843 results
Search Results
2. A Multimethod Approach for Healthcare Information Sharing Systems: Text Analysis and Empirical Data.
- Author
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Malhan, Amit, Pavur, Robert, Pelton, Lou E., and Hajian, Ava
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INFORMATION sharing , *ELECTRONIC health records , *INFORMATION storage & retrieval systems , *DATA analysis , *SENTIMENT analysis - Abstract
This paper provides empirical evidence using two studies to explain the primary factors facilitating electronic health record (EHR) systems adoption through the lens of the resource advantage theory. We aim to address the following research questions: What are the main organizational antecedents of EHR implementation? What is the role of monitoring in EHR system implementation? What are the current themes and people's attitudes toward EHR systems? This paper includes two empirical studies. Study 1 presents a research model based on data collected from four different archival datasets. Drawing upon the resource advantage theory, this paper uses archival data from 200 Texas hospitals, thus mitigating potential response bias and enhancing the validity of the findings. Study 2 includes a text analysis of 5154 textual data, sentiment analysis, and topic modeling. Study 1's findings reveal that joint ventures and ownership are the two main enablers of adopting EHR systems in 200 Texas hospitals. Moreover, the results offer a moderating role of monitoring in strengthening the relationship between joint-venture capability and the implementation of EHR systems. Study 2's results indicate a positive attitude toward EHR systems. The U.S. was unique in the sample due to its slower adoption of EHR systems than other developed countries. Physician burnout also emerged as a significant concern in the context of EHR adoption. Topic modeling identified three themes: training, healthcare interoperability, and organizational barriers. In a multimethod design, this paper contributes to prior work by offering two new EHR antecedents: hospital ownership and joint-venture capability. Moreover, this paper suggests that the monitoring mechanism moderates the adoption of EHR systems in Texas hospitals. Moreover, this paper contributes to prior EHR works by performing text analysis of textual data to carry out sentiment analysis and topic modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Recommended Resources for Cancer Patients: Transitioning from Paper Pathfinders to LibGuides.
- Author
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Prilop, Valerie, Justice, Adela V., and Brackeen, Elizabeth
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CANCER patients , *CANCER treatment , *HOSPITAL libraries , *MARKETING , *WEB development , *PATIENT education , *SPECIALTY hospitals - Abstract
In 2015, The Learning Center, a consumer health library at MD Anderson Cancer Center, embarked on a project to translate paper pathfinders into online Recommended Resources in Springshare’s LibGuides platform. This project was successfully undertaken by a small staff of librarians and health education specialists with a range of technical skills and allowed online access to resources available both online and in The Learning Center. This article briefly addresses the activities and decisions leading up to the adoption of LibGuides, outlines the process of creating more than 40 online Recommended Resources, and describes the outcomes to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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4. A multilevel intervention to promote HPV vaccination among young adults in Texas: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
- Author
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Lu, Qian, Dawkins-Moultin, Lenna, Cho, Dalnim, Tan, Naomi Q. P., Hopfer, Suellen, Li, Yisheng, Ramondetta, Lois, Xu, Yusi, Lun, Di, and Chen, Minxing
- Subjects
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HUMAN papillomavirus vaccines , *YOUNG adults , *RANDOMIZED controlled trials , *HUMAN papillomavirus , *VACCINATION - Abstract
Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections can cause cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, penis, anus, and oropharynx. The most recently approved HPV vaccine, Gardasil-9, protects against HPV infection and can prevent HPV-associated invasive cancers. However, Gardasil-9 is one of the most underused vaccines in the US today. Young adults are at risk for HPV infection, but many are not vaccinated. This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test an innovative multilevel intervention to increase HPV vaccination rates among young adults. In this paper, we describe the research protocol. Methods: The study uses a two by three factorial design. A total of 1200 young adults in Texas, age 18–26 years, who have not been previously fully vaccinated against HPV will be randomly assigned to one of six conditions to receive: (1) standard CDC information about HPV vaccination (control); (2) video narratives about HPV vaccination; (3) written narratives about HPV vaccination; or (4–6) enhanced access to HPV vaccine combined with (4) standard CDC information, (5) video narratives, or (6) written narratives. The two primary outcomes are the rate of HPV vaccination initiation by 3-month follow-up and rate of HPV vaccination completion by 9-month follow-ups. We will determine the impact of the individual level intervention (i.e., persuasive narratives through video or written format), the systemic level intervention (i.e., enhanced access to HPV vaccines), and the combination of both levels, on HPV vaccination initiation and completion. We will also use purposive sampling to select participants to take part in semi-structured interviews/focus groups to better understand the mechanisms of the intervention. Discussion: Recruitment and data collection began in March 2022. We expect to complete data collection by March 2026. We expect that narratives, enhanced access, and the combination of both will improve HPV vaccination initiation and completion rates among young adults. If proven successful, these individual- and system-level interventions can be easily disseminated in regions with low HPV vaccination rates to improve HPV vaccination, and ultimately decrease HPV-related cancer burden. Trial Registration: NCT05057312. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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5. Religious food pantry culture: effects on nutrition policies and practices.
- Author
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McNeely, Andrew, Cisneros, Marissa, Sanchez, Vanessa, and Gatson, Sarah N.
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NUTRITION policy , *CORPORATE culture , *PANTRIES , *RELIGIOUS identity , *FOOD consumption , *RESEARCH questions , *CULTURE - Abstract
In 2020, Texas was overrepresented in food insecure households. One avenue many food insecure households take to subsidize their food intake is the use of food pantries. Previous literature has identified many efforts to incorporate nutritional information and foods at pantry sites. However, few have considered how religious affiliation can impact organizational structure and agents in regards to nutritional focus. The purpose of this paper is to investigate perceptions of nutritional information, behaviors, and policies of the volunteers at our research sites and the how pantry operations impact the deployment of that information to clients. Our research question asks how do the religious elements of our research sites impact nutritional policy and concerns of food pantries? Using analysis of field notes generated from participant observation at 5 of the religiously-affiliated food pantries in Brazos County, TX, and a verbal survey on organizational nutrition policy administered to food pantry volunteers, we find that religious cultures at these food pantries create barriers to nutrition complementary to hegemonic nutrition. Our findings suggest that interventions targeting the improvement of organizational nutrition policy at local food pantries must consider organizational culture more critically, particularly religious elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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6. Measuring 1-mm-accurate local survey ties over kilometer baselines at McDonald Geodetic Observatory.
- Author
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Rivera, Jullian, Bettadpur, Srinivas, Griffin, John, Kang, Zhigui, and Ries, John
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GLOBAL Positioning System , *LASER ranging , *OBSERVATORIES - Abstract
The goal for the next generation of terrestrial reference frames (TRF) is to achieve a 1-mm- and 0.1-mm/yr-accurate frame realization through the combination of reference station solutions by multi-technique geodetic observatories. A potentially significant source of error in TRF realizations is the inter-system ties between the instruments at multi-technique stations, usually independently determined through ground-based local surveying. The quality of local tie surveys is varied and inconsistent, largely due to differences in measurement techniques, surveying instruments, site conditions/geometries, and processing methods. The Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) has tried to address these problems by issuing guidelines for the construction and layout of future multi-technique observatories, promoting uniformity and quality while minimizing existing problems with local surveying that are exacerbated over longer baseline distances. However, not every observatory is going to be able to completely satisfy these guidelines, and in this work, a successful endeavor to satisfy the accuracy goals while exceeding the GGOS baseline guideline is detailed for the McDonald Geodetic Observatory (MGO) in the Davis Mountains of Texas, USA. MGO consists of a VLBI Geodetic Observing System (VGOS), infrastructure in place for a Space Geodesy Satellite Laser Ranging (SGSLR) telescope, and several Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) stations spanning a 900 m baseline and a 120 m elevation change. The results of the local ties between the GNSS stations across the near-kilometer baseline, as measured from their antenna reference points, show sub-mm precision and 1 mm accuracy validated through repeatability across several surveys conducted in 2021as well as 1 mm consistency with the monthly averaged daily solutions of the GNSS-based positioning. In this paper, we report these results as well as the framework of the surveys with sufficient detail and rigor in order to give confidence to the quality claims and to present the novel design and techniques employed in the procedure, processing, and error-budget analysis, which were determined through iterative research methods across repeated survey campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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7. The Dowell Family Papers: The Splintering of an Archival Treasure.
