Fifth Annual International Research Conference for Graduate Students
Texas State University November 6-7, 2013
Abstracts
Contents Abitbol, Alan ...... 7 Effects of Task Evaluation Knowledge and Leadership Style on Employee Attitude toward a Task ...... 7 Adcock, Zachary ...... 8 Morphological Characters Indicative of All Described Pseudobranchus Subspecies found in a Single Population ... 8 Alanis, Alan ...... 9 The Cosmic Latin American Race and Its Mystical Global Citizenship ...... 9 Atzmon, Thaddeus ...... 10 Symbolic Interaction at the Sunday Nigh blues Jam...... 10 Basler, James ...... 11 Attendance Patterns of Christian Fundamentalist Congregations ...... 11 Bates, Lennon; Wescott, Daniel ...... 12 Examination of Rates of Decomposition between Autopsied and Non-autopsied Human Remains in Central Texas State ...... 12 Beck, Brandon...... 13 Trans/Forming Educational Leadership: Retrospectives of Transgender Persons as Public Intellectuals in School Contexts...... 13 Bhattacharyya, Sonalee; Schneider, Joni ...... 14 Palindromic Numbers ...... 14 Blumell, Lindsey ...... 15 Framing Benghazi: A New Chapter or Repeated Gaffe in International News Coverage? ...... 15 Bowen, Charles ...... 16 Bretton Woods and the Foundations of Globalization ...... 16 Calaway, Winter ...... 17 I Don’t Know When I Will See Them Again: The Lived Experiences of Mexican Male immigrants in Austin, Texas and the Separation of Loved Ones ...... 17 Cantu, Travis; Irvin, Jennifer; Betancourt, Tania ...... 18 Organic Nanostructures for Photothermal Ablation ...... 18 Clark, Laura; Hardy Thom ...... 19 UAV Exotic Vegetation Classification ...... 19 Cubisino, Luca ...... 20 Vincenzo Scaramuzza: A Scientific Knowledge at the service of the Art ...... 20 Curtis, Michelle; Adcock, Zachary ...... 21 Tail Loss in Sirenidae From Rainey Slough, Florida ...... 21
1 Danso, Robert; Betancourt Tania ...... 22 Molecularly Responsive Aptamer-Crosslinked Nan-Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Systems ...... 22 Davis, James ...... 23 Cultural Influences on Early-Modern English Cavalry ...... 23 Deboer Austin ...... 24 Tipping the Scales: Equalized First Sale Rights in the Age of Digital Copyright Distribution ...... 24 Dede-Bamfo, Nathaniel ...... 25 Modeling Potential New Roads in the Afram Plains, Ghana ...... 25 Deleon, Natalie; Tapscott, Brian; Welch, Holly; Schepis, TY ...... 26 Does Venting Predict Longer Abstinence? ...... 26 Dudley, Katie ...... 27 Rhetoric of Adventure Tourism Consumers ...... 27 Dusek, Gary; Ruppel, Cynthia; Yurova, Yulia; Clarke, Ruth ...... 28 Comparative Analysis of Hotel Employee Service Orientation in Russia and the United States ...... 28 Erskine, Nick ...... 29 The Impact of Socio-Political Images on the Olympic Games ...... 29 Fidler, Jennifer; Ningmeng Li, Melanie; Mendoza, Melody; Palomo, Daniel; Salas, Flor; ...... 30 Analyzing the Use of of Instagram in Small Business: A Mixed-Method approach based on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory ...... 30 Fuentes, Evangelina ...... 31 Spanish-Language Music Consumption in Central Texas: Taste and Preferences ...... 31 Garza, Jose; Vecchio, Ruth; Vecchio, Joseph ...... 32 Righting the Wrongs: On the Misconceptions of Industrial and Metal Music...... 32 Gentile, Hayley ...... 33 Twenty First Century Copyright Infringement: An Examination of Modern Treaties and the Federal Court ...... 33 Gomez, Andrea; Hah, Ditmar; Forstner, Michael; Dixon, James; Farr, William ...... 34 Absence of Chytrid Fungus in Historical Samples of Amphibians from a Variety of Habitats in Tamaulipas, Mexico ...... 34 Halamicek, Peggy ...... 35 The Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause: Do the Dangerously High Temperatures at TDCI Facilities Constitute a Violation? ...... 35 Harward, Kyle ...... 36 Program Evaluation of the State Office of Risk Management: A study on the Impact of a Self-Insured Risk Pool . 36 Hay, Jonathan ...... 37
2 Salvadorenidad in the Valley of Peace ...... 37 Hendricks, Diana ...... 38 How has Texas Music Evolved as A Global Presence? ...... 38 Hernandez, Jacqueline; Hahn, Dittmar ...... 39 Contribution of Cliff Swallow Feces to Surface Water Contamination ...... 39 Herring, Cody; Erskine, Nick; Cook, Kimberly; Henriquez, Jamie; Twilligear, Josh ...... 40 Diffusion of Services: What Differentiates Them? ...... 40 Herring, Cody ...... 41 “Visual ChitChat” In Different Age Groups ...... 41 Hessey, Amelia ...... 42 Geometric Morphometric Sex Estimation from the Greater Sciatic Notch of the Human Pelvis...... 42 Holland, Derrick; James, Jessica; Ademosu, Kerry; Manhca, Alonzo ...... 43 The Diffusion of SnapChat Among Millennials and the Future of Erasable Data ...... 43 Jayweera, Thilanka; Dhanapala, Chandima; Kathare, Praveen; Dharmasiri, Nihal ...... 44 Dual Specificity Phosphatase, IBR5 links Auxin and Calcium Signaling Pathways ...... 44 Jones, Melissa; Vandewege, Michael; Forstner, Michael ...... 45 Head-starting and captive Propagation of the Houston toad (Bufo houstonesis): Tool used for population supplementation in an endangered amphibian ...... 45 Kotwal, Hillary; Biediger-Friedman, Lesli; Bates, Kristin; Crixell, Sylvia; Friedman, BJ ...... 46 Reflection of Childcare Center Nutrition and Activity Build Environment: A Photovoice Exercise ...... 46 Lee, Nicole; Tisdale, Ben; Diddams, Josh ...... 47 Public Relations Roles and Corresponding Social Media Strategies ...... 47 Li, BinBin; Heping, Chen; Jin, Tongdan ...... 48 Complex Robotic Assembly Process Modeling for Performance Optimization ...... 48 Lookabaugh, Jacqueline ...... 50 Contributing Factors to the Closure of Texas Charter Schools from 1996-2012...... 50 Loney, Lauren; Nowlin, Weston; Hutchins, Ben; Scwartz, Benjamin ...... 51 Ecosystem Consequences for Extinction of Aquatic Subterranean Species in the Edwards Aquifer, Texas ...... 51 Lowe, Ricardo ...... 52 Empowering Haitian Women: How Poverty in Port-au-Prince Affects Haitian Women’s Health ...... 52 Lyons, Emily ...... 53 Perception of nonprofit mobile web design ...... 53 Mali, Ivana; Vandewege, Michael; Davis, Scott; Fostner, Michael ...... 55
3 International Markets and National Impacts to biodiversity: The Magnitude of Freshwater Turtle Exports from the U.S. and Recent Regulatory Outcomes ...... 55 Mask, Abby ...... 56 Graph Theory and Student Productive Disposition...... 56 Matthews, Austin ...... 57 Shrouded in Red Shadows: A Holistic Reinterpretation of the Life and Politics of Walter Ulbricht ...... 57 Meier, Megan ...... 58 Gender, Identity, and Acceptance of Gender Stereotypes Among Male and Female Police Officers ...... 58 Mills, Blair; Conlee, Christina ...... 59 Patterns of structure: the Fiber Artifacts of La Tiza ...... 59 Menodza, Melody ...... 60 Understanding the Online Consumer: An Experiment Analyzing First Impressions of Website Visualization ...... 60 Murray, Kayon ...... 61 “More than Just a College Credit Strategy?” A Critical Literature Review on the Impact of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) on the Learning Experiences of Adult Learners ...... 61 Myers, Elissa ...... 62 “Heaven Help the Ladies:” Army Levy’s Middle-Class Feminism ...... 62 Navarro, Renato; Beaven, Katie; McKenzie, Jaime; Betancourt, Tania ...... 63 Click-Chemistry Based Synthesis of Molecularly Responsive Hydrogels as Biodegradable Scaffolds for Three- Dimensional Cell Culture ...... 63 Nicosia, David ...... 64 Simulating Uncertainty in Volunteered Geographic Information ...... 64 Niestroy, Aisling; Love, Courtney; Brown, Jordon; El-Ashqar, Monte ...... 65 Tablet Computer Diffusion: Measuring Brand Loyalty and Satisfaction among Tablet Owners ...... 65 O’Donnell, Kristie ...... 66 Discourse in Narnia ...... 66 Sehin, Oleksandra; Nguyen, Christy; Coryell, Joellen; Stewart, Trae ...... 67 Global Perspectives, Community Engagement, and Study Abroad in Post-disaster Christchurch, NZ ...... 67 Orsak, Ben; Talley, Kimberly ...... 68 Impacts of Bridge Design and Land Use Characteristics on Cliff Swallow Nesting ...... 68 Pham, Priscilla ...... 69 Synbiotic-induced alterations in fecal microbiota are associated with increased levels of plasma ANGPTL4 in Healthy Overweight Adults ...... 69 Phillips, Phillicia ...... 70
4 Geographic Relationships in an Urban Landscape: Green Space, Crime, and Ethnicity in Austin, Texas, 2006-2012 ...... 70 Purcell, Maureen; Wescott, Daniel ...... 71 Sexual Dimorphism of the Femur: Biomechanical influence of Pelvic Morphology ...... 71 Rahimi, Mehrnaz; Patterson, Dennis ...... 72 Immigrants and Their Political Participation: An Investigation of Political Participation of Students with Immigrant Parents in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election ...... 72 Razavimaleki, Bita ...... 73 Hyphenated Nationalities, Hyphenated Identities ...... 73 Rodriguez, Nathian ...... 74 Oh the Humanity: A Look at Framing of Gay Marriage Before and After Russia’s Anti-Gay Law ...... 74 Rogers, Robert; Brittain, William; Li, Xiaopeng ...... 75 Ion Mobility- Mass Spectrometry of a Photochromic System: Experimental Support for the Cisoid Form of Spiropyran ...... 75 Samant, Suvidha; Sha, Qiong; Iyer, Anita; Dhabekar, Priti; Hahn, Dittmar ...... 76 Quantification of Frankian Soils using SYBR Green Based qPCR ...... 76 Sandoval, Graciela ...... 77 Latina Perceptions of Health Care Access in Three Community Health Centers in Central Texas: An Exploratory Study ...... 77 Santana, Andrew; Kelemen, William ...... 78 Memory and Metacognitive Accuracy Following Moderate and Heavy Bouts of Aerobic Exercise ...... 78 Schneider, Joni; Mask, Abby Gail, Jia, Xingde ...... 79 The Geometric Representation of Cayley Digraphs ...... 79 Sembera, Jennifer; Waliczek, Tina ...... 80 Composting as an Alternative Management System for Wild Taro (Colocasia esculenta) and Brown Algae (Sargassum fluitan and Sargassum natans) ...... 80 Sharma,Shobhit; Ceballos, Natalie ...... 81 Influence of Brain-Derived Neurotophic Factor and Family History of Alcohol Dependence on Alcohol Consumption Characteristics of Healthy Social Drinkers ...... 81 Smith, Colin ...... 82 Toting an Idea: A Model for design, Distribution and Promotion of recycling tote Bags ...... 82 Stanley, Nate ...... 83 Ethnobotony, Ecotourism, and Education- A Method of Achieving Sustainability in Peruvian Cloudforest ...... 83 Swink, Aaron; Nowlin, Weston; Scwarz, Benjamin ...... 84
5 Phosphorus Uptake in Karstic Rivers of the Edwards Plateau, Texas ...... 84 Thomas, James ...... 85 Reproduction of Ethno-racial Ideology in News Room Cultural Practices ...... 85 Thompson, Courtney; Crixell, Sylvia; Bates, Kristin; Biediger-Friedman, Lesli; Friedman, BJ ...... 86 Using MyPlate to Assess Lunch Menus in Community Child Care Centers- A Best Food for Families Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS ) Study ...... 86 Thompson, Krista ...... 87 Closer to Heaven: Chaucer, Kempe and Dante as Medieval Pilgrim Storytellers ...... 87 Toothman, Delaina ...... 88 TVA: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ...... 88 Tovar, Ruben; Fremaux, Brian; Dana, Garcia ...... 89 Shedding Light on Subterranean Alien: An Investigation of the Eye Reduction in the Texas Blind Salamander and Two Closely Related Species ...... 89 Ugartechea-Garcia, Ana; Talley, Kimberly ...... 90 Revisions to ACI 440X2r-08 For the Safe Design of GFRP Repairs ...... 90 Verma, Kanika ...... 91 Geospatial Thinking of Undergraduate Students: A Texas State Study...... 91 White, Shawna ...... 92 Fracking and Framing: How News Frames Interact and Influence Stance on Hydraulic Facturing ...... 92 Wolf, Devin ...... 93 MacDowell’s Sea: A Hermeneutical Investigation of Selected Movements from Sea Pieces, Op. 55 ...... 93 Wun, Felicia ...... 94 Exploring the Relationship between Cranial Non-Metric and Metric Traits in Ancestry Estimation ...... 94 Yakel, Allison ...... 95 Adult Literacy Among the Hispanic Population of Central Texas: Opportunities Challenges, and Outcomes ...... 95 Yanock, Kathleen ...... 96 Charter School Suitability and how it relates to Efficiency in the Texas School Finance Lawsuit ...... 96 Zavar, Elyse ...... 97 Perspectives of the Flood Buyout Program in Lexington, KY ...... 97
6 Abitbol, Alan Media Communications, Texas Tech University
Effects of Task Evaluation Knowledge and Leadership Style on Employee Attitude toward a Task
Ideally, an employee will attempt to perform a work task at his or her best ability in order to complete that task appropriately. However, there are several factors that affect the attitude of that employee toward a task. Two such factors are the understanding an employee has on how a supervisor may evaluate the performance of the task and the supervisor’s leadership style. This study focuses on the effect task evaluation knowledge (TEK) and different leadership styles have on an employee’s attitude toward performing a task. By using a 2x2 (transformational/transactional leadership by limited/increased amount of information communicated) experiment, participants were tested on the degree to which their attitude changes based on TEK and leadership style. Results, based on ANOVA testing and regression analysis, indicated that leadership styles had the most direct effects on a participant’s attitude toward a task. Specifically, transformational leadership styles had a positive effect on all attitude measures toward a task while transactional leadership styles had a negative effect on the attitude measures. Also, TEK did not show any significance toward attitudes. Implications of these results for future research on measuring attitudes toward a task in the workplace are provided.
7 Adcock, Zachary Biology, Texas State University
Morphological Characters Indicative of All Described Pseudobranchus Subspecies found in a Single Population
RESEARCH QUESTION
Pseudobranchus is a genus of sirenid salamander that currently consists of two species and a total of five subspecies. The five subspecies were originally described based on morphological characters.
METHODOLOGY
We examined the morphological variation in stripe pattern, coloration, and head shape within a single population of Pseudobranchus from south Florida.
RESULTS
The examined specimens showed clear variation in morphological characters, and exhibited stripe patterns, coloration, and head shapes considered indicative of each of the five recognized subspecies. In addition, the frequency of some morphological characters differs among Pseudobranchus size classes rather than between species and subspecies. We conclude that the morphological characters previously used to distinguish Pseudobranchus species and subspecies are more variable than previously documented. Further, we question the validity of Pseudobranchus striatus lustriculous, a subspecies collected only one time, described solely on morphological characters, and petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
8
Alanis, Alan Philosophy, Texas State University
The Cosmic Latin American Race and Its Mystical Global Citizenship
José Vasconcelos wrote about generating an identity for Latin America, to strengthen it by means of the unity of its countries. It is possible to live a positive patriotism leaving behind nationalist fanaticism, triggering a Latin American identity and global citizenship.
Abstract
In 1925, José Vasconcelos, mexican academic, philosopher, Secretary of Public Education and candidate to the presidency of his country wrote the essay “The Cosmic Race” which expressed the ideology that different races from worldwide crowded in Latin America to generate what he called “the cosmic race”. Vasconcelos procured to raise cultural moral of the Latin American race which he considered oppressed and devaluated. In this paper I make an analysis of Vasconcelos´s essay. Furthermore I propose with solid bases a respect to patriotism leaving behind nationalist fanaticism and promoting a positive Latin American identity and global citizenship.
9
Atzmon, Thaddeus Sociology, Texas State University
Symbolic Interaction at the Sunday Nigh blues Jam
The Sunday Night Blues Jam is a piece of Austin Music history that has taken place for over 30 years. A) But what makes the jam a special place? B) In this study I employ the use of qualitative methodology, specifically semi structured-informal interviews to understand the ways individuals interact with one another at the jam. C) In doing so we find that the jam is much more than a casual place where musicians hang out. It is a place where musicians can network with one another and find gainful employment. Another interesting finding of the research looks at the phenomenological/ethno methodological implications of the study. When on stage these musicians are typically playing with other musicians that they have never met. In this study I unpack the way that these musicians are able to accomplish this feat while keep the casual observer unaware that this is not a well-practiced and fine-tuned band.
10 Basler, James Anthropology, Texas State University
Attendance Patterns of Christian Fundamentalist Congregations
A. Topic of Research
The focus of this research problem is to examine and understand the cause of variations in attendance within fundamentalist Christian churches. My hypothesis is that church goers have periods of abstemious behavior while active within a church congregation, but later engage in more self- indulgent behaviors when not actively attending.
B. Methods of Research
The means by which this research will be accomplished will involve and require an observational ethnographic approach. Preparations for fieldwork will include study of relevant case studies on religious fundamentalist groups and of religious ethnographies to provide greater insight as to how to conduct said research. Once preparations are completed and approval received from the I.R.B., interviews with attendants as well as members of the clergy will be conducted. Extensive research into the background of the congregation’s history as a group will also be carried out to determine any patterns of note within the congregation as a whole.
C. Expected Results
The results of this study will provide a greater insight into why members of Christian fundamentalist congregations have such notable changes in behavior depending on their level of attendance within their church. This will be established by providing evidence of both abstemious and self-indulgent behaviors by church going members. Any and all data that results from this study will be analyzed to determine if any recognizable and relevant patterns can be found to support the hypothesis of research.
11 Bates, Lennon; Wescott, Daniel Anthropology, Texas State University
Examination of Rates of Decomposition between Autopsied and Non-autopsied Human Remains in Central Texas State
Problem:
Human decomposition studies are necessary to understand the decomposition process and develop methods for estimating the time-since-death. Such studies often take place using human body donations at forensic decomposition facilities. At most of these facilities, both autopsied and non- autopsied remains are accepted for donation, yet no study has examined if autopsied and non- autopsied bodies should be separated for analyses. Consequently, it is necessary to test if the rate of decomposition varies between autopsied and non-autopsied bodies in the same environment.
Methodology:
To compare the decomposition rates between autopsied and non-autopsied human remains, 59 non-autopsied and 24 autopsied remains donated to the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) from 2010-2013 were examined. All remains were placed in a similar manner, and the day each set of remains reached early, advanced, and mummified decomposition stages was documented. The number of accumulated degree-days between each stage was then determined and analyzed using t- tests.
Results:
The results show that there is no statistically significant difference between the decomposition rates of autopsied and non-autopsied remains at any stage of decomposition. Therefore, it is unnecessary to separate these two types of remains when studying human decomposition in the area.
12 Beck, Brandon Cousneling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology, Texas State University
Trans/Forming Educational Leadership: Retrospectives of Transgender Persons as Public Intellectuals in School Contexts
Problem/Research Question
This research project is about a pedagogical process and the role of a marginalized group as public intellectual in that process. Ultimately, the focus of the project is the process through which transgender persons enact their role as public intellectual in school settings and in conference with educational leaders. Transgender is not a particularly new thing, but the study of it especially in the context of education and even more specifically educational leadership is. Informed by Sandlin, O’Malley and Burdick’s (2011) extensive review of the educational research literature on public pedagogy, the study’s primary research question is What does it look like for transgender persons to reflect on their educational experiences through a public pedagogy lens? How do transgender persons describe their experiences as public intellectuals for potential and actual educative experiences for others? In what ways is the adult-self reflecting back on hir past able to describe/define/internalize/reconfigure/mobilize public pedagogy and their role as public intellectuals? What does a pedagogical process of conference and together learning look like among transgender persons and educational leaders? How can public pedagogy explain/inform the educational experiences of transgender persons and the responses to those experiences of educational leaders?
Methodology
This qualitative research project will use narrative inquiry as its primary methodology. Open-ended interviews will be conducted with each of the transgender persons (selective and purposeful recruiting through email and social media) in the sample. Following the interviews with the transgender participants, critical conversations will be organized among the transgender participants and then among the transgender participants and the administrators together. The pedagogical process of these critical conversations is of utmost interest to the second part of my research questions: In what ways is the adult-self reflecting back on hir past able to describe/define/internalize/reconfigure/mobilize public pedagogy and their role as public intellectuals? What does a pedagogical process of conference and together learning look like among transgender persons and educational leaders? How can public pedagogy explain/inform the educational experiences of transgender persons and the responses to those experiences of educational leaders?
