Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Cultural Familiarity Influences Musical Tempo, Jared W. Leslie

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Listeners perceive foreign speech as faster than native speech, even when there is no measurable difference in the speech rate. The mechanisms underlying this “Foreign Language Effect” are currently unknown, but one explanation is that as listeners acquire increasingly language-specific experience, they are able to parse the speech stimulus at increasingly slower levels of language structure (i.e., sentences or phrases rather than just syllables). This ability presumably gives riseto the perception that native speech is slower. Because music also has a hierarchical temporal structure, a similar phenomenon may also exist for tempo perception of culturally familiar and unfamiliar music. To …

Examining Oppressive Social Systems: Activism, Academics And Alpha Males, Kristin Dee Vierra

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Oppressive social systems are structures and institutions within society that systematically and unjustly restrict the rights, opportunities, and overall well-being of certain groups (Bonilla-Silva, 1997; Feagin, 2013). The current program of research aims to investigate how oppressive social systems impact individuals and explore strategies to address and counteract them. The first paper seeks to understand whether, why, and how people engage in critical action to support Black Lives Matter (BLM). The second paper examines undergraduates' perceptions of whether STEM research mentors should consider race when mentoring students from marginalized backgrounds. The final paper employs a meta-synthesis with the purpose of …

Mattering And Attachment: A Bilateral Association That Underlies Relationship Outcomes In Couples, Jacob Ybarra

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

In this master's thesis, I conducted a quantitative study using data from 100 heterosexual couples in a committed, romantic relationship to better understand the relationship between perceived mattering (PM) and attachment and to explore how mattering relates to various mental health and relationship outcomes. All 200 partners independently completed an online anonymous questionnaire consisting of various quantitative assessments measuring my study variables (e.g., attachment, PM, and relationship and mental health outcomes).

I used dyadic data analysis to examine how study variables related to an individual's outcomes as well as their partner's. Overall, findings from the first analysis highlighted that men …

A Systematic Review On Functional Analysis Of Noncompliance, Alyssa Hurd

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Lack of following instructions is a common caregiver concern that can have adverse effects on the learner. Although certain behavioral assessments (i.e., functional analysis) are often employed for other forms of challenging behavior (e.g., aggression, property destruction) to determine why these behaviors are occurring (e.g., to gain attention, toys, or escape from instructions), these assessments are infrequently conducted to determine why a learner is not following instructions. Lack of following instructions is often hypothesized to be motivated by desire to escape from instructions. However, to date, no study has examined the prevalence of variables that motivate lack of following instructions …

The Intersectional Experiences Of Young And Educated Latine Men's Masculinity: An Exploration Of Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Skin Tone, Sexual Orientation, And Region Of Origin, Juan Estrada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Latine masculinity is often looked at through simplistic concepts like machismo or caballerismo, which fail to fully consider the different aspects of Latine men’s identities. For example, how might a cisgender, gay, dark skinned, Latine man understand his masculinity as he moves between Latine and United Statesian cultures. In this study, we wanted to do two things: first, we wanted to understand how the cultural and intersectional aspects of their lives shape how Latine men see their masculinity. Second, we wanted to celebrate the diverse ways in which they express their masculinity, considering things like their skin color, region …

Causes Of Sleep Disturbance In Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals: Is It Depression Or Obstructive Sleep Apnea?, Ayşe Ö. Mete, İlkay Karaoğlan, Kübra Koçak, Begüm Şahin, Elif Yaşamali, Ali E. Kilisli, Meral Uyar

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To examine the possible association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depression on sleep quality in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PWLHIV). Methods: Adult PWLHIV were included in this prospective, cross-sectional, case-control study. Our study was completed with 99 patients and 80 control subjects. To investigate sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale and Stanford Sleepiness Scale were used; to determine the risk of OSA, the Berlin and STOP-BANG questionnaires were used; and to evaluate the existence and degree of depression, the Beck Depression Inventory was applied. Results: Patients had significantly higher daytime sleepiness ( p =0.002) and …

