Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Motivational And Physiological Dysregulation Due To Development And Onset Of Obesity Via Melanocortin 4 Receptor +/- Haploinsufficiency, Alex Steiner

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is one of the leading most health risks around the world, being especially problematic in the United States. A combination of high-fat diets and genetic abnormalities are to blame for the ever-growing number of obese individuals.

Melanocortin 4 receptors are vital for regulating energy expenditure and feeding behaviors; mutations of the receptors have been found to be the leading monogenetic cause of obesity. Using MC4R +/- haploinsufficient rats being fed a range of dietary fat, we investigated the physiological and motivational differences using a locomotor task, an operant task with fixed and progressive ratios, as well as a distraction …

Innovative Approaches Using Multispectral Imagery To Detect Nearshore Bars And Elucidate Beach-Dune System Dynamics, Mayra A. Román-Rivera

Theses and Dissertations

Nearshore bars naturally protect the coast against erosion by dissipating wave energy. They are significant reservoirs of sand, and thus, they may impact the response of beaches to different wave conditions. Nearshore bar position and morphologic variability also influences long- and short-term beach and dune stability. This study reveals how nearshore bars influence beach-dune dynamics using very high-resolution (VHR) imagery. A new low- cost identification approach for bar identification was applied by integrating VHR imagery. Future nearshore bar research will benefit from integrating the larger spatial scale provided by satellite sensors. A rule-based OBIA approach was successful in identifying and …

Younger Residents Through The Looking Glass: Perceptions Of The Residential Experience Of Non-Traditionally Aged Residents Living In The Long Term Care Setting, Sara J. English

Theses and Dissertations

This embedded case study describes perceptions of the residential experience of non- traditionally aged persons (between the ages of 18-64), living in the Long Term Care (LTC) setting. Prior research identifies non-traditionally aged persons as the fastest growing group admitting to residential LTC care. Due to the complexity of need, younger residents may potentially languish in LTC for twenty, thirty, or more years. Non-traditionally aged residents currently comprise about 15% of the total residential LTC population; yet, little is known about this burgeoning group of younger persons, including how they perceive themselves as residents in LTC settings and how they …

Sound-Evoked Activations Of Visual Cortex And The Principles Of Multisensory Integration, Spencer Lawrence Mac Adams

Theses and Dissertations

Multisensory integration (MSI) refers to the neural processes that integrate information from multiple different sensory systems and follows three established principles: the spatial, temporal and inverse effectiveness principles. Evidence now suggests that MSI can occur at the earliest stages of sensory processing in primary sensory cortices, including audiovisual integration in primary visual cortex; however, the mechanism responsible for audio-visual MSI enhancements remains elusive. Recently, unimodally presented sounds have been shown to activate visual cortex; however, no research has been conducted to evaluate if these sound-evoked responses reflect the auditory contribution to audiovisual integration in primary visual cortex. Here we conducted …

The Impact Of Alcohol- Related Consequences On Alcohol Use Behaviors, Amy Cuccuro

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Primary objectives of the present study include (1) exploring the impact of alcohol-related consequences on current drinking behaviors, and (2) examining perceptions of consequences and their relationship to current drinking behaviors. Method: Original data collected through online self-report surveys from 579 participants (Mage = 28.0 years) was utilized for the present study. Each participant answered brief questionnaire about their current alcohol use (quantity and frequency) using the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and follow up questions about their prior alcohol related experiences and subsequent perceptions. Results: There was a significant association between AUDIT scores and prior experiences of …

The Rohingya: Ethnic Nationalism, Domestic Diversionary Targets, And Burmese Post-Colonial Nation Building, Ibrahim Abd-El-Barr

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the question of whether recurring episodes of violence, forced displacement, and other forms of repression against the ethno-religious sub-nationalist identity group, the Rohingya, across Burma's (Myanmar) modern history, are rooted in the implications of post-colonial nation-building or represent independent and self-contained incidents of communal/ethnic violence. The sub-question of whether the modern construct of the Burmese state accurately fits the description of a modern nation-state or whether other paradigms or ideal types better capture the development of the post-colonial Burmese state, is also explored. By revisiting the main events/national framework which have amounted to the Rohingya's exclusion from …

Mbijetesa E Mediave Të Shkruara Në Kosovë, Zylfije Thaçi

Theses and Dissertations

Termi mediat në përgjithësi i referohet mediave të komunikimit ose mediave masive,të cilat janë në dispozicion të një numri të pranuesve dhe janë konceptuar kolektivisht si një entitet i vetëm, gjithëpërfshirës dhe i përhapur. Fillimisht do të thotë një ndërmjetës ose një sasi e mesme.

