Digital Commons Network^™

Perturbations In Risk/Reward Decision Making And Frontal Cortical Catecholamine Regulation Induced By Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Christopher P Knapp, Eleni Papadopoulos, Jessica A Loweth, Ramesh Raghupathi, Stan B Floresco, Barry D Waterhouse, Rachel L Navarra

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) disrupts cognitive processes that influence risk taking behavior. Little is known regarding the effects of repetitive mild injury (rmTBI) or whether these outcomes are sex specific. Risk/reward decision making is mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is densely innervated by catecholaminergic fibers. Aberrant PFC catecholamine activity has been documented following TBI and may underlie TBI-induced risky behavior. The present study characterized the effects of rmTBI on risk/reward decision making behavior and catecholamine transmitter regulatory proteins within the PFC. Rats were exposed to sham, single (smTBI), or three closed-head controlled cortical impact (CH-CCI) injuries and …

Understanding Non-Designers' Practices And Processes In A Human-Centered Design Course, Luettamae Lawrence, Saadeddine Shehab, Mike Tissenbaum

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Human-centered design (HCD) has been identified in the literature as a useful problem-solving approach for learners. However, learning and applying HCD poses several challenges for students who are unfamiliar with this form of learning. In this paper, we analyse how a novice design team worked on a HCD class project to examine how non-designers learn about and integrate HCD practices into their project. We introduce the HCD taxonomy to define the processes and practices that students engage in. The team’s design work is triangulated across multiple data sources and revealed three challenges for engaging non-designers in HCD: 1) the need …

Investigating The Instagram Comments Of Professional Soccer Players: The Impact Of Social Media On Athletic Performance, Samuel Carlson Winchester

Quantitative Social Science Undergraduate Senior Theses

Since the rise of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, many celebrities have spoken out about the influence social media has on their mental health. Among the most vocal have been professional athletes, who have highlighted the hateful comments and direct messages they receive from fans on social media platforms. In some cases, athletes have even chosen to step away from social media to avoid the toxicity of their timeline. Accordingly, researchers have studied the impact social media has on professional athletes’ mental health, in some cases focusing on how social media can negatively impact professional athletes’ athletic …

A Qualitative Investigation Of Parent Perceptions Of Home Exercises For Congenital Muscular Torticollis, Audrey Stitt, Rebecca Operacz

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe parent perceptions of the home exercise program (HEP) for infants with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), and how these perceptions evolved over a physical therapy (PT) plan of care. Twelve participants were recruited from a pediatric PT clinic, and nine completed interviews at three time points. Qualitative description and an iterative approach for thematic analysis of 27 interviews yielded three themes that corresponded to the research questions. The participants' responses were categorized into three main themes: (1) parents' perceptions of three key exercises within the HEP, (2) internal and external sources of …

Quality Of Life Factors In Children With Dual Diagnosis Stuttering And Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kristen N. Rollins

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Addressing quality of life is a critical part of speech-language pathology. Understanding quality of life deficits and challenges in our patients’ lives allows us to provide well-rounded treatment. Quality of life in children who stutter and children with autism spectrum disorder has been heavily researched (children with autism spectrum disorder to a lesser extent). However, despite approximately 1 in 1000 children being dually diagnosed with stuttering and autism spectrum disorder (Briley & Ellis, 2018), quality of life in this population has never been researched. This thesis aims to determine whether children diagnosed with both conditions experience similar quality of life …

Does The Nurse-Led Case Management Benefit Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients In Reducing Distressing Symptoms And C-Reactive Protein: A 2-Year Follow-Up Study In Taiwan, Wei-Chiao Chang, Hanoch Livneh, Hua-Lung Huang, Hsin-Hua Li, Ming-Chi Lu, Miao-Chiu Lin, Wei-Jen Chen, Tzung-Yi Tsai

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease and may worsen over time. Today, nurse-led case management (NLCM) has been recommended to improve clinical outcomes for chronic disease patients, yet little is known regarding its impact on pain, fatigue, and C-reactive protein (CRP) among RA patients. We aimed to explore this issue among such groups via a two-group pre- and post-test approach.

