Showing up is the hardest part : examining geographic barriers to immigration court access

What is the impact of geographical barriers to immigration court on court attendance? Building on Herd and Moynihan’s (2018) theory of administrative burdens, I examine the role of compliance costs in attending immigration court hearings, arguing that a reduction in geographical compliance costs can lead to more equitable outcomes in immigration court hearings. I utilize Executive Office for Immigration Review individual level case data and leverage both logistic regression and an interrupted time series to predict the impact of drive time to the court, driver’s license access, and virtual court access on the likelihood that an immigrant is present at court. My results suggest that geographical burdens limit immigrants’ abilities to comply with the court’s administrative burdens. Increasing virtual court access may lead to fewer in absentia deportations as a result of missed court hearings.Governmen

A linguacultural approach to teaching Arabic as a foreign language

This dissertation examines theoretical and practical work on culture in fields related to foreign language education (FLE) and Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) in order to rethink the cultural component of a proficiency-based Arabic classroom and propose a linguacultural approach for the first-year of study. The dissertation has arisen from a decade of observing the field of TAFL from the multiple perspectives of student, teaching assistant, and teacher of Arabic, and is inspired by the contemporary needs of Arabic students in U.S. universities. The principal goals of the dissertation are: 1) to present a critical perspective on the current role of culture in TAFL theory, teaching practice, and textbook design; 2) to propose a linguacultural approach to teaching Arabic that is informed by conceptual and intercultural perspectives in FLE; and 3) to demonstrate the approach by way of suggested methods, outcomes, and assessments designed for novice to intermediate levels of proficiency. The first objective is accomplished in Chapters II and III by a review of scholarship on culture in FLE and a discussion of culture in TAFL as it relates to U.S. universities and the sociolinguistic situation in Arabic. This is followed by a review of Arabic textbooks from a cultural perspective. The second objective is fulfilled by Chapter IV, in which I argue for a linguacultural approach to Arabic language and culture pedagogy, with its central tenet the incorporation of rich and varied Arabic-language input that reflects sociolinguistic realities. In this chapter I develop the relationship between integrated Arabic teaching, multiliteracies, cultural conceptualizations, and interculturality, providing examples of methods and material development. Finally, in Chapter V, I follow the principles of the approach to suggest proficiency-based outcomes and assessment methods in which cultural goals are integrated in all skill areas.Middle Eastern Studie

Automated drill bit forensics : enhancing efficiency and accuracy through image processing and machine learning

In recent years, the automation of drilling has garnered considerable attention within both the upstream oil and gas companies and the drilling research community. Drill bit forensics, being integral to the enhancement of efficiencies and profits in the oil and gas industries, promises heightened drilling efficiency, augmented consistency, and a refined comprehension of bit damage mechanisms through automation. Nevertheless, the adoption rate of drilling automation remains sluggish, largely due to the intricate nature of drilling operations. At present, the conventional inspection and grading of bit damage by human operators is labor-intensive and susceptible to human biases. This underscores the imperative for an automated system in drill bit forensics, which would aid drilling operators and specialists in processing and analyzing bit damage data. In this dissertation, a novel systematic framework is introduced, amalgamating computer vision and machine learning techniques with domain-specific knowledge of drill bits. This framework streamlines the evaluation process from identifying various drill bit components, quantifying and categorizing cutter damage, collating positional data, to ultimately forecasting the primary causes of damage. The methodologies devised are applied to visual data of drill bits, encompassing images and videos from hundreds of different bit runs. This work delves into several innovative contributions: (1) The industry's first bit detection model that segments distinct parts of the bit; (2) A pioneering proposition to utilize video data of drill bits to expedite the automation of bit forensics; (3) A comprehensive workflow tailored for diverse bit data sources; (4) An adaptable analytical methodology for discerning the root causes of bit damage. The outcomes underscore the potential of an automated system in drill bit forensics to bolster the precision and uniformity of drill bit assessments, offering invaluable insights into drilling operations. This groundbreaking methodology lays the foundation for further advancements in the realm of automated drill bit forensics, targeting the enhancement of the overall efficacy and cost-efficiency of drilling operations.Mechanical Engineerin