- Author
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GRACY II, DAVID B.
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FAMILY archives , *FAMILY history (Genealogy) , *PRESERVATION of archival materials , *ARCHIVES , *HISTORY - Abstract
The article focuses on the Dowell family of Texas and their family archive. The author explains that Maurice Hood Dowell preserved a family archive throughout his life, explores the impact of the family papers being scattered after Maurice's death, and discusses prominent figures in the Dowell family, including George Washington Littlefield and Greensville Dowell.
- Published
- 2014
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8. Investigating Sewer Parameters Leading to Manhole Corrosion: A Case Study from the City of Arlington, Texas.
- Author
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Acharath Mohanakrishnan, Aiswarya, Hada, Sunakshi, Sattler, Melanie, and Bhatt, Arpita
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SEWERAGE , *HENRY'S law , *CITIES & towns , *CONCRETE corrosion , *HYDRAULIC jump , *LIQUEFIED gases , *HYDROGEN sulfide - Abstract
A sewer system is a principal element of infrastructure in modern cities, accounting for massive amounts of public investments. Corrosion of manholes in the sewer system is a global issue, and millions of dollars are being spent on the maintenance, restoration, and replacement of deteriorated sewer networks. Concrete manholes in the sewer system are deteriorating due to the attack of sulfuric acid produced by microorganisms in a process termed microbial induced concrete corrosion (MICC), which reduces the lifespan of concrete sewer elements. The objective of this paper is to investigate the correlation between the gas- and liquid-phase sewer environmental factors and hydrogen sulfide concentration in the gas phase. The production, emission, and build-up of hydrogen sulfide gas in manholes is identified as a major cause of MICC in manhole shafts. The field study was conducted in more than 200 manholes in the City of Arlington (Texas, US). The data was collected every minute for 48 h to understand the trends of liquid- and gas-phase parameters such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S concentration), liquid and gas temperature, pH, DO, and relative humidity. The study also examines how gas-phase H2S concentrations vary with season; manhole design, including manholes' depth, slope, and presence of drop; and sewer flow conditions such as velocity and turbulence. Although no strong linear correlation was found between liquid-/gas-phase parameters, the manhole categories were found to play a significant role in H2S generation. The manholes with hydraulic jump generated the highest average H2S concentrations, followed by manholes with drops. High turbulence zones were observed in manholes of both categories, leading to H2S stripping from liquid to gas phase. The highest H2S concentration was recorded in summer, suggesting that higher liquid temperature resulted in increased bacterial activity, which generated greater liquid-phase sulfide. Greater Henry's law constants in summer, due to high temperatures, would have favored transfer of liquid-phase sulfide to the gas phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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9. Examining the Influence of Texas' Strategic Plan for Increasing University Research: Loose Coupling and Research Production at Regional Public Universities.
- Author
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Fernandez, Frank, Fu, Yuan Chih, Hu, Xiaodan, and Moradel Vásquez, Juan José
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PUBLIC universities & colleges , *UNIVERSITY research , *STRATEGIC planning , *ECONOMIC competition , *EDUCATIONAL finance , *IMPACT factor (Citation analysis) - Abstract
States have adopted a variety of policies to encourage universities to expand research production, with the hope of supporting economic growth and competitiveness. This paper considers whether a state-level initiative succeeded in influencing university-based research outputs among regional public universities. We test whether the Texas Research Incentive Program increased research production at a set of state universities as measured by total research spending, federally-funded research spending, the number of scholarly publications, and the share of publications published in high impact factor journals. Using a novel dataset and difference-in-differences analytic strategy, we found that TRIP adoption was associated with a 19%-25% increase in research expenditures at emerging research universities in Texas relative to a matched set of comparable universities. However, TRIP did not influence federally-funded research expenditures or journal publication outputs. We also show that federally-funded research expenditures influence publication outputs — both in amount and quality — and that number of full-time faculty influences both federal research expenditures and publication outputs. We discuss contributions to the literature on regional public universities, loose coupling, and research production, as well as implications for policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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10. A MADDPG-based multi-agent antagonistic algorithm for sea battlefield confrontation.
- Author
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Chen, Wei and Nie, Jing
- Subjects
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DEEP reinforcement learning , *MACHINE learning , *REINFORCEMENT learning , *ALGORITHMS , *ARTIFICIAL intelligence , *INTELLIGENT buildings - Abstract
There is a concerted effort to build intelligent sea and numerous artificial intelligence technologies have been explored. At present, more and more people are engaged in the research of deep reinforcement learning algorithm, and its mainstream application is in the field of games. Reinforcement learning has conquered chess belonging to complete information game, and Texas poker belonging to incomplete information games. And it reached or even surpassed the highest player level of mankind in E-sports games with huge state space and complex action space. However, reinforcement learning algorithm still has great challenges in fields such as automatic driving. The main reason is that the training of reinforcement learning needs to build an environment for interacting with agents. However, it is very difficult to construct realistic simulation scenes, and there is no guarantee that we will not encounter the state that the agent has not seen. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the simulation scene first. Based on this, this paper mainly studies reinforcement learning in simulation scenario. There are huge challenges in migrating them to real scenario applications, especially in sea missions. Aiming at the heterogeneous multi-agent game confrontation scenario, this paper proposes a sea battlefield game confrontation decision algorithm based on multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient. The algorithm combines long short-term memory and actor-critic, which not only realizes the convergence of the algorithm in huge state space and action space, but also solves the problem of sparse real rewards. At the same time, imitation learning is integrated into the decision algorithm, which not only improves the convergence speed of the algorithm, but also greatly improves the effectiveness of the algorithm. The results show that the algorithm can deal with a variety of different tactical sea battlefield scenarios, make flexible decisions according to the changes of the enemy, and the average winning rate is close to 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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11. REFLECTIONS ON PERFORMING BEN PATTERSON'S "PAPER PIECE.".
- Author
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Jaji, Tsitsi
- Subjects
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MUSICAL performance , *CONFERENCES & conventions , *MUSICAL composition - Abstract
The author reflects on the lessons learned from performing Ben Patterson's "Paper Piece" at the 2011 Callaloo Conference held at the Texas A&M University. She refers to the plenitude of paper products as one sign of the comparative wealth of the university even in times of economic crisis. She describes their approach to rehearsing and performing "Paper Piece." She notes the significance of the discussion that followed the performance to the participants.
- Published
- 2012
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12. Contamination of U.S. Butter with Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers from Wrapping Paper.
- Author
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Schecter, Arnold, Smith, Sarah, Colacino, Justin, Malik, Noor, Opel, Matthias, Paepke, Olaf, and Birnbaum, Lindaÿ
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BUTTER , *FOOD contamination , *GAS chromatography , *NUTRITION policy , *NUTRITIONAL requirements , *PHENYL ethers - Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to report the first known incidence of U.S. butter contamination with extremely high levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). METHODS: Ten butter samples were individually analyzed for PBDEs. One of the samples and its paper wrapper contained very high levels of higher-brominated PBDEs. Dietary estimates were calculated using the 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture Loss-Adjusted Food Availability data, excluding the elevated sample. RESULTS: The highly contaminated butter sample had a total upper bound PBDE level of 42,252 pg/g wet weight (ww). Levels of brominated diphenyl ether (BDE)-206, -207, and -209 were 2,000, 2,290, and 37,600 pg/g ww, respectively. Its wrapping paper contained a total upper-bound PBDE concentration of 804,751 pg/g ww, with levels of BDE-206, -207, and -209 of 51,000, 11,700, and 614,000 pg/g, respectively. Total PBDE levels in the remaining nine butter samples ranged from 180 to 1,212 pg/g, with geometric mean of 483 and median of 284 pg/g. Excluding the outlier, total PBDE daily intake from all food was 22,764 pg/day, lower than some previous U.S. dietary intake estimates. CONCLUSION: Higher-brominated PBDE congeners were likely transferred from contaminated wrapping paper to butter. A larger representative survey may help determine how frequently PBDE contamination occurs. Sampling at various stages in food production may identify contamination sources and reduce risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Item-Level Comparative Analysis of Online and Paper Administrations of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills.
