Digital Commons Network^™

Insurance With Investments, Jingxi Liao

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Insurance is that insurer collects premiums from insured and reimburses claims. If the premiums collected are not enough to pay claims, insurance company will go bankrupt. Therefore, insurer may need to consider ruin probability of insurance to avoid bankruptcy. In this article, we assume that insurer invests premiums in both risky and risk-free assets with some allocated restrictions. We will try to find the optimal investment proportion by maximizing expected general utility function of surplus process corresponding to the ruin probability. We will prove that the optimal investment proportion has ”bang bang” characteristic under some conditions.

Moreover, in traditional term …

The Hilbert Series Of Paths, Cycles, And Related Graphs, Tiffany Nielander

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The Hilbert Series of a finitely-generated graded R-module, M, is a series which is often given in the form a rational function in the variable, t. This series encodes a great many invariant properties of the module M. In this dissertation, I study the Hilbert series and related invariants of the graph rings for paths and cycles. By utilizing a result of Kyle Trainor, I am able to examine the Hilbert series and the related invariants of these graph rings recursively through second and higher-order difference equations. This technique allows me to extract information about the …

Phase Retrieval And Fidelity Preserving Quantum Channels, Kai Liu

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis investigates the preservation of fundamental quantum properties under noisy quantum processes. Motivated by the challenges of maintaining coherence and information integrity in realistic quantum systems, we study three distinct structural properties: phase retrievability, orbit injectivity, and fidelity preservation. Each property reflects a unique facet of how quantum information can be robustly encoded, distinguished, or compared in the presence of environmental interactions.

In the first part of the thesis, we analyze phase retrievable quantum channels which allow recovery of a quantum state up to a global phase. We provide structural characterizations using the Kraus representation and the joint spectrum …

Analysis Of Numerical Methods For Spdes, And Applications Of Free Boundary Problems In Financial Mathematics, Corey A. Prachniak

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation studies the key properties of a fully discrete finite element method for a class of stochastic moving boundary problems. Then, free boundary problems and their applications in finance are explored.

The first part of this thesis studies the properties of a proposed fully discrete finite element method scheme with an interpolation operator for stochastic Cahn-Hilliard equations with functional-type noise. These solutions cannot be differentiated in time, so we provide Holder continuity results to aid in the scheme’s error analysis. We further derive the uniform boundedness of higher-order L²-norm moment for use in the analysis. Then nearly …

"Identity (Change) Is Not A Joke, Jim!": The Role Of Change In Responsible Drinking Identity On Behavioral Change In College Alcohol Interventions, Angelina V. Leary

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Identity has long fascinated humans, and recent research has explored its role in behavioral change. Identity change may explain why some behavioral interventions are more effective than others. This dissertation examined this idea within the context of college student alcohol interventions. While numerous interventions exist for college students, only some appear to yield long-term effects. It was hypothesized that the key differentiator in effectiveness is how an intervention reshapes an individual’s responsible drinking identity. Participants (71.93% White, 59.40% Female) from a Southeastern university were randomly assigned to one of four intervention conditions: Deviance Regulation Theory (DRT), Personalized Normative Feedback (BASICS), …

Project Esperanza: A Pilot Study On Isolation, Belonging, And Hope For First-Generation Latinx College Students, Marangelie Velez

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study is a two-part manuscript dissertation that explores and assesses culturally grounded strategies to best support first-generation Latinx college students (FGLCS), who often face unique academic and psychosocial challenges. The first manuscript is a conceptual exploration of the intersecting constructs of social isolation, belonging, and hope, and their impact on the well-being and academic success of FGLCS. Thematic analysis revealed the importance of mentorship, culturally relevant content, and opportunities for reflection and community-building. These findings informed the development of a psychoeducational intervention, Project Esperanza. The second manuscript introduces the pilot study designed to reduce social isolation and enhance belonging …

Youth Self-Injurious Thoughts And Behaviors: The Role Of Affect, Interpersonal Stress, And Parenting, Samantha J. Klaver

