Digital Commons Network^™

Contributors

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Contributors

Extent Of Inclusion Of “Rural” In Comprehensive Cancer Control Plans In The United States, Inti Barrientos-Gutierrez, Katia Gallegos-Carrillo, Lizeth Cruz-Jimenez, Rosibel Rodriguez- Bolaños, Edna Arillo-Santillán, Jim F. Thrasher Ph.D., Ma, Ms

Faculty Publications

Objectives. To evaluate the prevalence of exposure to Internet communications on and advertising of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their association with perceptions of the social acceptability of e-cigarettes in Mexico.

Methods. Data were analyzed from eight surveys (2018–2021) of an online sample of Mexican adult (> 18 years) smokers and dual users (of combustible and electronic cigarettes). Self-reported exposure to e-cigarette advertising across various marketing channels was assessed, as well as visits to e-cigarette websites. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between perceptions of the social acceptability of e-cigarette use and level of advertising exposure and visits …

Healthcare System Responses To Non-Communicable Diseases’ Needs Of Syrian Refugees: The Cases Of Jordan And Lebanon, Chaza Akik, Farah Asfahani, Tatiana Elghossain, Sandra Mesmar, Miriam Rabkin, Wafaa El Sadr, Fouad M. Fouad, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction:

Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Jordan and Lebanon have hosted large refugee populations, with a high pre-conflict burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We aimed to explore NCD service provision to Syrian refugees in these two host countries and to identify lessons learned that may inform the global response to the changing health needs of refugees.

Methods: Between January 2017 and June 2018, we conducted 36 in-depth interviews with stakeholders from Jordan and Lebanon, as well as global stakeholders, to understand the context, the achievements, gaps and priorities in the provision and uptake of NCD prevention, …

State Level Trends In Renewable Energy Procurement Via Solar Installation Versus Green Electricity, Eric Michael Hanson

Masters Theses

“In the past 5 years, consumer options for procuring renewable energy have increased, ranging from rooftop solar installation to utility green pricing to Community Choice Aggregation. These options vary in terms of costs and benefits to the consumer as well as grid integration implications. However, little is known regarding how the presence of a wide range of options for utility-scale renewable procurement affects demand for distributed residential solar installations. In theory, there are three possible relationships, (1) positive correlation, where utility-scale and distributed resources complement each other to increase overall production, (2) negative correlation, where utility-scale and distributed resources are …

Deep Learning-Based Surrogate Models For Post-Earthquake Damage Assessment, Xinzhe Yuan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Seismic damage assessment is a critical step to enhance community resilience in the wake of an earthquake. This study aims to develop deep learning-based surrogate models for widely used fragility curves to achieve more accurate and rapid assessment in practice. These surrogate models are based on artificial neural networks trained from the labelled ground motions whose resulting damage classes on targeted structures are determined by nonlinear time history analyses. The development of various surrogate models is progressed in four phases. In Phase I, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) is used to develop multivariate seismic classifiers with up to 50 hand-crafted intensity …

Arizona’S First Record Of An American Woodcock, Harriet Marble

Arizona Birds

No abstract provided.

Identification Challenge: Trumpeter Vs. Tundra Swan, Pierre Deviche, Doug Jenness

Arizona Birds

No abstract provided.

Arizona’S First Record Of An Orange-Billed Nightingale-Thrush, Ken Lamberton

Arizona Birds

No abstract provided.

Canyon Wren Nesting In A Tree Cavity In The Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, Scott T. Olmstead, Erin B. Olmstead

Arizona Birds

No abstract provided.

Distribution And Occurrence Of Eared Quetzal In The United States: A 45-Year Review Of The Eared Quetzal In Arizona And New Mexico, 1977-2021, Peg Abbott

Arizona Birds

No abstract provided.

Arizona Bird Highlights, Fall 2021, Doug Jenness

Arizona Birds

No abstract provided.

