Digital Commons Network^™

Neural Mechanisms Of Lexical Semantics: Investigating The Roles Of Hubs And Distributed Action-Perception Systems, Nicholas Andrew Riccardi

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the meaning of words and concepts is vital for communication, forming relationships, and navigating everyday life. Loss of this knowledge through brain damage can have drastic consequences for one’s health and well-being. It is therefore important to learn how this information is organized anatomically in the brain. In this dissertation, I report a series of structural and functional neuroimaging studies in healthy adults and survivors of stroke seeking to understand how lexical semantics are represented. Specifically, I used a variety of tasks to examine the contributions of putative ‘hubs’ and distributed action-perception systems. Results indicated that damage or disruption …

Effects Of Caffeine On Measures Of Clinical Outcome And Recovery Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Adolescents, Jacob Michael Eade

Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: The overarching purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of habitual caffeine consumption on mTBI outcomes in adolescents. BACKGROUND: Adolescents who suffer an mTBI have an increased risk for neurological impairment and symptomology. Thus, it is important to elucidate modifiable lifestyle factors that have the potential to influence injury outcomes and recovery. Caffeine is a legal psychoactive compound prevalent among the adolescent population. Marketed as an ergogenic aid caffeine coincides with recreational activities where incidence of mTBI is high. However, no human study has explored the influence of caffeine consumption on mTBI pathology. It was hypothesized that …

An Examination Of Semester-Long Review Of Behavior Referral Data At A High School In A Southeastern State, Shalanda L. Shuler

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine semester-long referral data from a ninth-grade cohort in a public school in a southeastern state. The research question for this study was the following: What will the examination of semester-long referral data from the entire ninth-grade cohort of a public school in a southeastern state reveal? The problem that prompted this study centered around the ninth grade having the highest number of office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) in the Henderson County school district (pseudonym). Students who routinely receive ODRs run the danger of failing their classes and are more likely to have been …

Optimizing Repayment Strategies For Egyptian Construction Companies With Multiple Loans, Moataz Elkady

Theses and Dissertations

Optimizing Repayment Strategies for Egyptian Construction Companies with Multiple Loans is of utmost importance to efficiently allocate monthly income for loan repayment. The conventional practice of paying the minimum balance due each month leads to increased interest charges and prolonged repayment periods. In response, this research proposes a model for multiple loan repayment that considers the computational complexity involved.

The model is built on the foundation of mixed integer linear programming and aims to establish an optimal repayment schedule by minimizing the total cash required to repay the loans, prioritizing the repayment of loans before personal expenses. The implementation of …

Metabolomics Unveiled: Decoding Platelet Dynamics In Smokers, And Head-Neck Cancer Patients, Anthony Nasr Tanios

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the metabolomics profiles of platelets in smokers and head and neck cancer patients compared to normal healthy donors. This study analyzed the metabolomics profile of the platelets from smokers and cancer patients compared to healthy individuals. Samples were collected and processed by the research group of Prof. Dr. Barbara Wollenberg at the Klinikum Rechts der Isar-Technical University of Munich. The data analysis was performed at the Technical University in Munich (TUM). Untargeted metabolomics profiling was conducted using both hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) and reverse-phase (RP) chromatography in both positive and negative ionization modes. This …

Meaning Making And Athletic Gender Discrimination: Associations Between Sports Participation And Gender Discrimination Among Adolescent Females, Chenae Christensen Duerden

Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that participation in athletics provides adolescent females with a variety of positive mental and physical benefits. While Title IX paved the way for increased female participation in organized sports, female athletes, including adolescents, continue to face various forms of gender discrimination. Research also suggests that females with a strong feminist identity are more likely to identify and speak out against gender discrimination. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine the association between gender discrimination and sports participation and the potential moderating role of feminist identity and cognitive appraisals of discrimination on this relationship. Participants were 580 adolescent females (age …

Non-Zero Sum Sport: Pickleball And The Theory Of Coopetition, Max Arthur Manthou

Theses and Dissertations

An ethnography of the sport of pickleball was conducted over a span of 7 months in the United States. Findings are partly the result of the author’s journey from playing in the park to playing in the Pros—presented in autoethnographic terms—and partly the result of 11 semi-structured interviews with 13 avid pickleball players. The main contention of this study is that sport is non-zero sum, despite a tendency for sport to be considered in zero sum terms. The non-zero sum aspect of sport is argued to be the result of two main causes: one, sport is coopetive, in that it …

How Do Dispositional Mindfulness And Statistical Anxiety Affect Student Performance On An Exam?, Mario Diaz

Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigated if a specific disposition, mindfulness, offers an advantage for undergraduate students’ success on statistical exams by decreasing the impact of an academic-related strain, anxiety. Prior research utilizing state mindfulness has found evidence of this performance advantage, but it has yet to be investigated if dispositional mindfulness offers similar results. The current study found that dispositional mindfulness does impact one’s anxiety, but that relation does not offer a performance advantage for those with higher levels of mindfulness in comparison to those with lower levels of the disposition. To improve student success, engaging in mindfulness practices appears more …

High-Risk Fertility Behaviors: Impact On Child And Risks Of Maternal Mortality In Kenya, Mercy Chepkosgei Kiprop

Theses and Dissertations

Rapid population increase in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the last several decades and limited healthcare interventions have exacerbated child and maternal mortality. The maternal mortality ratio (deaths per 100,000 live births) in Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for at least 50 percent of maternal deaths globally. In 2020 alone, 5 million children under 5 years died in Kenya. Research also points out that, tragically, many of the mothers and children died of preventable or treatable conditions. Previous research has focused on biological or socioeconomic determinants of child mortality rather than their joint influences. In this study, we investigate the premise that all …

Primary Care Provider Density And Social Ecological Factors Related To County-Level Diabetes Prevalence In The United States, Robert Alan Kemsley

Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is a critical public health concern with considerable financial and personal costs in the United States. Research has identified several interventions available to primary care providers to prevent diabetes. These interventions may prevent diabetes by influencing personal, community, and public health policy factors. These factors are key components of the social ecological model, which examines the influence of diverse social influences on health. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the univariate relationship between PCP density and diabetes prevalence, as well as the multivariate relationship between PCP density and diabetes prevalence with physical inactivity prevalence, obesity prevalence, …

Variability Among Individual Male Runners Influences Cumulative Loading More Than Foot Strike Type, Tamarie Trotter

Theses and Dissertations

Foot strike type affects running mechanics and may influence overuse injury occurrence. Measuring the interaction between cumulative load and foot strike type may provide additional information that could eventually help with understanding injury mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to determine how foot strike type affects cumulative loading in runners, and to determine if individual metrics change throughout a 5-kilometer sub-maximal run. 30 participants ran on an instrumented treadmill for 5 km at 3.15 m/s with their preferred foot strike type (14 rearfoot strike, 16 non-rearfoot strike). Stride rate, foot strike angle, loading rate, per stride and per km …

Remembering And Forgetting: The Commemoration Of The First World War And The Spanish Influenza Pandemic In Salt Lake City, Utah, Bethany Kathleen Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, American culture has experienced a renewed interest in pandemic events, including the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918-1919. Based on research carried out in cemeteries and monuments in Salt Lake City, Utah, this paper compares commemoration practices relating to the Spanish Influenza pandemic and the simultaneous events of First World War within the city. Such research provides evidence that warfare enjoys a greater presence in places of social memory than does disease, suggesting an inequality in the cultural value placed on different causes of death. This outcome is the result of numerous factors and …

Characterizing Dust From National Wind Erosion Research Network Sites Using Strontium Isotopes, Major And Trace Element Chemistry, And Mineralogy, Abby L. Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

The frequency of dust storms is increasing globally yet it is often difficult to determine dust sources in mixed events. Dust events may negatively impact human health, but the composition of major dust sources is not well characterized in arid regions globally. In the western US, the National Wind Erosion Research Network (NWERN) has various sites evaluating seasonal dust emissions to quantify dust fluxes. We used existing dust samples to characterize the isotopic, chemical, and mineralogical composition of dust over multiple seasons from ten representative NWERN sites and compared with land use, vegetation, and surficial geology. Our results show variability …

Development Of Attack Resistant Cybersecurity Framework For Digital Health Systems, Sridevi A

Theses and Dissertations

The emerging cyber landscape demands the data to be protected by CIA triad which comprises Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability(CIA). For the swift diagnosis process, a standard patient data representation in the form of EHR (Electronic Health Record) plays a significant role. There exists a necessity to protect this EHR through the information security mechanisms namely encryption, watermarking and intrusion detection system for ensuring application and network layer security. Implementation of medical data protection solution on a reconfigurable hardware platform can further strengthen EHR security. This research work effectively achieves the CIA triad for healthcare cybersecurity at data, application and network …

Detecting Lumbar Muscle Fatigue Using Nanocomposite Strain Gauges, Darci Ann Billmire

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Muscle fatigue can contribute to acute flare-ups of lower back pain with associated consequences such as pain, disability, lost work time, increased healthcare utilization, and increased opioid use and potential abuse. The SPINE Sense system is a wearable device with 16 high deflection nanocomposite strain gauge sensors on kinesiology tape which is adhered to the skin of the lower back. This device is used to correlate lumbar skin strains with the motion of the lumbar vertebrae and to phenotype lumbar spine motion. In this work it was hypothesized that the SPINE Sense device can be used to detect differences …