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) are associated with numerous adverse consequences, including an increased risk of suicide, for youth populations (Castellví et al., 2017; Kiekens et al., 2018). This study developed a more nuanced understanding of the factors associated with SITBs by examining proximal intrapersonal (i.e., daily youth negative affect) and interpersonal (i.e., daily youth interpersonal conflict) factors on youth SITBs utilizing experience sampling methods (ESMs). This study also examined how specific modifiable characteristics (i.e., parent-youth attachment and parental reflective functioning) may moderate these proximal associations. Results from a series of multilevel, mixed-effects negative binomial regression analyses conducted on a …

The Burden Of Blame: Self-Blame After Sexual Victimization And Its Relation To Identity, Cassandra Andrion

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Sexual victimization is a pervasive issue with profound psychological effects. One critical factor influencing post-assault outcomes is self-blame, which can manifest as behavioral (blaming one’s actions) or characterological (blaming one’s core self). Research has shown that self-blame is more strongly associated with sexual assault than with non-interpersonal traumatic events; however, comparisons between sexual assault and other interpersonal traumas remain underexplored. Furthermore, the relationship between specific types of self-blame and different trauma types has not been thoroughly examined. This distinction may be important, as each form of self-blame is linked to different psychological outcomes. Self-blame has been associated with several negative …

Breaking The Karen Curse: A Look At Anti-Mistreatment Signage's Impact On Customer Mistreatment Through Customer Empathy And Entitlement, Amanda Grinley

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This dissertation explores the phenomenon of customers mistreating service workers and examines how physical signage about customer behavior can influence the likelihood of such mistreatment occurring in a work environment. The impact of signage was studied broadly at an individual level in Study 1 by comparing the mistreatment service workers experience in workplaces with and without anti-mistreatment signage, and in more depth at an event level from the point of view of the customer in Study 2 using an experimental video vignette design. Results from the two studies indicate that anti-mistreatment signage can significantly reduce the likelihood of customer mistreatment …

It's In My Nature: A Look At The Individual Differences That Influence Perceptions Of Work Stress Recovery With Nature Breaks, Nathaly Rayo

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

The purpose of this study was to explore how individual differences influence employee

perceptions of nature breaks at work. While nature provides restorative benefits to employees such

as reduced fatigue and feelings of recovery and awe, individual differences may impact the fit

between an employee and nature as a desirable work break location. We adopted a person-centered

approach and conducted a Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) using the indicators of nature

connectedness, regulatory focus, uncertainty intolerance, and openness to experience. Results

supported the emergence of four distinct profiles: break under-regulating nature adventurers,

nature-adverse break-takers, nature-loving break self-regulators, and reserved nature-neutral

break-takers. …

Thriving Through Turbulence: Exploring Team Resilience Through An Adversity-Centered Lens, Krisztina Szabo

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

Although adversity has been a central component of team resilience definitions (Fisher et al., 2022; Raetze et al., 2022), there is little known about how different characteristics of adversity influence team functioning. Drawing from Event System Theory (Morgeson et al., 2015), the dissertation examined the connections between adverse event characteristics (i.e., event novelty, criticality, disruption, duration), team processes (i.e., planning, collective sensemaking, strategy formulation, coordination, monitoring and backup behaviors), and team outcomes (i.e., team performance) in the context of a repeated measures research study. The results indicated that novelty and criticality of adverse events were significantly and positively related to …

The Role Individual Differences And Environmental Factors In Automated Driving Performance, John M. Duany

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

A series of experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of ADHD diagnosis, inclement weather, non-driving-related tasks (NDRT), automation failures, and traffic density on driving performance and takeover performance. This study also examined the relationship between dispositional factors (i.e., trust in automation, cognitive failures, and self-efficacy) and dynamic factors (i.e., mental workload, situation awareness, and situational trust) in relation to automated driving performance. A total of 156 participants were recruited for this study, including drivers with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Each participant completed four experimental drives and two baseline drives. Mental workload, heart rate variability (HRV), situational trust, …

Pride Or Prejudice: An Examination Of Queer Content In Florida High Schools, Niamh L. Harrop

