Digital Commons Network^™

Predictors Of Psychosocial Functioning Following Pediatric Neuropsychological Assessment, Benjamin D. Eschler

Theses and Dissertations

Pediatric neuropsychological evaluations are often used to help with diagnostic clarification, aid with treatment planning, and propose recommendations. Yet, little is known about the effects that a neuropsychological evaluation may have on psychosocial outcome and functioning. The present study sought to replicate customer satisfaction results and recommendation adherence results from previous studies while including a longitudinal measure of psychosocial functioning to determine change over time in a pre-test post-test design. Parents of children who underwent a neuropsychological evaluation between May 2016 and December 2020 were invited to complete a survey including the consumer satisfaction questionnaire and treatment adherence questions. They …

Maternal And Paternal Psychological Well-Being And Child Behavior In Japan, Jared Poff

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding child behavioral outcomes is important because early behavioral issues can lead to negative outcomes that persist throughout the life course. One characteristic that can affect child behavioral outcomes is parental psychological well-being. While there have been many studies describing the effects of parental psychological well-being on child behavior in the US, the nature of this relationship in non-Western countries has yet to be thoroughly explored. There is also limited research that distinguishes between the effects of both maternal and paternal psychological well-being on child behavioral outcomes. Japan is an interesting area in which to examine this relationship due to …

Ecological Analyses Of Macroinvertebrate And Fish Species In Six Streams On A Louisiana Military Base From 2001 To 2019, Danielle Joerger, Marsha Williams, Lance Williams

Open Water Journal

An in-depth ecological analysis of how and why the aquatic community changes over time was conducted for 6 streams on the Fort Polk military base in Louisiana using data collected from 2001 to 2019. Fort Polk is a unique location as nineteen first-order streams are located on the premises belonging to three separate drainages. The primary goal was to determine whether temporal or between-drainage variation has a larger effect on community structure. To accomplish this the effects of disturbance on fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages was determined temporally and between drainages. Several hypotheses were drawn from this: 1) temporally, assemblages exhibit …

Drought In The West: Embedded Water Demand Stationarity Compromises System Vulnerability Analysis, Ryan C. Johnson, Margaret Wolf, Logan Jamison, Steven Burian, Carlos A. Oroza, Paul D. Brooks, Courtenay Strong, Jesse Stewart, Tracie Kirkham

Open Water Journal

Hydrological drought is challenging managers of western U.S. snowpack-dependent urban water systems. Snowpack, reservoir storage, streamflow dynamics, and demand are routinely assessed to guide water system management and operations, assuming per-capita demand stationarity. Using the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities and two drought scenarios, we investigate water system vulnerability differences between unchanging industry per-capita forecasting methods and dynamic demands driven by hydro-climate-demand relationships. The introduction of dynamic demands estimates a 42% reduction in system vulnerability during supply limiting conditions than the industry methods. These modeled water use behaviors also suggest a reduction in the peak timing and volume …

Discussion Guide For Using Data From The Student Risk Screening Scale - Internalizing And Externalizing: A Qualitative Study, Justina Grubb

Theses and Dissertations

School-wide screening can be used to effectively identify students within schools struggling with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD), so that school teams can implement instructional strategies and interventions to provide early and timely supports for all students. While research has explored many aspects of screening within schools, the extant research lacks studies reviewing screening data interpretation process. This research study was designed to investigate how school teams could use a discussion guide to facilitate using their screening data. This involved having school leadership teams answer a series of guiding questions about data from the Student Risk Screening Scale -- Internalizing …

A Simple Method For Restraint Of Small Mammals For Sampling Blood Or Tissue In The Field, John L. Orrock

Western North American Naturalist

Because wild rodents often harbor zoonotic pathogens that can be transmitted via saliva, urine, or feces (e.g., hantaviruses), researchers can be at risk when collecting rodent blood or tissue samples that are required for innumerable assays (e.g., infection status, hormone assays, etc.). I describe how inexpensive, readily available 50-mL centrifuge tubes can be easily modified to create a handling tube for the safe restraint of small rodents while a blood and/or tissue sample is collected from the tail. This approach has been used to successfully sample thousands of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), the primary host for Sin Nombre …

