Adding to the Strand offers abstract paintings of shifting imagery, spaces of color and atmosphere, a visual language based on stories of my personal perceptions. My work captures impressions from nature the color, light and motion of earth and ocean and structural influences exemplified by shell shapes, underscored with literary or musical symbolisms. The process of writing and painting integrate inseparable facets of heart and mind, translating images and events into visual interpretations. These become part of an ongoing stream, a collection of claimed moments added to the strand of my life.

ABSTRACT THOUGHT TEAM: USE OF A PERSPECTIVE-TAKING STRATEGY TO ENHANCE PERSONAL PROBLEM SOLVING WHILE THINKING. WRITNG, OR MAPPING By Cindy S. S. Atha-Weldon, M. S., 2000; PhD, 2006. Department of Psychology Texas Christian University Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Don Dansereau, Professor of Psychology Research has shown that therapeutic writing improves an individuals sense of well-being. Positive affective and conceptual transformations resulting from the effects of disinhibition and cognitive reconstructing have been implicated in this process (Clark, 1993). The current study examined whether the restructuring might be enhanced by the development of a set of mental advisors, the Thought Team strategy (Atha-Weldon & Dansereau, 2001; Czuchry & Sia, 1998), to manipulate the problem schema while thinking, writing, or mapping. Analyses revealed significant effects in short-term and long-term outcomes for strategy and format in participant satisfaction and motivation (motivation, value, personal effort, continuation, influence), for emotional adjustments (emotional control, coping and managing, general hardiness, personal interests, concern), and for cognitive benefits (ideas, organization, coherence and understanding, creativity, mental imagery, effectiveness, extremeness, insight, and solvability).

Spontaneous Recovery (SR) refers to the reemergence of an extinguished conditioned response after a resting period. SR occurs in a variety of Pavlovian situations, but remains to be shown in the consummatory successive negative contrast (cSNC) situation. Results failed to show SR at 96-h and 336-h resting periods and accordingly failed to show greater SR at 336-h compared to 96-h. However, a median-split procedure to group downshifted subjects as high spontaneous recovery (H) or low spontaneous recovery (L) in the SR trial, revealed: (1) H96 and H336, but not H24, showed significant consummatory suppression compared to L and unshifted controls; (2) L96 and L336 showed significantly faster recovery from initial contrast than their respective H counterparts; and (3) A significant positive correlation between degree of SR on trial 19 and recovery from contrast. Results indicate any demonstration of SR in cSNC must take into account individual differences in consummatory behavior.

We report the results of our on-going study of the thickness-dependence of bremsstrahlung from solid gold film targets. The incident electrons energy is approximately 53 keV, and we have collected data from angles of 90 and 135 degrees. Target thicknesses ranging from 66 µg/cm2 (where single interaction conditions apply) to more than twice the electron range (where a multiple interaction model applies) were studied. With this data, we can observe the transition from thin to thick film spectra, and compare it to data obtained using the Monte Carlo simulation, PENELOPE. This comparison could reveal whether there is any polarizational bremsstrahlung contribution for solid film targets. We also present results for the absolute doubly-differential cross section for the thin-film targets and compare the results with predictions of both ordinary bremsstrahlung and total bremsstrahlung including a polarizational contribution calculated in the stripping approximation.

Fine-grained units underlying the Atoka Lime Formation in the Midland Basin have historically been interpreted as Pennsylvanian (Atokan) or Mississippian (Chesterian) strata. Recent palynology data suggest that the shale was deposited during the late Mississippian (Osagean-Chesterian), making it equivalent to the Barnett Shale. The trend of the Barnett was studied in a 25-mi2 (~65 Km2) area in the Central Midland Basin. In the study area, siliceous-calcareous units comprising the Barnett shale can be divided into an upper and lower unit. The upper unit can be further subdivided into six subunits by log curve markers, interpreted as gravity-flow deposits consisting of silty bioclastic debris. Isopach maps of the flow deposits suggest a source to the north. Preliminary TOC analyses suggest that the upper Barnett section is relatively TOC lean, whereas the lower Barnett has higher values. Exploration focus can be enhanced by detailed mapping of flows for the upper Barnett.

Previous criminal justice research has shown that incarcerated substance abusing females and males of diverse racial groups differ both in the attitudes and behaviors that they bring to treatment, in addition to their specific treatment needs. Utilizing the Texas Christian University (TCU) Criminal Justice Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CJ-CEST), this study addresses the questions of gender differences on mean responses to Criminal Thinking, Psychosocial Functioning, and Response to Treatment scales, gender differences with respect to the degree to which Criminal Thinking and Psychosocial scales predict responses to substance abuse treatment; and gender and racial interactions to gain a larger perspective of how these variables influence one another.

Preference for brands of products relevant to mate attraction, depend not only on their identity-relevance, but also on the preferences of other group members. No previous study has tested the influence of these two factors on the preferences for brands in small, close-knit, valued social groups. The results of the present study showed that the act of comparing one's own sexual desirability to that of fellow group members enhances preferences for mating-relevant brands that are relatively popular within one's group, for products that send strong signals of one's identity. For products that send weak signals of one's identity, preference for popular mating-relevant brands was pronounced among individuals who considered themselves relatively inferior to other members in their group, but results were opposite for individuals who consider themselves superior to other members of their group. This study offers new insights into the effects of mating-relevant comparisons on competitive purchases aimed at enhancing one's attractiveness.

Participants either generated node-link maps or summarizations in multiple, massed, or ad lib schedules while reading text on stress-related information. Participants rated personal relevance immediately after studying and completed free recall and recognition tests as well as measures of attitudes and intentions 48 hr later. Disordinal interactions revealed that low verbal ability participants in node-link mapping conditions and high verbal ability participants in summarization conditions performed best on the tests and had higher personal relevance ratings. Ad lib and multiple schedules were related to greater intentions to learn about stress and intentions to manage stress for those who generated node-link maps than for those who summarized. Multiple regression analyses indicated that personal relevance predicted test performance for those who mapped and was consistent in predicting both intentions to learn about stress and to manage stress for all participants. Implications of these findings are discussed.

High rates of recidivism among former prisoners have escalated the public financial burden and negatively impacted communities and individuals across the U.S. The current study used structural equation modeling to examine the effect of static and dynamic risk factors and treatment engagement on recidivism. The results indicated that (1) the level of criminal thinking was negatively correlated with the level of treatment engagement; (2) treatment engagement was negatively correlated with re-arrest; (3) criminal thinking impacted the rate of reoffending indirectly through treatment engagement; (4) neither substance abuse severity nor criminal history had direct or indirect effects on re-arrest; and (5) the effect of risk factors and treatment engagement differed in diverse gender and drug type subgroups. The study provided clinical implications for monitoring the treatment process, designing the appropriate treatment, and predicting prognostic performance of offenders.

The Valle Santo Tomás is situated on a segment of the Agua Blanca fault (ABF) which is an ~130 km WNW-ESE trending dextral strike-slip fault within the Pacific-North American (PAC- NAM) plate boundary. Although the ABF is thought to be active, evidence for recent seismic activity is scarce. In the Valle Santo Tomás, geologic, geomorphic, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were conducted to evaluate the fault segment for features that demonstrate recent movement. Features such as shutter ridges, diverted streams and fault scarps are observed and interpreted to indicate some degree of recent movement. The GPR survey further supports that the fault exists in the shallow subsurface as evidenced by offset beds, rotated hanging wall blocks and a negative flower structure indicating some degree of recent transtensional movement along the Valle Santo Tomás segment of the ABF.