Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond ‘Manning Up’: The Impact Of Hegemonic Masculinity & Gender Norms On Mental Health Help-Seeking Among College Men, Joslyn Barragan

Master's Theses

This narrative inquiry study was conducted to explore college men's conceptualization of masculinity and gender norms and their relationship with mental health-related help-seeking behaviors. Through semi-structured interviews with seven men, I gathered their perceptions of mental health support and the obstacles they encountered in accessing it. Drawing from Connell's conceptualization of masculinities, this study locates their narratives within the broader framework of societal expectations, highlighting the complexities of men's attitudes and behaviors toward mental health counseling. Ultimately, five critical narratives were discovered: a) Initial models of masculinity emerge through socialization; b) Men encounter barriers to mental health care from all …

Analyzing Live And Dead Fuel Moisture In California: Insights For Wildfire Management Decisions, Jack R. Drucker

Master's Theses

This study investigates trends in fuel moisture content (FMC) across California from 2000 to 2021. It utilizes two distinct sources of FMC data: the Fuel Moisture Repository, which integrates live fuel moisture content (LFMC) observations, and a novel dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) reanalysis product which provides spatial fuel moisture maps by integrating dead fuel moisture observations and a fuel moisture model driven by gridded weather data. The analysis uncovered a general downtrend in FMC across California, with the exception of LFMC in the Northernmost regions and coarse DFMC. Despite the differing long-term FMC trends, all the regions experienced a …

The Relationship Among Meditation Frequency, Mindfulness, Emotional Regulation, And Happiness, Emily Inlow

Master's Theses

High levels of happiness and well-being are important for many reasons including health, relationships, and work-life balance. Understanding what can increase happiness and well-being levels may be beneficial to create a happy, healthy life. Recently, meditation has become a popular practice to increase happiness and overall well-being. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between meditation frequency and mindfulness, emotional regulation, happiness, and overall well-being. To add to existing literature meditation frequency and emotional regulation were each assessed in two ways: average meditation frequency per week, average meditation session length, expressive suppression, and cognitive reappraisal. It was …

Language Dominance And Connected Speech In Multilingual Spanish-English Adults, Alyson Jimenez

Master's Theses

With a growing prevalence of multilingual, Spanish-English speakers in the United States, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) face limited research to learn about how to evaluate the language skills of this population. Exploring evaluation tools, more specifically, connected speech samples, and their effectiveness in assessing the dynamic nature of multilingualism with adults who speak Spanish and English can assist SLPs in making informed recommendations. This study aimed to investigate relations between language dominance and connected speech with cognitive-healthy multilingual Spanish-English adults. Language dominance was further examined by two perspectives that an SLP may utilize in their evaluation: evaluated and perceived. Correlations between …

“It Makes Me Wonder, How I Keep From Goin’ Under:” Deconstructing Cultural Strengths In The Stories Of Black College And University Students, Sikeza C. Fowlks

Master's Theses

To deconstruct conceptualizations of Black cultural resiliency outside of the perception of the current dominant culture, the present study interviewed Black university and college students for their narratives about their perceptions of Black culture and how they navigate systemic oppression. To create a full conceptualization of Black issues and cultural resilience this study explored the current literature around Black experiences of racism and its relationship to Race-Based Trauma. Additionally, the researcher expanded upon current interventions used to mitigate Race-Based Trauma and how Black culture is currently defined within systemic oppression. To answer the study’s research question framework around Black cultural …

Online Trolling, Harassment, Misinformation: The Psychological Predictors Of Dark Participation, Randy Kim

Master's Theses

This study aims to examine the reasons why certain individuals engage in “dark participation”, antisocial social participation online involving behavior such as trolling, hate speech, harassment, and spreading disinformation. Online toxicity has increasingly destabilized our ability to engage in socially important discourse online, and trolling has such a strong effect on our environment to the point where the 2016 presidential election was, in part, influenced by online trolls. We theorize that dark participation (DP) will be predicted by high levels of moral disengagement (MD), need for chaos (NFC), and meaninglessness in life (MLN) and self concept clarity (SCC). A series …