The Associations Of Extraversion And Heart Rate Variability, Rachel Marie Channell

Theses and Dissertations

Heart rate variability as a measure of cardiovascular health and autonomic activity correlates with psychological resiliency but is not consistently related to trait extraversion, a strong predictor of emotional well-being. This study intends to clarify research findings about trait extraversion and heart rate variability by identifying the context and nature of the relationship between extraversion and physiological responses. As a secondary analysis of data from a study comparing biofeedback and compassionate breathing, extraversion scores were compared with heart rate variability data at three different points including prior to a stressor, during exposure to a stressor, and recovery to a stressor …

Musculoskeletal Injuries In The Austere Setting: A Pilot Training For Student Nurses, Diego H. González

Student Works

Registered Nurses (RNs) make up the largest proportion of healthcare workers in the United States. As such, RNs are frequently involved in responding to emergencies in austere settings such as natural disasters and wilderness environments. Many injuries in the austere setting are categorized as musculoskeletal. Currently, nursing programs do not provide any curricular training on austere medicine. This leaves nurses unprepared to face the challenge of responding to emergencies in the austere environment.

Purpose: Create and pilot test an effective training for a nursing program at a private university in the Western United States on musculoskeletal injuries in the austere …

The Effect Of Depression, Anxiety, And Stress On Heart Rate Variability During Self-Critical And Self-Compassionate Exercises, Derek C. Bartlett

Theses and Dissertations

The cognitions of individuals who experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress have been well documented, but their physiological reactions have not. The present study examines the physiological reactions of individuals with elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and stress during a self-critical and self-compassionate writing exercise to see if there is a difference in comparison to healthy participants. This study is a secondary analysis of data that was collected from a randomized controlled trial where participants followed a protocol. This protocol consisted of a 5-minute baseline, a 10-minute breathing exercise or nature video, 5-minutes of a self-critical writing exercise, 5-minutes …

Very Young Child Survivors Of Parent Suicide: Perspectives On Children's Literature For Bibliotherapy, Cortland L. Watson

Theses and Dissertations

The death of a parent by suicide is especially traumatic. Researchers estimate the number of children in the United States annually who experience their parent's suicide ranges from 7,000 to 30,000. These child survivors experience more complicated grief as compared to children bereaved by a parent's non-suicidal death. In particular, very young children have difficulty understanding that their parent completed suicide. Across time they struggle with confusion and intense emotions associated with their parent's suicide. Due to the stigma associated with suicide, feelings of guilt, and intense grief, surviving family members avoid talking about the suicide. Young children are often …

Effects Of Psychosocial Support Interventions On Survival In Inpatient And Outpatient Healthcare Settings: A Meta-Analysis Of 106 Randomized Controlled Trials, Connor Workman, Caleb Andrews, Bonnie Barton, Matthew Cook, Ryan Layton, Alexandra Morrey, Devin Petersen, Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Faculty Publications

Background

Hospitals, clinics, and health organizations have provided psychosocial support interventions for medical patients to supplement curative care. Prior reviews of interventions augmenting psychosocial support in medical settings have reported mixed outcomes. This meta-analysis addresses the questions of how effective are psychosocial support interventions in improving patient survival and which potential moderating features are associated with greater effectiveness.

