Digital Commons Network^™

The Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing Ntca Immigrants’ Accessibility To Mexico’S Health Care System, Ken Nishikata

Master's Theses

Mexico’s geographical location has made the country play a centric role in trans-national migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. As a result, immigration has increasingly become a political issue for Mexico over the past decades^[1]. Before the eruption of the Central American crisis in the 1980s, Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala was recognized for its openness. However, such a tolerating status-quo changed as the number of NTCA immigrants entering Mexico increased upon the exacerbation of the crisis that placed thousands of individuals in exile. Indeed, the turmoil during the …

The Socio-Demographic Factors Influencing Ntca Immigrants' Accessibility To Mexico's Health Care System, Ken Nishikata

Master's Theses

Mexico’s geographical location has made the country play a centric role in trans-national migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) comprising Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. As a result, immigration has increasingly become a political issue for Mexico over the past decades^[1]. Before the eruption of the Central American crisis in the 1980s, Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala was recognized for its openness. However, such a tolerating status-quo changed as the number of NTCA immigrants entering Mexico increased upon the exacerbation of the crisis that placed thousands of individuals in exile. Indeed, the turmoil during the …

The Harms Of Willful Ignorance: Maternal Healthcare Providers’ Insight On Racial Disparities, Cara Marisa Cancelmo

Master's Theses

Black women in the United States die in pregnancy and childbirth at alarmingly high rates. According to The Center for Disease Control, black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. The black-white racial disparity is even greater in New York City, and The NYC Department of Health has found that black mothers in NYC still face higher rates of harm even when accounting for risk factors like educational attainment, obesity, and neighborhood poverty level. Drawing on 18 interviews with NYC-based Obstetricians, Labor and Delivery Nurses, and Midwives, this study examines how …

New Childhood Chronic Illness: Pans/Pandas And The Impact On Family Functioning, Jamie L. Dolce

Master's Theses

The current study examined parents’ reports of change in the parent-child relationship and family functioning following the onset of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)/Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) in their child. Research questions explored 1) how families’ day-to-day lives and functioning changed since the onset and 2) what challenges the families faced in raising a child with PANS/PANDAS. Research was conducted in two phases: narrative thematic analyses of online parent forum threads followed by semi-structured interviews with parents. Four primary themes were compiled from analyses of both data sources: Determinants of Family Functioning; Close Relationships; Routines …

Waves Of Binding: Neural Oscillations Of Visual, Auditory, And Lexical Integration, Hannah Morrow

Master's Theses

If our conceptual knowledge about concrete objects is represented (in part) across the brain regions that are active when those objects are perceived, how is information from those regions integrated, or “bound” into a coherent whole? One potential mechanism for binding is synchronized neuronal firing. In particular, high-frequencies (e.g., gamma) may support local interactions, while lower frequencies (e.g., theta) may support longer-range interactions. Previous work has implicated the role of gamma and theta in binding, but not testing both on the same paradigm with a condition intended to create more cortical distance. We recorded participants’ EEG while they were presented …

Reliability And Validity Of Physical Literacy Assessment Tools In The High School Aged Population, Zachary Malone

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Pre-Surgery Leptin Level And Weight Loss In Female Bariatric Surgery Patients, Miriam Katz

Master's Theses

Background: Improving weight loss after bariatric surgery remains a clinical concern. An unstudied factor is the role of leptin, the appetite control hormone, as a pre-surgical predictor of weight loss. High serum levels, often seen in obesity, are an indicator of leptin resistance as the brain no longer responds to satiety signaling.

Methods: Leptin levels were ascertained in female bariatric patients (n=28) prior to surgery at a large tertiary care hospital. We calculated Pearson Correlation Coefficients (r) and unstandardized β coefficients using multivariate linear regression. Primary outcome: Percent Excess Weight Loss (%EWL) evaluated at 6- and 12-months post-surgery. …

Exposure To Disability-Related Content And Attitudes Toward Persons With Disabilities Within The Uconn Mph Program: An Exploratory Study, Holly Labrecque

Master's Theses

Background: The purposes of this study include gathering a baseline assessment of 1) the extent to which UConn MPH students describe their exposure to disability content within the curriculum, and 2) how students describe their experiences encountering persons with disabilities (PWD).

Methods: A survey was completed by 36 current UConn MPH students and alumni.