Remote Work And The Desire For Meaningful Work: The Unexpected Moderating Effects Of Age And Childrearing, Adriana Rae Meredith

Master's Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic sent the world into lock down. Since then, organizations have been wrestling with how to navigate the many opinions, as well as research-backed advantages and disadvantages of in-office work, hybrid work, and remote work. In addition to shaking up the ways in which work is done, the pandemic shutdowns caused some to re-evaluate why they do the work they do. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between remote work and an employee’s desire for meaningful work to increase understanding of how remote work can be used as a strategic element of job design rather than …

Deep-Learning Approaches To Predict Remaining Useful Life Of Hard Disks, Rohan Mohapatra

Master's Theses

On a daily basis, data centers process huge volumes of data using inexpensive hard disks. Data stored in these disks serve a range of critical functional needs from financial, and healthcare to aerospace. As such, premature disk failure and consequent loss of data can be catastrophic. To mitigate the risk of failures, cloud storage providers perform condition-based monitoring and replace hard disks before they fail. By estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of hard disk drives, one can predict the time-to-failure of a particular device and replace it at the right time, ensuring maximum utilization whilst reducing operational costs. We …

Synthetic Data Generation For Accurate, Fair, And Private Recommender Systems, Derek B. Lilienthal

Master's Theses

A notorious challenge for recommender systems on online platforms is to accurately and fairly recommend items that align with users’ preferences while retaining user privacy. These systems often rely on historical data that is partially labeled and includes incomplete user information, leading to the over-representation of majority groups and disproportionately favoring popular items. Substituting user data with synthetic data can address these concerns, but accurately replicating real-world datasets has been a challenging problem. Recent advancements in generative AI have demonstrated the impressive capabilities of diffusion models in generating realistic data across several domains. In this work, we introduce two variations …

Self-Efficacy’S Mediating Role On The Relationship Between Personality And Depression In The Unemployed, Christina Tran

Master's Theses

Depression affects 1 in 5 unemployed individuals, holding rank as one of the most prevalent negative effects of unemployment in the United States. Personality is often considered a predictor of the development of depressive symptoms during unemployment however, there is little research to explain the relationship between personality and depression. The purpose of this study was to expand on the relationship between personality and depressive symptoms in the American unemployed population by testing self-efficacy’s mediating effect between personality and depressive symptoms in the American unemployed population. A sample of 121 participants, who were either currently or recently unemployed, completed an …

Overnight Rice Fermentation: An Analysis Of The Physicochemical Changes In White, Brown, And Enriched Rice Varieties, Kavin Sivakumar

Master's Theses

Fermentation refers to the activity of microorganisms breaking down substrates, resulting in changes to a food product. One fermented food practice from the Indian subcontinent is overnight fermented rice. The traditional preparation consists of covering cooled cooked rice in water and leaving it at room temperature to ferment overnight. The objective of this project was to investigate overnight rice fermentation through quantifying its physicochemical changes. The study utilized three types of rice: white, enriched white, and brown. Mixtures of cooked rice and water at a 1 gram: 2 milliliter ratio were fermented at 29 degrees Celsius and 60% humidity for …

Comparing Shade And Impervious Surface Area With Extreme Heat And Environmental Equity: An Analysis Of The Urban Heat Island Effect In Santa Clara County, California, Jamsheed R. Mistry

Master's Theses

In the modern epoch of the Anthropocene, the rapid rise in urban sprawling has prompted a disproportionate exposure to extreme heat within underserved communities. As the global populace becomes increasingly urbanized, the inevitable formation of urban heat islands is becoming an imminent cause of concern for environmental and social justice. Due to an increase in urbanization, anthropogenic activities have not only increased the energy demand for cooling initiatives but also have increased the intensity of heat-related illnesses, such as heart attacks, dehydration, and respiratory diseases. Additionally, urbanization has yielded an unequal distribution of heat exposure and heat-related illnesses, particularly in …

Undocumented And Unsupported: How College Students Navigate To Meet Their Basic Needs, Mario Alberto Gonzalez

