Digital Commons Network^™

"You Have To Know Whether Or Not You Can Really Compassionately Hold White Folks" : Perspectives Of Instructors On White Msw Student Engagement With Race And Racism Course Material, Eleanor H. Broh

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative, exploratory thesis explores the perspectives of instructors of courses on race and racism in social work masters programs. It looks at how these instructors are teaching race and racism content and how White students in their classes engage with the content. In doing so, this study addresses a gap in the social work literature on pedagogy for race and racism, which often fails to address the particular dynamics of teaching this material to White students in the United States.

Through qualitative, semi-structured interviewed with eleven instructors, this project describes the many ways White students engage with this material, …

Santeria And Mental Health : Bridging The Gap Between The Social Work Profession And Orisha, Penelope Williams

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study was conducted with the purpose of exploring how Orisha priest and priestesses dealt with issues of mental health with in their Iles and/or community. This study was made possible by the participation of seven priests and priestess, by conducting semi-open ended narrative interviews. The findings indicated that issues of mental health were present and dealt with in a number of ways by elders in the community. The results show that collaborative measure need to be supported between elders in the Santeria community and the social work profession, in order to establish culturally competent and therapeutic results to …

Resolving Dissonance : How Experiences Of Flow Of Live Music Performance Facilitate Dedifferentiation And Impact The Subject Well-Being Of Young Adults, Amanda N. Sposato

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This mixed methods study sought to explore how experiencing a state of flow, or optimal enjoyment, while performing live music impacted the subjective well-being of young adults. Live music performance serves as a space of transgressive eroticism, which is necessary to facilitate dedifferentiation, an intrapsychic state developmental and relational state of merger where new ego growth occurs.

67 young adults (18-35 years of age) who had performed live music in the past year completed an anonymous online survey consisting of an empirical assessment of the convergence of flow and well-being utilizing the Flow State Scale (Jackson & Marsh, 1996), Scale …

Standing On The Edge Of The "Rubyfruit Jungle" : Lesbians Recall The Experience Of Questioning In Therapy, Emily Willstatter

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was twofold: to pursue an existing gap in the literature on therapy with people questioning their sexuality; and to represent a lesbian perspective on the experience of questioning one’s sexual orientation. A previous study (Jones et al., 2003) found that gay and bisexual people who were uncertain of their sexual orientation at the start of therapy rated the treatment as overall less beneficial than gay and bisexual people who had begun therapy while certain of their identities. This study explored the possible reasons behind this finding by investigating a small (N=13) but diverse group of …

Developing The Educating For Discipleship Model To Be Used In Sabbath School In South Korea, Sun Il Kim

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Sabbath School is designed to be a system in which people are engaged in the process of becoming disciples, however, the church tends to operate in a formal and mechanical manner. As a result, the Sabbath School cannot be an agency to produce Christ’s disciples and the church cannot be a community of discipleship. Both of these conditions can be addressed by attending to the health of the faith community which allows the process of discipleship to accomplish transformation of the members of the community. The Seventh-day Adventist Church has Sabbath School, which is a great system for the …

Using Illustrations And Storytelling Via Incarnational Ministry To Reach Post-Christian Young Adults, David J. Resendes

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Post-Christian young adults are generally not interested in Christianity and therefore are unlikely to attend church or hear preaching. Therefore, a preaching strategy must be developed and implemented to reach post-Christian young adults in their setting.

Method

The subjects of the study were 24 young adult males from the community who attended the weekly open-gym basketball outreach. They ranged in age from 16 to 34 and were of various races and some of mixed race. All were born and raised in the United States and spoke English. Of these subjects only two were from the church I pastor. One …

Reviving Family Worship In The Rocky Mountain Indonesian Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Purasa Marpaung

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Seventh-day Adventist immigrants struggle to maintain Indonesian Adventist family worship practices in the process of assimilating to the United States culture. In particular, the family worship practices of the Rocky Mountain Indonesian Seventh-day Adventist Church have been adapted to fit the American environment and lifestyle. The practical family worship activities that were an essential component of the culture and identity of the people of Indonesian heritage are disappearing through exposure to new ideas and methods of worship. This lack of family worship in immigrant families must be addressed through cultural as well as theological perspectives.

