Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Race-Related Stress On The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (Mmpi-3) Of An African American Community Sample, Cassandra Clayton

Theses and Dissertations

Black Americans have endured profound racial discrimination and systemic injustices rooted in the historical legacy of slavery in the United States. These injustices persist today, permeating various facets of life, such as social interactions, education, politics, legal systems, and employment opportunities. Previous research has explored the cultural ramifications of these experiences, which often lead to race-related stressors and negative impacts on the psychological well-being of Black Americans. However, the exploration of how discrimination and racial stressors impact personality test scores of African Americans, such as on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 3^rd edition (MMPI-3), is limited. This study investigated …

An Empirical Analysis Of The Mmpi-3 Suicidal/Death Ideation Scale, Brittany Barnes Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is a significant concern in society and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and around the world. Suicidality is particularly prevalent in outpatient psychological treatment centers, with some studies estimating a tenfold increase in prevalence in this setting compared to the population at large. Several measures have been developed to assess suicide risk potential based on symptom frequency and combinations of risk factors, and broadband personality measures have also incorporated suicidality scales into their tests. The current study was focused on assessing the effectiveness of the Suicidal/Death Ideation (SUI) scale on the third …

Transcending The Malaise Of Psychology By Being For The Other: An Alternative View For Psychotherapy, Kylie Marie Burdge

Theses and Dissertations

While psychological practice continues to expand, the sobering decline of mental health identified by Hillman and Ventura (1993) is evidenced by increased rates of suicide (Weir, 2019; Hedegaard, 2021; Stone et al., 2018) and psychopathology (Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, 2018; Twenge et al., 2010). Charles Taylor identified, in the same time frame as the noted decline of mental health, a malaise of modernity (1991), that is, the loss of meaning and transcendence in the modern world. Throughout the history of psychology and Western thought and culture, increased rates of psychological distress certainly coincide with what I will refer to …

Structural Social Determinants And Pacific Islanders' Attitudes Toward Psychological Help Seeking, Abigail Elizabeth Norton

Theses and Dissertations

Pacific Islanders (PIs) report encountering various structural barriers to seeking mental health services. This study aimed to: (a) Evaluate the relationship between structural social determinants of health (SSDH) and attitudes toward help seeking, and (b) Test the mediating role of value and need in seeking treatment on demographic characteristics and openness to seeking professional help. A total of 129 participants (69% female) aged 18–74 (Mage = 34.33, SD = 12.73) completed questionnaires assessing SSDH barriers, demographic characteristics, and attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Descriptive analyses, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed. We found that being unable …

Efficacy Of An Online Mindfulness Training For Adolescents: A Pilot Study, Gus C. Salazar

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Adolescence represents a period in a person’s life where they develop skills and competencies necessary to flourish in the physical, social, emotional, and academic areas of their lives. Additionally, adolescents are facing unprecedented social and mental health challenges. As such, it is important to equip adolescents with tools to help them succeed. Mindfulness is one resource which has been shown to improve symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, while also improving mindfulness ability and overall well-being. Aims: The purpose of this study was to conduct a pilot study to examine the efficacy of a self-guided, internet-delivered mindfulness training with …

Preparation And Efficacy Evaluation Of Chicken Egg Yolk Sourced Igy Against The Venoms Of Cobra, Krait, Russell’S Viper, And Saw-Scaled Viper, Gayathri G

Theses and Dissertations

Envenomation resulting from snakebites is widely recognized as an alarming health risk in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The big four snakes including Naja naja, Bungarus caeruleus, Daboia russelli, Echis carinatus are responsible for most of the envenomation in India. The current therapy for snake envenomation is immunoglobulins, produced from serum or plasma of horses or sheep. To overcome the drawbacks of current antivenom, chicken egg yolk (IgY) antibodies have recently emerged as one of the most promising research avenues.

