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Neuroplasticity In The Dentate Gyrus: A Multimethod Investigation On Hippocampal Ltp Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Monica Goncalves-Garcia

Psychology ETDs

Studies have demonstrated alcohol-related deficits in LTP associated with histaminergic and glutamatergic impairments. The histaminergic H3R inverse agonist ABT-239 has shown promise in reversing these deficits. The present study focuses on another H3R inverse agonist, SAR-152594, and its impact on LTP deficits following moderate PAE. The findings reveal that systemic administration of 1 mg/kg of SAR-152594 reverses deficits in potentiation fEPSPs in adult male rats exposed to moderate PAE. Time-frequency analyses of evoked responses indicate PAE-related reductions in power during the fEPSP and increased power during later components of evoked responses, both reversed by SAR-152594. These results provide further evidence …

Quality Improvement Protocol: Improving The Use Of Nonpharmacological Pain Management Strategies Within The Inpatient Hospital Setting, Katherine Salamon, Christina Russell, Dara Devinney, Catherine M Soprano

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background: There are many nonpharmacological pain management services available to hospitalized youth; however, not all youth are offered these services. Lack of knowledge about resources, difficulty with the referral process, and lack of understanding about nonpharmacological pain management services and when to refer patients are among the main reasons for lack of utilization. Quality improvement (QI) initiatives have grown within hospital settings and can serve to create change in fast-paced environments. Methods: The current QI project aimed to pilot an educational program to increase the use of nonpharmacological pain management interventions. Staff located on one floor of a pediatric hospital …

Self-Esteem Among Adults With Adhd Symptoms, Dana Richelieu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study assessed if attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, ADHD symptoms, social support, gender, coping, and educational attainment predicted self-esteem among adults. It differed from previous research on this topic because it included participants with ADHD symptoms compared to those with formal ADHD diagnoses. Grounded in Leary and Baumeister’s sociometer theory, the study involved using a nonexperimental correlational survey research design to assess this issue. A sample of 272 adult participants living in the United States were recruited. A multiple regression analysis revealed ADHD symptoms, social support, and coping were statistically significant predictors of self-esteem, while ADHD treatment, gender, …

Rehabilitation Counselor Interventions On Parental-Disability Acceptance, James Samuel Rothrock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rehabilitation counselors work with families to assist in transitioning adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) from school to adult services. Currently, there is no evidence base for rehabilitation counselors to conceptualize and promote disability acceptance in parents. The purpose of this research was to identify interventions used by rehabilitation counselors with parents at various levels of disability acceptance. The research questions focused on what experiences rehabilitation counselors have had coordinating services with parents of adolescents with ID experiencing various degrees of acceptance and how do they understand and intervene with parental acceptance? The theoretical foundations girding the formation and interpretation of …

The Theoretical Epigenetic Relationship Between Complex-Ptsd And Adhd In Holocaust Survivors’ Descendants, Y. Sahara Brodsky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When comparing ADHD and Complex-PTSD, these two disorders share many overlapping features in both areas of the brain that are affected and the behavioral aspects due to deficits in certain brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex. It is due to this similarity that I predict that c-PTSD is the precursor to the development of ADHD in later generations. Through epigenetic changes that are consistent with c-PTSD diagnosis, these changes to the brain are then passed down the generational line. When this is combined with trauma transference and generational trauma, it creates a situation where both the behaviors inform how …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Juvenile Offender Typology, Aliza Beth Lipman

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 1 in 5 girls and in 20 boys in the United States are victims of child sexual assault every year. Child sexual assault can lead to multiple negative short term and long-term impacts affecting general health, mental health, interpersonal relationships, socio-economic status, criminal behavior and more. Prevention research focuses on a thorough understanding of the perpetrators of assault and the context surrounding offenses in order to reduce and prevent assault. Within this research, juvenile offenders are perceived as a single homogenous group whereas adult offenders are consistently specified based on offender and offense characteristics. The exploration of the relationship …