Application Of Arterial Infusion Ports In Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy And Embolization For Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Xinqiang Han, Peng Zhao, Xuemin Wang, Xiaoyu Tan, Yongzhen Zhang

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To investigate the safety and feasibility of subcutaneous implantable infusion ports in repeated hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China. Methods: A total of 237 patients who were clinically diagnosed with advanced HCC (CNLC III a/III b) in our hospitals from December 2020 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The approaches of HAIC were divided into 2 groups: arterial infusion port implantation (group A) and one-time femoral artery catheterization (group B) based on the physicians’ suggestion and the patients’ intention. The comfort level (evaluated with the General Comfort Questionnaire), complications and average inpatient expenditure …

Per Capita Gdp’S Potential Effect On The Percentage Of Children In Foster Care, Jenna Mcclain

Honors College Theses

Few studies have been conducted on the presence of a direct connection between per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and the percentage of children in foster care in a given region. GDP is a known indicator of economic growth (Powers, 1995; Roshaniza & Selvaratnam, 2015), as is a child’s potential for foster care placement associated with a parent or family’s financial status (Bald et. al, 2022; Barth et. al, 2010). Poverty is the bridge in many of these scenarios – low GDP can be indicative of higher poverty rates, and financial hardship under poverty classification can lead to child maltreatment …

Natural Walking Interfaces To Improve Immersive Training In Virtual Reality, Niall L. Williams

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Virtual reality (VR) allows users to be placed in a computer-generated environment and provides realistic visual feedback through motion tracking, high refresh rates, and a stereoscopic display [16]. VR presents a new opportunity to provide immersive experiences with applications to job training, entertainment, social interactions, and therapy and rehabilitation. One important aspect of providing users with a comfortable, immersive virtual experience is granting users the ability to freely explore the virtual environment (VE) [5, 6, 30]. Due to the importance of exploration for virtual experiences, it is crucial that we develop locomotion interfaces that provide the best user experience.

Nonmedical Stimulant Use In An Undergraduate College Student Sample: Demographics, Academics, Stress, And Other Substance Use, Ashley Skye Vanover, Meredith K. Ginley, Shelby Whalan

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nonmedical use of prescription stimuluants (NMUS) can cause adverse outcomes for college students including academic impediments, such as a lowered GPA, and polyuse of illicit substances (Garcia et al., 2021; Holt & McCarthy, 2019; Norman & Ford, 2018). The current study investigated the demographics, academics, stress, and polysubstance use between students who endorsed NMUS and those who did not in an undergraduate college population sample at a large public university in the Southeast. The sample consisted of 429 undergraduate students who completed online measures of demographics, perceived stress, stressful life events, and substance use. Overall, 3.4% of the sample reported …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Readiness For Integrated Behavioral Health Services Among Primary Care Providers In East Tennessee, Baylee Rose

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Individuals in rural areas tend to face unique barriers to accessing mental health care. One possible solution to make mental health services more accessible could be to integrate behavioral healthcare providers into primary care practices. However, the successful integration of behavioral health services into rural primary care is likely reliant on the knowledge, attitudes, and readiness of the primary care practice to initiate the process of integration. The current study aims to describe knowledge, attitudes, and readiness to adopt integrated behavioral health services among primary care providers in rural South-Central Appalachia and to examine how providers’ knowledge and attitudes …

Eeg Classification While Listening To Murottal Al-Quran And Classical Music Using Random Forest Method, Heni Sumarti, Fahira Septiani, Agus Sudarmanto, Wahyu Caesarendra, Rizki Edmi Edison

Knowledge Engineering and Data Science

This study is aimed to classify the brain activity of adolescents associated with audio stimuli; murottal Al-Quran and classical music. The raw data were filtered using Independent Component Analisys (ICA) and followed by band-pass filter in Python on the Google Colab Extraction was processed with Power Spectral Density (PSD) and the Random Forest Method in Weka Machine Learning was used for classification. The research results showed the same results between the two types of stimulation, namely the order of brain waves from highest to lowest were delta, alpha, theta and beta. The average brain waves of teenagers when given murottal …

