Digital Commons Network^™

Transforming Campus Food Systems Through Agroecology: Pathways To Sustainability And Resilience, Ryleigh Mullens

Open Access Master's Theses

Conventional production practices undermine the social, environmental, and economic longevity and sustainability of the U.S. food system. Some postsecondary education institutions (PSEs) have sought to develop alternative, hyper-local food systems through the integration of campus farms into institutional supply chains. These institutions could serve as models for food systems at large; no research has been published on the dynamics and impacts of their efforts at self-provisioning on food system sustainability, resilience, and equity. This research modified existing agroecological resilience frameworks, expanding resilience indicators to include metrics of equity, an often overlooked component of resilience in social-ecological models. The modified framework …

Measurement Of American Indian And Alaska Native Racial Identity Among Medical School Applicants, Matriculants, And Graduates, 1996-2017, Erik Brodt, Steele Valenzuela, Amanda Bruegl, Dove Spector, Miguel Marino, Patricia A. Carney

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

IMPORTANCE:

Accurate racial/ethnic identity measurement is needed to understand the effectiveness of outreach, recruitment, and programs to support American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people becoming physicians.

OBJECTIVE:

To examine how changes in race/ethnicity data collection by the American Medical College Application System are associated with trends in applicants, matriculants, and graduates self reporting as AIAN.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:

In this cohort study, interrupted time series regression was conducted using data from the American Medical College Application system identifying medical school applicants and graduates between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2017, who identified as AIAN. The number of …

Reliability And Physiological Validity: Bayesian Principal Components Analysis And Group Comparison, Joshua Ray Tanzer

Open Access Master's Theses

Statement of the problem: Recent years have demonstrated an increasing study of subjective happiness, often assessed by self-reported questionnaires (Gable & Haidt, 2005). The underlying physiological mechanisms of happiness are less well understood. This analysis examines scale reliability and validity in relation to biomarkers of stress responsiveness for scales of self-reported subjective well-being, to identify items that relate to an underlying physiology of happiness.

Methods: A principal components model is employed. Bayesian model estimation is used to address small sample size (N = 20). Additionally, sampling was clustered, including a subset of undergraduate students (n = 10) and a subset …

Incorporating Temperature-Dependent Fish Bioenergetics Into A Narragansett Bay Food Web Model, Margaret A. Heinichen

Open Access Master's Theses

Food web models capture shifting species interactions, making them useful tools for exploring community responses to perturbations. The inclusion of environmental drivers, such as temperature, can improve model predictions as energy demands of an organism can be temperature-specific. While Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) and the recent R implementation of this software, Rpath, have included some thermal responses in past work, models have yet to include temperature-dependent energetic demands and metabolic costs. Our work demonstrates the inclusion of temperature-dependent bioenergetics into an Rpath food web model using the case study of a warming estuary: Narragansett Bay (RI, U.S.). Thermal response parameters …

Invisible Chronic Illness In College: Faculty Perspectives And Student Narratives Surrounding Accommodations, Andra Gurley-Green

Psychology Honors Papers

The objectives of this study were to explore faculty perceptions of accommodations for students with Invisible Chronic Illness (ICI), understand what may influence accommodation perceptions in the case of Chronic Migraine, and gain insight into the experiences of students with ICI. Faculty and students at Connecticut College responded to a hypothetical accommodation letter for a student with Chronic Migraine that varied as follows: standard letter (no illness information), diagnosis, illness education from accessibility office, illness education from student. All participants responded to questions about four approved accommodations (distraction-free testing, extended test time, deadline flexibility, attendance flexibility) asking how “most faculty” …

In The Belly Of The Beast: The Legacy Of Puerto Rican Women In The Development Of Anti- Imperialist Feminism, Grace Amato

Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies Honors Papers

No abstract provided.

