Digital Commons Network^™

Extending Touch: Investigating Sensorimotor Integration, Cognitive Workload, And Presence With Neuro-Haptic Feedback In Virtual Reality, Aliyah Khadijah Shell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sensory feedback from the hand is fundamental for the coordination of fine motor skills and overall sensorimotor function. Impaired somatosensation during task execution has been associated with the development of inaccurate motor plans, which can hinder motor learning. Virtual Reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for motor rehabilitation; however, most VR-based interventions overlook the critical role of tactile feedback in motor control. The absence of touch feedback, which is integral to conventional rehabilitation and training, may limit the full therapeutic potential of VR. Integrating functionally relevant neurostimulation based haptic feedback (neuro-haptic feedback) into VR-based interventions may enhance functional …

Advancing Effective Connectivity Analysis: Robust And Sparse Group Dynamic Causal Modeling Via Extended Parametric Empirical Bayes, Godfred Arhin

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) provides a principled framework for estimating effective connectivity in neuroimaging data, with Parametric Empirical Bayes (PEB) enabling hierarchical inference across sessions and subjects. However, standard PEB assumes Gaussian distributions at all hierarchical levels and employs conventional shrinkage priors that do not enforce true sparsity, limiting robustness to outlying subjects and reducing sensitivity to parsimonious connectivity structures. This thesis introduces a robust, sparsity-inducing hierarchical extension to DCM-PEB that addresses these limitations through two key innovations. First, a Student-t group-level likelihood replaces the conventional Gaussian likelihood, automatically downweighting outlying subject-level parameters using adaptive precision weights while retaining computational …

Enduring Efffects Of Juvenile Fluoxetine Exposure On Serotonin Transporter Expression Within The Hippocampus And Prefrontal Cortex Of Male C57bl/6 Mice, Daniel Eduardo Calvo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prescription rates of fluoxetine, the most dispensed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, have been rising among the juvenile population. Since adolescence is a critical developmental period in which the brain undergoes pruning, chronic increases in serotonin levels may lead to long-term neurobiological changes in brain regions responsible for emotional regulation. Thus, using mice as a model system, this thesis evaluated how adolescent fluoxetine exposure (AFE) influences the expression of serotonin transporters (SERT) in the adult hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. To do this, postnatal day (PD)-35 male C57BL/6 mice were administered with fluoxetine (250 mg/l in their drinking water) for 15 consecutive …

Under Pressure: The Effects Of Stress And Cognitive Load On Interrogative Suggestibility, Claudia Cota

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

High-stakes situations, like police interrogations, can impair critical thinking due to stress and cognitive demands, making individuals more susceptible to suggestion. While much research focuses on children, young adults are also at risk for interrogative suggestibility, which can have serious legal consequences. This study experimentally manipulated stress and cognitive load to test whether both factors increase suggestibility in young adults, both independently and interactively, with the highest suggestibility among those experiencing both greater stress and cognitive demands. This was evaluated by examining both condition effects and self-reports of stress and cognitive load. College students (N = 230), aged 18 to …

Borderlines Of Becoming: Transfronterizx College Students Navigating Surveillance, Hybridity And Belonging Along The Us-México Border, Aylin Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This narrative literature review examines the educational experiences of transfronterizx college students along the U.S.– México border, a population largely absent from higher education scholarship. Drawing on Borderlands Theory, Anzaldúa’s frameworks, and critical perspectives on neoliberalism and militarization, this thesis highlights the border as a site of both constraint and possibility. Structural violence, surveillance, and militarization intersect with linguistic, racial, and class hierarchies to shape students’ mobility, identities, and sense of belonging. At the same time, students mobilize hybrid identities, cultural wealth, and transborder networks to assert agency, cultivate belonging, and resist deficit narratives. It also identifies persistent gaps, particularly …

Exploring The Impact Of Stem Degree Attainment On Intragenerational Social Mobility Among Hispanic Students And Graduates In Two Texas-Mexico Border Universities, Pilar Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research employed a two-phase, sequential, explanatory, mixed-methods design to answer the research questions. The first research question examined how obtaining a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) higher education degree affects the socioeconomic advancement of current Hispanic students and alumni of the Louise Stokes Alliance for Minorities in Participation (LSAMP) within the context of two higher education institutions located along the Texas-Mexico border. The second research question explored the determinants shaping the professional pathways of Hispanic STEM students and graduates in the geographic vicinity of the Texas-Mexico border. For this study, STEM degrees refer to those recognized by the …

