Digital Commons Network^™

Perceived Impact Of Covid 19 On Dental Therapy And Hygiene Students’ Wellbeing., Morag Powell, James Donn, Vivian Binnie

Peninsula Dental School

AimThe aim of this research was to investigate any impact from the COVID 19 pandemic on the well-being of dental therapy students. MethodsDental therapy students were invited to participate in focus groups to explore any impact of COVID 19 on their wellbeing. One pilot and two online focus groups were conducted.ResultsThree themes were identified from the focus groups including stress in relation to clinical experience and assessment, pandemic behaviours and perceptions of the University.ConclusionThe overall conclusion of the research is that COVID 19 did have an impact on the dental therapy students’ mental wellbeing. The stress from worry over missing …

The Impact Of Mnar Attrition On Estimation Of Latent Growth Curve Models With Binary Observed Variables, Jason T. Newsom, Brian T. Keller, Mallory R. Kroeck, Nicholas A. Smith

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the performance of latent growth curve (LGC) modelswith binary observed variables when the attrition pattern was missing not at random (MNAR) for fivetime points. Parameter and standard error biases for three estimation methods were compared:weighted least squares with mean and variance adjustment (WLSMV), categorical robust marginal max-imum likelihood (categorical MLR), and Bayes. The results indicated that robust diagonal weightedleast squares paired with multiple imputation (MI) performed best when values were missing at ran-dom. When data were missing not at random, Bayesian estimates performed best.

Women Self-Help Groups As Drivers Of Community Development In Rural Kenya, James Kariuki, Bhoke Chacha

Journal of Global Awareness

Self-Help Groups (SHGs) are informal grassroots associations of people who have similar objectives and concerns working cooperatively and collectively to meet their needs and improve their living conditions. SHGs are known to contribute towards the development and welfare of their members. This paper examines the role of SHGs in community development in Kenya with a focus on selected women groups in Migori and Makueni Counties. The study adopted a mixed research approach that provided both qualitative and quantitative data, and it was anchored on two interrelated theories of community development: empowerment theory and social capital theory. The researchers interviewed 80 …

Lessons Learned In Providing Infant And Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rashele Wade

Journal of Global Awareness

Access to quality childcare is a protective factor from lifelong issues such as school failure, school drop-out, and incarceration. Conversely, preschool suspension and expulsion are significant risk factors. Evidence-based interventions, such as Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, aim to reduce and eliminate the incidence of preschool suspensions and expulsions. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to quality childcare for many children across the country and globally. This study utilized a qualitative action research approach and generic qualitative inquiry to examine the research question, “How can we improve Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation through lessons learned during the …

Caring For The Carers: Exploring The Mental Wellbeing Of Informal Palliative Caregivers Of Cancer Patients In Kenya, James Kariuki, Rose Njiraini

Journal of Global Awareness

Cancer cases have been on the increase globally, and this has led to economic burden on the affected households. One way of reducing the cost of care is through home-based care by informal palliative caregivers who include family members, friends, and other people assigned by the family members to take care of the patient. The objectives of this study were to assess the status of the mental wellbeing of palliative caregivers of cancer patients; to examine the relationship between the ability of the patient to cope with cancer diagnosis and the mental wellbeing of the caregiver; and to investigate the …

Navigating Burnout: The Role Of Workplace Support For Social Work Clinicians, Melanie Fulton

Journal of Global Awareness

The shortage of mental health workers is a growing concern in the United States, and social workers a substantial portion of employees who work with individuals with mental health concerns. This shortage stresses the importance of studying factors that impact burnout for mental health clinicians, particularly social work clinicians. While burnout among social workers in some settings have been documented in the literature, less research has focused on independently licensed clinical social workers in private practice. This study had participants complete a survey to examine the relationship between workplace support, burnout, and professional fulfillment among this population (N = 57). …

Notes From The Editor, Jay Nathan

Journal of Global Awareness

No abstract provided.