Self-Regulated Learning In First-Year Students In An Introductory Biology Course And The Student Experiences And Academic Impacts Of A Campus-Wide Metacognitive Intervention, Holly Joan Swanson

Open Access Dissertations

Post-secondary students often have difficulty with self-regulated learning, particularly in terms of monitoring and accurately assessing their level of understanding and how that is translated into appropriate preparation for their rigorous college/university coursework. With the persistence of academic outcome gaps between marginalized and non-marginalized students in gateway STEM courses and concomitant differences in retention and graduation rates, it is important to understand how self-regulation of learning is developed in students in general, and among different student identities. Interventions and teaching practices need to be cognizant of the unique academic experience of students from different identities if they are to narrow …

การพยากรณ์ปริมาณและความเข้มข้นสารฟลอกคูแลต์ในกระบวนการพักใสสำหรับอุตสาหกรรมการผลิตน้ำตาลจากอ้อย, สิงหดิศร์ จันทรักษ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

กระบวนการพักใสเป็นกระบวนการที่สำคัญในกระบวนการผลิตน้ำตาล ซึ่งกระบวนการมีการทำงานเพื่อแยกระหว่างตะกอนกับน้ำอ้อยออกจากกันโดยใช้สารฟลอกคูแลนต์ โดยในการใส่ปริมาณและความเข้มข้นสารฟลอกคูแลนต์ลงไปในน้ำอ้อยทำให้ส่งผลกระทบโดยตรงต่อความเร็วการตกตะกอนและค่าความขุ่นของน้ำอ้อย วิทยานิพนธ์เล่มนี้เสนอวิธีการพยากรณ์ปริมาณและความเข้มข้นสารฟลอกคูแลต์ในกระบวนการพักใสสำหรับอุตสาหกรรมการผลิตน้ำตาลจากอ้อย โดยใช้โครงข่ายประสาทเทียมแบบวนซ้ำชนิดพิเศษ Long Short-Term Memory โดยข้อมูลที่นำมาใช้เป็นข้อมูลขาเข้าสำหรับการสร้างโมเดลได้แก่ ปริมาณอ้อยสด, ปริมาณอ้อยเผา, ความขุ่นของน้ำอ้อย และปริมาณน้ำฝน และข้อมูลขาออกได้แก่ ปริมาณและความเข้มข้นของสารฟลอกคูแลนต์ ทั้งนี้ข้อมูลที่ได้นำมาจากโรงงานผลิตน้ำตาลแห่งหนึ่งในประเทศไทย ผลการทดลองแสดงให้เห็นถึงประสิทธิภาพของโมเดลที่ได้นำเสนอ LSTM โดยการเปรียบเทียบกับโมเดลอื่นๆ ได้แก่ Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) และ Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) โดยใช้ตัวแปร RMSE และ MAPE เป็นตัววัดประสิทธิภาพของโมเดล พบว่าโมเดลที่นำเสนอมีประสิทธิภาพที่สุดในการพยากรณ์ปริมาณและความเข้มข้นของสารฟลอกคูแลนต์

Interracial Dialogues In Dixie: Expressing Emotions To Promote Racial Reconciliation, Jeneve R. Brooks Phd, Sharon Everhardt Phd, Samantha Earnest Phd, Imren Dinc Phd

Peace and Conflict Studies

Given the legacy of racial injustice and mistrust that continues to plague race relations in the United States, it is important that citizens of different racial backgrounds come together to share their feelings and thoughts about race issues in order to advance racial reconciliation in their own communities. Saunders (1999) asserts that such dialogues can transform interracial relationships that could inspire the larger community to change itself. This study presents the results of nine interracial focus groups from two dialogues on race relations events held in Dothan, Alabama in 2015 and 2016. Our findings illustrate that many Black respondents displayed …

Infusing A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (Cure) Into An Allied Health Curriculum, Deborah A. Johnson, Beverly J. Barham, Susan R. Franzen

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Infusion of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) into an existing research design course in an applied science curriculum allowed medical laboratory science students (n=22) to each be a contributing team member in a hand’s-on research experience, where most of the work was completed during the class time on campus. This design allowed for equal access, an equitable experience, and inclusion of all students enrolled in the course. Methods: Students and instructors worked together to develop a research question. The group agreed that the research question would be to determine the number of environmental specimens that were …

School-Aged Children Of Incarcerated Parents: Information And Behavioral Interventions For Minimizing Negative Effects Of A Parent’S Absence, Rena L. Harp

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

The growing population of incarcerated individuals in the United States has resulted in 2.6 million minor aged children with at least one parent living in a correctional facility. Incarcerated parents are the beginning of a ripple effect whose unique challenges directly and indirectly impact the overall well-being of their children as well as their children’s home caregivers. With this image in mind, the benefits of empirically supported data and behavioral interventions can do the same producing a positive ripple effect starting from the inside out. To evoke this positive ripple effect, resources were compared to the literature and those most …

