Digital Commons Network^™

Metabolic Health Has Greater Impact On Diabetes Than Simple Overweight/Obesity In Mexican Americans, Shenghui Wu, Susan P. Fisher-Hoch, Belinda M. Reininger, Kristina Vatcheva, Joseph B. Mccormick

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

To compare the risk for diabetes in each of 4 categories of metabolic health and BMI. Methods. Participants were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, a randomly selected Mexican American cohort in Texas on the US-Mexico border. Subjects were divided into 4 phenotypes according to metabolic health and BMI: metabolically healthy normal weight, metabolically healthy overweight/obese, metabolically unhealthy normal weight, and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese. Metabolic health was defined as having less than 2 metabolic abnormalities. Overweight/obese status was assessed by BMI higher than 25 kg/m2. Diabetes was defined by the 2010 ADA definition or by being on a diabetic …

Introduction : Translingual Work., Min-Zhan Lu, Bruce Horner

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This issue both reflects and builds on the efforts prompted by the 2011 College English essay “Language Difference in Writing: Toward a Translingual Approach,” by Bruce Horner, Min-Zhan Lu, Jacqueline Jones Royster, and John Trimbur. Contributions to this symposium contextualize the emergence of a translingual approach, explore the tension and interconnections between a translingual approach and a variety of fields, and explore the viability of a translingual approach in light of existing academic structures.

Springfield Or Bust? A Qualitative Analysis Of The Organization Assimilation Of Young Professionals In Springfield, Missouri, Nii Kpakpo Ekow Abrahams

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what extent have Millennial young professionals assimilated into Springfield, Missouri's culture. Using organizational assimilation and sensemaking as the theoretical framework, this qualitative thesis research study utilized four focus groups (n=20) to draw its results. Based on a previous foundational study and additional research, five characteristics Millennials want in a city were identified—affordability, community engagement and involvement, Millennial collaboration, entertainment and meaningful experiences, and authenticity. These characteristics also served as the criterion for the results. The findings revealed that Springfield young professionals, based on the five characteristics, have fully assimilated into Springfield's …

Guiding In And Away, Terry Belew

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

“Guiding In and Away” is a collection of poems exploring shifts in contemporary American culture. Major themes include technology-induced anxiety, human connectivity, isolation, and the importance of nature in a man-made world. These themes are demonstrated throughout the collection through the use of speakers set into situations that reflect what is lost with the recent digitalization of human interaction, the isolation and loneliness caused by these losses, and how natural settings are encroached upon because of digitalization.

The Impact Of Writing Intensive Courses On Writing Apprehension And Academic Motivation, Jacqueline Suzanne Byrket

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Current research in writing apprehension lacks evaluation of psychology course effectiveness in reducing this trepidation. The present study focused on three psychology courses and utilized Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2002) and student instructor rapport to assess changes in writing apprehension. Participants (N = 78) from three upperclass level courses completed the Basic Psychological Needs Scale (BPNS), Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), Daly-Miller Writing Apprehension Test-Revised (WAT-R), and Student Instructor Rapport Scale (SIRS-9) at the beginning and end of the semester. Even though pre-/post-test differences were non-significant for all three courses, the Experimental Psychology class exhibited the greatest decrease …

Practicing Positive Coping Strategies For Managing Math Anxiety In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Courtney Kathleen Smith-Nelson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to explore student and teacher perceptions on the usefulness of teaching students to practice positive coping strategies for managing math anxiety in a high school International Baccalaureate mathematics classroom. This study used a reflective action research methodology in which students' math anxiety levels were assessed using Alexander and Martray's Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (1989). Students were then surveyed on their use of coping strategies for managing math anxiety, presented with a variety of positive coping strategies, and asked to rate each strategy on its perceived worth and the likelihood that they …

Complexity In Modern War: Examining Hybrid War And Future U.S. Security Challenges, Joseph Dvorak

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Hybrid warfare is a recently formed concept that focuses on the complexity of modern conflicts and those in the future. After the Russian Federation annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, US and Western analysts started using the term hybrid warfare to describe Moscow's strategy. Analysts and policymakers are starting to consider the approach and direction in Ukraine to be a new and unique type of warfare. This study discusses the usefulness of the term hybrid warfare and examines two case studies that reflect the characteristics of hybrid war, the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, to determine if hybrid warfare is …

The Role Of Empathy In Hindsight Bias, Malindi Jeri Gowen

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Hindsight bias has been operationally defined as "…the tendency for people with outcome knowledge (hindsight) to believe falsely that they would have predicted the reported outcome of an event" (Hawkins and Hastie, 1990, pg. 311). The role of empathy in hindsight bias has not received systematic attention. Previous research has shown that giving participants prevention information increased hindsight bias (Kubany, 2005). Thus, the current study hypothesized that hindsight participants placed in empathic situations should show greater probability judgments for the outcome than hindsight participants in no empathic conditions, and both should be greater than participants in foresight conditions. Participants were …