Dreams Intervention Program: A Web-Based Classroom For Universal Human Values (Uhv), Roseline Florence Gomes, Lijo Thomas, Preethi Nanjundan

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

The study investigated the implementation and processes of the DREAMS Intervention Program (DIP) web-based classroom model for understanding Universal Human Values (UHV) among college-going youth mentors. The DREAMS (Desire, Readiness, Empowerment, Action, Mastery for Success) Intervention Program (DIP) is a transformative five-stage model that fosters psychosocial development and leadership skills among children and adolescents. This evidence-based three-year After-School-Program (ASP) was guided through the theoretical lens of motivation, goal-setting, and self-determination that pairs middle school underperformers with college-going youth mentors and senior adults from local communities. Universal Human Values (UHV) are deep-rooted values that are needed in the contemporary educational system …

Heroism As Emotional Integration: A Process Model Of Emotion-Driven Heroic Action, Scott T. Allison

Heroism Science

Heroism is often framed as the expression of prosocial motivation fueled by positive emotions such as empathy, compassion, and moral elevation. This perspective, however, overlooks the complex emotional dynamics that characterize high‑risk, morally consequential action. This article advances a process model of heroism as emotional integration, involving the dynamic coordination of multiple and often competing emotions—including fear, anger, compassion, and moral concern—under conditions of uncertainty and threat. Drawing on research in heroism studies, positive psychology, and affective science, the model distinguishes heroism from ordinary helping by emphasizing emotional conflict, regulatory processes, and identity‑based commitment. It further differentiates rapid, intuitive …

The Machine For Its Own Sake: Tolkien's Critique Of Instrumental Reason And The Modern Ecological Ethos, Ahmad J. El-Youssef

Journal of Tolkien Research

This essay examines J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium as a systematic critique of instrumental reason, positioning his work as a vital philosophical resource for diagnosing and navigating the Anthropocene. Rather than a simplistic anti-technology stance, Tolkien's concept of the "Machine" represents a teleological logic that reduces the living world to a standing reserve, paralleling contemporary ecological crises. Through analysis of key narratives, particularly the industrialisation of Isengard, the corruption of the Shire, and the restoration of Lothlórien, this study demonstrates how Tolkien dramatises the ontological flattening inherent in instrumentalist domination. The essay contrasts this with Tolkien's alternative ethos of sub-creation and stewardship, …

Environment-Based Constructivism Learning To Increase Elementary School Students' Awareness Of Social Change, Dina Diana

Jurnal Pendidikan Humaniora

Social and natural science learning in primary schools should enable students to understand social change as a phenomenon closely connected to their daily lives. However, teacher-centered classroom practices often limit students’ ability to relate social concepts to their local environment. This study aims to describe the implementation of environment-based constructivist learning to improve fourth-grade students’ awareness of social change, analyze its success indicators, and identify supporting and inhibiting factors. A descriptive qualitative design was employed involving 20 fourth-grade students at SDN 2 Karang Jati. Data were collected through oral questioning, classroom observation, simple community interviews, documentation, observer notes, and student …

Exploring The Role Of Magnesium Deficiency In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Victor A. Bob-Yellowe, Shaunte Hadnot, Sonya Bhatia, Anesu K. Murambadoro

MEDI 9331 Scholarly Activities Clinical Years

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders, including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s disease. As of 2020, it was estimated that IBD significantly impacts the lives of approximately 2.39 million Americans. Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral involved in many bodily functions, including immune response and gut health. Recent studies suggest that Magnesium levels may be linked to IBD. Therefore, this review aims to explain how Magnesium might play a role in the development or progression of IBD. Additionally, this article discusses the overall role that Magnesium’s plays in gut health and whether Magnesium supplementation could be …

Policing Course, Adrian Bordoni

Open Educational Resources

Policng course divided in 8 modules: includes readings, videos, interactive assignments, discussion boards Final ppaer and presentation to support topics

Experimentation, Adaptability, And Ingenuity In The Community Art Studio, Louisa Mary Drab

Expressive Therapies Theses

To examine the question, “How can community art making in an open studio embolden women through creative adaptability, ingenuity, and experimentation?” a mosaic project was conducted over four sessions with women attending an art studio at a day shelter. Current literature illustrates the scope of success open studio has had in promoting community connectivity through the communion of individuality. The expressive therapies continuum, open studio approach, trauma-informed care, and the therapeutic alliance are the pillars that informed this exploration. This community engagement project melded together structural components of mosaic-making with the tenets of open studio, where guiding and sharing are …

Mitigating The Effects Of Ceo Overconfidence: A Group Information Processing Perspective, Jun Xu, Lin Li, Haibo Liu, Wanrong Hou, Qi Zhu

Management Faculty Publications

Research Question/Issue

This study explores the moderating effects of board network centrality on the relationship between CEO overconfidence and acquisition intensity.