Master's Theses

The cost of attendance at colleges and universities across the United States has risen exponentially year after year. Among these costs include tuition, lodging, food, textbooks, academic materials, and health care, many of which are considered “basic needs” that are ultimately essential for human survival. At the same time, certain groups of students continue to be marginalized and presented with additional barriers in accessing higher education in equitable ways. Undocumented students are one of these groups of students, and are the focus of this study. Although the passage of DACA in 2012 presented opportunities for approximately 800,000 undocumented students, it …

Application Of Agent-Based Simulation And Game Theory In Evaluating Implementation Of Whole Genome Sequencing In Treating Lung Cancer, Fateme Ghalenoei

Master's Theses

Cancer, particularly lung cancer, presents significant diagnostic and economic challenges globally. Timely diagnosis and cost management play pivotal roles in treatment success. A biomarker is any measurable molecule in blood, bodily fluids, or tissues, indicating the potential presence of an abnormal bodily process, condition, or disease. Biomarker testing is a laboratory test in oncology that is used in the selection of targeted cancer treatments and to help avoid ineffective treatments. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), is a biomarker test which while more comprehensive, comes at a higher cost. This study proposes an agent-based simulation model within a game-theoretic framework to examine …

Identification Of Bacterial Transcriptomic Signatures In Breast Cancer Tissues Using Publicly Available Datasets, Rasaq Awosemo

Master's Theses

Breast cancer remains a significant global health concern, with increasing evidence suggesting a link between bacterial infections and cancer progression. This study aims to identify bacterial transcriptomic signatures within breast cancer tissues using publicly available datasets. While previous work in our lab has extensively explored the role of Borrelia burgdorferi in cancer, this research broadens the focus to investigate the presence of various bacterial species across different breast cancer samples.

Employing advanced bioinformatics methodologies, including the STAR aligner and MetaPhlAn for metatranscriptomics analysis, we analyzed RNA-sequencing data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Our findings reveal diverse bacterial communities within …

Willingness To Report Sexual Victimization Through Formal And Informal Routes And The Correlation To Victim’S Race, Sexual Orientation, And Gender Identity, Tara Diltz

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand the impact, if any, that holding marginalized identities has on the willingness to report sexual victimization to law enforcement, Title IX offices, and informal support routes. This study examines the various factors that may influence one’s willingness to report sexual victimization through both formal and informal routes. Formal routes include law enforcement and Title IX, while informal routes involve the self-disclosure of victimization to families, friends, or romantic partners. This research specifically explores how racial and ethnic identities, sexual orientation, and gender identity can influence an individual's perceived willingness to report sexual …

Enhancing Refugee Resettlement And Displaced Population Support Through Elder Communities In The United States: A Model For Sustainable Solutions, Ponnaka Pok

Master's Theses

This thesis paper is inspired by the current world crisis of exploding numbers of refugees and the obstacles they face seeking somewhere to resettle. We present here an effort to address these pressing issues and to advocate for meaningful change. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities associated with refugee resettlement and displaced population issues in the United States. It investigates how Elder communities might play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges and offers a trial model for implement and continued development, and potentially for other countries and organizations to follow. This paper also has a secondary focus on …

Effects Of Increasing Cycling Cadence On Post-Cycling Gait Velocity: An Experimental Study, Nitu Lama

Master's Theses

Previous research has shown that increasing cycling cadence, rather than the workrate, can result in improved post-cycling gait velocity. However, the specific threshold of cycling cadence required to bring about clinically meaningful changes in gait velocity remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, our study aimed to determine the minimum incremental increase in cycling cadence that would lead to a significant improvement in post-cycling gait velocity. A total of 42 young adults participated in our study and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: TEN, TWENTY, and THIRTY. Each group was assigned to cycle at a cadence at the …

Investigation Of The Microbiome Of A Recirculating Aquaculture System (Ras) For Crassostrea Virginica Larvae, Isabelle Townsend