Design, Analysis, And Interpretation Of Treatment Response Heterogeneity In Personalized Nutrition And Obesity Treatment Research, Roger S Zoh, Bridget H Esteves, Xiaoxin Yu, Amanda J Fairchild, Ana I Vazquez, Andrew G Chapple, Andrew W Brown, Brandon George, Derek Gordon, Douglas Landsittel, Gary L Gadbury, Greg Pavela, Gustavo De Los Campos, Luis M Mestre, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

It is increasingly assumed that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to dietary recommendations for the management and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity. This phenomenon that not all individuals respond uniformly to a given treatment has become an area of research interest given the rise of personalized and precision medicine. To conduct, interpret, and disseminate this research rigorously and with scientific accuracy, however, requires an understanding of treatment response heterogeneity. Here, we define treatment response heterogeneity as it relates to clinical trials, provide statistical guidance for measuring treatment response heterogeneity, and highlight study designs that can quantify treatment response …

Using Readers' Theater To Increase Fluency For Second Grade Students, Serena Coyle

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study focuses the effect of reader’s theater on fluency for second-grade students. Fluency was measured through oral reading fluency and the multidimensional fluency scale. Students were selected from the researcher’s second-grade classroom. The study was done in a small group setting. Results show that students significantly improved oral reading fluency and prosody in the six-week study. Students grew an average of 24 words per minute in oral reading fluency.

The Effects Of One-On-One Interventions On Kindergarten Students., Laura Peterson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This 2023 study focuses on the impact that one-on-one interventions have on the academic achievement of kindergarten students. My focus is on whether one-on-one interventions play a significant role in the outcome of student scores on trimester achievement assessments, or if one-on-one interventions do not show success in student progress. Students will be assessed daily for 20 days on interventions in areas they are struggling with. The research took place in a Minnesota school, specifically five Kindergarten students who are in the same classroom. The data and results will follow.

Mediators And Moderators Of Active Music Engagement To Reduce Traumatic Stress Symptoms And Improve Well-Being In Parents Of Young Children With Cancer., Sheri L. Robb, Kristin Stegenga, Susan M. Perkins, Timothy E. Stump, Karen M. Moody, Amanda K. Henley, Jessica Maclean, Seethal A. Jacob, David Delgado, Paul R. Haut

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: This trial examined the effects of proximal/distal mediators and moderators of an Active Music Engagement (AME) intervention on young child/parent distress, quality of life, and family function outcomes.

METHODS: Child/parent dyads (n = 125) were randomized to AME or Audio-storybooks attention control condition. Each group received 3 sessions with a credentialed music therapist for 3 consecutive days with data collection at baseline, post-intervention (T2), and 30-days later (T3). Potential proximal mediators included within session child and parent engagement. Potential distal mediators included changes in perceived family normalcy, parent self-efficacy, and independent use of play materials. Potential moderators included parent/child …

Safety Culture Surveys: Towards A Unified Method, Brandon Judy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between two aviation safety culture scales: the Airline Safety Culture Index (ASCI; Flight Safety Foundation, 2001) and the Organizational Safety Culture Questionnaire (OSCQ; Patankar, 2003). This study compared two safety culture instruments using a correlational methodology. The two scales were combined into a questionnaire distributed to hundreds of aviation students and professionals. The students were sampled using a stratified cluster sample method, and the professionals were sampled using a snowball method. There were 259 initial usable responses; after outliers were removed, the sample size was 244. A Pearson’s product-moment correlation found that the ASCI and …

How Students Learn: Examining The Differences In Learning Strategies Between Flight And Nonflight Students, Jennifer A. Torres