Method

Couples, with at …

A Training Program For Non-Chaplain And Volunteer Chaplains Conducting Spiritual Care At Feather River Hospital In Paradise, California, Brad B. Brown

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Responsibilities of chaplain services at Feather River Hospital (FRH) primarily include completing its mission of whole-person care by providing spiritual and emotional support to the patients and staff. However, the challenge of meeting this goal historically is due to insufficient funding to hire adequate staff chaplains to provide this service. Per conversation with fellow chaplains of other hospitals, this same staffing challenge in meeting the spiritual and emotional component of whole-person care is consistent. However, there is a potential solution. Staff and community volunteers with a spiritual bent have shown interest in filling this gap of spiritual and emotional …

Transitioning The Waldorf Seventh-Day Adventist Church To An Integrated Multiethnic/Multicultural Ministry, Kleyton Feitosa

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Charles County, Maryland, is an ethnically and culturally diverse community. The only two Seventh-day Adventist churches in the county are mono-ethnic – one White and one African-American – and do not reflect the multiethnic composition of the community. In the beginning of this study the Waldorf Church had the following ethnic composition: 81% White and 19% of all other major ethnic groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2008), Waldorf city was made up of 40.6% White and 59.4% of all other groups combined. In light of this reality, being a monoethnic White church presented significant church growth challenges …

In Their Skin : A Discourse On The Modern Tattoo Experience For Adults Aged Thirty And Over, Margaret Feeney

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This qualitative study was undertaken to determine what meaning individuals aged 30 and over with large scale tattoos place upon those tattoos. More specifically, to establish the motivating factors led these individuals to get tattooed, along with the meaning, if any, is placed upon them. Ten individuals aged 32-64 were interviewed regarding their tattoos. Half of the individuals were tattooed for the first time during adolescence. All individuals were interviewed regarding their motivations for getting tattooed as well as any meanings they place on specific pieces. The findings of the research showed the driving force behind getting tattooed to be …

Presenting Image/Presenting Symptoms : Clinicians' Diagnoses Of Black Women In The Therapeutic Space, Kim Teresa Dubose

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This was a mixed methods study that used both random and non-random purposive snowball convenience sampling. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether clinicians issue more severe psychotic DSM diagnoses (schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders) to Black female clients than to White female clients when implicitly primed with cultural archetypes unique to Black women. The research questions were, “Do clinicians issue more severe and stereotype-consistent diagnoses to Black female clients than they do to White female clients;” and “Is there a difference in reaction time in clinician diagnosis of severe psychotic disorders between a clinically-identical Black female vignette and …

Introduction To Mass Communication, Steelman Library, Robert Scott Dr.

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Molecular Epidmiology Of Giardia Duodenalis Infections Among Indigenous Communities In Rural Malaysia / Choy Seow Huey, Seow Huey Choy

Student Works (2010-2019)

Giardia duodenalis is a protozoan parasite that can cause significant diarrhoeal diseases and is the most common intestinal protozoan parasite worldwide. It affects especially children from the rural areas, who are also the most vulnerable group that suffers from nutritional disorders that have been linked to this parasite. Being part of the complex group of parasitic, bacterial and viral diseases that debilitate the susceptible communities in developing regions from achieving full development potential, Giardia was included in the ‘Neglected Diseases Initiative’ in 2004. In Malaysia, information on the epidemiology of Giardia infection among different indigenous communities is limited. Orang Asli, …

Study Of Visual Language In Ujang’S Cartoon: A Case Study Of Aku Budak Minang / Cao Qiang, Qiang Cao

Student Works (2010-2019)

This research focused on the ―Aku Budak Minang‖, the famous comics series published in the ―Gila-Gila‖ magazine and was known as one of the best masterpieces of Ujang. Ibrahim Anon, with the pen name of Ujang, is considered to be one of the most popular cartoonists in Malaysia; His artworks produced significant impacts on both readers and contemporary cartoons in Malaysia. Raised as a Minang boy, the hometown where Ujang was born is a well-known state for its historical background as it was once ruled by the Minangkabau people from Sumatera, Indonesia since 14th century. Therefore, the inherited cultural belief …

Ten Practical Realities For Institutional Animal Care And Use Committees When Evaluating Protocols Dealing With Fish In The Field, Steven J. Cooke, Alexander D.M. Wilson, Chris K. Elvidge, Robert J. Lennox, Niels Jepsen, Alison H. Colotelo, Richard S. Brown

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Digital Storytelling As A Means Of Supporting Digital Literacy Learning In An Upper-Primary-School English Language Classroom, Natalia Churchill

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Digital literacy learning has become a requirement created by the wide development and application of new technologies for communication and representation. In the context of this study, ‘digital literacy’ is defined as a set of skills that enable an individual to use technologies to work with information. It builds on the traditional literacies of reading, writing, listening and speaking and includes elements of information literacy, media literacy and technology skills.

