Digital Commons Network^™

Montgomery 1960: Using Technology To Teach Empathy And Perspective Taking, Brooks M. Leftwich, Gregory T. Croisdale, Khoa T. Dang

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

A primary purpose of higher education in the U.S. is to promote personally and socially responsible graduates that can lead at work and in society (AAC&U, 2005). To successfully do so, students need coaching that intentionally develops empathy, perspective taking, intercultural agility, and the capacity to make ethical decisions (Narveaz, 2006). The holistic approaches historically used to teach these skills died with classical curriculum as the research university emerged and the risk-management culture replaced our in loco parentis relationships with students (Colby & Eichman. 2005). The current legal and political climate limits genuine discussion between college students and faculty/staff mentors …

The Effects Of Music Therapy And Cuddling On Symptoms Of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Allie Tasket

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Problem Statement: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is a group of withdrawal symptoms infants can experience after birth due to the abrupt discontinuation of opioids/narcotics exposed to in utero. These symptoms can include pain, nausea, irritability, vomiting, and tremors.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cuddling and music therapy on symptoms of neonatal abstinence syndrome including heart rate, respiratory rate, and Finnegan scores (FS).

Study design: A one-group pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental design was used to compare the effects of cuddling and music therapy on neonatal abstinence syndrome symptoms. Cuddling involves a trained cuddler holding an …

Preterm Birth Among Opioid-Using Women And High-Risk Controls: The Potential Moderating Role Of Borderline Features, Summer Victoria Shore, Rachel Hickman

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Opioid use is a growing problem within this country (Maeda, Bateman, Clancy, Creanga, & Leffert, 2014). One implication of this is an increased incidence of preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks gestation (Kramer et al., 2000; Norwitz & Robinson, 2001). Previous research supports an association between opioid use and preterm birth (Nørgaard, Nielsson, & Heide-Jørgensen, 2015). No research has evaluated the role mental health diagnoses aside from anxiety and depression (Benningfield et al., 2010) play in conjunction with opioid use in exacerbating the risk of preterm birth. In the proposed study, the focus is on Borderline Personality Disorder …

Medical Illustration As A Tool For Health Literacy, Courtney Anne Wombles

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Health literacy is most commonly described as the ability of an individual to obtain, comprehend, and utilize information related to their health. Including the ability to read, write, speak, and display numeracy in medical situations, rates of health literacy impact the ability of an individual to navigate the healthcare system and make informed decisions. As reported by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, only 12% of individuals have the proficiency to understand and manage their health. This research identifies problems existing in health literacy and doctor-patient communication, with an emphasis on consumer health information. It explores resources used for science …

A Novel Approach For Characterizing The Ultra-Micro Size-Fraction Community, Abdullah Ahmed Salim, Priscilla Nicole Pineda, Isabella Alamilla, Andrew Dean Putt

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

A Novel Approach for Characterizing the Ultra-Micro Size-Fraction Community

Students: Abdullah Salim, Priscilla Pineda, Isabella Alamilla

Mentors/Supervisors: Andrew Putt, Terry C. Hazen

ABSTRACT

The ultra-micro size-fraction (UMSF) are bacteria that can pass through the 0.2 µm pore membrane filters employed in environmental surveys. Despite being ubiquitous and having high metabolic activity, UMSF remain elusive and largely uncultured. Investigations of UMSF are skewed by difficulties in culturing and a lack of techniques for measuring UMSF biogeochemical signatures. This study measures surface stream UMSF community diversity, and community response to the addition of the synthetic pharmaceutical and cosmetic carbon product cyclodextrin which …

60. Epfl Genes And Their Role In Flower Development In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Rachael Deboe

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Flowers are composed of four floral organ types: sepals, petals, stamens, and a pistil. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the ERECTA family leucine rich repeat receptor like kinases (LRR-RLKs) have been shown to regulate plant morphology. Epidermal Patterning Factor-Like (EPFL) genes encode for small secretory proteins that are ligands for ERECTA Family (ERf) receptors. It is suspected that EPFL’s act as a signal to coordinate proper lateral organ number, patterning, and spacing. ERf mutants have significant defects in flower development, including difficulty forming anther lobes and pistils, yet little is known about how individual EPFL ligands contribute to ERf signaling. In order …

The Cost Of Big Data: Evaluating The Effects Of The European Union’S General Data Protection Regulation, Kara Rebecca White

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

In the 1990’s the World Wide Web was created, drastically changing the way we do business, communicate, and live our lives. Ten years later in the early 2000’s the dot com boom happened, and several years later, new technology giants emerged—like Amazon, Google, and Facebook. From this, we now face “big data” that promises to solve world problems, but has the potential to create turmoil and malfeasance. My research examines the impact of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) enacted in the EU in 2016 on firm value using Tobin’s Q and CARs. Using regression analyses, I observe that Tobin’s …