Mediat e shkruara apo në përgjithësi të gjitha mediat janë një segment shumë i rëndësishëm i një vendi, për arsye që gjithmonë dërgojnë tek informacionet e rëndësishme apo të nevojshme rreth vendit.

Në studimet mediatike dhe në shkencat e tjera shoqërore, media zakonisht i referohet mjeteve të komunikimit (media të shtypura ose transmetuese) ose forma …

“Kodet Etike Të Medias Në Kosovë”, Albulena Kërhanaj

Theses and Dissertations

Kjo temë është shumë e dobishme jovetëm për studentët e gazetarisë dhe arkivën e UBT-së në degën e medias, por mbi të gjitha kjo temë mund të ofrojë të dhëna interesante rreth funksionimit të kodeve të etikës në mediat kosovare. kk Respektimi ose mos respektimi i kodeve etike në Kosovë është një çështje që kërkon trajtim profesional dhe studimor. kk Nisur nga ky fakt, punimi ofron një varg dokumentesh që lidhen me zhvillimin e këtyre kodeve, funksionimin e tyre në praktikë, dallimet esenciale mes kodeve kosovare dhe atyre ndërkombëtarë me disa shembuj.

Efekti I Strategjisë Së Shpërblimit Në Performancën E Punonjësve, Flandra Shala

Theses and Dissertations

Në çdo vend, qoftë a`i instituticion i varur apo i pa varur, publik apo shtetëror, shpërblimi mund të jetë një nga arsyjet e një performance më të mirë dhe më efektive. Ka diskutime të vazhdueshme në mënyrën se si strategjita e shpërblimit ndikon në performancën e bankave. Ky punim është një rast studimi i ndikimit të strategjisë së shpërblimit në performancën e punonjësve të Bankës Raiffesen. Gjithashtu në këtë punim do të analizohen dhe krahasohen të dhënat e fitura nga Banka Raiffesen me sektorin bankar në Kenia. Në pjesën e parë të këtij punimi janë dhënë disa definicione rreth ndikimit …

Integrimi Europian, Afërdita Duraku

Theses and Dissertations

Integrimi Evropian do të thotë kultivim të unitetit ndërmjet vendeve dhe popujve evropianë. Brenda Bashkimit Evropian, do të thotë se vendet i grumbullojnë resurset e veta dhe bashkarisht marin shumë vendime. Kjo marje e vendimeve të përbashkëta realizohet nëpërmjet bashkëpunimit dhe bashkëveprimit nëpërmjet Institucioneve të Bashkimit Evropian siç janë Parlamenti i BE, Këshilli i BE, Komisioni i BE etj. Integrim Evropian është proces integrimi politik, legal, ekonomik dhe në disa raste edhe social dhe kulturor i vendeve Evropiane. Procesi i Integrimit Europian kërkon një punë të përbashkët nga të gjitha institucionet qeveritare të një sheti dhe gjithë resurset politike duhet …

Sfidat E Seleksionimit Dhe Regrutimit Të Burimeve Njerëzore Në Spitalin Rajonal - Feriza, Abetare Rexhepi Imeri

Theses and Dissertations

Ky punim është mbështetur në përmushjen e disa qëllimeve dhe objektivave të cilat në vazhdimësi kërkojnë zgjidhje përmes Burimeve Njerëzore, si përmes, hulumtimeve, mbledhjes, strukturimit, analizimit të dhënave të mbledhura e pastaj të identifikohen vështirësitë, përparësitë dhe të metat e procesit të zhvillimit aktual në menaxhimin dhe përformancën në organizatat e Kosovës në nivel lokal. Me rëndësi të veçantë është që të gjitha vështirësitë të adresohen në institucionet përkatëse dhe organizatat e tjera relevante të cilat shprehin vullnet për mbështetjen dhe aktiviteteve që mund ti kenë BNJ-re. Objektivat janë identifikuar në mënyrë sa më specifike, të matshme dhe të përcaktuara …

Organizimi Dhe Funksioni I Parlamentit Të Kosovës, Gresa Leka

Theses and Dissertations

Qëllimi i këtij punimi është që të tregojmë fillet e para te paralementarizmit në Kosovë duke filluar nga mbledhjet e para që janë mbajtur nga burrështeatsit e atëhershëm deri tek krijimi i parlamentit të Kosovës.

Sistemi paralamentar është formë e qerverisjes shtetërore e bazuar në parimin e ndarjes së pushtetit shtetëror.

Historiku i kuvendit të Kosovës si një institucion demokratik është i gjatë,

por më e rëndësishme dhe sfiduse ka qenë koha gjatë tranzisionit mbas luftës së vitit 1999 duke kërkuar zgjedhjen e statutit final drejt pavarsisë se Kosovës.