In this study, the efficacy of chicken egg yolk sourced antisnake venom (ASV) IgY against the big four venoms was evaluated …

Mental Illness Amongst Incarcerated Individuals And Its Effect On Gaining Employment, Tionna S. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

More than half the correctional population has a mental health disorder (NIH, 2022). Having a mental health disorder can severely interfere in one’s transition back into the community, specifically surrounding their access to employment. This dissertation analyzes the extent to which the mental health of previously incarcerated individuals affects their employment upon release. Results from this study concluded that having a mental health diagnosis did interfere with previously incarcerated individuals’ access to employment, especially if those individuals were black. This dissertation concludes with a discussion of the findings, limitations, contributions, as well as implications for practitioners, policy makers and researchers.

Development Of Temperature Measurement And Control Of 3d Printed Microfluidic Devices Towards Biomolecular Analysis, Derek A. Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Microfluidics are devices with channels or reservoirs that have dimensions in the range of micrometers. They have an increasing role in biological analysis processes due to their ability to use very small sample volumes. Many microfluidic processes rely heavily on precise temperature measurement and control. Advances in 3D printing have led to high resolution digital light processing stereolithography (DLP-SLA) printers capable of using bio-compatible materials, available at BYU. This custom 3D printer has a resolution of 7.6 µm in the XY plane and 10 µm in the Z axis. Combined with a custom-made resin, we can produce microfluidic features as …

Design And Analysis Of Optimal Energy Efficient Routing Protocols For Lifetime Maximization And Qos Enhancement In Wireless Body Area Networks, Karthikeyan S

Theses and Dissertations

In recent times, Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) a subsection of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) a promising technology for the future healthcare realm with cutting-edge technologies that can assist healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses and biomedical engineers which enables one-to-one care by implementing Tele-Medicine and Tele-Health solutions. Machine Learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) enabled medical big data is the future of the healthcare sector and Medical Technology-based industries leading to applications in other sectors such as fitness tracking for commercial purposes, Sportsperson health monitoring to track their day-to-day activities and wearable devices for critical and emergency care.

Recent …

Development Of An Evidence-Based Policy Handbook Utilizing A Hub And Spoke Practice Model: A Quality Improvement Dnp Project, Leah M. Coffman

Theses and Dissertations

Diagnosing a child with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in the State of Alaska requires a team-based approach. The current model is a hub model where providers refer to one of a few certified 4-Digit Code method teams in the geographically vast State of Alaska. Telehealth has been suggested as a viable alternative to in-person hub evaluations for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). The State of Alaska FASD program and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Fund’s goals of moving towards a telehealth program for FASD evaluation, diagnosis, and management (WICHE-BHP, 2021). This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project sought to …

"If Someone Had Stopped The First World Racist, There Would Be No Racism Today": Empowering African American Muslim Elementary Students Through A Critical Literacy(Critlit) Project, Faten Baroudi

Theses and Dissertations

The Critical Literacy (CritLit) project promotes using critical texts to engage readers in examining their lived experiences and understanding of social justice issues. This study used a qualitative participatory approach with a narrative design to research the students’ engagement in a book club using critical texts. Participants were fourth- and fifth-grade African American students who participated in a 4-week project at a weekend Islamic school in Philadelphia. I organized my study into four sessions. Three book club sessions were audio-recorded and observed. Field notes were taken; pre and post-interviews were conducted; student/teacher reflections were collected with students’ notes and handouts; …

Development Of Brain Tumor Detection And Feature Extraction Through Deep Learning Approach, Sivapathi A

Theses and Dissertations

As the body's central control system, the human brain is susceptible to a wide variety of disorders, including tumors characterized by abnormal cell growth. It is imperative to detect these tumors as early as possible to plan effective treatment and improve patient outcomes. By using contemporary medical imaging methods, this research seeks to improve the accuracy and efficiency of brain tumor detection through the careful preprocessing and analysis of images, particularly Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) [1]. To provide context for the subsequent research efforts, the challenges inherent in brain tumor detection are discussed comprehensively, including segmentation accuracy, small lesion detection, …

