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Dose Higher Socioeconomic Status Associate With Better Mental Health Outcomes Among Primary Caregivers In Rural China?, Wenwen Zhang

Master's Theses

This study explores the intricate relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the mental health outcomes of primary caregivers in rural China, focusing on the Early Childhood Development (ECD) context in Ya'an. Anchored in a major intervention project launched in 2023, the study critically examines the hypothesis that higher socioeconomic status correlates with lower levels of negative emotions among caregivers.

Utilizing cross-sectional data, the research investigates how educational attainment and household income influence caregivers' mental health, measured through the DASS-21 score in three dimensions: stress, anxiety, and depression. The findings reveal that higher household income and educational levels are significantly associated …

The Impact Of Index Based Livestock Insurance (Ibli) On Child Nutrition In Marsabit County, Kenya, Jackson Kadyampakeni

Master's Theses

The study uses six rounds of Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) panel surveys (2009 – 2015) for Northern Kenya’s Marsabit county to investigate the impact of IBLI on child nutrition and household food security. We employ Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Instrumental Variable (IV) regressions to account for potential endogeneity in IBLI uptake. The results indicate that while IBLI uptake significantly improves the intake of key nutrients such as Vitamin A, protein, iron, and fruits and vegetables, it does not translate into significant improvements in child nutrition status, as measured by Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) z-scores. Significant negative effects of age …

Differential Impacts Of Covid-19 Policy Enforcement On Food Security Dynamics, Shiv Gargé

Master's Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified food insecurity in the United States, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. This study examines the county-level impact of various COVID-19 policies on food insecurity using data from the U.S. COVID-19 County Policy (UCCP) Database and Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study. Employing a Difference-in-Difference (DiD) approach and a Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression with two political instrumental variables to address potential endogeneity concerns, the findings reveal nuanced impacts. DiD estimates did not show significant effects on the rate of change in food insecurity but indicated promising signs for absolute population values. The 2SLS results suggest …

Investigating Racial Disparities Within Maternal Health Care In The United States: How Race, Socioeconomic Status And Geographic Location Affect Quality And Access To Maternal Health Care, Olivia Clopton Foster

Master's Theses

In this analysis, I delve into the historical context of medical racism in the United States, including the dark history of medical experimentation on black bodies from the time of the antebellum south until now. I pose the question: What is the correlation between race, socioeconomic status and geographic location to the quality and access to maternal health care? This deeply anti black historical background has a direct correlation to the quality and access of healthcare for black mothers. I approach this analysis through both a theoretical framework and statistical research, specifically highlighting the works of black feminist and global …

Labors Of Love And Loss: Exploring Relationships In Remitting Latine-American Families, Sequoyah Sv Hilton

Master's Theses

This paper examines the impact remittances have in Latin-American families across borders through qualitative interviews. Remittances, or international transfers of money, are a common support strategy of global migrant communities. There are divergent opinions on remittances, either positioning them as a great potential for developing lower and middle-income countries, or critiquing them as too heavily depended on by states and created as a survival support mechanism by communities to compensate for state neglect. While they are a massive cash flow at the international level, there is a greater need to blend analyses of remittances at the international level at the …

Comfortability In The Latino And Hispanic Community, Vanessa Flores

Master's Theses

Many organizations often publicize their efforts to help particular communities but, how helpful are they to those who are their targets? For this reason this research focuses on the question of, how do programs create inclusivity and accessibility to the Hispanic community? This study focuses on five specific organizations that all commonly support the Hispanic Community in California, although some do go outside of the state due to extensions. In this study I have analyzed the content presented on each organization's website and determined their accessibility and inclusivity within the Hispanic community. This research analyzes the websites content thoroughly through …

The Investigation Of The Reaction Of 2,3-Dimethylfuran With O(³P) And The Estimate Of The Photoionization Cross Section Of C-Cl And Absolute Photoionization Cross Sections Of Chlorinated Organic Compounds, Yilan Lori Chen

Master's Theses

The work presented in this thesis focuses on gas-phase reactions, which are fundamental for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. The experiments are performed at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where there is a time-of-flight mass spectrometer coupled with tunable synchrotron radiation at Beamline 9.0.2 to collect high-quality data.

