Other Life Sciences Commons^™

Psychophysiological Effects Of Increasing Awareness Of Nondual Consciousness In Young Adults With Depression And Anxiety, Milena Braticevic

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

Young adults increasingly suffer from anxiety and depression during the time of transition into adulthood. This research study examined the effects of increasing awareness of nondual consciousness in young adults who were experiencing various levels of anxiety and depression. The methodology was mixed-method and included four 1-hour group-based sessions over 4 weeks. Increasing awareness of nondual consciousness through educational, experiential, and behavioural components resulted in reduction in the average depression score from 19.4 (borderline clinical depression) to 10 (normal), and reduction in the average anxiety score from 12.7 (moderate anxiety) to 6.9 (mild). Participants reported increased mental, emotional, physical, and …

How Corrective Lens Choices Are Associated With The Self-Esteem Of College Students, Margaret Neenan

Honors Projects

If you wear glasses or contacts, which one do you wear more often, and why? How Corrective Lens Choices are Associated with the Self-Esteem of College Students is an observational study on 1) how corrective lens choices are associated with the self-esteem of college students, and 2) how do factors such as gender, ethnicity, finances, insurance, recreational and occupational use, or lens options recommended to a patient impact an individual’s choice of corrective lenses. The observational study shows that there is no significant difference in the self-esteem of college students who wore a specific corrective lens more often. However, research …

A Study Into The Impact Of Screen Time On Student Gpa, Mia Brown, David Santos, Akeisha Belgrave

Harrisburg University Research Symposium: Highlighting Research, Innovation, & Creativity

With advances in technology, the use of computers has become a common habit for most college students. Recent studies show that the amount of time spent on those devices can affect their grades. (Class Project)

A Push For Inclusive Data Collection In Stem Organizations, Nicholas P. Burnett, Alyssa M. Hernandez, Emily E. King, Richelle L. Tanner, Kathryn Wilsterman

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Professional organizations in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) can use demographic data to quantify recruitment and retention (R&R) of underrepresented groups within their memberships. However, variation in the types of demographic data collected can influence the targeting and perceived impacts of R&R efforts - e.g., giving false signals of R&R for some groups. We obtained demographic surveys from 73 U.S.-affiliated STEM organizations, collectively representing 712,000 members and conference-attendees. We found large differences in the demographic categories surveyed (e.g., disability status, sexual orientation) and the available response options. These discrepancies indicate a lack of consensus regarding the demographic groups that …

Application Of Competitive Intelligence For Insular Territories: Automatic Analysis Of Scientific And Technology Trends To Fight The Negative Effects Of Climate Change, Henri Dou, Pierre Fournie

International Journal of Islands Research

Islands are fragile territories because of their geographical position. As a result, climate impacts can have serious consequences, of which some are irreversible. Therefore, it is necessary to allow insular territories to benefit from the latest scientific and technological advances in combating climate effects. The current article shows how to deal with automatic analysis of scientific information on the one hand, but also its applications via patents. We will analyse the latest scientific results as well as their possible applications using patent analysis. We will also focus on experts, laboratories, and leading companies, that are active on the field. The …

Hierarchy Establishment From Nonlinear Social Interactionsand Metabolic Costs: An Application To The Harpegnathos Saltator, Jordy Cevallos-Chavez, Carlos Bustamante Orellana, Yun Kang

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of Non-Fatal Attacks By Black Bears: Conterminous United States, 2000–2017, Janel M. Scharhag, Cady Sartini, Shawn M. Crimmins, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Jeffrey B. Stetz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Attacks on humans by bears (Ursus spp.) have increased in recent decades, as both human and bear populations have increased. To help mitigate the risk of future attacks, it is important to understand the circumstances in past attacks. Information and analyses exist regarding fatal attacks by both American black bears (Ursus americanus) and brown bears (U. arctos) as well as non-fatal attacks by brown bears. No similarly thorough analyses on non-fatal attacks by black bears are available. Our study addressed this information gap by analyzing all (n = 210) agency-confirmed, non-fatal attacks by black …

Conclusion: Female Leaders Using Coercive Power Motivate Subordinates, Mary Kovach

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This manuscript advances prior research (Blau, 1964; Elangovan & Xie, 1999; French & Raven, 1959; Goodstadt & Hjelle, 1973; Hegtvedt, 1988; Randolph & Kemery, 2011; Zigarmi, Peyton Roberts, & Randolph, 2015) and capitalizes on supervisory skills using power dynamics within the workplace, by investigating employee effort resulting from gender dissimilar supervisor-employee dyads and employee locus of control. To offer a more focused approach, this is an evaluation specifically on reward and coercive power derived from French and Raven’s (1959) five power bases. This manuscript proposes that the motivation levels of employees change, based on their locus of control and gender. …