Encoding Of Inferences Into Long-Term Memory In Bilinguals, Bianca Valentina Gurrola

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When reading and listening to information, people often make inferences to facilitate their comprehension and the creation of a discourse representation. However, because such inferences are not explicitly stated, they can lead to distortions in the memory representation known as inference-based memory errors. The present study investigated the encoding of inferences in bilinguals while considering the effects of language proficiency, presentation modality, and working memory load. In Experiment 1, Spanish-English bilingual participants read and listened to narratives composed from common schemas (e.g., going to eat at a restaurant) before completing a recognition test on the details from narratives. In Experiment …

Boxing The Shadow, Based On Some True Stories By Madskater Bohannon, Brad Haines

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Creative writing, as a therapeutic modality, delves into memory and confronts fragmented emotional and cognitive processes through the medium of written language. For me, this involves language exerting resistance against memory, physical form, and silence. Boxing the Shadow, a hybrid of memoir, flash nonfiction, poetry, graphic novel scripting, and playwriting, emerges from my experiences with moral injury, and the ongoing process of self-expression that challenges institutional structures. At its essence, writing is an act of survival: it renders visible the inarticulable, identifies the phantoms and specters that haunt, and finds a suitable form to accommodate memory's unreliability and the jaggedness …

Phishibl: A Systematic Evaluation Of Instance-Based Learning Model For Predicting Phishing Susceptibility, Shova Kuikel

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite enormous efforts to develop defenses against phishing attacks, humans still struggle to detect phishing emails given the constantly evolving attacker strategies. This thesis aims to test the predictive capabilities of a cognitive model that represents the individual susceptibility to phishing emails. While training programs aim to raise awareness, most remain outdated and ineffective against evolving attack strategies. Recent advances in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Large Language Models (LLMs) offer new defenses, yet understanding human decision processes remains crucial, as effective systems must emulate how people evaluate unfamiliar emails based on prior experience. This research introduces a cognitive model …

The Misadventures Of Popcorn And Zelda, Lori Lynne Kullberg

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Value of Animal Protagonists for Young Readers in Children’s Literature. This series is about my rescue cat and dog, Popcorn and Zelda, who are brought together at different ages and stages of their life. Witnessing their sweet interaction, mischievous playfulness, and close bond, I am immediately provided the inspiration for the early reader series of my thesis, The Misadventures of Popcorn and Zelda. My animals offer a constant stream of entertainment in watching how they interact with not only one another, but with me, as well. Oftentimes, Popcorn and Zelda’s behavior mirrors how I think a person would act …

Our Trajectories As We Leave The Teaching Profession: Pláticas With Former Bilingual Teachers On The U.S.-Mexico Border In Texas- An Explanatory Sequential Mixed-Methods Study, Carla Medina Jaquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Teacher attrition has had a negative impact on the educational system for many years. New and experienced teachers have been leaving the classroom. Although the reasons appear repetitive, we know relatively little about what teachers must go through when deciding to leave the profession and what happens to them afterward. A teacher shortage is occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border, as in many other cities across the United States. Despite undergoing a lengthy certification process, teachers continue to leave the classroom. This research employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to explore how new and experienced teachers navigate their transition out of …

Exploring Intergenerational Conflicts Association Among Cultural Values, Bicultural Identity Integration, And Alcohol Use Severity Within Hispanic College Student Drinkers, Ashley Marie Lindquist

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Hispanic college students are at higher risk of experiencing family conflict [i.e., intergenerational conflict (IGC)] and engaging in increased alcohol use as they begin adopting values aligned with higher education institutions. Furthermore, minoritized students often develop an additional cultural identity influenced by mainstream values, resulting in a form of biculturalism. Research has sought to understand the navigation of values and identity through the concept of Bicultural Identity Integration (BII). However, limited research has examined the effects of BII on cultural values, IGC, and subsequent alcohol use among Hispanic college students. The current study explored the direct and indirect effects of …

Disproportionately Disadvantaged: A Narrative Literature Review Into How External Stressors And Stigmas Impact And Affect A Lgbtq+ High School And College Student's Mental Health And Education, Amaya Perkins

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The LGBTQ+ community faces many stressors in educational, societal, and professional contexts. It is important to understand the factors that affect the lives of LGBTQ+ high school and college students, as they can impact their educational quality. This thesis will explore and identify the structures in place that affect the mental health of LGBTQ+ students which range from a lack of medical support to how stigmatization and violence impact mental health. This is a narrative literature review that aims to review, critique, and synthesize the literature of 26 academic journal articles. This thesis found that LGBTQ+ students were scared to …