The purpose of this study was to investigate digital literacy learning in terms of the set of competencies - aspects of digital literacy - that a student in an …

Human Oocytes And Embryos Viewed By Time-Lapse Videography, And The Development Of An Embryo Deselection Model, Yanhe Liu

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite its wide application today, in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment continues to have relatively low efficacy, largely due to inaccuracy in selecting the best quality embryo(s) from the cohort for transfer. Novel methodologies for improved selection are being developed, and time-lapse observation of human embryos is gaining increasing popularity due to the more detailed morphokinetic information obtained plus uninterrupted culture conditions. The morphokinetic information enables the use of quantitative timings in developmental milestones of embryos and qualitative measures of abnormal biological events, to assist embryo selection/deselection. This project aimed to identify current limitations in the use of such measures and …

Evaluation Of A Mosquito Control Intervention And Recommendations For Development Of Best Practice Protocols By The Shire Of Kalamunda, Kerry Staples

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Abstract

The mosquito control program implemented by the Shire of Kalamunda Environmental Health Service has been assessed. Mosquito species and abundance has been evaluated along with an assessment on the current level of pesticide resistance and downstream S‐methoprene levels post‐treatment. The rate of Ross River virus transmission within the Shire has also been considered, along with the relationship between local species and virus transmission.

Methodology

Floating Emergence Traps were used in 15 storm‐water gullies to determine the effectiveness of S‐methoprene briquets in prevention of adult mosquito emergence over 124 days. Samples were taken monthly from October 2014 to March 2015. …

Constellations – A Space In Time That’S Filled With Moving, Deanne Leber

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Constellations in the sky have been a source of inspiration, in both science and literature, for aeons. Working within the constraints of the ‘official’ 88 constellations, as devised by the International Astronomical Union, this study involved researching the myths and histories of constellations, and then creating a collection of poems based upon those. Thematic connections between the eight modern constellation “families” or groups of constellations were explored and it is in these groupings that the poems work, to tie together, through experimentations with language, a somewhat cohesive fabric of poetry.

Each constellation consists of three poems. The first is a …

Seeking Baselines For Negative Authority: Constitutional And Rule-Of-Law Arguments Over Nonenforcement And Waiver, Zachary S. Price

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Latrepirdine On Amyloid-Β Aggregation And Toxicity, Tenielle Porter, Prashant Bharadwaj, David Groth, Adrian Paxman, Simon Laws, Ralph Martins, Guiseppe Verdile

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Latrepirdine (DimebonTM) has been demonstrated to be a neuroprotective and cognition improving agent in neurodegenerative diseases that feature protein aggregation and deposition, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein aggregates is a key event in the neurodegenerative process in AD. This study explores if latrepirdine modulation of protein aggregation contributes to its neuroprotective mechanism of action. Assessment of neuronal cell death showed that there was a significant reduction in lactate dehydrogenase release at an equimolar ratio of Aβ:latrepirdine and with lower concentrations of latrepirdine. The ability of latrepirdine to alter the formation of Aβ42 aggregates was …

Linking Vital Rates Of Landbirds On A Tropical Island To Rainfall And Vegetation Greenness, James F. Saracco, Paul Radley, Peter Pyle, Erin Rowan, Ron Taylor, Lauren Helton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remote tropical oceanic islands are of high conservation priority, and they are exemplified by range-restricted species with small global populations. Spatial and temporal patterns in rainfall and plant productivity may be important in driving dynamics of these species. Yet, little is known about environmental influences on population dynamics for most islands and species. Here we leveraged avian capture-recapture, rainfall, and remote-sensed habitat data (enhanced vegetation index [EVI]) to assess relationships between rainfall, vegetation greenness, and demographic rates (productivity, adult apparent survival) of three native bird species on Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons), bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus), and …

The Role Of Flaxseed In The Expression Of Dna Methyltransferases, Leptin, And Peroxisome Prolifterator-Activated Receptor Alpha In An Obese Animal Model, Alycia Maureen Woodard

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) has been shown to increase DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) expression and DNMT binding at obesity-associated genes. Natural compounds have the potential to reverse obesity-associated gene expression via the regulation of DNA methylation. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the bioactive compounds of flaxseed on DNMT and obesity-associated gene expression. Sixty C57BL/6J male mice were randomly assigned into one of the following diet groups and fed for eight weeks: 45% kcal fat; 45% kcal fat, 10% whole flaxseed; 45% kcal fat, 6% defatted flaxseed; 45% kcal fat, 4% flaxseed oil; and 16% kcal fat. …

Concurrent Validity Of The Fitbit Flex Personal Activity Monitor And Actigraph Gt3x+ In Free-Living Setting, Nicklaus Alan Redenius

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

This study investigated the concurrent validity of two accelerometer-based physical activity (PA) monitors, the wrist-worn Fitbit Flex, and ActiGraph’s hip-worn GT3X+. Specifically, we examined the relationship, differences, and level of agreement between Fitbit and GT3X+ sedentary behavior (SED) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) estimates. Sixty-seven adults (mean age: 47.1 ± 14.1, female: 73.1%) from North Dakota State University wore the Fitbit and GT3X+, and logged any sleep and non-wear time, for seven consecutive days in free-living conditions. GT3X+ estimates were calculated using ActiGraph Freedson, Troiano, and Freedson’s VM3 cut-points. Fitbit estimates were calculated via Fitabase. Only data during waking hours where …