Gjatë këtij punimi gjithashtu jemi munduar të sqarojm punën dhe ligjëshmerin …

The Effect Of Perceived Corruption On Voter Turnout In Post-Communist Countries In The European Union: Evidence From The Life In Transition Survey Iii, Ivana Pancurakova

Theses and Dissertations

This paper measures the effect of perceived corruption on voting in post-communist countries in the EU using probit models, Dong and Lewbel’s special estimator, and two stage least squares models. Corruption has a significant and negative effect on voter turnout even when controlling for the endogeneity in the corruption variable.

Mindfulness And Blood Pressure Across Demographics: Analyses From The Serenity Study, Gabrielle R. Chin

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness, as a state, trait, and training, is linked with myriad positive mental and physical health outcomes. Understanding the individual characteristics potentially influencing links between mindful traits, mindfulness training, and physical health, is therefore important, yet remains under-addressed. Utilizing data from the ongoing Serenity Study (NCT02371317), the current project examines if (1) at baseline, higher trait mindfulness relates to lower BP consistently as a function of demographics, (2) Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training lowers BP consistently across demographic subgroups and initial levels of trait mindfulness, and (3) if change in trait mindfulness following MBSR training correlates with change in BP …

Comparison Of Play Frequency In Four Sympatric Monkey Species In Kibale National Park, Uganda, Sara G. Lucci

Theses and Dissertations

This study describes play in red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus), grey-cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena), black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza), and redtail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius) to test Instinct-Practice Theory. Solitary locomotor play was different among the species. Rough-and-tumble play was different between male and female redtail monkeys. These results partially support Instinct-Practice Theory.

Adult And Juvenile Rats Differentially Express Mpfc Glua2 Following Traumatic Memory Retrieval, Edgar Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

To advance our understanding of how traumatic memories are modulated between adults and juveniles, we characterize the AMPAr subunits, GluA1, GluA2, GluA3 in the mPFC of rodents following traumatic memory retrieval.

GluA2 was differentially expressed in adults but not juveniles rats. There were no changes in GluA1 or GluA3 expression

Garch Modeling Of Value At Risk And Expected Shortfall Using Bayesian Model Averaging, Ismail Kheir

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis conducts Value at Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES) estimation using GARCH modeling and Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). BMA considers multiple models weighted by some information criterion. Through BMA, this thesis finds that VaR and ES estimates can be improved through enhanced modeling of the data generation process.

Judging Facial Expressions Of Emotion: Effects Of Gender, Raine Palladino

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined how quickly people recognize happy, neutral or angry emotional expressions on faces that varied in gender presentation and femininity/masculinity of facial features. Facial features influenced judgments of emotion more for women than men. Neutral expressions were more likely seen as angry on a woman’s face.

The Effect Of Dopamine Blockade On Sensorimotor Gating In Social Phenotypes Of The African Cichlid Fish Astatotilapia Burtoni, Raymond A. Turco

Theses and Dissertations

We asked if blocking dopamine could improve implicit sensory gating deficits in a socially-defeated fish of a naturally-agonistic species. This study investigated the effects of dopamine D2R receptor antagonist metoclopramide on sensorimotor gating using a prepulse inhibition (PPI) paradigm in social phenotypes of male A. burtoni African cichlid fish.

Exploring Innovation And Behavioral Flexibility In African Lions (Panthera Leo) And Snow Leopards (Panthera Uncia), Victoria L. O'Connor

Theses and Dissertations

Intelligence may have evolved to help animals problem-solve in their physical and/or social environments, which enables them to cope with changes in their environments. Humans can reduce wildlife conflict by understanding how species that face harsh environments assess a situation and alter their behavior. Tests for cognitive behavior aim to formulate clear behavioral criteria for inferring an animal’s mental processes. We designed a custom multi-access puzzle box (MAB) to present a simple and effective behavioral test for exploring innovation in two species, African lions (Panthera leo) and snow leopards (Panthera uncia). Despite being vastly underrepresented in …

Weak Social Support As An Indicator For Worse Trauma Related Symptoms, Michael B. Sugarman

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between social support and trauma related symptoms in trauma exposed participants. Using the SCID and CAPS, weak family support factors were found to be associated with a greater number and severity of trauma related symptoms; suggesting that family support is important for trauma exposed people.

Behavioral Hypervigilance In A Normative Population, Karly Weinreb

Theses and Dissertations

Hypervigilance is conceptualized as a symptom of trauma-related disorders, however it can also occur in a normative population. To distinguish normative hypervigilance from trauma-related hypervigilance, 372 participants (123 trauma-exposed and 249 non-trauma-exposed) completed a questionnaire assessing hypervigilance in contexts. Trauma-exposed participants reported greater levels of hypervigilance in 3 contexts.