Applying The Quadruple Process Model To A Measure Of Implicit Bias Towards Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder, Erin Marie Portillo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Alcohol use disorders is one of the major burdens of disease, yet it remains one of the disorders with the lowest treatment prevalence. For individuals who seek treatment for their alcohol use disorder, they may experience higher levels of social disintegration, guilt, shame, and stigmatization. Stigma is a multistep process that makes way for stereotypes, prejudice, and acts of discrimination to take place. With labels such as “alcoholic” implying negative connotation and being frequently used, the fear of being stigmatized and negatively labeled often results in delayed or entirely avoided care. Research has turned to the use of implicit measures …

‘The Weight That We Carry’: Using Photovoice To Uncover Student Parents’ Experiences In Higher Education, Maria Fatima Rodriguez Velasquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Caregiving students carry identities that have historically been marginalized within academia and continue to face limited institutional awareness and support (Lovell, 2020; McCourt, 2018; Yates, 2022). This study analyzes the experiences of student parents at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to understand how they balance their family and academic responsibilities, the challenges they face, and the communities of support they find within their university experience. Using Photovoice as a method, 22 student parents shared photographs and the narratives behind each image that represented their daily lives inside and outside the classroom. The data analysis, guided by grounded …

The Use Of Alcohol-Free And Low-Alcohol Drinks In Pregnancy In The Uk, Kate Maslin, Heather Hopper, Jill Shawe

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Alcohol-free drinks [beers, ciders, wines, and spirits containing <0.05% alcohol by volume (ABV)], and lowalcohol drinks (between 0.05% and 1.2% ABV) are increasingly available and may be used as a harm reduction measure. However, it is not known what pregnant women think and feel about these drinks and how regularly they are consumed before and during pregnancy. A cross-sectional online survey was developed and piloted. Women ≥18 years in the UK who were pregnant, or recently pregnant, were recruited via targeted social media advertising. Of the 2092 respondents, 47.8% (n ¼ 1001) were currently pregnant; 55.7% (n ¼ 1167) were between 25 and 34 years, 90.0% were White (n ¼ 1881); 6.1% (n ¼ 128) were drinking alcohol at “increasing risk” levels (>14 units/week) before pregnancy. During pregnancy, 13.5% (n ¼ 282) consumed alcohol, which was more common in the increasing risk category (P < .01). Alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks were consumed by 71.3% (n ¼ 1491) of respondents during pregnancy; 91.4% of the increasing risk category versus 69.9% of the lower risk category (P < .01). The most common reasons for consuming alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks were “to choose a safer alternative” (71.9%, n ¼ 1073) and “to feel included in social events involving alcohol” (68.8%, n ¼ 1026). More than half of respondents (56.7%) thought there was insufficient information available about consuming alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks during pregnancy, with internet searching the primary source of information. Although alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks are commonly consumed during pregnancy, there are some safety concerns. Their role as a harm reduction measure in those who are drinking alcohol at increasing risk levels prepregnancy needs further investigation.

Strategic Interactions And Gender Cues: Evidence From Social Preference Games, Hernán Bejarano, Matias Busso, Juan Francisco Santos

ESI Working Papers

This paper studies trust, reciprocity, and bargaining using a large-scale online experiment conducted in six Latin American countries. Participants played trust and ultimatum games under randomly assigned conditions in which the gender of their counterpart was either disclosed or withheld. On average, disclosing counterpart gender does not yield statistically detectable effects in either game. However, statistically significant differences emerge by participants' own gender: on average men exhibit higher levels of trust, reciprocity, and generosity in bargaining than women. When disaggregating by participant-counterpart gender pairings, point estimates differ in sign across groups but are generally imprecisely estimated, and differences between interacting …

“War Is God” And “Unguessed Kinships”: Blood Meridian And Cormac Mccarthy’S “Border Tetralogy”, Seth Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis applies the metaphysics of philosopher Gilles Deleuze to Cormac McCarthy’s novel Blood Meridian, arguing that the novel initiates a thread of immanent subjectivity that unfolds throughout the Border Trilogy that follows it. Against a hierarchical metaphysics of transcendence, specifically an inverted Platonic Idealism, Blood Meridian dramatizes an immanent world of “optical democracy,” a prose style that levels the human and nonhuman and eludes subject and object categories. The kid’s autonomy from Judge Holden’s violent domination marks the truncated beginning of a Deleuzian subjectivity of becoming-other and immanent kinship. This incomplete gesture continues in the Border Trilogy, where …

