Digital Commons Network^™

Comparative Analysis Of Hydration Status And Microbial Quality Of Tap Water Between Urban And Rural Settings In The Ashanti Region Of Ghana, Marina A. Tandoh, Priscilla Owusu, Claire-Rush N.A. Nkrumah, Veronica Tawiah Annaful, Chris Y. Asare, Samuel Selormi Attu

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Maintaining proper hydration is crucial for human health, physiological functions, and cognitive performance. This study sought to determine the hydration status and the microbial safety of tap water in an urban setting (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Campus) and a rural community (Adjamesu) in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The water safety perception and hydration status of 171 study participants aged 10-61 years were assessed. Six taps were randomly selected at each site in triplicates, resulting in 36 water samples. The microbial quality of the water was assessed by testing for heterotrophic bacteria, coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella. …

Using Guided Notes To Provide Scaffolded Design As A Tool For Cognitive Efficiency And Conceptual Clarity, Ryan Schuffert

Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository

These supplemental learning materials streamline the learning process through a design that facilitates scaffolded learning by organizing focus on mastering macro-level concepts as a prerequisite to individualized details in content-dense courses.

Guided notes lead the learner on a path of discovering the depth of content while the layout encourages the development of discernment among multiple pathologies that share disease/disorder categorization.

This tool has helped students master the skill of chunked learning and has allowed them to implement this strategy, using these worksheets as a template, into multiple disciplines outside of pathophysiology.

Sexual Education, Sexual Self-Concept, And Behavior Of Adolescents: A Retrospective Study, Rachel Albanese

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Adolescence is a period within the lifespan of a human where sexuality is a key component of development; therefore, it is appropriate that adolescents are provided sexual education during this time. There continues to be a debate regarding sexual education; while some studies consider specific ways to provide sexual education, they do not compare the effect of differing sexual education (i.e., how and who provided sexual education) or lack of sexual education on risky sexual behavior and sexual selfconcept during adolescence. This study retrospectively examined the impact of sexual education on risky sexual behavior and sexual self-concept. It also explored …

Exploring The Relationship Among Postpartum Depression, Cognitive Distortions, And Relationship Satisfaction, Kylie A. Hastings

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Postpartum depression is the most prevalent psychological disorder experienced following childbirth, impairs daily functioning, negatively impacts child growth and development, and is linked to maladaptive parent-child interactions. Previous research also suggests a link among distorted thinking, depression symptoms, and interpersonal tension. The current study explores the interplay among postpartum depression symptoms, cognitive distortions, and relationship satisfaction among postpartum individuals. Researchers examined how specific thinking errors, including catastrophizing, mindreading, and labeling, are associated with depression symptoms and relational experiences in the postpartum period. Using a quantitative survey design, data were collected from 90 participants using validated instruments: the …

Power Training Impact On Running Ability After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Study, Sandra M. Tremblay Pt, Ms, Cws, Mscs

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Managing The Impact Of Workplace Trauma For Australian First Responders: Harmonizing Policy And Practice, Aglae Hernandez Grande, Fleur Sharafizad, Ben Farr-Wharton, Yvonne Brunetto, Matthew Richman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Police, fire, ambulance, and emergency services workers face an increased exposure to traumatic events while at work, negatively affecting their mental health, and with broader financial, legal, and moral implications for the public sector organizations that employ them. To better support these workers, and to mitigate the potential financial burden resulting from workers’ compensation claims, many first responder organizations are implementing wellbeing initiatives. This article examines the efficacy of an initiative for a sample of 530 frontline and administrative first responders, working in one state jurisdiction in Australia. The results indicate that wellbeing programmes moderate the impact of trauma on …