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in learning strategies between undergraduate flight and nonflight students attending a 4-year university that offered a Part 141 flight training program. Learning strategies were measured using Panadero et al.’s (2021) 30-item Deep Learning Strategies Questionnaire and its four subscales—Basic Learning Self-Regulation Strategies, Visual Elaboration and Summarizing Strategies, Deep Information Processing Strategies, and Social Learning Self-Regulation Strategies—all of which were the dependent variables. The primary independent variable was group membership, but the study also incorporated two covariates—self-efficacy and intrinsic value—which were measured using the respective subscales of Pintrich …

Encapsulating Holistic Intercultural Competence Development In Higher Education: A Literature Review On Assessments And Competencies, Constantina Rokos, Svetlana N. Khapova, Marcus Laumann

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Examining The Conditions Affecting The Success Of Income-Generating Activities By Refugees: A Focus On Programs Provided By Ingos In Egypt., Wesal Elkorashy

Theses and Dissertations

With the global decline in resettlement opportunities for refugees in the so-called Global North, many displaced populations are hosted in the Global South. The shift towards first asylum and transit countries often places them in environments where economic stability is often elusive, coupled with legal, social, and cultural barriers. In this challenging situation, addressing refugees' economic lives resilience, and their contribution in the overall economy of host countries becomes increasingly urgent. This is intrinsically linked to the support provided by humanitarian organizations, particularly INGOs, which play a pivotal role in implementing economic programs aimed at increasing refugees’ engagement in the …

Characteristics Of Award-Winning Children’S Books About Agriculture: An Analysis Of Content, And The Perspectives Of Authors, Illustrators, And Publishers, Addison L. Beckham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this two-article qualitative study was to characterize children's literature about agriculture and to describe the perceptions of authors and illustrators who are responsible for writing and designing these successful publications. This will result in the ability of organizations like Feeding Minds Press to provide writers, illustrators, and publishers with effective strategies and techniques to improve the accuracy and overall quality of children’s literature about agriculture. Few parameters exist for authors of children’s books about agriculture (Biser, 2007). These parameters are necessary to ensure the quality and accuracy of these educational efforts (Serafini, 2012). Though Feeding Minds Press …

The Use Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In Esol Classes, Beth A. O. Haddinger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is organized into five distinct chapters addressing multiple aspects of learning and engagement as it relates to English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom. First, the problem of practice is identified and explored. We, as educators, must look closely at instructional and systemic issues, actionable elements, broader strategies of improvement, and leverage, which refers to the ability of a program to motivate students and to generate a sense of practical value in academics. The next aspect of this dissertation proposal reviews the existing research literature. This literature review focuses on the specific learning needs of ELL students. Specifically …

The Impact Of Eye-Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing On Self-Reported Test Anxiety In College Students, Renee Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Test Anxiety (TA) has become a major concern for college students. Experiencing mental concern about test-taking perpetuated by physiological hyperarousal directly affects students’ ability to be successful in college. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a multi-faceted therapeutic approach that aims to process dysfunctional negative cognitions which originate with negative past experiences to an adaptive state. Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1989, the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model undergirds the 30-second, therapist-initiated, bi-lateral eye-movements. These movements identify and reprocess emotionally disturbing experiences, linked to an individual’s emotional expression, by deliberatively triggering a connected trauma network. This dissertation examined the …

A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Emergency Service Use In Autistic Youth And Young Adults, Rebecca S. Bradley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autistic youth are at an increased risk for needing emergency services as compared to neurotypical peers. In fact, approximately 20% of autistic youth will interact with police by the age of 21, and rates of emergency department visits are 30 – 70% higher among autistic individuals than neurotypical peers. While research has begun to explore the nature of emergency service use in this group, researchers have not yet assessed important individual-, family-, and community-level factors that may be associated with these encounters. This study aimed to address this gap in the field by 1) characterizing families of autistic children who …

Examining The Hormonal Underpinnings Of Affiliation Motivation In Oral Contraceptive Users, Hormonal Iud Users, And Naturally Cycling Women, Mikayla Tolliver