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This thesis explores how queer individuals reflect on the presence—or more often, the absence—of queer content in their high school education. Despite increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ people in popular culture and legal reform, formal educational spaces remain largely heteronormative and cisnormative structured from a heterosexual and cisgender standpoint. Through a critical qualitative approach, this study draws on semi-structured interviews with 13 queer participants who attended high school in Florida in the years between the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 and the passage of Florida’s H.B. 1557 (“Don’t Say Gay” law) in 2022. Using thematic analysis, four key themes were …

Examining Educational Inequalities And Driving Science’S Next Generation Forward: Geobus Program Theory Evaluation, Elise M. Lorenzo

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation post-2024

This study presents a theory-driven evaluation of GeoBus, a mobile science lab designed to deliver hands-on, “fun learning experiences” via a solar powered, technology-rich learning environment brought directly to K-12 students in Central Florida Title 1 schools. While STEM education is widely recognized as essential for promoting equity, many schools, particularly in under-resourced communities, continue to face barriers to accessing meaningful and inclusive science learning opportunities. GeoBus was created in response to this need, offering students an informal learning environment with exposure to geospatial technologies and interactive science content.

Drawing on mixed-methods data, including content from the GeoBus website and …

Isolation And Divergence Of Greater Earless Lizards (Phrynosomatidae: Cophosaurus) In Western North America Support Multiple Diversification Processes And A Complex Demographic History, Christopher Robert Blair, Carlos Joaquín Pavón-Vázquez, Qaantah Rana, Keaka Farleigh, Erika Crispo, Thomas Panzera, Felipe De Medeiros Magalhães, Britt White, Uri Omar Garcia-Vazquez

Publications and Research

The Southwestern US and northern Mexico continue to serve as ideal regions to elucidate the suite of ecological and evolutionary processes influencing lineage diversification. The complex geological history of arid North America, coupled with paleoclimate change during the Pleistocene and diverse ecoregions makes a multipronged approach to hypothesis testing necessary. We combine thousands of loci from a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach along with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences from the Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) to examine diversity and test for cryptic population structure. We also apply recently developed coalescent approaches in a Bayesian framework to estimate migration rates. Population …

The Speech-To-Song Illusion Across Development And The Effects Of High-Level Expectations, Rodica R. Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The typical listener can readily categorize auditory stimuli as either speech or song even though these structures share many acoustic similarities. These musical and linguistic categories may nevertheless take time to develop as children acquire language- and music-specific knowledge. In the Speech-to-Song (STS) illusion, multiple repetitions of a natural spoken utterance can give rise to a perceptual switch wherein the stimulus begins to sound song-like to the listener. While the STS illusion has been well-researched in adult listeners, it had yet to be investigated in children. In our study, we examined whether children experience the STS illusion by presenting participants …

The Dual Impact Of Moral Injury: Links To Ptsd Symptoms And Disinhibited Externalizing In U.S. Combat Veterans, Bianca S. Islas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Moral injury is an experience of psychological distress that occurs when a person’s morals are violated by themselves or others, including institutions and organizations. Such violations of morality can be impairing and have high rates of comorbidity with internalizing disorders (posttraumatic stress, depression, anxiety, suicidality), which may indicate that moral injury is a transdiagnostic construct. This study had four aims, which were accomplished using from a nationally representative, probability-based sample of 1,353 US military veterans. In the first aim, we created structural models of moral injury using the Moral Injury Events Scale (for which a bifactor structure with a specific …

Development Of An Access Charge Framework For High-Speed Rail Incorporating Rail Replacement Costs And Dynamic Train Characteristics, Nitesh Kumar Yadav

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis develops a framework to determine track access charges for shared high-speed rail corridors, with a focus on rail replacement cost driven by train-induced loads. The method explicitly accounts for both static loads, resulting from axle weights, and dynamic loads that arise from train speed and track geometry, particularly curvature. Train characteristics such as axle load, operating speed, frequency of service, and number of wheels are integrated with track parameters, including curve radius, to calculate the total vertical load. These loads are used to estimate the cumulative tonnage threshold for rail replacement and the resulting service life of the …

Blood Group Profile Of Türkiye With Regional And Demographic Differences: A 23-Year Retrospective Study, Levent Sağdur, Azi̇z Karaca, Mustafa Nuri̇ Günçikan, Mustafa Yilmaz, Kerem Kinik

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study aims to comprehensively analyze the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups, as well as demographic characteristics and regional variations, using data from 9.5 million blood donors across Türkiye.