Police Officer Perceptions Of Parenting Experience Changes Following An On-Duty Child Death, Jennifer Sellers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) work in careers that can be demanding, stressful, and traumatizing. Although researchers have explored vicarious, or secondary, trauma as it relates to a LEO bringing their experiences at work into the home environment, influencing their spouse or partner’s mental and physical well-being, they have not yet investigated how a LEO’s experience of a child death while on-duty might affect their parenting styles. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the parenting styles that LEOs use or change when they have experienced a traumatic incident at work, specifically a child death. The study was …

Techno-Legal Solutionism: Regulating Children's Online Safety In The United States, Maria P. Angel, Danah Boyd

Scholarly Works

Convinced that social media is directly harming children, policymakers have started to introduce legislation that requires technology companies to be safe by design through “duty of care” provisions. Unlike regulations that focus on product safety, these bills incorporate technosolutionist logics into regulation by presuming that technology companies can remedy complex harms like mental health duress and bullying if their products were only designed better. In this paper, we unpack the theory of change at the center of the “duty of care” included in the “Kids Online Safety Act” (KOSA). We argue that techno-legal solutionism is both ineffective as a framework …

Black Social Workers Use Of Racial Identity And Self Concept In The Workplace, Shielah Monique Deblanc

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Navigating the Black professional identity in U.S. work environments poses challenges for social workers, with limited research addressing racial salience, power dynamics, and self-concept within their specific workplace contexts. Using self-concept theory, and the multidimensional model of racial identity as theoretical and conceptual frameworks, the purpose of this research was to examine Black social workers’ attitudes about self-concept using racial salience, power distance, and employee tenure as predictors. Using web-based surveys to collect data, a purposive sample of 77 participants were used to complete demographic information, a measure of centrality to gauge racial salience Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity, a …

Role Of Glia In Diurnal Rhythms In Neuroinflammation And Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown, Jennifer Hoi-Ping Lawrence

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

While inflammation is an important mechanism for the return to homeostasis post insult or injury, inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) can lead to irreparable damage. To mitigate this process, the brain is protected from circulating neurotoxic molecules as well as peripheral immune cells through the tightly regulated blood-brain barrier (BBB). The balance between pro- and anti- inflammation in the CNS rapidly shifts towards a neurotoxic proinflammatory state during acute bacterial or viral infections or chronic neuroinflammatory diseases. Excessive inflammatory responses are also coupled with extensive BBB leakage and breakdown, allowing rampant entry of peripheral inflammatory cells and mediators …

Now It’S Your Turn!: Eye Blink Rate In A Jenga Task Modulated By Interaction Of Task Wait Times, Effortful Control, And Internalizing Behaviors, Kelley E. Gunther, Xiaoxue Fu Ph.D., Leigha A. Macneill, Morgan Jones, Briana Ermanni, Koraly Pérez-Edgar

Faculty Publications

Dopamine is a versatile neurotransmitter with implications in many domains, including anxiety and effortful control. Where high levels of effortful control are often regarded as adaptive, other work suggests that high levels of effortful control may be a risk factor for anxiety. Dopamine signaling may be key in understanding these relations. Eye blink rate is a non-invasive proxy metric of midbrain dopamine activity. However, much work with eye blink rate has been constrained to screen-based tasks which lack in ecological validity. We tested whether changes in eye blink rate during a naturalistic effortful control task differ as a function of …

Impact Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Employee Turnover In Financial Institutions In Ghana, Maame Esi Abbam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic in late 2019 brought about a lot of challenges that affected several sectors and industries. The current research focused on assessing the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on employee turnover within the financial institutions in Ghana with a specific focus on women employees. Financial institutions are significant pillars of the Ghanaian economy, and they contribute to economic growth and provide essential financial services to businesses and individuals. Through Vroom’s expectancy theory and a qualitative phenomenological approach and analysis, the study was designed to explore the factors that contributed to employee turnover with a …

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach To Working With Youth, Young Adults And Families, Weston J. Robins

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Radical Youth Work: A Community Based Approach to Working with Youth, Young Adults and Families

A focus on experiential mentoring, humanistic counseling and community engagement as a way to work with youth, young adults and families to provide true holistic therapeutic support and guidance.