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Keng, Leslie, McClarty, Katie Larsen, and Davis, Laurie Laughlin
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TEXAS Assessment of Knowledge & Skills , *MATHEMATICS education , *FOREIGN language education , *LANGUAGE arts ,TEXAS achievement tests - Abstract
This article describes a comparative study conducted at the item level for paper and online administrations of a statewide high stakes assessment. The goal was to identify characteristics of items that may have contributed to mode effects. Item-level analyses compared two modes of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) for up to four subjects at two grade levels. The analyses included significance tests of p-value differences, DIF, and response distributions for each item. Additional analyses investigated item position effects and objective-level mode differences. No evidence of item position effects emerged, but significant differences were found for several items and objectives in all subjects at grade 8 and in mathematics and English language arts (ELA) at grade 11. Differences generally favored the paper group. ELA items that were longer in passage length and math items that required graphing and geometric manipulations or involved scrolling in the online administration tended to be the items showing mode differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
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14. Using Government Documents: The Food Administration Papers for Texas.
- Author
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Brandimarte, Cynthia
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WELFARE state , *FOOD conservation - Abstract
Focuses on the effect of United States Food Administration (FA) papers on the state welfare in Texas. Historical overview of the FA activities; Reaction of the people to food conservation; Refusal of some people to honor pledge card campaigns.
- Published
- 2000
15. Predicting firm creation in rural Texas: A multi-model machine learning approach to a complex policy problem.
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Hand, Mark C., Shastry, Vivek, and Rai, Varun
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MACHINE learning , *CULTURAL pluralism , *BOOSTING algorithms , *RURAL Americans , *SUBSET selection , *COMMUNITIES - Abstract
Rural and urban America have becoming increasingly divided, both politically and economically. Entrepreneurship can help rural communities catch back up by jumpstarting economic growth, creating jobs, and building resilience to economic shocks. However, less is known about firm creation in rural areas compared to urban areas. To that end, in this paper we ask: What factors predict firm creation in rural America? Our analysis, based on a comparative framework involving multiple machine learning modeling techniques, helps addresses three gaps in academic literature on rural firm creation. First, entrepreneurship research stretches across disciplines, often using econometric methods to identify the effect of a specific variable, rather than comparing the predictive importance of multiple variables. Second, research on firm creation centers on high-tech, urban firms. Third, modern machine learning techniques have not yet been applied in an integrated way to address rural entrepreneurship, a complex economic and policy problem that defies simple, monocausal claims. In this paper, we apply four machine learning methods (subset selection, lasso, random forest, and extreme gradient boosting) to a novel dataset to examine what social and economic factors are predictive of firm growth in rural Texas counties from 2008–2018. Our results suggest that some factors commonly discussed as promoting entrepreneurship (e.g., access to broadband and patents) may not be as predictive as socioeconomic ones (age distribution, ethnic diversity, social capital, and immigration). We also find that the strength of specific industries (oil, wind, healthcare, and elder/childcare) predicts firm growth, as does the number of local banks. Most factors predictive of firm growth in rural counties are distinct from those in urban counties, supporting the argument that rural entrepreneurship is a distinct phenomenon worthy of distinct focus. More broadly, this multi-model approach can offer initial, focusing guidance to policymakers seeking to address similarly complex policy problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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16. A TALHO White Paper (abridged) The Future of Public Health in Texas: A Summary Report.
- Author
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Troisi, Catherine L., Williams, Stephen L., and Lane, Lee
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PUBLIC health , *HEALTH care reform , *HEALTH programs , *FINANCE ,TEXAS. Dept. of State Health Services - Abstract
The article presents a summary of a report by the Texas Association of Local Health Officials (TALHO) on the future of public health in Texas. It tackles on the potential role of health care reform in the development of a strong health care system in the state. It cites that the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) plays an important role in securing funding for state level and local public health programs and priorities.
- Published
- 2011
17. Technological alternatives to paper-based components of team-based learning.
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Robinson, Daniel H. and Walker, Joshua D.
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TEAM learning approach in education , *EDUCATIONAL technology equipment , *COLLABORATIVE learning , *GROUP work in education , *HIGH technology & education , *COMPUTERS in education , *CURRICULUM - Abstract
The purpose of instructional technology is to make things possible that are otherwise not, or to make easier things that otherwise are difficult. This chapter describes a few of the tweaks to team-based learning that the authors have developed using technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008
18. An automatic mesh generator for coupled 1D–2D hydrodynamic models.
- Author
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Kang, Younghun and Kubatko, Ethan J.
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SHALLOW-water equations , *DIGITAL elevation models , *BARRIER islands , *COASTS , *LEVEES - Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D), depth-averaged shallow water equation (SWE) models are routinely used to simulate flooding in coastal areas – areas that often include vast networks of channels and flood-control topographic features and/or structures, such as barrier islands and levees. Adequately resolving these features within the confines of a 2D model can be computationally expensive, which has led to coupling 2D simulation tools to less expensive one-dimensional (1D) models. Under certain 1D–2D coupling approaches, this introduces internal constraints that must be considered in the generation of the 2D computational mesh used. In this paper, we further develop an existing automatic unstructured mesh generation tool for SWE models, ADMESH+, to sequentially (i) identify 1D constraints from the raw input data used in the mesh generation process, namely the digital elevation model (DEM) and land–water delineation data; (ii) distribute grid points along these internal constraints, according to feature curvature and user-prescribed minimum grid spacing; and (iii) integrate these internal constraints into the 2D mesh size function and mesh generation processes. The developed techniques, which include a novel approach for determining the so-called medial axis of a polygon, are described in detail and demonstrated on three test cases, including two inland watersheds with vast networks of channels and a complex estuarine system on the Texas, USA, coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. From Agricultural Waste to Energy: Assessing the Bioenergy Potential of South-Central Texas.
- Author
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Ertuğrul, Ömer, Daher, Bassel, Özgünaltay Ertuğrul, Gülden, and Mohtar, Rabi
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AGRICULTURAL wastes , *CROPS , *FIELD crops , *BIOMASS production , *AGRICULTURAL productivity - Abstract
This paper addresses the challenge of meeting increasing energy needs by assessing the potential of bioenergy as a sustainable resource option in South Central Texas. Available agricultural crop residues suitable for bioenergy production are evaluated from the 21 counties in South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Area (Region L). The residues produced and available for bioenergy are quantified according to the production areas for each field crop and tree area. Residue-to-product ratios of field crops are determined according to crop type and production quantity. Biomass potential of trees is calculated based on tree density and biomass production per tree. The results demonstrate that the potential productions of utilizable agricultural wastes are in the range of 898.7 t kt–1421.39 kt for Region L. The average annual energy potential is estimated at 19.27 PJ, and ranges between 14.36 and 24.18 PJ. The average potential biomass-based electricity production could compensate significant amount of coal-based electricity generated in the Texas and when agricultural wastes are available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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20. A holistic approach to the total energy and cost for carbon capture and sequestration.
- Author
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Michaelides, Efstathios E.