Can The Ability To Infer Relevance Account For Dimensional Psychoticism? An Exploration Of A Representative Community Sample, Adam Schwarz, Frank D. Baughman, Evan Dauer, Ruby Koyllor Alarcon Gleeson, Jennifer Haywood, Bo Huei Huang, Karen H. Heslop, Barbara A. Mullan, Susan L. Rossell, Nicolas H. Hart, Darren Haywood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Psychoticism is a common feature of psychological disorders. Deficits in perceptual inference have been associated with the development of psychotic symptoms. Traditional testing of perceptual inference has had low ecological validity, limiting the ability to infer functional relationships. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between the capacity to infer relevance in dynamic environments and dimensional psychoticism, as well as to investigate the association between inferring relevance and dimensional psychoticism. Method: Four hundred participants, representative of the general population of the USA, completed an online questionnaire consisting of the Brief Symptom Inventory, as well as demographic …

Sunset Provisions In The Local Tax Code: Perspectives Of City Leaders In Arkansas Cities Of The First Class, Sara R. Deuster

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Unlike their federal and state counterparts, local governments do not have someone to pass the buck to when it comes to carrying out public programs and have a limited means to generate their own source revenue to sustain non-enterprise government services. Taxation is the primary means local governments rely on to generate such revenue. With the responsibility to provide services, maintain infrastructure, and accommodate growth, municipalities must capitalize on the taxing authority allowed by their respective state. The purpose of this study was to seek understanding on how city leaders in Arkansas cities of the first class view the use …

Environmental Risk Factors For Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza In Pennsylvania’S Commercial Poultry Industry, Andrew Turner

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study examines environmental risk factors associated with outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in Pennsylvania’s commercial poultry industry. Using a case-control design, the analysis evaluates 2,285 geocoded commercial poultry farms through spatial and biostatistical methods aligned with STROBE-Vet reporting guidelines. A broad set of 641 GIS-derived candidate variables, including farm characteristics, bird types, disease incidence, wild bird observations, anthropogenic features, socio-economic indicators, and ecoclimatic conditions, were screened for associations with HPAI infection. The logistic regression model identified the density of infected farms within short distances and the local concentration of duck farms as the strongest …

Quality Over Quantity: Doula Perspectives On Equity, Access, And Quality Of Care In Black Maternal Health Outcomes, Terry-Ann E. Lynch

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Black maternal mortality in the United States is a public health crisis. There are a plethora of reasons as to why maternal and fetal deaths disproportionately impact Black women. From a public health perspective, health disparities are an area of concern in marginalized communities, with Black maternal mortality being a risk factor. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black (subsequently, Black) women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic White (subsequently, White) women (26.6)” Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021” …

The Impact Of Age-Friendly Policy On New York State: How Executive Order-190 And Executive Order-23 Shape Community Development For All Ages, Trista Bercarich

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The demographic shift toward an aging population has created an urgent need for policies that promote inclusive, livable communities for all ages. This quantitative study examined New York State’s implementation of Age-Friendly policy through Executive Order 190 (2018) and Executive Order 23 (2022), which collectively advance the integration of health, accessibility and community participation across state and local systems. Guided by environmental gerontology and psychology, aging in place and successful aging frameworks, this research utilized an adapted version of the AARP Livable Communities Survey to assess residents’ perceptions of livability with the eight AARP domains. The cross-sectional online survey (n …

Gods Guns: Why Firearms And Firearm Culture Remain Sacred To Rural Americans, Thomas Westrick

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

With ample evidence demonstrating a link between low levels of gun regulation and high levels of firearm fatalities, it seems intuitive that Americans would want to increase the level of firearm regulation to bring down the level of violence. However, the target population, white males living in rural areas of the State of Indiana and practicing the Christian Evangelical Protestant tradition, display high levels of resistance to new firearm regulation. This study sought to explore that resistance through the lens of the rural gun culture with an interpretivist qualitative design using reflexive thematic analysis to answer the research question: How …

An Exploratory Study Of Ukrainian Refugee Resettlement Patterns And Education Resource Needs In Poland, Marta Gintowt

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine that started in late February 2022 triggered a refugee crisis that reverberated throughout Europe. During the onset of the invasion, an estimated five million Ukrainian refugees, mostly women, children, and the elderly, fled to countries in Europe and beyond. Countries were not prepared for the magnitude of the initial influx of refugees, who are a vulnerable population who require specific immediate and long-term supports. As three years have passed since the start of the war, the needs of refugees have evolved, and resources providing educational support to refugee children have taken on increased importance. …

