Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Association Between Assorted Hormonal Contraceptive Methods And Advanced-Stage Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review, Cheng Cheng

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Epithelial ovarian cancer, the most lethal of the gynecological cancers, is typically diagnosed at advanced stages. Women diagnosed with advance-staged (i.e., stage III and IV according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) epithelial ovarian cancer are more likely to have recurrent episodes within 18 months17. According to a 2012 2016 case analysis conducted by the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results, or SEER program, the incidence of ovarian cancer was 11.4 per 100,000 women in all races per year with the highest incidence in non-Hispanic whites, of 11.9 per 100,000 women and the lowest incidence in Asians / Pacific …

Depression, Anxiety, And Social Anxiety As Predictors Of Help – Seeking Behavior Among U.S. University Students, Priya B. Thomas

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Depression and anxiety are the top two mental health issues frequently cited by university students. Furthermore, the majority of students fail to seek professional help and may not find treatment useful. Many studies do not address the multiple factors that inhibit help seeking behaviors. This study aims to examine the associations between mental health issues and specific sociodemographic factors that may predict which students find seeking mental health treatment useful and are likely to seek help for their mental health issues over two semesters. Data from this study can be used to help develop strategies that help students maximize the …

Using S-Predixcan To Identify Associations Of Genetically Determined Gene Expression Levels With Carotid Intima Media Thickness, Andy Bryan A Castaneda

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The aim of the study was to identify associations between predicted gene expression levels using S-PrediXcan and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) in order to elucidate the etiology of atherosclerosis. Further, we wanted to compare our results to those from a transcriptome wide association study (TWAS) that used actual gene expression levels in whole blood. For our analysis we used summary statistics from a GWAS of cIMT from the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium, tissue-specific gene expression profiles from the GTEx project, and S-PrediXcan prediction models. The TWAS of cIMT that we compared our …

Treatment Outcomes Associated With Implementation Of An Express Sti Testing Model In A Prep Clinic In Austin, Texas, Diane Chau

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

It is unknown whether express STI testing is as effective as comprehensive STI testing. The research aims of this study are: (1) to describe the patients who obtained a STI testing at the Kind Clinic between February 01, 2019 to January 31, 2020; (2) to determine the association between STI testing type and sociodemographic factors, clinically-relevant factors, and treatment outcomes; (3) to visualize time-to-treatment among STI type and testing types for comparison on a diagnosis-level and a patient-level. Electronic medical records were abstracted for 2,201 patients that received an STI test during February 01, 2019 and January 31, 2020 at …

Exploration Of Breastfeeding As A Protective Factor For Breast Cancer In South African Women: A Nested Case-Control Study, Quiera S. Booker

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

South African’s (SA) breast cancer incidence rate is continually increasing (39 per 100,000 (2012) versus 46.2 per 100,000 (2018) with trends towards later-stage diagnosis. In previous literature, breastfeeding has been assessed as a protective factor for breast cancer; however, the SA population experiences inconsistent breastfeeding trends, rates, and support services. Therefore, this study will evaluate the inverse association between breast cancer and breastfeeding history. Methods. Cases (breast cancer) and controls (mastalgia) were matched 1:1 on clinical visit from May-August 2019 at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Breastfeeding history, breast carcinoma diagnosis, and clinically relevant …

Raft-Versus-Host Disease Occurrence Among Cord Blood Transplantation Recipients In Relation To Human Leukocyte Antigen Match Grade, Sarah Chowdhury

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation has been consistently found to have low rates of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), high rates of engraftment, and faster turnaround times in terms of finding suitable donors. In addition, it serves as a viable option for individuals with no matched donor options especially due to its flexible human leukocyte antigen matching criteria. Despite its advantages, there has been an overall decrease in UCB transplantation. However, its advantages emphasize the need for further research and investment in resources such as cord blood banking especially since pediatric populations are most likely to benefit from continued research due to …

