Digital Commons Network^™

The Arrest And Prosecution Of Cyber Stalkers: How "Rational" Are Criminal Justice Decision Makers?, Trisha Whitmire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The emergence and continuous development of technology continues to create opportunities for people to communicate and keep track of one another. Numerous websites and cellular applications exist that allow individuals to anonymously send messages, track other's whereabouts, or expose private information. Many of these tools, while innocuously created to enhance friendships and make it easier to stay in touch, are being nefariously used to stalk and harass others through electronic means. The rise of stalking using electronic methods, also known as cyber stalking, gravely complicates the ability of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to adjudicate cases of stalking. This study …

If We Must Identify, Re'nyqua Farrington

Digressions: Literary & Art Journal

No abstract provided.

In Defense Of A Latin Social Trinity: A Response To William Hasker, Scott M. Williams

Faith and Philosophy: Journal of the Society of Christian Philosophers

No abstract provided.

A Legal Analysis: The Transgender Bathroom Debate, Josselyn Sheer

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article examines the current legal battles over transgender bathroom, locker room, and employment rights. In the recent years, there has been a major uproar surrounding the rights of transgender individuals; concurrently, our country is witnessing a shift in the ways in which individuals understand their gender outside of the binary male and female classification. While the word transgender can serve as an “umbrella term encompassing a wide array of identifies,” transgender rights have steadily grown across numerous areas (Buck, 2016, p. 465). However, there have been contentious legal issues that have put transgender individuals rights in the spotlight.

The …

System Of Structural Dependency In The Sudanese Refugee Women Of Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya, Jessica Gladden

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Many countries facing an influx of refugees have established refugee camps to provide temporary housing. Lacking a solution for the refugee crisis, these temporary facilities become long-term housing for many refugees. As a result, many refugees spend years or even decades in refugee camps. The refugees often are legally prohibited from obtaining employment. They must rely on aid from the United Nations and other organizations for their survival. This study considers some of the impacts of living in a refugee camp and surviving solely on humanitarian aid. In particular, this study examines the structural dependency observed in the Sudanese refugee …

Structured Savings And Asset Ownership: The Role Of Rotating Savings And Credit Associations Among African Immigrants In The United States., Habiba Ibrahim

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs) are commonly practiced in developing countries across the globe. The practice is also common among immigrants in developed economies. This study uses survey data collected from African immigrants in the United States to examine whether saving in ROSCAs is associated with asset ownership among the participants. The results found that after receiving the ROSCAs savings, asset ownership among participants increased. Home ownership increased by 13.6%, small businesses increased by 27.2% (including taxi and commercial trucks) and car ownership increased by almost 20%. In conclusion, ROSCA participation increased asset ownership.

The Social Construction Of Arab Identity In The U.S.: The Historical Complicity And The Modern Responsibility Of Social Work, Suhad Tabahi, Jacob Bucher

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This paper presents the sociopolitical experiences of early Arab migrants in the United States (U.S.) and the process of contradictory and socially constructed racial categorizations favoring white supremacy. While there is much discourse of the racial formation of Arab immigrants since 9-11, the actual racial project started in the early twentieth century, through varies entities including the social work profession where the “othering” process of early Arabs Americans existed in social welfare practice. Examples of the pejorative attitudes towards Arab immigrants from the early social work discourse are examined through proceedings from the National Conference on Social Welfare (NCSW) in …

Political Climate, Discrimination, And Mental Health: Understanding Latino Youth Experience During The 2016 Presidential Election, Jaime Booth, Christina Huerta

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In the last presidential election, Latino populations were the target of prejudicial language and discriminatory rhetoric. Experiences of discrimination may impact adolescent mental health, but little is known about the impact of the election cycle on Latino youth perceptions of discrimination and related emotional outcomes. The aim of this study was to understand Latino youths’ experiences, emotional reactions, and coping responses to discrimination surrounding the 2016 Presidential election. To do this, this study employed a qualitative approach that engaged 30 Latino youth ages 8 to 16 years old from Latino-serving social services agencies in the creation of art based on …

What’S In Your Gifted Education Online Teacher Professional Development? Incorporating Theory- And Practice-Based Elements Of Instructional Learning Design, Matthew J. Edinger