Research Findings/Insights

Using a panel of S&P 1500 firms from 2002 to 2018, we find that CEO overconfidence is positively associated with acquisition intensity. This relationship is weakened when boards occupy more central positions in the interlocking director network. Furthermore, this mitigating effect is stronger when (1) connected firms exhibit greater variability in acquisition intensity, (2) directors maintain stronger internal social connections, and (3) boards have greater female representation.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

We conceptualize board network centrality as enhancing information …

Clustering And Switching As A Scoring System In Indonesian Three Word Fluency Tests, Heni Gerda Pesau, Gilles Van Luijtelaar

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

The number of correctly produced words is the primary output variable n most verbal fluency tests. The examination of the number of clusters and cluster size achieves a more in-depth analyses of cognitive aspects and processes. We propose a scoring system for phonemic, semantic, and emotion word fluency tests in the Indonesian context. This study aimed to determine the underlying cognitive constructs of the participants, including the clustering and switching indices, using principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 150 participants were included, and the tests were administered online following a previously validated protocol. The three fluency tests loaded different …

Brain Age Prediction In Generalized Anxiety Disorder Using A Convolutional Neural Network, Corey Richier, André Zugman, Anita Harrewijn, Elise M. Cardinale, Parmis Khosravi, Moji Aghajani, Willem B. Bruin, Kevin Hilbert, Narcis Cardoner, Anderson M. Winkler

Human Genetics Publications

Higher predicted brain age difference has been associated with several psychiatric disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with markers of accelerated aging. In this study, we determined brain predicted age difference (PAD) in individuals with GAD and healthy controls (HC) as well as group differences in PAD variability using voxel-wise structural MRI. The training dataset included 3511 controls, and the testing dataset included 1595 individuals with GAD and 4552 HC from the ENIGMA-Anxiety GAD Working Group. A convolutional neural network model using four input modalities per subject and a model ensemble approach was used to predict brain age. The …

Brain Age Prediction In Generalized Anxiety Disorder Using A Convolutional Neural Network, Corey Richier, André Zugman, Anita Harrewijn, Elise M Cardinale, Parmis Khosravi, Moji Aghajani, Willem B Bruin, Kevin Hilbert, Narcis Cardoner, Daniel Porta-Casteràs, Marta Cano, Savannah Gosnell, Ramiro Salas, Andrea P Jackowski, Pedro M Pan, Giovanni A Salum, Karina S Blair, James R Blair, Mohammed R Milad, Katie L Burkhouse, K Luan Phan, Heidi K Schroeder, Jeffrey R Strawn, Katja Beesdo-Baum, Neda Jahanshad, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Jared A Nielsen, Jordan W Smoller, Jair C Soares, Benson Mwangi, Mon-Ju Wu, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Michal Assaf, Gretchen J Diefenbach, Paolo Brambilla, Eleonora Maggioni, David Hofmann, Thomas Straube, Carmen Andreescu, Rebecca B Price, Gisele G Manfro, Federica Agosta, Elisa Canu, Camilla Cividini, Massimo Filippi, Milutin Kostić, Ana Munjiza Jovanovic, Brenda Benson, Gabrielle F Freitag, Ellen Leibenluft, Grace V Ringlein, Kathryn Werwath, Hannah Zwiebel, Hans J Grabe, Sandra Van Der Auwera, Katharina Wittfeld, Henry Völzke, Robin Bülow, Nicholas L Balderston, Monique Ernst, Lilianne R Mujica-Parodi, Helena Van Nieuwenhuizen, Hugo D Critchley, Elena Makovac, Matteo Mancini, Frances Meeten, Cristina Ottaviani, Gregory A Fonzo, Martin P Paulus, Murray B Stein, Raquel E Gur, Ruben C Gur, Antonia N Kaczkurkin, Bart Larsen, Theodore D Satterthwaite, Jennifer Harper, Michael T Perino, Chad M Sylvester, Qiongru Yu, Patrick Mcclure, Francisco Pereira, Ulrike Lueken, Dick J Veltman, Paul M Thompson, Nynke A Groenewold, Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam, Dan J Stein, Nic J A Van Der Wee, Anderson M Winkler, Daniel S Pine, Chelsea K Sawyers