Evaluation Of Bridge Deterioration Factors: From Design Parameters To Community Impact., Lawrencia Akuffo

Theses and Dissertations

The structural health and economic variables influencing the state of bridges in New Jersey are thoroughly examined in this thesis. The predictive modeling of bridge conditions using stepwise selection and linear logistic regression approaches is the primary focus of the opening chapter. With its precise predictions about bridge condition, either being fair/good, our model offers insightful information about resource allocation and maintenance by identifying bridge features which affect the deterioration of bridges the most. This gives effective infrastructure management, which not only relies on the identification of the important predictors and their effects on bridge conditions but also ranks them …

Understanding Patterns Of Hope And Sense Of Belonging From Mentoring Through Latent Class Analysis, Bailey Dow

Theses and Dissertations

Youth who have safe, stable, nurturing relationships (SSNRs) are more resilient to adverse childhood experiences and have better mental health. Compared to prior generations, today’s youth feel lonelier and more socially isolated than ever, and they crave the sense of belonging and hope that comes from meaningful social connections. Mentors can play a crucial role in bolstering these attributes. Mentors help youth in different ways, depending on the mentee's characteristics, preferences, or circumstances. Despite the well-known significance of natural mentoring relationships as a SSNR, researchers have paid little attention to how and why natural mentoring benefits vary among mentees. The …

Does Sport Participation Affect Physical Activity, Perceptions Of Exercise, And Physical Distress Tolerance In Adolescents?, Monica Carolina Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Today's adolescents are not attaining recommended duration of physical activity (PA), which can impact their physical and mental health. Sport participation may be an avenue to increase PA as well as improve positive perceptions of exercise and distress tolerance during PA. We investigated whether sport participation among adolescents influences their overall PA levels as well as PA covariates. We also evaluated the impact of the number of sports an individual participates in on their positive perceptions of PA. Methods: PA data was recorded using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A) and a waist-worn accelerometer. Participants also completed the …

Regulation And Function Of The Rna-Binding Protein Khsrp During Neuronal Development, Regeneration And Axonal Injury Response, Courtney Nicole Buchanan

Theses and Dissertations

Axons, which extend long distances from neuronal cell bodies, rely on localized mRNA translation to swiftly respond to extracellular stimuli and physiological states. This work investigates the mechanism underlying the RNA-binding protein KHSRP’s, axonal mRNA translation and regulatory pathways involved in neuronal growth and regeneration. Our results indicate that KHSRP deletion in mice leads to upregulation of growth-associated mRNAs linked to neuronal morphology and function, resulting in increased axon growth and altered memory consolidation. Indicating a critical role for KHSRP in neuronal development and function through post-transcriptional regulation (Chapter 2). Additionally, we show there is a rapid increase in axonal …

Integrating Digital Twin Technology For Real Time Blockage Detection In Water Cooled Electronics, Richard Scott Hainey Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This paper presents a culmination of research into integrating Digital Twin (DT) technology in water-cooled electronic systems to improve system reliability by detecting faults in the cooling system that maintains the proper operation of heat-producing electronic components and systems. A DT is a virtual representation of a physical twin (PT). This PT can represent real-world systems, individual components, or processes. Using the DT, operators can gain insight into the behavior and characteristics of the PT, thereby facilitating informed decisions to improve its health and optimize processes. The DT system is designed to detect obstructions forming in the waste heat-producing components …

Bioluminesence-Induced Photoredox Catalysis And Its Mechanisms, Dominic Jeffrey Bates

Theses and Dissertations

The bioluminescence-induced photoredox reaction (BIPR) is a novel methodology developed to overcome the limitations of photo-induced chemistry by initiating chemical work using bioluminescent Escherichia coli as a photon source. In industry, photochemistry is superseded by thermochemical reaction processes. Despite its massive potential, there are very few applications in industry for photochemistry. Unlike thermochemistry, reaction scale-ups are not as easy as simple dimensional increases in a reaction vessel due to the nature of light. This deficiency is seemingly overcome through the development of flow technologies; however, the overall yield of such methods remains incomparable with those utilizing thermochemistry. This thesis focuses …

