Copyright (c) 2010 Texas State University All rights reserved. http://ecommons.txstate.edu Recent documents in eCommons@Texas State University en-us Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:37:47 PDT 3600 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/histfacp/18 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/histfacp/18 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:00:15 PST Retta Murphy http://ecommons.txstate.edu/histfacp/17 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/histfacp/17 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:37:03 PST This paper is partly a summary of and partly a series of selections from a longer study on the subject of the inspection of military posts in New Spain by Pedro de Rivera in the third decade of the eighteenth century. The facts selected from the longer study, for the main parts of this paper, relate to his travels in Texas and in three other provinces of New Spain which were nearest to Texas: namely, New Mexico, Coahuila, and Nuevo Leon. Preceding these facts in an introductory explanation of the origin and the general nature of his entire journey of inspection. The explanation is derived from official papers written in Madrid and the City of Mexico. The description of the selected portions of his journey is based upon, and quoted from, his own diary of that event. This paper was read at the meeting of the Texas State Historical Association in Austin, Texas, on April 24, 1937. Retta Murphy http://ecommons.txstate.edu/histtad/13 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/histtad/13 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:47:35 PST [No abstract available.] Arthur L. Schuette http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/321 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/321 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:07:21 PST The purpose of this research is to examine the possibility of the purchase of the Plum Creek water system by the City of Kyle, Texas. The initial purpose for this research was to perform cost-benefit analysis on the purchase of the Plum Creek water system by the City of Kyle; however the purchase price was not available. Without the initial cost of the water system it is impossible to calculate a single net present value to determine whether the purchase is economically efficient. Instead this analysis uses different population growth and discount rate assumptions to calculate potential purchase prices for the water system at approximate breakeven points (net present value equals zero), then uses the estimated purchase prices to discuss the feasibility of Kyle purchasing the Plum Creek water system. Since the actual purchase price is not available the results do not indicate whether or not the system should be purchased instead the results provide an estimate of the economic value of the water system under different growth assumptions and discount rate scenarios. The least conservative estimate for the value of the Plum Creek water system $15,946,476, occurs at the growth assumption for the years 2002-06, with 2.78 persons per household discounted at 3%. The most conservative estimate for the value of the Plum Creek water system $7,637,335, occurs at the growth assumption for the years 2007-08 with 3.57 persons per household discounted at 7%. Given the location along the Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio the City of Kyle is likely to grow faster that it did during 2007-2008. The estimate for the value of the Plum Creek water system using the growth that occurred during the years 2005-2008 with 3.25 persons per household present a more likely scenario. The purchase prices for this growth scenario range from $9 million to $12 million. For a city size of Kyle that is just beginning to develop, the purchase of the Plum Creek water system under this assumption is feasible. Walter L. Smith http://ecommons.txstate.edu/honorconf/1 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/honorconf/1 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 06:30:32 PST The curious phenomenon of storytelling is unique to human beings, and has for millennia been a vital vein for the development of human civilization. Epic poems glorify the deeds of heroes, stories embody religious beliefs, and our world generally becomes more sensible through stories, both factual and imaginative. Miguel Cervantes' character, the story-obsessed Don Quixote, represents our collective fascination with and dependence on stories. In his novel Don Quixote, Cervantes employs the storytelling tradition to make Quixote's worlds--both the world of his imagination and the world of his actual life--more ingenious and sensible. Cervantes' numerous themes seem at first as disconnected and disorganized as Quixote's thinking. However, utilizing the storytelling tradition within his novel, Cervantes coheres his disparate themes into a harmonious whole. This approach mirrors our general storytelling tradition that makes our world--historical and modern, public and private--more sensible, however random some of its events seem. By focusing on Part I of Don Quixote, this article analyzes not only Cervantes' use of stories within stories, but also his layered narrative structure, as well as contemporary story theory, to show how the novel Don Quixote is a microcosm of the storytelling tradition that is crucial to our civilization's development. Edgar Gordyn http://ecommons.txstate.edu/honorprog/128 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/honorprog/128 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:32:32 PST Our brain functions are divided between two hemispheres - working together to process the tasks we encounter as we carry on with our daily lives. However, each activity is dominated by either the left or right "side" of the brain. Due to societal tendencies in the occidental world, much of the emphasis in education in general, and more specifically, music education and classical performance practice is placed on "left brain" activity; that which deals with analytical thinking, logic, and verbal skills. Although these left-brain activities undoubtedly contribute to musical understanding, a system that equally nurtures the right side of the brain, (that which is responsible for governing emotion, interpretation, and holistic thinking), will aid in developing mature, well rounded musicians