An Updated Social Media Users’ Crisis Response Framework, Violetta Wilk, Francesca Stocco, Saiyidi Mat Roni, Ferry Jie

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This exploratory study aims to investigate social media users’ reactions via user-generated content (UGC) to crisis-affected supply chains, through the lens of Situational Crisis Communication Theory, to: (1) ascertain whether the Social Media Users' Crisis Response (SMUCR) Framework is applicable to a prolonged, multi-brand, global crisis and (2) whether there is any evidence of online brand advocacy (OBA) and online brand detraction (OBD). Design/methodology/approach: Natural language processing (NLP) with Leximancer, enabled thematic and sentiment analyses of 295,024 X (Twitter) posts extracted over a three-year period. Findings: This study found that there were nine stages in social media users’ response …

Rhetorics Or Business As Usual? A Systematic Review Of The Realities Of Australian Aid Localisation Efforts In The Pacific Region, Mark Opoku Amankwa, Clement Amponsah, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Vicki Frances Banham, Portia Nana Ama Brempong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

While Australia increasingly references aid localisation in its programming, implementation remains donor-driven and structurally resistant to local agency. Comprehensive reviews capturing these realities remain scarce. This study synthesises insights from 150 articles obtained from the Web of Science Database to address this gap. Findings reveal persistent donor-driven, hierarchical approaches that marginalise local voices and hinder locally led development. Skill deficits, inadequate information sharing, and underutilisation of local knowledge further undermine effectiveness. Political agendas, market-led narratives, and funding systems prioritising external contractors exacerbate dependency and power imbalances. Antithetically, meaningful local leadership and culturally tailored programs have aligned aid initiatives with community …

Treatment Refusal By Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Study Of Oncology Health Professionals’ Views And Experiences In Australia, Moira O’Connor, Ashleigh Pantaleo, Tracey Williams, Mary Theophilus, Jordan Joseph, Nicolas H. Hart, Darren Haywood

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In some cases, against medical advice, a person with cancer decides not to undergo any conventional, evidence-based cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy hormone therapy and others. Estimates for treatment refusal range from 2.6% to 14.55%. Refusing evidence-based conventional cancer treatments is linked to rapid deterioration, poor prognosis and a higher risk of premature death. This study aimed to explore oncology health professionals’ experiences and views on why patients refuse standard cancer treatments. We employed an in-depth qualitative research design, adopting a social constructionist framework. Fourteen health professionals in Western Australia (WA) with experience working in oncology were interviewed. Four themes …

Enhancing Phygital Customer Experience Through Generative Ai: A Social Listening Method For Strategic Retail Decision-Making, Zahra Dahish, Shah J. Miah, Ameet Pandit, Sanjit K. Roy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) to transform vast amounts of textual content for strategic insights have been a rapidly growing trend for business researchers. Although various studies have identified applications of GAI in business operations, aspects related to strategic support are yet to be fully developed in the relevant literature. This paper introduces a new GAI-enabled social listening solution that integrates advanced text analytics techniques: (a) Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM)–a specialized form of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) adept at capturing long-term dependencies through its memory function over time, and (b) Google BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers). Our …

The Effects Of Physical Exercise On Emotion Dysregulation In Postsecondary Students With And Without Adhd, Elizabeth Bodalski

Theses and Dissertations

Emotion dysregulation is a common issue among college students with ADHD, and emotion dysregulation in adults with ADHD is associated with many negative outcomes including higher levels of psychological distress and social impairment, poorer functioning at school and work, greater symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life. Past work suggests that physical exercise can be useful in treating core ADHD symptoms for children and adolescents with ADHD, but less is known about its effects for young adults with ADHD. Exercise has been shown to be effective in targeting emotion dysregulation among the general adult population. Some work …