Methods and findings

We evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychosocial support interventions in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings reporting survival data, including studies reporting disease-related or all-cause mortality. Literature searches included studies reported January 1980 through October 2020 accessed from Embase, …

Effects Of Psychosocial Support Interventions On Survival In Inpatient And Outpatient Healthcare Settings: A Meta-Analysis Of 106 Randomized Controlled Trials, Timothy B. Smith, Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Faculty Publications

We evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychosocial support interventions in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings reporting survival data, including studies reporting disease-related or all-cause mortality. LOdds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) data were analyzed separately using random effects weighted models. Of 42,054 studies searched, 106 RCTs including 40,280 patients met inclusion criteria. Across 87 RCTs reporting data for discrete time periods, the average was OR = 1.20 (95% CI = 1.09 to 1.31, p < 0.001), indicating a 20% increased likelihood of survival among patients receiving psychosocial support compared to control groups receiving standard medical care. Among those studies, psychosocial interventions explicitly promoting health behaviors yielded improved likelihood of survival, whereas interventions without that primary focus did not. Across 22 RCTs reporting survival time, the average was HR = 1.29 (95% CI = 1.12 to 1.49, p < 0.001), indicating a 29% increased probability of survival over time among intervention recipients compared to controls. Among those studies, meta-regressions identified 3 moderating variables: control group type, patient disease severity, and risk of research bias. Studies with patients having relatively greater disease severity tended to yield smaller gains in survival time relative to control groups. In this meta-analysis, OR data indicated that psychosocial behavioral support interventions promoting patient motivation/coping to engage in health behaviors improved patient survival, but interventions focusing primarily on patients’ social or emotional outcomes did not prolong life. HR data indicated that psychosocial interventions, predominantly focused on social or emotional outcomes, improved survival but yielded similar effects to health information/classes and were less effective among patients with apparently greater disease severity.

Grace, Legalism, And Life Outlook In Lds Students, Justin Brent Top

Theses and Dissertations

Intrinsic Spirituality has been linked to lower rates of depression and anxiety and higher positive mental functioning (Pargament, Exline & Jones, 2013). This may be due in part to beliefs which foster values that are important to positive outlook, such as faith, forgiveness, humility, love and community. It is also possible for strongly religious individuals to have maladaptive beliefs that may be problematic for their happiness and adjustment. Understanding how beliefs influence mental health can be helpful to therapists; particularly to those who deal with religious clients who are heavily influenced by their spiritual beliefs. This study looks at the …

Cognitive Empathy And Longitudinal Changes In Temporo-Parietal Junction Thickness In Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, Tatiana Karpouzian-Rogers, Julie Petersen, Lei Wang, Vijay A. Mittal, John G. Csernansky, Matthew J. Smith

Faculty Publications

Objective: Deficits in cognitive empathy are well-documented in individuals with schizophrenia and are related to reduced community functioning. The temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is closely linked to cognitive empathy. We compared the relationship between baseline cognitive empathy and changes in TPJ thickness over 24 months between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Methods: Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 26) completed a cognitive empathy task and underwent structural neuroimaging at baseline and approximately 24 months later. Symmetrized percent change scores were calculated for right and left TPJ, as well as whole-brain volume, and compared between groups. …

Front Matter, Vol. 81 No. 1

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Activity And Diets Of Bats At Uranium Mines And Adjacent Areas Near The Grand Canyon, Ernest W. Valdez, Mollie K. Hanttula, Jo Ellen Hinck

Western North American Naturalist

Little information exists on the habitat use and feeding ecology of insectivorous bats in arid ecosystems, especially at and near uranium mines in northern Arizona, within the Grand Canyon watershed. In 2015–2016, we conducted mist-netting, nightly acoustic monitoring (>1 year), and diet analyses of bats, as well as insect sampling, at 2 uranium mines (Pinenut and Arizona 1) with water containment ponds. Because of physical barriers and limited general access to areas within the mine yard, mist-netting was limited to outside of the perimeter fence and away from the containment ponds. Mist-netting also occurred at 2 nearby sites that …

Google Earth Engine Tools For Long-Term Spatiotemporal Monitoring Of Chlorophyll-A Concentrations, Anna Cardall, Kaylee Brook Tanner, Gustavious Paul Williams

Open Water Journal

We present a set of Google Earth Engine (GEE) tools to process long-term satellite imagery to analyze the time history of algal concentrations in a lake or reservoir. We demonstrate these tools with a case study on Utah Lake, Utah, USA. Our tools collect and process Landsat surface reflectance images from three different Landsat missions: Landsat 5, Landsat 7, and Landsat 8. These satellites represent data from 1984 until the present at 16-day intervals: over 1,000 images, though not all images are usable due to weather, ice, and other issues. We present the GEE commands or tools to mask these …

Tapering Buprenorphine, Alexis Diane Snyder

Student Works

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is increasing in incidence in the United States. Buprenorphine is the mainstay of medication-assisted treatment for OUD. Nurse practitioners play an essential role in solving the opioid epidemic and are increasingly relied on to prescribe buprenorphine. Even though buprenorphine is considered a long-term therapy, many patients request to taper off the drug. Evidence suggests that tapering from buprenorphine is frequently unsuccessful and remains as a challenge. The purpose of this article is to provide the best available evidence regarding the taper of buprenorphine in patients with OUD. Considering a buprenorphine taper should begin by evaluating if …

Design And Development Of A Web Mapping Prototype For Participatory Water Quality Mapping, Austin Adkison, John D. Morgan, Dallas Snider, Matthew Schwartz

Open Water Journal

Citizen science is becoming more and more prominent in everyday life. With this growth in the participation and contribution of scientific research comes an ever-increasing amount of data and findings. The collection of water quality data is just one example out of a plethora that exists. While these types of data are being collected, there are very few open options that allow users to engage with said data. Further, with the continuous evolution of technology and the general public coming to understand how earth feature representations in a spatial format, we see the emergence of web mapping and ways to …

Exploring The Physical Attributes Of 21st Century Large Dams: A Descriptive Study From Ecological And Sustainability Perspectives, Atal Ahmadzai

Open Water Journal

In response to growing energy needs and emerging water insecurity, countries around the world have resorted to building dams of unprecedented size. This dynamism emerged following a global consensus at the end of the 20th century that vowed to transform the large dam industry into one that was sustainable and ecologically sensitive. The consensus evolved due to years of popular anti-dam activism on a global scale and the emergence of new knowledge on various aspects of large dams. Although the number of large dams built has sustained its descending pattern that has initiated in the late 1970s, hundreds of dams …

Low Immunization Rates In The United States, Asia Haslam, Harper Forsgren

Ballard Brief

Vaccination hesitancy has been a concern for some time in the United States, but it is an issue that has become increasingly prevalent in the past 20 years. This hesitancy and mistrust of vaccinations has translated into lowered immunization rates for children and adults. The reduction in vaccination rates is driven mainly by concerns over safety, perpetuation of misinformation about vaccinations, and the increased polarization of immunizations in the United States. Low vaccination rates can cause serious consequences including re-emergence of dangerous diseases, economic consequences for communities. and furthered perpetuation of political divides. The US government and many public health …

Mistreatment Of Wild Animals In Captivity, Madison Coleman

Ballard Brief

Wild animals kept in zoos, aquariums, marine parks and theme parks, and other types of captive establishments endure severe mistreatment. both due to the inherently stressful nature of captivity as well as certain conditions within these facilities that exacerbate the mistreatment. The general views that society holds of animals, the ability for humans to profit from captive animals. inadequate monitoring of animal treatment, and inadequate worker training are all causes of this animal mistreatment. When animals suffer this mistreatment, they endure severe psychological harm (evidenced by chronic stress. stereotypic behavior. hyper-aggressive behavior, and maternal neglect) and physical harm (such as …

Inadequate Support Systems For Children Of Separated Parents In Utah, Rebekah Leavitt-Hatch

Ballard Brief

Ineffective systems that fail to support children experiencing parental separation contribute to many of the prevalent societal issues seen today, including poverty, mental illness. and educational disparities. Negative outcomes for children of parental separation without effective systemic intervention vary from financial insecurity to mental and physical health complications and lower educational attainment. Inefficiencies exist at multiple levels, including a lack of mitigating policies at the macro level. a decrease in resources on the mezzo level, and threats to social support from the micro level. Based on outputs and outcome-assumptions, best practices to prevent and mitigate negative outcomes for children of …