Next generation 3D printing platform for the fabrication of personalized pills

6 in 10 adults in the US suffer from chronic conditions which can range from heart and metabolic diseases to cancer and HIV. The commonality of all these chronic disorders is the use of multi-dose multi-drug regimens, which leads to poor patient compliance and deteriorates the patient’s quality of life. Switching to a one multi-drug-containing pill (polypill) a day approach would help improve patient compliance especially in pediatric and geriatric population. Developing these polypills using conventional manufacturing methods in the pharmaceutical industry is challenging. Use of upcoming technologies can help solve this problem. Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a manufacturing technique that enables the development of dosage forms containing multiple drugs with complex structures and release profiles. The use of this technology to develop a polypill tailored specifically for the patient for reduced dosing will help increase compliance and medication adherence and also help reduce the overall costs of the medication. While setting this process up the goal was to work with material extrusion based 3D printers operating on the principles of fused deposition modeling (FDM) and pressure assisted microsyringe (PAM) based extrusion, due to their smaller footprint. An inhouse printer was set up using a conveyor belt to implement a continuous printing platform with unlimited print area. The main goal with these printing based systems was to understand how the different processing conditions affect the formulation composition and in turn affects the properties of the final printed dosage form. The effect of changing layer orientation while printing using the continuous setup was evaluated against the conventional batch process. Effect of print geometry and infill density was evaluated to understand the effect on release performance. Aspirin and Nifedipine were selected as model drugs for this study. PAM can be used with direct powder blends for printing. We set up a single step extrusion process for developing self-emulsifying granules that could replace the powder blend. The improved performance of our granules helped eliminate the drawbacks of drug segregation and distribution. These studies demonstrate the promising utility of 3D printing for personalizing drug delivery.Pharmaceutical Science

Exploring RBM6 Overexpression: Impact on Cell Division and Gene Splicing in HeLa Cells

The RNA-binding motif protein 6 (RBM6) serves as an alternative splicing factor and tumor suppressor gene initially identified as a gene mapped to a lung cancer tumor suppressor gene locus on chromosome 3p21. Sharing structural similarities with RBM5 and RBM10, such as their two RNA recognition motifs (RRM) domains involved in posttranscriptional gene expression, two zinc finger-like regions, a G-patch and an OCRE domain, as well as a YjbI homology domain not found in RBM5 or RBM10. RBM6 is a splicing factor or interacts with other splicing factors based on its localization to IGCs (interchromatin granule clusters), also known as nuclear speckles, nuclear domains enriched in pre-mRNA splicing factors located in the nucleoplasm of mammalian cells. Changes in RBM6 expression have been reported to alter alternative splicing, to alter the cloning efficiency of HeLa cells, and RBM6 was shown to bind preferentially to a consensus sequence. For example, one study showed that decreased expression of RBM6 caused increased exclusion of NUMB exon 9, the opposite of what is observed following depletion of RBM10. It is notable that these effects could only be observed when RBM6 was stably knocked down in cell lines. While changes in RBM6 expression impact pre-mRNA splicing and cell proliferation, its precise mechanism is unclear. We are creating RBM6 cell lines that overproduce the protein in HeLa cells, as well as studying the effect of transient expression of normal and mutated RBM6 proteins. We will determine if overexpression of RBM6 will promote, and whether this correlates with changes in the rate of cell division. Using mutations in the protein we will investigate how the overexpression of RBM6 promotes the exclusion of the gene NUMB exon 9 and alters the splicing of other pro-apoptotic genes.Cellular and Molecular Biolog

Best Practices for Queer Metadata

This document is the result of two years of work by a group of nearly one hundred knowledge organisers, cataloguers, librarians, archivists, scholars, and information professionals with a concerted interest in improving the metadata treatment of queer people, communities, and items in GLAMS (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums, and Special Collections) and other informational institutions. Their work has been supported by over 800 peer reviewers; combined, these groups make up the Queer Metadata Collective (QMDC). The QMDC builds upon earlier work done by the Trans Metadata Collective (TMDC), a similarly-organised group of metadata workers and information professionals with a concerted interest in improving the metadata representation of trans and gender-diverse people. The work of the TMDC culminated in Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources, focusing on the description, cataloguing, and classification of information resources as well as the creation of metadata about trans and gender-diverse people, including authors, communities, and other creators. Following the publication of the Best Practices, several TMDC members founded and developed the QMDC over the summer of 2022. This document focuses on metadata by and about queer people, communities, and resources. While there is significant overlap between queer metadata and trans and gender diverse metadata, QMDC’s recommendations should not be seen as excluding or superseding TMDC’s, as trans and gender diverse people, communities, and resources have specific needs. For best practices and recommendations about trans and gender-diverse resources, please consult the TMDC document. If the TMDC and QMDC recommendations conflict (we are not aware of any instances in which they do), prefer the TMDC document for trans and gender diverse resources and the QMDC for other types of queer resources.UT Librarie