Expected Results
The researcher anticipates that narratives and creative expressions of said narratives by transgender participants will reflect collective activism as public intellectuals regarding their own interests concerning their past in school. While I anticipate varied stories and experiences, I think the commonality of having a story to tell will bring the transgender participants together for collective action – creating a group ready and willing to teach administrators about what school was like for them as part of a marginalized population. I think that administrators will be open to discussion and collaboration with a constituency group and that reflections from transgender participants and administrators will show enthusiasm for learning across and from difference as critical conversations are shared based on stories and provided literature and popular culture.
References
Sandlin, J., O’Malley, M. P., & Burdick, J. (2011). Mapping the complexity of public pedagogy scholarship: 1894-2010. Review of Educational Research, 81(3), 338-375.
13 Bhattacharyya, Sonalee; Schneider, Joni Mathematics, Texas State University
Palindromic Numbers
A composition of a positive integer n is defined to be a set of positive integers, in a particular order, which sums to n. For example, 2 + 1 is a composition of 3. A palindromic number is a number which reads the same way backwards and forwards. For example, 131 is a palindromic number, as is 1578751. However, 236 is not a palindromic number. A theorem on palindromic numbers which will be discussed is that if a number n is palin- dromic, then it is expressible as a palindromic composition containing two parts (x and R(x)) if and only if the middle digit of n is even or nonexistent. The expression of any integer n as a sum of two parts will also be considered. Finally, a discussion of the tiling of the rectangle by bar graphs representing compositions will be discussed.
14 Blumell, Lindsey Media Communications, Texas Tech University
Framing Benghazi: A New Chapter or Repeated Gaffe in International News Coverage? On the 11th anniversary of the original September 11 attacks, a violent assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. Amidst this tragedy soon came controversy and confusion as to identifying the perpetrators and their motive. The Obama administration itself initially cited an offensive video as the cause. This accusation was later retracted, a Déjà vu of the misinformation repeatedly given by members of the Bush administration concerning Saddam Hussein’s connection to Osama Bin Laden nearly ten years prior.
Grounded in framing theory, this study will look at two different time periods between the time of the attack and the one-year anniversary to investigate how television media in the United States and Great Britain framed both the U.S. consulate attack in Benghazi and the subsequent aftermath. Period one constitutes the time of the attack until the 2012 US presidential elections and the second period will focus on the one-year anniversary and following week. This study will focus on American network nightly newscasts (NBC, ABC, and CBS), two cable networks news coverage (CNN and Fox News) and BBC News World during the same time periods to compare and contrast reporting frames. This study will examine the following questions:
RQ1: Does tone and content of news reports differ after the Obama administration attributed an anti- Muslim film to the attack? Particularly, in regards to attributing blame to a specific minority group, in this case Muslims.
RQ2: How is the Benghazi attack framed in the chosen media outlets after Obama administration retracts their initial statements in regards to attribution of blame?
RQ3: Can any subtopics be identified in the Benghazi consulate attack coverage that link this event to other external events such as the US presidential election?
RQ4: Does tone and coverage differ in framing between the U.S. and the U.K in the selected television news programs?
A cascading activation model will be applied during the predetermined set periods to determine the influencing factors behind framing this issue. As the name suggests, a cascading activation model traces each responsible party’s input into the flow of information, starting with the Obama administration, other elites, the news media itself, and finally the public. This inductive study will ultimately determine how reporting this event has changed over time and the causes for the changes. Another goal of this study is to discover how media frames information released from authorities, in this case the U.S. government, and how this information shapes the overall coverage of an international conflict. By comparing it to British coverage, this study also hopes to measure the cascading activation model when the authoritative power is not of a journalist’s own country or close in proximity to it.
Keywords: Benghazi consulate attack, cascading activation, international news reporting, and Obama administration
15 Bowen, Charles History, Texas State University
Bretton Woods and the Foundations of Globalization Throughout history, and even today, mankind seems to be fixated with enhancing their way of life. This desire for improvement can be observed during the Bretton Woods Conference that took place during July 1944 and implemented a post-World War II economic order. While a newly implemented concept, the idea to integrate economies on a global scale can be attributed to events that occurred from the late 1910’s to the early 1930’s, such as World War I, a fear of communism, the worldwide economic depression, and an international increase in the number of totalitarian governments. Some totalitarian governments that arose out of this time period, including the Nazis in Germany and the Meijis in Japan, threatened to destroy the world because of their ardent beliefs in nationalism and uncontrolled capitalism. While some experts started to believe in communism as a reaction against fascism, as best demonstrated by the implementation of the Bolsheviks in Russia, most reformers wanted to find a middle ground between communism and free market economics. Therefore, the quest for a new economic system that would foster an awareness of the dangers of free market principals, yet still allow the private sector to function in a capacity not allowed under communism, became the goal of liberal minded reformers as a result of World War II. This allowed the American President at the time, and his economic advisors, to envision and design a new world economic system according to their own ideologies. American President Franklin Roosevelt charged his Secretary of Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, with the task of creating this new economic system that would be shaped in Roosevelt’s own image. However, Morgenthau, by his own admission, possessed very little experience in dealing with international monetary issues. Therefore, Morgenthau charged one of his underlings in the Treasury Department, Harry White, with the task of creating the American plan for a post-war economic order. As a result, White impacted the new post-war economic order more than any other person because he, as the American representative at Bretton Woods, possessed the backing of the most powerful military force at the conference. After several lengthy, and often secret, debates that spanned the course of two years, White, along with England’s John Maynard Keynes, created a new economic order and secured its implementation in July 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference. The representatives that gathered from forty-four different countries to discuss the post-World War II economic order at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire in July 1944 implemented a new economic system that maintained peace by preventing wars, maximizing the economic efficiency of a particular nation state, establishing a universal exchange rate for all nations, helping under developed nations, as well as nations ravaged by World War II, establish a certain standard of living, and by creating, or setting up the foundation for their creation later, of three institutions, the Internal Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the International Trade Organization. Today, Bretton Woods still lives because of its influence upon the World Trade Organize
16 Calaway, Winter Anthropology , Texas State University
I Don’t Know When I Will See Them Again: The Lived Experiences of Mexican Male immigrants in Austin, Texas and the Separation of Loved Ones
a) Problem/Research Question This qualitative research project examines the personal experiences of Mexican male immigrant restaurant workers in Austin Texas who retain close ties to loved ones in Mexico. Mexican male citizens are easily pushed to move to the United States often due to a combination of economic necessity, family pressure, and a search for a better life for themselves. They frequently come to United States due to a lack of employment opportunities and low wages in their home communities, structural problems, or even to escape the dangers involved with the Mexican drug cartels. In addition the United States has a never ending demand for unskilled labor and generally higher wages. When Mexican male immigrants leave for the United States it is common for them to work two jobs and send financial assistance back home so their loved ones may escape harsh poverty but they often do not get to see their loved ones for many years or sometimes ever again. In addition to these difficulties, they must find a way to accept the loss of past lives and the creation of new ones. The study examines how separation from loved ones has affects and relates to their lived experience in the United States. b) Methodology/Approach The importance of this study lays in the fact that technology, demographics, social environments and economic environments change constantly which makes migration/immigration studies in need of constant updating. Austin is an important location for Mexican immigration studies because it has been titled the fastest growing city of 2013 by Forbes, the city has had a constantly expanding service sector and unskilled labor sector, and Texas has the second highest Mexican-born population in the United States. This qualitative research project uses critical-phenomenology and included eight voluntary respondents who each participated in two open ended in- depth interviews. c) Expected Results The study will update information on what forms of communication Mexican male immigrants currently use to stay in contact with loved ones in Mexico. Also how the realities of separation relate to their current lives in the United States and if they affect any future aspirations or plans.
17 Cantu, Travis; Irvin, Jennifer; Betancourt, Tania Materials Science, Engineering, and Commercialization, Texas State University
Organic Nanostructures for Photothermal Ablation
Problem Currently chemotherapy is the most widely used technique to treat cancer. Although this method is effective at treating certain stages and types of cancer, there is a need for a more direct treatment. Recently, one technique that has gained interest due to high selectivity is photothermal therapy (PTT). The PTT approach uses photoabsorbing agents to burn cancer cells by generating heat from externally applied optical energy via a laser. The vast majority of research focused on PTT is on the inorganic nanomaterials that absorb light in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Although these materials seem to be effective there is a demand to make organic PTT agents.
Approach We are currently developing a set of organic-based PTT nanomaterial utilizing a hydrophobic photoabsorbing polymer. The polymerization will be done by emulsion polymerization. By using this method the hydrophobic polymer will be suspended in aqueous solution, this is an important factor if this material is to be used as a treatment agent. The monomer synthesized will be 1,4-Bis[2-(3,4-ethylenedioxy) thienyl]-2,5-dihexoxybenzene [BEB-(OHex)2].
Results 1 The monomer BEB-(OHex)2 was synthesized and confirmed by H NMR (C6D6 ppm): 7.35 (s),
6.48 (s), 4.3 (m), 1.84 (m), 1.57 (m), 1.23 (m), 0.89 (t). BEB-(OHex)2 was polymerized by emulsion polymerization in water forming PEBE-(OHex)2. After washing and resuspending in water, the UV-Vis absorbance was determined to be in the NIR region ~760nm. Transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) showed that the morphology of the polymers to be needle like and the size ranged form 20-50nm. Further analysis will be used to characterize the materials such as dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and C13 NMR and end group analysis H1 NMR to determine molecular weight. The photothermal capabilities of the materials will be studied by irradiating the aqueous suspension with a NIR source. The materials toxicity will also be studied in vitro using breast cancer cell line MDA-231.
18 Clark, Laura; Hardy Thom Family and Consumer Science, Texas State University
UAV Exotic Vegetation Classification
Research Question:
Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) or commonly known as Saltcedar, is an invasive plant that has displaced numerous native riparian species in the southwestern US and portions of northern Mexico. Mapping T. ramosissima populations is essential for developing effective eradication programs. Innovative remote sensing technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), provide high spectral and spatial resolution imagery for assessing vegetative distribution. Is UAV remote sensing an effective and accurate method for classifying vegetation and identifying T. ramosissima?
Methodology:
UAV imagery was obtained over 5,763 acres of riparian corridor at the Matador Wildlife Management Area to identify T. ramosissima distribution. An unsupervised classification method was utilized to assess spatial surface features by analyzing spectral characteristics. Accuracy assessments of the vegetative classes were performed to evaluate the overall classification accuracy of the imagery.
Anticipated Results:
UAV remote sensing is an effective and accurate method to acquire high resolution, aerial imagery for vegetation classification and identifying T. ramosissima.
19 Cubisino, Luca Music, Texas State University
Vincenzo Scaramuzza: A Scientific Knowledge at the service of the Art
Abstract:
Not always is the name of an Artist imprinted on his work, even if this work is a ‘monument’. The case of Vincenzo Scaramuzza (who was born in Crotone, Italy, in 1885 and who died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1968) is similar to those of the Medieval Artists, who built cathedrals, painted paintings, etc., without leaving a signature on them, because the importance of their works overshadowed that of their names.
Martha Argerich, Bruno Gelber, Daniel Levy, Mauricio Kagel, Fausto Zadra, and Enrique Barenboim (father of Daniel Barenboim) are only a few students of Scaramuzza, one of the most important and interesting piano pedagogues to the piano history.
This presentation is part of a larger project to explore the great personality of this Italian genius: his biography, his career, and his teaching method, the latter of which is based on a technique developed through deep scientific knowledge of the relation between piano and human.
The sources are not many, so this investigation would give more attention to Scaramuzza and new incentive for more research.
I am using resources passed down by Franco Scala (my piano teacher for years and pupil of Fausto Zadra, a disciple of the teachings of Scaramuzza), Filippo Balducci (teacher assistant of Fausto Zadra), Sebastián Colombo (Piano Professor at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Utrecht and Director of the European headquarters of the “Centro de Estudios Pianísticos” - CEP), and really precious and hard to find books like Elementos de técnica pianística and Enseñanzas de un gran maestro, Vicente Scaramuzza by María Rosa Oubiña de Castro, a student of Scaramuzza, who approved these books.
Presenter Bio:
Luca Cubisino is a graduate student and teaching assistant at Texas State University. Luca earned graduate and post-graduate (summa cum laude) respectively at Conservatory of Music “V. Bellini” in Catania and at Conservatory of Music “B. Maderna” in Cesena, both from his native Italy, where he was also a student of Franco Scala, Director of the renowned Imola International Piano Academy. Furthermore, he earned a Master’s degree at Codarts, Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). Luca has been classified in the top three prizes in more than sixteen piano competitions and has played in prestigious venues and theaters around Europe.
20 Curtis, Michelle; Adcock, Zachary Biology, Texas State University
Tail Loss in Sirenidae From Rainey Slough, Florida
RESEARCH PROBLEM: Tail loss in Sirenidae can be attributed to intraspecific aggression, interspecific aggression, or predatory interactions. This study seeks to determine the frequency of tail loss in three sirenid species, Siren intermedia, Siren lacertina, and Pseudobranchus axanthus, and to determine if correlations exist between frequency of tail loss and intra- and interspecific density of these species or density of predators.
METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Herpetofauna were collected from a hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) community from 1974 through 1979 in southern Florida. Tail loss was recorded for all sirenid species.
RESULTS: Frequency of tail loss for S. intermedia was approximately 18%, followed by
15% for P. axanthus, and 4% by S. lacertina. P. axanthus and S. lacertina tail loss was not significantly correlated with any of the measured variables. S. intermedia tail loss was significantly correlated with intraspecific density and density of total predators. Our findings suggest that S. intermedia may be more intraspecifically aggressive than both S. lacertina and P. axanthus.
21 Danso, Robert; Betancourt Tania Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University
Molecularly Responsive Aptamer-Crosslinked Nan-Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Systems Research Question
Hydrogels are biomaterials that are often used in biomedical applications due to their tissue-like characteristics and biocompatibility. Stimuli-responsive hydrogels that respond to pH, ionic strength, temperature, and light have been developed by careful selection of terminal functional groups and chemical moieties. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) and polyacrylamide nano-scaled hydrogels (nanogels) are assembled with a large chemical crosslinker, poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate. Formation of nanoparticles with a large crosslinker would pave way for replacement with a high molecular weight aptamer complex for target-controlled drug delivery system applications. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that bind to specific targets—ranging from small molecules to proteins—with high affinity. The complementary binding ability of nucleic acid bases will be harnessed to form oligonucleotide complexes that can be disrupted through competitive interaction with target molecules. Aptamers specific to the cancer-related protein osteopontin and adenosine will be used as model therapeutic targets. Properly functionalized aptamer complexes will be used as crosslinkers to mediate the formation of nanogel networks via emulsion polymerization. Oligonucleotides will be labeled with fluorescent molecules and quenchers to enable monitoring of the hybridization status of the nanogel crosslinks. Experiments were performed to study the monomer identity, crosslinking ratio, and emulsion polymerization parameters on nanogel formation. The ability of these nanogels to entrap and provide target-controlled release of a model protein drug was also studied. Target concentration-dependent experiments will be conducted to identify the parameters that could lead to improved control of target recognition, nanogel dissociation, and drug release.
Methodology
Poly(ethylene glycol) nanoparticles were synthesized with the free radical polymerization emulsion method while poly(acrylamide) nanogels were made with an inverse emulsion method. Surfactants were chosen based on the method chosen. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) were the surfactants in the emulsion methods while dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) and polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether (Brij 30) were used in the inverse emulsion. Surfactants allow the formation of micelles which act as reactive sites for the formation of nanoparticles from monomers and free radical polymerization initiators. Centrifugation was used to remove unreacted monomers as well as salts after the reaction was completed. Nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and spectrometry to read fluorescence of fluorescently tagged proteins encapsulated within nanogels.
Results
Dynamic light scattering showed nanoparticle sizes ranging from 50 nm to 120 nm. This data is promising since that size is close to the size of particles which will not cause immunogenic reactions. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the sizes of the synthesized nanoparticles. Spectrometry data showed that encapsulation of the protein was successful.
22 Davis, James History, Texas State University
Cultural Influences on Early-Modern English Cavalry (a) Problem or Research Question
In researching early-modern cavalry, I found a discrepancy between contemporary evidence and current research. Citing a relative lack of technological adaptation, military historians have characterized cavalry at the end of the sixteenth century as tactically irrelevant and a haven for hidebound aristocrats. However, battlefield accounts and military literature run counter to these charges. The disparity between current academic thought and the opinions of contemporary military figures involved in cavalry makes it necessary to reexamine the primary sources to see what factors early-modern soldiers considered important to mounted warfare. This paper explores the different ways in which education, political structure, social roles, and religion created a culture of honor that formed the foundation of cavalry combat.
(b) Methodology or Approach
The accounts of English soldiers are the primary means by which to evaluate cavalry combat. My paper examines State documents, memoirs of soldiers, and calls for renewed martial virtues by military writers linking various cultural factors into a cohesive picture of cavalry combat. This allows for the reexamination of current scholarship that goes beyond technological determinism.
The opinions expressed by cavalry soldiers show how military professionals valued horsemen for their military utility and their role in the culture of honor. Officers’ letters to statesmen stress the importance of cavalry on campaign, but also reveal the social significance of mounted combat to aristocratic warrior ideals.
Two interrelated elements emerge from combat reports that reveal how culture underpinned cavalry combat. Battlefield accounts emphasize bravery and honor as factors that are a contributor to, and consequence of, successful cavalry actions. Simultaneously, what emerges in eye-witness reports is a description of the dynamic factors that define victory in mounted warfare.
The body of military literature reflects the experience of dozens of veterans who participated in wars where the culture of honor was just as important as technological innovation. Memoirs of veterans provide insight into the effective use of cavalry while military manuals describe ideal traits cavalrymen should possess. In describing optimal conditions for the use of cavalry or the traits an officer should possess, soldier-authors expressed the importance of cavalry tactically and strategically.
(c) Results or Expected Results
My research contradicts the current thought that early-modern cavalry lacked value. This paper is an assessment of the cultural influences that factored into the effective use of cavalry. Early-modern military historians overlook these influences in their generalizations. In England the nobility and the gentry were a part of the culture of honor which provided motivations for conspicuous bravery. The efficacy of early modern cavalry relied upon that culture of honor as expressed through acts of martial valor. Speed and intimidation characterized success in cavalry combat and the culture of honor gave horsemen the psychological resources to overcome their opponents.
23 Deboer Austin Legal Studies, Texas State University
Tipping the Scales: Equalized First Sale Rights in the Age of Digital Copyright Distribution
A. Problem or Research Question:
Currently, American consumers stand dangerously unprotected in the nexus of expansive digital copyright distribution and diminished first sale rights. The first sale doctrine is bedrock to contemporary copyright law. This legal theory places indispensable limitations on the exclusive rights afforded copyright owners and mitigates the balance of the exclusive rights and the public’s access to copyrighted works. The purposes of this research are (1) to examine diminished first sale rights and the potential for expanding those rights given the tension between current legal decisions (e.g., Kirtsaeng v. Wiley and Sons and Capitol Records v. ReDigi); and (2) to propose legislation designed to balance copyright holders’ rights with consumer protections.
B. Methodology:
Through a review of demonstrative statistical records, legal scholarship, legislative mandates, as well as statutory and common law, this paper defines the existing inadequacies regarding the first sale doctrine and suggests judicial and legislative strategies to alleviate the current inequities consumers endure.
C. Results or Expected Results:
In sum, the broadened scope of the first sale doctrine, established by the United States Supreme Court in Kirtsaeng v Wiley and Sons, should compel the judiciary to revise its interpretation and application of the affirmed “essential step” protections, reinterpret the limiting vernacular of the first sale doctrine, and eliminate the varying interpretations of the first sale doctrine. These would compel a revision of anti-consumer rulings, such as Capitol Records v ReDigi, and would curb the current overreaching of copyright holders. In addition, this article proposes the institution of an administrative board, housed within the United States Copyright Office, which would be charged with expedited review and application of forthcoming digital copyright conflicts.
24 Dede-Bamfo, Nathaniel Geography, Texas State University
Modeling Potential New Roads in the Afram Plains, Ghana Problem
Poor spatial accessibility is considered to be the major factor responsible for slow economic development in the Afram Plains district of Ghana. It is believed that an improvement in the road networks will enhance interaction which will in turn promote agriculture and other economic activities in the region. This research therefore focused on modeling potential new routes to the main local market center in the area.
Methodology
A Geographic Information System (GIS) combined with a multi-criteria evaluation approach was applied in this study. The following: Elevation, Slope, Lakes, Rivers, Soil, Land cover and Existing roads included the different cost factors which were considered in the analysis.
Results
The final results showed that the approach was efficient in identifying new cost effective paths to be potentially developed as roads. The paths essentially avoided river crossings which were deemed as the most costly factor new road development. Besides, it was found that some of the identified routes closely matched some of the existing roads indicating the efficiency of the GIS applications adopted.