Emotions And Cognition, Krystal D. Becks

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Cognitive functioning is linked to emotional processes, with this relationship shaped by various biological (e.g., age, sex, diseases, and genetics), psychological (e.g., emotional well-being, coping strategies, mental health), and sociological (e.g., income and education) factors. Understanding these interactions is critical for advancing research on cognitive-emotional health across diverse populations. Purpose: To examine the relationship between positive and negative emotions and cognitive functioning among healthy adults. Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Aging Brain Cohort (ABC) study (n=434). The independent variables were subsets from the NIH toolbox emotional battery. The dependent variables were from the NIH …

Intimate Partner Violence Victims' Experiences With Civil Legal Interventions, Jessica Brooke Pomerantz

Theses and Dissertations

The court system has become a central part of the societal response to intimate partner violence (IPV) and is a frequently used as a source of help for victims (Cattaneo et al., 2013). Despite the importance of a justice system response to IPV, it is not always accessible or helpful to victims. Past research has demonstrated barriers to IPV victims seeking legal intervention including mistrust of the court system generally, extensive and confusing legal processes and procedures, and failure of the courts to assess more invisible forms of abuse (Calton et al., 2017; Cerulli et al., 2015; Cuomo & Dolci, …

Self-Regulation In Children With Fragile X Syndrome: Biobehavioral Underpinnings, Familial Predictors, And Outcomes, Erin Evelyn Hunt

Theses and Dissertations

Self-regulation is a multifaceted construct that occurs on biological, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels. Self-regulatory abilities typically emerge in the first years of life and continuously develop through early adulthood. There is considerable interindividual variability in developmental trajectories of self-regulation which are associated with numerous adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. Factors influencing the development of self-regulation include interacting genetic and social environmental factors. Given the high heritability of self-regulation, within-family associations are common.

Individuals with Fragile X syndrome (FXS), an inherited, single-gene neurodevelopmental disorder, have heightened vulnerability for self-regulation deficits that are evident in early infancy; however, the developmental trajectories and …

Cerebellar Contributions To Speech And Clinical Outcomes In Stroke: A Multimodal Investigation Of Structural Integrity Across Chronic And Acute Cohorts, Makayla Joy Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the critical role of the cerebellum in speech production, with a focus on chronic post-stroke apraxia of speech (AOS), lesion-related cerebellar degeneration, and age-related changes in cerebellar structure among healthy individuals. While speech deficits have traditionally been attributed to cortical lesions, mounting evidence suggests that the cerebellum contributes significantly to speech-motor planning, execution, and error correction. Using multimodal neuroimaging, lesion-symptom mapping, and standardized speech assessments, this research examines cerebellar gray matter volume (GMV) across three complementary studies.

Aim 1 evaluates the association between cerebellar GMV and AOS severity in individuals with chronic left hemisphere stroke. Findings support …

Examining Effects Of A Cultural And Family Resilience Program On Improving Physical Activity And Eating Behaviors Among Overweight Black Adolescents, Mary Quattlebaum

Theses and Dissertations

Black adolescents have higher rates of physical inactivity, lower quality dietary intake, and fewer family meals compared to their White peers. These health inequities place Black adolescents at greater risk for overweight and obesity, as well as long-term health consequences, including chronic disease and early mortality. However, few health promotion programs have been successful in improving health behaviors among Black adolescents and families. Elevated rates of chronic stress, namely racial stress, among Black families may be a prominent obstacle for engagement in and effectiveness of health promotion initiatives. Limited family-based health promotion programs with Black families have incorporated cultural and …

Investigating The Role Of Rps3 In The Homologous Recombination Dna Repair Pathway, Jerome Robert Dorsey

Theses and Dissertations

Ribosomal proteins have been demonstrated to perform extra-ribosomal functions beyond protein synthesis, including roles in cell signaling, transcription regulation, apoptosis, and DNA repair. Ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), in particular, has been implicated in DNA repair and apoptosis pathways, suggesting a critical role in maintaining genomic stability. However, the specific mechanisms involving RPS3 are still unknown, particularly in the context of double-stranded break (DSB) repair. DSBs are among the most severe types of DNA damage, often resulting in chromosomal instability or cell death if not properly repaired. Nonhomologous End Joining (NHEJ) and Homologous Recombination (HR) are the two primary DNA repair …