- Subjects
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CARBON sequestration , *ENERGY industries , *SUPERCRITICAL carbon dioxide , *THERMODYNAMICS , *FLUE gases , *COST analysis - Abstract
Carbon capture and sequestration from a stationary source comprises four distinct engineering processes: separation of CO2 from the other flue gases, compression, transportation, and injection into the chosen storage site. An analysis of the thermodynamic and transport properties of CO2 shows that dissolving this gas in seawater at depths more than 600 m is, most likely, an optimal long-term storage method; and that for transportation, the CO2 must be in the denser supercritical state at pressures higher than 7.377 MPa. The separation, compression, transportation, and injection processes require significant energy expenditures, which are determined in this paper using realistic equipment efficiencies, for the cases of two currently in operation coal power plants in Texas. The computations show that the total energy requirements for carbon removal and sequestration are substantial, close to one-third of the energy currently generated by the two power plants. The cost analysis shows that two parameters - the unit cost of the pipeline and the discount factor of the corporation - have a very significant effect on the annualized cost of the CCS process. Doubling the unit cost of the pipeline increases the total annualized cost of the entire CCS project by 36% and increasing the discount rate from 5% to 15% increases this annualized cost by 32%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
21. Adaptive conditional bias-penalized kriging for improved spatial estimation of extremes.
- Author
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Jozaghi, Ali, Shen, Haojing, and Seo, Dong-Jun
- Subjects
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KRIGING , *STANDARD deviations , *ENVIRONMENTAL risk assessment , *RAIN gauges - Abstract
Accurate spatial estimation of extremes is an increasingly important topic in environmental research and risk assessment. Conditional bias (CB)-penalized kriging (CBPK) improves such estimation by minimizing linearly weighted sum of error variance and variance of Type-II error. However, CBPK requires skillful prescription of the weight for the CB penalty which is a significant challenge in practice. In this paper, we describe an extension of CBPK, referred to herein as adaptive conditional bias-penalized kriging (ACBPK), which objectively prescribes the weight for improved estimation of extremes without deteriorating performance in the unconditional mean squared error sense. For comparative evaluation in the real world, cross validation experiments were carried out for precipitation estimation using hourly rain gauge data in the Arkansas-Red River Basin (AB), central Texas (TX) and southeastern US (SE) areas. The results show that CB is detected for about 26, 24 and 25% of all data points in the AB, TX and SE cases, respectively, and that, given detection of CB, ACBPK reduces root mean square error of hourly precipitation exceeding 12.7 mm by 15, 21 and 9% and hourly precipitation exceeding 25.4 mm by 14, 26 and 10% relative to ordinary kriging (OK) for the AB, TX and SE cases, respectively. The overall findings indicate that, if accurate spatial estimation in the tails of the distribution is important or accurate modeling of spatiotemporally-varying correlation structure is a challenge, ACBPK should be favored over OK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. Heritage Language Learners' Experiences with TExES LOTE – Spanish: Is There Bias?
- Author
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Artamonova, Tatiana, Hasler-Barker, Maria, and Velásquez, Edna
- Subjects
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HERITAGE language speakers , *SPANISH language , *STUDENT teachers , *TEACHER certification - Abstract
This paper discusses Texas Examinations of Educator Standards Program Languages Other Than English – Spanish exam (TExES LOTE – Spanish) and its potential bias, particularly against teacher candidates with Spanish as a heritage language (HL) background. In Texas, most teacher candidates, or college students of Spanish preparing for secondary teacher certification, are heritage speakers of Spanish. However, while they are competent Spanish speakers, many fail their TExES LOTE – Spanish exam. In light of recent demographic trends and a growing body of research on HL learners, Spanish teaching in higher education and, to a lesser extent, in secondary schools has begun to move away from teaching so-called prestigious varieties of Spanish (e.g., Spain) toward inclusion of other varieties of Spanish, especially those spoken in the U.S. and those that reflect students' heritage. Despite this pedagogical shift, we posit that TExES LOTE – Spanish exam does not reflect current Spanish curricular content, which negatively affects these students' performance. We provide examples and available exam statistics to support our claim. Through this conversation about the mismatch between student background and TExES LOTE – Spanish content, we hope to start a dialogue about a much-needed revision of this exam in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Developing a Community-Based, Intergenerational Intervention to Alleviate Transportation Barriers: Healthy Buddy Program for Latinx Older Adults.
- Author
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Lee, Kathy, Jang, Si Won, Cassidy, Jessica, and Wright, Savana
- Subjects
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COLLEGE students , *HEALTH services accessibility , *EVALUATION of human services programs , *SOCIAL support , *HISPANIC Americans , *RESEARCH methodology , *HEALTH outcome assessment , *INTERVIEWING , *COMMUNITY-based social services , *RESEARCH funding , *TRANSPORTATION , *COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
The research team developed a community-based, intergenerational intervention, the Spanish-language Healthy Buddy Program to alleviate transportation barriers experienced by Latinx older adults. College students were paired with Latinx older adults and helped them identify transportation- and health-related resources in their communities. During COVID-19, the program was implemented in Hillsborough County, Florida, and Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and San Antonio, Texas. This paper reports the study process and outcomes using quantitative and qualitative data collected in Texas (n = 25). Individual interviews indicated older adult participants were receptive to the program model and appreciated the roles student buddies played to help improve their mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. Asphalt concrete crack propagation parameters from XFEM modelling of the Texas Overlay Test.
- Author
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Alrashydah, Esra'a and Papagiannakis, A.T.
- Subjects
- *
ASPHALT concrete , *CRACKING of concrete , *CRACK propagation (Fracture mechanics) , *CRACK closure , *FINITE element method , *FATIGUE crack growth , *STRESS intensity factors (Fracture mechanics) - Abstract
Paris' power law is commonly used to describe transverse thermal cracking propagation in asphalt concrete (AC) pavements. In its most common format, it relates the rate of change in the crack length per cycle to changes in either the stress intensity factor K or the energy release. The parameters defining this relationship for ACs can be obtained using the Texas cyclic Overlay Test (OTR). This paper describes two numerical approaches for simulating the OTR using the extended finite element method (XFEM). The first uses the direct low-cyclic fatigue (LCF) approach and the second uses the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT). Comparisons of the model predictions to laboratory OTR measurements for six mixtures suggest that the XFEM model coupled with VCCT is better suited for simulating the OTR. The model output includes the crack length and the energy release rate ERR (i.e. ${\rm \Delta }J_R$ Δ J R ) as cracks propagate. This data was used to fit the modified Paris' law parameters ${A}^{\prime}$ A ′ and ${n}^{\prime}$ n ′ as a function ${\rm \Delta }J_R$ Δ J R . Subsequently, the traditional A and n Paris' power law parameters were fitted by estimating the corresponding ΔK. Using this model, it was possible to efficiently estimate the AC cracking parameters using as input only the tensile modulus and the critical ERR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Using Human-Centered Design Strategies to Identify Unmet Adolescent Sexual Health Wants and Needs.
- Author
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Leos, Cristina, Chen, Elizabeth, and Jagannathan, Vichi
- Subjects
- *
SEXUAL health , *ADOLESCENT health , *POOR communities , *MOBILE health , *TEXT messages - Abstract
This paper describes a human-centered design approach to investigate unmet adolescent sexual health wants and needs among youth of color in low-income and rural communities in Texas, North Carolina, and Connecticut (n = 149). The approach involved gathering qualitative data through in-depth interviews and other human-centered design activities between April 2016 and August 2016. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis after each round of data collection. Themes were triangulated across multiple data sources to identify key insights. Results highlighted several important unmet wants and needs. Participants shared that schools were not the preferred place to learn about sexual health and healthy relationships, due to uncomfortable and sometimes even hostile environments. When discussing the potential to use internet- and technology-based sexual health resources, participants expressed concerns over privacy, safety, and credibility of information available. Similarly, participants preferred mobile apps over websites due to the privacy of the experience. Most importantly, key emotions impacting adolescents' access to and use of sexual health resources were identified. Results indicated a preference for consuming story-based information in a text message format that described diverse experiences related to sexual health topics. Together, these findings led to the development of an innovative, mobile health intervention for adolescents, the Real Talk mobile app. This human-centered approach can support researchers and practitioners in strengthening intervention development efforts to improve the reach, adoption, and implementation of sexual health interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Report of the President of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study.