The United States, Russia, And Missile Defense: Why They Do Not Agree On Approach, Policy, And Implications, Nathaniel Taylor Green

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Missile defense has long played a key role in the national defense posture of the United States, despite longstanding objections from the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. To gain insights into why these objections continue, this thesis looks at three key factors: threat assessments, geopolitics, and technology (to include specific capabilities) and the impact they have on the decision-making calculus of both the United States and Russia regarding missile defense. It is believed that geopolitical considerations, stemming from the Cold War and the different values, culture, background, and experiences between the United States and Russia, are key to understanding …

Institutional Versus Intermediated Buyers: Barriers And Requirements Of Buying Local Food Products, Jennifer Marie Moldovan

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Expenditures on locally grown food products are only a small portion of the total food expenditures in the United States. In order to find a way to increase this percentage, this study aims to identify various types of buyers currently participating in the purchase of locally grown food products. Buyers were divided into two groups: institutions and intermediated. A comparison of for both classifications of buyers was done to find the difference in their perceived barriers and requirements for purchasing local food. Determining these differences could help in future policymaking decisions in local food industries. This will also help farmers …

Comparative Characterization Of Molybdenum Oxide Thin Films Grown On Various Substrates Using Temporally Different Pulsed Laser Deposition Techniques, Krishna Harsha Puppala

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) technique, with its vast tunability in terms of thin film fabrication has been the center of this study. By changing the temporal component of the laser source used for deposition into the femtosecond (fs) regime, interesting structural, morphological changes can be achieved which may prove to be beneficial for photocatalytic applications. In particular, molybdenum oxide thin films, which are the less well-studied and potentially newer candidates for photocatalysis applications have been chosen for investigation. Hence, a detailed characterization study of molybdenum oxide thin films synthesized using femtosecond-based (f-PLD) and nanosecond-based (n-PLD) techniques, was carried out in …

Elaborative Retrieval: Do Semantic Mediators Improve Memory?, Melissa Lehman, Jeffrey D. Karpicke

Faculty and Staff Publications & Presentations

The elaborative retrieval account of retrieval-based learning proposes that retrieval enhances retention because the retrieval process produces the generation of semantic mediators that link cues to target information. We tested two assumptions that form the basis of this account: that semantic mediators are more likely to be generated during retrieval than during restudy and that the generation of mediators facilitates later recall of targets. Although these assumptions are often discussed in the context of retrieval processes, we noted that there was little prior empirical evidence to support either assumption. We conducted a series of experiments to measure the generation of …

Imc: Its Rhetorical And Philosophical Foundation And Impact, Allison Raemore Peiritsch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A review of current integrated marketing communication (IMC) literature indicates that IMC has swept the globe. IMC has become the normative marketing practice for organizations to promote their goods and services, as well as an increasingly popular area of academic study. At the same time, literature shows inconsistency in IMC's professional practice and academic instruction. An increasing number of IMC theorists suggest that "true" IMC involves reorienting an organization to become consumer-focused and responsive at every level. This broader vision for IMC points to the discipline's communicative underpinnings. It is dialogic, other-oriented and interpretive in nature, yet most organizations and …

Adopting The Unesco Ethics Model To Critique Disease Mongering, Barbara Postol

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The question this dissertation seeks to address is if the process of disease mongering can be ethically assessed. Chapter one provides a broad scope of the ethical challenge of disease mongering, UNESCO model framework, ADHD and PMDD. Chapter two examines disease mongering and its driving forces in detail. Chapter three provides an overview of the UNESCO model framework. Chapter four ethically examines disease mongering in conjunction with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Chapter five examines disease mongering in association with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Chapter six concludes that examined through the UNESCO model ethical framework disease mongering is occurring for …

The Neuroethical Case Against Cognitive Memory Manipulation, Peter Angelo Depergola Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasingly blurred understanding of the moral significance of accurate and authentic memory reconsolidation for an adequate apprehension of self, other, and community suggests a critical need to explore the inter-relationships shared between autobiographical memory, emotional rationality, and narrative identity in light of the contemporary possibilities of neurocognitive memory manipulation, particularly as it bears on ethical decision making. Grounding its thesis in four evidential effects – namely, (i) neurocognitive memory manipulation disintegrates autobiographical memory, (ii) the disintegration of autobiographical memory degenerates emotional rationality, (iii) the degeneration of emotional rationality decays narrative identity, and (iv) the decay of narrative identity disables …