Ticks And Novel Chigger Mite Species On Passerine Birds In Southeastern Arizona, Kathleen Groschupf, James W. Mertins

Arizona Birds

We document the combined occurrences of one immature tick species (Amblyomma cf. triste), 2 known chigger mite species, Euschoengastia numerosa and Neoschoengastia americana, and 4 undescribed species of Neoschoengastia chiggers attached to individuals of 11 bird species in southeastern Arizona. Groschupf incidentally discovered clusters of the orangecolored chiggers while examining migrant and local birds for Amblyomma cf. triste, a hard tick documented as uncommon and discontinuously widespread in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, West Texas, and northwestern Mexico. All of these ectoparasite collection records are new for these particular bird host species in Arizona, and Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) is …

A Comparison Of The Magnitude Of The Mental Health Benefits Of Exercising Outdoors Vs Exercising Indoors: A Review, Greta M. Rueschmann

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Many people in the United States suffer from poor mental health which can lead to suicide, self-harm, or negative effects on job performance and relationships. Not everyone can afford traditional therapy nor feels comfortable with it. With a greater emphasis placed on taking care of one’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, there should also be a greater emphasis placed on finding alternative types of therapy that can be matched to individuals based on their personalities and preferences. One such alternative is outdoor exercise. This review was conducted to examine whether exercising or performing physical activity outdoors results in greater …

It’S Still Hot In Here: Exploring The Relationship Between Incentivization And Climate Related Behaviors To Combat Climate Change, Meredith T. Matthews

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Consumer behavior continues to play a centralized role in the anthropogenic (i.e., human) factors causing exponentiated rates of climate change at a global scale. The present study utilized a mixed-method research design which combined components from both quantitative and qualitative research. The purpose of the mixed-methods study was to examine the extent to which self-monitoring and incentivization through extra credit in a graduate psychology course would impact participants pro or anti-climate behaviors using two commercially available applications. In the primary study, eight participants selected from a graduate psychology course at Missouri State University completed a combined intervention including self-monitoring of …

A Pilot Randomized Trial To Assess Motivating Operations In Delay Discounting Of Food, Breeanna Michelle Slusher

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This pilot study addresses the impact motivating operations have on delay discounting of food in the presence of real food. Six participants were recruited and randomly assigned to three food stimuli groups (donut, vegetable, and control) and assigned to either a deprivation or non-deprivation condition within the group. Participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires and a delay discounting task. Demographics and anthropometric measurements were obtained from each participant. The pilot study showed support for previous delay discounting research that as the delay to more nutrient dense meals increases the subjective value of the delayed reward decreases. Thus, …

Shadow-Based Automatic Building Height Estimation From High Spatial Resolution Satellite Imagery, Lonnie Lee Byrnside Iii

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Three-dimensional city (3D) models are very useful in supporting natural disaster preparation and response. LiDAR surveying is currently the main method by which 3D city models are created; however, LiDAR data on a local scale is hard to obtain for developing countries. This project sought to test whether or not urban feature height data obtained using the photogrammetric sun-angle shadow method is a viable alternative to LiDAR-derived 3D city models. A core element of this work was the development of a toolset to be shared freely to the public to promote crowdsourcing of 3D building data. Prior works were reviewed …

Using Scorecards To Improve The Performance Of Behavior Technicians In An Autism Treatment Clinic, Carly M. Ruether

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Staff performance is important to the success of businesses and employers often use different methods to increase staff performance and motivate their staff. Performance scorecards, goal setting, and feedback are some methods of increasing staff performance. The goal of the current study was to partially replicate and extend Griffin et al.’s (2019) study utilizing performance scorecards to increase targeted behaviors of employees. In the current study, pre-intervention survey results were used to inform the choice of intervention based on deficiencies. Based on the results of the pre-intervention questionnaire, it was concluded that “task clarification and prompting” and “performance consequences, effort, …