- Author
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Nestingen, Andrew
- Subjects
- *
AWARD winners , *SCANDINAVIANS , *SUCCESS - Abstract
The article is a report from the President of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Studies (SASS) about their 2-year term and the recent annual conference held at the University of Texas, Austin. The report highlights the success of the conference, including the keynote lecture and the presentation of papers by Society members. The report also announces the winners of various awards and discusses the challenges and opportunities facing the field of Scandinavian Studies, such as hiring and membership. The report concludes with an invitation to the next conference in Seattle and emphasizes the importance of financial support for the Society's mission. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Volunteers' perceived preparedness, training, experiences and satisfaction in a mass COVID‐19 pandemic vaccine clinic.
- Author
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Lin, Li‐Chen, Nnaka, Tonychris O., Horton, Shalonda E., Todd, Ana T., Hanley, Kathryn B., Hecht, Jacklyn, Guillet, Nancy, Bogue, Natalie, Morgan, Stephanie, and Johnson, Karen
- Subjects
- *
COVID-19 pandemic , *SATISFACTION , *TRAINING of volunteers , *VOLUNTEERS , *COVID-19 vaccines , *VOLUNTEER fire fighters - Abstract
In this paper, we present formal and informal volunteers' perceived experiences of a mass vaccination clinic for COVID‐19 in central Texas. Volunteers at one or more of our team's vaccination events responded to an anonymous survey to share perceptions of their preparedness, training experiences, communication effectiveness and satisfaction, to help us identify opportunities to improve volunteer training and engagement for responses to pandemics. Overall, the volunteers perceived their work to be meaningful, felt prepared and were satisfied with their experiences as volunteers. A dedicated team that communicates well and emphasizes a team approach is key to success, especially in unprecedented situations such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. Implications for future volunteer training and involvement in disaster responses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Before You Cancel the Paper, Beware: All Electronic Journals in 2001 Are NOT Created Equal.
- Author
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Henebry, Carolyn, Safley, Ellen, and George, Sarah E.
- Subjects
- *
ELECTRONIC journals , *LIBRARIES - Abstract
Examines the discrepancies found in electronic journals and printed materials of libraries in Texas. Impact of electronic journals on libraries; Factors affecting the collection development for the periodicals collection; Benefits of using an electronic journals.
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Energy Management and Control System for a PV-Battery System to Improve Residential Building Resiliency Under Extreme Weather Conditions.
- Author
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Mingjun Wei, Wenqi Jia, Yangyang Fu, Zhiyao Yang, and O'Neill, Zheng
- Subjects
- *
EXTREME weather , *ENERGY management , *DWELLINGS , *ENERGY demand management , *POWER resources - Abstract
Electricity is used in almost all homes, and electricity accounted for 41% of household end-use energy consumption in 2019. Demand-side management of residential buildings, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), home appliances such as refrigerators, washer/dryers, lights, and behind the meter (BTM) distributed energy resources (DERs) such as photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS), play a critical role to alleviate the pressure on grid stability and reliability. The Texas power outages in February 2021 have highlighted the urgent needs to systematically engage demandside flexible loads and customer-generators such as BTM DERs in bridging the gap between power demand and supply. This is vitally important in extreme weather conditions, which may lead to an extensive power outage (e.g., Texas in February 2021). The combination of PV and BESS is identified as a potential opportunity to tackle this scenario. However, the design of specific control sequences is challenging because multiple components are engaged in this complex system. To address this gap, this paper is to exploit a small BESS integrated demand-side solution for residential buildings in Texas under extreme weather events (e.g., winter storms or heat waves) through a systemic analysis. We propose an adaptive model predictive control (MPC) platform to assist residential buildings with PV and BESS in improving the building resilience under normal and extreme weather conditions. During normal demand response, the adaptive MPC platform can minimize building owner's bills while maintaining occupant's thermal comfort. During demand response to an extreme weather event, it can provide optimal operation schedules with the consideration of peak demand limits and relax constraints of building operation needs. Some preliminary results show that at least 70% resilience improvement is achieved in terms of Unmet Degree Hour (UDH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
30. Dual use insurance for annual forage producers: comparing risk management alternatives.
- Author
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Graff, Natalie A., Fischer, Bart L., Bryant, Henry L., and Anderson, David P.
- Subjects
- *
CROP insurance , *INSURANCE policies , *INSURANCE , *WHEAT farming , *GROWING season , *DECISION making in school administration - Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Dual Use (DU) Option – a crop insurance policy created by the 2018 Farm Bill – relative to other policies available to dual-purpose annual forage producers. The new policy combines existing rainfall-based policies for annual forage crops and multi-peril policies for grain, allowing coverage for multiple crop uses on the same acres during the same growing season. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a simulation model to examine crop insurance choices for a typical Texas dual-purpose wheat farm. The certainty equivalent (CE) of wealth is used to rank choices within and between three insurance plans and to analyze the effects of those choices over a range of producer risk aversion levels and for three cases of yield expectations. Findings: The DU Option is more preferred as risk aversion increases, but it is not universally preferred. Therefore, while the policy can be a viable risk management tool, certain restrictions may be limiting its effectiveness. Practical implications: The findings of this paper can help explain farm-level decision making related to dual-purpose annual forage crop insurance program choices. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by documenting a new crop insurance program made available in the 2018 Farm Bill and provides insights into producers' possible choices by evaluating extensive scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. A New Framework for Regional Traffic Volumes Estimation with Large-Scale Connected Vehicle Data and Deep Learning Method.
- Author
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Khadka, Swastik, Wang, Peirong "Slade", Li, Pengfei "Taylor", and Torres, Francisco J.
- Subjects
- *
TRAFFIC estimation , *DEEP learning , *TRAFFIC flow , *TRANSPORTATION planning , *RANDOM forest algorithms - Abstract
Connected vehicle (CV) data in this paper refer to the in-vehicle telematic data, including trajectories and driving events (e.g., hard braking) collected by vehicle manufacturers when vehicles are moving. Recently manufactured vehicles are equipped with cellular modems and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to collect vehicle data. Such data, after removing personal information, are being redistributed to third-party organizations. Compared to other probe vehicle data, the CV data has a higher penetration rate, ubiquitous coverage, and almost lane-level positioning accuracy. These features pave the road for novel transportation applications in transportation planning and traffic operations. In this paper, we represent a novel framework to estimate the regional link volumes based on the CV data and a deep neural network (DNN) model. The training data are generated according to the link volumes (targeted model output) and the corresponding CV counts (input features) at the same locations. The DNN model's performance was compared with other estimation methods like linear regression and random forest and showed superior performance. The trained DNN model takes ubiquitous CV counts from other locations to estimate the corresponding link volumes. As a case study, the proposed DNN model was trained with a large training data set derived from CV data and time-dependent link counts collected at over 1,200 locations on freeways in the Dallas FortWorth, Texas, area. The results reveal good accuracy and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Does safety pay?
- Author
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Rinefort, Foster C.
- Subjects
- *
CHEMICAL industry , *PAPER industry , *FOREST products industry - Abstract
Presents a study of the relation between organization efficiency and employee work injuries in the chemical, paper and wood products industries in Texas. Methodology in which the study was conducted; Results of the study; Discussion of the study; Conclusion based on the results.