Leaps Of Faith: Trainees' Experiences Of Not Knowing In Psychotherapy, Rachel Francine Gottlieb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study presents a qualitative analysis of four clinical psychology PhD students’ experiences of not knowing how to proceed in sessions with clients, and how they handled those experiences. A narrative analysis of each participant interview was employed, in which tone, rhetorical function, and identity work were closely examined. Participants took up the concept and the experience of not knowing in very different ways from each other and from the assumptions of the researcher, although sitting back and waiting in response to not knowing was a theme in common. Anxiety, uncertainty, and tension in various identity positions abounded within participant …

The Ethical Analysis Of The Connection Between Hope And Fertility Preservation, Leah Jeunette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Fertility preservation has many different indications and covers a wide variety of demographics. One major motivation for the use of fertility preservation is hope. When discussing fertility preservation, healthcare professionals present several options, but choosing which type of fertility preservation to pursue is a difficult decision. This dissertation will argue not only that hope is one of the basic drivers for making a decision regarding fertility preservation, but also the current methods for fertility preservation create a reliance on hope. Hope can determine if a patient chooses the safest option or seeks out more radical experimentation or whether to delay …

Making Sense Of Sensory Processing: A Pilot Program For Parents And Teachers Educating The Use Of Sensory Intervention In Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Kelsey Kinnare

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Problem: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is estimated that 1 in 68 children have an identified Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). It was found that greater than three quarters of children with ASD also have significant symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD Foundation, n.d.). One commonly used intervention approach for this population stems from the Sensory Integration frame of reference. Ayres “developed the sensory integration theory to explain the relationship between deficits in interpreting sensation from the body and environment and difficulties with academic or motor learning” (Bundy …

Self Care Among Filipino Immigrants In The United States Who Have Hypertension, Emerson E. Ea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension (HTN) is a leading risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke—two major causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States (US)—across all racial and ethnic groups, including Filipino immigrants. The results of early and recent studies that explored HTN among Filipinos in the US have consistently revealed a prevalence rate that is highest among Asian Americans. There is also evidence in the literature that indicates this population’s sub-optimal control and management of HTN when compared with other Asian American subgroups. Despite this reported alarming information about HTN for this population, there is a noticeable …

Disabling Psychology: A Crip Analysis Of Deaf And Blind Psychotherapists In Practice, Kathryn Irene Wagner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the phenomenological experience of d/Deaf or blind psychotherapists who work with nondisabled clients, seeking to understand the perceived impact of disability on the therapeutic relationship. There is an abundance of research on nondisabled therapists treating disabled clients but only a handful of studies qualitatively considering the disabled therapist’s understanding of practicing in a largely ableist world. Six deaf and eight blind therapists were interviewed for this dissertation. Results were qualitatively analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results were also interpreted through a critical disability studies framework with an eye toward challenging the ableism embedded within traditional research …

Mitigation Emission Strategy Based On Resonances From A Power Inverter System In Electric Vehicles, L. Zhai, Xinyu Zhang, Natalia G. Bondarenko, David Loken, Thomas Van Doren, Daryl G. Beetner

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Large dv/dt and di/dt outputs of power devices in the DC-fed motor power inverter can generate conducted and/or radiated emissions through parasitics that interfere with low voltage electric systems in electric vehicles (EVs) and nearby vehicles. The electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters, ferrite chokes, and shielding added in the product process based on the "black box" approach can reduce the emission levels in a specific frequency range. However, these countermeasures may also introduce an unexpected increase in EMI noises in other frequency ranges due to added capacitances and inductances in filters resonating with elements of the power inverter, and even increase …

Measuring Well-Being: A Review Of Instruments, Philip J. Cooke, Timothy P. Melchert, Korey Connor

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

Interest in the study of psychological health and well-being has increased significantly in recent decades. A variety of conceptualizations of psychological health have been proposed including hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, quality-of-life, and wellness approaches. Although instruments for measuring constructs associated with each of these approaches have been developed, there has been no comprehensive review of well-being measures. The present literature review was undertaken to identify self-report instruments measuring well-being or closely related constructs (i.e., quality of life and wellness) and critically evaluate them with regard to their conceptual basis and psychometric properties. Through a literature search, we identified 42 instruments …

Teachers' Perceptions And Experiences Consulting With School Counselors: A Qualitative Study, Blair Cholewa, Emily Goodman-Scott, Antionette Thomas, Jennifer M. Cook

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

School counselor–teacher consultation is an efficient strategy for school counselors to indirectly serve students on their caseload. Teachers' perceptions are crucial in examining this consultation process. This qualitative study examined elementary school teachers' perceptions and experiences of school counselor–teacher consultation. The researchers identified three themes: (a) school counselors prioritizing relationships, (b) school counselors taking initiative, and (c) school counselors' specialization. The researchers discuss implications for school counseling practice, including strategies for facilitating consultation with teachers.