Evaluating The Impact Of Math Self-Efficacy, Math Self-Concept, And Gender On Stem Enrollment And Retention In Postsecondary Education, Marcia Bingham

Theses and Dissertations

Low enrollment and high attrition of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continues to be an issue for postsecondary institutions. Improvements in representation of women has been seen in some of the agricultural and biological sciences; however, in many of the more math intensive areas such as geosciences, engineering, mathematics/computer science, and physical sciences (GEMP), women continue to be underrepresented leading to underrepresentation in the workforce and further exacerbating gender gaps. Studies suggest the lack of representation is not due to a gap in math ability between men and women, yet underrepresentation remains predominantly within math intensive STEM …

Green Lighting The Altruistic Influencer, Savanna Rebecca Bagley

Theses and Dissertations

This paper comprehensively examines a new type of social media influencer characterized by altruistic tendencies. Utilizing the popular YouTube channel Vlogbrothers as the case study text for a constant comparative analysis, this research explores how the strategies altruistic influencers use to mobilize their community for good, the characteristics of the altruistic influencers, and how altruistic influencers create community. Through an in-depth analysis of 30 Vlogbrothers videos, the themes of education, community, and shared humanity emerged. Education, shared values, and calls to action are discussed as essential for mobilizing communities in charitable endeavors. Authenticity, quality, accessibility, and solutions-focused action were found …

Perceptions Of Pregnant Women Surrounding Covid-19 Vaccine Decision-Making, Mckinsey Owen

Theses and Dissertations

Background/Significance: Vaccines are essential to decrease the harmful effects of illness. The COVID-19 vaccination reduces mortality and hospitalizations from the COVID-19 virus. On August 11, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strengthened its recommendation for all people ages 12 years and older who are pregnant, lactating, or trying to get pregnant to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Despite the recommendation, pregnant women appeared to be vaccine hesitant. This qualitative descriptive study explored this hesitancy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore pregnant women’s perceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and to identify information sources pregnant women …

Adult Children Of Alcoholcs: An Exploration Of The Narratives They Share, Tristin Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Framed by Communicated Narrative Sense-Making Theory, this thesis project explored the stories that adult children of alcoholics shared regarding their experiences with their alcoholic parents. More specifically, narration about being an adult child of an alcoholic was explored alongside measures of individual coping and resilience. Thematic narrative analysis of interviews (n = 9) illuminated two main story types: distance due to alcoholism (n = 5) and closeness despite (history with) alcoholism (n = 4).

Exploring Blended Learning Supports For First-Generation And Underrepresented Minoritized Undergraduate Students, Krista Marie Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

First-generation students are frequently underrepresented minoritized (URM), low-income students (Douglas, 2019; Postsecondary National Policy Institute [PNPI], 2021). They are often highly motivated (Haney, 2020) but frequently experience unique or exacerbated challenges in post-secondary education (Moore et al., 2018; Soria et al., 2020). These challenges may continue into online spaces. In the first paper of this dissertation, we performed a scoping literature review and uniquely identified and categorized the challenges of these students in the online environment. We placed these challenges within the model of student engagement by Borup et al. (2020) to offer theoretical perspective for potentially better student support. …

Meet Them Where They Scroll: A Meta-Analytic Review Of Teen And Young Adult Dating Violence Prevention Programs, Aeriel Grace Halstead

Theses and Dissertations

The public is often surprised by the high prevalence of relationship violence. With more than 50% of adults experiencing some form of physical or psychological violence in their intimate relationships during their lifetime, IPV is a public health crisis that particularly affects marginalized communities (Breiding et al., 2015; Johns et al., 2019, 2020; Stockman et al., 2015). The variable results of perpetrator and victim treatments make prevention particularly important if it is effective (Anderson & Van Ee, 2018; Babcock et al., 2004; Cheng et al., 2021; Karakurt et al., 2019; Maguire, 2018; Stith, Rosen, et al., 2004; Stover et al., …

The Effects Of A Peer-Mediated Social Skills Intervention On Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Shannon Elizabeth Mcconaghie

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a peer-mediated social skills intervention (PMI) on children 6-12 years of age diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Current literature discusses the effects of peer-mediated social skills interventions for children with ASD in schools and on the playground but has not been conducted in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) clinic or in an Early Childhood Education/ABA-integrated preschool. Three dyads, each consisting of a typical peer and a target child diagnosed with ASD, participated in this study. The frequency of participants' initiations, responses, and continuations were collected throughout all phases, …

Racial Differences And Lived Experiences: Civil Rights Experiences And A Private, Religious, Predominantly White Institution, Anthony Brandon Bates