- Published
- 1998
33. Technical Overview of the TexMesonet—A Network of Networks for Improved Water Management and Prediction in Texas.
- Author
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Wyatt, Briana M., Leber, Nathan, and Olden, Mark
- Subjects
- *
SOIL moisture measurement , *WATER management , *DROUGHT forecasting , *WEATHER forecasting , *FORECASTING - Abstract
Accurate, timely, and accessible meteorological and soil moisture measurements are essential for a number of applications including weather forecasting, agricultural decision-making, and flood and drought prediction. Such data are becoming increasingly available globally, but the large number of networks and various data reporting formats often make utilization of such data difficult. The TexMesonet is a "network of networks" developed within the state of Texas to collect, process, and make public data collected from more than 1700 monitoring stations throughout the state. This paper describes the TexMesonet, with special attention paid to monitoring sites installed and managed by the Texas Water Development Board. It also provides a case study exemplifying how these data may be used and gives recommendations for future data applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. How Does the Time-Varying Network Structure Evolve between the EU Carbon Futures Prices and Industrial and Energy-Related Indices? A Study Based on a Time-Varying T-Copula.
- Author
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Wang, Ziyang and Dong, Zhiliang
- Subjects
- *
CARBON pricing , *TIME-varying networks , *FUTURES sales & prices , *CARBON emissions , *PETROLEUM sales & prices , *CARBON nanofibers - Abstract
Industrial and energy-related industries are major sources of carbon dioxide emissions, and their interdependence, as reflected in the financial field, has attracted the attention of scholars. For the purpose of exploring the evolutionary characteristics of the short-term dynamic correlation coefficient between the EU carbon futures price and the industrial and energy-related indices, this paper selected the settlement price of EU carbon emission quota futures, the MSCI energy I index on three dimensions, and the Dow Jones industrial index and West Texas crude oil futures price, as sample data. Using the time-varying t-copula model to measure the dynamic correlation coefficient between variables, the time-sliding window idea and coarse-grained method were combined to establish the correlation fluctuation mode, and a complex network theory and analysis methods were used to study the evolutionary traits of the time-varying network structure between the EU carbon price and the industrial and energy-related index. The results show that the transmission objects of the key correlation fluctuation modes in the network are stable and maintain their own state with a high probability. Second, the clustering effect exists in the transmission process. Some nodes with high mediating abilities are also the key correlation wave modes in the dynamic correlation evolution network. This study provides ideas for the study of the correlations between multiple variables and is also a useful reference for international investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Exploring Associations between Perceived Problematic Community Issues and General Self-Rated Health.
- Author
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Theodori, Gene L., Jin Young Choi, Alvarez, Diego F., and Zimpfer, M. Jade
- Subjects
- *
INCOME , *SMALL cities , *RACE , *LOCAL government , *HEALTH equity - Abstract
Background: Our purpose in this study was to explore perceived problematic issues of local communities in rural areas and to test the hypothesis that increased perceptions of problematic issues in the community are negatively associated with respondents' general self-rated health (GSRH). Methods: Data used for this paper were drawn from two surveys of persons living in small towns and rural places in Texas. The association of each of the 33 perceived problematic issues with GSRH was assessed using bivariate and multivariate correlation analyses. Results: Results indicated that 88% of the potentially problematic community issues included in this study were negatively and significantly associated with respondents' GSRH at the bivariate level. The overall pattern of associations changed only slightly when the individual-level characteristic variables were controlled. Certain sociodemographic variables (i.e., age, household income, educational attainment, and race) were verified to be significant predictors of GSRH. Conclusions: Similar to results from previous studies conducted in urban settings, our findings from rural and smalltown Texas demonstrate the importance of incorporating individuals' perceptions of problematic community issues in health disparities research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
36. Production Forecasting of Unruly Geoenergy Extraction Wells Using Gaussian Decline Curve Analysis.
- Author
-
Weijermars, Ruud
- Subjects
- *
HEAT equation , *FORECASTING , *TRANSIENT analysis - Abstract
Fast and rigorous well performance evaluation is made possible by new solutions of the pressure diffusion equation. The derived Gaussian pressure transient (GPT) solutions can be practically formulated as a decline curve analysis (DCA) equation for history matching of historic well rates to then forecast the future well performance and estimate the remaining reserves. Application in rate transient analysis (RTA) mode is also possible to estimate fracture half-lengths. Because GPT solutions are physics-based, these can be used for production forecasting as well as in reservoir simulation mode (by computing the spatial and temporal pressure gradients everywhere in the reservoir section drained by either an existing or a planned well). The present paper focuses on the physics-based production forecasting of so-called "unruly" wells, which at first seem to have production behavior noncompliant with any DCA curve. Four shale wells (one from the Utica, Ohio; one from the Eagle Ford Formation, East Texas; and two from the Wolfcamp Formation, West Texas) are analyzed in detail. Physics-based adjustments are made to the Gaussian DCA history matching process, showing how the production rate of these wells is fully compliant with the rate implied by the hydraulic diffusivity of the reservoir sections where these wells drain from. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Using an Emergency Plan to Combat Teacher Burnout Following a Natural Hazard.
- Author
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Cannon, Sarah R., Davis, Cassandra R., and Long, Rex
- Subjects
- *
EMERGENCY management , *HURRICANE Matthew, 2016 , *HAZARDS , *TEACHER retention , *TEACHER turnover , *NATURAL disasters , *TEACHER burnout , *PSYCHOLOGICAL burnout , *HURRICANE Harvey, 2017 - Abstract
A relevant, well-crafted emergency plan can help schools most optimally return to normal following a disaster. During this time, educators find themselves facing unintended responsibilities like operating on the front lines of providing social-emotional support for their students. Researchers conducted 115 interviews with educators impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Matthew in Texas and North Carolina to assess their mental health and their school's role in returning to normal. Findings suggest that emergency plans often did not take into account the social-emotional factors of recovery. This paper seeks to provide insight into the experiences of educators following a disaster and propose elements to consider in revising school emergency plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Overcoming the Wall: Educational Achievement and Growth in School Districts on the U.S.-Mexico Border.
- Author
-
Garcia, Emmber M., Carris, Peggy Sue, and Goldsmith, Pat Rubio
- Subjects
- *
ACHIEVEMENT , *ACADEMIC achievement , *SCHOOL districts , *HISPANIC American youth , *BORDERLANDS , *EDUCATIONAL equalization ,MEXICO-United States relations - Abstract
This paper compares the educational achievement and growth of Latinx third through eighth-grade students attending school along the U.S.-Mexico Border and in the interior of the four Border states. The theories of structural and legal violence predict that powerful Anglos have created systems of social reproduction, concentrated disadvantage, and immigration law that reduce Latinx education close to the U.S.-Mexico Border. We test these theories with data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), which contains information on Latinx achievement and growth in all public school districts in the four Border states. We find that Latinx achievement and growth are similar along the Border and in the interior except in Texas, where concentrated disadvantage dramatically lowers Latinx achievement and growth. We also find that social reproduction is more beneficial for Latinx youth along the Border because, surprisingly, Latinx adults tend to be more educated near the border than in the interior. We find no evidence that immigration laws reduce education more near the Border than in the interior. We discuss the implications of our findings for theory and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Are GreenLeaders also performance leaders? An econometric analysis of TripAdvisor hotel certification of GreenLeaders.
- Author
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Mao, Zhenxing, Yang, Yang, and Zhou, Jianhua
- Subjects
- *
SOCIAL responsibility of business , *HOTELS , *BUSINESS revenue - Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the impact of the GreenLeaders designation on hotel performance under the joint theoretical framework of environmental corporate social responsibility and social identity theory. We focus on 1,198 individual hotel properties from five major cities in Texas between 2010 and 2019. A two-way fixed-effects model is applied to model monthly revenue per available room (RevPAR) and TripAdvisor ratings for each hotel. Results show that GreenLeaders certification leads to a 6.00% increase in hotels' monthly RevPAR and a 4.25% increase in hotels' monthly average TripAdvisor rating. This impact grew over time during the research period. The findings also unveil a set of moderating variables, such as hotel class and chain affiliation. More specifically, the effect of GreenLeaders certification is larger for upscale and independent hotels. The major results are also confirmed through a robustness analysis using propensity-score-based weighting and placebo tests. Lastly, implications are provided for hoteliers and investors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Fracture Modeling of Shale Oil and Gas Reservoirs in Texas.