Relationship Between F Codes And Crises, Rachel Nicole Sitton

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

There is a deficit in literature on the relationship between mental health diagnoses and crises, but it has been speculated that having more than one diagnosis might increase the risk of crises. Given this, it might be beneficial to track clients with multiple diagnoses closer than other clients so that care providers can provide extra support. This study investigates if there is a relationship between the number of F codes a client has and the number of crises they experience. This study involves a secondary analysis of 2019 data from an agency in the Southeastern United States on client mental …

Reducing Health Disparities In Communities Of Color: Perspectives From Professions In Healthcare, Myra M. Meekins, Shannon Hughes, Erinn Finke Dr., Stephanie Lancaster, Kimberly Carter, Carol Likens

Black Issues Conference

While people of underrepresented ethnic groups (URGs) represent 40% of the nation's population, less than 5% of admissions to PT, OT, and SLP programs are students from URGs. Suggestions for this disparity include lack of academic, social, financial, and mentoring support as barriers to enrolling URGs in health professions programs.

Research indicates that health care providers who are from URGs are more likely to serve patients of color, indigent patients, and work in medically underserved communities. In addition, patients are more likely to report greater satisfaction with care from providers that share their racial/ethnic background.

This presentation includes our initiative …

Thriving During Multiple Pandemics: Movement, Mindfulness, Meaningful Engagement, And Mastery As Strategies For Resilience, Javiette Vashann Samuel

Black Issues Conference

Who could have known that 2020 would wreak so much havoc on America? From COVID to the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others, black communities are plagued with health disparities; systemic racism; discrimination; violence and death by law enforcement as they go about their day-to-day lives. This workshop will focus on ways to support, encourage, and empower black students, faculty, staff, and community members to excel personally and professionally. As we continue to experience a myriad of issues related to COVID and social injustice, including but not limited to the loss of loved ones, loss …

Embodying Healing And Joy Through Relationships And Sexual Wellness, Bilqis Amatus-Salaam

Black Issues Conference

With the ways in which Black bodies are policed and carry racial trauma, experiencing joy in a Black body is an act of resistance and liberation. This session will guide attendees in exploring ways to cultivate positive and affirming relationships with oneself and others to experience healing and joy. Foundational information about healthy relationships and healthy sexually will be shared to provide a framework for discussing barriers to experiencing joy and how to navigate these in a way that aligns with an individual’s values. All identities are welcome.

One Spark Can Light A Fire: How To Become A Mental Health Advocate, Marquinta Harvey, Shannon Jackson

Black Issues Conference

One Spark Can Light a Fire: How to Become a Mental Health Advocate

There is increasing awareness surrounding mental health and conversations are beginning to make their way to the forefront of issues that demand significant attention. However, the path from awareness to advocacy remains poorly understood. Mental Illness is an important issue that affects 1 in 4 individuals and unlike most chronic illnesses the onset occurs early in the life spectrum, usually in adolescence and young adulthood.

The issue of mental health is not limited to individual genetic predisposition and/or behaviors but involves many layers related to individual, family-related, …

Racism And Mental Health: When It Hurts To Be Black, Desiree Tallent

Black Issues Conference

This presentation provides information on types of racism, including personal, institutional and cultural aspects. The prevalence of racism among Black people is also highlighted. Additional attention is given to the negative emotional outcomes of experiencing racism as well as the resulting behavioral impact of experiences with racism among Black individuals. Special attention is given to how these issues may manifest in one’s personal life and student life. In addition to understanding how racism impacts mental and behavioral health, information is provided on positive coping methods which can lessen the dire effect of racism. These positive coping methods include the role …

Misinformation And Your Health: An Exploration Of Where We Find Information Culturally, Michelle Brannen, Megan Venable, Thura Mack

Black Issues Conference

A 2019 article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine Misinformation as a Misunderstood Challenge to Public Health, scientists explore how health misinformation arises in media and social media, how health information impacts people, and opportunities to rethink how we navigate the health information landscape. The presenters will present key concepts from the research and then facilitate activity and discussion aimed at self-examination and reflection. This conversation will allow presenters to reflect and share about their personal experiences seeking health information and consider the cultural contexts that factor into this process with the goal of improving ability to evaluate health …

Where Are The Resources?: Discussing Mental Health In Students Of Color On Utk’S Campus And The Call For Action, Zhannae S. Cummings, Diandra Walker

