are states. States like Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma have implemented legislation requiring public institutions in their respective states to freeze tuition for students. Unlike other states, Texas has placed the requirement on institutions vs. a requirement placed upon students. This research examines the impact on average tuition and average enrollment for Texas public four-year institutions subjected to that state���s guaranteed tuition legislation, using difference-in-differences, a quasi-experimental method. Panel data from 2008 to 2019 obtained from 531 public four-year universities in the United States via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) were used to address two research questions: (1) At public four-year institutions, does the implementation of a required state-level guaranteed tuition policy option for students lead to changes in annual tuition charges of the aggregate amount of tuition paid by students over four years? (2) At public four-year institutions, does the implementation of a state-level guaranteed tuition policy option lead to changes in enrollment for students?
The analysis found the Texas legislation did not significantly increase the average annual tuition charged to in-state students. On average, the legislation did result in a .96 decrease in the average required fees. The analysis also found there were positive changes in enrollment after the imposition of the guaranteed tuition plan legislation. The findings of this study provide insight into the consequences associated Texas��� guaranteed tuition plan legislation. For state policymakers, this study suggests the way in which a guaranteed tuition plan is structured is impactful. For institutional leadership, this study suggests room for improvement in how these plans are described and marketed to students and their families
Advanced Techniques of Image Dehazing and Object Detection in Hazy Environments
No full textIntelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) represent the future of smart city transportation, heavily reliant on computer vision for tasks such as object detection and recognition. However, real-world scenarios often introduce challenges such as haze, which can significantly impact the effectiveness of computer vision systems. This dissertation addresses these challenges through the proposal of innovative methods aimed at enhancing object detection in hazy environments.
Firstly, a novel Multiple Linear Regression Haze-removal model based on Dark Channel Prior (MLDCP) is introduced. This model achieves state-of-the-art dehazing performance by optimizing the estimation of transmission maps and atmospheric light. Additionally, pre-dehazing test images using MLDCP significantly enhance object detection accuracy by improving visibility. Secondly, a Synthetic Haze Generation Model is proposed to augment existing image datasets. By introducing synthetic haze, this model enables the training of object detectors robust to hazy conditions. This approach enhances the generalizability of object detection models, enabling them to perform effectively in diverse environmental conditions. Furthermore, depth estimation is addressed using a Dilated Fully Convolutional Neural Network. By incorporating dilated convolution, this model achieves depth estimation with reduced computational costs while maintaining high accuracy. This enhancement contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the geometric relations within a scene, further improving object detection performance. Lastly, a Local Dehazing algorithm based on Dark Channel Prior is proposed. Leveraging object coordinates obtained from object detection tasks, this algorithm optimizes dehazing over specific regions, leading to improved detection accuracy on targeted objects.
Collectively, these contributions advance the field of computer vision for intelligent transportation systems and related applications in hazy environments. By addressing the challenges posed by haze, these methods offer promising solutions for improving the reliability and effectiveness of ITS in real-world settings
Consumer Food Waste While Dining Out: An Examination of Theory of Planned Behavior, Habits, Empathy, and Mindfulness
No full textThis dissertation explores behavioral intentions behind consumer food waste in the dining-out context, leveraging the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). It incorporates habits and empathy as preliminary factors influencing consumers��� intentions. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of mindfulness on food waste tolerance, thereby extending the traditional model. The sample consisted of 633 participants who have dined outside of their home at least once in the past 6 months. By employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and path regression analysis, the study examines four distinct models, highlighting the interplay between subjective norms, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and external factors such as empathy and mindfulness on food waste intentions.
Significant findings emerged from the models, indicating that empathy significantly impacts food waste intentions through attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and habits, while mindfulness moderates the empathy-intentions relationship, particularly influencing how empathy affects subjective norms and attitudes. These findings aim to offer deeper insights into the psychological underpinnings of food waste, providing a nuanced understanding of how individual differences and cognitive processes contribute to diners' propensity for food waste.
Implications of this research stretch beyond theoretical contributions, offering actionable insights for the hospitality industry and other sectors to enhance operational efficiencies, promote environmental sustainability, and foster corporate social responsibility. The study underscores the importance of targeted interventions and the potential of mindfulness and empathy in shaping consumer behavior towards food waste.