Seeking Solutions: The Impact Of State Policies On Mental And Behavioral Health, Angela Shoulders

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of state-level policies aimed at improving access to mental and behavioral health treatment in the United States. Using rigorous quasi-experimental methods and a variety of data sources, the three manuscripts analyze the effects of distinct but related policies: naloxone co-prescription laws, psychologist prescription privileges, and mental health parity laws mandating timely access to care. The findings suggest that naloxone co-prescription laws lead to unintended consequences, including an increase in opioid overdose deaths among certain demographics. The analyses of psychologist prescribing privileges show expanding prescribing privileges to psychologists increases the availability of mental health providers without …

Assessing Functional Abilities In A Memory Disorder Population: A Comparison Of Self-Report, Informant-Report, And Performance-Based Measures, Kevin Andrew Murray

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Accurate assessment of daily functioning is critical for deriving a correct diagnosis and facilitating effective patient care. While collateral reports from a reliable informant can elucidate patients’ functional capacities, they may be susceptible to misappraisals of functional status. Similarly, patients with limited insight may be prone to misjudging their functional abilities. Performance-based measures of adaptive functioning may detect subtle declines in daily functioning overlooked by self- and informant-report measures. However, these measures may be limited in terms of ecological validity. The current study investigated the association between a performance-based measure of daily functioning and patients’ and informants’ ratings of …

The Relationship Between Health Anxiety, Health Information Seeking Behaviors, And Healthcare Outcomes, Rima Malkan

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between health anxiety and health information-seeking behaviors (HISB) suggests a possible bidirectional or reciprocal relationship, suggesting that health anxiety leads to HISB and HISB exacerbates health anxiety. The motivations for individuals seeking different types of health information vary and may be impacted by numerous factors that lead to particular health outcomes. However, the impact of these collective variables on healthcare outcomes has not been extensively investigated. The current study aimed to bridge this gap in the literature. The study sample consisted of 133 individuals ages 20-77 years who had varying levels of health anxiety. Results suggested that those …

Do Parents Know Best: The Impact Of Parental Sleep Knowledge And Related Factors On Sleep In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Rachel Nicole Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Sleep problems are a common concern reported by parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The prevalence of sleep disorders in those with NDD have been reported as high as 86% compared to 25% of typically developing children (Horwood et al., 2019, Robin-Shelton, 2016). These sleep problems can have detrimental effects on cognition, development, behavior, emotion regulation, and physical health. Existing research demonstrates a significant relationship between a child’s sleep disturbances and their parents’ sleep quality and level of parenting stress. This study aimed to identify the gaps in parental sleep knowledge and examined how parent sleep quality and parental …

Out Of Left Screen: Factors Impacting Well-Being In Digital And Physical Collegiate Athletes, Jessica Poskus

Theses and Dissertations

Competitive video gaming, or “esports,” has quickly become a popular college extracurricular. Its classification as a varsity sport on many campuses reflects a broader shift in cultural conceptualizations and perceptions of athleticism. As esports continue to evolve in today’s increasingly digital world, new professional leagues emerge, and viewership rivals that of traditional physical sports. Esports can be a gateway for unique opportunities for college students; however, it may also pose some challenges. This study explored differences between digital and physical athletes, who must balance their chosen activity with other collegiate responsibilities, including academic, social, and physical health. Physical sports and …

Effect Of Storage Time And Temperature On Aggregation Of Alzheimer's Disease Amyloid-Β Protein, Amy Veihdeffer