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Affiliation is important for women during times of stress. Although, affiliation has been linked to women’s hormones across the menstrual cycle, many women use hormonal contraceptives which disrupt the links between hormones, psychology, and behavior. This study examined how hormonal contraceptives (hormonal IUD vs. the oral contraceptive pill) and menstrual cycle phase (follicular vs. luteal) are associated with affiliative motivations following the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Further, this study examined women’s cortisol reactivity and whether cortisol reactivity mediated affiliative motivation following the stressor. I found that oral contraceptive pill users projected more stress and rejection onto others’ faces and …

Diminishing Creative Returns: Predicting Optimal Creative Performance Via Individual Differences In Executive Functioning, Kent F. Hubert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A robust finding in creativity research is that during idea generation, later (vs. earlier) responses on a divergent thinking task tend to be more creative, while the number of responses start off quickly, and then slow down over time, termed the serial order effect. Divergent thinking and time may follow a diminishing returns curve, where there is an optimal amount of time that should be spent while generating ideas. Executive functions (inhibition, updating, and shifting) have been associated with divergent thinking, specifically with the idea generation phase, but the effect of individual differences on the temporal dynamics of divergent thinking …

The Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Large Rock Blocks And Control On Landscape Evolution In The Ozarks, Chelsea Moran

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Geologists often use landscape form to infer landscape processes through time. While climate and tectonics shape geomorphic form, the potential range of spatial or temporal scales that can shape any specific landscape can render landscape process-form based hypotheses too general for consideration. Contributions by mathematical modeling have helped bridge the gap between inferring processes from form, notably in how sediment transport dynamics shape hillslopes. However, few models encapsulate the movement of large rock blocks ( >2 meters across) and their potential impact as hillslope sediment transport disruptors. The Upper Buffalo River watershed (BRW) in the Ozarks of northern Arkansas has …

The Intersection Of Employee Engagement And Employee Health: A Quantitative Evaluation Of The Use Of Engagement Tactics In Improving The Health Of A Workforce, Andrew Buffenbarger

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Employers have a vested interest in the health of employees, but employee wellness programs have not proven themselves an effective tactic for employers to motivate employees to live healthier lives. Employees who suffer from chronic disease are less productive than healthier peers, are more expensive to insure, have higher rates of absenteeism, and are more prone to suffer from performance-reducing levels of stress and burnout (Shuck et al., 2021; Jones et al., 2019; Mattke et al., 2013). The problem is that employee wellness programs are often not effective at improving the health of employee populations (Song & Baicker, 2019; Jones …

A Generic Qualitative Inquiry Of The Challenges For Black African American Men Who Have Experienced Trauma, Randall Lee Maurice Shakir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Black African American Men (BAAM) suffer disproportionately from trauma related challenges and have a higher risk of encountering trauma across the lifespan. The negative impact of trauma is a major public health concern in the United States, evidence suggests trauma negatively impacts the physical well-being, mental health, and mortality rate. BAAM have increased rates of trauma exposure and their traumatic experience is historically complex involving a variety of contemporary issues (i.e. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), depression, victimization and desensitization, stress). This research aims to explore the complex nature of their trauma-related challenges among a purposeful sample of BAAM participants in …

Examining The Relationship Between Student Age And Modality Choice In A Community College’S New Student Orientation Program: A Preregistered Study To Examine The Assumption Of Self-Directed Learning, Amy L. Foree

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Understanding and navigating college rules, resources, and expectations is a considerable barrier for students accessing and transitioning to college (Conley, 2007; Williams, 1996; Hooker & Brand, 2010; Ardoin, 2013; Sheppard, 2012). To improve students’ acquisition of pertinent, time-sensitive information, many institutions have implemented mandatory new student orientations (NSO). Orientations provide information such as academic policies and procedures, institutional expectations, campus resources, and financial aid assistance. They also allow students to meet faculty, staff, and other new students. By providing these resources, institutions acclimate students to their new environment. Although colleges realize that new student orientations support students’ success, they …