and contributors to society. Drawing inspiration from the discipline of ethnomusicology, seminal literature in music education, and Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind (2006), this thesis suggests an impetus to create an educational environment better suited to develop more holistic thought processes in the field of music education particularly at the higher level. This project is supported by a performance element, which embodies some of the principles of this thesis. Lauryn N. Gould http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384736 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384736 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:57:22 PST The dynamic nature of urban environments presents wildlife species with a range of novel conditions including changes in land use and species assemblages. Understanding the nature of species response to environmental changes is an important aspect for preserving biodiversity and creating sustainable cities. Individual-based models (IBM) are a type of complex ecological model, which can be used by ecologists and wildlife managers to predict species response to environmental change. Here, I present a multi-agent ecological model of Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis ) population growth and redistribution in response to the emergence of new habitat patches resulting from land use changes within the urban built environment of Austin, TX. The purpose of the model is to identify Mexican free-tailed bat urban habitat associations and to reveal patterns of bat population distribution across the urban landscape. Model validity is assessed through map correlation analysis of real (determined by acoustic monitoring/visual inspection field study) and predicted (data file output from model run) bat habitat use. Results indicate an increase in bat populations concurrent with urbanization; however the pattern of bat habitat use is limited by the spatial arrangement of features at the landscape scale. Emariana Taylor Ecology,Conservation,Environmental science http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384735 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384735 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:57:21 PST This qualitative study describes the perceptions of adult Mexican immigrants on the meaning they give to citizenship and civic responsibility in the context of their everyday lives. The overarching perspective of this study is influenced by theories of immigrant integration, citizenship, and adult civic education. Seidman's (2006) three-interview series was used to collect data for this study. Six Mexican immigrants, four women and two men, living in central Texas, were interviewed over the course of six months about their attitudes towards United States naturalization and their understanding of civic integration. Findings suggest that each of the immigrants is focused on their own linguistic assimilation as well as that of their children or the children of close relatives above all other types of integration. For some, their reasons for US naturalization stem from fear of deportation and a desire to feel secure in the US; others have chosen to naturalize in order to participate in voting, for ease of travel, or to sponsor family members. Immigrants who participated in this study defined citizenship and civic engagement in relation to their own experiences and lifecourses in both Mexico and the US. Findings from this study suggest that the experiences of immigrants with migration, including their immigrant status prior to migration, their reasons for migrating to the US, and the events, circumstances, and people they encountered following their migrations influenced their decision to choose or reject US naturalization. In addition, the perception that the immigrants had of their early experiences and encounters in the US affected what these immigrants dream about for their children's future, and what they teach them living in the US. The primary implication for this study is the importance of understanding how Mexican immigrants who are not naturalized come to learn the concept of citizenship as they integrate into communities across the United States. This can provide insight into their subsequent participation in civic life in the future. In the field of adult education where civics education and citizenship classes have traditionally been mainstays of community adult learning programs, this study suggests that bringing in experiences from the immigrant's life in his/her own country as well as his ongoing experiences in the US can open discussions on the everyday meaning and experiences of civic engagement and the day-to-day effect of immigration status on an immigrant's social and cultural identity. Linda Munoz English as a Second Language,Adult education,Hispanic American studies http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384734 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384734 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:57:20 PST Frankia are nitrogen fixing bacteria that form root nodules with more than 200 actinorhizal plant species. In nature, Frankia are found in soil and in root nodules of specific host plants. Due to their low abundance in soil and difficulties to isolate them, most studies on Frankia focus on populations in root nodules, which are natural locale of enrichment for Frankia . As a consequence, little is known about the ecology of Frankia in soil. The work presented in this PhD. dissertation focused on two basic objectives: (1) to elucidate the effects of specific environmental conditions on the fate of introduced Frankia strains in soil microcosms, and (2) to highlight the limitations of plant bioassay analyses in describing the diversity of Frankia in soil. Work on the first objective provided evidence that Frankia strains differ with respect to their ability to utilize specific organic compounds (chapter II, and III), and that--within the Alnus host infection group--the utilization of leaf litter is a specific trait of few Frankia strains, and reflected in their taxonomic position (chapter III). Results for the second objective demonstrated that the host plant species has a large effect in the selection of Frankia strains from soil for potential nodule formation (chapter IV), and that this effect results in large differences between Frankia populations