The research contributes to the literature by extending the TPB framework, introducing novel moderators, and underlining the significance of psychological factors in understanding and mitigating consumer food waste. Future research directions are proposed to further explore these dynamics and their practical applications across different contexts and cultures
John Bickham field notebook: AK4501-AK5000.pdf
No full textBound book, each page corresponds to a karyotype slide data.Data pages for AK5001-AK5500 corresponding to unique identifiers of specimens/samples examined for biological research. Specimens are primarily housed at Texas A&M University; Biodiverstiy Research and Teaching Collection
How the Presence of In-Group Peers and Experts Influence Stem Undergraduate���s Identity, Persistence, and Academic Success
No full textEfforts to confront complex societal challenges are hindered by the lack of diversity in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As education is a social enterprise, investigating how social interactions support or hinder belonging and persistence is crucial for the success and retention of historically underrepresented (HU) students. This three-article dissertation sought to understand and quantify how the presence (or lack thereof) of ingroup peers and experts in a student���s network influences domain-specific motivation and persistence intentions for HU STEM students. Study 1 uses ego-centric social network analyses to evaluate how the characteristics of mentees and mentors relate to the content of support and structure of mentor networks in a large sample of White and Hispanic/Latino(a) STEM undergraduates. Mentee perceived psychological similarity with their mentor(s) predicted both dyadic and network average levels of mentor support (i.e., psychosocial, career, role modeling) and relational satisfaction. Additionally, demographic homophily and engagement in undergraduate research were related to some mentor network structures. Study 2 extended this work by evaluating how characteristics of mentees, including if they have a mentor, and the quality and structure of their individual networks related to social integration, well-being, academic success, and persistence in STEM over two years. Having a high-quality mentor network, rather than the absence or presence of one or multiple mentors, was an important predictor of domain identity and well-being for students, which ultimately led to persistence in their STEM major. Finally, Study 3 narrowed the scope of social supports by analyzing patterns of demographic and psychological factors between students in one sophomore- and junior-level undergraduate Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) classroom. LNAM results revealed the presence of network clustering based on similar levels of domain identity. Additionally, domain values were positively related to STEM persistence intentions. This work critically addresses several significant gaps in the literature at the intersection of motivation and social networks for HU STEM undergraduates. Results inform best practices for developmental mentor network support, program developments, and interventions at the classroom level aimed to enhance social supports for students, ultimately addressing the nation���s goals to broadening participation in STEM fields
The Classical-Nonclassical Polarity of Gaussian States
No full textGaussian states with nonclassical properties such as squeezing and entanglement serve as crucial resources for quantum information processing. Accurately quantifying these properties within multi-mode Gaussian states has posed some challenges. In this work, we first give a detailed review to Gaussian state. To address these challenges, we introduce a unified quantification: the ���classical-nonclassical polarity���, represented by P. For a single mode, a positive value of P captures the reduced minimum quadrature uncertainty below the vacuum noise, while a negative value represents an enlarged uncertainty due to classical mixtures. For multi-mode systems, a positive P indicates bipartite quantum entanglement. We show that the sum of the total classical-nonclassical polarity is conserved under arbitrary linear optical transformations for any two-mode and three-mode Gaussian states. For any pure multi-mode Gaussian state, the total classical-nonclassical polarity equals the sum of the mean photon number from single-mode squeezing and two-mode squeezing. Our results provide a new perspective on the quantitative relation between single-mode nonclassicality and entanglement, which may find applications in a unified resource theory of nonclassical features
Three Essays on the Economics of Resource Conservation in Agriculture
No full textThis dissertation presents three essays that explore the economics of water and soil conservation in agriculture. The overarching focus of this work is on the impact and cost of conservation programs and policies aimed at conserving natural resources, as well as studying potential barriers to their implementation.
The first essay is an empirical study assessing the cost of reducing water use from irrigated agriculture in the Colorado River Basin. Utilizing basin-wide farm-level data into an econometric choice modeling framework, I simulate farmers��� crop choices under different hypothetical conservation prices paid for per acre-foot of water. I use the predicted crop shares to derive the abatement cost curve of water, which estimates the cost of an additional unit of water conserved in agriculture. My findings suggest that water abatement appears negligible at prices below $200 per acre-foot, but increases thereafter with a significant regional heterogeneity in the marginal cost of additional conserved water. Specifically, my results suggest that marginal abatement cost is smaller in the Lower Basin states of the river, suggesting opportunities for higher levels of conservation at relatively lower costs in this region.