25 Deleon, Natalie; Tapscott, Brian; Welch, Holly; Schepis, TY Psychology/ Psychological Research , Texas State University
Does Venting Predict Longer Abstinence? Problem
Research shows mixed results on the effects of coping on relapse prevention for smoking, with individual coping techniques often not associate with sustained abstinence (e.g., O’Connell, Hosein, Schwartz, & Leibowitz, 2007). Our study examined relationships between coping and abstinence during a quit attempt in young adult smokers.
Methodology
Participants completed the Brief COPE (Carver, 1997) at a baseline session and then underwent a stress induction session either following overnight abstinence (validated by breath CO) or smoking as usual. Following the stress induction, participants entered a smoking relapse paradigm in which they received decreasing monetary rewards for continued abstinence. Abstinence was verified by breath CO < 8 ppm at a morning session and afternoon session for five days or until smoking relapse.
Results
Of the 14 subscales measured by the Brief COPE, venting was the only construct that predicted time to relapse after controlling for gender (p=.014). Females showed higher levels of venting (M=3.54, SD=1.90) than males (M=1.85, SD=1.21), yet female scores did not predict abstinence (p=.189) while higher male scores predicted longer abstinence (p=.007).The females had more variance in venting potentially explaining the non-significant relationship in that group. We suggest that men who use venting to cope were able to lower negative affect and stress level, and thus, sustain abstinence longer than those who did not vent to cope. These findings highlight the potential importance of venting as a coping mechanism to prevent relapse for smokers during a quit attempt.
26 Dudley, Katie Mass Communication, Texas State University
Rhetoric of Adventure Tourism Consumers Problem
Adventure tourism is a special interest segment of tourism. Adventure tourists have been labeled sensation seekers, leaving marketing professionals to ignore those not generally thought to engage in high stimulation activities (Weber, 2001). Patterns are changing however, as two-income couples choose not have children, the single adult population grows, and the expanding aging population remains active (Sung, 2004).
Research on what motivates someone to participate in an activity, includes quest for knowledge and insight (Weber, 2001), restoring a displaced equilibrium (Fluker & Turner, 2000), and the perception of risk (Dickson & Dolnicar, 2004; Cater, 2006). What is lacking is research in regards to adventure tourists as consumers of commercial packages and the rhetoric surrounding the industry.
Adventure tourism is growing, and so is the number of commercial outfitters providing opportunity to take part in experiences that would otherwise require years of practice and expensive equipment (McGillivray & Frew, 2007). Relinquishing responsibility of handling the competence and safety precautions takes away most real risk for the tourist themselves (Cater, 2006).
This study aims to provide insight into messages, shared by both consumers and outfitters, regarding adventure activities on Twitter. Twitter provides an opportunity to be part of a nationwide conversation simply by adding a (#) hashtag to the message. Searching hashtags gives researchers the ability to analyze conversation trends.
Long before social media, the idea of an “imagined audience,” has been thought to guide our actions (Litt, 2012). People rely on what they envision to be their audience and change their behavior based on what they perceive to be characteristics of the group (Litt, 2012). This is all part of creating one’s social identity, which according to McGillivray & Frew includes not only actions taken by the individual, but the audience witnessing those actions (2007).
This study will look into how social media users work to create social identities to display to an imagined audience using the theoretical framework of social comparison. It aims to answer the questions:
1. Is the activity the main focus when sharing adventure experiences on Twitter? 2. Are image tweets more prevalent than tweets without images? Methodology
Gauley season is a whitewater rafting season that takes place on the Gauley river in West Virginia. According to the National Park Service, 60,000 people a year raft the Gauley using one of several commercial outfitters throughout the region.
The study will conduct a quantitative content analysis on all tweets using the hashtag #Gauley from September 1, 2013 through October 21, 2013. The frame begins 5 days before the first day of Gauley season and ends 1 day after the last. Data will be analyzed through the use of, but not limited to, the following categorical indicators: image attached, image of adventure activity, message reference to activity, message author, and rhetorical tone.
Potential Outcome
This research will contribute to an understanding of how consumers of commercial adventure activities project the experience of adventure activities across social media, specifically Twitter. Marketers and those within the industry will be able to use the results to attract new customers and create relationships by effectively engaging them year round.
27 Dusek, Gary; Ruppel, Cynthia; Yurova, Yulia; Clarke, Ruth Huizenga School of Business, Nova Southeastern University
Comparative Analysis of Hotel Employee Service Orientation in Russia and the United States Problem or research question
Service orientation theory asserts that employees with high service orientation have a disposition to be helpful, thoughtful, considerate and cooperative at an individual level. However, service orientation theory research in the Russian hospitality sector is scarce. Most service-orientation research in Russia investigated expatriates in Russia, Russian entrepreneurship, and the financial services sector. I propose collecting survey data from hotel employees in the United States and Russia for use in a comparative analysis of Russian and American hotel employee perceptions of service orientation, employer service climate, job satisfaction, and commitment to their employer. This research intends to fill gaps in service orientation theory literature by analyzing Russian employee perceptions of service orientation and service climate and the resulting Russian employee perceptions of personal job satisfaction, commitment to his or her employer. This research intends to extend the literature of employee perceptions of service orientation and service climate and their effect on the employee’s perceived job quality to a Russian context by surveying employees of American-branded Russian hotels. Russian service orientation is under researched with employee level research in Russia almost non- existent. My research represents a new direction for studying employee service orientation in transitioning economies through extension into the Russian market. Methodology or approach We will collect online survey data from Russian citizens employed by U.S. hotels in European Russia and employees of the same hotel systems in the United States. Survey data from the United States and Russia divide into individual strata for each country. The data from each stratified group will undergo the same method of analysis, independent of the other strata. Basic descriptive statistics will be calculated from the variable data and the development of cross tabulation tables will summarize the data. Confirmatory factor analysis will help determine whether the data collected fits the researchers’ proposed model. A model developed in structural equation modeling shows the path dependencies between the independent and dependent variables. Chi-squared goodness-of-fit techniques will help determine whether the structural model properly fits. A comparative fit matrix will test the relative fit of the researcher’s model with a null model to determine acceptable fit. Upon development of the final model, analysis will determine if it provides support for the hypotheses. Analysis of variances between the proposed model and the final model helps discover possible causes for the variations. Descriptive statistics and demographic data will be analyzed for indications for research findings. Models from both strata are developed, and comparative analysis between the two regional strata models help ascertain reasons for similarities or variations. Expected results We expect to find support for our hypotheses that state that an employee’s perceptions of their own service orientation and the service climate of the hotel they work in will affect the employee’s job satisfaction, commitment to their employer and intention to leave the firm. We expect that the degree of the affects will vary between Russia and the United States.
28 Erskine, Nick Mass Communication, Texas State University
The Impact of Socio-Political Images on the Olympic Games
Problem or research question Do the Olympic Games’ socio-political images that are disseminated by the media hurt people’s perception of the Games? The purpose of this research was to determine if socio-political images from the Olympic Games adversely overshadowed the intended spirit and essence. This study’s goal was to show how political stances and actions during the Olympics can damage, or potentially have a neutral impact, on a city’s or nation’s image. This research helped to determine whether the Olympic Games are portrayed to the general populace in a negative or positive manner. Lastly, the issue of whether or not socio-political photos detract from the Olympic mission of building a peaceful and better world through sport was examined.
Methodology or approach This study employed a quantitative survey to determine how respondents viewed each year’s Olympic Games based on their viewing of one controversial image and one uncontroversial image for each of the Games. Respondents were shown two different images from various Olympic Games that they previously watched. These two photos included the most salient socio-political image from that year’s Games, as well as the most salient sports image from that year’s Games. Respondents then chose the most enduring and powerful photo that they believed best embodies the Games from that particular year by answering a series of impact-related questions. For example, when given the choice between the two most iconic and enduring 2008 Beijing photos, respondents chose between the image of U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps with his gold medals and the image of a protester making a political statement on the Golden Gate Bridge during the torch relay.
Results or expected results It is expected that most respondents will choose the positive sports image instead of the negative socio-political images for the more recent Games. However, respondents are likely to remember more socio-political images and negative media coverage from the Games prior to the 1990s, as many of these are covered in modern-day history courses. Respondents are also predicted to report that the media’s negative portrayal of the Olympic Games has a minimal long-term impact on viewers’ general sentiment about the city’s Games, unless the political action led to serious violence (e.g. the 1972 Munich massacre). The individuals surveyed will likely state that the negative political actions during the Games had no bearing on their long-term opinions of the host city and country.
29 Fidler, Jennifer; Ningmeng Li, Melanie; Mendoza, Melody; Palomo, Daniel; Salas, Flor; Mass Communication, Texas State Unviersity
Analyzing the Use of of Instagram in Small Business: A Mixed-Method approach based on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory Problem
Based on the Diffusion Theory by Everett Rogers (2003), this research analyzes the Innovation-Decision Process Theory as it relates to small businesses in San Marcos and Austin who have adopted Instagram. Instagram was launched on October 6, 2010, on the Apple mobile platform and in 2011, the number of users swelled to 10 million with more than 150 million photos uploaded. In 2013, 55 million photos are shared every day from a user base of more than 150 million, according to Instagram.com (2013) . The microblogging mobile application is now available on Apple and Android platforms and allows users to share photographs and 15-second videos. According to Pew Internet Research Center, 46% of American adults are smartphone owners (Smith, 2012) and 27% of Internet users between ages 18-29 use Instagram (Smith, 2012). With the rate of smartphone adoption nearing the late majority stage of innovativeness within the U.S. adult population and its relationship to the social networking site Facebook, the researchers contemplate if Instagram’s user base has potential to grow. Currently, businesses have been struggling to adapt to a fragmented social media environment. This study seeks to explore the contextual basis in which small businesses move through the Innovation-Decision process.
Methodology
Research will be conducted using a mixed methods approach; a focus group was organized and several one-on-one interviews will be conducted. Participants were chosen from Austin and San Marcos, with only one requirement of using Instagram for the business. Participants will be asked questions about their experiences at each stage of the Innovation-Decision Process. Answers will be compiled and analyzed for themes. The process of diffusion for this research includes knowledge of Instagram, persuasion of the importance of the application for the business, decision to actually use the application, final implementation of the medium and confirmation that Instagram works to promote the business.
Expected Results
The hypotheses include the following: Business owners adopt Instagram for their business because it ranks high in all the areas of perceived attributes. They also like the ability to adopt the application on a trial basis because Instagram accounts can be deleted instantly. Customer growth and satisfaction with Instagram will provide observable results for the business owner. The expansive and growing user base of Instagram will exhibit its relative advantages over other microblogging platforms. The application will also prove to be relatively simple in its day-to-day functions and use. Finally, business owners will find that their use of Instagram aligns itself with their values and general marketing strategies.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations. (5th ed.). Free Press.
Smith, Aaron. (Mar. 1, 2012). 46% of American adults are smartphone owners. Retrieved from
http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2012/Smartphone%20ownership%202012.pdf
30 Fuentes, Evangelina Occupation, Workplace and Leadership Studies, Texas State University
Spanish-Language Music Consumption in Central Texas: Taste and Preferences Texas is approximately thirty eight percent Hispanic. This number includes immigrants and natural born citizens with many countries of origin. As more Spanish language immigrants come into Texas and as the native Hispanic population continues to grow, Spanish language product consumption patterns will continue to change. The intent of the study was to capture the current musical tastes and consumption preferences of Spanish language music listeners.
This research activity was motivated by recent media attention regarding the perceived demise of Tejano music in Texas as musical groups from Mexico dominate the radio airwaves. “Older Tejanos worry that if you can’t hear conjunto on the radio, the kids are going to stop listening and it’s going to vanish” (Elbein, 2011). “But to many Tejanos, the biggest difference comes down to this: Conjunto is Tejano. Norteño is Mexican” (Elbein, 2011).
Research Question
Spanish language music has multiple popular music styles. The two research questions guiding this study are:
Which genres of Spanish language music are being consumed?
What modes are being used to consume Spanish language music?
As music markets contract and expand, the result of this research has the potential to impact music marketing and production. The findings presented in this paper address the first research question. The findings from the second question will be discussed in a separate paper.
Methodology
A self-report questionnaire was designed consisting of checklist, mutually exclusive, rank- ordering, filtering, and rating scale questions. The survey instrument was developed with numerous Spanish language genres of music and included various modes of music consumption. The music industry has accommodated several Spanish language music audiences in the U.S. with music recognitions such as the Latin Grammys and the Premios Billboard Regional Mexican award and the genres and subgenres determined by these organizations were used. The survey consisted of sections on ownership, purchases, pre-recorded Spanish language music, live Spanish language music performance, music preferences, and Spanish language music-related enjoyment preferences. Traditional demographic items such as gender, age, employment status, and ethnicity were at the end. Additionally, strength of ethnic identification and Spanish language use and fluency were asked. Also, Latinos were prompted to identify nation of origin and generational heritage.
Results
In the music preference section, the respondents were asked to answer “yes” or “no” regarding general genres followed by forced ranked choices for the subgenres. In terms of Spanish language music genre listening, 86% reported listening to Latin; 64% reported listening to Traditional Latin; 57% reported listening to Regional Mexican/Tejano; 54% reported listening to Tropical Latin; 44% reported listening to Jazz Latino, and 18% indicated that they listen to Cristiano.
31 Garza, Jose; Vecchio, Ruth; Vecchio, Joseph Music, Texas State Unviersity
Righting the Wrongs: On the Misconceptions of Industrial and Metal Music
Problem:
When encountering a genre for the first time, listeners may find it difficult to relate to and understand the genre’s unique characteristics. The problem of inaccessibility due to unfamiliarity appears to be magnified when listeners confront the "harsher" popular genres of industrial and metal music.
Approach:
Phillipov (2012) talks about a "reorientation" that must be undertaken by listeners accustomed to more vocal-centric popular genres. Essentially, they must experience the music "on its own terms." Following writings on metal by Phillipov (2012), Cope (2010), Mudrian (2004), Christe (2003), and Arnett (1996), and writings on industrial music by Collins (2012), Hanley (2011), Woods (2007), Ford (1999), Duguid (1995), and Juno and Vale (1983), we will present a joint musicological and music-theoretical paper briefly highlighting the genres' histories and musical characteristics .
Expected Results:
Our goal is to "clear the air" of misconceptions held by listeners unfamiliar with these genres and – as a result – advocate and encourage support for further research on industrial and metal music.
32 Gentile, Hayley Legal Studies, Texas State University
Twenty First Century Copyright Infringement: An Examination of Modern Treaties and the Federal Court
The purpose of my research is a comprehensive examination of modern international copyright treaties and their effects on the American judicial system. The study begins by establishing parameters, such as how copyright infringement torts evolved and how the United States defines it. This leads into an analysis of the current global treatises within the intellectual property forum, namely the implementation of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations, collectively known as Rome II. The paper details both the positive aspects as well as the pitfalls of each treatise. After concluding with the international treatises, the paper delves into modern US law, namely the legal precedents established under Zippo Mfg. Co. vs. Zippo Dot Com, Inc., 952 F. Supp. 1119 (W.D.
Pa. 1997), Subafilms, Ltd. vs. MGM-Pathe Communications Co. 24 F. 3d 1088 (9th Cir. 1994), and Itar-
Tass Russian News Agency vs. Russian Kurier, Inc. 153 F. 3d 82 (2d Cir. 1998). The research evaluates the ramifications of each individual ruling and their effects on modern copyright infringement treatises.
Finally, the paper closes with an assessment of the Principles of Transnational Civil Procedure, a collaborative effort between the Unification of Private Law and the American Law Institute. The research concludes that if the European Union were able to consolidate their copyright infringement protocol, these guidelines would be very effective in assisting with international jurisdictional issues.
However, because the European Union has yet to consolidate their laws, these principles would not be effective for foreign legal relations.
33 Gomez, Andrea; Hah, Ditmar; Forstner, Michael; Dixon, James; Farr, William Biology, Texas State University
Absence of Chytrid Fungus in Historical Samples of Amphibians from a Variety of Habitats in Tamaulipas, Mexico
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungus that causes chytridiomycosis on infected amphibians has been implicated as a potential causative agent in the amphibian population decline of the past 50 years. I investigated the presence of Bd in amphibians across the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. Fifty six samples of 18 amphibian species were collected between 2004 and 2008 at 16 different localities that ranged from 100-2900 meters in elevation. The samples were obtained from non-consumptive toe clippings and swabs. The presence of the pathogen was assessed by using a Taqman quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) assay in a highly sensitive approach to detection. Interestingly, all samples tested in this study were negative for Bd. This has implications for monitoring the pathogen in both southern Texas and northern Mexico to understand the dynamics of the fungus in these environments. Further exploration in this state and adjacent areas will help to inform of the prevalence, widespread and epidemiology of Bd in Mexico and would help prioritize conservation efforts.
34 Halamicek, Peggy Legal Studies, Texas State Unviersity
The Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause: Do the Dangerously High Temperatures at TDCI Facilities Constitute a Violation?
Between 2007 and 2012, thirteen men died in Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) facilities from heat-related causes. Four of those men died within a week of having arrived at a facility.
Nine of the men had their body temperatures taken at the time of their deaths, and the body temperatures ranged from an unconscionable 105°F to a staggering 109.9°F. August 2011 was particularly brutal; eight of the thirteen deaths occurred in that month. No single TDCJ facility can be targeted as being solely to blame because those eight deaths occurred in six different facilities scattered across southern and eastern Texas.
I trace the social and legal background of the Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause of the
Eighth Amendment, including the history of prisons and punishment in the United States, including essential case history. Particular attention is paid to the TDCJ’s recent plan to construct climate- controlled pig barns without first providing climate-controlled prisons, as well as to a TDCJ administrative directive entitled “Temperature Extremes in the TDCJ Workplace.” Ironically, this directive contains information about temperature and heat indices that is nearly identical to the information that the Texas Civil Rights Project is using in its suit against the TDCJ.
The persistent pattern of heat-related deaths in the TDCJ facilities can lead to no other conclusion but deliberate indifference to the inmates’ substantial risk of serious harm, which constitutes a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause.
35 Harward, Kyle Political Science, Texas State University
Program Evaluation of the State Office of Risk Management: A study on the Impact of a Self-Insured Risk Pool In response to escalating medical costs and benefit payout for Texas state employees, the State Office of Risk Management, administrator of the workers’ compensation program for Texas state employees, changed their funding structure in 2002 to a self-insured risk pool. The change in funding structure is intended to help control costs and reduce injuries and illnesses sustained during the course and scope of employment.
Purpose The purpose of this explanatory research is to assess what impact the change to a risk pooling workers’ compensation program has on Injury Frequency Rate. Injury Frequency Rate is the rate of non-fatal occupational injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time equivalent employees per year. The study provides a greater emphasis on the evolution of workers’ compensation as a program including how risk analysis and financing are used in its implementation. Additionally, this study explains how workers’ compensation is regulated in Texas and the State Office of Risk Management’s role as administrator of the workers ’ compensation program for Texas state employees. The study hypothesizes that the change to a self-insured risk pool significantly reduces injury frequency rate for Texas state employees.
Methodology A comparison group of all non-public entities in Texas is provided to control for threats to validity. The regression analysis known as Interrupted Times Series with comparison group is performed to test the hypothesis.
Results We conclude that the pre and post change in trend for the State Office of Risk Management is not significantly different than that of the private sector of Texas. In short, since the difference of the differences in trends is not significant, we cannot support the hypothesis of this study. We, therefore, conclude that the implementation of the risk pooling program for Texas state agencies has not produced a significant decline in Injury Frequency Rate. Further research of existing data specifically return-to-work outcomes and medical fee schedules are recommended to assess the impact of the change to a self-insured risk pool for the State Office of Risk Management.
Authors: 1) Kyle R. Harward, 972-740-0885, [email protected]
36 Hay, Jonathan Anthropology, Texas State University
Salvadorenidad in the Valley of Peace
What does it mean to be Salvadoran in Belize? Valley of Peace, Belize, is a farming community made up of refugees from El Salvador. The village was established through a joint effort of the Belizean Government and the United Nations in order to provide a home for Salvadorans fleeing the 1979-1992 civil war in El Salvador. The village now has a population of over 2,000. My research investigates the degree to which the members of this community maintain a Salvadoran identity, and the ways in which such identity is expressed. My hypothesis is that Salvadorans in Belize maintain connections with El Salvador and Salvadoran identity through remittances, language, and specific social customs.
Methodology
I have visited Valley of Peace in the past and established contacts that will be the basis of my future research. In the interim I will be conducting a literature review on the nature of Salvadoran identity and the Salvadoran diaspora both in the United States and elsewhere, which I will later compare to my findings in Belize.
Expected Results
I expect to find key features of Salvadoran identity and key characteristics of Salvadoran diaspora communities that I will be able to use as the foundation for my research. In particular I expect to find characteristics of identity in the forms of a Salvadoran style of the Spanish language spoken within the community, expressions of machismo in male population of the community, and the production and consumption of traditional Salvadoran food and drink such as papusa and chaparro.