Theses and Dissertations

Amyloid-β protein (Aβ) is widely studied due to its key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. One characteristic of patients suffering from AD is the deposition of amyloid plaques comprised of Aβ aggregates, which are associated with synapse damage. Thus, studying Aβ aggregation and aggregation inhibition may provide pathological and therapeutic insights. Aggregation of Aβ is a nucleation dependent process that may be influenced by the presence of pre-formed Aβ aggregate seeds that can facilitate formation of protein aggregates. These seeds may appear during preparation or storage of monomer, posing impact on experiments that study the aggregation process and the …

Retrospective Of My Experience At The University Of South Carolina, Karl Dickey

Theses and Dissertations

Theatre is, by its very nature, a collaborative process. No show lives in true isolation. Even in its smallest version, it takes at least one to perform and one to listen. The theatre that is produced in the 21^st century is deeper and more complex a process than the finished and polished shows that are presented to the audience. Behind, underneath, and all around a single performer on a stage are hours of thoughtful contemplation and execution on the part of the director, designers, and fabricators. There is something to be learned and gained from every human interaction in …

An Examination Of Civil Asset Forfeiture In South Carolina, Jeffrey Trowbridge

Theses and Dissertations

Civil asset forfeiture allows the government to seize and forfeit property that is associated with criminal activity without arresting or charging the property owner. Although expansive in its potential application, little is understood about the characteristics of civil asset forfeiture cases, the property owners involved in forfeiture cases, or the characteristics of any criminal cases pursued parallel to the civil cases. Utilizing open-source, public court records, this dissertation provides an exploratory analysis of these gaps in the literature by examining the types of civil asset forfeiture used, the value of asset forfeiture cases, how money from asset forfeiture is divided …

Bayesian Nonparametric Models For Pooled Data, Yizeng Li

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines two applications of pooling: group testing and pooled biomonitoring. Group testing, introduced by Dorfman in the early 1940s, was initially developed to screen for syphilis among U.S. inductees during World War II. Since then, the approach has demonstrated cost-saving benefits in diverse fields, including drug discovery, genetics, and infectious disease testing. While various regression methods—parametric, nonparametric, and semiparametric—have been proposed to analyze group testing data, they fall short in addressing age-related disparities in disease presence if such variations exist. In Chapter 2, we address this gap by expanding varying coefficient regression within a Bayesian framework to accommodate …

Inspecting The Foundations Of Natural Law Ethics And Politics: Looking For Cracks, Detecting Gaps, And Considering The Edifice That Can Be Built Thereon, Adam D. Bailey

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I inspect the foundations of natural law ethics and politics. The inspection involves looking for cracks, detecting gaps, and considering the edifice that can be built thereon. To do so, I critically examine several of the many concepts and principles that are constitutive of those foundations. Some of my examination is done by means of direct consideration of such concepts and principles. And some of it is done by addressing such concepts and principles indirectly as I address questions about practical ethical or political concerns including: how can public officials make decisions that are not biased, what …

Associations Between Self-Reported Levels Of Aggression, Irritability, And Depression In Collegiate Athletes With A History Of Concussion, Amber Mae Bankston

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between history of concussion and symptoms of aggression, irritability, and depression. Furthermore, the relationship between these variables were examined in a small subgroup of participants before and after sustaining a head injury.

Methods: Archival data of NCAA Division II and club collegiate athletes from Florida Institute of Technology was included in the present study. Participants were included in this study if they completed baseline and/or post-trauma neuropsychological evaluations that included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and Irritability Questionnaire (IRQ). Athletes’ demographic information along with …

Childhood Adversity's Impact On Criminal Behavior, Isobel Marie Avento

Theses and Dissertations

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as abuse, neglect, and family criminal history, have been identified as potential risk factors for negative physical, psychological, and behavioral health outcomes. Emerging literature suggests that ACEs are also among the primary factors leading to delinquency and adult criminal behavior. However, there is limited applied research that provides practitioners with appropriate insight to intervene when ACEs are identified among juvenile delinquents to reduce recidivism risk. This study adds to the existing literature by examining how cumulative ACEs shape criminal behavior of individuals from the onset until its desistance over the span of twenty years. Using …