The Effects Of Thermostim Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization And Superficial Heat On Range Of Motion Of The Hamstrings And Perceived Patient Comfort, Heather Alison Bates

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and superficial heat have reportedly increased range of motion and perceived patient comfort. The ThermoStim provides IASTM and superficial heat simultaneously. Only one study (Guffey, et al., 2013) has been published using the ThermoStim. The purpose of this study was to determine if the range of motion of the hamstrings can be increased utilizing IASTM, and whether superficial heat would create an additional increase in range of motion and perceived patient comfort. Thirty college-aged student-athletes (15 males, 15 females) participated. Pre- and post-treatment range of motion was measured by goniometry with the hip flexed …

Is It Time To Reevaluate Our Dietary Fat Recommendations?, Nicole Elizabeth Vasichek

Health Nutrition and Exercise Science

Despite Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) focus on decreased fat intake, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Consumer-confusion regarding fat-recommendations in response to these guidelines may be related to health educator (e.g. RDN) mixed-messaging. A random sample of RDNs (n=281), completed an online-survey targeting perceptions, knowledge, and dietary patterns regarding fat. Survey responses provided insights such as: 70% of RDNs strongly-agree olive oil should be regularly-utilized, 99% agree omega-3 fatty acids promote health, and 69% believe it is important to consider fat when choosing foods. Additionally, 40% of RDNs “rarely”/“never” recommend fish-oil supplements …

Variation In Core And Accessory Parts Of Genome Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Soil From Riparian Areas In New York State, Oleksandr Maistrenko

Genomics and Bioinformatics

Escherichia coli is commensal bacteria and is a symbiont of the digestive system of vertebrates. Due to frequent deposition of E. coli into extrahost habitats (soil, water), approximately half of its population exists as free living organisms. It is unclear what genome-wide variation stands behind adaptation for extrahost habitat. This thesis applies a genome-wide association study approach to find genetic variation in core and accessory parts of genome of E. coli that is associated with 1) forest or agricultural field soil habitats and 2) with survival phenotype in soil microcosm. Gene composition analysis suggests that pan-genome of environmental E. coli …

Proceedings Of The 3rd Annual Cuny Games Festival, Robert O. Duncan, Joe Bisz, Julie Cassidy, Carlos Hernandez, Kathleen Offenholley, Maura A. Smale, Deborah Sturm, Cuny Games Network

Publications and Research

Proceedings of the CUNY Games Conference, held from January 22-23, 2016, at the CUNY Graduate Center and Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Literacy and Story - Anything Can be Attempted: In-Person Simulations and Role-Plays in Educations - Game Design - STEM - Design Research - Literature and Story - Awareness: Gender and Sex - Transformative Games Initiative: Game Design as a Classroom Laboratory for Any Discipline - Narrative and Rhetoric - Design Challenges - Information Literacy and Language - Game Design for All: What’s Your Game Plan? Turn Any Idea into a Game! - Ghosts in the Machine - Game …

Wheat Dockage Content: Analysis Of Dockage And Its Relation To Fusarium Head Blight, Taghrid Saleh Alhumaid

Food Safety

Hard red spring wheat crop grown in different locations in the US were surveyed for the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). DON is often found in wheat that is infected with the plant fungal disease Fusarium head blight. The contamination of wheat by DON is a major wheat industry concern since it affects human and livestock health. Furthermore, DON reduces wheat grain yield and quality. In this study, DON was measured using gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) in 1353 HRS wheat samples collected from 2013-2015. Results indicate that there was positive significant correlation (P<0.001) between DON content and damaged kernels (0.635) and total defects (0.445). However, for the three-year average, DON content had a weak positive significant correlation (P<0.001) with the percentage of wheat dockage (0.111). Overall, DON production had an effect on kernel damage and total defects, but DON production was not impacted by the percentage of wheat dockage.

New Australian Plants And Animals. An Exhibition - And - Physiology, Phenomenology And Photography: Picturing The Indeterminate Within An Australian Art Practice. An Exegesis, Michael Gray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This practice-led research project investigates indeterminate aspects of perception related to human vision and postcolonial conditioning. Through an inventive range of lens-based artworks, the research draws parallels between preconscious visual phenomena and the subjective experience of non-indigenous Australians of multiple generations.

The resulting body of creative work, New Australian Plants and Animals, can be seen to approach preconscious visual phenomena derived from the physiology of the human eye through the use of primitive photographic lens technology. This process is applied to the subject matter: introduced plants and partially naturalised migrants. This synthesis of subject and materials creates new insights …