Chapter 1 details the background and purpose of each project, along with an overview of the origins of synchrotron radiation and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The adaptation of biofuels is a way to minimize carbon emission and air pollutants, so research surrounding the reaction dynamics …

Downregulation Of Dax-1 Expression Via Mirna Overexpression As A Mechanism To Potentiate Breast Cancer, Nicholas C. Devito

Master's Theses

The orphan nuclear receptor DAX-1 (Dosage Sensitive Sex Reversal, Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita, critical region on the X chromosome, gene 1) plays a key role in mammalian sex determination and steroidogenesis. In addition to these canonical examples, DAX-1 has been shown to play a contradictory role in cancer development. While DAX-1 is overexpressed in lung and prostate cancer, it is downregulated in breast cancer. One of the explanations for the paradoxical role of DAX-1 in cancer development could be microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation. After broadly surveying over 96 miRNAs historically upregulated in MCF7 breast cancer cells, we compared the expression of DAX-1 …

The Cost Of Prosperity In China, Comparison Of Early Development Differences Between Left-Behind Children And Non-Left-Behind Children In Rural China, Yuchen Zhu

Master's Theses

This study aims to explore the cognitive development differences between left-behind and non-left-behind children in rural China, specifically in the rural villages of Ya'an City, Sichuan Province. Utilizing cross-sectional data from 570 children aged 0-3 years, the children were categorized based on parental presence into four groups: non-left-behind children (both parents present), left-behind children (both parents absent), left-behind children (mother present), and left-behind children (father present). The cognitive development of these children was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development's cognitive subscale. Regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for village-level clustering, and controlling for demographic variables such as age in …

Does Higher Socioeconomic Status Associate With Better Mental Health Outcomes Among Primary Caregivers In Rural China?, Wenwen Zhang

Master's Theses

This study explores the intricate relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the mental health outcomes of primary caregivers in rural China, focusing on the Early Childhood Development (ECD) context in Ya'an. Anchored in a major intervention project launched in 2023, the study critically examines the hypothesis that higher socioeconomic status correlates with lower levels of negative emotions among caregivers.

Utilizing cross-sectional data, the research investigates how educational attainment and household income influence caregivers' mental health, measured through the DASS-21 score in three dimensions: stress, anxiety, and depression. The findings reveal that higher household income and educational levels are significantly associated …

Reframing Latine & Indigenous Newcomer Students As Policymakers: Addressing Barriers To Attendance Through Ypar, Amanda Monique Vivanco

Master's Theses

This youth participatory action research investigates the barriers to attendance that recently immigrated Latine/Indigenous-identifying emergent multilingual high school students aged 18- 21 face. This action research aims to restore power to this population by providing the opportunity to participate as co-researchers, sharing their perspectives, opinions, and solutions to the issues that directly affect them. A group of six students from a small continuation school participated as co-researchers in a single session student-led focus group designed to elicit student perspectives, including their attitudes towards school attendance policies, experiences with attendance, and ideas for improvement. The first chapter explains the problem, demonstrating …

Patterns And Potential Mechanisms Of Phenotypic Changes In Urban Small Mammals, Leslie Lopez

Master's Theses

Urbanization is an example of human induced rapid environmental change that can have wide-reaching ecological effects, including habitat destruction, fragmentation, and alteration of local climates. Effects of urbanization have been shown to impact wildlife, as disturbances resulting from urbanization can create novel environments and selective pressures that could lead to changes in morphology, physiology, or both. Small mammals such as rodents are an ecologically important set of wildlife species because they are a key prey item for several predators, hold strong influence over plants as a primary consumer, and some species carry and transmit major human and animal diseases. Previous …

Recovery Of Nuclear Dna From Skeletal Remains Decomposed In Freshwater, Zoe L. Sikon