Materials and methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study, data were collected from 9,587,592 healthy, voluntary donors who donated to the Turkish Red Crescent between 1998 and 2021. Donors met the criteria of being 18–70 years old, weighing over 50 kg, with hemoglobin levels above 13.5 g/dL for male and 12.5 g/dL for female. The data were evaluated based on age, gender, education level, and geographic region.

Results: …

Comparison Of Novel Diard-Hbv Dna Qpcr Kit With The Artus Hbv Qs-Rgq Kit For Quantification Of Hbv Dna In Clinical Samples, Ülker Çuhaci, Hande Toptan, Bengül Durmaz, Mehmet Köroğlu, Riza Durmaz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) leads to widespread chronic infections that may result in long-term complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The use of sensitive molecular methods for HBV DNA quantitation has provided significant contributions for diagnosis and monitoring of disease. The current study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performances of a novel DiaRD HBV qPCR kit (novel kit) in comparison with the artus HBV QS-RGQ kit (comparator kit).

Materials and methods: A total of 288 plasma samples—105 HBV DNA-positive and 183 HBV DNA-negative—were tested using both kits. The diagnostic and quantitative results of the novel kit were compared …

The Impact Of Alternatives To Incarceration And The Motherhood Identity On Mothers And Their Children: A Qualitative Study, Chloe Blau

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The U.S. prison system population increasingly includes women, a significant proportion of whom are mothers, often incarcerated for non-violent crimes. Some research suggests that alternative to incarceration (ATI) programs can help these women to continue supporting their children while serving their sentences and receiving services that may decrease recidivism. However, few studies have explored the lived experiences of women in these programs. This dissertation investigates the impact of participating in ATI programs on mothers and their relationship to their motherhood identity, their ability to mother, and their relationship with their children. Using a qualitative approach to better understand how women …

The Effectiveness Of Pre-Packaged Literacy Curriculum: A Document Analysis Of The Culturally Responsive Tenets In Pre-Packaged Literacy Curriculum, Grace Ghazzawi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The introduction of the Common Core State Standards in 2010 sought to standardize educational expectations across the U.S., aiming to promote equity by ensuring all students received a high-quality education. However, educational disparities persist, particularly for historically marginalized students, leading to a continued achievement gap in literacy, especially among low-income students of color. While pre-packaged curricula have emerged as tools to align instruction with the rigor of the Common Core State Standards, their effectiveness in addressing the diverse needs of students from marginalized backgrounds remains uncertain. This study explores the intersection of pre-packaged literacy curricula and Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) …

A Thematic Analysis Of The Perceived Impact Of Nil Policy On Athletic Identity, Career Maturity, And Black Male Student-Athletes’ Experience Of Transitioning Away From Football, Jesse Merise

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In 2007 the NCAA launched the widely recognized slogan, “There are over 380,000 student-athletes, and most of us will go pro in something other than sports.” Today, that figure has risen to over 540,000 and continues grow. Among them, Black male student-athletes (BMSAs) comprise 40% of collegiate football participation across all three divisions, a notable increase from 36% in 2012. Since only a small percentage of college football players go on to play professionally, it means that a large number of Black student-athletes will eventually have to leave sports and pursue other career paths.