- Author
-
Gao, Shihui, Ali, Syed M. Farouq, and Soliman, Mohamed Y.
- Subjects
- *
SHALE gas reservoirs , *SHALE oils , *FLUID injection , *INJECTION wells , *HYDRAULIC fracturing , *FLUID pressure - Abstract
Formation fracturing is the method of choice for developing shale oil and gas reservoirs that constitute a gigantic resource in the U.S.A. and many other countries but are characterized by a low permeability in the nano-Darcy range. The oil production of Texas has increased by about 5 million B/D in 15 years as a result of shale exploitation by massive multistage hydraulic fracturing. The mathematical modeling of this fracturing process is complex and can be approached in several ways. This paper first gives a concise description of the fracturing process as carried out in Texas. Included are the ranges of the key reservoir properties, as well as the injection fluid volumes and pressure, the composition of the injected fluid, proppant type, and volume, and other relevant data. Also included are the number of fracture stages, methods of zonal isolation, and diagnostic techniques used. An important variable considered is flowback, in particular, fluid retention and oil and gas production. High-salinity water production is discussed. Given the above variables, the currently used fracture simulators are briefly considered and compared, both the geomechanics-based and fracture-propagation-based. No single simulator can model the complete process. The directions currently being followed are briefly described. Also discussed is the simulation of the re-fracturing process and its range of success in increasing oil recovery from about the original ~5% to ~8%. Future processes such as plasma fracturing are mentioned, and their future applicability is discussed for further increasing oil recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Sliding Mode Input Current Control of the Synchronous DC-DC Buck Converter for Electro-Mechanical Actuator Emulation in More Electric Aircrafts.
- Author
-
Salimi, Mahdi, Klumpner, Christian, and Bozhko, Serhiy
- Subjects
- *
DC-to-DC converters , *STEADY-state responses , *CLOSED loop systems , *ACTUATORS , *ROTARY converters , *CASCADE converters , *SYNCHRONOUS electric motors - Abstract
The main challenges of the input current control in synchronous DC-DC buck converters are the nonlinear model of the system, changes of the operating point in a wide range, and the need to use an input LC filter for current smoothing, which may result in the instability of the closed-loop system. In this paper, a step-by-step approach is developed for the design and improvement of a PI-feedforward closed-loop controller. It is shown that a linear PI controller cannot stabilize the closed-loop system properly during wide changes in model parameters, e.g., an equivalent series resistance of the input filter. To cope with the stability issues, a fixed-frequency sliding mode controller (SMC) has been developed in this paper for the implementation of an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA) emulator. Moreover, a systematic approach is proposed for controller tuning and the selection of the SMC's gains. To achieve high power efficiency, high-frequency GaN switches are used for the practical implementation of the DC-DC converter. Despite large changes in the load current, the designed nonlinear controller can track the input current reference satisfactorily. Steady-state and dynamic responses of the proposed SMC are compared with conventional linear controllers. Considering the Lyapunov stability theorem, it is proved that the designed SMC can stabilize the closed-loop system in the entire utilizable domain. The proposed nonlinear SMC controller enjoys a very simple control law. Hence, despite having very high switching and sampling frequencies, it can be easily implemented. The experimental response of the designed synchronous DC-DC buck converter is evaluated experimentally by implementing the control strategy in a TMS320F28335PGFA DSP from Texas Instrument. Moreover, the comprehensive comparison of the proposed SMC controller and a PI-feedforward controller proved the superior performance of the developed closed-loop system, in terms of the transient time response, robustness, and stability of the EMA emulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. The River of Aural Serenity: selected papers from the 2017 Annual Conference of the National Hearing Conservation Association.
- Author
-
Tufts, Jennifer B. and Giguère, Christian
- Subjects
- *
DEAFNESS prevention , *CONFERENCES & conventions , *HEARING , *MEDICAL societies , *SERIAL publications - Abstract
An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including hearing loss prevention, hearing health, and noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Indirect Cost Estimation of Winter Storm–Induced Power Outage in Texas.
- Author
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Bhattacharyya, Arkaprabha and Hastak, Makarand
- Subjects
- *
EXTREME weather , *GAS well drilling , *SEVERE storms , *ECONOMIC impact , *ELECTRIC power consumption , *WINTER storms - Abstract
In February 2021, Texas was hit by a severe winter storm. The extreme cold weather triggered an unprecedented increase of electricity demand and simultaneous failure of multiple electricity grid components. The dual effect caused a widespread power outage that left millions of Texans without power for days. This paper estimates the indirect economy-wide cascading impact of that power outage. It utilized historical make and use tables between 1997 and 2019 in an inoperability input-output analysis–based economic impact assessment model to quantify the expected indirect cost of the power outage in terms of the loss of gross domestic product of Texas. This research found that expected loss to be approximately $664 million in 2019 values. It also found that in Texas industries such as oil and gas extraction, petroleum, coal products, and so on are particularly vulnerable to such weather-related prolonged power outages. The outcomes of this paper can be used in planning for strategies to make the grid robust, reliable, and resilient to severe weather events. The identification of vulnerable industries can also help in planning for auxiliary capacities so the cascading economic impacts of the weather-related power outages can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. A Congregational Social Worker’s Role in Benevolence Ministry: A Case Study of Five Models.
- Author
-
Jones, Jess Gregory and Ward, John Willis
- Subjects
- *
BENEVOLENCE , *RELIGIOUS gatherings , *CHURCH work , *CHURCH & social problems , *SOCIAL workers - Abstract
Benevolence is often a way for the church to engage with the local community, however, churches often struggle with how to do so most effectively. This paper provides a description of five church models from Baptist congregations in Central Texas. This paper will summarize each church’s approach and synthesize the approaches to form recommendations for congregational social work, including roles of the social worker in the congregation and suggestions for how churches might work with social workers to enhance and better articulate policies and practices around benevolence ministries. A highlight of the literature surrounding congregational community ministries will also be included. This article aims to advance the role of social workers in congregations and give tangible tools for both social work and congregational engagement with benevolence funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Regressive Class Modelling for Predicting Trajectories of COVID-19 Fatalities Using Statistical and Machine Learning Models.
- Author
-
Chowdhury, Rafiqul I., Hasan, M. Tariqul, and Sneddon, Gary
- Subjects
- *
STATISTICAL learning , *SARS-CoV-2 , *MACHINE learning , *COVID-19 pandemic , *COVID-19 , *VACCINE effectiveness , *MEDICAL care - Abstract
The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) pandemic has led to a substantial loss of human life worldwide by providing an unparalleled challenge to the public health system. The economic, psychological, and social disarray generated by the COVID-19 pandemic is devastating. Public health experts and epidemiologists worldwide are struggling to formulate policies on how to control this pandemic as there is no effective vaccine or treatment available which provide long-term immunity against different variants of COVID-19 and to eradicate this virus completely. As the new cases and fatalities are recorded daily or weekly, the responses are likely to be repeated or longitudinally correlated. Thus, studying the impact of available covariates and new cases on deaths from COVID-19 repeatedly would provide significant insights into this pandemic's dynamics. For a better understanding of the dynamics of spread, in this paper, we study the impact of various risk factors on the new cases and deaths over time. To do that, we propose a marginal-conditional based joint modelling approach to predict trajectories, which is crucial to the health policy planners for taking necessary measures. The conditional model is a natural choice to study the underlying property of dependence in consecutive new cases and deaths. Using this model, one can examine the relationship between outcomes and predictors, and it is possible to calculate risks of the sequence of events repeatedly. The advantage of repeated measures is that one can see how individual responses change over time. The predictive accuracy of the proposed model is also compared with various machine learning techniques. The machine learning algorithms used in this paper are extended to accommodate repeated responses. The performance of the proposed model is illustrated using COVID-19 data collected from the Texas Health and Human Services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Blind Curvelet-Based Denoising of Seismic Surveys in Coherent and Incoherent Noise Environments.