Exploring Factors In Choosing Stem Majors And Careers: Improving Science Education Through The Lens Of Self-Determination Theory, Lauren Mott

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Several barriers currently exist for students who could be successful in science/STEM careers but have not had the support they needed throughout their science/STEM education. This study of the literature applies Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to existing research to identify steps educators can take to remove these unnecessary barriers for their students. SDT defines competence, relatedness, and autonomy as three innate psychological needs that must be met for well-being. An exploratory review of the literature was conducted, and findings were organized using SDT. The results showed that competence, relatedness, and autonomy were all key factors in students’ self-determination of science/STEM careers. …

Decreased Cortisol Among Hikers Who Preferentially Visit And Value Biodiverse Riparian Zones, Ellie Opdahl, Kathryn Demps, Julie A. Heath

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

While outdoor recreationists often report increases to their well-being for time spent in nature, the mechanisms through which local ecologies affect human health have been difficult to quantify, and thus to manage. We combine data from pre-post salivary cortisol measures, GPS tracks, visitor photos, and surveys from 88 hikers traversing several types of landscape within peri-urban public lands in southwest Idaho, USA. We find that time in biodiverse riparian areas and areas of perceived aesthetic value correlates with decreases in salivary cortisol and improved well-being for hikers. Wildlife sightings were not associated with changes in salivary cortisol, but were associated …

Neither “Post-War” Nor Post-Pregnancy Paranoia: How America’S War On Drugs Continues To Perpetuate Disparate Incarceration Outcomes For Pregnant, Substance-Involved Offenders, Becca S. Zimmerman

Pitzer Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the unique interactions between pregnancy, substance involvement, and race as they relate to the War on Drugs and the hyper-incarceration of women. Using ordinary least square regression analyses and data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates, I examine if (and how) pregnancy status, drug use, race, and their interactions influence two length of incarceration outcomes: sentence length and amount of time spent in jail between arrest and imprisonment. The results collectively indicate that pregnancy decreases length of incarceration outcomes for those offenders who are not substance-involved but not evenhandedly -- benefitting white …

Soil Response Of Helicopter Liming In The Monongahela National Forest, Jarrett Douglas Fowler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) are acidic due to sandstone parent material, acid deposition, uptake of base cations by vegetation, and release of organic acids by organic matter (OM) decomposition. Increases in soil acidity have caused declines in forest health and changed species composition and nutrient status. Liming can neutralize soil acidity, but no large-scale liming projects have been done on acid forest soils in the USA. In anticipation of acquiring funding for a proposed liming project in the MNF, in 2007 and 2009 10 sites were selected to sample and analyze soils before lime was applied. In …

Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Paleontological Resources Management Plan (Public Version), Scott Kottkamp, Vincent L. Santucci, Justin S. Tweet, Jessica De Smet, Ellen Stark

United States National Park Service: Publications

Executive Summary

Since Agate Springs Ranch was founded by James H. Cook in 1887, exquisite examples of transitional Miocene mammalian fauna have been found along this stretch of the Niobrara River valley. Collectively these paleontological discoveries, along with the existing archeological and historical Native American collection, were the basis for establishing Agate Fossil Beds National Monument (AGFO) as a unit of the National Park System (NPS). The fossil remains from the Harrison and Anderson Ranch formations span a short, but important, time period within the Miocene Epoch. AGFO has provided science with an intimate look into North American mammalian evolution …

Clusters Of Individuals Experiences Form A Continuum Of Persistent Non-Symbolic Experiences In Adults, Jeffery A. Martin

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

Persistent forms of nondual awareness, enlightenment, mystical experience, and so forth (Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience) have been reported since antiquity. Though sporadic research has been performed on these experiences, the scientific literature has yet to report a large-scale cognitive psychology study of this population. Method: Assessment of the subjective experience of 319 adult participants reporting persistent non-symbolic experience was undertaken using 6-12 hour semi-structured interviews and evaluated using grounded theory and thematic analysis. Results: Five core, consistent categories of change were uncovered: sense-of-self, cognition, affect, perception, and memory. Participants’ reports formed phenomenological groups in which the types of change …

Survivorship Of The Reintroduced Kihansi Spray Toads Nectophrynoides Asperginis In A Soft Release Experiment At The Kihansi Gorge, Tanzania, Flora John Magige, Nassoro Mohamed

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The Kihansi Spray Toad (KST) Nectophrynoides asperginis is endemic to the unique wetland habitat surrounding the Kihansi Falls, Tanzania, with which it was associated. The species was declared extinct in the wild in 2009 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), following the loss of its unique habitat due to the diversion of the Kihansi River for hydropower production. This study is an initial attempt to determine the survivorship and possible sources of mortality of newborn and adult KSTs placed in cages in their original habitat in the Upper Spray Wetland (USW) and Lower Spray Wetland (LSW) areas. …