detected directly in soil and those in root nodules (chapter V). Consequently, the choice of the capture plant species has a significant effect in bioassays on diversity estimates of frankiae in soil. Specific results for the first objective were that Frankia strains have the potential to grow saprophytically, with the majority of strains belonging the Elaeagaus and Alnus host infection groups growing in the rhizosphere of a non-host plant, Betula pendula , but not in the surrounding bulk soil. Casuarina -infective strains that are generally assigned to the Alnus host infection group, however, did not grow in the rhizosphere of B. pendula , even though these same strains did grow in the rhizosphere of Casuarina cunninghamiana . In contrast to results obtained for the rhizosphere of B. pendula , saprophytic growth on leaf litter as a C source was restricted to a small fraction of Frankia strains that all belonged to a distinct phylogenctic cluster within the Alnus host infection group. These results demonstrated that saprophytic growth of frankiae was a common trait for most members of the genus, and the supporting factors for growth (i.e. carbon utilization capabilities) varied with host infection group and phylogenetic affiliation of the strains. These studies also provided information on the usefulness of comparative nif H gene sequences analyses to distinguish Frankia clusters within the Elaeagnus and Alnus host infection group, with comparable assignments of strains but better resolution than the previously used insertion in the 23S rRNA gene. Specific results for the second objective highlighted the potential role of host plant species in the selection of nodule-forming frankiae from soil in bioassays with two Morella , three Elaeagnus and one Shepherdia species as capture plants. Diversity of frankiae was larger in nodules on both Morella species than in nodules formed on the other plant species, and none of the plants captured the entire diversity of nodule-forming frankiae. The distribution of clusters Frankia populations and their abundance in nodules was unique for each of the plant species with only one cluster being ubiquitous and most abundant while the remaining clusters were only present in nodules of one (six clusters) or two (two clusters) host plant species. These results demonstrated large effects of the host plant species in the selection of Frankia strains from soil for potential nodule formation, and thus the significant effect of the choice of capture plant species in bioassays on diversity estimates in soil. Meta-analysis including sequences previously published for cultures, for uncultured frankiae in root nodules of Morella pensylvanica formed in bioassays, and gene clone libraries for the respective soils displayed large differences in cluster assignments between sequences retrieved from clone libraries and those obtained from nodules, with assignments to the same cluster only rarely encountered for individual soils. These results demonstrated large differences between detectable Frankia populations in soil and those in root nodules indicating the inadequacy of bioassays for the analysis of frankiae in soil and the role of plants in the selection of frankiae from soil for root nodule formation. Babur S Mirza Ecology,Microbiology,Soil sciences http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384733 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384733 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:57:19 PST Having the ability to procreate does not ensure the ability to parent. Many offender mothers come to prison only to realize they are ill equipped to raise their children. After generations, devastated by abuse, single parenthood, neglect and poverty the offender mothers' worry their children will follow in their footsteps and eventually serve time in prison. Parenting skills tend be learned behaviors that are part of the historical, social, cultural and environmental factors that form interactions and expectations. Offender mothers who participated in the parenting project used a parenting curriculum that offered them the skills to teach their children: autonomy, social competence, interdependence, problem solving and resiliency. The Adult, Adolescent, Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2) was used to study the impact of the parenting curriculum on the offender mothers who took the class. A control group and offenders in the Life Skills program also participated in the AAPI-2 and their scores were compared to those of the offenders who participated in the parenting project. Rehabilitative projects such as the parenting project are designed to offer the offender mothers an alternative to doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. Bob Cox Adult education,Criminology http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384732 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384732 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:57:19 PST This work examines how the debate the between the forces that wished to deregulate and those that wished to professionalize teacher certification and licensing played itself out in Texas. It seeks to identify the key actors and organizations, the critical incidents that occurred, the key arguments each side developed and finally, the effects of the passage of Texas Administrative Code § 232.5 in the fall of 2003. Joseph Ciccarelli School administration,Public administration http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384731 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3384731 Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:57:18 PST The overall objective of this dissertation was to identify the correlates of successful completion of a weight loss program designed for Mexican American (MA) women. The correlates chosen to examine were often identified in the literature as correlates of physical activity. This dissertation is comprised of two research articles and one comprehensive review of literature. The review was to identify personal factors that were associated with physical activity in minority women, specifically Hispanic women. One study explored the relationships between program completion and previously identified sociodemographic correlates of physical activity (i.e., age, education, employment status, marital status, income, and number of children). The other study examined