I also expect to find common community based characteristics of Salvadoreñidad such as permanent multi-generational communities in which the members do not intend to return to El Salvador permanently, though they may occasionally return for short periods of time. The sending of remittances will also be a common practice in Salvadoran diaspora communities.
37 Hendricks, Diana Interdisciplinary Studies (Texas Music and Culture) , Texas State Unviersity
How has Texas Music Evolved as A Global Presence? Problem: Texas music has grown into a global presence in multiple genres of American music since the early 1930s. While the musical styles discussed in this project are diverse, each is traceable to distinctly Texas roots. The “how” of that title will ask the question two ways: focusing on the geography, immigration, and economic origins; as well as the artists who brought Texas music, talent and sounds to the international stage.
Methodology: I asked four broad questions of thirty experts in the music business, a combination of journalists, investors, agents, music directors, historians, and more. Twenty-two responded. Questions posed were: (a) what is Texas music; (b) how has Texas music evolved into a global presence; (c) is this tradition of Texas music growing, dying or remaining static amid the technology of the twenty-first century; and (d) who are the pioneers who created the global impact of Texas music?
Results: Is Texas Music real? Or are we Texas chauvinists who think too highly of our region, and is it simply music made in Texas? Author Joe Nick Patoski says, “Texas music is a sense of sound that represents a lot of things. The key to understanding Texas music is to understand a sense of place. This state is full of immigrants. They help define Texas music. I think the point with Texas music is to prove how un-alike we are – and unlike everybody else.”
How has it evolved? From Gene Autry singing cowboy ballads on the silver screen to James McMurtry filling concert halls across the nation, Texas musicians have made people listen to what they have to say and play. As our cultures meld, our music remains flavored with German, Mexican, Southern, Blues, Zydeco, Cajun, folk and more styles that we bring to the table. We are a state of immigrants. Our music illustrates the passion and pride that defines the Lone Star state.
And what of technology? Music biographer Brian T. Atkinson says, “Authenticity will not evaporate with technology. Impossible. Texas music has no rules. Anything goes. Sure. The sounds might evolve as they always have, but the spirit behind Texas music – adventurous and ambitious, independent and irreverent – will always stay the same.”
Who are these pioneers? Some of the names are as familiar as a cousin or uncle we grew up with, and others are faded memories for even the most devout Texas musicologist. But those who topped the list will gladly share this stage with those who came before them – Vernon Dalhart, Lefty Frizell, Lydia Mendoza and Blind Lemon Jefferson, Narcisco Martinez, Ornette Coleman, and more.
Texas music is distinct. It is broad, immigration-based and as big as the Lone Star State. It is an often-imperfect blend of styles that have been borrowed from others, about which legends have been created and stories made legend. It is Texan. It is American. And it belongs to the world. Listen. You can hear the history in every beat.
38 Hernandez, Jacqueline; Hahn, Dittmar Biology, Texas State University
Contribution of Cliff Swallow Feces to Surface Water Contamination
Problem/Research question
The contamination of surface waters by potential pathogens is important to human health due to the recreational uses that these waters provide. This study focused on the impact that Cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) may have on surface water quality, and if contamination of these waters may be caused by these birds. Bridges have allowed the Cliff swallow to expand its range throughout most of the United States (Brown and Brown 1995). Since the feces of birds have been shown to be sources of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogens such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella sp., Cryptosporidium sp., and Giardia sp. (Sejkora et al. 2011; Graczyk et al. 2008; Fallarca et al. 2001; Green et al. 2012), we were interested to assess the contribution of fecal shedding from Cliff swallows, nesting under bridges, over surface waters.
Methodology
The study was using the comparative analyses of E. coli as an indicator organism for fecal contamination, contrasting a most-probable-number (MPN) based enumeration (performed by Edwards Aquifer Research & Data Center) with CFU based enumeration on Tryptone Bile X- Glucuronide (TBX) agar. The impact of season (absence and presence in different densities of Cliff swallows) and potential impacts of run-off (i.e. large precipitation events) were also evaluated. Up and down stream water samples were collected in triplicate at five different bridges located across central Texas.
Results
The comparison between the MPN based enumeration and the CFU based enumeration on TBX showed that the former was more accurate but the latter allows for further assessments such as source tracking analysis. The data for both the MPN and CFU based enumerations were analyzed using an ANOVA. The statistical analysis showed that for both methods, there were no significant differences between the numbers of E. coli present in up and down stream samples (p>0.05). However, it was shown that run-off events (i.e. before and after rainfall events) did have an impact on the abundance of E. coli present in the water regardless of the method used. In the absence of swallows, significant differences were observed for both methods (p<0.001). Similarly, a significant difference was observed with both MPN and CFU based methods (p<0.001 and p<0.02, respectively) in the presence of swallows. These results, so far, show that the presence of Cliff swallows is not a major contributing factor to the contamination present in the waters sampled.
39
Herring, Cody; Erskine, Nick; Cook, Kimberly; Henriquez, Jamie; Twilligear, Josh Mass Communications, Texas State University
Diffusion of Services: What Differentiates Them? Research Question
Our research examined how people select and choose to use three different video services: subscription-based streaming (Hulu, Netflix, etc.), streaming rentals (iTunes, Pay-Per-View, etc.) , and DVD/Blu-ray rentals (Redbox, Blockbuster, etc.). We wanted to find which features and benefits appealed to the consumer and how that affected their adoption of certain video services over others. Using the diffusion of innovation theory (Rogers, 2003) as our framework, we were looking to explore the reasons that make these rental services popular and what qualities of these services helped them better diffuse in a population. What are the features and benefits that would best suit a customer’s needs when selecting a video streaming service? Chao & Zhao (2013) of St. John’s University conducted research on why consumers have shifted from DVD rentals/theater watching/on-demand to video-streaming options. They found that consumers prefer movie streaming, but that they also prefer to view streamed videos in ways that are much easier to watch than the current models. We explore these topics in our research and examined why people adopt certain video-watching methods over others and why.
Methodology
We employed a focus group-based research method using eight individuals. We asked ten questions based on pros and cons of each method as well as factors that influenced the decision of which rental service that they use. All participants were current users of at least one method of a video service.
Results
The key insights that influenced their decisions were cost (monthly vs. per rental), convenience (in-home rental vs. traveling), ease of use, and availability (new releases vs. older releases). Also crucial to the decision-making process was the availability of a free trial; some of these services offer a one or two week free trial to entice the customer into buying a subscription. We also discovered that three out of eight people used these rental and streaming options rather than purchasing a cable TV contract.
References:
Chiang-nan, C., & Saibei, Z. (2013). Emergence of Movie Stream Challenges Traditional DVD Movie Rental--An Empirical Study with a User Focus. International Journal Of Business Administration, 4(3), 22-29.
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press.
40 Herring, Cody Mass Communication, Texas State University
“Visual ChitChat” In Different Age Groups Research Question
In this article, I further the research of Mikko Villi (2011) who looked at the way people use cell phone photographs as a means of visual communication to communicate certain ideas. He classified different types of images as a means of identifying a general topic (i.e. “Everything’s/I’m ok”, “Wish you were here”, and “This is what I’m doing now”, Villi 2011). The main deficiency in his research was the limited sample (6 people in Finland all in their early 20’s). My research will explore how people use these images in five different age ranges: 13-18 years old, 19-25 years old, 26-34 years old, 35-44 years old, and 45-99 years old. My research will look at content of these visual messages and how the meanings behind them may change with age, or if people communicate a consistent message across all age groups.
Methodology
I conducted extended one on one interviews where I encouraged participants to speak freely about when and why they send mobile snapshots to their friends or family. I asked what these messages mean and how they created the message within the photograph. I paraphrased their responses into the groups of symbolic communication that Villi (2011) designed, as well as created new symbolism groups as the need arose.
Expected Results
I expect that I will discover some new symbolic forms of communication by including different age groups into the study. Also, I believe I will discover that some of these symbolic forms will be weighted more to certain age groups than others, and that as age increases so does the content of the visual message. I believe that as I go from the lower end of the age spectrum to the higher end of the age spectrum, I will see increasingly more complex visual messages being sent by older mobile phone users.
41 Hessey, Amelia Anthropology, Texas State University
Geometric Morphometric Sex Estimation from the Greater Sciatic Notch of the Human Pelvis Estimating sex is a critical component in the identification of skeletal remains in forensic and archaeological contexts. It is widely agreed that the human os coxae is strongly sexually dimorphic and is therefore the most useful bone for estimating sex in skeletal remains. And yet, despite the importance of estimating this biological characteristic, methods widely used today rely rather heavily on the experience of the anthropologist and on the presence of more complete coxal bones. Following earlier research by the author, this project examines the usefulness of morphometric and geometric morphometric methods in estimating sex from the greater sciatic notch. Originally tested on American white and American black samples from the Terry Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, this method has now been applied to a Mexican sample from the skeletal collection at the School of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Using a 3D digitizer, three landmarks are observed on the greater sciatic notch; the posterior inferior iliac spine, the ischial spine, and the deepest point of the notch. Geometric distances and angles between the points are calculated and define the width and depth of the notch. Discriminant function analyses of the geometric variables were computed with an accuracy reaching 90.4%. Geometric morphometric analysis of semilandmark data taken for the notch is also examined for its practical applications in sex estimation. This approach will allow anthropologists with less experience to more accurately estimate sex from fragmentary coxal bones due to both the simplicity of the technique and the survivability of the dense bone that makes up the sciatic region of the pelvis.
Funding provided by a Grady Early Research Fund Grant.
42
Holland, Derrick; James, Jessica; Ademosu, Kerry; Manhca, Alonzo Mass Communications, Texas State University
The Diffusion of SnapChat Among Millennials and the Future of Erasable Data Research Question
As social media becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, the direction of electronic communication is largely dependent on the dissemination of social media. In this study, we will review the diffusion of SnapChat; a social media, mobile application that allows users to send a 1 to 10 second picture or video to a network of contacts. The image then automatically “self-destructs” after the selected time expires. This research determines what initially caused the diffusion of SnapChat among millennials and the potential role erasable data will play in social media. By using the diffusion theory as it relates to the innovation process that pertains to the persuasion stage, we hypothesized erasable media was a deciding factor in a users’ decision to use SnapChat.
Methodology
We conducted a focus group discussion in order to obtain in-depth responses to our questions. Our research questions uncovered why the participants used SnapChat, their likes and dislikes, preferences over other social media, and most importantly their privacy concerns.
Results
The findings suggest the applications “self-destruct” feature and the innovative concept of erasable media fuels the diffusion of SnapChat by indirectly satisfying a user’s privacy concerns. Other important findings include the applications “fun” factor which appealed to the users’ individuality. Participants favored SnapChat’s ability to customize picture or videos with color or text over the monotony of texting or other social media applications. However, users vocalized strong negative reactions to potential advertising by SnapChat. Overall, the results indicated a preference toward more privacy in social media.
43
Jayweera, Thilanka; Dhanapala, Chandima; Kathare, Praveen; Dharmasiri, Nihal Biology, Texas State University
Dual Specificity Phosphatase, IBR5 links Auxin and Calcium Signaling Pathways
Auxin is a pivotal hormone that regulates plant growth and development. Auxin modulates the expression of many auxin responsive genes through the degradation of a group of transcriptional repressors, known as Aux/IAA proteins. Recent studies indicate that Indole-3-butyric acid response5 (IBR5) gene that encodes a dual specificity phosphatase, negatively regulates auxin signaling by affecting the degradation of Aux/IAA proteins. Many cellular responses to internal and external stimuli involve calcium (Ca2+) as a second messenger and functions along with Ca2+ binding protein calmodulin to modulate the function of many proteins. According to previous studies Ca2+ signaling affects the plant auxin response; however the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Previous studies have shown that dual specificity phosphatases AtPTP1 and AtMKP1 interact with calmodulin. In the present study we show that IBR5 is binding to calmodulin in Ca2+ dependent manner and this binding is affected by Ca2+ chelator EGTA. We have further shown that IBR5 phosphatase activity is modulated by Ca2+/calmodulin indicating that IBR5 is a bona fide calmodulin binding protein and its enzyme activity is regulated by Ca2+/calmodulin. Therefore, our data suggests a molecular mechanism that connects Ca2+/calmodulin with plant auxin response.
44 Jones, Melissa; Vandewege, Michael; Forstner, Michael Biology, Texas State University, Mississippi State University
Head-starting and captive Propagation of the Houston toad (Bufo houstonesis): Tool used for population supplementation in an endangered amphibian
Recovery efforts for endangered species often require stewardship approaches that seek to bolster declining wild populations of animals. Manipulative practices such as relocation, repatriation, translocation and headstarting have been successful population supplementation strategies for mammals, birds and reptiles. However, few translocation, repatriation, or head-starting programs have been reported as successful for amphibians. For the endangered Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) translocation or headstarting may be the only conservation option for re-establishing or supplementing populations. From 2007 – 2013 over 20,000 Houston toad headstarts have been returned to their habitat in Bastrop County, TX. Using genetic markers and pedigree reconstruction we are able to monitor the supplemented populations over time. Between 2008 – 2013 we collected 389 Houston toad adults by a variety of detection methods, including pitfall traps and audio field surveys. PCR was performed at five microsatilite loci and genotypes from these wild collected individuals were compared to headstart sibships using pedigree reconstruction program COLONY. Only one individual had a genotype 100% consistent with a head-started egg strand in Bastrop County. Although thousands of individuals were released as headstarts, continued drought and wildfire reduced detection of Houston toads everywhere including these supplemented populations.
45
Kotwal, Hillary; Biediger-Friedman, Lesli; Bates, Kristin; Crixell, Sylvia; Friedman, BJ Food and Nutrition, Texas State University
Reflection of Childcare Center Nutrition and Activity Build Environment: A Photovoice Exercise Problem: As the prevalence of childhood obesity has steadily increased in Central Texas, it has become vitally important to intervene within environments at which children spend substantial time. More than 1.3 million children under 6 potentially need child-care. The childcare workers are gatekeepers to a major nutritional environment of preschool-aged children. Photovoice is a method of Community-Based Participatory Research used to initiate an evaluation process of one’s own environment and community. Using Photovoice methodology, the participants reflect on their own environment, causing them to more aware of their center’s food environment and to increase their self-efficacy to change their environment. In this study, the researchers took pictures of childcare center environments and collected childcare center staff perceptions of each picture.
Methods: After receiving approval from the Texas State Internal Review Board, twenty-one childcare centers located in Central Texas currently involved with the Best Food for Family, Infants, and Toddlers with Childcare Centers research study, participated in the Photovoice reflection method. Photographs of facilitators and barriers to providing a healthy environment were taken during a pre-intervention environmental assessment. A workshop training was held for staff of participating childcare centers. Each childcare center attending the workshop received a folder of photos; 3-5 profound pictures for each site were selected by the research team from the initial assessment to engage workshop participants in reflection. Participants were given instructions to answer questions regarding the pictures. Questions were designed to ask participants to reflect on their environment and to consider the need for policy to address the current environment. Upon completion of the activity, the researcher’s depiction of facilitators, barriers, and need for policy, for the same photographs were provided to each childcare center staff team. Participant photo reflections were categorized and themated.
Results: When comparing perceptions on need for policy, researcher/participant agreement for the need for policy to improve or maintain the environment depicted in the photo was 24%. Only 12% of the time, the researcher suggested a policy and the participant answered “no” need for policy. In total, the researcher/participants agreement was reached 45% of the time for either need for policy or no need for policy. Interestingly, 22% of the time participants suggested “yes” for the need for policy while researchers did not suggest a policy. Suggested barriers for making policy changes to provide a healthier environment included parents (23%) teachers (19%), costs (15%), and resistance of the children (11%). The remaining 32% stated other barriers such as time, difficulty of preparation, cooking, self, shelf-life, and space.
Discussion: Photovoice was used to help childcare centers suggest solutions to improving the environment they work in and to prevent children from developing overweight/obesity. Further research will explore the reason participants made or did not make changes to their environments.
46 Lee, Nicole; Tisdale, Ben; Diddams, Josh Media Communications, Texas Tech University; United States Navy; United States Marine Corp.
Public Relations Roles and Corresponding Social Media Strategies
This theoretical paper examines the relationship between traditional public relations roles and social media utilization. The public relations manager and technician role dichotomy is too simplified to explain strategies enacted by public relations professionals in their use of social media. Rather than attempt to create new roles or role measures to explain social media strategies, this paper reexamines four of the original conceptual roles (communication technician, expert prescriber, communication facilitator, problem-solving facilitator) proposed by Broom and Smith, explicates four social media strategies at the conceptual level (social media for information dissemination, social media for unaligned purposes, dialogic social media utilization, social media for organizational change), and posits which strategies will be enacted as a consequence of practitioner role enactment. This paper provides practitioners with a theoretical framework to help them understand why certain social media strategies are effective in specific situations.
47 Li, BinBin; Heping, Chen; Jin, Tongdan Industrial Engineering, Texas State University
Complex Robotic Assembly Process Modeling for Performance Optimization In the high precision robotic assembly lines, the process parameters have to be tuned in order to adapt to variations and satisfy the performance requirements. However, because of the modeling complexity and the low efficiency of existing solutions, this task is usually performed offline. In order to improve the assembly process performance, we investigate the modeling problem for robotic assembly processes by proposing an on-line non-parametric modeling method. However, for complex systems and processes operating in a stochastic environment such as the assembly processes, experiments and evaluations could be costly because of resource utilization, energy consumption, and dedicated labor. It is better we can integrate some prior knowledge and derive an effective model based on a small number observations. Because Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), a non-parametric modeling technique, is widely used to model various types of systems, it is considered as an ideal tool to model the relationship between the assembly process parameters and performance. However, the main challenge in implementing GPR is to find suitable covariance functions which can minimize the modeling errors. Therefore we investigated different combinations of basic covariance functions and implemented them to identify the most suitable covariance function for an assembly process. An offline model structure is then appropriately developed using the identified covariance function. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed algorithm are further tested by experiments, which were performed using a robotic valve body assembly process. Different covariance functions were applied to build assembly process models using the recorded data. The performance of the built models is then compared and the covariance functions with the best performance are identified. The proposed modeling method can be applied online without stopping an assembly station, and to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first attempt of modeling complex assembly process that will make online process optimization possible and generate large economic impact.
48
(a)
(b) (c)
Fig. a) The experimental system is consisted of an ABB IRB140 robot with an IRC5 controller, a force sensor mounted on the robot end effector and a vacuum suction tool used to pick up the valve. A valve body assembly process is used to demonstrate the proposed method. The assembly clearance is about 40 m . b) and c) Models built using different covariance functions.
49 Lookabaugh, Jacqueline Educational Leadership, Lamar University
Contributing Factors to the Closure of Texas Charter Schools from 1996-2012
Problem
The primary focus of this research study is to investigate the impact that administrative leadership has had upon non-traditional public school operations in Texas specifically in open enrollment charter schools from 1995-2012 and identifying contributing factors that have led to the closure of 95 charter schools. As an educational leader and researcher, I have discovered that prior research on closed charter schools in Texas focused primarily upon generic reasons for their closure without actually providing specific causation. I believe it is important for all current and future school leaders to understand those factors and through internal educational operations investigation avoid and, or possibly prevent experiencing similar issues and difficulties. Methodology
A qualitative methodological approach has been utilized for this study. Through examination of prior research, archived data and interviews I discovered unexpected findings in various levels of charter school leadership with shared phenomenal concepts and realizations. While it has been believed that the closure of Texas charter schools from 1996-2012 were mostly due to financial and academic performance failure, I have found through study a suggestion of what has been described as “founderitis” to be of even greater consequence. Expected Results
I am attempting to gain a better understanding of the failed charter school administrators, founders and leaderships approach to their charter schools’ impending demise and steps attempted both successfully and failed in efforts to avoid eventual closure. In a time of current financial sequester and constrained school budgets, if I could help at least one educational leader or school district/charter learn from suspected missteps of a failed charter school so that funds could be spent on providing instructional and, or social essentials, then my goal will have been realized.
Keywords: charter schools, “founderitis”, educational leadership
50 Loney, Lauren; Nowlin, Weston; Hutchins, Ben; Scwartz, Benjamin Biology, Texas State University
Ecosystem Consequences for Extinction of Aquatic Subterranean Species in the Edwards Aquifer, Texas Problem/Research Question
Animals have direct and indirect impacts on the nutrient cycling in ecosystems. Previous studies indicate that metazoan animals in aquatic ecosystems (i.e., streams and lakes) can indirectly affect nutrient cycling by changing the rates and ratios at which N and P are recycled and made available to primary producers and microbes. However, very little is known about the relative importance of consumers in the ecology and nutrient cycling dynamics of subterranean aquatic ecosystems. Although these subterranean aquatic food webs rely upon allochthonously-generated organic matter from the surface or on chemoautotrophic processes (e.g., sulfide oxidizing bacteria), virtually nothing is known of the role of subterranean animals in the recycling of nutrients utilizing these food sources. The objectives of my study are to quantify the relationship between species’ occurrence, abundance, and diversity in two well sites in the Edwards Aquifer, to examine patterns in nutrient recycling by stygobionts, and to determine the ecological implications of species loss in the Edwards Aquifer, specifically in the Artesian Well in San Marcos, Texas.