Results: When asked how often disability was integrated into curriculum and class discussion, a majority of participants (n= 28) answered sometimes, rarely, or never, (77.8%), (88.9%). All students who reported having classes with students from other disciplines reported that it was valuable. Eighty-six percent indicated …

Clinical Assessment Of Repetitive And Restricted Behaviors In Toddlers On The Autism Spectrum, Katelynn Porto

Master's Theses

Repetitive and restricted behaviors (RRBs) are core symptoms of ASD and often emerge in the first year of life. It is important to understand how best to integrate diagnostically relevant information from multiple methods of assessment in clinical settings. The study aims to characterize the association between parent report and clinical observation of RRBs, compare the utility of each method for eliciting information on RRBs, and characterize the presentation of RRBs in toddlers at the time of initial diagnosis. Participants were 65 children ages 18-39 months diagnosed with ASD. Associations between a parent report rating scale, clinician-driven parent interview, and …

The Denial Of Black Victimhood: Examining Attitudes Of Sexual Assault And Victim-Blaming On A College Campus, A Continued Analysis, Odia Kane

Master's Theses

This study examines the attribution of guilt and victimhood in the context of rape on predominately white college campuses. The study is comprised of two samples; Sample 1 (n=362) and Sample 2 (n=1,144) of students from a New England university. Each participant read a vignette regarding two classmates: a female victim, Taneesha or Madeline, and a male perpetrator, Jamal or Connor, completing a group project. The findings of this study are critical because they analyze the surrounding attitudes of the treatment of victims of sexual assault and assess the social and political climate of rape culture on college campuses.

Oral Health Literacy And Oral Health Practices In South Asian Populations, Ambika Sharma

Master's Theses

Background: Oral Health is a strong predictor of and has strong implications on overall health and quality of life. The 2018 Surgeon General’s Report of Oral Health declared a need for more data collection and surveillance on the oral health status of minority groups in America. Surveillance studies examining the scope of inequalities can ultimately drive policy to mitigate disparities. Surveillance data can also help shed light on South Asians in Americans, their oral health perspectives and practices.

Methods: A 19-question survey was administered to convenience samples of South Asians in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. Study subjects were …

Innovation Dynamics Of Cultural Production: Evidence In Rap Lyrics, James M. Zumel Dumlao, Junjie Lei, Emeka Nwosu, Li Yu Oon, Tsai Ling Jeffrey Wong, James Rising, Jesse Anttila-Hughes

Master's Theses

Culture is a driving force in organizing the structure of societies, and is conjoined with economic development. However, quantifying the impact of culture is difficult. Culture manifests itself in cultural production, through art, performance, music, etc. Innovation and influence in cultural production industries partially determines product quality. Using techniques from the “digitized humanities”, we agnostically identify informational distance to describe the spatiotemporal dynamics of innovation and influence in Rap music lyrics. Rap emphasizes lyricism and hometown pride more than other genres of popular music, and is interesting as a globally impactful manifestation of the racially segregated labor market in the …

The Relationship Between Sport Commitment With Off-Season Training Time And Previous In-Season Playing Time In College-Aged Soccer Players 2020., Luke Zuber

Master's Theses

Sport commitment is defined as “…the desire and resolve to continue sport participation” (Scanlan, Carpenter, Schmidt, Simons, & Keeler, 1993, p. 6). Since the first definition, the concept has been further refined to reflect a more multidimensional paradigm. Overall, sport commitment is thought to be comprised of the dimensions of enthusiastic commitment and constrained commitment (Scanlan, Chow, Sousa, Scanlan, & Knifsend, 2016). Those constructs can be broken down further to 12 subconstructs that are represented in the Sport Commitment – 2 (SC; Scanlan, Chow, Sousa, Scanlan, & Knifsend, 2016), in order to evaluate the source and level of an individual’s …

Stuttering And The Early Childhood Educator, Haley Jo Wesson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research study was to gain information on early childhood educator’s knowledge of the myths and facts of stuttering. The researcher’s main question at hand is what are the effects of educator knowledge regarding fluency on young children? It was hypothesized that participants with a higher level of education will correctly identify more statements regarding stuttering than participants with a lower level of education. The researcher created a survey that was distributed to early childhood educators. The findings of the survey may be helpful in educating early childhood educators and bringing awareness to the misconceptions of stuttering.

