Digital Commons Network^™

Ptsd And Emotionally Augmented Perception: An Argument For Direct Realism, Patrick Travis Woodruff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) causes behavioral and emotional problems. The emotions associated with the disorder, research has shown, literally change and individual’s perception. Those who study the effects of emotion on perception generally accept an indirect theory of perception like representationalism. Yet, an indirect theory does not seem to be adequate to account for the immediacy and phenomenology of PTSD. Therefore, a theory that can better account for these is needed. I suggest a form of direct realism – the combined scientific-philosophical theory that combines John Campbell’s 3-place relation and James J. Gibson’s direct perception of information through ambient …

Identifying Values: Comparing Four Methods Of Values Identification, Emmie Hebert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Values have been described, from a behavioral perspective, as “freely chosen, verbally constructed consequences of ongoing, dynamic, evolving patterns of activity, which establish predominant reinforcers for that activity that are intrinsic in engagement in the valued behavioral pattern itself “ (Wilson & DuFrene, 2009). Emerging research supports the psychological benefits of interventions with a values component. However, there has been little experimental research that explores systematic methods of getting participants and psychotherapy clients to identify their values. This study evaluated four methods of identifying values by comparing within-subject ratings of participant-generated values stimuli. Participants were undergraduate students at the University …

Scrupulosity, Trauma And Disgust, Oh My! Assessing The Potential Relation Between Religiosity, Trauma Symptoms And Disgust, Brooklee Lightsey Tynes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lifetime prevalence rates for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are estimated to be 6% in the general population. In the United States alone, an estimated 5.2 million adults will experience PTSD within the year (National Comorbidity Survey, 2005). However, a much larger number of the population will experience some form of trauma over the course of their lifetime. Research has demonstrated that the development of PTSD may be attributed to some factors (e.g., temperamental vulnerabilities, social ecological factors), which may predispose individuals to the development of the disorder. The purpose of this study was to test the association of moral disgust …

The Effects Of Racial Stereotypes On False Recall, Melissa Jane Loria

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prejudiced behavior based on racial stereotypes has been found to negatively impact young, black offenders in the juvenile probation system. One issue that may contribute to this is the creation of false memories. In fact, false memories have been linked to many wrongful convictions in the U.S. legal system. It is well known that memories are malleable and are often reconstructed. As a result, it has been theorized that suggestive law enforcement interrogations can cause people to misremember events or even generate false memories. Such mistakes can lead to disastrous consequences, including incarceration of innocent people. At present, there is …

Sookie's Place(S): New Roadways Into The South Of The Southern Vampire Mysteries, Sarah Holder

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Charlaine Harris’ bestselling paranormal romance series, the Southern Vampire Mysteries is only beginning to be understood as more than a cultural phenomenon, but rather as a highly politicized and critical work of fiction that shines through genre designations such as romance, mystery, and fantasy. Much of this praise can be attributed to the series’ heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, who gracefully traverses boundaries that divide what are arguably racial and ethnic groups ever at odds with one another as they share political and social space. Her adventures therefore pose significant questions concerning diversity, equality, and nationalism, but more obviously they ask what …

If There Wasn’T Farming, Somebody Wouldn’T Eat: Small Scale Agriculture, Community Autonomy, And Food Sovereignty In Mississippi, Irene Van Riper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the historical context of small scale farming and grassroots social movements in Mississippi’s history, and investigates the ways small farmers and community advocates are drawing upon their land-based heritage and local knowledge systems to create community-controlled food systems in dialogue with broader national and global conversations about sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty. Employing a multi-scalar method of analysis, the research studies issues from the perspective of individuals, communities, institutions, as well as national and transnational systems. The work draws from previous scholarship in environmental studies, agroecology, critical race studies, rural sociology, critical historiography, agrifood studies, and regional …

William Eggleston's Guide To The Suburban South, Amanda Katherine Malloy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 1976, Memphis, Tennessee, photographer, William Eggleston, had his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This exhibition was the first dedicated to a single photographer working in color. While Eggleston’s use of color was groundbreaking, his depictions of contemporary southern life were similarly exceptional. Working against previous photographic representations of the South, Eggleston presented a region succumbing to national homogenization through land development, commercialization, and suburbanization. Eggleston’s monograph resulting from his debut exhibition at MoMA, William Eggleston’s Guide, tells the story of this changing region, from the outdoor spaces that were once agriculturally …