Methodology
This study will include the collection of field data, laboratory experiments, and a modeling effort. The goal of the field study is to quantify stygobiont species occurrence and abundance at this high-diversity spring site in order to model how changes in species diversity and composition affect nutrient recycling within the Edwards Aquifer. The laboratory portion of this study will involve the collection of live stygobionts from the Artesian Well and conducting short-term nutrient excretion measurements. We will also determine organism elemental (C, N, and P) composition on these individuals. For the modeling effort, simulations of random and non-random extinction of taxa will be conducted to determine the ecological implications (i.e., nutrient recycling by stygobionts) for the loss or extinction of stygobiont species.
Expected Results
We expect the relative abundances of the various taxa we collect will exhibit little temporal variation due to the relatively consistent discharge and physicochemical conditions present at this site and that the rates and ratios of nutrients (i.e., C, N, and P) by stygobionts will vary among different species, with organism body size, and with organism body stoichiometry. We also predict that mass-specific excretion rates will decrease with increasing body size and that organisms with the highest body nutrient content (percent N or P composition by mass) will have the lowest mass-specific N and P excretion rates. Finally, we expect that the nutrient cycle in the Edward Aquifer is dominated by a small number of species and loss of species diversity will have a measurable effect on community- wide ecosystem functions.
51 Lowe, Ricardo Sociology, Texas State University
Empowering Haitian Women: How Poverty in Port-au-Prince Affects Haitian Women’s Health Problem: Numerous analyses from a variety of disciplines discuss poverty's effects on the mental and physical health of Haitian women. These effects are alleged to be attributed to Haiti’s infamous 2010 earthquake, in which poverty has since soared rapidly, and Haiti’s turbulent postcolonial history. Socioeconomic factors such as lack of employment opportunities, limited education and healthcare services, and food scarcity has promoted increased gang violence and high adult and infant mortality. While all Haitians have undoubtedly become victim to these factors, women are most affected. Physical health implications for Haitian women are attributed to “limited access to birth control or to sexual and reproductive health services” (Van Devin 2013:24) and several cases of sexual assault and rape, which has ultimately lead to extremely high HIV prevalence in the country (Clerge 2009:424). Methodology: This paper examines health adversities affecting Haitian women in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince as result of extreme poverty. First, Haiti’s postcolonial history, along with the country’s fairly recent natural disaster, is briefly explained as they both relate to Haiti’s current impoverished condition. A synthesis of literature from academic journals and recent media publications is presented to familiarize readers of the positive impact Haitian women’s health has on the economy. A literature review pertaining to a qualitative study conducted in Leogane, Haiti, a small town less than 18 miles west Port-au-Prince, is studied as it relates to the specific needs Haiti women require most. Finally, limitations in the literature and prospective solutions are defined.
Results: Ultimately, Haiti’s economic stability depends tremendously on the acknowledgment of Haitian women’s voices. As bearers of the next generation of Haitian peoples, their resilience must be sustained through ridding adversarial health complications attributed to poverty and political turmoil. The empowerment of Haitian women must be acknowledged by non-governmental organizations who sincerely aspire to develop Haiti’s turbulent economy and improve the country’s social conditions.
52 Lyons, Emily Mass Communication, Texas State University
Perception of nonprofit mobile web design Research Problem
As the capabilities of smartphones increase, they have become widely used as personal mobile computers. Users access the Internet on these devices, and even make purchases or do personal banking through web-based applications. As browsing the web on smartphones becomes commonplace, website designers must consider the user experience of a website on such a small screen.
The focus of this paper is on nonprofit use of mobile websites. In a survey by Lasa Charity UK Limited, 68 percent of respondents said they use digital technology for fundraising (2012). But many small nonprofits do not use digital resources for a variety of reasons, including lack of resources, training and support from leadership (Lasa, 2012). Because some nonprofits have fewer resources to design and implement digital properties, many organizations have not developed mobile versions of their websites. Online donations have become commonplace, so the design and implementation (or lack) of mobile websites has repercussions for an organization’s fundraising and donor communication and interaction.
Because smartphones are commonplace, and nonprofits have begun to rely more heavily on digital technology for fundraising and other communication, it is important to explore user perceptions of nonprofits’ websites when accessed on a smartphone.
This study will seek to understand user perceptions of selected nonprofit websites, including sites designed for mobile as well as regular sites, when accessed on a smartphone.
Central Question: How do smartphone users’ perceptions of nonprofit websites - when viewed on a smartphone – affect their intention to use the site?
Sub-question1: Do smartphone users perceive nonprofit websites viewed on a smartphone as more user-friendly when the site is designed for mobile devices?
Sub-question2: Do websites perceived as more user-friendly increase the likelihood of respondents’ intention to use the site?
Methodology
Diffusion of Innovations Theory’s attribute of complexity will be applied in this study in exploring the perceived user-friendliness of nonprofit websites accessed via smartphones.
For this study, the author will select a group of mobile nonprofit websites and a group of nonprofit websites that do not have a mobile design as the treatments. The researcher will conduct a focus group asking questions to gauge participant perceptions of each treatment and its user-friendliness.
The focus group will also take into account general design principles utilized in each selected treatment, such as color and structure, which will allow for an analysis of user-friendliness based on basic design principles.
53 The study will use a focus group of 8-12 students, composed primarily of undergraduates studying mass communication at a state university in Central Texas.
Expected Results
The author expects to learn more about what factors influence participants’ perceptions of the complexity of nonprofit websites. In addition, the research is expected to demonstrate that participants perceive a greater level of user-friendliness in websites that are specifically designed for mobile than in those which are regular, full- size websites.
54
Mali, Ivana; Vandewege, Michael; Davis, Scott; Fostner, Michael Biology, Texas State University, Mississippi State University; Turtle Survival Alliance,
International Markets and National Impacts to biodiversity: The Magnitude of Freshwater Turtle Exports from the U.S. and Recent Regulatory Outcomes
(a) Unregulated commercial harvest remains a major threat for turtles across the globe.
Due to continuing demand from Asian markets, a significant number of turtles are being
exported from the USA. Beginning in 2007, several southeastern states in the US
implemented restrictions on the commercial harvest of turtles in order to address the
unsustainable take.
(b) We have summarized freshwater turtle exports from the US between 2002 and 2012
and demonstrated that the magnitude of turtle exports from the US remained high
although the overall trend did decrease throughout the decade.
(c) Louisiana and California were the major exporters, the majority of which were captive
bred, and the vast majority of exports were from two genera, Pseudemys and
Trachemys. After 2007, the increase in export of wild turtles out of Louisiana could be a
consequence of strict regulations in surrounding states (e.g., Alabama, Florida). We
suggest that if wild turtle protection is a goal for conservation efforts, then these states
should work together to develop comprehensive regulation reforms pertaining to the
harvest of wild turtles.
55 Mask, Abby Mathematics, Texas State University
Graph Theory and Student Productive Disposition Research question:
Mathematical disposition is commonly used in mathematics education literature to describe students’ disposition with respect towards mathematics. Students develop a productive disposition when the student believes that the mathematics should make sense, that they can figure it out, that they can solve mathematical problems by working hard on them, and that becoming proficient is worth the effort.
Research question 1: What is the relationship between students’ reported mathematical dispositions before and after a semester of graph theory interventions in a liberal arts mathematics course?
Research question 2: In what ways does graph theory effect liberal art majors’ mathematical productive dispositions?
Approach:
A discrete mathematics curriculum will provide the basis for an intervention with students enrolled in a contemporary mathematics course for liberal arts majors. The intervention, which combines contemporary mathematics curriculum with graph theory lessons in the classroom, is designed to stimulate students’ development of mathematical productive dispositions. The impact of the intervention will be studied through analysis of student journaling and the use of an interview based instrument developed by the researcher.
Results/Expected Results:
The goals of the study are to incorporate graph theory into the mandatory curriculum for contemporary mathematics students and to study the effects of the intervention on students’ productive dispositions. In assessing whether there is a statistically significant difference between the participants’ pre-test and post-test, a paired t-test will be conducted in SPSS. If there are significant increases in students’ mathematical productive dispositions after the graph theory interventions, then attention to why the increase occurred will be investigated by identifying themes in student journals
56 Matthews, Austin Political Science, Texas State University
Shrouded in Red Shadows: A Holistic Reinterpretation of the Life and Politics of Walter Ulbricht Problem or Research Question:
The research question of this submission was brought about as an afterthought to the author’s thesis work. Walter Ulbricht, first General Secretary of the German Democratic Republic, has often been interpreted by historians and political scientists in a variety of ways. These include viewing him as a loyal deputy, a cold-blooded authoritarian, and a bumbling incompetent. However, most scholarship tends to present Ulbricht as a one-dimensional figure, devoid of the complexity that other figures of the time are often portrayed in. After surveying a wide variety of texts and journal articles, the vast majority the author came upon merely view Ulbricht as a side-note, or as an inconsequential pawn in the Cold War grand strategic stage. Upon drawing a large quantity of research upon the subject, the author has discovered that there are general schools of thought that divide most scholarship on Ulbricht, each portraying him in a way that advances their overarching investigations. It is the desire of the author to mend these divides in order to give a multi-faceted look at the person and politician that was Walter Ulbricht. The author hopes that by creating a model on the subject that holds more depth, future scholarship will benefit and be able to provide more nuanced understanding of this oft-overlooked or underestimated political figure.
Methodology or Approach
The primary methodology of this research has been utilizing first and secondary sources discussing Walter Ulbricht and other related topics (Cold War, Stalinism, etc.). Reviews of literature on the subject have formed the basis for the “schools of thought” claim that the author makes, being a work of interpretive analysis. Scholastic works, literature reviews, biographical information, and deductive reasoning have been utilized to create this reinterpretation of the subject. The main line of reasoning will be drawn from previous discussions in the author’s forthcoming Masters of Arts thesis.
Results or Expected Results
The expected result of the author’s research is a more multi-dimensional model for the future analysis of not only Walter Ulbricht’s role in the 20th Century, but also for encompassing themes like comparative Stalinism and Eastern Bloc power dynamics. Through the interpretive effort of comparing and contrasting accounts of Ulbricht’s life and politics, it is hoped that there will be matching depictions and understandings, giving relevance to the claim that Ulbricht cannot be purely understood from a single frame. In doing so, the author wishes for the figure of Walter Ulbricht to be seen in a more relevant and dynamic way, challenging the oft-used formulas that cordon the man into one of several shallow historical and political roles.
57 Meier, Megan Criminal Justice, Texas State University
Gender, Identity, and Acceptance of Gender Stereotypes Among Male and Female Police Officers
The purpose of the present study is to increase understanding of the gender identity and gender role beliefs of male and female police officers. Officers were asked to complete the
Personal Attributes Questionnaire and the Attitudes Toward Women scale in order to assess their gender identity and role beliefs. Results indicated that male officers held more egalitarian gender identities, self-identifying as having equally masculine and feminine qualities. Female officers tended to view themselves as having more feminine qualities. A majority of officers held contemporary gender role beliefs, although females were more likely than males to hold traditional gender role beliefs. Both male and female officers adhered to traditional gender ideology in relation to roles for men and women in marriage and dating. Male officers may have more egalitarian (than masculine) gender identities because of a department’s style of policing, particularly community policing emphasizing stereotypically feminine attributes.
Because policing is a male-dominated profession, female officers may feel their gender identity is threatened and over-present feminine qualities and role beliefs in order to protect their identity as women. Overall, the results suggest a complex interplay between gender and police identity that requires further research.
58 Mills, Blair; Conlee, Christina Anthropology, Texas State University
Patterns of structure: the Fiber Artifacts of La Tiza Research Question
La Tiza is an ancient Andean site located close to the modern town of Nasca along the southern coast of Peru. Hundreds of fiber artifact specimens (including yarns, cords, knots, braids, and woven textiles) have been recovered from Archaic (9000 – 1800 BC), Late Formative (300 BC – AD 1), Early and Middle Nasca (AD 1- 550), Middle Horizon (AD 650 – 1000), Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000 – 1476), and possibly Late Horizon (AD 1476 – 1532) contexts. The majority of the textiles have Middle Horizon and Late Intermediate Period associations, and come from both domestic and mortuary contexts. Unfortunately the nature of these textile fragments is highly fragmentary, but information about the influence of social structures on the craft process can still be recovered.
Methods
This study analyzed the fiber content (mostly cotton and wool, but human hair and other vegetal fibers were observed), structure, and decoration from a sample of those fiber artifact specimens. This data is being compared to similar studies of Andean fiber craft and the identified patterns will be utilized in a discussion of technology, identity and cultural affiliation.
Expected Results
To the ancient Andean people, the characteristics of fiber artifacts, even those that seem more utilitarian, were likely of greater importance in the communication of identity and affiliation than those of us from the industrialized world are accustomed to. The raw materials and construction techniques utilized by the makers of these fiber artifacts will likely corroborate social patterns observed by other means.
59 Menodza, Melody Mass Communication, Texas State University
Understanding the Online Consumer: An Experiment Analyzing First Impressions of Website Visualization Problem
With business moving online and the increase of competition for user attention, it’s important to learn about online user habits so businesses can offer the right balance of written and visual content when building their online brand. In the online marketing world, content is king, which means its best practice for a good search engine optimization strategy to build website with valuable content, not just fluff. So where do the visuals come into play? The purpose of this research is to explore online user habits, specifically focusing on their first impressions of a website in order to analyze the importance of website visualization. Methodology Based on a similar study done in Germany (Möller, 2012), an experiment will be done, exposing business websites to online users for certain amount of time. Six screenshots of website landing pages —with different variations of visuals, some with none to little visuals and some with many visuals — will be chosen and shown to participants for 10 seconds each. Participants will then be asked to put the websites in order of ones they are interested in visiting based on their first impressions. A short questionnaire will follow the experiment to distinguish the reasons for their choices. The experiment results will also be analyzed for patterns. Expected Results Because visual aspects are so important to the human eye and how people process information, it’s expected that websites with more visual aspects will be chosen over websites without visuals. Visuals help users understand material and in the fast-paced online environment, visuals often replace the information content provides. Therefore, visuals will be an important aspect of first impressions of websites.
Möller, B. (2012). What should a corporate website look like? The influence of Gestalt principles and visualisation in website design on the degree of acceptance and recommendation. Behaviour & Information Technology, 31(7), 739-
60 Murray, Kayon Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology, Texas State University
“More than Just a College Credit Strategy?” A Critical Literature Review on the Impact of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) on the Learning Experiences of Adult Learners
Statement of the Problem and Research Question
Many post-secondary institutions use Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to evaluate college – level knowledge and skills an individual has gained outside of the classroom, for academic credit (Klein-Collins, 2010). Proven in large scale studies to increase degree completion rates for adult learners, it includes portfolio assessments, program evaluations or customized examinations of workplace, military, civic or voluntary service experiences in order to encourage college persistence and progress. Though much has been written on PLA, research has mostly surrounded either graduation rates or issues around credentialing (Peruniak and Powell, 2007). Yet, scholars note that PLA may be recognized as a “transformational” learning tool (Kamenetz, 2011; Stevens, Gerba and Hendra, 2010); a meaningful learning experience in itself - not just a means to academic credit or graduation (Lamoreaux and Taylor, 2012). Several have also echoed the call for additional research on how PLA as a learning tool in itself might help adult learners increase other necessary characteristics for college such as self – motivation (Conrad, 2008).
In this critical literature review, I examine empirical research focusing on learner outcomes as a result of the PLA process in the United States and Canada. My guiding research question is “Do adults who engage in Prior Learning Assessment experience transformational learning outcomes?” Since, to my knowledge, there is little to no evidence of literature that synthesizes studies investigating the impact of Prior Learning Assessment on individual learning experience, the purpose of the review is to (1) add to the body of knowledge on PLA by obtaining a greater understanding of how its use as a learning tool has positively impacted adult learners and (2) outline implications for ways in which institutions might use PLA to enhance adults learning experiences.
Methodology
The research study consists of an integrative literature review, which involves reviewing, critiquing, and synthesizing relevant literature in order to come to a new understanding of the topic at hand (Torraco, 2005). To get a sense of how educators of adults are exploring PLA as a learning tool, I examined several peer-reviewed journals directly related to the study of adult and higher education – as well as technical reports and book chapters on Prior Learning Assessment. I searched these sources using terms such as ““Prior Learning Assessment”, “adult learning outcomes and PLA” and “PLA impact”. My final data set included 21 articles from six adult or higher education journals and one large scale technical report. Because researchers conducting major studies on PLA in the United States stress that investigations into PLA learner outcomes are limited, I expanded the search to include institutions in Canada, aiming to provide added insight in a North American context.
Results/Findings
I found substantive evidence that adults who engaged in Prior Learning Assessment also experienced transformational learning outcomes. These outcomes manifested in three ways. The first involves the increase in their sense of motivation and empowerment. The second, increases in problem solving skills, while the third consists of increased opportunities for the construction of new knowledge of self and other.
61
Myers, Elissa English, Texas State University
“Heaven Help the Ladies:” Army Levy’s Middle-Class Feminism A. Research Question: Many of late-nineteenth century author Amy Levy’s acquaintances were socialists, and advocated for dramatic reforms that would positively affect the lives of working-class women. Many scholars have previously noted that Levy did not share her friends’ concern for the plight of the working class. Rather, Levy is concerned with the degree to which middle-class Victorian women do not have the same access to the then prevalent middle-class ideal of economic advancement. I would like to investigate what effect Levy’s works had on her largely middle-class female readership, and examine the techniques Levy uses to achieve this effect. B. Approach: I will take a historical materialist approach to my research, examining such historical/literary documents as periodicals in which Levy wrote to answer my research question. C. Results: I have already done much research on this question, and have found that in several of her works, Amy Levy achieves her purpose by identifying physical freedom for women with social freedom for women. Levy romanticizes working-class women, depicting them as physically and socially free. Because they frequently use public transportation and walk where they wish in the city of London, they are able to socialize with whomever they choose, especially men. Her depictions of middle-class protagonists are dramatically opposed to those of working-class women. She depicts middle-class women as confined to the domestic sphere of the home and unable to freely choose male friends and/or partners. I argue that Levy’s purpose in using this technique is to illustrate the degree to which the Victorian dream of rising through society’s ranks was not desirable for women. Furthermore, I hypothesize that Levy’s work had the effect of encouraging her middle-class readers to reject certain aspects of a normative middle-class woman’s life, such as marriage, childbirth, and domesticity, in order to gain greater social freedom.
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62 Navarro, Renato; Beaven, Katie; McKenzie, Jaime; Betancourt, Tania Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University; University of Kentucky
Click-Chemistry Based Synthesis of Molecularly Responsive Hydrogels as Biodegradable Scaffolds for Three- Dimensional Cell Culture A. PROBLEM Hydrogels are networks of hydrophilic polymers that can be either chemically or physically cross-linked; due to their ability to uptake copious amounts of water they become flexible and gain mechanical properties similar to tissue. Hydrogels have been used for some time as tissue engineering scaffolds due to their tunable responsiveness and degradability, which so far have been based on pH, temperature, hydrolytic or enzymatic cleavage. However there is a need for a system that is non-toxic and whose biodegradability is based on cellular signals, yielding the formation of a system that is unique and tailored for a particular molecular target. Our goal is to synthesize a molecular responsive biodegradable hydrogel that is nontoxic and capable of encapsulating cells within, in order to promote cell growth and proliferation leading to the development of a tissue.
B. METHODOLOGY Our hydrogel is assembled through the use of copper free click chemistry, allowing us to carry out the reaction in a one-pot synthesis, at room temperature, with out the use of catalysis or harmful solvents. The favorable reaction involves the use of a highly strained cyclooctyne and the nucleophilic azide. The specificity, responsiveness, and biodegradability of the hydrogel will be accomplished through the use of an aptamer complex that can be chosen to interact with a specific molecular signal allowing the hydrogel to degrade as a function of cell growth and proliferation. The aptamer complex consists of two azide functionalized oligo deoxyribonucleotide (DNA) strands and a third much larger complementary DNA strand that hybridizes with the two azide functionalized DNA strands and contains the aptamer sequence. A multi-arm polyethylene glycol was elongated with linear 100 Kda polyethylene oxide that was oxidized to yield a dicarboxylic acid functionalized polyethylene glycol; the extension ensures that the desired hydrogel porosity can be achieved. The ends of the extended multi-arm polyethylene glycol were then functionalized with dibenzylcyclooctyne and combined with the azide functionalized aptamer complex to form a hydrogel.
C. RESULTS Through the use of an aptamer complex substitute that consists of a linear 5Kda azide functionalized polyethylene glycol we have been able to synthesize a hydrogel. Although the hydrogel lacked the physical properties of a highly cross-linked scaffold we are currently in the process of maximizing cross-linking and optimizing the hydrogels mechanical properties. The aptamer complex has proven to be able to hybridize together; through the use of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer we are able to observe the difference in fluorescence between hybridized and un-hybridized DNA strands. Using this method we have shown that there is a three-fold decrease in fluorescence. We are currently in the process of optimizing this quenching, which will signal that more of our DNA strands have come together as well as testing the aptamers ability to bind to the target protein.