the relationship between program completion and exercise self-efficacy, a purported correlate of physical activity. Both research studies are retrospective in nature, as they included data collected during 2005 and 2006 from, ¡A Tu Salud !, a culturally sensitive wellness program designed for overweight, low socioeconomic status (SES), MA women. Based on an ecological model, and thorough review of relevant literature, seven correlates were identified that appear to share a relationship with physical activity in minority women and program completion in diverse samples. The variables most often studied are education, age, employment, income, marital status, number of children in the home, and exercise self-efficacy. Exercise self-efficacy was consistently reported to be positively associated with physical activity among all women. Women with high exercise self-efficacy were more likely to be physically active than those with low exercise self-efficacy. For the first research article, data from subjects included 81 and 74 MA women who entered one of three 8-week and one of three 12-week weight loss interventions, respectively. All participants were encouraged to attend 5, 60-min exercise sessions, one 45-min nutrition education class, and one 30 to 45-min behavioral modification session each week. The data were first analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistical methods in order to develop a mediated path model to examine relationships such as strength and magnitude of the interaction influence among the variables. The selected variables (i.e., age, education, employment, marital status, income, and number of children) were chosen based on the comprehensive review of literature. For the 8-week participants, there were no mentionable relationships among the data. There were no statistically significant direct effects between program completion and: income (r=.07), marital status (r=-.018), and number of children (r=-.061). The only direct relationship that was somewhat associated was employment and program completion (r=-.265). The 12-week participants showed direct effects from four of the independent variables. Of the four, employment (r=.94) had the strongest correlation to program completion, followed by income (r=.80). Both marital status (r=.50) and number of children (r=.41) were slightly weaker yet still significant. To better understand the associations, the data for the 12-week group were fit to a regression model. The unstandardized regression coefficients were as follows: employment was B = -2.169, income was B = -.744, marital status was B = .446, and number of children was B = 19.549 for one child. In short, the results from the logistic regression analysis explained that the women who were unemployed, not married, had 1 or no children, or had a higher household income were more likely to complete the program. The hypothesis that age and education would mediate was incorrect and neither had any relationship to program retention in the model for either the 8 or 12-week intervention group. The second research article included 58 and 73 MA women who entered one of two 8-week weight loss interventions and one of two 12-week weight loss interventions, respectively. The "completers" for the 8-week intervention (n=48) and 12 week intervention (n=40) were used in the weight loss models. For program completion, the average exercise self-efficacy scores were not predictive as to whether the women completed the intervention for either the 8-week group (x2 =.117, df = 1, p = .773, R2 Nagelkerke= .003) or 12-week group(x2 =.737, df= 1, p = .391, R2 Nagelkerke= .015). For weight loss, once again the average exercise self-efficacy score was not predictive to whether the women enrolled in the 8 week program(x 2 = 3.9, df= 1, p = .048, R 2 Nagelkerke= .142) or 12-week program(x2 = .71, df= 1, p = .400, R2 Nagelkerke= .024) lost weight. In short, among overweight, low income, MA women in Central TX, exercise self-efficacy does not seem to be related to successful completion of a weight loss program or successful weight loss in that program. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Jennifer N Ahrens Public Health Education,Public health,Kinesiology http://ecommons.txstate.edu/bioltad/24 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/bioltad/24 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:10:43 PST [No abstract available.] Erin Marna Ruckman http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/320 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/320 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:40:26 PST This paper identifies ideal components of strategic plans for local governments and it assesses the extent to which Texas medium sized cities have adhered to the practical ideal type. The ideal components of a strategic plan have been developed through review of scholarly literature. The ideal strategic plan is organized into four categories: Organizational Background, Organizational Assessment, Organizational Needs and Desires and Organizational Future Appearance. Twenty three strategic plans, of an original twenty four mid-sized Texas cities, were assessed in comparison to the ideal strategic plan categories. Only one city did not have a strategic plan. The cities were selected based on size; twenty four Texas cities had a population over 50,000 but less than 100,000. Population growth in Texas has caused medium sized cities to expand and this was factor in selecting them. A coding sheet was developed to assist the researcher in analysis of each city's strategic plan and descriptive statistics were used to present the data in a manageable form to describe the relationship of plan elements with ideal elements. A summary of the results explains the degree to which medium sized cities have followed the practical ideal type. The overall assessment of the strategic plans revealed they did not meet the practical ideal type criteria established in the literature. It is noted that many strategic plans contained more than half of the total ideal type criteria and thus received a passing grade. Several elements of the 'Organizational Needs and Desires' category, which included goals, objectives and strategic issues, were present in almost all of the 23 cities. Internal assessment, a part of the Organizational Assessment, was one of the least present elements in the documents studied in this