Utilizing Evisits To Increase Access To Genetic Services For The Hearing Loss Population: A Tailored Service Delivery Model, Ansley Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Patients referred for genetics services have specific barriers decreasing accessibility, such as communication difficulties, long wait times, and misconceptions about the utility of genetic testing. We assessed a new tailored service delivery model used by the Greenwood Genetic Center to evaluate patients referred for hearing loss to determine if this model increases access to genetics services for individuals with hearing loss. Methods: Data points such as wait times, testing plan, and diagnostic yield were compiled from patient medical records. Comparison and analysis of data was completed by visit type, in-person, virtual, and electronic visits (eVisits), between October 2023 – …

Family And Community Role In The Provision Of Informal Care For Older People Living With Chronic Life-Limiting Illnesses In Rural Ghana, Barbara Adonteng-Kissi, Obed Adonteng-Kissi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Informal care for older people living with chronic life-limiting illnesses is associated with difficulties. The informal care system built around generational values and cultural norms is steadily weakening in rural Ghana because of economic challenges, migration, urbanisation, and changing family structure. In responding to this knowledge gap, we aimed to ascertain how the immediate family, extended family and community support impact on mechanisms underlying provision of informal care for older people living with chronic life-limiting illnesses. Ethnographic interviews were conducted amongst fifteen older people; fifteen informal caregivers; ten health care professionals, after participatory observations during six months of fieldwork utilised …

Muscle Strength, Muscle Endurance, Voluntary Activation, And Perception Of Effort In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Me/Cfs): An Overview, James L. Nuzzo, Janet L. Taylor, Christopher Latella

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition characterized by fatigue, post-exertional malaise, perceived muscle weakness and other symptoms. Whether muscle strength is objectively reduced in ME/CFS is unclear. Objective and methods: Our aim was to determine if muscle strength, muscle endurance, voluntary activation, and perceived effort during muscle endurance tasks are altered in ME/CFS by reviewing the relevant literature. Results: We identified 27 studies that compared muscle strength or endurance between individuals with ME/CFS (n = 1,023) and healthy controls (n = 672). Tests typically involved handgrip, elbow flexion, or knee extension tasks. Across studies, muscle strength …

January 2025, Swosu Bulldog Wellness Committee

SWOSU BULLDOG WELLNESS

January is Thyroid Disease Awareness Month

Return To On-Snow Performance In Ski Racing After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Nathaniel Morris, Ricardo Da Silva Torres, Mark Heard, Patricia Doyle Baker, Walter Herzog, Matthew J. Jordan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The individual variation in on-snow performance outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) in elite alpine ski racers has not been reported and may be influenced by specific injury characteristics. Purpose: To report the performance statistics of elite ski racers before and after ACLR and to identify surgical and athlete-specific factors that may be associated with performance recovery. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) points, FIS ranking, average placing, and average percentage behind the winning time in each race were calculated for 30 national and provincial team ski racers at 1 year …

Undergraduates’ Lifestyle And Suboptimal Health Status (Shs): A Cross-Sectional Study In The Ha’Il Region Of Saudi Arabia, Bandar Alsaif, Collins Otieno Asweto, Sehar Un Nisa Hassan, Mohamed Ali Alzain, Mohammed Elshiekh Saeed, Ahmed Kassar, Kamal Elbssir Mohammed Ali, Mouna Ghorbel, Rafat Zrieq, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background University students in Saudi Arabia are embracing some of the negative traits of the fast-paced modern lifestyle, typified by unhealthy eating, low physical activity, and poor sleep habits that may increase their risk for poor health. Health and holistic well-being at the population level are among the priorities of the 2030 vision of a vibrant society in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The current study thus aims at determining the prevalence and predictive factors of Suboptimal Health Status (SHS) among university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 9,026 undergraduate students between 31st May and 15th June 2023. …