The Influence Of Psychological Safety On Leadership Attitudes And Beliefs In College Students, Ján Koperniech

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The goal of the present study is to examine whether there is a link between experiences of psychological safety and certain beliefs and attitudes college students have about organizational leadership. While the locus of most of the research on psychological safety is the workplace, this study examines the effects of psychological safety in three environments: home, school, and work. One-hundred and ninety-nine psychology students reported their experiences and attitudes by completing an online survey. The results showed no significant relationship between psychological safety and systemic and hierarchical beliefs about leadership. The findings, as well as recommendations for future research, are …

Queering Job: Inverted Liberation In Boy Erased And Other Conversion Trauma Narratives, Harrison Beau Palen

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis explores conversion trauma narratives with the goal of transforming—inverting The Book of Job’s holy resolution to instead entail queer liberation apart from Evangelicalism. Analyzing Conley’s bestselling memoir, Boy Erased, I discuss Conley’s suffering and how his liberation is not found by means of repressing or converting his attraction to the same gender. I also analyze Emily Danforth’s novel, The Miseducation of Cameron Post to highlight how fictional accounts of queer liberation from conversion therapy help to increase awareness of the harms of conversion therapy. Throughout my thesis, I incorporate my own story of queer suffering, survival, and …

Qualitative Comparison Of The United States And United Kingdom Healthcare Systems, Rachel Cazzaniga

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The United States and United Kingdom healthcare systems vary based on their public access, financial dependence, health outcomes, gross domestic product, and much more. The systems have continued to grow with different focuses of importance in the quality of care that is being distributed to their populations. The U.K. universal healthcare system represents their value of accessibility and affordability, while the U.S. privatized system(s) represents their value of economic growth. The study provided a qualitative analysis of the systems' differences by integrating real world experiences and perceptions of the systems from individuals that have encountered and interacted as a patient …

Physical Activity As A Predictor Of Obesity In Autistic Children, Cody A. Mullins

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Research has found autistic children to be 40% more likely to be obese compared to their non-autistic peers. Reduced physical activity (PA) is thought to be a contributing factor to the increased prevalence of obesity in autistic children. This was one of the first studies to investigate the PA behaviors of autistic children during an adapted physical education (APE) class using accelerometry. The purpose of this study was to examine the PA of autistic children and determine the relationship between PA and obesity. Participants were recruited from a school for students with disabilities who participate in a once-weekly APE class …

Parent Style Of Coping Based On Attachment In The Nicu, Claire Elizabeth Payne

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This quantitative study sought to identify any relationship between attachment type and coping style in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, to better understand and provide resources and support to families in this environment. This study included ten participants who had an infant in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for at least five days. Each participant met the additional criteria of being older than the age of 18 and speaking English. Responses were recorded through a self-report survey, consisting of 115 Likert scale statements. Results indicated that most parents self-report secure attachment and that styles of coping varied within those securely …

The Me [Unnamed]: Essays, Rebecca Ann Harris

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This creative thesis includes six flash nonfiction pieces and four essays exploring my relationships with my father, mother, and older sister; this exploration is filtered through the lenses of trauma and mental illness. Notably, five of the six flash nonfiction pieces are written in the literary mode of magical realism, which are analyzed in this thesis’ critical introduction. By evaluating magical realism’s origins in German surrealism and its development within Latin-America—as well as its theoretical correlation to Charles Baxter’s defamiliarization and Milan Kundera’s appeal of dream—I acknowledge magical realism’s literary techniques and cultural motivations within published fiction. I analyze magical …

Emotion Validating Language Regarding Negative Emotions In The Classroom Differing By Gender And Emotion Type, Tea Rose Pankey

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study examined teachers’ emotion validating language regarding negative emotion in early childhood classrooms. By analyzing teachers’ emotion language differing by gender, the research highlights the gendered socialization of emotional expression, especially regarding negative emotions, in early childhood contexts. In toddler and preschool classrooms, 28 teachers were video recorded during 4 thirty-minute sessions of free play time. Videos were coded for teachers’ emotion language regarding negative emotions with attention to the gender of the child to whom the language was spoken. Results indicate that teachers validate negative emotions more to girls than to boys. This aligns with previous research that …