School of Professional and Continuing Studies Faculty Publications

This paper examined six theory- and practice-based elements of instructional learning design in online teacher professional development (oTPD), how these elements were implemented into Edinger’s (2017) PACKaGE model of gifted education oTPD, and how teachers evaluated each element. Elements were based on Berge’s (1995) instructor roles model theory and gifted education research. Each element was evaluated by teachers (N=184) who completed oTPD designed from the PACKaGE model. Self-report survey findings suggest that teachers considered most elements, such as asynchronous discussion board and article review assignments, to be useful to a great extent to their gifted education learning and pedagogy. However, …

Functionalized Scaffold And Barrier Membrane With Anti-Bmp-2 Monoclonal Antibodies For Alveolar Ridge Preservation In A Canine Model, Seiko Min, Taewan Kim, Oksu Kim, Carames Goncalo, Tadahiko Utsunomiya, Takashi Matsumoto, Kayo Kuyama, Nikola Angelov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of anti-bone morphogenetic protein 2 monoclonal antibody (anti-BMP-2 mAb) to functionalize scaffolds to mediate bone regeneration in a canine model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mandibular right premolar 4 (PM4) was extracted in eight beagle dogs and grafted with anti-BMP-2 mAb+anorganic bovine bone mineral with 10% collagen (ABBM-C) and porcine bilayer native collagen membrane (CM). The ABBM-C and CM were functionalized with either anti-BMP-2 mAb (test group) or an isotype matched control mAb (control group). Animals were euthanized at 12 weeks for radiographic, histologic, and histomorphometric analyses. Outcomes were compared …

Distinct Profiles Of Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators And Corresponding Receptor Gene Expression In Periodontal Inflammation, Brittney Ferguson, Nishantha R Bokka, Krishna Rao Maddipati, Srinivas Ayilavarapu, Robin Weltman, Lisha Zhu, Wanqi Chen, W Jim Zheng, Nikola Angelov, Thomas E Van Dyke, Chun-Teh Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Polyunsaturated fatty acid-derived specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) play an important role in modulating inflammation. The aim of the study was to compare profiles of SPMs, SPM related lipid mediators and SPM receptor gene expression in gingiva of subjects with periodontitis to healthy controls. A total of 28 subjects were included; 13 periodontally healthy and 15 periodontitis before or after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Gingival tissues were collected from two representative posterior teeth prior to and 8 weeks after scaling and root planning; only once in the healthy group. Lipid mediator-SPM metabololipidomics was performed to identify metabolites in gingiva. qRT-PCR was …

Systemic Th17 Response In The Presence Of Periodontal Inflammation, Lina J Suárez, Daniel E Vargas, Adriana Rodríguez, Roger M Arce, Nelly S Roa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The relationship between periodontitis and the pathogenesis of other inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and obesity has been an important topic of study in recent decades. The Th17 pathway plays a significant role in how local inflammation can influence systemic inflammation in the absence of systemic pathology.

OBJECTIVE: To determine Th17 biased-cells in systemically healthy patients in the presence of generalized chronic periodontitis.

METHODOLOGY: A total of 28 patients were recruited without systemic inflammatory pathology, which was determined by clinical history, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and rheumatoid factor detection. Of these patients, 13 were diagnosed as …

Master Of Laws (Ll.M.) 2020 (Viewbook), University Of Georgia School Of Law

LL.M. Program

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Teachers' Regarding Barriers To Using Instructional Technology In Egyptian Schools, Radwa El Shafei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local K-12 school problem addressed in this study was teachers' underutilization of instructional technology (IT) to improve teaching and student learning. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' current use of IT, as well as their perceptions of barriers to using IT in classrooms. The technology acceptance model guided the study by emphasizing the importance of perceived ease of use, usefulness, and attitudes in understanding teachers' perceptions about integrating IT. The research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of their knowledge of how to use IT, barriers to using IT and how it is currently implemented. Using a …

Psychometric Assessment Of The Spanish Score-15 For Families Of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease In Mexico, Jack Watson

UROP Posters

Psychometric Assessment of the Spanish SCORE-15 for Families of Individuals with Parkinson's Disease in Mexico

Jack Watson, Dept. of Psychology, Dr. Grace McKee, Mid-Atlantic MIRECC, Dr. Sarah Lageman, VCU School of Medicine and Dept. of Psychology, Dr. Teresita Villaseñor, University of Guadalajara, and Dr. Paul Perrin, Dept. of Psychology