research. Theodore L. Kosub http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/319 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/319 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:00:45 PST Ismael Amaya http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/318 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/arp/318 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:53:01 PST In research and in practice, two similar but significantly different definitions arise for the term First Generation College Student (FGCS). The difference is whether it refers to students neither of whose parents attended vs. graduated from a four-year college. Using the completion standard, 25-50% of all college students are First Generation; in community colleges, that numbers is estimated to be 75%. These percentages are significant and would seem encouraging when thinking that so many students in college are taking a different educational path than their parents did (or were able to), however, enrollment does not equate to completion. Unfortunately, FGCSs do not graduate at the same rates as student's who have at least one parent who completed a college education. The discrepancy exists even when accounting for factors such as academic preparation, achievement scores, and high school grades. Being First Generation does not only impact the student who may have little guidance when making the decision to pursue a college education; it impacts the families who may wish to help but do not have the knowledge or experience to offer guidance and may themselves encounter anxiety as their student ventures into unfamiliar territory. Narrowing the college experience knowledge gap between FGCSs and Continuing Generation College Students can help universities narrow the achievement gap between the two groups. The purpose of this descriptive project is three-fold, (1) To identify factors that may impede FGCSs and underrepresented students from successfully transitioning to and completing college, (2) to determine and describe the structure of a handbook that informs current/potential Texas State students and their families about the college experience and identifies available resources to overcome college challenges, and (3) to develop a handbook that Texas State can use as a recruitment tool and that students and parents can use as a guide through the student's selection of and transition to college. Ismael Amaya http://ecommons.txstate.edu/engltad/17 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/engltad/17 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:02:28 PST [No abstract available.] Bettina L. Ramón, http://ecommons.txstate.edu/engltad/16 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/engltad/16 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:42:10 PST [No abstract available.] Jonathan D. Polk http://ecommons.txstate.edu/eapstad/11 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/eapstad/11 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:18:59 PST The purpose of this study was to describe how a culturally responsive leader conducts her leadership role with teachers, parents and students in a culturally diverse high school. Surveys and interviews in the preliminary study helped to select a leader who best exemplified culturally responsive leadership (CRL) from a pool of ten leaders. The participants in the primary study included six teachers, nine parents, and the leader from a high school in Central Texas. In the primary study, I collected data through focus group interviews with teachers and parents, and additional interviews with the leader (Faith). I also shadowed Faith three times and observed participating teachers three times each. During the shadowing sessions and classroom observations I collected artifacts related to both CRL and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) respectively. Follow-up interviews after classroom observations and shadowing sessions helped clarify information collected. Examination of all the qualitative data from the participants revealed that Faith's culturally responsive leadership was influenced by the context, her understanding of CRL, and her philosophy of education. Her CRL included six themes: (a) building positive relationships, (b) being persistent and persuasive, (c) modeling cultural responsiveness, (d) being present and communicating, (e) fostering cultural responsiveness among others and (f) caring for others. Faith performed these leadership behaviors through relating to people, promoting culturally responsive curriculum, and creating a culturally responsive school environment. Findings also revealed that Washington High School is undergoing a process of change leading toward a culturally responsive system. Noted outcomes included students' academic, social, and personal growth and development. These findings support the conclusion that creating positive institutional relationships is crucial to effective leadership in culturally and linguistically diverse schools. Recommendations for further study include replicating this study with a number of culturally responsive leaders and their students. Lewis Madhlangobe http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/23 http://ecommons.txstate.edu/geogtad/23 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:03:00 PST The purpose of this thesis is to improve the knowledge of Martian gully origins. This study specifically analyzes Martian surface composition, gully structure, and the spatial distribution of gullies. Gully badlands are digitized, and branching ratio vs. various elements composing the surface of Mars, is calculated. The spatial dispersion of gullies is determined to be clustered away from the equator. Few gullies are found within 30° of the equator. Gully sites are overlayed with surface composition data, both elemental and geologic, and findings show the surface of Mars is both a patchwork of minerals and a patchwork of geologic time zones. Evidence is found that indicates gullies are found in areas high in chlorine and low in water, potassium, iron, and silicon. A decision tree is created to help predict where gullies may occur. Taken together, these findings implicate brine as the likely fluid source for gullies on Mars. Findings also imply the water flow models presented by Clancy (1996) and Kuzmin (2006) may play a role in the formation of Martian gullies. Leon Kincy