Utilizing Virtual Reality Therapy In The Treatment Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder In College Counseling Centers, Kaitlyn Barker

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Anxiety is a leading mental health concern among college students. A growing number of students are presenting with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which is one of the most common anxiety disorders. As demands for treatment of this disorder increase, counseling centers are also facing limited funding for providing such services. The result is that there is a need to provide more cost effective, and empirically supported approaches to treatment. Therefore, implementing a program that will allow students to utilize already accessible technology to teach themselves how to combat anxiety is merited. Virtual reality therapy (VRT), is one such …

A Cognitive-Behavioral Program For Improving Self-Esteem In At-Risk Adolescents, Amelia K. Chase-Wise

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Youth who have experienced adverse events in childhood are more likely to experience negative health outcomes. Increased exposure to adverse experiences such as abuse or neglect are associated with increased risk for outcomes such as smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, depressed mood, and attempted suicide. These outcomes may be mediated through the development of more positive coping strategies. Currently, there are no group programs for young adolescents that are designed from a cognitive-behavioral perspective that aim to improve self-esteem in this population. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been found to be effective at reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental …

The Link Between Trauma, Chronic Pain, And Disease, Jessica Caniff

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Psychological trauma and early life adversity have been significantly connected to elevated incidence of disease, chronic pain, and premature death. Trauma exposure can result in shortened telomere length in chromosomes and advanced biological aging. Epigenetics and the modification of gene expression through methylation of DNA can be directly affected by traumatic experiences. Aversive childhood experiences are globally linked to increased likelihood of risk factors for disease, death, and wellbeing throughout life. Sleep deprivation and disruption is a common symptom of trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder. Loss of sleep has a remarkably detrimental impact on the immune and cardiovascular systems …

Effectiveness Of Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing, And Guided Imagery In Promoting Psychological And Physiological States Of Relaxation, Loren Toussaint, Quang A. Nguyen, Claire Roettger, Kiara Dixon, Martin Offenbächer, Niko Kohls, Jameson Hirsch, Fuschia Sirois

ETSU Faculty Works

Research suggests that multiple forms of relaxation training (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, visualization, and autogenics) can help individuals reduce stress, enhance relaxation states, and improve overall well-being. We examined three different, commonly used approaches to stress relaxation - progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and guided imagery - and evaluated them in a head-to-head comparison against each other and a control condition. Sixty healthy undergraduate participants were randomized to one of the four conditions and completed 20 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, or guided imagery training that was delivered by recorded audio instruction. Baseline and follow-up …

A Tale Of Three Dots: Letter From The (Graduating) Editor, Victoria Fisher

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Congratulations, Class Of 2021!

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

The Synapse 28

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Big Red’S Feathered Friends: On The Delicate Ecosystem Hidden Right Above Our Heads, Marco Balic

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Why They Can’T “Just Eat”: The Brain Reward Response And Anorexia Nervosa, Emily Winkler

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

The Miracle Drug Hiding In Your Morning Coffee: Taking A Closer Look At The World's Caffeine Habit And Its Protective Benefits, Anna Slebonick

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Authentic Animal-Free Dairy: Going Vegan Made Easier By Milk-Producing Bacteria, Sydney Rosensaft

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance: What If Trauma And Stress Could Be Genetically Inherited?, Bhavana Huliyar

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Spring Break Or Heart Break? Extending Valence Bias To Emotional Words, Nicholas R. Harp, Catherine C. Brown, Maital Neta

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Ambiguous stimuli are useful for assessing emotional bias. For example, surprised faces could convey a positive or negative meaning, and the degree to which an individual interprets these expressions as positive or negative represents their “valence bias.” Currently, the most well- wellvalidated ambiguous stimuli for assessing valence bias include nonverbal signals (faces and scenes), overlooking an inherent ambiguity in verbal signals. This study identified 32 words with dual-valence ambiguity (i.e., relatively high intersubject variability in valence ratings and relatively slow response times) and length-matched clearly valenced words (16 positive, 16 negative). Preregistered analyses demonstrated that the words-based valence bias correlated …