Competitive Effects Of Increased Plant Species Richness And Increased Endemic Versus Native Generalist Species Dominance On The Invasive Grass Microstegium Vimineum During Oak Woodland Restoration, Sean Anthony Moyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The hypothesis that species-rich assemblages are resistant to invasion by non-native species has generated considerable research and controversy. However, the relevance of such research to the conservation of biodiversity is questionable, given that local species richness often does not correlate with regional or global species richness, two metrics undoubtedly important to conservation. Furthermore, species of greater conservation interest (i.e. endemics) and widespread generalist species may compete differentially with non-native invasive species. To test whether plant species richness or species fidelity to a regionally rare habitat were more important in competitively suppressing an invasive species, I established a field competition experiment …

Dynamic And Thermal Properties Of Cellulose Nanocrystal/Epoxy Nanocomposites, Jaeyong Shin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Predisposing Risk Factors Associated With Stress Fracture Development In Division I Cross Country Runners, Kaci Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore potential factors that could be associated with increased stress fracture development in division one collegiate cross country runners. Participants for this study consisted of 42 collegiate cross country runners at the University of Mississippi. A nutritional assessment consisting of a 3-day food record and measurements of whole body, lumbar spine and hip bone mineral densities using a Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) was conducted on each athlete. Each athlete was also asked to answer a demographic questionnaire with questions regarding ethnicity, hometown, smoking status, vitamin/mineral intake, previous stress fracture history, birth control usage …

Alcohol Use As A Precipitant And Comorbidity In Primary Headache, Rachel Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Migraine and tension-type headache (tth) are two of the most prevalent pain conditions diagnosed throughout the world and can be extremely disabling with many economic, social, physical and psychological health costs. A plethora of research indicates a strong, positive association between co-occurring psychiatric disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder, anxiety, panic) and migraine and tth, however co-occurring alcohol-use disorders are relatively unexplored. The limited studies that have explored alcohol-use disorders have produced mixed findings, potentially as a result of differing methodology, sample source, and the debated precipitating nature of alcohol use on headache. An abundance of research suggests that many environmental …

Exaggerated News Headlines And The Continued Influence Effect, Heather Nicole Bliss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Chaucerian Imperfections: The Other And The Turbulant Self, Ahmed Seif

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is interested in forms of “imperfection” in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. I define “imperfection” as an authorial gesture performed to narrate an idealized virwhile depriving it from its idealism. The imperfection of a virtue, however, does not happen absolutely. It is the character’s incomplete, distorted, or decadent command of a given virtue, rather than the viritself, that makes it imperfect. Consisting of three chapters, the thesis examines Chaucer’s imperfection of things idealized within two medieval spaces: a) the ecclesiastical institution of Church and b) the secular institution of Knighthood. This is why the thesis settled on the Prioress’s …

How The Soul Slips In: Virginia Woolf's (Un)Natural History Of Dogs, Allison Castle Combs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dogs have a crucial place in articulating ideas about class and sexuality in Woolf and her milieu. Her works move from considering dogs as representative instruments of class and gender in Mrs. Dalloway, to thinking more complexly about the dog/human boundary in Orlando. Human-to-animal ontologies are an evaluation of human biopolitical affiliations, where human social categories and function are embedded and reflected in canine behavior. The “anthropological machine” and the fabulated nature of the human world is exposed in contact zones associated with problems of sexuality, class, and gender, as these internal and external distinctions are able to evade human …

Saffron Extract And Its Active Constituents As Preventative And/Or Treatment Agents For Prostate Cancer Using In Vitro And In Vivo Models, Faisal Fayih Albaqami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Saffron extract and its active constituents were evaluated as chemopreventatives and/or treatments for prostate cancer. Different models of prostate cancer (in vitro and in vivo) were used for studying saffron and its constituents’ mechanisms. In normal prostate cells, saffron extract, crocetin, and safranal, in non-toxic concentrations, possessed antioxidant properties against the reactive oxygen species induced by H2O2 which further supports saffron constituents as chemopreventative agents. Moreover, saffron and its active constituents produced cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cells through intrinsic apoptosis pathways. Potential efficacy in minimizing prostate cancer metastasis was also examined. Saffron extract, crocetin, and safranal decreased the migration and …

Representation Of The American South In Marvel Comics, 1963-2016, Katherine Gill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My work tracks the role of the American South and Southern characters in Marvel Comics, from 1963 to 2016. This thesis spring from a simple question: how stereotypical does this Northern industry portray the American South? To achieve this goal, I read a lot of comics, applying literary theory (such as Patricia Yeager and Tara McPherson) as well as American cultural studies (1980s televangelism and the history of human trafficking in America) to my findings. After reading multiple comic books from multiple sources, I settled on four different texts, each with a unique approach to portraying the South: the portrayal …