Methods: All subjects were recruited from one hospital in Taiwan from January 2017 to June 2018 and assigned to either a 6-month NLCM program in addition to usual care or to a control group that received usual care …

Client Perspectives On The Development Of A Rapid Prep Initiative At A Sexual Health Center In New Orleans, Louisiana, Aish Lovett, Rose Luder, Rebecca Lillis, Isolde Butler, Julia Siren, Samuel Gomez, Kevin Kamis, Oluyomi Obafemi, Sarah E. Rowan, Stefan Baral, Meredith E. Clement

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Uptake of PrEP remains suboptimal, especially in the Southern United States. Same-day or “Rapid PrEP Initiatives” (RPIs) in sexual health centers (SHCs) could facilitate access and overcome barriers to PrEP. We studied the adaptation of an RPI from Denver, Colorado to an SHC in New Orleans, Louisiana. Through focus group discussions (FGDs) with local SHC staff and PrEP providers, we developed a preliminary RPI model. In 5 FGDs with SHC clients referred for or taking PrEP, we gathered adaptation recommendations and feedback on model acceptability, feasibility, and utility. Providers and clients voiced unanimous support for the RPI. Clients favored the …

The Observer Perspective In Music Performance Anxiety Among College Students, Nell Rudoff

Lawrence University Honors Projects

Music performance anxiety (MPA) often keeps musicians from performing the way they would like to in performance situations. Because of its relation to social anxiety disorder, treatments for MPA can be informed by theories of social anxiety disorder. Clark and Wells’ model (1995) and Rapee and Heimberg’s model (1997) suggests that those who have higher levels of social anxiety view past social experiences from an observer perspective, i.e., an external or third person viewpoint. The aim of the current study was to explore the extent to which MPA is associated with mental imagery using an observer perspective among college student …

Clinical Validation Of Patient-Specific Inverse Modeling With Surface Temperatures And Physiological And Geometrical Factors In Breast Cancer Detection, Carlos Gutierrez

Theses

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting the lives of many women and taking over 683,000 lives worldwide. Early detection of breast cancer through screening has been instrumental in reducing the mortality rate. However, current screening methods based on mammography have issues with patient discomfort, invasiveness, cost and low accuracy, mainly due to dense breast tissue in approximately 40% of women population. Infrared imaging (IRI) is shown to be noninvasive, cost effective, comfortable, and not affected by breast density. The present work describes a novel patient-specific IRI inverse heat transfer algorithm based on the digital model of …

The Acceptability Of Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training For Couples Impacted By Aphasia: A Mixed Methods Pilot Investigation, Kathryn-Anne Pertab, Tyson G. Harmon, Jonathan Sandberg, Jon L. Pertab, William S. Evans

Faculty Publications

Purpose: This study explored the acceptability and impact of Relationship-Centered Communication Partner Training (RC-CPT) in couples impacted by aphasia. In particular, couples considered whether discussing their relationship roles and responsibilities was important and relevant to the changes they desire. Preliminary quasi-experimental data regarding perceived communication confidence and the marriage relationship were also obtained.

Method: Three couples participated in RC-CPT across two sessions. Surveys were used to measure communication confidence and the marital relationship before and after participation in RC-CPT. The quantitative findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Couples also participated in a semi-structured interview about the acceptability of RC-CPT, during …

Influence Of The Use Of Ict On Students’ Academic Performance In Mathematics In Efon-Alaaye Lga, Ekiti State, Temitope Samuel Akinbinu Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The application of Information and Communications Technology (ICTs) in education has revolutionized teaching and learning. This study sought to determine the influence of ICT in terms of students’ attitude towards ICT use and the extent of using ICT facilities on students’ academic performance in mathematics. Specifically, the study focused on the students’ attitude towards ICT use, the extent to which ICT facilities was used, challenges encountered in the course of using it, the significant effect of ICT on student academic performance in mathematics and significant difference on academic performance based on gender.

The study was non-experimental, it adopted survey research …

Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Care Of Girls And Women With Turner Syndrome, Claus H Gravholt, Niels H Andersen, Sophie Christin-Maitre, Shanlee M Davis, Anthonie Duijnhouwer, Andrea T Maciel-Guerra, Kathrin Fleischer, David Hong, Karen O Klein, Siddharth K Prakash, Roopa Kanakatti Shankar, David E Sandberg, Theo C J Sas, Anne Skakkebæk, Kirstine Stochholm, Janielle A Van Der Velden, International Turner Syndrome Consensus Group, Philippe F Backeljauw

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Turner syndrome (TS) affects 50 per 100 000 females. TS affects multiple organs through all stages of life, necessitating multidisciplinary care. This guideline extends previous ones and includes important new advances, within diagnostics and genetics, estrogen treatment, fertility, co-morbidities, and neurocognition and neuropsychology. Exploratory meetings were held in 2021 in Europe and United States culminating with a consensus meeting in Aarhus, Denmark in June 2023. Prior to this, eight groups addressed important areas in TS care: (1) diagnosis and genetics, (2) growth, (3) puberty and estrogen treatment, (4) cardiovascular health, (5) transition, (6) fertility assessment, monitoring, and counselling, (7) health …