Flooding, Landslides, Wildfires, Air Pollution, And Income: Risk In California, Brittany Bondi, Alyssa J. Kaewwilai

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

California is infamously known for its likelihood of environmental hazards such as flooding, landslides, air pollution, and forest fires which can be attributed to the natural climate of the area as well as anthropologically influenced climate change. Air pollution also poses potential threats and dangers to the civilians of California as increasing populations and uses of fossil fuels continue to contribute to the growing issue of climate change. The goal of this study was to examine and analyze the geospatial trends environmental hazards in California such as landslides, air pollution, flooding, and forest fires. A weighted test, zone and slope …

Apparel Fit Evaluations Of 3d Scans Via Eye-Tracking, Lauren Bouvier

Apparel Merchandising and Product Development Undergraduate Honors Theses

The primary objective of this study is to identify the differences in apparel fit ratings when represented by a 2D or 3D display in an effort to increase customer satisfaction and reduce the rate of returns, as well as develop an understanding of consumer shopping behavior.

Phase I of data collection involved participants wearing apparel that fit properly and apparel that did not fit properly. 2D images were captured of the front, side, and back, along with 3D body scans for each category of apparel. In phase II of data collection, participants were asked to examine the 2D images and …

Engaging Faculty In Preparing Students For Non-Academic Environmental Careers, Carmen R. Cid, Mark W. Brunson

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

As a biology major at New York University, I was introduced to ecology in a course that bused the class out of New York University's Greenwich Village campus every weekend, to investigate biodiversity patterns in nearby forests and wetlands. After a day crossing bogs and walking through forests, I would take the subway home, hip boots in hand, reflecting on how the day's activities connected to my routine city life. Engaging others in understanding the city connections to adjacent habitats became my life's work. As Dean of Arts and Sciences at a public liberal arts university, I encourage faculty and …

Analyses Of The 2019 Nobel Prize In Physiology Or Medicine: Molecular Machinery For Cellular Oxygen Level Response, Neyda V. Gilman

Library Scholarship

Gregg L. Semenza, William G Kaelin, Jr, and Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine on October 7, 2019. Their work led to the understanding of how cells recognize and adapt to varying oxygen levels. Hypoxia-inducible nuclear factors play an essential role in this mechanism by turning on other genes that work towards increasing oxygen levels in hypoxic environments. Other vital pieces of the machinery include von Hippel-Lindau proteins and prolyl hydroxylation. Due to the necessity of oxygen in numerous human physiological systems, this discovery will likely have nearly immeasurable impacts on human …

Dna Analysis And The Postmortem Submersion Interval From The Microbiome Of Waterlogged Sus Scrofa Skeletal Remains, Claire Cartozzo

Theses and Dissertations

Following water-related deaths, soft tissue on victims’ remains may be entirely absent after a temperature dependent period of time. Due to their physical and chemical components, which protect them from environmental deterioration and biological attack, bones preserve DNA for longer periods of time. Therefore, the ability to both identify an individual and estimate the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) may depend on DNA obtained from skeletal remains. The goals of the dissertation were to examine differences in both the degradation of skeletal DNA and the microbiome inhabiting bone in freshwater aquatic environments (e.g., Henley Lake and the James River). At each …

Behavioral Responses To Ancestral Predators In Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus Pygerythrus) On Misali Island, Tanzania, Isabelle Hanna

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The success of a species depends largely on their ability to recognize and respond to predatory cues. These responses can be controlled through genetic or social factors. This study aimed to assess the ability of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) to identify and respond to ancestral predatory cues following long-term isolation on Misali Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania in order to determine if anti-predator behaviors are innate or learned. This was accomplished through exposure of troops to auditory predator cues and the documentation of their behavioral responses. The results of these trials suggest that predator recognition is an innate behavior in C. pygerythrus, …

Indonesia And Central Asia: Romanticizing Authoritarian Regime In The Past?, Mochamad Aviandy

International Review of Humanities Studies

Even though countries in Central Asia and Indonesia seem to be unrelated, both actually have experienced authoritarian regime and implemented decentralization system after that regime collapsed. Nevertheless, decentralization along with non-authoritarian regime does not automatically bring the desired good result since a new authoritarian regime based on decentralization appears. As a result, the citizens long for the welfare of the centralism system. Before talking further about the comparison of both regions, it is better to have a good understanding of each region.