The Acute And Chronic Muscle Adaptations Following Six Weeks Of "No Load" And Traditional High Load Resistance Training, Brittany Counts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Muscle growth is postulated to occur through mechanisms initiated by local muscle tension. This appears to be true, independent of the external load, provided sufficient tension is achieved. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to remove the influence of an external load and compare the acute and chronic muscle adaptations of “No Load” training to traditional High Load training. METHODS: Thirteen participants completed six weeks of thrice weekly unilateral elbow flexion exercise. Using a within subject design, each arm was designated to either the No Load or the High Load (70% one repetition maximum) condition. The No Load condition …

Anglican-Roman Catholic Ecumenical Dialogue: A Case For A Rahnerian Logic Of Symbol, Eric S. Dart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the ecumenical relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion and the necessity for a symbolic cognitive and narrative conversion in both communions. Drawing upon Karl Rahner's theology of symbol, this dissertation argues that such a cognitive and narrative conversion is determined by the interpretation and appropriation of God's mystery as the origin and goal of Christian activity and belief. As such, there is a demand for a second naïveté in both communions, whereby, the methods employed by ecumenical dialogue extend beyond the logic of criticism and seek to embrace a postcritical logic of symbol.

The Megaphone Of The Soul: Resistance Of Fraudulent Technological Idolization By Recognizing The Power Of Human Choice In Media Ecology, Richard L. Talbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humans naturally communicate, but choose to use tools. They use them to make sense of things, even to their own detriment and the detriment of others. These tools often receive the attention, instead of the human interaction. Aristotle's notion of humans as social animals has been carried into media ecology scholarship by Arendt, Burke, Ellul, Mumford, Postman, and Ricoeur. Social media scholarship has often focused on the tool and how it affects humanity. However, a phenomenological approach is necessary, as humans communicate with or without these tools. This approach will follow multiple steps. The first is through an understanding of …

Impact Of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine On The Pathology Of Experimental Parkinson’S Disease In Vivo, Negin Nouraei

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with disruptions in motor as well as non-motor functions, such as cognitive and olfactory impairments. Postmortem tissue from Parkinson’s patients shows evidence of oxidative stress in dopaminergic neurons and hallmark proteinaceous inclusions known as Lewy bodies in multiple brain regions spanning the medulla oblongata to the telencephalon. There are no therapies that decelerate the progression of this disease. Thus, the major goal of the present study was to test the therapeutic potential of two neuroprotective molecules, the antioxidant thiol N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and the steroid neuromodulator dehyroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), in experimental models of …

Memory, Phantasia, And The Perception Of Time: A Commentary On Aristotle’S De Memoria Et Reminiscentia, Evan Strevell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation is a commentary on Aristotle’s treatment of memory and remembering in Aristotle’s De memoria that concentrates on four central issues. First, what is the proper object of memory? There is a general consensus that Aristotle restricts memory to the past, but there is disagreement over what this means. I argue that the proper object of memory is the remembering subject’s own past activity on the grounds that unless what is remembered is perceived as connected to the subject’s prior cognition, what is remembered will not be conceived as having happened before. By rejecting as memorable in a governing …

Vico's Narrative Art: From The Forests To The Academies, Ariana Ragusa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I argue that Giambattista Vico (1668-1744), most famously considered a philosopher of history, is above all a philosopher of narration. I unfold Vico’s narrative response to and rejection of traditional philosophical discourse; through relating the story of himself and the story of mankind, Vico demonstrates that storytelling gives birth to the human self and world. Furthermore, I emphasize the ontological import of narrative, often overlooked, in his two major works, The Autobiography of Giambattista Vico and The New Science. Finally, I conclude by showing the relevance of Vico’s pedagogical call to cultivate the child’s narrative imagination in …

The Ethical Analysis Of The Connection Between Hope And Fertility Preservation, Leah Jeunette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fertility preservation has many different indications and covers a wide variety of demographics. One major motivation for the use of fertility preservation is hope. When discussing fertility preservation, healthcare professionals present several options, but choosing which type of fertility preservation to pursue is a difficult decision. This dissertation will argue not only that hope is one of the basic drivers for making a decision regarding fertility preservation, but also the current methods for fertility preservation create a reliance on hope. Hope can determine if a patient chooses the safest option or seeks out more radical experimentation or whether to delay …