Black Issues Conference

Racial minority groups experience disparities in mental health and are prone to having more detrimental outcomes than their white counterparts. Current events have heightened the exposure of racial injustices experienced by communities of Black, Indigenous and people of Color (BIPOC). Given this context, the elimination of mental health disparities in people of Color requires critical attention and diligent work more so now than ever before. Culture, climate, and intrinsic bias leave some institute of higher education more challenged in promoting and supporting education for students of Color. Therefore, the purpose of this presentation is to educate participants about mental health …

Setting The Record Straight: Citizens’ First Amendment Right To Video Police In Public, Denae Lynn D'Arcy

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

There is an alarming trend in the United States of citizens being arrested for videotaping police officers in public. Cell phones with video capabilities are ubiquitous and people are using their phones to document the behavior of police officers in a public place. The goal of this paper is to study the trend of citizen arrests currently in the news and recommend solutions to the problem of encroachment upon First Amendment rights through case law.

When Old Issues Call Forth A New People: A Constitutive Rhetorical Analysis Of Black Liberation Manifestos, Ian Summers

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

While much rhetorical research has been dedicated to social movements, not as much scholarship has examined the manifesto texts that form the rhetorical basis for said movements. This essay analyzes whether related rhetorical forms exist across multiple manifesto discourses, specifically elements of constitutive rhetoric, through the study of the UNIA and Black Panther Party’s manifestos. Although the scope of this particular inquiry is too narrow to provide a definitive conclusion, it appears constitutive elements recur enough across black liberation discourses to warrant further discussion on whether manifestos ought to be considered as a separate rhetorical genre.

Emergency Text Messaging Systems And Higher Education Campuses: Expanding Crisis Communication And Chaos Theory, Tanya Desselle Ickowitz, Michael J. Palenchar

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

Recent public safety threats affecting college and university campuses during episodes of natural disasters and mass violence have exposed numerous challenges and opportunities in risk and crisis communication. This study addresses how colleges and universities have incorporated emergency text messaging systems into their crisis communication plans; how these institutions have tested such emergency notification systems; and what, if any, prevalent gaps exist between audience expectations and actual practices. Using grounded theory, the data collected in this study through in-depth phone interviews (N=10) of university public relations practitioners, as well as a document analysis of media coverage of campus crises (N=36), …

Social Media As Precursor To Arab Revolt, Mark D Harmon, Brittany Rose Nauta

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

This research examines the use of the Internet and social media as related to 2011 to 2012 Arab protests and civic unrest, testing the widespread belief that communication revolutions played a large role in the political revolutions sometimes known as the Arab Spring. The researchers take a two-pronged approach. They examine the pre-uprising communication firmament in Egypt, specifically seeking and finding correlation between Internet use and political dissatisfaction. This was done using a secondary analysis of the Egypt portion of the 2008 World Values Survey. Secondly, the researchers use secondary analysis of the Arab Barometer, first wave 2006-2007, seeking and …

Early V. Election-Day Voters: A Media Profile, Mark D Harmon

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

Abstract

The researcher conducted a secondary analysis of three major surveys of voters: the 2008 National Annenberg Election Survey, and the 2007 and 2008 Cooperative Congressional Election Surveys. All three of these surveys had media components, making it possible to create a profile of significant media differences between Election Day voters and those who vote early.

Early voters, contrasted to those on Election Day, are super citizens—the kind of extremely likely voters campaigns seek out and contact. Early voters (at p < .0001 level of significance) were more likely to be contacted by campaigns by both mail and e-mail, and at a p < .05 level of significance were more likely to be contacted by campaigns face-to-face and by phone.

Early voters, compared to election-day voters, are more likely to mention News and Documentary among their top-four favorite types …

I Look To You: Religious Leaders As Social Support In The Management Of Uncertainty Within The African-American Community, Stephen Anthony Spates

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

African-Americans continue to show stronger relationships between spirituality, worship, and daily life. When faced with uncertainty in life, these individuals may look to their religious leadership as a tool for social support and guidance in decision-making. This study uses Uncertainty Management Theory as a framework to look at the relationship between these individuals and their religious leaders. Credibility will also be measured to see if religious leadership can be perceived as credible when dealing with issues that are not based in faith and worship. The importance of this study is seen in understanding how African-Americans are able to cope with …

No, Kidding! Are We Branded From Birth ? Content Analysis Of Ads In Children's Magazines, Meenakshi Trichur Venkitasubramanian, Jinhee Lee

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

Children are the favorite among marketers and advertisers. Most of the advertisers make use of the convincing power children have to make adults purchase products. This is exploited by advertising the messages exclusively to cater to children’s taste and interest. This is a proposed exploratory study that looks at the message strategies used by the advertisers in ads present in children’s magazines. Most of the research conducted focuses on television commercials and this paper hopes to add to the research on ads in children’s magazine. This study uses the six-segment strategy wheel to analyze the ads in the children’s magazines. …

Human Information Behavior In Hospice Care Volunteerism In The Southeastern Appalachian Region, Sheri Edwards

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

No abstract provided.