Master's Theses

This research compared freshwater and dry decomposition environments and their impact on DNA recovery from Sus scrofa domesticus(domestic pig) femora over a 3-month period. Prior to decomposition, initial cuttings were taken from "fresh" bone samples. Cuttings were then collected at 3-week intervals from waterlogged and dry bone samples. All samples were extracted using the vendor recommended protocol for the Applied Biosystems PrepFiler BTA extraction kit and an updated version of the same protocol, that substitutes Proteinase K with additional Dithiothreitol (DTT) (Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2012.). DNA quantitation was performed using pig-specific custom primer sets, with the QuantStudio 5 Real-Time …

Does Appearance Matter? The Relationship Of Perceived Body Size And Physical Appearance On Students' Attraction To Physical Activity At Recess, Danielle Belcher

Master's Theses

Drastic declines in recess physical activity (PA) have been observed within recent years (Center for Disease Control (CDC), 2017). Due to recess’ discretionary nature, psychosocial variables associated with PA are predictors of students’ PA levels. Recess is also a time of heightened bullying occurrences (Vaillancourt et al., 2010). Appearance-based bullying is the most common type of victimization that occurs in schools, transpiring more often in children with larger body max indexes (BMI), and possibly altering students’ physical self-perceptions. Physical self-perceptions have been shown to impact PA motivation, however, it is still unknown the extent to which appearance-based bullying, body size, …

Molecular Characterization Of Stress Response In Western Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera), Faizan Tahir

Master's Theses

Honey bees are incredibly important for the reproduction of flowering plants and the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. However, they face various stressors such as pesticides, pathogens, habitat loss, and climate change. Extensive research has been conducted to understand how bees respond to these stressors. Scientists have discovered that honey bees exhibit complex physiological and behavioral responses to stress at individual and colony levels. Stress can have a significant impact on their immune function, foraging behavior, and reproductive success (Decourtye et al., 2010). Understanding bee responses to stress is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, honey bees are vital for the pollination …

Examining The Effects Of Food Supply On Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) Larval Performance And Settlement Potential In Delaware Bay And Mississippi Sound, James C. Klein

Master's Theses

Oyster population maintenance and growth require sufficient larval stocks capable of timely development, growth, and successful metamorphosis, whereby larval performance and settlement potential determines the capacity for a larval cohort to effectively establish into an existing population. Exogenous factors influencing larval performance include temperature, salinity, and particularly food supply. Regarding food, a sufficiently abundant and nutritionally balanced diet composed of protein, lipids, and carbohydrates is critical for successful metamorphosis. The influence of exogenous factors on Crassostrea virginica settlement potential were examined in Delaware Bay and Mississippi Sound by incorporating in situ environmental conditions and food supply metrics into a well-established …

Analysis Of Social Behavior Of The African Great Apes During Feeding And Non-Feeding Contexts, Jessica Hale

Master's Theses

The three African great apes, bonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas, despite similar habitats, differ considerably in their sociality and feeding ecology. There have been many studies that have investigated the feeding ecology and social behaviors of these species, but there is extremely limited literature available on how feeding ecology may have affected ape social evolution. Chimpanzees are frugivorous, which forces them into close proximity when foraging given the clumped nature of this resource. Bonobos and gorillas, however, are fallback food consumers, which allow them to spread out as they forage. This thesis project aims to test the hypothesis that differences in …

A Geospatial Analysis Of Patterns In Neighborhood Characteristics And United States Professional Sports Stadium Relocations From 1922-2022, Kara Logan

Master's Theses

In the United States of America, 135 stadiums for new or relocating teams have been constructed between 1970 and 2020 (Bradbury et al., 2022, p. 3). Within those years, researchers, journalists, and community members have examined the impact of those new stadiums on local communities, including economic, environmental, and residential impacts. However, the current scope of literature consists of a considerable number of case studies that examine a single stadium or mega-event, such as the Olympics.