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: This article explores the expressed thoughts and feelings of 24 research participants who processed and articulated their lived experiences. They each attended the same private, religious, historically, and predominantly White institution and participated in a three-credit course that covered the history of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s, which culminated in an experience in Georgia and Alabama (Civil Rights experience). Methods: In this phenomenological study, the research participants all participated in a semi-structured interview with the same bank of questions. The questions were designed to examine their lived experiences, within the context of participating in the …

Marital Stability In Newlywed Remarried Couple Relationships: Positive Communication And Marital Interactions In Shared Moments Or Activities, Colette Hickman-Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Remarriages are more structurally diverse, last less time, are more vulnerable, and at greater risk for divorce than first marriages. The newlywed stage of marriage is a critical time when relationship patterns are established or reinforced that can impact a relationship for years to come, yet very few studies have examined remarried relationships in the newlywed stage. This study examined the association between marital interaction, positive communication, and marital instability in 348 newlywed remarried couple participants from a nationally representative sample. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and actor-partner interdependence model with mediation (APIMeM), the findings indicated that positive communication was …

Group Therapy For Externalizing Behavior Problems In Youth: A Meta-Analysis, Rachel Anne Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Externalizing behavior problems are a common concern among youth and can be associated with significant problems. As such, the need for effective treatment is evident. While research on psychosocial interventions has been promising, the specific efficacy of youth group therapy has not been assessed in a meta-analysis. Objectives: to assess group therapy's efficacy for youth with behavioral issues and whether treatment effects are moderated by study, patient, leader, or group characteristics. Method: major databases were used to identify and screen potential articles based on inclusion criteria. Included studied were analyzed in a random effects meta-analysis, and potential moderators were assessed. …

The Effects On Self-Regulation And Productive English Proficiency Of The Application Of Mental Contrasting And Implementation Intention (Woop) In Esl Writing Classes, Ka Yue Chan

Theses and Dissertations

The present study looked at the effects of a self-regulatory goal setting framework (WOOP) implemented in writing classes that were developed by Oettingen (2018) using Mental Contrasting and Implementation Intentions (MCII). The study examined English learners' development on self-reported self-regulation and proficiency levels in an Intensive English Program (IEP) in the United States over the course of two 14-week semesters. A total of 238 English Language Learners participated in the study and took the Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ) where the scores were analyzed to determine development over time. The analysis showed no statistically significant differences. However, experimental group participants' self-reported …

Pivotal Response Treatment To Decrease Challenging Behavior And Increase Functional Communication In Preschool Children With Developmental Delays, Kalie Alexandra Gilmour

Theses and Dissertations

After a review of the literature on Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) in young children with developmental delays, less was known on its effects on challenging behavior and functional communication in preschool age children receiving services in a traditional public school. A multiple baseline design across three participants was used to evaluate the effects of PRT on the functional communication of three preschool students with developmental delays. Based on a functional analysis, we also observed the effects of PRT on challenging behavior. A visual analysis of the data revealed a functional relation between PRT and functional communication and provided promising evidence …

Accounting For Oral Language Skills In Children With Dyslexia: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Natalie Kay Olsen Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: In the present study, we conducted a systematic review to determine whether studies involving children with dyslexia include the assessment of oral language skills in their assessment batteries across various professional disciplines. Overlooking assessment of oral language in children with dyslexia may result in the misinterpretation of research findings and applications to children who present with both dyslexia and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or experience secondary oral language deficits. Method: According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched the Elsevier Scopus database and obtained and analyzed 764 articles, up to 40 articles …

Investigating The Use Of Translational Methods To Characterize Therapeutic Interventions In Models Of Pulmonary Disease, Ashley Rae Chang

Theses and Dissertations

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease with no known cause or cure. IPF has an incidence of 75/1,000,000 of the population, predominately in men over the age of 60. This relatively rare disease develops in a chronic and progressive way, ultimately leading to death within two to five years of diagnosis. Our use of translatable methodologies in the bleomycin mouse model of IPF led to the novel identification of the similarities between the average percent loss of lung function in previous human clinical trials to that of our mouse model data. There is no treatment for IPF …

Developing Microfluidic Devices For Biomolecule Analysis, Jacob Brent Nielsen

Theses and Dissertations

Microfluidics can take laboratory processes and miniaturize them, which led to the term lab-on-a-chip. Microfluidic devices are fabricated with a variety of materials and methods, each offering distinct advantages for bioanalysis. This dissertation describes two methods to create these devices, with the use of four different materials to achieve different assay needs. In the first application in this dissertation, hot-embossed cyclic olefin copolymer was used to create microdevices to electrophoretically separate seven preterm birth biomarkers. One biomarker, thrombin-antithrombin III, cannot be purchased commercially so I developed methods for its assembly in the lab. Dot blots and mass spectrometry were used …