Teaching Students About Trauma, Stress And Brain Regulation, Kathy J. Van Horn

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

All students are impacted by stress and can benefit by understanding their brains, their stress response, and strategies for regulation. This presentation will provide practical principles and ideas for teaching students strategies and skills for physical, emotional, and cortical regulation.

A Genotyping Array For The Globally Invasive Vector Mosquito, Aedes Albopictus, Luciano Veiga Cosme, Margaret Corley, Thomas Johnson, Dave W Severson, Guiyun Yan, Xiaoming Wang, Nigel Beebe, Andrew Maynard, Mariangela Bonizzoni, Ayda Khorramnejad, Ademir Jesus Martins, José Bento Pereira Lima, Leonard E Munstermann, Sinnathamby N Surendran, Chun-Hong Chen, Kevin Maringer, Isra Wahid, Shomen Mukherjee, Jiannon Xu, Michael C Fontaine, Elizabet L Estallo, Marina Stein, Todd Livdahl, Patricia Y Scaraffia, Brendan H Carter, Motoyoshi Mogi, Nobuko Tuno, James W Mains, Kim A Medley, David E Bowles, Richard J Gill, Roger Eritja, Ranulfo González-Obando, Huynh T T Trang, Sébastien Boyer, Ann-Marie Abunyewa, Kayleigh Hackett, Tina Wu, Justin Nguyễn, Jiangnan Shen, Hongyu Zhao, Jacob E Crawford, Peter Armbruster, Adalgisa Caccone

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Although whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is the preferred genotyping method for most genomic analyses, limitations are often experienced when studying genomes characterized by a high percentage of repetitive elements, high linkage, and recombination deserts. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), for example, has a genome comprising up to 72% repetitive elements, and therefore we set out to develop a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip to be more cost-effective. Aedes albopictus is an invasive species originating from Southeast Asia that has recently spread around the world and is a vector for many human diseases. Developing an accessible genotyping platform is essential in …

Review Of Our Brains At War: The Neuroscience Of Conflict And Peacebuilding, Laura Sinville

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

“You Take My Place; Let’S Switch!” What It Means To Be A Woman Powerlifter In Parasport, Aaron Carl S. Seechung, Maria Luisa M. Guinto

The Qualitative Report

Gendered disability in elite sport has emerged as a pertinent area of inquiry in sport psychology. However, qualitative research aimed at amplifying the voices of marginalized subgroups is notably sparse. Employing a phenomenological approach, we examined the lived experience of a Filipina para powerlifter, probing the intersection of gender, disability, and socioeconomic status in shaping how the participant made sense of life and identity, both within and outside the realm of sport. Three personal experiential themes were generated from the interview data's interpretative phenomenological analysis: “survival of the fittest,” “the voices in my head did not allow me to give …

Mental Health Attitudes And Perspectives Of Arab Americans: Beliefs Associated With Stigma, Treatment, And The Origins Of Pathology, Sadie Knill, Liam Browning, Nicole Oska, George Kidess, Liza Hinchey, Arwa Saleem, Malaak Elhage, Arash Javanbakht

Medical Student Research Symposium

Purpose:

Arab Americans are one of the largest ethnic groups in the United States. Despite elevated incidence of mental illness and diminished rates of treatment within this community, the mental health of Arab Americans, along with their attitudes towards mental health, has not received adequate study. Unique cultural interpretations of mental illness may engender stigma, exacerbating disparities in treatment. This study aimed to assess the attitudes and perspectives of Arab Americans concerning mental illness, with the goal of identifying and addressing barriers to treatment.