This study will determine what patterns, if any, exist between the demographic and housing characteristics between the stadiums that major league United States professional …

Athletic Identity Association And Prospective Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction Predict Attitudes Of Collegiate Athletes Toward Seeking Help From The Athletic Department, Allie Zerr

Master's Theses

There is an epidemic of mental health issues that has begun to be more openly talked about in college athletics. In 2022, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has found that college student-athletes are now 1.5-2 times more likely to report struggling with mental health than ever before. Previous research has shown a significant association with basic psychological needs satisfaction and overall psychological well-being. Furthermore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the possible ways that reported of autonomy, competence, and relatedness need satisfaction predicted whether athletes would seek mental health services and identify how athletic identity plays into this …

The Assessment Of Autonomic Function In Young Adults With An Elevated Risk Of Metabolic Syndrome, Ta'quoris Newsome

Master's Theses

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex medical condition defined by the co-occurrence of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors. Despite the well-defined profile of autonomic function in individuals with MetS, autonomic function in those with an elevated risk of developing MetS remains unclear. Our study aimed to shed light on the progression of cardiometabolic disease and its impact on autonomic function. To investigate, twenty participants, ten of whom were classified as having an elevated risk of developing MetS based on identification of risk factors using NCEP ATP III criteria, completed a two-visit study protocol. In the second visit, spontaneous cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity …

Game Changer: Mobile Apps Leveling Up Field Experiments, Lucie Schulz

Master's Theses

This study investigates the feasibility of digital financial education for microcredit borrowers with limited digital literacy in Eastern Uganda using a mobile game simulating real-world livestock investments. Analyzing 117,870 decisions made by 133 participants across five game sessions, we found a statistically significant increase in decision-making speed, with the speed more than doubling between the first and last game session, indicating growing familiarity with the game interface.

However, the overall error rate of participants increased significantly, possibly due to fatigue or the introduction of more complex financial concepts in higher levels. Additional analysis of the initial decisions at each level …

Evaluating A Common Book Program's Effect On Gains In Knowledge And Position Toward Sustainability In The Nutrition Professions, Hallie Lanice Shupe

Master's Theses

A Common Reader Program, also called a common book, summer reading, or a one-book program, has been reported to enhance the college educational experience yet appears to have been underutilized by colleges and universities. In the case of health sciences, there can be great benefits in having students learn from the literature not typically found in textbooks used in the curricula. Common reader programs allow for different teaching methods to be implemented and using multiple teaching methods in a single program can be beneficial. In nutrition and dietetics (ND) programs there is a need for additional education regarding sustainability in …

Stress Effects On The Growth Physiology Of Pacific Rockfishes (Sebastes Spp.): Negative Impacts Of Cortisol And Elevated Temperature Exposure, Hayley M. Mapes

Master's Theses

Fish experiencing stressful conditions increase production of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol, which alters energy intake and allocation to help recover physiological homeostasis. Fish experiencing prolonged elevations of cortisol, however, often exhibit reduced somatic growth. While it has been shown previously in fish that cortisol inhibits anabolic growth processes in part via changes in endocrine growth hormone (Gh)/insulin- like growth factor-1 (Igf1) signaling, it is not fully understood which components of Gh/Igf1 pathways are modulated by cortisol. Here, we explored how cortisol influences the Gh/Igf1 system in blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) by administering exogenous cortisol and examining effects on …

Effects Of Temperature On Economic Preferences: A Cross-Cultural Laboratory Study Of Prosocial Behavior, Nikita Tkachenko

Master's Theses

In light of the pressing issue of climate change, our study investigates the implications of rising temperatures on social and economic behaviors through a laboratory experiment conducted among students at university sites in Mexico, India, Kenya, Colombia, and the United States. This paper examines the influence of temperature differences and exposure length on economic decision-making among students at university sites in Mexico, Kenya, and the United States. Analyzing data from the dictator game, we explored how temperature, both ambient and wet bulb, and session length affect prosocial behavior. Our results suggest a link between temperature measures and prosocial behavior, with …