A Comparison Of Reasons For Breastfeeding Cessation In Preterm And Term Infants During The First Year Of Life, Rebecca Robert

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare factors that may affect breastfeeding duration or cessation in preterm and term infants during the first year of life. A 50- question survey was administered using SurveyMonkey™ and distributed through social media platforms. Participants were able to enter a drawing for an Amazon gift card as incentive. SPSS was used for statistical analysis. Participants included mothers over the age of 18, with a child between the ages of 12 and 24 months, born in the U.S., and who provided human milk to their child at any point during the first year of …

Mindful Eating Behavior In Post Surgical Bariatric Patients, Megan Mabery Filer

Master's Theses

Emotional eating and binge-eating behavior in obese individuals and post-surgical bariatric patients are both linked to decreased ability to identify and cope with stress (Mitchell et al., 2016; Urquhart & Mihalynuk, 2011). In turn, obese patients who exhibit greater rates of stress-eating behavior show reductions in levels of mindfulness (Ouwens et al., 2015). The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between mindful eating component scores and selected weight loss outcomes in post-surgical bariatric patients.

Patients from a private bariatric clinic in Shreveport, Louisiana who underwent gastric sleeve or gastric bypass were invited to participate based on specific …

Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Influence Of Poly-Victimization On Adolescent Delinquency And Adult Criminality, Samantha Qualkenbush

Master's Theses

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are under-researched and a large part of unrecognized child victims. Although there is considerable research on trauma and adverse experiences in children, there are gaps in research concerning specific types of offending and specific ACEs. The purpose of this study is to determine if specific types of ACEs, or combinations of ACEs, influence children in differing ways related to adolescent delinquency and adult criminality. Analyses of previously collected data, specifically considering information on differences in the average number and likelihood of offenses for both juveniles and adults provides intriguing results. In concurrence with previous research, this …

Implementing Support Materials For Students With Special Needs In An Inclusive Classroom, Ana Vazquez

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to help dance educators enhance their curriculum by implementing four support instruments designed to help students with special needs. This study aimed to answer the following questions: Q1 In what ways does the implementation of support materials designed for students with special needs help support an inclusive classroom? Q2 In what ways do these support materials help dance teachers enhance their lessons for students with special needs, hence maximizing student response, participation and engagement and student-teacher relationship? Five dance educators participated in this study where they completed an entrance and post-survey, and an implementation …

Nursing Students' Awareness About Effective Teamwork And Related Factors, Vi Thi Thuong Nguyen

Master's Theses

This study surveyed the awareness level of nursing students about the effectiveness of teamwork and related factors. At Hong Bang International University (HIU), teamwork training for nursing students at HIU has been applied but it has been difficult for all students to achieve high results and confidence in practicing teamwork skills. The effectiveness of self-study and group activities depends on many factors. The effectiveness of teaching approaches has not been measured and has needed to be addressed to result in the best learning experience for students. The results of this study provided recommendations to improve the quality of training as …

Quality Of Life Among Colorectal Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy, Chau Minh Than

Master's Theses

This study had the general goal of surveying the quality of life (QoL) and related factors affecting the QoL of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients participating in cancer chemotherapy at University Medical Center (UMC) in Ho Chi Minh City. The study also had the following specific objectives: (a) determining the demographic and clinical characteristics of CRC patients and (b) determining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors affecting HRQoL of CRC patients receiving cancer chemotherapy. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Sixty CRC patients being treated at the UMC participated in this study. The research used the European Organization for …

Stressors And Coping Styles Among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients In Vietnam, Linh Thi Ngoc Nguyen

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to understand stressors experienced and coping styles used by 30 hemodialysis patients in Vietnam and to examine the relationship among stressors, coping styles, and demographics (age, gender, and length of treatment). A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted. Data collection took place in a government hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. The hospital has 60 hemodialysis machines. The hemodialysis department serves 450 scheduled hemodialysis patients and 60 emergency cases per day. Stressors were divided into two groups: physical and psychosocial. Differences between physical and psychosocial stressors were obtained by dividing raw subscale scores by …

The Effect Of Music On Anxiety Of The Endoscopic Client In A Private Hospital In Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, Hanh Thi Hong Nguyen

Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal tract cancer is one of the fifth most common cancers in Vietnam and has a high mortality rate in Vietnamese people based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) global cancer statistics. One-third of adults aged 50 or older, the age group at greatest risk of developing colorectal cancer, have not been screened because endoscopy is considered a stressful procedure. The endoscopic patient sometimes refuses to have the procedure. Therefore, using music to ease the anxiety of endoscopic clients has been examined in various studies but the results have been inconclusive. The aim of this study was …

Online And Offline Identity Gaps: Cross-Contextual Predictors And Psychological Outcome, Ningyang Wang

Master's Theses

Using Communication Theory of Identity as a framework, this study compared an individual’s online and offline personal-enacted identity gap and examined the effect of each personal-enacted identity gap on individuals’ psychological well-being, as well as tested four cross-contextual predictors for online and offline personal-enacted identity gaps.