Master's Theses

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) offer control over physicochemical and biological factors impacting aquaculture success. One understudied facet of RASs is the water microbiome. Oyster larval microbiomes are shaped by their aquatic microbiomes. Understanding the dynamics of and the factors shaping RAS microbiome may provide insights to how the microbiome can be a tool for optimizing larval production. This study’s goals were to investigate the microbiome stability of a RAS rearing oyster larvae across time and space, determine impacts of larval presence on the microbiome, and examine connections between larvae production outcomes and microbiome stability. Water samples were collected weekly from …

Projected Range Shift Of The Atlantic Surfclam, Spisula Solidissima, And The Ocean Quahog, Arctica Islandica, Under Climate-Induced Benthic Warming: Forecasting Fishery Influence In The Mid-Atlantic Bight Throughout The 21st Century, Molly Mae Spencer

Master's Theses

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, and ocean quahog, Arctica islandica, are biomass dominant bivalve species on the eastern North American continental shelf, both supporting lucrative commercial fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic with a combined value of $53.6 million in ex-vessel revenue per year. Rapid climate change is expected to modify the geographic range of these bivalve populations across the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB), suggesting transformative consequences for the surfclam fishery. This study forecasted future distributions of the two species from years 2016 – 2095, based on projected bottom water temperatures and a temperature-dependent population dynamics model, to project subsequent fishery-based indicators …

The Effects Of An Acute Dose Of Cannabidiol On Health And Two-Mile Time Trial Performance, Elyssa Bell

Master's Theses

As more studies exploring the therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in both clinical and non-clinical populations continue to increase, there is a renewed interest in the ability of CBD to affect performance. In fact, many anecdotal reports in the media and online suggest that CBD may improve performance. Unfortunately, very few studies support these claims and research in the area is limited. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of an acute dose of CBD on anxiety symptoms, GI distress, heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), blood lactate (BL) rate of perceived …

Determining Spatiotemporal Regulation Of Actin Dynamics In Choroid Fissure Closure, Cristal Gonzalez

Master's Theses

There are several stages of development necessary for proper vision. During vertebrate eye development, early eye morphology progresses in three stages: optic cup morphogenesis, basement membrane breakdown, and tissue fusion. Eye development is an intricate collaboration between many cells and requires tissues to migrate and bridge together. The following research investigates the Danio Rerio eye development to understand the molecular regulation of choroid fissure closure (CFC). It is hypothesized that CFC requires temporal and spatial regulation of actin dynamics. We investigate this question using chemical inhibitors, cytochalasin D, an actin treadmilling inhibitor, and NSC23766, a Rac-GEF inhibitor of the actin …

Assessing The Impacts Of Grazing By Piney Woods Cattle And Controlled Burning On The Herbaceous Layer In An East Gulf Coastal Plain Longleaf Pine Woodland, William Mcfarland

Master's Theses

Fire and grazing are two disturbances which influence vegetation composition and diversity in many ecosystems. In the southeastern United States, longleaf pine plant communities are adapted to frequent fires and are likely to have been grazed by bison in the past. Though bison have been extirpated from this region, Pineywoods Cattle, which were introduced by the Spanish in the 16^th Century, have been fulfilling a similar role in many of these communities. This study examines the effects that combined grazing and controlled burning have on plant diversity, biomass, and community similarity in a longleaf pine savanna in the East …

Youtube Influencers In Bangladesh: Analyzing Message Strategies Of Sponsored Ads In Vlogs, Monira Begum

Master's Theses

Social media influencers, particularly YouTube influencers marketing emerged as a growing industry in Bangladesh. However, research on this topic is limited. This study effectively addresses this gap and following quantitative methods and content analysis, this study mainly examines Influencers and brand categories, the narration of sponsored brands in advertising, influencers’ interactivities, and engagement with the followers, and message strategies in ads employing Taylor’s six-segment message strategy wheel, advertising appeals, and message formats. Results indicate that influencers' dominant vlog content is entertainment, as well as technology as prevalent brand characteristics in the study.