Collaboration And Cooperation: A Network Analytic Approach, Rodolfo Baggio, Giovanni Ruggieri

International Journal of Islands Research

The value of collaboration in the tourism domain has been highlighted in numerous works. Coordination of joint activities in tourism destinations is a prerequisite for enhancing the value creation process and providing a good basis for the attractiveness and development of the destination. Destination managers are called to design efficient and effective strategies for improving collaboration in their areas. To do that, they need reliable ways to measure the phenomenon. Traditional methods are reputed to be relatively ineffective for their intrinsic biases. However, network science can provide, instead, trustworthy ways for this task. This paper describes some of the most …

Enhancing Default Mode Network Connectivity: Experimental Neuroscience And Computational Methods, Rachel Abbe

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The default mode network (DMN) in the human brain is involved in a broad array of cognitive functions, including creative thinking. Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) is a popular non-invasive brain stimulation. TES has three types: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS), and Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS). The mechanisms of each TES method still need to be better understood. This study proposes simulation of the DMN using HD-tDCS, alpha-HD-tACS, high-frequency HD-tRNS, and sham. We intend to reveal how the three TES methods impact DMN activity and connectivity using scalp electroencephalography (EEG). Co-Authored by: Kahiau Among, DJ …

Enhancing Creativity Through Stimulation Of The Default Mode Network: Experimental Neuroscience And Computational Methods, Diego Capetillo, Rachel Abbe, Kahiau Among, August Decz, Maria Dima, Kyle Kovich, Emily Rokos

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Creative thinking involves generating and evaluating new ideas in response to problems. Generation of new ideas, or divergent thinking has recently been shown to be associated with activity in the default mode network (DMN) of the brain. In this project we attempted to demonstrate the causal role of the DMN in divergent thinking by using α-tACS to stimulate alpha brain waves in Posterior Cingulate Cortex and enhance DMN connectivity while participants completed an array of creativity tasks. Resting state EEG was recorded before and after stimulation to determine whether changes in brain activity mediated the relationship between stimulation and creativity.

The Past, Present, And Future Of The Anti-Vax Movement, Burhan Habib Sufi

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The Anti-Vax movement is a social movement that opposes vaccine usage for various reasons. In this presentation, I’ll be exploring some of the history of this movement dating back to the 18th century and examining its evolution over the years. The anti-vax movement is deeply rooted in socio-political issues across America and is an important example of the active dangers of misinformation and disinformation. I’ll explore major players contributing to the mis/disinformation of vaccines, those who seek to profit from this rapidly growing movement, and how this mis/disinformation is spread. This presentation seeks to shed light on the anti-vax movement’s …

Neural Correlates Of Audiovisual Integration In Infants At Elevated Risk For Autism, Priscilla Ruiz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) show evidence of deficits in integration of information across multiple senses. In this study, we will investigate audiovisual integration in infants that are at high risk of a later autism diagnosis. We will present participants with short dynamic video clips of faces and objects that have soundtracks that are either synchronous or asynchronous with the video. We will measure EEG to examine brain responses to different types of stimuli. This research will help us better understand how impairment in audiovisual integration develops in ASD.

The Association Between Exercise And Treatment Seeking In College Students Diagnosed With Substance Use Disorder, Shanti Oneil

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation will discuss our investigation of the relationship between exercise and seeking treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) in college students. Data from Fall 2015 through Spring 2019, from the National College Health Assessment, were used in multivariable logistic regression models. Students who met the guidelines had a 30.6% increase in the odds of seeking SUD treatment compared to students who did not meet the guidelines (aOR = 1.306; 95% CI 1.142–1.493). The observed association underscores the potential value of considering exercise and physical activity in the development of SUD treatment strategies for college students.

Chronos Volume 13 Issue 1 - Full Issue

Chronos

No abstract provided.

Qinzong Emperor: An Insignificant Emperor?, Xinzhi Lin

Chronos

No abstract provided.

Letter From The Editors

Chronos

No abstract provided.

Pedagogical Failures: Reshaping Policies And Practices For Positive Student Well-Being, Teresa Runge

Feminist Pedagogy

Mental health issues in college students are on the rise. In this critical commentary, I analyze traditional pedagogical practices that fail to acknowledge and meet the evolving mental health needs of our students, and I offer suggestions for reshaping policies and instruction to align with feminist pedagogy. By weaving feminist pedagogy principles and practices into our teaching, we can guide and influence the positive outcomes of our learning environments, creating safe places for student well-being.