63 Nicosia, David Geography, Texas State Universtiy
Simulating Uncertainty in Volunteered Geographic Information
a) Research Problem Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) offers tremendous potential for better understanding our world, but issues of information quality can limit the usefulness of VGI. Simply put, it is difficult to predict the quality of VGI before it is collected. b) Research Method In this work, simulation was used to investigate potential uncertainty in VGI in order to inform the design and implementation of a facilitated VGI neighborhood white-tailed deer count. The results of the volunteer count were compared with an infrared- triggered camera deer survey and with simulation results. c) Results Simulation was useful for testing alternative VGI data collection procedures, optimizing data collection procedures, examining the relative performance of those procedures under differing conditions of participation, and as an aid in interpreting VGI results. Simulation was not useful for predicting volunteer behavior or participation level.
64 Niestroy, Aisling; Love, Courtney; Brown, Jordon; El-Ashqar, Monte Mass Communication, Texas State University
Tablet Computer Diffusion: Measuring Brand Loyalty and Satisfaction among Tablet Owners Problem/Research Question
The purpose behind this research study is to gauge buying motivations, product satisfaction and brand loyalty among tablet computer owners, in light of Everett Roger’s diffusion theory, with a focus on how the innovation has diffused and assimilated into the life of early-majority adopters (Rogers, 2003).
Methodology
A focus group method with six participants was utilized for this preliminary research study. Prior to conducting the focus group, all participants were asked to answer a series of questions in a mini survey to gauge specific details about the participants' buying and usage experiences. This initial sample was made up of a convenience sample of students and peers of the researchers conducting the focus group. The participants were between the ages of 19 - 40 years old. The focus group was conducted in a controlled classroom environment and lasted approximately 30 minutes in length. This form of research method allowed for a free form of discussion about the usage of tablets among the participants. Each participant was given an opportunity to answer each of the questions to the focus group. Additional feedback from other brands’ tablets owners was accumulated outside of the focus group, to gauge other brands’ diffusion and adoption behavior.
Results/Expected Results
With iPads totaling about 40% of all tablet computers in the market today, and with all participants owning iPads, one would think the Apple brand loyalty would be strong (Eadicicco, 2013) However, this focus group's findings did not validate that assumption. When the participants were asked if they would buy another Apple product again, all except one said they would like to consider other options, even though some of them were extremely satisfied with the brand. Some of those participants said that did not mean necessarily that they would buy another brand; only that they would like to consider other options. Furthermore, although the researchers expected the participants to have conducted extensive investigation into their tablet purchases, it turns out very little research was done. All of the participants who bought their tablets relied heavily on brand recognition and the most recent, most popular tablet when deciding to purchase their own
References
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations. New York: Free Press.
Eadicicco, L. (2013, May 1). Apple iPad Sales Dominate Q1 2013, But Samsung Looms. LAPTOP- Enirch your mobile life. Retrieved October 15, 2013, from http://blog.laptopmag.com/apple-ipad-sales-samsung
65 O’Donnell, Kristie Curriculum Instruction, Texas State University
Discourse in Narnia (a) Problem or research question
This project is a critical examination of the recent 2005 and 2008 adaptations of The Chronicles of Narnia, how U.S. social discourses are represented and upheld through film and media, how morality and social ethics have become support and are transmitted through the films, how this association makes the films’ messages seem like “common sense,” and finally, this thesis takes a critical lens as part of the larger goal of critical studies to mitigate harm on personal and cultural identity for women and minorities.
(b) Methodology or approach
There are sections devoted to critical discourse analysis (CDA) theoretical framework, and discourse analyses of each of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005) and Prince Caspian (2008) films.
(c) Results or expected results
Finally, remarks are made on the potential power of film, and specifically the recent cinematic Chronicles of Narnia, to promote and perpetuate understandings of morality and interpretations of social discourses for audiences and how this is relevant to the field of writing education.
66 Sehin, Oleksandra; Nguyen, Christy; Coryell, Joellen; Stewart, Trae Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology, Texas State University
Global Perspectives, Community Engagement, and Study Abroad in Post-disaster Christchurch, NZ Problem and research question
As the world is becoming more globalized, study abroad has become appealing for many adult students seeking to explore, create opportunities, and expand their minds to meet the demands of the economy and society in which they live. Recently, educators are taking a closer look into adding the component of service-learning to study abroad programs and examining how this component relates to the development of intercultural and global competences in adult learners. However, there is a general lack of empirical studies on the various ways service- learning can be incorporated in study abroad programs to maximize outcomes of study abroad programs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the learning that occurred related to these concepts in a service-learning course that was created at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, following a series of devastating earthquakes at the city’s center. The research question that guided this study was: What impact does the civic-engagement based study abroad program have on student global perspective development? Methodology or approach A qualitative approach was applied. Data were collected through three focus group discussions. Thirteen study abroad students enrolled in CHCH 101 course entitled Rebuilding Christchurch: An Introduction to Community Engagement in Tertiary Studies in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the spring of 2013 – participated in focus group interviews. Participation was based on volunteer basis. Out of thirteen participants, twelve were study abroad students from different states in the US and one participant was from Germany. A three-member research team which consisted of one doctoral student and two master’s degree students analyzed focus group discussions. Inductive and deductive (a priori) approaches were applied to analyze the data of the focus group discussions followed by a combination of individual and collective data analysis processes. Results The findings indicate that our participants developed global citizenship perspectives by gaining awareness of global issues, including earthquake post-disaster work, by becoming responsible global citizens through engaging in civic/community projects and giving back to the community, and by participating in the rebuilding process of the Christchurch community. The findings of our study revealed that in general, participants acknowledged positive changes to their intercultural competence through the process of service-learning. Students gained an increased understanding of international, cultural and global issues through the direct interaction with the host culture's values, views, and perspectives. They became aware of different cultural and personal perspectives on earthquake post-disaster responses, and learnt many ways of civic engagement. Our participants also enhanced their knowledge of selves and others, and increased their ability to discover, interpret, and interact with people from different countries and cultures. Our participants expressed their commitment to continue to be engaged in community work after returning home, as well. They pointed out that civic engagement should start at first in their own community.
67 Orsak, Ben; Talley, Kimberly Engineering Technology, Texas State University
Impacts of Bridge Design and Land Use Characteristics on Cliff Swallow Nesting
As infrastructure has expanded, so have the nesting sites for animals roosting underneath bridges, in particular, the Cliff Swallow. With over fifty thousand bridges in Texas, the possibility of water contamination, due to the abundance of fecal matter left behind from these roosting cliff swallows, has become an environmental concern. An assessment of sixty-six bridges will be made to develop a model for determining the relationship between bridge characteristics, the surrounding environments, and the likelihood of cliff swallows nesting. With the understanding of the birds' behavior, a reduction or promotion of cliff swallow nesting can be achieved through design choices. Data will be collected on the bridges as well as their surrounding environments in comparison with the number of cliff swallows nests and nest scars to determine what makes a bridge site attractive to a cliff swallow. The original bridge data will be obtained through the National Bridge Inventory Database. From there, detailed information will be obtained through bridge inspection reports from the Texas Department of Transportation. Additional data such as number of nests and the level of openness will be collected on site. The level of openness of a bridges site will range on a scale of zero to three, with zero pertaining to areas that are completely open and three for areas that have abundant levels of brush or trees. Along with the physical aspects of a bridge site, GIS data will be obtained and observed using ArcGIS to determine the impact of surrounding land usage and soil types. With a preliminary graphical analysis, criteria for correlation will be determined for further statistical analysis using SPSS Statistics, statistical analysis software. A statistical model will be created by correlating the observed number of nests and nest scars, with the structural characteristics, bridge orientation, land use, and soil types around the studied bridges. The objective of this project is to use this model to identify the attractive qualities of a nesting site for a cliff swallow, and in turn use this information for future bridge designs. This will enable bridges to be designed with an increase of decrease in cliff swallow activity in mind.
68 Pham, Priscilla Biology, Texas State University
Synbiotic-induced alterations in fecal microbiota are associated with increased levels of plasma ANGPTL4 in Healthy Overweight Adults
Background: Gut bacteria have been shown to influence diet-related obesity, mediated in part via ANGPTL4, a circulating lipoprotein lipase inhibitor that modulates fat-storage in the adipose tissue. Modulating the gut flora to exert stimulatory activity towards ANGPTL4 may thus serve a protective function against diet-related obesity. We have previously shown that secreted factors from Bifidobacterium sp. significantly increased the levels of ANGPTL4 secreted from enterocytes in vitro.
Research question: The goal of this research was to investigate whether a synbiotic formulation containing probiotic Bifidobacterium sp. and prebiotics inulin and galactooligosacharides is capable of enhancing plasma ANGPTL4 levels in human subjects, via potentially enriching Bifidobacterium numbers in their gut. Methodology: The study was conducted as a pilot scale parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 56 healthy overweight adults. The subjects were randomized into a synbiotic or placebo (maltodextrin) group for a 12- week intervention. This was preceded by a 2-week run-in period and succeeded by a 4-week follow up. Fecal samples for microbiota analysis by fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) were collected at baseline, 6-weeks, 12-weeks and 16-weeks. Plasma samples for ANGPTL4 analysis were collected at baseline and 12-weeks. ANGPTL4 levels were analyzed by western blotting.
Results: We found that a 12-week long synbiotic intervention was able to promote a significant increase in fecal Bifidobacterium numbers, and their levels stayed significantly higher than baseline even 4 weeks after supplementation had ceased. The synbiotic intervention also enhanced the levels of ANGPTL4 detectable in the plasma of the subjects in this group. Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the increase in Bifidobacterium numbers and the levels of ANGPTL4 at 12-weeks when compared to baseline.
69
Phillips, Phillicia Geography, Texas State University
Geographic Relationships in an Urban Landscape: Green Space, Crime, and Ethnicity in Austin, Texas, 2006-2012
The purpose of this research is to determine if relationships among the variables— vegetation, crime, and ethnicity—exist in Austin, Texas. The analysis takes a three-step approach: (1) examine the relationship between vegetation and crime, (2) the relationship between crime and ethnicity, and (3) the relationship among vegetation, crime, and ethnicity. In other words, does the presence of particular urban green space vegetation have an association between the number of crimes reported, regardless of locations of ethnic majorities? Principal questions addressed include: Does the presence of vegetation reduce crime in an area? Do crimes increase as distance from vegetation increases? Is the vegetation- crime relationship consistent when comparing different ethnic enclaves? The study’s more general underlying contribution to current scientific research is to elucidate potential, individual and societal, benefits provided by nature (i.e., green space vegetation) in high-density urban areas.
Method:
I utilized geospatial and statistical tools available through geographic information systems (GIS) to compare the amount of vegetation, the location of crimes (n=240,000) reported in Austin, Texas, and ethnic majorities in the city. Crime data, obtained from the Austin Police Department for the study years (2006–2010), were geo-referenced and measured for central tendencies. The crime rate (per 100,000) and tree canopy area per census tract were calculated and compared to census ethnicity data. Additional crime analysis identified statistically significant clustering (hot spots and cold spots) and spatial outliers utilizing the Anselin Local Moran's I statistic.
Results:
My research identified limited, yet interesting, correlations between the three study variables. The technique used to operationalize vegetation was a limiting factor, due to the resolution and type of data available. Based on sampled parks and percentage tree canopy no significant correlation between vegetation and crime was present. However, when focusing on areas with the highest violent crime rates, results indicate the lower the percentage tree canopy the higher the violent crime rate regardless of the differences in neighborhood ethnic composition.
70 Purcell, Maureen; Wescott, Daniel Anthropology, Texas State University
Sexual Dimorphism of the Femur: Biomechanical influence of Pelvic Morphology
RESEARCH QUESTION
Knowing the relationship between pelvic and femur morphology is essential for understanding femoral developmental plasticity, sexual dimorphism, and morphological changes associated with habitual load levels. The purpose of this research project is to examine how pelvic dimensions influence the shape of the femur within a biomechanical framework in a modern American White population. Specifically the research examines the relationship between sex differences in biacetabular breadth and femoral functional angles.
METHODS
Sexual dimorphism in pelvic dimensions and femoral angles of 30 males and 30 females were analyzed using 44 3D landmarks and geometric morphometric techniques to provide a visual representation of overall shape change in the femur and pelvis between males and females.
RESULTS
Analysis of the data also showed significant sexual dimorphism in the biacetabular breadth, biomechanical neck length, femoral neck-shaft angle, and the bicondylar angle. Regression analysis showed significant relationships to exist between several variables, including biacetabular breadth, the neck-shaft angle, and the bicondylar angle. The findings also show that the neck-shaft angle and biomechanical neck length are correlated with the bicondylar dimensions. The research indicates that the femoral and pelvic morphological traits are multi-factorial and reflect biomechanical adaptations to varying dimensions among humans, which has applications for reconstructing modern and fossil human femoral plasticity and variation.
71 Rahimi, Mehrnaz; Patterson, Dennis Media Communications, Texas Tech University
Immigrants and Their Political Participation: An Investigation of Political Participation of Students with Immigrant Parents in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election
An increase in the number of immigrants that annually enter the U.S. can be a main concern for the country. They become part of society and citizens of the U.S. gradually. They send their children to school and have to participate in society to make a living. An increase in their population makes their political participation matter. The current study will focus particularly on the college students whose parents immigrated in the U.S. and are American citizens now. They are growing up in families with different culture and therefore to some extent have different concerns. Immigration can result in the formation of less traditional family structure. It impacts children’s role in their families as they go to school at early ages and adapt to the American culture. They often help their parents and due to having greater responsibilities compared with those who remained at home country, they have a relatively open parent-child relationship which results in a more communicative interaction between family members (Wilkin, Katz, & Ball-Rokeach, 2009). On the other hand, media and especially the Internet and social networking become of great use of young generations.
The current study investigates whether they participate in politics and if yes what factors play a role in their decision making, their family, friends, or media. The current study adopts survey as the research method and targets students at a Southwestern University as the population under the study. It is expected that political participation of students is more impacted by their family due to having more interaction with them.
There are several research questions including: What are the levels of political participation among students whose parents immigrated in the U.S. for the 2012 U.S. presidential election? What are the relations between the political interest, political efficacy, family ties, interpersonal political discussion, and media use with political participation of the students?
References
Wilkin, H. A., Katz, V. S., & Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (2009). The role of family interaction in new immigrant Latinos’ civic engagement. Journal of Communication, 59(2), 387-406.
72 Razavimaleki, Bita Anthropology, Texas State University
Hyphenated Nationalities, Hyphenated Identities
Research: Many Iranians have left their home country in the past four decades and moved to the US for various reasons, such as perusing higher education, seeking employment opportunities and even seeking political or religious asylum. Whatever their reason for immigration, the immigrants’ Iranian identity changes as they assimilate into their new culture. In this paper, I examine Iranian immigrants’ cultural experience in the United States, focusing on language, religion and national identity. Methodology: My research is based on semi-structured interviews among a community of Iranian-Americans in Texas. Interviews were 40-60 minutes long and interviewees were encouraged to speak about their experience being an Iranian and a Middle Eastern in the US, about their use of their native language Persian at home, as well as about their self-identification as an Iranian and an American. I have also used existing literature on national identity, Iranian identity and Iranian history in order to develop background information for this research. Results: This research focuses on self-Identification of the informants. All participants are first generation immigrants and identify as Iranians but their reason for such self-identification varies from being born in Iran to having Iranian ancestors and speaking the Iranian national language, Persian (or Farsi). Legal US citizenship status is the main determinant of the participants’ American identity. Those who do not have documents indicating their citizenship usually do not identify as Americans. Among the US citizen participants, some do not “feel” American mostly due to their limited English language skills and limited contact with their communities outside of their homes. Others consider themselves Americans, “responsible for the wellbeing of [their] fellow citizens” and “ to respect the US government” because of religious obligations or because of the benefits they receive from their American society (i.e. freedom of speech and religious practice, education and employment opportunities, medical benefits, etc.). While specific changes in identity are relevant only to the specific community I study in Texas, identity transformation applies to all Iranian immigrants in the US. As immigrants move away from their homeland, they take some values and traditions that shape their identities with them to their new home country. Based on their experience in their new society, they transform their identities as their values and traditions also transform.
73 Rodriguez, Nathian Media Communications, Texas Tech University
Oh the Humanity: A Look at Framing of Gay Marriage Before and After Russia’s Anti- Gay Law The issue of gay marriage has been a debated focal point of American media during recent years. The topic received even more controversy after June 30, 2013 when Russian President Vladimir Puton signed a law banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations to minors." As a result, attacks on the country’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) population are becoming a common occurrence. To complicate matters more, the 2014 Winter Olympics, officially named the XXII Olympic Winter Games, are scheduled to be held in Sochi, Russia. Not only is the new law a concern for the human rights of Russian citizens, but also for foreigners visiting the country where violations of the law could result in severe fines, detention or deportation. This paper is a work-in-progress submission that investigates the literature of framing and how it’s used to depict the issue of gay marriage in the United States. Also included is a proposal for a future content analysis research project. The question at hand is how American newspapers have used their online sites to frame stories of gay marriage before and after the Russian Anti-Gay Law was put into effect.
(a) Research Question: How did American newspapers use their online sites to frame stories of gay marriage before and after the Russian Anti-Gay Law was passed on June 30, 2013.
(b) Approach The researcher will propose a content-analysis of three American newspapers (Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and the New York Post) and how each one respectively framed their stories of gay marriage on their websites from June 30, 2012 through September 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013 through September 30, 2013.
(c) Expected Results The hypothesized result is that American newspapers will frame the issue of gay marriage in moral and human rights frames after June 30, 2013 as opposed to political and religious frames (frames that were used prior to June 30, 2013).
Personal Bio Nathian S. Rodriguez is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Mass Communications at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He earned his B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas and his M.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. His current research focuses on radio and multicultural communication, particularly mainstream- acculturated Hispanics and the LGBT community.
74 Rogers, Robert; Brittain, William; Li, Xiaopeng Chemistry and Biochemistry, Texas State University
Ion Mobility- Mass Spectrometry of a Photochromic System: Experimental Support for the Cisoid Form of Spiropyran Problem:
Photochromism is the transformation of a molecule from one structural state to another where at least one of the states must be light-induced. In order to develop a deeper understanding of the physical nature of this structural transformation, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) was employed in the study of a simple derivative of the spiropyran class of photochromic compounds. Measurement of the decrease in visible light absorption (~450 nm) of 1',3',3'-trimethyl-6-nitrospiro[chromene-2,2'-indoline] corresponds to a decrease in concentration of the ring-opened merocyanine (MC) isomers as they transform into the ring closed spiropyran isomer. Over a long time period, deviations from the generally accepted spiropyran thermal isomerization pathway were reproducibly observed indicating the possibility that more than two groups of isomeric structures were present in the system at any time and, moreover, played a significant role in the reaction pathway mechanism. This observation runs counter to the convention of describing this reaction as first-order and additional experimental evidence was necessary to validate the results of our kinetic investigations.
Methodology:
IM-MS was used to separate the isomers of each of three spiropyran derivatives into their respective conformer groups in the gas phase. Quantum chemical modeling based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) was used to identify theoretical ground-state structures for seven protonated isomers of each spiropyran. Collision cross-section (CCS) simulations from the program MOBCAL were employed to aid conformer assignment to specific isomers. In addition to conformer assignment to specific theoretical structures, the population fraction of each was determined via mathematical deconvolution of the IM-MS chromatographic output assuming Gaussian distributions about the central peak of each isomer elution band. Based on the results, a theoretical reaction pathway was postulated.
Results:
Isotopic patterns associated with each of three observed monomeric structures in IM-MS experiments confirm the presence of three distinct IM-MS conformers though post chromatographic fragmentation analysis via time-of-flight mass spectrometry did not distinguish any differences inhibiting assignment to specific isomers. Structural assignment of the detected conformers to the theoretically postulated isomers was instead performed using irradiated samples in their photostationary states in IM-MS experiments as well as CCS simulations based on DFT-B3LYP ground-state structures. CCS values and theoretical structures are presented. The results indicate that the three conformers are comprised of one single structure and two groups of isomers; the ring-closed isomer, the cis-MC group; CCX, and the trans-MC group; XTX. The designations; cis (C) and trans (T), refer to configuration of the three methylene bonds linking the p- nitrophenolate and indoline moieties of the MC forms. Isomer populations at equilibrium and following ultraviolet or visible irradiation are consistent with previously published structural dependencies on conditions. This work represents the first observation of a second isomer group on timescales greater than nanoseconds. A mechanism for the thermal reaction is postulated to occur via the formation of a stable cis intermediate, CCX, which has not been previously identified as a stable isomer in other work. Specific assignment of CCX to a particular elution band is still controversial and further investigation possibilities are discussed.
75 Samant, Suvidha; Sha, Qiong; Iyer, Anita; Dhabekar, Priti; Hahn, Dittmar Biology, Texas State University
Quantification of Frankian Soils using SYBR Green Based qPCR Research question
Members of the genus Frankia are nitrogen-fixing actinomycetes that form root nodules in symbiosis with a variety of non-leguminous woody plants. Frankia can be found in root nodules, a natural locale of enrichment of usually one Frankia population, and in soils that represent highly heterogeneous environments. Soils can support large microbial communities with more than 109 cells g-1 soil at a tremendous diversity. Frankia are thought to be present in small numbers in soils with approximately 104-105 cells g-1 soil.