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Higher predicted brain age difference has been associated with several psychiatric disorders. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with markers of accelerated aging. In this study, we determined brain predicted age difference (PAD) in individuals with GAD and healthy controls (HC) as well as group differences in PAD variability using voxel-wise structural MRI. The training dataset included 3511 controls, and the testing dataset included 1595 individuals with GAD and 4552 HC from the ENIGMA-Anxiety GAD Working Group. A convolutional neural network model using four input modalities per subject and a model ensemble approach was used to predict brain age. The …

The Red Hook Community Court: A Continuing Experiment, Christopher Slobogin

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

Breaking Barriers: A Literature Review On The Experiences Of Black Male Librarians In Urban Academic Libraries, Quintis Pinder

Urban Library Journal

This literature review examines the underrepresentation of Black male librarians in academic libraries, focusing on systemic barriers that they face, such as stereotype threat, microaggressions, and lack of mentorship. It explores the challenges to their career advancement and leadership opportunities, highlighting the influence of racial and gender biases in the workplace. The review also discusses the strategies Black male librarians use to navigate these obstacles, including personal coping mechanisms, mentorship, and support from professional organizations like the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA). Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, advocating for …

Future Frames: Ai Tools In Music And The Value Of Human Composers, Jeff Wragg

Staff Scholarship - New Zealand

This presentation examines the pros and cons of using AI within a film composition practice. It identifies some of the roles of music in film and provides advice on how to collaborate with human composers and how to engage effectively with AI when a human composer is not an option.

Hidden Behind Happiness: Bhutan’S Global Image And Ethnic Exclusion, Deepesh Das Shrestha

Master's Theses

Bhutan has gained international recognition for its philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which promotes holistic development through principles of well-being, environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, and good governance. Yet this celebrated image conceals a darker history: the systematic expulsion of the Lhotsampa, the Nepali-speaking ethnic minority of southern Bhutan. This study critically explores the contradiction between Bhutan's international image as a model of happiness and the lived experiences of Lhotsampa refugees who were displaced during the early 1990s.

Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, the study draws upon in-depth semi-structured interviews with six resettled Bhutanese Lhotsampa refugees living in the …

The Impact Of Sovereign Wealth Funds On Emerging Markets: A Behavioral Analysis Of Investment Decisions And Market Reactions, Grant A. Mosshart

Senior Honors Theses

Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) are increasingly influential in emerging markets, yet the behavioral drivers behind their investments remain underexplored. In this paper, an analysis of SWF capital’s impact on economic development and the psychological factors, such as optimism bias and herding, that shape these decisions is examined. Utilizing a mixed-methods comparative study, the research analyzes Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Singapore’s Temasek Holdings. Event study analysis reveals a divergent impact: the PIF’s high-profile developmental commitment to India generated a positive 5-day Cumulative Abnormal Return of +2.05%, confirming a macro-level “seal of approval” signaling effect. By contrast, Temasek’s commercially …

Associations Between Neighborhood Disadvantage, Cannabis Use, And Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Patients With Cancer, Brittney Greene, Shilpa Ghosh, Craig Colder, Salimah Meghani, Brooke Worster, Rebecca Ashare

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis use is proliferating among oncological populations. However, research is limited on whether cannabis routes and sources are associated with neighborhood disadvantage and whether it moderates the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). This analysis evaluates the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and cannabis source and route, and their association with PROs.