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and can lead to a number of mental health problems for both patients and caregivers. Research has suggested that worse caregiver mental health predicts greater patient mortality for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, and caregiver mental health is best when family …

The Impact Of Acculturation On Help-Seeking And Mental Health Among Refugees In Minnesota, Analynne Escobar

UROP Posters

The Impact of Acculturation on Help-Seeking and Mental Health Among Refugees in Minnesota

Analynne Escobar, Depts. of Social Work and Psychology, with Dr. Hyojin Im, School of Social Work

This study looks at how acculturation affects mental health and help seeking attitudes among refugees in Minnesota. There is a need to address high levels of acculturative stress, mental health, and a lack of trust with human services for this population. Secondary data was utilized from the University of Minnesota Survey of Housing Questionnaire, with those identifying as Librarian, Oromo, Karen, Hmong, and Somali, for this study. A Pearson’s Correlation test …

Latinx Immigrants' Healthcare Access: Barriers, Consequences And Strategies For The Future, Ashley Victor, Farheen Zaman, Mijin Cho, Paola Callejas

UROP Posters

Latinx Immigrants' Healthcare Access: Barriers, Consequences and Strategies for the Future

Ashley Victor, Depts. of Bioinformatics and Product Innovation, Farheen Zaman, MiJin Cho, and Paola Callejas, with Dr. Indira Sultanić, School of World Studies

As the largest minority group in America, the Latinx population faces significant obstacles to receiving equitable healthcare. The Collective Corazón—a VCU student organization that addresses Latinx healthy equity through service and advocacy—performed a meta-analysis to pinpoint the barriers that the Latinx population faces in health care, determine the consequences in the community, and formulate strategies for the future. This study found that overall, immigrants tend to …

Establishing A Community-Academic Partnership To Investigate The Sociopolitical Context Of Oral Care Among Refugees Resettled In Richmond, Virginia, Tatiana Brown, Ashley Koo, Matthew Tessama, Jay Lawson

UROP Posters

Establishing a Community-Academic Partnership to Investigate the Sociopolitical Context of Oral Care Among Refugees Resettled in Richmond, Virginia

Tatiana Brown, Depts. of Anthropology, Medical Humanities, & Mathematics, with Dr. Dina Garcia, Dept. of Health Behavior and Policy

This study has established a community-academic partnership between four organizations and VCU Health Behavior and Policy’s Kalpulli Research Team to investigate the sociopolitical context of oral health needs among refugees resettling in Richmond, Virginia. In the year 2018, 1,689 refugees resettled in the state of Virginia; 47.7 percent of this population reported oral health needs during their initial health assessment screening. Despite the …

Chemical Composition Of Airborne Pm10 Particles From The Salton Sea Playa: Development And Severity Of Asthma In Children Under 14 In Imperial County, Maggie Colangelo, Mary Boyes

UROP Posters

Chemical Composition of Airborne PM10 Particles from the Salton Sea Playa: Development and Severity of Asthma in Children under 14 in Imperial County

Maggie Colangelo, Depts. of Communication Arts and Environmental Studies, with Prof. Mary Boyes, VCU Honors College

I was prompted to begin this paper after reading about a water transfer agreement which will significantly reduce the water levels of the Salton Sea beginning in January 2018. Concerns over the impact this change would have on local air quality and how air quality changes would affect respiratory health, particularly in children were present in the community. I chose to …

Victim Silencing, Sexual Violence Culture, Social Healing: Inherited Collective Trauma Of World War Ii South Korean Military "Comfort Women", Mijin Cho

UROP Posters

Victim Silencing, Sexual Violence Culture, Social Healing: Inherited Collective Trauma of World War II South Korean Military "Comfort Women"

MiJin Cho, Depts. of Psychology and English, with Prof. Mary Boyes, VCU Honors College

The unresolved reconciliation process for WWII South Korean military “comfort women” presents a case of nationally inherited collective trauma, in which South Koreans far removed in time and space from the historical tragedy feel its implications and obligations for reparations and social healing. In examining the South Korean comfort women redress movement and systemic concealment of WWII military sexual slavery, this study investigates a pattern of victim …

Characteristics Of Medicaid Dental Providers Who Provide Oral Health Services To Pregnant Women In Virginia, Hasib Zaman

UROP Posters

Characteristics of Medicaid Dental Providers Who Provide Oral Health Services to Pregnant Women in Virginia