The Effect Of Citi Bike Introduction On Injury Rates In New York City, Masakazu Hiruma

Theses and Dissertations

This paper tests the hypothesis that the introduction of Citi Bike influences bicycle injuries by observing the gradual expansion of the bike share system in NYC. Data is analyzed from 2012-2018 New York Police Department (NYPD) Motor Vehicle Collisions and Citi Bike Station Feeds (NYC Open Data).

Describing Therapeutic Relationship Change And Failure In Group Psychotherapy, Harold Thomas Svien

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. This study reanalyzed data from Burlingame and colleagues’ (2018) randomized controlled trial on the effect of adding Group Questionnaire (GQ) to Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) feedback. These data were assessed for the feedback effect using the amount of GQ alerts in one session reported by the group member to track change in GQ subscales as a measure of reversing therapeutic relationship failure.Methods. 374 participants engaged in 58 psychotherapy groups. Every participant provided GQ measurements after every group session. These GQ measurements formed ‘person-session units’ representing whether or not each type of alert was present following each group meeting. Person-session units …

Foreign Domestic Workers In Hong Kong: Identifying Risk Factors, Resilience, And Psychological Well-Being, Ka Yan Mok

Theses and Dissertations

Domestic workers, also known as house maids or handmaids, are a predominately female workforce that traditionally provides labor in upper-class households. With the increase of dual income families and the global expansion of the middle class, the demand for domestic workers increased, which facilitated the practice of importing lower-cost foreign domestic workers (FDWs) from developing areas. Hong Kong has the highest concentration of FDWs when compared to other metropolitan areas, such as Taiwan, Singapore, or New York. Since the trade began in the 1970s, qualitative research and journalistic investigations have reported that FDWs frequently encounter exploitation, including emotional, physical, and …

Treatment Integrity Of Behavior Intervention Plans (Bips) In Public School Settings, Danielle Marie Rigby

Theses and Dissertations

Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) are intended to guide educators’ efforts to help struggling students succeed in school by reducing the frequency of problem behavior and teaching appropriate, pro-social responses. The impact of a BIP, however, depends on the degree to which the plan is implemented with fidelity. In practice, there are many factors that prevent teachers and other practitioners from strictly adhering to the BIP including having multiple plans to follow, inexperience with the specified intervention(s), or particularly challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors that contribute to the treatment integrity of …

Constituent Order And Participant Reference In Napo Quichua Narrative Discourse, Larinda Moffitt

Theses and Dissertations

Napo Quichua is a Quechuan language variety spoken along the Napo River in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador. This thesis presents a description of the constituent order and participant reference system of oral narrative discourse. The primary data source for this study consists mostly of folk tales told by native speakers, with a few autobiographical accounts.

Napo Quichua is an SOV language with a relatively high degree of variation in constituent order. Constituent order variations are motivated by the guiding principles of information structure, including showing focus, highlighting information, and backgrounding information. Constituent order and participant reference also interact to …

The Prey Drive Model Of Sexual Violence, Tiffany Dawn Russell

Theses and Dissertations

The current project introduced prey drive theory, a new conceptualization of human violence perpetration adapted from canine training and breeding literature. As with canines, prey drive theory conceptualizes human aggression as a manifestation of genetically predisposed dominance and competitiveness. To evaluate the concept of human prey drive, the current study developed a prey drive model of sexual violence that was tested within a community sample of men (N = 662). Four latent trait clusters formed the foundation of the model: sexualized prey dominance, sexualized prey pursuit, antagonistic preparedness, and malevolent personality. A new scale, the Masculine Dominance Index, was …

The Effects Of A Sex Positive Sexual Violence Prevention Program On College Women, Natalie Marian Raymond

Theses and Dissertations

The development of effective sexual violence prevention programming has been an effort spanning several decades, while prevalence of such violence remains high. The present study describes the development and evaluation of a violence prevention program (Relationships, Sexuality, and Violence Prevention: RSVP) for women that draws from other types of interventions, and is grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and current research-generated recommendations.

The evaluation of the program measured change between treatment and control group college women on a number of relevant factors: (a) rape myth acceptance, (b) sexual double standards, (c) positive sexual self-understanding, (d) sexual communication, (e) sexual consent understanding, …

Measurement Implementation In Youth Psychotherapy: An Examination Of Barriers And Facilitators Of Y-Oq And Tsm Implementation, Tess Janeen Collett

Theses and Dissertations

Studies have shown a concerning and disproportionate amount of treatment failure and premature termination in youth populations. Routine measurement feedback has been proposed as a means to prevent treatment failure and premature termination for adults and may also improve youth mental health services. However, studies examining helpfulness of measurement feedback systems in youth populations have demonstrated a lack of effects more likely due to poor measurement implementation than to the measurement feedback system itself. Because contexts within the service settings are such crucial factors in whether an innovation is successfully implemented, examining barriers and facilitators in said contexts is a …