The second essay studies the direct and spillover effect of an extension-based contest program in Arkansas, designed to promote the adoption of irrigation best management practices among pro-ducers. Specifically, I study how participation in the ���Most Crop per Drop��� irrigation yield contest, which ranks participants by water use efficiency and provides feedback on their performance, influences their adoption of irrigation practices. Results show that participation in the contest is positively correlated with a four percent increase in the average adoption of irrigation practices. Additionally, there appears to be an indirect positive spillover effect from the contest, which has influenced the behavior of those producers who were not participants of the program but were indirectly linked to it.
In the third essay, I investigate the difference in the adoption of conservation practices among different groups of producers based on their tenure status. I use operation-level data from the Census of Agriculture for all 48 contiguous states to test whether the enrollment in land retirement programs, and the use of on-farm conservation practices differ among full-owner, part-owner, and full-tenant operations. My results suggest that part-owners and full-tenants are more likely than full-owners to adopt practices such as reduced-tillage and using cover crops. Based on my findings, full-owners are using no-till practice at higher rates than other tenure categories, and are also enrolling higher shares of their operation into land retirement programs
Ira Greenbaum field notebook: GK501-GK1000.pdf
No full textBound book, each page corresponds to a karyotype slide data.Data pages for GK501-GK1000 corresponding to unique identifiers of specimens/samples examined for biological research. Specimens are primarily housed at Texas A&M University; Biodiverstiy Research and Teaching Collection
Structured 3��� UTRs Destabilize mRNAs in Plants
No full textRNA secondary structure (RSS) represents an intricate code that goes beyond the conventional genetic information, exerting regulatory roles in various biological processes, such as transcription, RNA processing, protein synthesis, and miRNA biogenesis. The 3��� untranslated regions (3��� UTRs) of mRNA emerge as critical orchestrators in gene regulation. Nevertheless, the specific roles of RSS within 3��� UTRs on gene expression remain a subject of inconsistency across diverse organisms and/or contexts.
In our study, a serendipitous discovery came to light: the primary substrate of miR159a (pri-miR159a), when inserted into a 3��� UTR, could promote mRNA accumulation remarkably. This enhanced expression was attributed to the premature polyadenylation of the transcript within the hybrid pri-miR159a-3��� UTR, resulting in a poorly structured 3��� UTR. Notably, RNA decay assays provided insights into the regulatory role of RSS within 3��� UTR. Poorly structured 3��� UTRs could promote mRNA stability, while highly structured 3��� UTRs led to mRNA destabilization both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, our exploration extended beyond reporter lines, as genome-wide DMS-MaPseq revealed a consistent inverse relationship between 3��� UTRs��� RSS and transcript accumulation across the entire transcriptome of not only Arabidopsis but also rice and human.
Mechanistically, transcripts with highly structured 3��� UTRs were found to be preferentially degraded by 3������5��� exoribonuclease SUPPRESSOR OF VARICOSE (SOV) and 5������3��� EXORIBONUCLEASE 4 (XRN4), resulting in decreased expression in Arabidopsis. Finally, our findings were underscored by the engineered different structured 3��� UTRs in an endogenous FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene, yielding a demonstrable earlier flowering phenotype in Arabidopsis.
In summary, our study elucidates that highly structured 3��� UTRs tend to contribute to the reduced accumulation of harbored transcripts in Arabidopsis, a phenomenon that may extend to other organisms, including rice and mammals. Beyond its fundamental insights, our research introduces a pioneering strategy involving the engineering of 3��� UTRs��� RSS for the purpose of modulating plant traits in agricultural production and enhancing mRNA stability in biotechnology applications
Assessing Primate Eye Morphology
No full textEye morphology varies widely across primates with species exhibiting a range of eye colors and shapes, but we do not yet have a full understanding of what drives this diversity. We tested whether primate eye morphology is correlated with social factors, ecological factors, or both. We did so by examining the eye coloration and shape of 68 primate species (spanning great apes, lesser apes, prosimians, and African, Asian, and South American monkeys). We used modern methods of analyzing animal coloration that account for the specific visual system of each species. We found that primate eye coloration is correlated with both social and ecological factors. Primates with more discriminable gaze have larger social group sizes and canine size dimorphism. Primate eyes that have greater red chromaticity are associated with more open habitats. And, primates with more elongated eyes had larger body mass, lived in more open habitats, had larger group sizes, and lived closer to the equator. Our ancestral trait reconstruction suggested that the ancestral primate had moderately elongated eyes with brown irises and sclera. Our results suggest that both social and environmental factors have impacted the evolution of primate eye morphology