Regarding the narration of the sponsored ads, this …

Promoting Greater Granularity In Climate Research: A Case Study Analyzing Perceptions Of Anthropogenic Climate Change Among Students, Faculty, And Staff At The University Of Southern Mississippi, Kelly Wegmann

Master's Theses

Anthropogenic climate change is a global concern that has the possibility to become the next world-altering event. While there is a substantial amount of scientific evidence proving its existence and harmful repercussions, there is still a lack of belief in its occurrence within the United States. This research uses survey data obtained from the University of Southern Mississippi to provide an understanding at a local scale of how both physical and psychological aspects bridge a gap in perception research.

With the use of previous research done by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and George Mason University Center …

Peripheral Vascular Function In Young Adults With Increased Risk Of Cardiometabolic Disease, Ryan S. Aultman

Master's Theses

Objective: To determine if young adults with elevated metabolic syndrome severity scores (MetS_index) suffer from peripheral vasculature dysfunction.

Methods: Mean arterial pressure (MAP), Femoral (FBF) and Brachial Blood flow (BBF), Femoral (FVC) and Brachial Vascular Conductance (BVC), and Tissue Saturation Index (TSI) were assessed in twenty-four age (19 + 2.25 years), Sex (male: n=18; female: n=6) and Race (White: n=4; Black/African American: n=4; Asian: n=16) matched individuals during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (RHBF), passive limb movement (PLM) and Functional Sympatholysis (FS) trials. Carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was also collected at baseline, and all values were compared between …

The Relationship Between Overparenting, Psychological Needs Satisfaction, And Alcohol Use On Risky Sexual Behavior, Melanie Prater

Master's Theses

Studies have shown college students to be vulnerable to negative outcomes, including engaging in risky alcohol use (Lewis et al., 2014; Kilwein & Looby, 2018; Cui et al., 2019) and risky sexual behavior (Dir et al, 2014; Trub & Stark, 2017; Kilwien & Looby, 2018). Understanding predictors and mediating variables associated with risky sexual behavior is one important means of improving prevention strategies. Parenting may be one variable associated with risky sex. Overparenting, a parenting style characterized by parental overinvolvement, has received recent attention due to its association with poor outcomes for adolescents and emerging adults, including an increased risk …

Effects Of Extreme Starvation On The Fasting-Adapted Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus Oreganus), Brandon R. Kong

Master's Theses

Ambush-hunting snakes have long been of great interest in the biology of fasting and starvation, as they are adapted to withstand well over a year without taking a meal. Well-justified ethical constraints have limited our understanding of their biology at the limits of these abilities. Unfortunate circumstances, in which the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confiscated over 50 Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) from an animal hoarder that had long neglected them, culminated in the euthanized animals ending up in the hands of our lab. Some of these snakes were extremely starved, being only one-half to one-third of …

Effect Of Enzymatic Pretreatment On Biomethane Production From Olive Pomace, Ningjing Zhong

Master's Theses

In 2023, approximately 2.36 million metric tons of olive oil were produced globally. Olive pomace, a byproduct of the flesh and pits left after olive oil extraction, presents environmental challenges when used as landfill due to its high polyphenol and organic contents, or when combusted due to greenhouse gas emissions. Its potential as animal feed is limited, yet it holds promise for methane production via anaerobic digestion (AD), providing a source of renewable energy. However, the highly crystallized polysaccharides in olive pomace, such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin, impede its conversion to methane, and the high polyphenol content inhibits methanogen …

An Examination Of The Strong Start Intervention To Support The Pro-Social Behaviors In At-Risk Head Start Students, Merrick Mcevoy

Master's Theses

Children from lower-income and diverse families are at a higher risk for social-emotional and academic difficulties. Implementation of early childhood interventions plays a crucial role in the healthy development of children’s social-emotional development. Merrell’s Strong Kids (Merrell et al., 2009), a commonly used SEL class-wide intervention, facilitates learning of the five core SEL components through weekly lessons and has been shown to have long-term improvements on children’s internalizing symptoms, social and emotional knowledge, student-teacher relationships, prosocial behaviors, and is well received by teachers. The current study examined the efficacy of Strong Kids implemented as a one-on-one intervention, rather than a …