- Author
-
Iqbal, Naveed, Deriche, Mohamed, AlRegib, Ghassan, and Khan, Sikandar
- Subjects
- *
SEISMIC surveys , *CURVELET transforms , *NOISE , *KALMAN filtering , *ACQUISITION of data - Abstract
Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a new seismic monitoring technology. DAS generates a large amount of data, necessitating the development of new technologies to allow for cost-effective processing and handling. The raw seismic data is noisy and must be processed. The curvelet transform is an excellent choice for processing seismic data due to its localized nature, as well as its frequency and dip characteristics. However, its capabilities are limited in case of noise other than white. This paper proposes a denoising method based on a combination of the curvelet transform and a whitening filter, as well as a procedure for estimating noise variance. The whitening filter is included to improve the performance of the curvelet transform in both coherent and incoherent noise cases, as well as to simplify the noise variance estimation method and make it easier to use standard threshold methodology without delving into the curvelet domain. Two data sets are used to validate the suggested technique. Pseudo-synthetic data set created by adding noise to the actual noise-free data collection from the Netherlands offshore F3 block and the on-site data set (with ground roll noise) from east Texas, USA. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves the best results under various types of noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Design and Performance Analysis of a Grid-Connected Distributed Wind Turbine.
- Author
-
Murshed, Mahtab, Chamana, Manohar, Schmitt, Konrad Erich Kork, Bhatta, Rabindra, Adeyanju, Olatunji, and Bayne, Stephen
- Subjects
- *
WIND power , *POWER resources , *RENEWABLE energy sources , *WIND turbines , *ENERGY consumption , *WIND power plants , *PERMANENT magnets - Abstract
The utilization of wind energy has become increasingly popular in the United States and many European countries due to its abundant nature and optimized design. While existing wind turbines are predominantly large-scale and not suitable for standalone or distributed power production, Lubbock County in West Texas offers a diverse range of renewable energy options to meet its energy needs. The region relies heavily on utility-scale wind energy sources to supply power to the Texas Grid, replacing conventional fossil fuel-based systems. Currently, standalone solar PV systems are the preferred choice for renewable energy generation. However, West Texas possesses an ample supply of wind energy that can be harnessed to establish a microgrid and provide standalone power to rural communities. Distributed wind energy offers localized power generation, reducing transmission losses and grid strain, while conventional wind farms require long-distance transmission, leading to efficiency gains. By employing the latest technology and optimizing efficiency, even in low-scale generation, a 6-kilowatt permanent magnet alternator-based distributed wind turbine has been designed. This paper focuses on analyzing the techno-economic aspects of implementing this wind turbine in a real-world scenario, taking into account wind attributes, such as velocity and available power, at the specific location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Changing Interpretations of the Nexus and Developer Credit Elements in Parkland Dedication Ordinances.
- Author
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Crompton, John L.
- Subjects
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DEDICATIONS , *CITIES & towns , *LEGAL judgments , *PUBLIC officers , *GOVERNMENT revenue - Abstract
Parkland dedication is receiving increasing attention from cities because it provides capital funding without raising taxes on existing residents. Its parameters are dependent on interpretation of court rulings and in the past decade these have changed in ways that substantially enhance the potential of these revenues for local governments. The changes invariably become the focus of controversies between developers who resist paying the dedication fees and elected officials who are charged with safeguarding the interest of taxpayers. This paper addresses two central areas of controversy: Changes in interpretations of what constitutes a "nexus"; and the magnitude and characteristics of credits given to developers who provide park amenities in their projects. The "essential nexus" principle requires there to be a reasonably proximate connection between facilities developed with the resources derived from a dedication and the residents who will reside in the development providing those resources. A recent census of the 73 cities in Texas that have parkland dedication ordinances was analyzed and the relative merits of five different approaches they have used for defining service areas is discussed: a single city-wide zone, pre-determined zones; reasonable proximity; specified distance; and a hybrid model of distance/pre-established zones. Among the 73 ordinances reviewed, approximately half believed the most equitable ratio for crediting developers for park amenities they provided within subdivisions was 50%. Among the others, maximum credit varied from 0% to 100%. The relative merits are evaluated, together with the extent to which floodplain land and retention ponds are acceptable to meet a dedication requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. When partner knows best: asymmetric expertise in partnerships.
- Author
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Francetich, Alejandro
- Subjects
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EXPERTISE , *RESALE , *BRIBERY , *INFORMATION asymmetry - Abstract
This paper analyzes the problem of a principal (she) designing a contract for an agent (he) to form a short-lived partnership to exploit an asset before reselling, as in asset flipping. The agent possesses higher expertise than the principal in the sense that he can form a more-accurate assessment of the resale value of the asset before negotiating the dissolution of the partnership. By dissolving the partnership through a Texas shootout with the agent as proposer, the principal can "neutralize" her partner's informational advantage and have him disclose the resale value for free. Thus, in the optimal contract, the agent's superior expertise does not distort the structure of the partnership (i.e., the allocation of shares). The partners attain a higher aggregate surplus ex-ante if the principal commits to giving the asset away to the agent upon dissolving the partnership: She earns a lower revenue but lets all types of the agent enjoy a higher surplus. Thus, at the ex-ante stage, the agent could "bribe" the principal to implement this alternative. However, the additional surplus for lower types is insufficient to compensate the principal, so this higher ex-ante aggregate surplus is unattainable at the interim stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Methane Concentration Forecasting Based on Sentinel-5P Products and Recurrent Neural Networks.
- Author
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Psomouli, Theofani, Kansizoglou, Ioannis, and Gasteratos, Antonios
- Subjects
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RECURRENT neural networks , *ARTIFICIAL neural networks , *GREENHOUSE gas mitigation , *ATMOSPHERE , *CLIMATE change , *ATMOSPHERIC methane , *ENGINEERING geology - Abstract
The increase in the concentration of geological gas emissions in the atmosphere and particularly the increase of methane is considered by the majority of the scientific community as the main cause of global climate change. The main reasons that place methane at the center of interest, lie in its high global warming potential (GWP) and its lifetime in the atmosphere. Anthropogenic processes, like engineering geology ones, highly affect the daily profile of gasses in the atmosphere. Should direct measures be taken to reduce emissions of methane, immediate global warming mitigation could be achieved. Due to its significance, methane has been monitored by many space missions over the years and as of 2017 by the Sentinel-5P mission. Considering the above, we conclude that monitoring and predicting future methane concentration based on past data is of vital importance for the course of climate change over the next decades. To that end, we introduce a method exploiting state-of-the-art recurrent neural networks (RNNs), which have been proven particularly effective in regression problems, such as time-series forecasting. Aligned with the green artificial intelligence (AI) initiative, the paper at hand investigates the ability of different RNN architectures to predict future methane concentration in the most active regions of Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, by using Sentinel-5P methane data and focusing on computational and complexity efficiency. We conduct several empirical studies and utilize the obtained results to conclude the most effective architecture for the specific use case, establishing a competitive prediction performance that reaches up to a 0.7578 mean squared error on the evaluation set. Yet, taking into consideration the overall efficiency of the investigated models, we conclude that the exploitation of RNN architectures with less number of layers and a restricted number of units, i.e., one recurrent layer with 8 neurons, is able to better compensate for competitive prediction performance, meanwhile sustaining lower computational complexity and execution time. Finally, we compare RNN models against deep neural networks along with the well-established support vector regression, clearly highlighting the supremacy of the recurrent ones, as well as discuss future extensions of the introduced work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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