Balancing Act: Examining The Relationship Between Organizational Culture And Burnout Within Graduate Medical Education Program Coordinators, Michael Conrad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study examined the lived experience of working as a graduate medical education (GME) program coordinator to determine how organizational culture impacts their burnout. The study was guided by the Job Demand-Resource Theory and the Conservation of Resources theory. When job demands outweigh job resources for an individual for a long period of time, it can result in burnout. Job resources can be used to buffer against demands and promote job growth, engagement, and learning. It is this concept which leads individuals to protect their resources when needed and to strive to develop new resources. Data was collected through …

A Secret Society Of Readers: College-Age Mentors’ Literacy Experiences With Young Adolescent Mentees, Lindsay Persohn, Dulcey B. Hunter, Chelsea Rivera, Karyn Z. Mendez, Cheryl R. Ellerbrock, Lucy Monette

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study occurred within Year One and Year Two of an ongoing literacy initiative designed to build reader identities among underserved middle school students. Using a near-peer mentoring model, mentees were paired with college-student mentors to interact weekly around books and reading. Reader interests and identities are influenced by affective and relational approaches through mentored reading experiences and a variety of texts. This qualitative case study (n = 11 of 24 Year One and n = 13 of 37 Year Two mentors) aimed to identify the ways mentor/mentee relationships affect reader interests, attitudes, and skills, and to evaluate the …

Internationalization Of Indian Higher Education: Mapping The Origins And Academic Choices Of International Students, Sanjeev Kumar Jha

Journal of Global Education and Research

This study explores the geographical origins, academic preferences, and key factors influencing the enrollment of international students in Indian higher education institutions. Drawing on primary data from interviews with 25 international students and secondary data from All India Survey on Higher Education reports, it provides an in-depth analysis of student mobility trends and factors shaping their choices. The results indicate that the international student enrollment is significantly below the Indian government’s target of 500,000 by 2024. Students come from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nigeria, with Karnataka and Punjab emerging as the most preferred states within India. Engineering, particularly …

The Him Profession And Roles: Understanding Our Path, To Plan For The Future, Kerryn Butler-Henderson, Susan H Fenton, Karima Lalani, Trixie Kemp, Salma Arabi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The health information management (HIM) profession has a history spanning more than a century, with the first peak body established in Australia more than 75 years ago (Health Information Management Association of Australia [HIMAA], 2024a). While the role title of the health information manager has changed over time, its primary function has remained the same—tooversee the governance of health data and information. This chapter presents the history of the HIM profession and professional bodies, including their involvement in informing policy and systems in Australia and other countries, and international organisations. Next, the chapter draws on literature examining the roles of …

Improvement And Maintenance Of Clinical Outcome Assessments In Atopic Dermatitis With Amlitelimab, Andrew Blauvelt, Raj Chovatiya, Joseph F Merola, Stephan Weidinger, Ken Igawa, Ella Brookes, Christine Weber, Jennifer Wang, Cori Gray

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Amlitelimab, a fully human, nondepleting, anti-OX40 ligand monoclonal antibody, demonstrated reductions in lesional and pruritic endpoints in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in phase 2a and 2b trials.

Objectives: Here, we examined the effect and durability of amlitelimab on clinical outcome assessments (COAs) in the randomized STREAM-AD phase 2b trial.

Methods: Adults with moderate-to-severe AD with prior inadequate response to or inadvisability of topical medications received subcutaneous amlitelimab (250 mg with 500-mg loading dose, 250 mg, 125 mg or 62.5 mg) or placebo every 4 weeks in Part 1 (Weeks 0-24; 1:1:1:1:1 randomization). In Part 2, Week 24 …

Adherence To Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Age-Eligible Us Women: Findings From Nhis 2021, Monalisa Chandra, Joël Fokom Domgue, Robert Yu, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite the proven benefits of early breast cancer detection in reducing mortality, adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines in the United States is suboptimal. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and factors associated with adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines.

Methods: Using nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey 2021, we included breast cancer screening-eligible women (aged 50-74). Descriptive statistics and population-weighted multivariable logistic regression were employed to examine breast cancer screening adherence per the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, and its determinants in this population.