Because it is virtually impossible to isolate Frankia from soil, molecular tools such as PCR have been evaluated for quantitative assessments of frankiae in soil. PCR-based quantification of Frankia in soils so far employed PCR-MPN using nested or booster PCR, but did not consider more recent technological advances of PCR like quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) that has successfully been used for the quantification of other soil microorganisms. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a qPCR method for the quantification of Frankia in soils.
Methodology
A SYBR Green based qPCR method was developed for the quantification of clusters 1 and 3 of the actinomycete Frankia in soils. Primer nifHr158 was designed to be used as reverse primer in combination with forward primer nifHf1 specifically amplifying a 191-bp fragment of the nifH gene of these Frankia. The primer combination was tested for specificity on selected pure cultures, and by comparative sequence analyses of randomly selected clones of a clone library generated with these primers from soil DNA extracts. After adjustments of DNA extraction conditions and the determination of extraction efficiencies used for sample normalization, copy numbers of nifH genes representing Frankia of clusters 1 and 3 were quantified in different mineral soils
Results The study indicated that primer nifHr158 was specific and 100% complimentary to frankiae of the Alnus, the Elaeagnus and the Casuarina host infection group, however, also detected the nifH gene in Micromonospora (with identical sequence to that of a Frankia isolate). DNA extractions from soil using 3 commercially available soil DNA resulted in similar yields, however, large differences in purity and nifH gene copy numbers of frankiae detected, with the SurePrepTM Soil DNA Isolation Kit providing the highest purity of DNA and the most reproducible quantification of frankiae at two template dilutions, i.e. 1 µl of the final extract or a 10-fold dilution. qPCR-based enumeration of frankiae in different soils retrieved by using the optimized DNA extraction protocol resulted in cell density estimates of up to 106 cells [g soil {dry wt.}]-1 depending on the soil which probably depicts a more accurate picture of abundances of indigenous Frankia populations. Hence the qPCR method described here should allow for a more complete examination of the ecology of indigenous and introduced frankiae in soils.
76 Sandoval, Graciela Geography, Texas State University
Latina Perceptions of Health Care Access in Three Community Health Centers in Central Texas: An Exploratory Study Research Question:
Do low-income Latinas in Central Texas encounter obstacles that prevent them from accessing health care?
Method: This exploratory study examines and analyzes thirty Latinas’ perceptions about health access at three community health centers in San Marcos and Lockhart in Central Texas. Through demographic and open-ended interview questions, Latinas, 17 to 54 years of age, explained their perceptions of health care access. The majority of the Latinas are low income, low education attainment, working class, and bilingual. Access to health care includes monetary and transportation barriers to health insurance and health care facilities, as well as physician or nurse practitioner trust, caring for patients, and knowledge about health, disease, and prescription medicine.
Results: The study found that the majority of women believe transportation is not a barrier to health care access, but income and health care costs are substantial barriers. The participants who seek health care in Mexico do not look for shortest distance to the border. Instead these women travel long distances for various reasons, including lower cost of medicine, surgical procedures, and familiarity to the location due to their family, place of origin, or having lived there for five years of more as an adult.
This research should help health professionals guide health programs and interventions that focus on Latina patients by providing them with more information and community programs and services targeting access to affordable prescriptions, low cost preventative health services, and low cost surgical procedures. These thirty interviews suggest that these female patients are equally or better connected to the Mexican rather than the United States health care system because of the affordability of preventative health care and surgical services. Future research should be undertaken within a larger geographical context of the American Southwest and with a greater diversity of Latinas who use community health centers to explain and compare in more depth their perceptions of access to the health care system in the United States.
77 Santana, Andrew; Kelemen, William Psychological Research, Texas State University
Memory and Metacognitive Accuracy Following Moderate and Heavy Bouts of Aerobic Exercise Problem
Previous studies have demonstrated cognitive benefits following brief bouts of exercise. For example, Salas, Minakata, and Kelemen (2011) tested the effects of walking outdoors for 10 minutes and found that memory performance increased by approximately 25%. However, the rate of walking was uncontrolled in that study. The present study was designed to compare memory and metacognitive accuracy in three separate conditions: moderate exercise (55% maximum heart rate), heavy exercise (75% maximum heart rate), and a control (sedentary) condition. One main hypothesis was that memory scores would be higher following exercise compared with the sedentary condition.
Methodology
Data were analyzed from 27 college students (mean age = 20.4, SD = 1.9) at Texas State University. Each participant was tested in 3 sessions separated by at least 24 hours, and participants were paid $10 per session plus a bonus $10 for completing all sessions as scheduled. Type of activity (sedentary, moderate exercise, or heavy exercise) was counterbalanced across sessions. Participants completed the experimental manipulation at the start of the session: heart rate was maintained in the exercise conditions using a chest- strap heart rate monitor attached to a treadmill. The experimental manipulation was followed by a 30-item study session during which participants provided judgments of learning (JOLs). A free recall test was administered at the end of each session.
Results
As predicted, participants’ levels of recall were significantly lower in the sedentary condition (M = 35.8%) compared with the moderate exercise (M = 44.0%) and the heavy exercise (M = 42.1%) conditions, t(26) = 2.79, p < .05 and t(26) = 3.02, p < .05, respectively. Similarly, participants’ JOLs were lower in the sedentary condition (M = 35.8%) compared with the moderate exercise (M = 44.0%) and the heavy exercise (M = 42.1%) conditions, but lacked significant changes. Participants walked at a significantly higher speed in the heavy exercise condition (M = 3.9 MPH) compared with the light exercise condition (M = 2.1 MPH), t(26) = 9.96, p < .05, and mean heart rates were higher in the heavy exercise condition (M = 137.5 bpm) compared with the light exercise condition (M = 106.0 bpm), t(26) = 28.62, p < .05.
These results replicate and extend the main findings of Salas et al. (2011): namely, that 10 minutes of walking can significantly improve memory in the absence of metacognitive changes. In this experiment, participants’ level of physical fitness was controlled by maintaining a specific percentage of max heart rates within a programmed treadmill. Thus, it appears that both moderate and heavy exercise can improve memory compared with a sedentary condition, though participants do not appear to expect this benefit. Future studies should examine biological markers associated with this memory increase.
78 Schneider, Joni; Mask, Abby Gail, Jia, Xingde Mathematics, Texas State University
The Geometric Representation of Cayley Digraphs Let Γ be a finite group of order m with a nonempty subset A. The Cayley digraph of Γ generated by A, denoted by Cay(Γ, A), is the digraph with vertex set Γ and arc −1 set {uv | u v ∈ Γ}. In this presentation, we will consider the vertex set of Zm . The geometric representation of Cayley digraphs becomes a key and critical tool in the study of Cayley digraphs. We will show you the essential elements of the geometric representation of Cayley digraphs. To construct this representation, we use a special ordering of lattice points. Let A = {a1, • • • , ak } be a subset of Zm . The A-representation of Zm , de- noted as (A, m), is the set of all the lattice points x = (x1, . . . , xk ) ∈ Nk such that ξ(x) = ∑k ai xi is the minimal representation in Zm . The A-representation of Zm can be constructed as follows: We proceed to fill each lattice point x = (x1, . . . , xk ) ∈ Nk with an element s ∈ Zm if
∑k s ≡ ai xi (mod m). i=1 We start with the origin (0, . . . , 0), and then follow the ordering ≺ for the elements in Nk . At each point x if the value s has not appeared so far, fill x with s; otherwise the lattice point x is left blank. The process ends when all values of s ∈ Zm have been exhausted.
79
Sembera, Jennifer; Waliczek, Tina Agriculture, Texas State University
Composting as an Alternative Management System for Wild Taro (Colocasia esculenta) and Brown Algae (Sargassum fluitan and Sargassum natans) Problem: The purpose of this study was to investigate the large-scale compost management of 3 aquatic species that posed threats to local ecosystems in Texas: Colocasia esculenta (wild taro), Sargassum fluitans and Sargassum natans (brown algae, collectively). Wild taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] is an exotic species invasive to the San Marcos River ecosystem, negatively impacting endangered species in the river’s headwaters. Thriving in freshwater swamps, streambanks and riparian areas, the species is identified as invasive throughout the southeastern United States as well as Puerto Rico, Jamaica and India. Sargassum fluitans was added to the Global Invasive Species Database in 2011. Massive drifts of brown algae, known collectively and colloquially as Sargassum (Sargassum fluitans and Sargassum natans), float onto the United States Gulf and Atlantic coasts and European shorelines with regularity throughout the spring and summer months, creating complicated management problems.
Methodology: To conduct this study, approximately 20 cubic yards of each species were collected from Spring Lake in San Marcos, TX and along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline in Corpus Christi, TX. These species were used separately as feedstocks to create a total of 12 compost piles (approximately 1.8 m in height and 3 m in length) at the Texas State University Bobcat Blend compost site. Growth and oven kill tests were used to identify propagation methods and test the viability of wild taro during the active stage of composting. The final compost product was tested for propagule viability and compost composition by the U.S. Composting Council.
Results The researcher conducted growth tests and oven kill tests to determine propagation techniques and temperatures required to kill propagules of Colocasia esculenta, specifically. Sargassum samples were not tested because they were rendered inviable when removed from the oceanic environment. Growth tests showed all wild taro propagules identified as "turgid" propagules grew while none of the propagules identified as "dried" showed any sign of growth. Oven kill tests were used to mimic conditions in active composting piles and identify the average temperature that propagules were rendered inviable. Analysis showed that exposure of turgid propagules to temperatures of 45 to 52 C for a minimum of 3 days rendered all propagules inviable. Representative samples of cured compost using wild taro and brown algae as feedstocks were tested. Laboratory testing found that high temperatures reached during large-scale composting rendered all wild taro propagules inviable. Quality testing conducted by the U.S. Composting Council at Pennsylania State University evaluated the the final compost product as safe and valuable. Final compost products did not include in salinity levels potentially harmful to plants or include propagules of invasive species. Therefore, Colocasia esculenta and Sargassum ssp. can be utilized as beneficial feedstock sources in composting operations, rather than being treated by herbicide or disposed in a landfill.
80 Sharma,Shobhit; Ceballos, Natalie Biology, Texas State Unviersity
Influence of Brain-Derived Neurotophic Factor and Family History of Alcohol Dependence on Alcohol Consumption Characteristics of Healthy Social Drinkers Abstract: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF), is a secreted protein (Binder DK and Scharfman HE, 2004). In 1982, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the member of the “neurotrophic” family of neurotrophic factors, was shown to promote survival of dorsal root ganglion neurons, and subsequently purified from pig brain (Barde et al., 1982). It is important for neuronal survival, differentiation and consolidation of synaptic strength (Thoenin, 1995). Recent studies in animal models have suggested that decreased BDNF levels may also be responsible for genetic propensity to alcohol-drinking behaviors (Prakash, Zhang and Pandey, 2008). Human studies have confirmed this relationship by examining presence vs. absence of the Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs6265 SNP) of the BDNF gene, a genotype associated with decreased activity-dependent release of BDNF. A number of studies have found increased alcohol consumption and genetic risk for alcohol dependence among individuals with the Val66Met polymorphism (see Ghitza et al., 2010 for review). However, the information remains contentious for this issue (see Nedic et al., 2013), and additional studies are required to confirm association between the Val66Met SNP and alcohol use in human participants.
Recent research suggests that BDNF may play a significant role in the reinforcing and rewarding effects of alcohol consumption and may be linked to genetic vulnerability to alcohol dependence. However, additional studies are required to explain the nature of relationships between BDNF and alcohol use among human participants. To this end, our study has following specific aims.
Aim 1: extend previous research by examining potential differences in salivary BDNF profiles among healthy social drinkers (aged 18-27) with and without a family history of alcohol dependence (FH), and the relationship of BDNF levels to alcohol use characteristics in these groups. Hypothesis 1: BDNF profiles are expected to be related to alcohol use characteristics such as quantity/frequency of alcohol consumption (the Val66Met polymorphism and lower BDNF associated with higher drinking levels), age of first drink and age of first drunken episode (lower BDNF associated with earlier initiation of alcohol use and drinking to excess), and binge drinking habits (lower BDNF associated with higher frequency and greater severity of binge drinking) compared negative controls (e.g., Val66Val). Participants were genotyped using cheek swab samples.
Aim 2: will examine the relationship between BDNF polymorphisms and 16-hour cortisol levels. Hypothesis 2: Previous studies have shown that carriers of the met-allele exhibit significantly attenuated HPA-axis activity (Nina et al., 2010). Similarly, individuals who are family history positive for alcohol dependence have also been shown to have attenuated HPA responses to stress (Sorocco et al., 2006). Based on this research, main effects of both BDNF genotype and family history of alcoholism status will occur. In addition, a synergistic effect of BDNF genotype and family history status may occur, the BDNF Val66Met variant may show a differential effect on diurnal variation of cortisol levels as compared to all other groups using enzyme immunoassay for salivary cortisol.
81 Smith, Colin Political Science, Texas State University
Toting an Idea: A Model for design, Distribution and Promotion of recycling tote Bags Problem or Research Question
Recyclable material from MFD’s [multi-family dwellings (duplexes, multiplexes, or apartment complexes] constitutes a very low percentage of the recycling stream. Low diversion rates at MFD’s are not due to a lack of caring; rather, they are caused by barriers to recycling. Out of the few U.S. cities that offer or require some level of on-site recycling services at MFD’s, most are formatted so large communal carts or a recycling dumpster is placed on the property to store recyclables. These programs often lack personal recycling container provision- an identified barrier to recycling. The purpose of this research is to develop an ideal model for design, distribution and promotion of recycling tote bags under MFD recycling programs. Houses that recycle are provided with a personal bin to store their recyclables until pick-up day. Likewise, tote bags are designed to hold recycling indoors until the items can be transported outdoors. Apart from storage and transportation, a four-sided, printable tote bag is also an opportunity to educate, inform and nudge. Thus far, utilization of the tote bag method has been tried with mixed results.
A literature review will address the scant refereed knowledge on MFD recycling tote bags to address the rational and purpose of the recycling tote, as well as to suggest the ideal model to help achieve that purpose. This analysis is loosely based on the 4 P’s of the marketing mix; though, in my research, pricing scheme will fall under distribution as they are rightly correlated. Behavioral sciences will also be reviewed in lieu of their effect on social campaigns for the public good.
Methodology
The literature will be used to create a survey for current American and Canadian MFD municipal recycling program coordinators. A best practice format will be utilized. The idea is to better understand their personal take on design, distribution and promotion, as well as problems they have encountered and solutions employed. Next, several (2) focus groups with MFD tenants from San Marcos, TX, including duplexes, multiplexes, and apartment complexes, will be used to determine tenants’ attitudes towards aspects of the recycling tote bag. The end result will be a triangulation of the three sources of data: literature review, surveys and focus groups, providing the most ideal recycling tote bag design, distribution and promotion attainable by the limits of this study.
Results or Expected Outcomes
Literature and actual utilization of a recycling tote bag are rare and undocumented to the point that expected outcomes from this study are hard to establish, except for the refereed reports produced by municipalities themselves. In terms of design, blue is expected to be the ideal color; a preference for smaller volume bags is expected in lieu of spatial constrains in smaller units; pictures are expected to be preferred over words or graphics, and a handle on the bottom for ease of disposal is expected to be preferred as well as a desire for a washable and recyclable material. Distribution is expected to be most effective with MFD property management’s ownership and coordination of activities, and a ‘free’ pricing scheme is expected to garner the most participation. Ideal promotion cannot be predicted at this moment as literature is unavailable.
82 Stanley, Nate Anthropology, Texas State University
Ethnobotony, Ecotourism, and Education- A Method of Achieving Sustainability in Peruvian Cloudforest
A. How can ethnobotony contribute to sustainable development in ecotourism? Ecotourism has received significant attention because of it’s supposed ability to achieve all three aspects of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. Although, research has shown that very rarely does ecotourism effectively achieve all three sustainability factors, where it often lacks in economic sustainability. The use of multiple income sources, in the form of attractions, can help achieve the economic factor, but increasing the attractions also has the potential to reduce the environmental aspect of sustainability. This research investigates the medicinal garden as a way of achieving sustainability that accounts for its economic, social, and environmental aspects. B. Methodology Field research for this study was conducted over the summer of 2013 in the small cloudforest communities of San Antonio and Calabaza, Peru located on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains. Ethnographic data was obtained through informal conversation and a short survey, where participants identified the plants or trees that were used, what they were used for, where they were found, how much they cost (if anything), and the prospective of integrating a medicinal garden into the newly developing ecotourism business in both communities. C. Results During this field research, I was able to provide the two host communities with an option they had not been introduced to, which was the medicinal garden. Both communities accepted the idea and they hope to start their gardens after they obtain permission and funding from the municipal government of Mariposa. Education is a necessary outcome for a tourism enterprise to be defined as ecotourism. A medicinal garden provides the tourists and the actual host communities, especially the children, the opportunity to gain local knowledge of the various plants that can be used for their medicinal properties. Not only does the garden provide a source of income for the host community, it also supports social cohesion in the community where all members contribute to maintaining the garden and sharing knowledge. The garden also serves as a method of conservation, where the indigenous tree and plant species from the rainforest are replanted within the communities. In this way, the medicinal garden contributes to all three aspects of sustainable use.
83 Swink, Aaron; Nowlin, Weston; Scwarz, Benjamin Biology, Texas State University
Phosphorus Uptake in Karstic Rivers of the Edwards Plateau, Texas Research question
This goal of this study is to quantify and determine the factors influencing phosphorus uptake rates for spring-fed rivers in the Edwards Plateau region of central Texas. Phosphorus is a limiting nutrient for microbial primary producers in many aquatic systems and thus an overabundance of it via urban and agricultural runoff has led to eutrophication of waterways across the globe. There are a variety of ways to study nutrient dynamics but nutrient uptake length is often used as a measure of efficiency and limitation in lotic ecosystems. Because the rivers examined by this study all originate from karst aquifers and are similar physicochemically, but differ in channel morphology, discharge, and biology, they provide an effective tool to study the effects of these factors on nutrient uptake processes. In addition, a greater understanding of these processes is important because the rivers of the Edwards Plateau are a large part of the economy and ecology of central Texas.
Methods
There is a dearth of knowledge on nutrient uptake in larger rivers, especially in spring-fed rivers. Recent improvements in methodology (i.e., pulsed tracer addition experiments; Tank et al. 2008) have allowed nutrient uptake length measurements to be performed in larger rivers in which it was cost-prohibitive to perform more traditional uptake methods (i.e., short-term steady state injection). A slurry containing phosphorus and sodium chloride in a known ratio will be released into the thalweg of a river. The plume will be sampled as it moves past downstream sampling stations. The declining ratio of phosphorus relative to sodium will be used to calculate the rate of uptake. Univariate and multivariate statistical analysis will be used to determine the nature of the relationships between nutrient uptake rates and environmental variables such as ambient dissolved and total nutrient concentrations, dominant substrate type, percent canopy cover, percent macrophyte cover, discharge, periphyton biomass, and periphyton nutrient content.
Expected Results
Based on preliminary data, nutrient uptake rates for the rivers in this study have been shown to be very rapid when compared to similarly sized non-karst rivers due to (1) the low availability of dissolved phosphate in the river, (2) abundant macrophyte biomass that exponentially increases the available surface area for reactive biofilms to form, and (3) the abiotic removal of P through apatite precipitation due to the high levels of dissolved calcium.
84 Thomas, James Anthropology, Texas State University
Reproduction of Ethno-racial Ideology in News Room Cultural Practices
The ideology of ethno-racial multiculturalism has become the dominant underpinning behind cultural practices of racism in the United States. Under such an ideology, the legacies of past racial discrimination are maintained by positioning inequalities and injustices as simply a matter of various cultural differences or shortcomings. In my time at a small-market TV news station, I underwent participant observation, interviews, and surveys to assess beliefs and practices that would either reproduce or challenge this dominant ethno-racial ideology. I found that in my time at the station the structure of the news format allowed for much greater flexibility of stories in challenging dominant crime-based images of ethno-racial minorities. The news station does not thrive on ratings and advertising to survive, thus their pressure to cover shock-and-awe stories is diminished, allowing much more time to focus on what they called ‘community based’ stories. That being said, ‘what’ communities were represented in certain ways also appeared to reproduce other aspects of multicultural racism. The station management prided itself on adopting a progressive, socio-economic and structural understanding of how to report communities and even had a well-known ‘diversity council’ at the station to maintain this understanding. However, the understandings of what this council was in theory and how it operated in practice varied according to where one worked in the station. In my early analysis, interviews suggest disconnect between what is implied behind the name ‘diversity council’ and what the council itself does in practice. An applied solution to this dilemma could be one suggested by a couple of interview respondents taking interest in the issue: a reassessment of goals of the diversity council and broader outreach to membership of other people in the newsroom who may have insight to broaden the perspective of the councils goals.