Habitat Characterization Of American Badgers (Taxidea Taxus) Of Northern California, Mitchell Victoria

Master's Theses

American badgers (Taxidea taxus) are a semi fossorial mammal that lives in grassland and open prairie ecosystems as well as coastal prairies, agricultural fields, deserts, and deforested habitats. Many researchers have published work on badgers, but we still require more information on their ecology. The American badger is a semi fossorial, solitary, predatory mammal of grassland ecosystems. They are classified as mesopredators when compared to larger apex predators such as brown bears, wolves, and pumas. However, when larger carnivores are absent, Badgers become apex predators of their ecosystems. Los Vaqueros Watershed in Brentwood, California, was my study site because badgers …

Determining Best Diet And Temperature Regime Of Monkeyface Pricklebacks (Cebidichthys Violaceus) For Aquaculture, Luke C. Townsend

Master's Theses

Wild freshwater eel populations are threatened due to overfishing and habitat degradation. Attempts to use aquaculture to close the eel life cycle have yet to be commercially adapted, owing largely to their complex lifecycle. Monkeyface pricklebacks (Cebidichthys violaceus) are intertidal fish that may serve as an alternative species for freshwater eels in aquaculture, as they possess several beneficial characteristics. This study aimed to optimize diet and culture temperatures to maximize monkeyface prickleback cultures by measuring growth, condition, metabolic rates, fillet composition, and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of juvenile fish that were reared in two separate experiments: (1) on four different …

Unveiling The Cognitive Impact: An Exploratory Study On Food Insecurity And Value-Driven Attentional Capture, Nichole S. Hogoboom

Master's Theses

Food insecurities have been shown to lead to serious negative health outcomes such as increased risk for diabetes and obesity in adulthood, food-related mental health and behavioral issues, all of which can have a crossover effect in many areas of a person’s life. This experiment explores whether previous history of food insecurity is associated with how people allocate attention to pictures of food; whether they are prioritizing or ignoring food stimuli in their environment. We hypothesized that the severity of food insecurity experienced in childhood would correlate with attentional bias towards food images, and that how hungry or thirsty participants …

Descriptive Study Of Adult Male Acheta Domesticus Phonotaxis, Dana Husana

Master's Theses

The phonotactic behavior of male Acheta domesticus has not been described at length. The present study evaluates the phonotactic responses of male A. domesticus in relation to age. Male crickets of different ages (young and old) were exposed to calls with attractive and non-attractive syllable periods for this species. Both age groups exhibited phonotaxis but did not show a preference towards the attractive call over the non-attractive ones. No significant relationship was found between age and phonotactic response. Additionally, no significant differences were observed between age and preferred syllable period. Acoustic responses were also observed in some of the older …

The Nature And Role Of Health Laws In The Writings Of Ellen G. White, Lehel Somogyi

Master's Theses

The Topic

Since the founding of their denomination, Seventh-day Adventists have advocated a particular concept of health based on the visions and writings of denominational co-founder Ellen G. White (1827–1915). According to her writings, certain natural laws are crucial for maintaining health. These laws are often called “the laws of health” or “the eight laws of health” and include principles such as diet, exercise, water, temperance, and hygiene. In Seventh-day Adventist circles, Ellen G. White is usually perceived as the originator of these health principles. Some scholars suggest that she simply borrowed her health principles from other contemporary health reformers. …

The Impact Of High Temperatures On Child Anthropometric Outcomes Worldwide, Natalia A. Cancino Garcia

Master's Theses

High temperatures caused by climate change significantly impact society, including child nutrition. Our research focuses on the impact of high temperatures on the anthropometric outcomes of children aged 1 to 5 in 54 countries worldwide. We analyze the historical climate and anthropometric data to evaluate the effect of high temperature on weight-for-age (WAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) in children. Results indicate that high temperatures negatively affect child nutrition, particularly in areas above 20°C, and children in rural areas are more vulnerable. The impact of monthly temperature on child anthropometric outcomes varies across countries, regions, and cultural practices. Economic status alone is …