The economics of cyber crime

Digital technologies are creating more value and thus becoming more attractive to cyber criminals. Gary Becker provides a philosophy for understanding crimes from an economic perspective, but criminal behavior and potential policies against it differ in the context of a digital economy. In this dissertation, I analyze the strategic interactions among the relevant entities of multiple scenarios of cyber crime. In the first chapter, I consider crimes with economic incentives where criminals are expected to hack digital systems and ask for a ransom to not disturb those compromised. In the second chapter, I explore cases where a fake data sender tries to insert fake data into a data source to mislead a receiver's data-driven decisions. In the third chapter, I look at how the security of a public blockchain depends on the incentives and interactions among its writers. From these analyses, I derive insights on both how a defender should behave from an individual perspective and how governments should make policies from a social perspective.Information, Risk, and Operations Management (IROM

The justification of religious intolerance : an examination of the American media's responses to the life and crimes of Nidal Hasan

An examination of the crimes of Nidal Hasan through the lens of American News media. This document examines the production of religious extremism in relation to Islam for the consumption of the American public and how it is reductive and harmful to Muslims.Religious Studie

Internationalization at striving universities and the role of presidential leadership

Over the past two decades, there has been heightened awareness and intensified discussions on the importance of internationalization in the academy. There are also strong calls for action from university leaders, faculty members, and industry CEOs. Equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to live and thrive in today’s globally interconnected and interdependent world has never been an ambiguity. However, there seems to be little discussion and research on the limited role of presidential leadership in comprehensive internationalization efforts at U.S. universities (Hudzik, 2015). Motivated by the ACE model for comprehensive internationalization, this study explores actionable frameworks to support campus internationalization goals. This qualitative research project utilizes a multiple case study approach to better understand the role that presidential leadership plays in comprehensive internationalization at striving universities. I argue that the rise or fall of the internationalization agenda largely depends on Presidential leadership. Presidents must lead the charge for the work of internationalization to be effective and successful at higher education institutions.Educational Leadership and Polic

Investigation of vertical shear strength in unreinforced interfaces between concrete cast at different times

This thesis presents an experimental study of vertical interface shear strength between layers of concrete cast at different times. Current design provisions allow only for load to be transferred across reinforced interfaces. However, previous research has suggested that unreinforced interfaces can be manipulated to sustain significant load transfer. The first part of this project was to identify key factors affecting interface shear strength through a review of previous research. The key factors identified were interface roughness, differential stiffness, and differential shrinkage. To quantify the effects of these factors, an experimental program consisting of twenty-seven specimens was conducted in two phases. Phase one consisted on specimens with a precast shell and a cast-in-place core, while phase two consisted of a cast-in-place shell with a precast core. The variables tested were smooth interfaces compared to rough, sandblasted interfaces, conventional concrete compared to shrinkage reducing concrete, and circular compared to square interfaces. Interface slip data was also recorded to better characterize the behavior of the interfaces under loading. Interface strengths observed ranged from 41 psi to 236 psi. It was found that roughened, circular interfaces tended to be the strongest and circular smooth interfaces with shrinkage reducing concrete were the weakest. Results indicated that circular interfaces were preferable compared to square interfaces. Further, the use of shrinkage reducing admixture greatly reduced interface shear strength, which was an unexpected result. Finally, it was concluded that interface roughening, even in a modest amount, can provide significant strength gains independent of concrete strength or stiffness. This research also suggests a modified version of the AASHTO interface shear transfer equation to allow for future discussion on the use of unreinforced interfaces in design applications.Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineerin