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Neural Signatures Of Human Perception Of Effort And Comfort In Isometric Arm Force Exertions By Males, Raul Fernandez Sumano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Understanding the brain's electrical activity provides objective evidence of different psychophysical phenomena related to manual handling tasks. The primary objective of this research was to assess the neural signatures of human physical efforts and perceived comfort in isometric arm exertions. Two experiments were conducted with male participants (n=20) who applied isometric forces at 1) different levels of exertion and 2) different levels of physical comfort. EEG signals, the rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and the rate of perceived physical comfort (RPC) have been recorded. The results showed statistically significant differences in EEG's power spectral density (PSD) at different brain regions …

Factors That Affect The Successful Implementation Of Quality Management Systems In Healthcare, Mustafa Rawshdeh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Modern Organizations must be high performing to sustain and grow their operations. This is particularly true for healthcare organizations as they have complex and sensitive operations. One way to improve organizational performance is to adopt Quality Management Systems (QMSs). QMSs organize and improve the effectiveness of all processes to meet stakeholder requirements and achieve organizational performance improvements in alignment with strategic goals. However, the value of QMSs is dependent on successful implementation, which is reportedly quite challenging. This doctoral research examines the factors that affect the successful implementation of QMSs in healthcare. First, a systematic analysis of the published literature …

Heart Rate Variability In Adults During 24-Hours With A Focus On Sleep Period, Ankur Ravikanth

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The objective of this study is to investigate heart rate variability (HRV) over a period of 24 hours with special focus on patterns during the sleep period. Comparisons were made between sleep and the full 24-hour data. The Polar M430 watch was used to record heart rate (HR) data for about 24 hours, and the subject kept a journal of the activities they performed throughout the day. The data was visualized as heart rate in beats per minute (BPM) as a function of time. To check the accuracy of the Polar watch, a 7-minute recording of HR from the watch …

Electromyographic And Mechanomyogrpahic Signal Changes With Fatigue In Adults, Rehana Koilpillai

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Surface electromyography (sEMG) and mechanomyography (MMG) are well-studied signals that can reveal information about the physiological behavior of muscles during contraction. The purpose of this study was to quantify, characterize, and analyze the electrical and mechanical muscle responses to submaximal, isometric contractions in the rectus femoris in adults. Previous studies have investigated the use of EMG to monitor muscle fatigue. However, more information appears to be needed about the use of MMG to measure muscle fatigue during submaximal isometric contraction in the rectus femoris. In this study, the utility of MMG as a measure of muscle fatigue or muscle state …

Family Communication: Examining The Differing Perceptions Of Parents And Teens Regarding Online Safety Communication, Tara Rutkowski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The opportunity for online engagement increases possible exposure to potentially risky behaviors for teens, which may have significant negative consequences (Hair et al., 2009). Effective family communication about online safety can help reduce the risky adolescent behavior and limit the consequences after it occurs. This paper contributes a theory of communication factors that positively influence teen and parent perception of communication about online safety and provides design implications based on those findings. Previous work identified gaps in family communication, however, this study seeks to empirically identify factors that would close the communication gap from the perspective of both teens and …

Influence Of Ecm Composition And Intracellular Calcium On Endothelial Biomechanics And Prediction Of Cellular Stresses Using Machine Learning, Vignesh Aravind Subramanian Balachandar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Endothelial cells, which form the inner layer of the vasculature, constantly interact with their external microenvironment called the extracellular matrix (ECM) by exerting contractile cell-substrate stresses called tractions and cell-cell stresses called intercellular stresses. This cellular mechanosensing can become aberrant and act as a precursor for many vascular pathological and physiological processes such as cancer metastasis, atherosclerosis, cell differentiation, migration, and morphogenesis. Also, intracellular calcium signalling plays an important role in endothelial cell motility and in maintaining vascular tone. Alteration in ECM composition has been linked to several pathologies, in fact, a transition to a fibronectin-rich matrix from a type …

The Sound Of Identity: Audios And Hashtags As Nexuses Of Practice On Tiktok, Lindsey Wright

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study investigates TikTok audios and hashtags through the lens of digital literacy studies, using Ron Scollon's nexus of practice as a theoretical framework. The researcher sought to investigate literacy practices on TikTok, such as how lurkers and posters interact with the app in ways that both define and are defined by their individual identities. Relative to other social media platforms, there is a dearth of research on TikTok. This study contributes to the gap while also building off the findings of Kaye et al., who investigated authorship and (mis)attribution on the app, and Sachs et al.'s claim that Goffman's …

The "Information Pandemic": Technical Communication And False Information On Social Media In The Age Of Covid-19, Mia M. Stephens

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The goal of this thesis is to explore the various forms of rhetoric utilized in digital communities pertaining to COVID-19. The body of this thesis synthesizes social media data with original human subjects research, supplemented by a review of the literature surrounding digital communication. The analysis of these freestanding communities highlights the differences in communication throughout these spaces, as well as discusses their differences in reaction to disordered information. Through rhetorical analysis of the language employed by COVID-19 denialist communities on Twitter and a review of the experiences of COVID-19 “long-haulers” in COVID-19 related online communities (such as Facebook and …

The Fall Of Sir Thomas Wolsey: The Contingent Circumstances And Events That Led To His Demise, Jeremy M. Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis attempts to describe the contingent events that led to the downfall of Lord High Chancellor Thomas Wolsey in England. Using the British History Online website and Hall's Chronicles, I read all the letters and papers under Henry VIII between the years of 1527 and 1529. While the popular belief is that it was from Wolsey's incapability to get the annulment Henry VIII wanted from his first wife, there are other arguments that attempt to steer away from that popular viewpoint. While I do follow the popular belief, in my research I found that the common belief of the …

A Literary Analysis Of Magic: A Dissection Of Medieval Icelandic Literature, Jordan T. Williams

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The goal of this project is to understand the realities of how magic was perceived during a Christianized Iceland, specifically during the medieval era when sagas and poems were recorded in Iceland. I accomplish this through literary analysis in conjunction with previous research on runic inscriptions and Old Norse mythology. I reveal that there is much more to be uncovered about the realities of paganism in medieval Iceland, and that the authors of Icelandic sagas had a large misunderstanding of pre-Christian paganism and magic. This argument is manifested through close readings of major Icelandic works, such as Hávamál, Volsunga saga …

Hemingway Drunk: A Study Of Prohibition, Medico-Legal Rhetoric, And The Autonomy Of Masculinity, Graham P. Studdard

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis uses a combination of medical humanities, queer public theory, and literary analysis to showcase the uniquely American connections between alcoholism and masculinity in the literature of Ernest Hemingway. By situating both Hemingway and his characters within the medico-legal rhetoric of modernism’s famous Parisian Jazz-age, which occurred at the same time as American prohibition, I reveal changes in white American men’s relationships with gender, bodily autonomy, and the patriarchy that are often overlooked due to Hemingway’s publicly constructed masculine persona. My work provides new queer interpretations of The Sun Also Rises (1926) and the posthumous Garden of Eden (1986) …

The Language Of Personas: Poetic Masks In Confessional And Black Arts Poems, Grecia Espinoza

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis considers Confessional poetry and Black Arts poetry against the backdrop of the political and social culture of the 1950s that influenced the styles of these two major poetic movements. I examine Sylvia Plath's and Nikki Giovanni's distinct poetic personas and the language they employ in relation to each other as representatives of confessional and Black Arts poetry, two poetic styles often thought to be inherently opposed to each other, one personal and one political. I identify connections between these seemingly different poets and movements through close readings of key poems by Plath and Giovanni that situates them within …

Systemic Inequalities For Afro-Brazilians, Teya De Oliveira

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Brazil is commonly viewed as a racial paradise on the world front due to its highly mixed-race population. Compared to the United States and South Africa, race-based discriminatory laws and racially motivated violence in Brazil have been absent. Despite these factors, African descendants in Brazil have been at a socioeconomic disadvantage since the nation's birth. Brazilian anthropologist Gilberto Freyre put forth the racial democracy ideology, stating that anyone can ascend the socioeconomic ladder no matter their race. This thesis opposes the racial democracy theory by exposing the various aspects in which Afro-Brazilians are systemically oppressed. In education, jobs & wages, …

Documenting The Undocumented: Understanding Identity And Displacement Through U.S. Latinx Experiences, Thelma B. Quintanilla

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Undocumented migrants are a part of our daily lives, yet we rarely hear their stories or know who they really are; the word "undocumented" can have a negative connotation both within and outside the Latinx community and is often associated with criminals and various other negative stereotypes. This study aims to understand how identity is affected by documentation status and how that affects the undocumented and documented Latinx community, the experiences of Latinx people of different documentation status with connections to illegal immigration, and how they navigate through those experiences in the United States of America knowing that they are …

The Spanish Inquisitorial Process In Latin America And Racial Profiling Today: A Comparative Legal Study, Samantha M. Miller

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis analyzes the profiling practices of the Spanish Inquisition and explores how comparing these to present manifestations provides us a lens for understanding the phenomenon of racial profiling today. Irene Silverblatt notes that with reference to the Spanish Inquisition in colonial Peru, certain practices of the Inquisition constituted what could be called "racial profiling" in today's terminology. This thesis revisits Silverblatt's seminal observation and extends it to current questions of racial profiling, its nature, parameters, and the most notable differences and similarities between profiling during the Inquisition and racial profiling today, even as the enforcement in question shifts from …

An Anthropological Analysis Of Ancient, Historic, And Modern Anatolian Cities, Genevieve S. Hall

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis proposes a model for the comparison of cities as settlement patterns, based primarily on the works of Monica Smith, Michael E. Smith, and V. Gordon Childe. The Tripart Stage-Based Model proposed here examines city proportions, internal specialization, and external specialization, as well as variables within each characteristic. It is intended for use in both the individual study of a settlement's form and function as well as comparative analysis. The Tripart Stage-Based Model operationalizes Monica Smith's triaxial model and creates a progression of analysis beginning with the form of the city before moving through its individual and larger context. …

Deportation, Genocide, And Memorial Politics: Remembrance And Memory In Postwar France, 1943-2015, Rachel Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

This thesis examines how the remembrance of deportation from France during the Second World War impacted the creation of two memorials in Paris in the postwar years. The two memorials, located just over 500 meters apart in the center of Paris and inaugurated within seven years of one another, physically embody each of these narratives. The Tomb of the Unknown Jewish Martyr, created by the Contemporary Jewish Documentation Center (CDJC) in 1956, represents the narrative of Jewish persecution and genocide throughout Europe during the Second World War. Expanded in 2005, the Tomb is now known as the Shoah Memorial and …

Authoring Health Literacy In The Everyday, Sarah Rumsey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

My experiences with healthcare providers, which pervade my earliest childhood memories, motivated me to become autonomous in managing my health and wellness. This autoethnographic research explores the literacy activities embedded in everyday lived experiences that informed the process of lamination in composing health literacy which influenced health practices and outcomes. By tracing textual trajectories and examining the process of chronotopic lamination to compose my health literacy across everyday literacy activities this autoethnographic thesis project highlights how nonmedically trained persons can use official and nonofficial sources to create a social and culturally contextualized health literacy. This research calls for recognition of …

The Psychological Benefits Of A Remote Physical Activity Intervention In Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Madisyn T. Pelchat

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Previous studies found that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) tend to demonstrate poor health behaviors, including unhealthy nutrition habits and low physical activity (PA) levels. Growing research suggests the PA can improve ASD-related symptoms and attenuate the mental and physical adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, the stay-at-home order was put in place because of COVID-19, which negatively affected health behaviors in many individuals with ASD, including an increase in sedentary behavior and screen time and less PA participation. Prior research also has found that young adults with ASD are at a higher risk for obesity than their …

The Fighting Journey Of A Premature Baby: A Systemic Review Of Developmental And Neurological Complications Of The Premature Baby, Dana Patel

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Prematurity is a worldwide problem. Every year, 15 million babies are born prematurely, and 1 million of those babies die because of related complications. The surviving premature babies are struggling to hold on to their lives, and even when they do live, most of them end up having various complications to survive and get stronger. There are physical complications faced on their journey such as having underdeveloped lungs, pneumonia, obesity, sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity, respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, asthma, wheezing, bronchiolitis, cerebral palsy, and motor impairment. They can also develop mental and behavioral health complications such as depression, seizures …

Playing Music As A Nursing Intervention To Reduce Distress In Neonatal And Pediatric Acute Care Patients: A Literature Review, Seren E. Özoğlu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Pediatric and neonatal patients are especially vulnerable to suffering from distress. This literature review identifies research which applies passive music listening to distressed neonatal and pediatric acute care patients. Databases searched to find relevant studies include CINAHL plus with full text, MEDLINE, Alt HealthWatch, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycInfo from EBSCOhost. Six studies were identified to meet search criteria. The studies that supported music listening with the neonatal and pediatric populations had a positive effect in reducing distress levels. Additional research is warranted to further validate these findings. Music listening with neonatal and pediatric patients is a simple, cost-effective intervention …

Marked Membership: Anthropological Perspectives On North American Contemporary Tattooing, Rosalie A. Johnson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Tattooing has persisted across time and space, often developing across ancient civilizations, even before cross-cultural contact. With the current oldest verified tattoos on the mummified body of Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old Tyrolean Iceman, up to current-day tattooing, a variety of uses and meanings have been ascribed to the practice. A majority of anthropological research has been dedicated towards indigenous tattooing traditions, external perceptions of marked individuals, and tattooing's deviant associations. Only a marginal amount of work has been geared towards the internal perceptions and cultural structuring of tattoos within modern societies, especially in the West. Frequently, a ‘tattoo community' is assumed …

Synchronization And Analysis Of Multimodal Medical Data, Nafisa N. Mostofa

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The United States suffers from a significant disparity in the availability of the medical resources and expertise among different regions of the country. Patients in rural areas may not have the opportunity to consult with a physician until their disease progresses to later stages, resulting in a considerable decrease in quality of life. Advances in telemedicine systems that can provide remote communication, medical data acquisition, and medical data analysis promise a significant improvement to early access to medical care and diagnoses for disadvantaged individuals.

In this thesis, we make several contributions on topics that contribute to the improvement of telemedicine …

News On Social Media, Rwa, And Anti-Asian Sentiment During Covid-19 Pandemic, Hang Duong

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study examined the relationship between exposure to COVID-19 fake news, right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), sociodemographic factors (i.e., race, biological sex), and xenophobia along with anti-Asian sentiment during the pandemic. Participants included 133 female and male college students. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) exposed to COVID-19 fake news, (2) exposed to real news related to COVID-19 news, and (3) no news exposure. All participants from three groups were then asked to complete a series of measures regarding their attitudes toward Asian Americans and xenophobia. Participants levels of RWA and sociodemographic variables of race and biological sex …

Nursing Education For Lgbtq Patients: A Literature Review, Shelley A. Jones

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States (US), lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at an increased risk for contracting sexually transmitted infections, are less likely to receive recommended health screenings, are more likely to abuse alcohol and other substances, are at a higher risk for attempting suicide, and experience greater health disparities compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Compounding these health-related problems is a significant discrepancy whereby LGBTQ people have poor or no access to health care. One approach to correct the health disparities the LGBTQ community faces is through LGBTQ-specific health education for nursing students. A review of the …

Student Perceptions Of Instructor Support In Remote Learning Environments During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christopher F. Sellas

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The present study explored student perceptions of instructor support in remote learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic to better understand inequities in their learning experiences. Participants self-reported perceptions of instructor support, online learning experiences, mental health symptoms, and wellbeing. Bivariate correlation testing and linear regression modeling were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that students' student-instructor rapport is associated with higher perception of instructor support. Further, higher perceptions of instructor support were associated with significantly lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, and academic-related stress. Higher degrees of students' self-regulated learning behaviors were associated with lower perceived instructor support. There were …

Exploring The Relationship Between Personality And Moral Reasoning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Niti Contractor

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Morality has been a subject of study for centuries, though there is still much that is not understood about the factors that dictate moral decision making and moral identity. This study examines the relationship between the Big Five Personality traits (agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness, and extraversion) as well as empathy and moral decision making. However, we use a slightly different methodology than previous studies on morality and personality by incorporating more relevant moral dilemmas related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in addition to the purely hypothetical dilemmas used in previous research (referred to as standard dilemmas). Additionally, rather than considering …

What Are The Factors That Influence The Adoption Of Data Analytics And Artificial Intelligence In Auditing?, Grace Tsao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Although past research finds that auditors support data analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance audit quality in their daily work, in reality, only a small number of audit firms, who innovated and invested in the two sophisticated technologies, utilize it in their auditing process. This paper analyzes three factors, including three individual theories, that may influence the adoption of data analytics and artificial intelligence in auditing: regulation (Institutional theory: explaining the catch-22 between the auditors and policymakers), knowledge barrier (Technology acceptance model's theory: explore the concept of ease of use), and people (algorithm aversion: a phenomenon that auditors believe in …

Friendship Intimacy, Identity Development, And Romantic Attachment Among Emerging Adults, Tricia M. Crabtree

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study explores the relationships between Friendship Intimacy, Romantic Attachment, and Identity Development. Previous studies reveal potential associations between Parental Attachment as an infant and Romantic Attachment as an adult; however, this is the first study to examine Friendship Intimacy and its association with the other factors at hand. It was predicted that Friendship Intimacy and Identity would contribute to the prediction of Romantic Attachment. College students (N = 417) in psychology courses participated in an anonymous online survey for course credit. Romantic Relationship Avoidance was significantly predicted by Identity Exploration, and Romantic Relationship Anxiety was significantly predicted by …

Disparities In The 2009 Swine Flu Pandemic And Covid-19: A Literature Review, Yusuf Amawi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to identify causes of disparities in affliction (infection) and mortality for minority populations (Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and American Indian/Alaskan Natives) during the Swine Flu (H1N1) and COVID-19 (Sars-Cov-2) Pandemics. A literature review was conducted gathering peer-reviewed journal articles related to racial and socioeconomic disparities in affliction and mortality during both pandemics. The model of Blumenshine et al. (2008) was used as a guide for the analysis of this thesis, and measures of exposure, susceptibility, and treatment were hypothesized as causes for the disparities experienced by the minority populations during the two pandemics. Ultimately, it …