Intergenerational Poverty In The United States, Monica Privette-Black

Ballard Brief

Though the United States is one of the highest-income countries in the world, there are still hundreds of thousands of citizens living below the poverty line. More children live below the poverty line than any other age group. The racial demographic and distribution of modern-day poverty can be traced back, in part, to policies such as gentrification and redlining. School system failures and a lack of access to social capital also contribute to the prevalence of intergenerational poverty. The consequences of intergenerational poverty include food insecurity, birth and developmental issues, unsafe living conditions, and increased risk of violence, incarceration, and …

Discrimination Against Muslims In The United States, Samuel Neptune

Ballard Brief

The United States is a cultural melting pot of numerous unique religions. One religion that has gained increased attention in the United States over the years is Islam. This increased attention on members of the Islamic community is often negative. For this reason, it is increasingly important for American citizens to understand that the majority of faithful followers of Islam do not identity or approve of extremist groups that commit atrocious acts in the name of Islam. Hate and improper views of Muslims are being propagated by biased media depictions of Muslims, by the heightened fear and concern for safety …

Educational Disparities Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Youth In The United States, Lauren Bushnell

Ballard Brief

While the gap in high school completion has narrowed over time. the percentage of Black and Hispanic high school graduates is still significantly less than that of their White counterparts. Throughout the nation, minority students experience disparities in their educational experience that directly impact their long-term learning and success. The most significant contributors to educational disparities amongst the nation's racial and ethnic minorities include poverty, segregation and racial school districting, inadequate language resources for English language learners. bullying. and lack of access to health resources. The consequences of educational disparities among these minorities include continued poverty, decreased college enrollment and …

Abuse And Neglect Against Elderly Adults In Nursing Homes In The United States, Erica Bassett

Ballard Brief

Elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes has been publicly regarded for several decades but is likely to increase as the Baby Boomer generation ages Into retirement. Certain demographics are more at risk for abuse and neglect, particularly patients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Abuse can include physical abuse. psychological abuse, sexual abuse. emotional abuse, neglect, and other inappropriate behaviors. Current internal structures such as poor patient-staff ratios. poor staff credentials, and staff burnout contribute to the prevalence of abuse and neglect against elderly patients, who often are dependent on staff for care. As a result of abuse, elderly victims …

Maternal Mortality Among Black Women In The United States, Joli Hunt

Ballard Brief

The chance of a Black woman dying in the US due to complications relating to pregnancy or childbirth is 2 to 3 times more than a White woman in the US-a disparity large enough to cause the national maternal mortality rate to increase at a steady rate. Challenges influencing this problem include implicit racial bias within the healthcare system that causes negligence, a lack of standardized healthcare to provide quality care in all parts of the US, and the stress caused by systemic racism and its effect on Black female bodies. Maternal death has detrimental effects on Black families and …

Migrant Smuggling Across The Mediterranean Sea, Lorin Utsch

Ballard Brief

Many migrants are making the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean Sea through the use of migrant smugglers. Though illegal, migrants choose to make this journey due to a combination of push and pull factors. including instability in their homeland and a lack of legal options of emmigration. The smugglers are highly motivated by profit and take advantage of the migrants· needs, leading to instances of monetary exploitation. sexual abuse. and human trafficking. As a result of the smugglers· motivation for profit. the lives of the migrants are often placed in hazardous situations, often resulting in death. Because of the illicit …

Disenfranchisement And Suppression Of Black Voters In The United States, Derek Hill, Madison Coleman, Erica Bassett

Ballard Brief

The disenfranchisement of Black Americans has long outlasted the end of the Civil War, with modern instances of voter suppression in the form of limitations on absentee and early voting, stricter voter ID requirements. restrictions on voter registration. and other systemic barriers that decrease the voting engagement of minority populations. Today. Black voter disenfranchisement primarily takes the form of voting restrictions for incarcerated individuals. Systemic barriers such as gerrymandering, voting regulations for imprisoned persons. voter ID laws, lack of access to polling locations, and other examples contribute to the disenfranchisement of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. This …