85
Thompson, Courtney; Crixell, Sylvia; Bates, Kristin; Biediger-Friedman, Lesli; Friedman, BJ Food and Nutrition, Texas State University
Using MyPlate to Assess Lunch Menus in Community Child Care Centers- A Best Food for Families Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS ) Study
Problem: Approximately 31% of US children ages 2–19 were either overweight or obese.1 Since many children spend 35 hours/week in child-care, consuming meals and establishing food preferences, the child-care center (CCC) is an optimum venue for prevention. All licensed CCC in Texas are required to provide ⅓ to ½ of a child’s daily food group needs, depending on the time spent in child-care. Previous research has shown that many US CCCs underserve whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.2-4 The overarching goal of this research project is to develop a sustained and effective intervention with CCC staff to improve the health environment of community CCCs. The aim of the project reported herein was to conduct a baseline assessment of CCC lunch menus in Hays and Bastrop Counties, using an innovative approach to generate visual assessment of menus based on the United State Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate.
Methodology: Following Institutional Review Board guidelines, CCC staff in Hays and Bastrop counties were recruited and provided informed consent. During 27 CCC site visits, lunch menus from the previous month were collected from the 12 CCC that serve lunch. Menu items were entered in USDA’s MyPlate online SuperTracker program. Results were used to generate 2 pie-charts/CCC in Microsoft Excel. The “overview” chart divided menu items into major food categories, including; oils, grains, protein, fruits and vegetables. The detailed chart subdivided food categories into whole grains; refined grains; whole fruit; fruit juice; dark green vegetables; red and orange vegetables; beans and peas; starchy vegetables; other vegetables; seafood; meat, poultry, and eggs; nuts, seeds, and soy; and oils.
Results: Lunch menu items included vegetables (30.5%), grains (23.0%), protein (18.0%), fruits (16.4%), and oils (12.2%). The predominant vegetables were red/orange. Whole grain was offered at one CCC; whole fruits by 11; seafood by 9; and fruit juice by 1. Pie charts were used as educational tools at a subsequent workshop intervention. Appropriate education should address how to include whole grains, more produce, and more variety.
Conclusion: CCC staff rated the pie charts as useful and developed goals to improve menus. Menus collected after the site visit will be similarly processed. A numerical scoring system will be developed from the MyPlate feedback.
1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. JAMA. 2012;307(5):483-490.
2. Ball SC, Benjamin SE, Ward DS. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(4):718.
3. Erinosho T, Dixon LB, Young C, Brotman LM, Hayman LL. J Am Diet Assoc. 2011;111(9):1391-1397.
4. Benjamin Neelon SE, Vaughn A, Ball SC, McWilliams C, Ward DS. Childhood Obesity 2012;8(3):216-223.
86 Thompson, Krista English, Texas State University
Closer to Heaven: Chaucer, Kempe and Dante as Medieval Pilgrim Storytellers
For medieval Christians, travel seemed inevitable when considering the benefits associated with pilgrimages. Each shrine and relic generated individual meaning within Catholic tradition, proving the journeys a worthy cause. Yet, travel came at a price for pilgrims who were physically capable and could afford the expense. Those who met the qualifications and gained proper permissions from their priests and families experienced their religion from a unique advantage, gaining opportunities to collect relics, receive miracles (physical healing, fertility, etc.), and move closer to Heaven and devotion to God. A number of pilgrims who made journeys to shrines throughout Europe and Jerusalem during the Middle
Ages managed to write about their physical or metaphorical (inner) pilgrimages including Geoffrey
Chaucer, Margery Kempe, and Dante Alighieri. These legendary pilgrims traveled to some of the most significant locations (Canterbury, Jerusalem, Heaven) according to Christian tradition, describing for their readers encounters that transcended everyday experiences. Therefore, reintegration into their home communities upon return from religious journeys represented the altered attitudes and behaviors they displayed resulting from spiritual reflection.
Chaucer, Kempe, and Dante each portray aspects of medieval pilgrimage that exemplify what it meant to serve Christ and live a more meditative, pious lifestyle as a result of their spiritual encounters.
They confront what they believe are flaws in religion and individuals claiming to practice Catholicism; however, their insertions into their artistic mediums and their contributions to literature overall ultimately helped direct fellow Christians to alter their attitudes and behaviors to live more like Christ.
87 Toothman, Delaina History, University of Maine
TVA: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly The TVA is fondly remembered by most people as an amazing agency that brought electricity to the rural south. The TVA project itself was isolated to the Tennessee Valley; however the success of TVA led to the development of electricity programs and development in other parts of the nation, specifically other parts of the south and the west. This electricity aided in the economic and social development of the areas, but at what cost? The negative side effects of the TVA are rarely discussed. This paper will look at some of the negative effects of TVA and the programs it spawned. There will also be a cursory review of TVA spawned programs in other parts of the nation. Did these secondary programs create the same negative benefits as TVA? Was there a way to avoid the negative benefits or did they follow from the development of a government bureaucracy? Methodology This research will use the standard method of historical research including reading documents produced by those directly involved with the TVA and its development. Texts written on the history of the TVA and the Tennessee Valley will be reviewed for information on how the electric production component of the TVA affected the area and the companies in the area. In addition, similar bureaucracies that developed following the TVA model in other parts of the nation will be reviewed for similar negative issues following the formation of electric bureaucracies in the respective areas. Results Although the TVA is seen as a wonderful chance for development, both economic and social, for the Tennessee Valley there were negative effects of the bureaucracy. Private electric companies were forced to either lower their rates or go out of business, often going out of business after lowering their rates. The advantages offered to the TVA as a pseudo-branch of the United States government gave them an unfair advantage in regards to the electric industry. These advantages will be discussed and analyzed. The development of the TVA led to similar electric bureaucracies in other parts of the nation, specifically in the south and west. There will be discussion comparing other area development with the TVA to compare the benefits and costs for various locations. Although the TVA drove electric companies out of business in the Tennessee Valley it does not necessarily follow that electric companies went out of business in other parts of the nation.
88 Tovar, Ruben; Fremaux, Brian; Dana, Garcia Biology, Texas State University
Shedding Light on Subterranean Alien: An Investigation of the Eye Reduction in the Texas Blind Salamander and Two Closely Related Species
Problem: We are interested in the evolutionary development of the salamander eye, particularly the developmental and molecular mechanisms of ocular reduction and loss. The south central Texas Euryea clade presents a continuum of morphologies unique to the tetrapod lineage. The endangered Texas blind salamander (Eurycea rathbuni) with its reduced eyes and skin pigmentation exemplifies adaptations to subterranean living. The San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana) and the endangered Barton Springs salamander (Eurycea sosorum) are epigean species, living near or above ground, and exhibit well-developed eyes and full pigmentation. While external morphology suggests differing ocular anatomy and functionality between epigean and subterranean species, ocular histological descriptions have yet to be accomplished for E. nana and E. sosorum. The paucity of ocular histology warrants a holistic review of this novel clade and its potential as a new tetrapod model system for ocular studies. Herein we present the first ocular histological description of E. nana and E. sosorum with E. rathbuni for a comparative review.
Methods: Adult specimen heads were donated by the San Marcos National Fish hatchery and Technology Center and preserved for cryosectioning. The sections were mounted and imaged using confocal microscopy via auto-fluorescence of the specimen.
Results: We observed well-developed retinal layers, cornea, iris, and lens in the epigean species E. nana and E. sosorum. These results suggest E. nana and E. sosorum have the histological structures necessary for visual functions, including focusing and light- and dark-adaptation. Reciprocally, E. rathbuni has underdeveloped eyes, including an undifferentiated cell mass covered by pigment epithelium, suggesting non-functioning eyes. Interestingly, a prominent optic nerve was noted in the vestigial eye of E. rathbuni.
These results illustrate the two epigean species share similar well-developed eyes while the subterranean species remains underdeveloped. Further investigation is necessary to fully understand the functionality of these structures. Knowledge of adult ocular histology is critical for future investigation of this novel system, with particular regard to their evolutionary developmental biology. Moreover, the south central Texas Eurycea clade presents an ideal opportunity to compare the ocular development of two divergent tetrapod morphologies.
89 Ugartechea-Garcia, Ana; Talley, Kimberly Engineering Technology, Texas State University
Revisions to ACI 440X2r-08 For the Safe Design of GFRP Repairs
PROBLEM Strengthening concrete structures with fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) is becoming increasingly common in construction practice. Although design recommendations are currently available, the ACI 440.2R-08 model for predicting the maximum confined compressive strength is based on a small test data of glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP). This investigation reviews available test data from GFRP-wrapped plain concrete specimens and evaluates the performance of the model. The results from the compression tests are compared to the predicted maximum confined compressive strength. It is presented that the model carries a very large variation in all of the test data examined, therefore the model is unconservative for the GFRP-wrapped specimens. Finally, a variation of the existing formula for calculating the confined compressive strength of a GFRP-wrapped specimen is presented in order to have a conservative design formula.
METHODOLOGY
The database has a total of 204 test results from 47 different publications, these specimens have diameters from 51 to 406 mm and unconfined concrete strengths from 14 to 108 MPa. The number of FRP layers range from 1 to 15 and only specimens glass fibers wrapped continuously in the hoop direction were considered. The formulas for the maximum confined concrete compressive strength, , and the maximum confinement pressure, , defined by the ACI 440.2R-08 (ACI Committee 440 2008) were used: (1)
(2)
In Eq. (2) the effective strain level in the FRP at failure is defined as (3) Furthermore, the measured was calculated by isolating the confinement contribution of Eq. (1) which was accomplished by subtracting the unconfined concrete strength, , from the measured confined concrete strength, : (4) Aditionally, a variation of the existing formula was created in order to have a more conservative model for GFRP-wrapped specimens.
RESULTS
When the predicted was compared to the measured , seventy one specimens out of 204 were found to be unconservative. Also a relationship between predicted and measure was done, this relationship shows that the confinement pressure predicted by Eq. (2) for a GFRP-confined specimen is a conservative estimate of the confinement contribution to when considering a one-to-one relationship. Eq. (1) however modifies with several factors: first a reduction factor of 0.95, second an efficiency factor of 1.0 and a factor of 3.3. When the 3.3 factor of the Eq. (1) is added, a large number of the results move to the unconservative side. The 3.3 factor leads to overestimation of the confinement contribution due to the GFRP. In order to make Eq. (1) conservative, the latter factor is changed to a value of 1.0, having as a result the next equation:
(4)
90 The Eq. (4) is a more appropriate model for predicting the strength of GFRP confined concrete cylinders. With Eq. (4) most of the data points fall in the conservative side, only 6% of the test specimens were overestimated.
Verma, Kanika Geography, Texas State University
Geospatial Thinking of Undergraduate Students: A Texas State Study
Spatial thinking and learning are essential components of education and of life in general. The National Research Council’s 2006 report “Learning to Think Spatially” emphasized that people vary with respect to performance on spatial tasks. Scholars in geography and other disciplines have studied group differences in spatial and geospatial thinking (a subset of spatial thinking) but have mostly focused on sex, age, and K-12 school grade-level. Yet other variables of demographic, geographic, and academic background should be examined as well for differences regarding geospatial thinking. Do such variables as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, urban/rural background, academic major and classification, or geography academic experience also influence comprehension of geospatial concepts, use of tools of representation, and application of geospatial reasoning processes? This exploratory study follows the Spatial Thinking Ability Test (STAT) endorsed by Association of American Geographers (2006) and published by Lee and Bednarz (2012) to assess the geospatial thinking abilities of undergraduate students at Texas State University.
KEYWORDS: spatial and geospatial thinking; demographic, geographic, and academic variables
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White, Shawna Media Communications, Texas Tech University
Fracking and Framing: How News Frames Interact and Influence Stance on Hydraulic Facturing Problem and Purpose of Research
Hydraulic fracturing (also referred to as “fracking”) is a considerable source of controversy, with supporters on one side of the argument touting the economic prospects it provides, and opponents on the other side protesting the process’s accompanying environmental hazards. The purpose of this research is to further advance exemplification theory and prospect theory by examining framing effects that occur from the interaction between episodic-thematic framing and gain-loss framing, and how these framing effects impact participant attitudes, feelings, and behavioral intentions regarding fracking.
Methodology
This experimental study will be a 2 (frame type: thematic/episodic) x 2 (frame type: gain/loss) x 2 (environmental concern level: high/low) between-subjects factorial design, in which the manipulated independent variable is frame type, the measured independent variable is level of environmental concern, and the dependent variables are attitude toward fracking, emotional response to the message, likelihood of information seeking, and likelihood of information sharing. Every participant will read two news articles about an environmental aspect of hydraulic fracturing, and both stories will be in one of four conditions: episodic-gain, episodic-loss, thematic-gain, or thematic-loss. Dependent variable measures will be taken after exposure to each article. All stimulus materials will be in print form, and all measures will be collected via the paper-and-pencil self-report method.
Participants for this study will be college students recruited on the Texas Tech University campus via the online Sona system. The ideal sample size will be anywhere from 120 to 180 participants. The study will be conducted in a laboratory setting on campus and will be administered over the course of several days to one week. Participants entering the laboratory will be presented a paper packet of stimuli and measures. They will read the first article in their treatment condition, and afterward, complete attitude, emotional response, information seeking, and information sharing scales. Next they will read the second article in their treatment condition, followed by completion of the same set of scales. All participants will complete Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig, and Jones’ (2000) New Ecological Paradigm scale in order to assess level of environmental concern. Half of the participant sample will be randomly assigned to complete the scale prior to article exposure, and the other half will complete it after article exposure in order to control for any confounding effect the scale may have on participant responses to the stimuli.
Expected Results
92 Expected results for this experiment are that episodic-loss frames, regardless of level of environmental concern, will have the most impact of all four treatment conditions for all measured dependent variables.
Wolf, Devin Music, Texas State University
MacDowell’s Sea: A Hermeneutical Investigation of Selected Movements from Sea Pieces, Op. 55 Research Questions:
In his book Our American Music, written in 1930, John Tasker Howard describes the American composer Edward A. MacDowell as a romantic tone poet when he states, “MacDowell was at heart a romanticist, at his best a poet of nature.” Howard’s statement provokes several questions, including: how does MacDowell display and evoke nature in his music, and does being a romanticist “at heart” contribute to MacDowell’s success as “a poet of nature.” Sea Pieces op. 55 figures among MacDowell’s later works, which feature such programmatic qualities as referred to by Howard.
Methodology and Approach:
This presentation will explore and demonstrate how MacDowell utilizes Romantic idioms to create deeper “musical meaning” in his suite Sea Pieces, specifically describing emotional states in the music contained within influential poetic epigraphs.
The selected movements will be hermeneutically investigated, filtered though the poetic epigraphs provided by the composer, MacDowell’s personal philosophy of music, Lawrence Gilman’s hermeneutical explanation and categorization of romanticism in relation to MacDowell, and Alan H. Levy’s own analytical and hermeneutical speculations regarding poetic literary influences on MacDowell and his music.
Results:
The resulting presentation will feature intra- and interdisciplinary dialogue between Musicology, Music Theory and Analysis, and Literary Analysis. Additionally, this presentation will contribute to the idea of creation of musical meaning though extra-musical devices and serve as a model for hermeneutic investigation though analytical literary means. MacDowell creates deeper musical meaning in his employment of poetic epigraphs as reflected by the music through texture, dynamics, timbral changes, and rhythmic and melodic motivic ideas.
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Wun, Felicia Anthropology, Texas State University
Exploring the Relationship between Cranial Non-Metric and Metric Traits in Ancestry Estimation Problem/Research Question:
The focus of this research is to explore the relationship between cranial non-metric and metric traits in ancestry estimation within the context of forensic anthropology. Traditionally, both visual assessment and metric analysis of the crania have been utilized to formulate an estimation of ancestry for the biological profile. The investigation of the roles cranial non-metric and metric traits play may help to supplement the existing literature on human biological variation that contribute to an accurate estimation of ancestry. Furthermore, the nature of their relationship should be evaluated to determine how they affect one another and if there are specific cranial non-metric traits that have a correlation with corresponding metric traits.
Methodology:
To examine this relationship, non-metric and craniometric data were collected for the following populations: White, Black, and Hispanic. Over 300 crania from the Maxwell Museum at the University of New Mexico, Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner’s Office in Tucson, Arizona, the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection at Texas State University-San Marcos were used. Eleven cranial non-metric traits were evaluated: anterior nasal spine, inferior nasal aperture, interorbital breadth, nasal aperture width, malar tubercle, nasal bone shape, nasal bone contour, nasal overgrowth, orbital shape, transverse palatine suture, and palate shape. These 11 traits were scored on an ordinal scale for each crania. Craniometric data was obtained from previously collected data available from each institution to provide comparisons with the non-metric data.
Expected Results:
94 To evaluate the relationship between these two trait types, a Procrustes analysis will be applied to explore the relatedness of cranial non-metric and metric traits in ancestry estimation. Furthermore, these tests will determine which individual traits may or may not be more closely related to one another compared with other traits. Therefore, individual traits may be evaluated in relation to one another to determine their relatedness. Estimating ancestry is a key component to establishing the biological profile. With the addition of a less documented population group (Hispanics), the utilization of both qualitative and quantitative cranial traits will generate better systems of classification in medio-legal contexts where forensic anthropologists are consulted.
Yakel, Allison Spanish, Texas State University
Adult Literacy Among the Hispanic Population of Central Texas: Opportunities Challenges, and Outcomes Literacy, in the most basic sense of the word, is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “the quality, condition, or state of being literate; the ability to read and write.”(OED 2013).
In the United States, the number of people who are unable to read or write in any language is believed to be around 1% (Central Intelligence Agency, n.d.). The inability to read or write in any language can have catastrophic consequences both on individual and societal levels, including (but not limited to) socioeconomic vulnerability, social insertion problems, low employability, lesser upward mobility and lack of awareness of rights/duties (United Nations
2010, pg. 8). Fishman cites a “lack of literacy or schooling” as one of the primary reasons that heritage languages such as Spanish do not get passed on from one generation to the next (5).
Some of these consequences manifest themselves quite quickly, through low employability and economic problems on an individual level; while others, such as language loss, is a longer-term and not as obvious outcome. As an adult, the decision to learn to read and write is not one that is taken lightly.
95 Based on individual interviews and a longitudinal study, I will discuss the motivating factors that drive an adult belonging to the Spanish-speaking immigrant community to overcome their inability to read and write and embark on a new journey in education. The interviews were conducted at a non-profit organization that services this demographic in central Texas, and I explored the most common factors for pursuing a basic education once in the US and, when possible, understand the effects of doing so.
Yanock, Kathleen Legal Studies, Texas State University
Charter School Suitability and how it relates to Efficiency in the Texas School Finance Lawsuit
Texas State University Graduate College, Legal Studies Programs
“Charter School Suitability and how it relates to Efficiency in the Texas School Finance Lawsuit”
(a) Problem or research question
This Applied Research Project includes an evaluation of various legal arguments and research on charter school efficiency and performance compared to non-charter public schools in Texas.
(b) Methodology or approach
The approach includes examining a U.S. Supreme Court case involving the school finance system in Texas, relevant Texas statutes, and major lawsuits in the past few decades regarding the topic.
(c) Results or expected results
The goal is to evaluate legal arguments what will be presented to the Texas Supreme Court next year including the jurisdiction of Texas courts to make rulings on legislative decisions. The paper further examines whether the cap on charter schools in Texas is arbitrary, thereby preventing a more suitable education for children in this state.
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Zavar, Elyse Geography, Texas State University
Perspectives of the Flood Buyout Program in Lexington, KY (A) Floodplain property acquisition, or buyouts, is a voluntary flood mitigation program that returns high-risk private property back to public management. Through the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and local funds, homeowners are paid the pre-flood value of their properties and subsequently removed from the floodplain. Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established general guidelines for post-buyout land use, local governments and stakeholders guide redevelopment decisions, resulting in a myriad of land uses that reflect the ideals and expectations of the community. These land uses range from well-managed public spaces that offer residents amenities to vacant lots within the residential landscape. Increasing the utility of the acquired land through open space development returns taxpayer investment to the local community in the form of parks, gardens, and improved environmental services.
(B) FEMA asserts that communities that develop buyout land with high utility will experience a rise in the tax base due to increased property values (FEMA, 1998). Since value can extend beyond economic measurements, I surveyed and interviewed residents who live in five different buyout neighborhoods in Lexington, KY to understand their perceptions of the acquired land and what, if any, social, recreational, esthetic or economic value the open space represents to them.
(C) The majority of survey respondents, 65.2%, felt that the present appearance of the open space had no impact on their property values, but interviews revealed residents shape and interpret the utility of the opened space differently. Residents of one neighborhood value the open space as a social gathering place particularly for children. For this neighborhood, the open space serves as a recreational field and allows homeowners the opportunity to use their backyards for gardens and composts while still providing their children with outdoor space to play. Residents of other neighborhoods reported that the open space was a reminder of the countryside without having to leave the amenities of the city. Several
97 residents commented that seeing greenery and trees on a regular basis reduced their stress and improved their overall quality of life.
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