Childhood And A Culture Of Fear In Lemony Snicket’S A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Nur Aini Annapurna, Dhita Hapsarani

International Review of Humanities Studies

This article is an excerpt from an undergraduate thesis of the same title which focuses on A Series of Unfortunate Events, a children‟s book series by Lemony Snicket. This thesis explores how a culture of fear shapes childhood, which is represented in the series. By using qualitative textual analysis the research discusses how the series represent the way childhood is shaped by a culture of fear through the depiction of various characters and social institutions in the novels. This research also explores the author‟s attempts in challenging the notion that children are vulnerable by analyzing the Baudelaires‟ identity and vulnerability. …

Perceptions Of Risk Of Health Disparities Amid Previously Identified Political Corruption And Ageism In Slovakia, Marta N. Lukacovic, Deborah D. Sellnow-Richmond, Monika Durechova

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

This study examines the role of traditional versus new media’s impact on citizens’ perceptions of risk within elder care. We analyzed survey data from 112 Slovak citizens regarding their social network activity and perceptions of corruption, ageism, and health disparities in the Slovak elder care system. Previous research (Lukacovic, Sellnow-Richmond, & Durechova, under contract) identified three prominent sociopolitical issues present in the Slovak medical system among Slovak UGC discourse regarding Slovak healthcare inequity: corruption, threats to dignity, and discrimination. Here, we examined the extent to which social media users perceive the prevalence and subsequent risk of experiencing health disparities within …

Oneness In Everyday Life: Nonduality, Wholeness And Human Life After Awakening, Gibbons, Tom

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

In Advaita Vedanta a distinction is made between an experience of oneness and permanent awakening. The author argues that a nondual philosophy such as Advaita - as opposed to a direct experience of oneness – contains significant theoretical difficulties, which in turn are reflected in problems with actualizing nonduality in everyday human life. Alternative spiritual conceptions that might be more helpful in guiding the nondual aspirant in her spiritual life are examined, including the concept of “wholeness.” In the place of a reliance on an exclusive doctrine of nonduality, Jorge Ferrar’s concept of “Participatory Spirituality” and A. H. Almaas’s idea …

Categorical Modelling Of Conscious States, Baruss, Imants

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

In the last several decades, there has been an explosion of research concerning consciousness with some efforts at mathematical modelling. The purpose of this paper is to model conscious states using categorical constructions. In particular, this modelling captures temporality, the intentional structure of consciousness, and meaning fields, which provide the templates for occurrent events. The architecture of conscious states naturally lends itself to applications of category theory, more specifically to sheaf-like constructions in which the stacks over a site are topoi whose germs are the objects of the topoi. Each topos represents the potential experiential content of an individual where …

Psychotherapy In The Dream: A Phenomenological Exploration, Bustos, Nick

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

Post-materialist ontologies offer a transformed worldview whose implications point toward the illusory nature of the separate self, or ego. Aligned with the literature of mysticism and perennialist spiritual models, this portends a significantly altered backdrop for the practice and discipline of psychotherapy, the underlying premises of which assume a strict existential dichotomy between patient and therapist. Kenneth Wapnick, preeminent scholar of the twentieth-century spiritual document of A Course in Miracles, provides a relevant model toward integrating spiritually-based, ego-negative states within psychotherapy practice. The author studied the lived experiences of eight psychotherapists, both practicing and retired, who practice according to this …

Ecopedagogy: Learning How To Participate In Ecological Consciousness, Peterson, Eric

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

This paper is the result of an inquiry into ecological consciousness through a participatory paradigm. The dialectical relationship between institutionalized education and consciousness is central to this inquiry’s focus. This exploration into ecological consciousness has lead to the following question: How can institutionalized education be designed, delivered, and experienced in a way that nurtures ecological intelligence, ecological consciousness, and more importantly, ecological activism? The ‘sense of self ‘is a central theme within the paper, and led to the conception of intraearthal and interearthal relationships as a way of communicating our need to identify as being in Earth. The author utilizes …

The Influence Of Radical Environmentalists On Reputation And Communication Practices Of Advocacy/Collaborative Nonprofits, Maria Zhigalina

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

The article focuses on features, activities and communication practices of environmental nonprofits / groups to demonstrate the importance of studying how negative reputation of the environmental sub-sector created by radical environmentalists can influence advocacy / collaborative environmental nonprofits. First, it reviews some relevant literature related to environmental organizations / groups and their external communication. Additionally, it provides some examples of radical environmentalism that have been recently discussed in the news. Finally, it describes directions for future research. It is important to understand the influence of the actions of radical environmentalists on advocacy / collaborative nonprofit organizations because it might impact …

From Virtual To Physical: Video Game Streaming Communities, Avery Miles

Capstones

This is an exploration of the inner lives of video game streamers, how they interact with their audiences and the social phenomenon of live streaming. It encompasses streamers, viewers, professional eSports athletes and indie game designers.

www.averykmiles.com