Ungrading As A Tool To Combat Students’ Fear Of Failure, Sarah M. Scott

Feminist Pedagogy

Atychiphobia, the fear of failure, has been correlated with academic procrastination, imposter syndrome, cheating behaviors, and negative self-efficacy. This critical commentary argues that ungrading, as a feminist pedagogical practice, is a useful way to encourage students to embrace, rather than fear, failure. By reframing failure as a process of discovery, failure becomes a necessary, expected, and embraced part of learning that helps to combat the traditional and often adversarial relationship between educators and students.

Education And Empowerment: The Role Of Cash Transfers In Challenging Barriers To Female Schooling In Mexico And Malawi, Kaelynn R. Mcclure

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

Despite the wide body of research that supports the benefits of education in reducing poverty and empowering individuals, women around the world continue to face significant barriers to schooling. This paper examines key social norms and aspects of poverty hindering the path to education for girls and women, proposing the use of cash transfers to promote education worldwide. Case studies of two different cash transfer programs, PROGRESA in Mexico and SCTP in Malawi, are evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in providing opportunities for schooling and promoting women's empowerment.

Feminist Pedagogical Requirements Of Vulnerability In Writing Failure: Bad Claims And Worse Reviews, Katherine J. Denker

Feminist Pedagogy

Our students have limited perception of their faculty based on our classes, or for our graduate students in our publications. This is a potentially harmful for emerging scholars to understand faculty work only in its final form. Feminist scholars need to actively seek spaces in their courses to note the challenges and limitations of their own work[1]. In this critical commentary, I offer an overview of student standpoints, feminist possibilities and futures with less threating failures. The emotional and face threating vulnerability in failure by feminist scholars can create more welcoming failures moving forward.

Using “Slow” To Reframe Failure: Fusing Wisdom From The Slow Movement With Self-Compassion Principles To Transform Communication Failures, Christine E. Crouse-Dick

Feminist Pedagogy

This pedagogical approach invites students to critically examine conventional conceptions of failure. Informed by principles of the Slow Movement and self-compassion, this teaching activity prompts recurring reflection on who has power to define failure and how our responses to perceived failures shape our identities, relationships, and trajectories. Through reflective writing, speaking, and listening exercises, students are encouraged to reframe evaluations of communication failures with a lens that prioritizes contemplation, holistic context, self-companionship, and openness. By challenging masculinized notions of failure that lack self-compassion, this approach cultivates a growth mindset and helps students find more equitable, collectively compassionate interpretations of perceived …

A Study And Critique Of Sexual Violence Against Disabled Individuals In Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications For Policy And Practice Of Trauma-Informed Care, Kaeley Sells

Lux et Fides: A Journal for Undergraduate Christian Scholars

This paper examines and critiques current sexual violence against disabled individuals in Sub-Saharan Africa by evaluating the social and cultural stigma present that perpetuates cycles of vulnerabilities. Currently, women and girls with disabilities are disproportionally at risk for sexual violence as economic, cultural, and political structures in many Sub-Saharan African countries fail to recognize and adequately protect those with disabilities. Incorporating evidence from journals, books, reviews, and studies, this paper demonstrates the need for non-government and government actors to recognize the need to provide protection and trauma-informed care for disabled individuals.

2024 Sport Science Forum Abstracts

Findings in Sport, Hospitality, Entertainment, and Event Management

These are abstracts from the 2024 Sport Science Forum, hosted by Dr. Rick Grieve and Western Kentucky University. The Forum was held April 5th snd 6th.

Well-Being In Gen Y Employee Retention: A Critically Appraised Topic, Janine Smith

Engaged Management ReView

Retention continues to be a top business concern. Retention is the ability to keep employees from voluntarily leaving. Without a workforce, companies cannot execute their mission, which results in a loss of revenue. Companies focused on the retention of their workforce use the total rewards package to retain employees. One component of the rewards package is well-being. Well-being comprises multiple components, some of which have been identified as reasons for the wave of recent resignations. Well-being is when employees “have the psychological, social, and physical resources they need to meet a particular psychological, social, and/or physical challenge” (Dodge et al., …

The Effects Of Using Concept Maps On The Results Of Nurse Students: An Experimental Study, Sami Ennaciri, Mohamed Droui, Fatiha Chigr

Health Professions Education

Purpose: Concepts maps become fashionable in educational fields as pedagogical tool to improve learning among students. However, the effects of using concept maps are not completely explored. Therfore, this study aimed to explore the effects of using concept maps among nurse students at High Institute of Nursing Sciences and Health Technics in Rabat, Morocco. Methods: an experimental quantitative explanatory research with pre-test and post-test was used. Seventy nursing students from Moroccan nursing school were enrolled in this study. Half of them received a course using classical methods ( control group); the other half received the course using concept maps (experimental …