Hasib Zaman, Depts. of Bioinformatics and Computer Science, with Dr. Shilipa Naavaal, VCU School of Dentistry

Introduction: Medicaid is a federal program that provides health insurance for low-income adults, children, pregnant women, and elderly adults in the United States. Virginia expanded their Medicaid, both financially and demographically, in January 2019 and currently has 1,317,981 individuals enrolled in Medicaid, which is an increase of 39.7% from 2018; however, within this expansion, there was no increase in budget for dental Medicaid. Although there are programs, such as …

Behavioral Health Integration In Primary Care, Casey Zapata, Demetrius Carter, Marykate Crawford, Samantha Mladen, Emily Donovan, Amber Fox, Kristen O'Loughlin

UROP Posters

Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care

Casey Zapata, Depts. of Psychology and English, Demetrius Carter, & MaryKate Crawford, and Samantha Mladen, Emily Donovan, Amber Fox, & Kristen O’Loughlin, Dept. of Psychology Graduate Students, with Dr. Bruce Rybarczyk, Dept. of Psychology

Background/Aims: Due to limited access to mental health care, many patients present to primary care with mental health concerns, such as depression and anxiety. Integrated primary care (IPC), an emerging practice model that integrates behavioral health providers with medical providers in primary care, has been demonstrated to improve patient outcomes. This project aims to characterize patients being seen in safety-net …

Next Gen Fsa—Stay In The Fight!, Mark Brown

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Student Preferences For College And Career Information, Laura Owen, Timothy A. Poynton, Raeal Moore

Journal of College Access

This study examined the preferences of high school seniors (N = 2901) for receiving college and career information, an area not well-studied previously. Key findings are: Parents and peers are rated to be very helpful sources of college and career information; school counselors are a helpful source of information for first-generation and low-income students; and the internet is a helpful source of information, but email and one-on-one are more preferred sources of information. The findings of this study are useful for K-12 education, college access, and higher education professionals to consider when developing policies and programs to provide college and …

Review Of A New Report: How Is Technology Addressing The College Access Challenge? A Review Of The Landscape, Opportunities, And Gaps, Alexis M. Arocho

Journal of College Access

The purpose of this review is to examine and critique a new report on technology in regard to college access. The report itself builds upon a previous Get Schooled report from 2013, using updated information and newer programs and apps. The review summarizes the findings of the author, as well as the compilation of tools and their usefulness for students and families. Centered around the fact that many school districts in low-income areas do not have enough financial resources to fund high school counselor positions, the author suggests supplementing the counselor role with various apps and technology. Although this is …

American Gun: A Poem By 100 Chicagoans, Chris Green

Big Shoulders Books

American Gun: A Poem by 100 Chicagoans is a collective response to the individual suffering behind the statistics. Big Shoulders Books editor Chris Green asked one-hundred poets from across the city to take turns writing a communal poem about Chicago’s gun violence. The poets range in age, gender, race, ethnicity, and poetic experience. Such well-known poets as Ed Hirsch, Haki Madhubuti, Ed Roberson, Marc Smith, Ana Castillo, and Kevin Coval write with teen poets from the South and West sides . . . many from the group Young Chicago Authors, but also young poets from Chicago’s alternative high schools, where …

Female Transnational Entrepreneurs (Ftes): A Case Study Of Korean American Female Entrepreneurs In Silicon Valley, June Y. Lee, Jane Lee

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Increasingly, studies of entrepreneurship and migration have examined the role of immigrant entrepreneurs in revitalising and diversifying the economy of the host society. Further, recent transnational skilled entrepreneurs have been understood as being much more mobile in building international networks and collaborations between their home and host societies. These studies have tended to focus on the technically oriented entrepreneurs and to produce a single grand narrative about a particular migrant group that transfers knowledge and becomes a technical pioneer in their home society. This article scrutinises a group of first-generation Korean American female transnational entrepreneurs (FTEs) living in Silicon Valley …

Alone, Now, Alexandra Sophia Terlesky

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Choosing Wisely: Identifying Rates Of Appropriate Imaging In Ed Patients Evaluated For Pe, Anthony E. Gak Ms, Marna R. Greenberg Do, Mph, Facep

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.

Quality Improvement Project: Patient And Provider Satisfaction Differences Between Live And Ipad Interpretation Services In An Outpatient Office Setting, Attiya Harit Ms, Marie S. O'Brien Do

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.