The Effect Of Autophagy Related Protein 10 And Its Mutants On Autophagic Activity, Sk Nadia Rahman Silvia

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Autophagy is the cellular degradation process in which cellular contents are encapsulated by double-membrane vesicles, autophagosomes, and delivered to the vacuole to be degraded and recycled. This process is important for cell health and homeostasis. There are approximately 32 different autophagy-related proteins involved. Atg10 is an enzyme that may affect overall autophagic activity by changing autophagosome size and/or number. Our goal is to find mutants that cause a significant, partial loss in Atg10’s activity by mutating some residues near the active site and testing the functionality of these mutants by performing western blots and enzymatic assays. Here we show that …

More Than De Colores: Expanding Students' Scope Of Spanish Language Songs For Learning And Use Within Music Therapy, Amanda Norman

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Culture is a critical component of a music therapist’s knowledge and mindset. However, undergraduate music therapy students are lacking adequate materials to learn music from a variety of cultural backgrounds. This project seeks to inform current and future music therapists of the variety of music that can be found within a single culture, focusing on music of Latin American, Hispanic, and Latino heritage. This project consists of a songbook of Spanish language songs that will be offered as a resource to current and future music therapy students at Eastern Michigan University.

Vocal Analysis Of The Newly Described Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog, Carrie J. Kosiba

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Urbanization alters animal behaviors and especially impacts amphibians due to their sensitivity to environmental change, small home ranges, and reliance on acoustic communication to locate mates. A newly discovered leopard frog species, Rana kauffeldi, was recently described from the New York City metro area. This species was previously characterized as R. sphenocephala due to their nearly identical morphology, but the two species are distinguished based on genetics and calling characteristics. The goal of this project was to document calling intensity and phenology (timing) differences between urban and rural populations of R. kauffeldi, as well as describe variation across …

Methane Fluxes From The Peninsular Dam Impoundment In Ypsilanti, Mi, Jacob Fagerstrom

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Dams and reservoirs are a significant source of Methane (CH_⁴), a potent greenhouse gas, due to sediment and organic matter trapping, decomposition, and subsequent anoxia. Most measurements to assess methane production from dams are on large tropical impoundments and reservoirs, with few studies on methane emissions from small, midlatitude impoundments. These small impoundments make up most dams around the world and are underrepresented in the literature. Here, we evaluated methane from low-head dams on a midlatitude river in southeast Michigan. We measured emissions from impoundment and free-flowing sections using static floating chambers and dissolved methane along a longitudinal …

Decomposition Of Organic Matter Above And Below Dams, Olivia Muntz

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Dams produce hydroelectric power and control flooding, but they also cause negative ecological consequences such as habitat fragmentation and altered water quality. The goal of this study was to determine whether dams alter rates of organic matter decomposition. Decomposition rates in impoundments and in free-flowing sections of the Huron River were measured using the cotton strip assay. We hypothesized that if water temperature is the main driver of decomposition rates, then higher rates of decomposition would be expected behind dams due to anticipated warmer water temperatures in the impoundment. If oxygen concentrations are a main driver of decomposition rates, lower …

How To Vocally Train Transgender Singers: A Thorough Literature Review, Sydney A. Timmer

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

The knowledge of training transgender voices is just beginning to make its way into mainstream music education. However, there needs to be more known and a curriculum in place to address this critical topic. Transgender students face many unique challenges in the voice studio, and educators must have the knowledge to teach these students. There are several elements to consider when training transgender students. These elements include the anatomical changes of masculinizing hormones on the body and voice, the anatomical changes of feminizing hormones on the body and voice, vocal exercises for both transfeminine and transmasculine students, how to choose …