Survey data were collected from 214 participants on Amazon M-Turk. A sequence of hypotheses was tested. A questionnaire used for measuring individuals’ online personal-enacted identity gap was generated.

The result suggested individuals experience larger personal-enacted identity gap offline, which significantly negative predict individuals’ psychological well-being, whereas online personal-enacted identity gap positively predicts psychological well-being. …

The Development And Exploration Of A Twelve-Factor Model Of Motivations For Using Substances, Taylor Altenberger

Master's Theses

The existing literature suggests inconsistent and limited application of various salient motives to use substances across substance classes and has been further limited by only measuring substance use motives by the frequency at which one uses for a given reason. The purpose of this study was the development and initial validation of the Motivations for Substance Use Questionnaire (MUSQ). The MUSQ was intended to be a more comprehensive measure identifying motives to use that have been selectively included in some measures and expanding the breadth of substances addressed. We also aimed to index and test cognitive aspects of the motives …

“You Must Live, And Show To The World What They Have Been Doing Here”: The Survival Of The “Rabbits” Of Ravensbrück, Regina Coffey

Master's Theses

The Polish women who would later come to be known as the kroliki or “rabbits” arrived at Ravensbrück with a death sentence. As a result of their work for underground organizations back in Poland, the camp administration planned to execute them within a few years. Because the women were already intended to die, they were chosen as the subjects of experimental operations in which muscles and bones in their legs were mutilated and many of them were injected with various diseases and bacteria. Most of the rabbits survived the experiments, though many were permanently crippled, and several suffered from additional …

The Effects Of Optimism On Anti-Natalism, Faith L. Brown

Master's Theses

People sometimes hold opinions on others’ choices, particularly their reproductive decisions, as these choices are important decisions that impact the lives of multiple people. People can believe that everyone should have children (pro-natalism) or that everyone should refrain from having children (anti-natalism) or they can hold no position on the reproduction of others. The main justification for anti-natalism is that life contains more suffering than pleasure and that it would be better if new people were not born to experience this suffering. This is why some theorists argue that people reject anti-natalism irrespective of how bad …

Willingness To Seek Professional Help For Suicidal Thoughts: The Role Of Masculine Norms And Self-Stigma In Service Members, Samantha E. Daruwala

Master's Theses

Given the high rate of suicide, it is important to understand what barriers are preventing service members from seeking professional help for suicidal thoughts. Self-stigma and conformity to masculine norms, which are evident in the military culture, have been demonstrated as barriers to care in civilians. This study sought to better understand how these two factors are related to willingness to seek professional help for suicidal thoughts and a personal-emotional problem among service members. Specifically, we (1) identified service members’ willingness to seek help from a variety of sources for suicidal thoughts and a personal-emotional problem, (2) examined how conformity …

The Effect Of Sex Of Firstborn Children On Fertility Preferences, Lauren Lamson

Master's Theses

Fertility rates around the world are falling at the same time that male-skewed sex ratios at birth are on the rise. The individual fertility choices people make contribute to this inverse relationship, exacerbating the problem of “missing women” as well as a number of other adverse social and economic effects. The decision to have a child is extremely complex. Distilling the interaction between fertility and sex compositional preferences, fertility levels, and gender norms is an important step toward understanding both the reproductive choices people make as well as the formation of fertility preferences. I use individual-level data from the Demographic …

Neural Representation Of Articulable And Inarticulable Novel Sound Contrasts: The Role Of The Dorsal Stream, David Saltzman

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Custodians Of Memory: A History Of American Archival Science With Suggestions For Future Digital Preservation Efforts, Courtney Thompson

Master's Theses

The archive and the historian are symbiotically dependent on one another. The archive relies on the historian to make use of the records it houses, and the historian looks to the archive to reconstruct history. But can a historian responsibly reconstruct history when the archive is fraught with relativity and bias? This thesis serves two purposes; one, pulling from seminal archival science and collections management texts, it chronicles the monumental, intellectual changes to American archival sciences, theories, and institutions, and two, it shows how these early conversations pertaining to archival theories are both not far removed from digital preservation efforts …