Eudaimonia: Utilizing Aristotle's Good Life To Inform Organizational Communication To Reimagine Human Resources Management, Matthew Anthony Fuss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study seeks to explore Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia, or the good life, as a means to inform organizational communication in order to reimagine human resource management. The project begins by laying bare the current paradigm of egoism/altruism as the inappropriately accepted method to interpret employer/employee relationships. Google is used as an example of a successful contemporary organization widely criticized for their profitability and exploitation of workers. A historical example, Robert Owens, of the 19th century social utopians is used to illustrate a successful enterprise widely lauded for their altruism and benevolence. If one judges Google by the criteria …

"A Multitude Of Little Luminosities": Dissociative Multiplicity As An Image Of And Invitation To Psyche, Through A Case Of Dissociative Identity Disorder, Camille O'Connor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project sought to narrate a process of working with and learning from DID, through the researcher’s case study description of her work with a patient experiencing dissociative identity disorder (DID). The researcher focused on unique ways in which dissociation and multiplicity impacted the therapy relationship and impacted work on the patient’s experience of self, including healing traumatic wounds, developing richer intra- and interpersonal relationships, and moving toward increased self-integrity. The researcher additionally worked with psychoanalytic theory, particularly Jungian, post-Jungian, archetypal, and relational approaches, to consider the ways in which DID provides an opportunity to conceptualize broader human experience, not …

Attitudes Of Pre-Service Teachers Toward Computational Thinking In Education, Bekir Mugayitoglu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes of pre-service teachers toward computational thinking, before and after an intervention, to convey the importance of integrating computational thinking into K-12 curricula. The two-week, course-embedded intervention introduced pre-service teachers, with varying academic specialties, to computational thinking practices and their utility. The intervention employed the Scratch programming language tool including Scratch flashcards, everyday and interdisciplinary examples of computational thinking, and unplugged activities. The findings indicated that the intervention was an effective new way to convey the value of computational thinking to all sampled pre-service teachers, no matter their academic specialties or …

Techno-Racism: Heidegger's Philosophy Of Technology And Critical Philosophies Of Race, James Michael Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Racism continues to be a pressing problem in Western Society. In some ways it even makes a great deal of sense to think about racism as a tool of political power. My dissertation explores the way in which racism is informed by the underlying social structure of whiteness, and the way that modern technology is informed by the underlying structure of the enframing. I draw on the works of George Yancy, and Cornel West to demonstrate that the everyday problems we face in racism are informed and guided by the systemic problem of whiteness. I then use the work of …

A Decade (2005-2015) Of Unconventional Shale Gas Development In Washington County, Pennsylvania, And Its Environmental Impact, Colleen Nolan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unconventional shale gas extraction has grown significantly over the past decade in Washington County, Pennsylvania; 1362 unconventional wells had been drilled by the end of 2015. This study analyzed ten years of industry data to generate an overview of development and assess the resultant environmental impacts. Analyses of industry data obtained from PADEP and DCNR indicate well longevity may be overestimated while land and water usage is underestimated. To evaluate possible water quality impacts, a survey was conducted, with 99 ground and surface water samples collected and analyzed. 82% of samples exceeded at least one EPA (S)MCL, with iron exceeded …

Sexual Desire(S) And The Desire For Intimacy: An Autoethnographic Exploration, Nikolaos D. Kiskiras

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual desire has traditionally been approached and investigated through reductionist lenses that have usually overlooked its complexity. In the past 150 years, it has mainly appeared articulated within medical and sexological discourses that have actively attempted to demarcate, categorize, and medicalize it. As a result, “healthy” and “pathological” forms of sexual desire have been constructed, whereas the social, cultural, political, and ideological forces that structure and shape it have been largely ignored. Furthermore, the conceptualization of distinct forms of sexual desire has given rise to the construction of equally distinct, ostensibly fixed, “healthy” as well as “pathological,” sexual identities.

This …

The Importance Of Differentiating Between Traits Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Callous And Unemotional Traits, Kristen Parys

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study assesses the apparent similarities and underlying differences between traits of autism spectrum disorder and callous and unemotional traits, and problematic sexual behaviors that can result in involvement in the juvenile justice system. The need to differentiate between these traits and better understand their impact on response to treatment within treatment facilities for offenders is highlighted. This research investigated the presence of individuals with traits of autism spectrum disorders and callous and unemotional traits in adolescent males in a residential treatment program for sexual offenses, and whether instruments that are typically used to identify these characteristics were effective in …