Idcube Lite: Free Interactive Discovery Cube Software For Multi- And Hyperspectral Applications, Deependra Mishra, Helena Hurbon, John Wang, Steven T. Wang, Tommy Du, Qian Wu, David Kim, Shiva Basir, Maria Gerasimchuk-Djordjevic, For Complete List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

College of Arts and Letters

Multi- and hyperspectral imaging modalities encompass a growing number of spectral techniques that find many applications in geospatial, biomedical, machine vision and other fields. The rapidly increasing number of applications requires convenient easy-to-navigate software that can be used by new and experienced users to analyse data, and develop, apply and deploy novel algorithms. Herein, we present our platform, IDCube Lite, an Interactive Discovery Cube that performs essential operations in hyperspectral data analysis to realise the full potential of spectral imaging. The strength of the software lies in its interactive features that enable the users to optimise parameters and obtain visual …

2021-Cox Scholarship Recipients, Bill Gatton College Of Pharmacy, East Tennessee State University, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Two student pharmacists at Gatton College of Pharmacy have earned the Mitch and Barbara Cox Pharmacy Scholarship, one of the college’s most prestigious awards. The scholarships provide $10,000 to each student and includes mentoring with the scholarship founders, Mitch and Barbara Cox.
Mitch, who has managed a successful business for more than 40 years, and Barbara, who is a former biology teacher, have supported the college since its founding and in recent years created the scholarship.

This year, recipients of the Cox Scholarship are Jonathan Holan (’23), of Morristown, and Tabitha Sineath (’24), of Spring, Texas.

“The scholarship is a …

Cyclic Sequential Adsorption Desorption/Thermal-Catalytic Oxidation Of Volatile Organic Compounds: Material Development, Process Advancement/Improvement, And Numerical Modeling, Simulation And Optimization, Busuyi Ojo Adebayo

Doctoral Dissertations

"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of useful organic chemicals but when emitted have contributed to air pollution. They affect human health, cause environmental degradation and contaminate our waters and soils, so they need to be controlled. When they exist in dilute concentrations, abatement becomes challenging, thus requiring advanced abatement methods, e.g., sequential adsorption desorption/thermal-catalytic oxidation process. The overall goal of this research was to abate dilute streams of VOCs via the process. The specific objectives were to 1) develop novel adsorbent/catalyst dual-function materials (DFMs) for the process, 2) improve the operability of a one-bed-one-column reactor configuration for the …

Identification Of Neuromarkers Using Structural And Functional Neuroimaging, Sreevalsan Sanathanan Menon

Doctoral Dissertations

"One of the grand challenges in science is understanding the human brain. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging have opened unmatched opportunities to demystify neural circuitry. In this research, the spatially and temporally complex neuroimaging data were used to identify neuromarkers that aids in quantifying a brain’s health. In the first part, a comparison of static and dynamic functional connectivities was made to study their efficacies in identifying intrinsic individual connectivity patterns. Results show that the intrinsic individual connectivity pattern can be used as a ‘fingerprint’ to distinguish among and identify subjects and their biological sex and is more accurately …

In Vitro And In Vivo Response To A Novel Borophosphate Bioactive Glass, Nada Abokefa

Masters Theses

"Bioactive glasses have been widely used in several biomedical and tissue engineering applications since the late 1960s. Numerous families of bioactive glasses have emerged over the years, with each having its own advantage and disadvantage. One concern common to all families is that most bioactive glasses create a basic or acidic environment when degraded and, therefore, are toxic for cells. Recently, there has been an increased interest in borophosphate bioactive glass (BPBGs) because of their neutral pH, release of therapeutic ions, and biodegradable properties. Despite the growing interest, there is little reported on the bioactivity of BPBGs. The biological effects …

Predator Scent And Presence Alter Mammal Assemblages In The Missouri Ozarks, Usa, Cara Jean Yocom-Russell

Masters Theses

"Species that are vulnerable to predation exhibit a host of behavioral and physiological adaptations toward the avoidance of this outcome: Heightened awareness of surroundings through visual, olfactory, and auditory senses are common ways in which these species avoid detection by predators. While links between direct predator-prey relationships are well established, less is known about how predators can shape overall community structure or the populations of secondary or less frequently consumed prey items. As humans expand into rural areas, the frequency of wildlife conflicts rises. In response, humans look to prevent these events with a variety of methods. One such method …