This study examined the perceived impact …

The Impact Of The Doctor-Patient Relationship In Bipoc Women Suffering From Benign Gynecological Conditions, Gabriela Baez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study sought to gain a better understanding of the impact of the doctor-patient relationship on BIPOC women with benign gynecological conditions. The current study explored how wellbeing is impacted in BIPOC cis-gender women with benign gynecological conditions by measuring the quality of the relationship. General racism experience was also explored as a moderator on the impact of doctor-patient relationship on wellbeing. A total of 169 participant responses were included in this study. Hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between gynecological conditions and wellbeing. In addition, there was a significant negative relationship between racism experience and …

The Influence Of Remote Instruction On Middle School Ell Students' New Jersey State Learning Assessment English Ela And Math Achievement, Marie Chezuette Dort

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This correlational study explained the influence of remote instruction on English Language Learner (ELL) students' middle school grades on the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) achievement in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. This study focused on data collected in two separate school years and analyzed middle school grades with the ELL Subgroup. It indicated the correlation between remote instruction and ELL students' ELA and mathematical performance in the NJSLA Grades 6, 7, and 8. This study also included controlled variables, Grades 3, 4, and 5, from 2018-2019 and other student characteristics, the percentage of economically disadvantaged students and …

Sexual Intervention Self-Efficacy In Clinical And Counseling Psychology Doctoral Trainees: Examining Education, Family Sexual Communication, And Sex Positivity, Sara Aigen

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Sexual wellbeing is a critical yet often overlooked aspect of psychological health. Despite its significance, many psychologists report discomfort and low self-efficacy in addressing clients’ sexual concerns. The current study examined factors associated with sexual intervention self-efficacy among doctoral trainees in clinical and counseling psychology. Specifically, it investigated whether family communication about sex and didactic education in sexuality predicted sexual intervention self-efficacy and whether sex positivity moderated these relationships. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with 166 doctoral students enrolled in APA-accredited programs across the United States. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and measures assessing family sexual communication, sex positivity, …

Parent/Stakeholder, Practitioner, And Teacher Perception Of Applied Behavior Analysis As Influenced By Social Media, Brittany Hahn

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The current study was conducted to investigate individuals’ perceptions of ABA as influenced by social media. A survey that included videos selected from TikTok, a social media platform, was provided to parents/stakeholders of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), practitioners/employees of ABA (BCBAs, RBTs, etc.), and teachers. Participants were acquired using recruitment posts on TikTok and Facebook, through email, and by word-of-mouth/referral. 58 participants in total fully completed the survey. The survey was conducted using Qualtrics and included 32 questions and eight TikTok videos. The results showed that parents/stakeholders’, practitioners’, and teachers’ opinions of ABA were not influenced by the …

The Benefits Of Establishing Attending Behavior Prior To The Discriminative Stimulus During Discrete-Trial Instruction: A Systematic Review, Ruben S. Pereira

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is one of the most effective and commonly used instructional strategies for teaching individuals with autism. Researchers and professionals have informally promoted the importance of establishing attending behavior prior to initiating discrete trials. However, some researchers have reported a lack of literature analyzing the effects of establishing attending behavior, prior to instruction, on skill acquisition. Therefore, the benefits of establishing attending as part of DTI remain unknown. The goal of the current thesis was to conduct a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines to search for published studies where attending behavior was a primary independent variable within …

A Systematic Review To Assess The Use Of Peer Mediated Interventions For Children With Autism When Autistic Children Serve As Peer Instructors And Models, Corinne Boyce-Swem

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, social interactions and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, interest or activities. These deficits hinder autistic children’s social and communicative skills. Peer-mediated interventions (PMIs) have been found effective in the development of communication, play and social skills in individuals with ASD. In PMIs typically developing children are trained to be peer models of socially acceptable behavior for children with ASD. This however may contrast with literature indicating that the most effective peer models are individuals who share similarities with the learner. The current study was …

Does The Literature Empirically Support The Use Of Behavior Analysis In The Treatment Of Sports Related Concussions: A Systemic Review, Kayla Mckoy

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Although the literature supports the use of applied behavior analytic (ABA) interventions in the treatment of traumatic and acquired brain injuries, the question remains as to whether or not ABA procedures are an effective treatment option specifically for TBI associated with sports related concussion (SRC). The purpose of the present study was to review the literature available on the use of ABA with individuals diagnosed with sport related TBI to determine if there is enough research to empirically support the use of behavior analysis in the treatment of sport related concussions. The PRISMA method for systematic reviews was used to …