Methods:

Using an anonymous bilingual Qualtrics survey, we assessed Arab and non-Arab participants (n = 294; …

Religious Stewardship And Pro-Environmental Action: The Mediating Roles Of Environmental Guilt And Anger, Shu Tian Ng, Kimin Eom

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Past research has found that stewardship belief can motivate pro-environmentalism among religious individuals. The present study investigates the emotional pathways linking religious stewardship belief and pro-environmental policy support. In an online experiment conducted with Christians in the United States (N = 604), we experimentally primed stewardship belief (N = 195) using a video that highlighted the human responsibility to care for God’s creations. We also included a control condition (N = 206) and a religion condition (N = 203), which presented a more generic religious message. As demonstrated in a mediation model, the stewardship manipulation (vs. …

Can Neural Networks Reach Human Vision Levels On Object Recognition Tasks?, Luke D. Baumel, Mikayla Cutler, Matt Hyatt, Joseph Tocco, William Friebel, Nicholas Baker Dr., George K. Thiruvathukal Dr.

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Object recognition is a crucial function of biological vision; it allows us to draw conclusions about a visual scene that transcends the image formed by the retina. However, the task of object recognition quickly becomes a challenge when hindrances such as viewing angle, object distance from observer, illuminant qualities, and potential occlusions become active variables. Additionally, the diversity of visual features within the same category of object, coupled with the numerous contexts in which an object may be observed is demonstrative of the formidable task that is object recognition. Previous research showed a significant texture bias in Convolutional Neural Networks’ …

Empowering Voices: Exploring The Career Trajectories Of Women Of Color Hr Professionals Amid Disruptive Change, Brandi R. Muñoz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated strategies to enhance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in organizational leadership, focusing on supporting women of color in the workplace. The specific problem addressed was the underrepresentation and barriers faced by women of color in leadership positions despite their potential contributions to organizational success. The study employed a qualitative approach, combining qualitative interviews with socioeconomic data analysis. Data collection methods included semistructured interviews with women of color and a survey to gather demographic and employment information. The sample consisted of 16 women of color human resource professionals working in various industries and organizational settings across the …

Unlocking Potential: The Transformative Power Of Trauma-Informed Schools On Students' Well-Being And Academic Success, Tiffany Carolino

University Honors Theses

Trauma-informed approaches in public schools have emerged as a promising strategy to address students' social-emotional well-being and academic success impacted by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This paper explores the necessity and effectiveness of trauma-informed practices within educational settings. Adverse childhood experiences encompass a range of traumatic events that profoundly affect children's development, behaviors, and academic performance. Despite the prevalence of ACEs, traditional disciplinary practices often fail to address the underlying issues, leading to further challenges for students. This literature review examines three trauma-informed programs: HEARTS, TIES, and STRIVE, each offering strategies to support students and educators. Results from these programs …

Psilocybin With Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) For The Treatment Of Social Anxiety Disorder (Sad), Aspen E. Allred

University Honors Theses

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a debilitating mental health condition characterized by an overwhelming fear and anxiety of social rejection that can lead to chronic patterns of social behavioral avoidance. Despite the existence of traditional efficacious treatments, a significant number of individuals either do not respond to treatment or experience a recurrence of symptoms over extended periods, spanning 10-12 years. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a form of acceptance-based behavioral therapy considered part of the "third wave" of cognitive behavioral therapies, has shown promising results in early studies, comparable to those of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that is considered the …

Providing Incarcerated Youth With A Community Of Their Peers, Providing Resources, And Modeling Healthy Attachment May Lead To Prosocial Behaviors, Emilee Brnusak

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the connection between gang activity and attachment style. A summary of literature suggests that childhood attachment injuries lead to antisocial, maladaptive relationships and neurological changes that impact executive functioning and emotional regulation. These factors leave youth at higher risk of gang membership. This thesis then explores how an outreach experience at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility inspired a large-scale intervention called Resources for Attachment-injured Youth (RAY) that could be implemented in youth prisons across the country.