Effectiveness Of Seeking Safety For Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Substance Use, A. Stephen Lenz, Rachel Henesy, Karisse A. Callender

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

The authors evaluated the Seeking Safety program's effectiveness for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use symptoms across 12 between‐groups studies (N = 1,997 participants). Separate meta‐analytic procedures for studies implementing wait list/no treatment (n = 1,042) or alternative treatments (n = 1,801) yielded medium effect sizes for Seeking Safety for decreasing symptoms of PTSD and modest effects for decreasing symptoms of substance use. Limitations of the findings and implications for counselors are discussed.

3d And 4d Modeling Of Ignimbrite Eruptions, John Eric Sandven

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

The need to model the Yellowstone magma chamber and other possible sites for ignimbrite eruption has been accelerated by the development of the areas surrounding the volcanoes. Early detection of eruptions is the most important aspect when trying to reduce casualties from an eruption. The magma chamber at Yellowstone has been mapped previously using Seismic data and other methods, but more information is needed to predict the next eruptive event.

Through the use of previous research by Dr. de Silva and Dr. Gosnold, it is possible to create a representative model for the magma chamber. The model is created using …

A Novel Relaxed Hierarchical Equivalent Source Algorithm (Rhesa) For Electromagnetic Scattering Analysis Of Dielectric Objects, Xin Fu, Li (Lijun) Jun Jiang, Hong Tat Ewe

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel relaxed hierarchical algorithm based on the surface equivalence principle for the volume integral equations (VIEs) is proposed in this work. The equivalent sources residing on relaxed spherical equivalence surfaces are established by exact integral formulations. The equivalence surfaces are exploited hierarchically to accelerate matrix–vector product in iterative solutions for the VIEs. The computation time and memory cost complexity of the proposed algorithm for dielectric scatters scale as O(N4/3) and O(N) , respectively. Numerical examples validate the accuracy and capability of the proposed algorithm.

“Only Looking Forward: The Absence Of National History In Sierra Leone”, Mneesha Gellman

Emerson Authors, Researchers, & Creators

Not supplied.

Bright Galaxies At Hubble's Redshift Detection Frontier : Preliminary Results And Design From The Redshift Z ~ 9-10 Borg Pure-Parallel Hst Survey., V. Calvi, M. Trenti, M. Stiavelli, P. A. Oesch, L. Bradley, K. B. Schmidt, D. Coe, G. Brammer, S. Bernard, R. J. Bouwens, D. Carrasco, C. M. Carollo, Benne W. Holwerda, J. W. Mackenty, C. A. Mason, J. M. Shull, T. Treu

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

We present the first results and design from the redshift z ∼ 9–10 Brightest of the Reionizing Galaxies Hubble Space Telescope survey BoRG[z9–10], aimed at searching for intrinsically luminous unlensed galaxies during the first 700 Myr after the Big Bang. BoRG[z9–10] is the continuation of a multi-year pure-parallel near-IR and optical imaging campaign with the Wide Field Camera 3. The ongoing survey uses five filters, optimized for detecting the most distant objects and offering continuous wavelength coverage from λ = 0.35 μm to λ = 1.7 μm. We analyze the initial ∼130 arcmin2 of area over 28 independent lines of …

Parent Perceptions Of A Child Physical Activity Initiative In A Rural Community., Katie F. Leslie, Kristi M. King, Richard W. Wilson, Patricia Gagne, V. Faye Jones

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This study assessed the extent to which a community-based intervention developed for children impacted parent perceptions and behaviors toward physical activity in a rural community. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with parents of children who participated in physical activity programs. Analysis revealed an increased community awareness surrounding physical activity following program implementation. Parents and children encouraged each other to be physically active. Ecological barriers and enabling factors to adult physical activity were identified these findings indicate a bidirectional influence between parent and child physical activity and the need for community facilities where families can be active together.

Generational Growing Pains As Resistance To Feminine Gendering Of Organization? An Archival Analysis Of Human Resource Management Discourses, Kristen Lucas, Suzy D'Enbeau, Erica P. Heiden

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Guided by a feminist communicology of organization framework, we examine generational growing pains by analyzing discourses appearing in HR Magazine at three different points in time, which approximately mark the midpoint of Baby Boomers’, Gen Xers’, and Millennials’ initial entry into the workplace. We reconstruct historically situated gendered discourses that encapsulate key concerns expressed by human resource management professionals as they dealt with younger generations of workers: Personnel Man as Father Knows Best (1970), Human Resource Specialist as Loyalty Builder (1990), and Talent Manager as Nurturer (2010). We propose that frustrations expressed by older generations about Millennials may not be …