Results: Of the 6814 screening-eligible women included in …

Standardized Research Electronic Cigarette Acceptability Among Adult Men And Women Who Smoke Combustible Cigarettes, Jason D Robinson, Yong Cui, Maher Karam-Hage, Janice A Blalock, Sanjay Shete, George Kypriotakis, Peiying Yang, Paul M Cinciripini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The U.S. electronic cigarette marketplace is diverse and has evolved rapidly. To provide a standardized research model, the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse developed the Standard Research E-Cigarette (SREC). This study characterized potential gender differences in product use, acceptability, reinforcement, and nicotine dependence symptoms when switching from combustible cigarettes (CCs) to nicotine and placebo SRECs.

Method: In total, 169 adults (82 women) who smoke were enrolled in this all-remote randomized double-blind crossover trial. During Weeks 1-2, participants used their usual brand cigarettes (UBCs). During Weeks 3-4 and 5-6, they were instructed to use the tobacco-flavored SREC (either nicotine …

Challenges And Opportunities In Multidisciplinary Supportive Care During Radiotherapy For Head And Neck Cancer, Jeffrey C Shogan, Anna Lee, Yvonne M Mowery

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Symptom Burden, Healthcare Utilization, And Risky Behaviors In Survivors Of The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (Ccss): An Observation Cohort Study, Rachel Webster, Deo Kumar Srivastava, Lu Xie, Himani Darji, Wei Liu, Meghan E Mcgrady, Tara M Brinkman, Nicole M Alberts, Kirsten K Ness, Bernard Fuemmeler, Alicia S Kunin-Batson, I-Chan Huang, Gregory T Armstrong, Rebecca M Howell, Daniel M Green, Yutaka Yasui, Kevin R Krull

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Childhood cancer survivors face physical, psychological, and neurological symptoms that contribute to risky health behaviors and increased healthcare utilization. Traditional survivorship care models overlook risk associated with this symptom burden. The current study examined symptoms phenotypes to identify high-risk groups.

Methods: Five-year survivors (N = 17,231; Mean [standard deviation] age = 27.4 [5.98]; 80% non-Hispanic White; 48% female) from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (NCT01120353) self-reported symptoms and risky behavior at baseline and first follow-up (original cohort data collection: baseline 1994-1998 and follow-up 2002-2004; expansion cohort: baseline 2008-2010 and follow-up 2014-2016). Medical records were extracted through chart …

Eyewitness Consent To Be Video Recorded: Implications For Identification Accuracy And Confidence, Sarah Argüelles

Student Theses

Recently, a recommendation has emerged for law enforcement to record the full eyewitness identification procedure, recognizing the critical role eyewitness testimony plays in the justice system (Wells et al., 2020). However, in some states, such as New York, law enforcement is required to seek consent from witnesses before recording (Municipal Police Training Council & Division of Criminal Justice Services, 2017). Since this practice is relatively new, there has been limited research on how obtaining consent may affect eyewitness accuracy. It was hypothesized that obtaining consent to video record could be linked to a witness’s confidence in their identification, with higher …

Peer Mentoring And Teacher Collaboration: A Case Study Of Practices And Self-Efficacy In A Rural Title I School, Whitney Ensley

Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how peer mentoring influences teacher self-efficacy at a rural elementary school in southeastern Georgia. Using Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Wenger's communities of practice framework, the research investigated how teachers engage in mentoring relationships and how these practices contribute to professional growth.

Semi-structured interviews and reflection journals were conducted with ten elementary teachers representing diverse experience levels (1-21+ years) and grade levels. Findings revealed that meaningful peer mentoring occurred primarily through informal, trust-based relationships within grade-level teams rather than formal programs. Teachers engaged collaboratively in lesson planning, data analysis, and problem-solving.

Results demonstrated that peer mentoring …

The Interplay Between Structure And Teacher Agency In The Detracking Of Algebra 1: A Qualitative Case Study, Kristine Norris

Dissertations

This single qualitative case study examined how detracking Algebra 1 at Mountainview High School (pseudonym) restructured the course’s rules and resources and how teachers exercised agency in response. Guided by Giddens’ structuration theory and Weis and Fine’s critical bifocality, the study explored how institutional structures both shape and are reshaped by teacher action within broader systems of inequality. Participants were seven Algebra 1 teachers involved in the first two years of detracking. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews and analysis focused on two research questions: (1) In what ways did detracking alter the structures of Algebra 1 courses, and (2) …