METHODS: Analyses included 106 patients with cancer from varying levels of neighborhood disadvantage. Logistic regressions tested the association of neighborhood disadvantage with cannabis source (i.e., regulated vs. unregulated) and route (i.e., inhaled vs. consumed/other formulations). Multilevel regressions tested the association of neighborhood disadvantage with PROs (e.g., …

Stronger Together Program: Justice For Latino Youth Involved In The Juvenile Justice System, Leyla Feize, Marisa Ugalde, John M. Gonzalez, Tamer Oraby

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Adolescents are vulnerable to delinquent behaviors during their period of cognitive and emotional development. Latino adolescents are often more vulnerable to delinquency behaviors and are over-involved in the juvenile system. Ten Latino youths and 15 parents/guardians participated in a culturally adapted Functional Family Therapy (FFT) intervention program. The behavioral change of the youths was measured using pre- and post-test scores on the Sorensen Self-Esteem test questionnaire and the Low Self-Control Measure. The parents/guardians’ behavioral change was measured using pre- and post-test scores from the Family Interpersonal Relationship Questionnaire. The results indicated that the youths’ self-esteem increased. The change in self-control …

Improving Human-Wildlife Coexistence: An Ecological And Educational Approach To Rewilding Grizzly Bears (Ursus Arctos Horribilis) In California, Amanda C. D. Rosales

Master's Projects and Capstones

Megafauna extinction during the Holocene has been both caused and amplified by climatic changes and human influence. By the last half century, large carnivores were diminished in Europe and the United States, but policies increasingly addressed species decline and their territories expanded. This research examined large carnivore rewilding across the European Union and United States, specifically for rewilding brown bears, Ursus arctos, in historic habitat. Next, case studies for the health status of climate-impacted whitebark pine, Pinus albicaulis, a high energy food for bears, was assessed. Ultimately, research case studies, human perspective surveys, and the California Department of Education content …

Increasing Students’ Self-Efficacy In Consuming, Conducting, And Disseminating Neuroimaging Research: Experiences From Teaching Edps 991: Social And Affective Neuroscience, Isabella Starling Alves

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Social and emotional factors are critical for learning, being core aspects of the educational  psychology curricula. Recently, neuroimaging has emerged as a powerful tool to  comprehend the neurobiological factors underlying these factors. Yet, many educational  psychologists have low familiarity with neuroscience research. The course EDPS 991:  Social and Affective Neuroscience, from the Department of Educational Psychology at the  University of Nebraska-Lincoln, emerges in this context, training educational psychology  graduate students to consume, conduct, and disseminate findings about how the brain  relates to socioemotional processes. One challenge related to the course is that many  students feel anxious about learning the neuroimaging …

Marriage Trafficking Of Minority Ethnic Women And Girls In North And South Vietnam: Traditional Dowries And Bride Price As A Subterfuge For Human Trafficking, Nikita Tran

Master's Theses

This is a qualitative capstone project that examines marriage trafficking affecting minority ethnic communities in North and South Vietnam. Through a qualitative descriptive research, the significant findings include: (a) girls and women from ethnic minority groups are the most vulnerable to marriage trafficking, (b) marriage trafficking was most prevalent in the mountainous, rural regions of north Vietnam, (c) dowries are used and significantly impact the marriage proposals, (d) most girls and women are marriage trafficked to China, (e) the challenges of staying and leaving a marriage trafficking situation are complex, including leaving their children and facing social stigma, (f) the …

Cyberspatial Cartographies: Mapping Digital Nationhood Within The California-Punjabi Diaspora., Saihajpratap Singh Bajwa

Master's Theses

This research investigates the phenomenon of digital nationhood, the idea that a new form of community is actively produced through interactions taking place within digital social networks and forums. These spaces function as more than repositories of information or cultural archives; they are living ecosystems in which identity is constructed through mutual encounters among members of a diaspora, where shared references, meanings, and concepts proliferate across multiplex networks. The central questions animating this inquiry are: can a nation exist without a territory, and are these encounters producing what we might conceive of as a digital nation?

The Punjabi people serve …

Middle Management Diplomacy: An Examination Of Us Foreign Policy Analysis In Middle-Echelon Diplomatic Professionals, Isaac R. Silvino

Master's Theses

This study analyzes the role which managerial level U.S. military Foreign Area Officers and Foreign Service Officers play in shaping and implementing U.S. foreign policy. By analyzing the individual professional at the middle-echelons of an organizational hierarchy, we make an effort in dispelling ourselves from obscured perceptions of IR centered on character and state idealization driven narratives. Doing this may help bridge the foundational gap between academics and practitioners while shifting towards a paradigm of IR analysis focusing on human agency and decisions.

Result

Individual managerial echelon diplomats do not directly make policy, but rather play a crucial role in …