An Argument For The Integration Of Black Psychology In Undergraduate Psychology Program, Kelsey D. Glass

University Honors Theses

When we think about the theories behind the foundation of American psychology, many European names come to mind (i.e. Freud, Erickson, Brofenbrenner etc.). This Euro-American mode of psychology has been the standard in American Undergraduate education since the founding of a formal psychological education in the U.S. but what about names like Wade Nobles, Joseph White, Na-im Akbar, or Linda James Myers? These forerunners of Black Psychology are elusive in the foundational education of current American Undergraduate programs due to longstanding racial bias in the field. This bias reflects the systemic racism that American culture was founded on. This paper …

Can Artificial Intelligence Be Used As A Stepping-Stone Towards Face-To-Face Therapy?, Zachary Salcido

University Honors Theses

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in various fields, including mental health care and therapy. This study provides a comprehensive review of literature, gathered through Portland State University's Online Library, on the potential of AI as a stepping stone towards face-to-face therapy. The study examines the historical development of AI in mental health, highlighting its development and advancements that have influenced its current implementations.

In addition to its direct applications in therapy, AI is also examined in the context of its role as a facilitator or "stepping stone" in the delivery of mental health care. AI-driven platforms …

An Exploration Of The Effects And Clinical Presentations Of Premature Birth Within The Latinx Population, Diana Hill

Dissertations

There are roughly ten percent, or 15 million, preterm births every year across the world. Therefore, it is vital to understand the impact on their development across cognitive, academic, socioemotional, and behavioral levels. A vast amount of research has shown that children who are born prematurely are more at risk of facing challenges across various areas of their development. However, the majority of the research samples have been limited within their scope, leaving behind a gap in research focused on specific subgroups within the population. By delving into the unique context of the Latinx population, this study endeavors to shed …

Negative Work-To-Family Spillover Stress And Heightened Cardiovascular Risk Biomarkers In Midlife And Older Adults, Andree Hartanto, K.T.A.Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Meilan Hu, Shu Fen Diong, Verity Y. Q. Lua

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the health implications of negative work-to-family spillover on cardiovascular risk biomarkers. Methods: In a large-scale cross-sectional dataset of working or self-employed midlife and older adults in the United States (N = 1179), we examined five biomarkers linked to cardiovascular risk, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein. Negative work-to-family spillover, measured using a four-item self-reported questionnaire, was included into our model to study its association with these cardiovascular risk biomarkers. Results: Our findings indicate a significant association between negative work-to-family spillover and cardiovascular risk biomarkers – higher …

Mental Health First Aid (Mhfa) Training Of First Responders, Rebecca Leigh Bandy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to address the gap in the mental health training of first responders. Mental health issues have increased and continue to increase each year and is leading to more emergency calls being made about individuals with mental illnesses or in a mental health crisis. With this increase in calls related to mental health, first responders are not prepared to handle these calls. This study examined the effectiveness of a mental health training program, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), on first responders’ knowledge, stigmas, comfort level, confidence level, ability to identify mental health symptoms, and benefits for first responders …

Gender, Graduate School Stage, And The Impostor Phenomenon, John-Scott B. Kelley, Angela T. Barlow

Journal of Graduate Education Research

The impostor phenomenon (IP) includes five central factors: (a) a sense of fraudulence or phoniness; (b) a fear of failure and discovery; (c) compensatory perfectionism (i.e., procrastination and/or over-preparation); (d) interpersonal anxiety; and (e) externalized success and/or discounted positive feedback. After the final stage, the process starts over with reinforced vigor, creating a self-reinforcing cycle in which success is associated with psychological suffering. IP was initially used to describe the reports of high-achieving women, but recent studies have shown that IP is experienced across genders. Additionally, while graduate school is an achievement-oriented environment with many characteristics that could promote IP, …