The Influences Of Perceived Environmental Responsibilities On Green Purchasing Intentions, Jinhee Lee, Ilwoo Ju

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

The current study examined the influences of perceived environmental responsibilities of the three types of important social agents (individuals, companies, and governments) on consumers’ green purchasing intentions. Drawing on the environmental consumerism and purchase decision making literature, consumers’ perceptions of the aforementioned social agents’ roles in environment protection were hypothesized to influence their purchase intentions for green products. In addition, the current study attempted to investigate the different prediction patterns of such factors for two different purchase intention measures (e.g., general purchase intention and “willingness to pay more” for green products) to capture the nuance between the different measurement scales, …

Communication Strategies In Direct-To-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertisements, Ilwoo Ju

Annual Research Symposium of the College of Communication and Information

Little research has incorporated a theoretical framework for the analysis of message and creative strategies used in DTCA to date. The purpose of the current study is to extend the previous literature by providing a more complete list of DTCA message and/or creativity strategies based on Taylor’s message strategy wheel. The results show that DTCA has been used to promote drugs for such life-threatening conditions as asthma, acid reflux, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and arthritis. The most common inducement was the offer of consumer support information. In general, magazine DTC ads from 2006 to 2010 were likely to take both informational …

Park Usage In Relationship To Available Features And Amenities In A Large Urban Park, Hannah Bradford Clauss

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between park features and park use in a large urban park. At 45.33 acres, West Hills Park has amenities such as athletic courts and fields, picnic areas, and a 1.9-mile paved trail. Methods: Park usage was assessed using the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities tool that measures use by gender, age, ethnicity, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Data was collected in 18 zones over four days with three observations per day (morning, midday, and evening). Park features, amenities, and condition, were assessed using the …

Working Memory And Study Abroad: A Study Of Memory And Language Gains, Lauren R. Adams

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Study abroad is commonly thought to be the secret to success in learning a second language (L2). In fact, research has shown that learners who study abroad for a semester or a year tend to outperform their counterparts who stay home in various measures of linguistic development (Taguchi). However, short-term study abroad (i.e., 5-8 weeks), is more accessible due to financial and time constraints and thus has become the most popular study abroad program type in recent years (IIE, 2019). Interestingly, there are a limited number of studies in the field of second language acquisition that examine the effects of …

Protein Engineering Potential Inhibitor Of Detrimental Immune Responses, Nathaniel L. Blalock, Eric T. Boder, Liang Fang

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

On the surface of immune cells, class II major histocompatibility complex proteins (MHCII) present antigenic peptides for CD4+ T cell recognition, which initiate a variety of antigen-specific immune responses such as antibody response or cytotoxic T cell activation. In people with with auto-immune diseases including but not limited to type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, detrimental immune responses occur after the presentation of antigenic peptides. A single-chain, minimal MHCII (scm-MHCII) has been designed to retain its function as an antigen-presenting protein with a simplified structure that can be easily produced and manipulated in a laboratory by recombinant microbial …

Too Busy To Exercise: Examining Pregnant Women’S Exercise Preferences, Maggie R. Pepper, Kathleen Brown, Samantha F. Ehrlich, Cristina Barroso, Jill Maples

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is diagnosed between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy and can usually be managed by healthy diet and exercise. There is currently a lack of clinical consensus regarding exercise prescription for GDM management. The current study aimed to elicit thoughts and feelings about exercise in women with GDM to inform the development of behavioral exercise intervention.

Methods: The research team conducted 20-minute semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. Interview questions were on the description of a typical day, opportunities to engage in exercise, challenges to exercising during pregnancy, exercise preferences during pregnancy, and thoughts about the …

Redefining What It Means To Be Black, James Williams

Black Issues Conference

Identity crisis plagued my psychological and physical experience when I was raised in Fall River, MA and Wilson, NC. Labels gained significance as I attempted to understand religion, policy, poverty, violence, and race in my household. I learned to believe in a white Jesus, but to fear the white man as well as my fellow black brothers. I was conflicted by the power of labels, and the role my black inferiority played in this world dominated by manmade labels. All labels come from finite beings who tend to inject their opinions and beliefs from a fear-based position. This perspective tends …