Statistical Evaluation Of An Extension Of Linear Discriminant Analysis In Multiclass Settings With An Application For Detection Of Cervical Neoplasia, Frances A. Brito

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Although a pathologists’ review of Papanicolaou smear cell samples has been successful in decreasing cervical cancer incidence, it is often costly and time-consuming. Quantitative cytology is a promising semi-automated method that measures cell features for further analysis or classification. There have been several advancements in classification algorithms, but many do not account for the nested data structure seen in quantitative cytology. Further, histologic diagnoses are separated into five or more classes, yet, multiclass classification has not been investigated. Here, we compare the predictive performance of macrolevel discriminant analysis (MDA) to traditional discriminant analysis methods in multi-class settings on cervical quantitative …

The Health And Wellness Characteristics Of Food And Beverage Service Industry Workers In Austin, Texas: A Participatory Cross-Sectional Survey, Alexandria Abbott

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Food and beverage service industry workers are prone to tobacco use, alcohol abuse, illicit drug use, and mental health conditions. These workers are also highly likely to not have health insurance. Despite the poor health outcomes that stem from these conditions, little to no empirical evidence currently exists to explain the factors that contribute to the poor health condition of the service industry workforce. This study used a cross-sectional online survey to gather preliminary information on the health and wellness condition of service industry workers over the age of 18 in Austin, Texas. Survey respondents revealed high rates of alcohol …

Follow Up Care, Cancer Treatment Summaries And Patient Centered Communication, Ashleigh Gil

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group is the cohort of individuals who have been diagnosed with and/or are survivors of cancer. It is recommended they receive lifelong follow up care to prevent or mitigate late health effects associated with cancer and treatment. However, AYAs are caught between the pediatric and adult healthcare systems and they may not be able to fully advocate for their healthcare needs. Some factors that may be associated with AYAs survivorship care are treatment summaries and where they receive follow up care. This study aimed to identify if receipt of a treatment summary and …

Mindfulness: Coping Without A Substance, Vertis Williams

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the effects of mindfulness on individuals recovering from the use of mood-altering substances. Participants were voluntarily recruited from a recovery-themed meditation group at a mindfulness center. The participants responded to interview questions related to how mindfulness has impacted their recovery and experience of stress. Themes related to how mindfulness fostered cognitive and emotional changes, that helped participants cope with emotional distress without using mood altering substances were included in the responses. The results of this study indicate that mindfulness mitigates emotional distress among clients who struggle with using mood-altering substances. Given that emotional distress qualifies …

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 …

Covid-19 Impact On Nebraska Businesses: Nebraska Business Response Survey Report Round 1, Josie Gatti Schafer, Tara Grell, Melanie Kiper, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar), University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Past Publications

The State of Nebraska, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, the University of Nebraska and several local project partners came together to develop and share the Nebraska Business Response Survey to understand the impact coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on the revenue and workforce of organizations across the state and find the best ways to support our business and nonprofit community during this crisis. The survey launched Wednesday, April 15, 2020, at 2 P.M. and closed Friday, April 24, 2020, at 5 P.M. The survey was only made available online and in English and Spanish. The survey was translated into Spanish by …

The Violence Against Women's Act: From The Criminalization Of Domestic Violence Through Modern Political Challenges, Carrie Anderson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The Violence Against Women’s Act, or VAWA, is a landmark piece of federal legislation to combat domestic violence in the United States. It passed in 1994 following various state efforts to stop intimate partner violence. Broad federal legislation was needed to end domestic violence because of the unique nature of the crime including the strong connection between victims and perpetrators, the vast scale of the problem, and the reoccurring nature of domestic violence (Fagan, p. 28-29, 1996). VAWA has been expanded through reauthorization efforts in 2000, 2005, and 2013. Reform efforts have focused on increasing protections for victims especially focusing …

Shattering Glass Ceilings: Where Are All Of The Women In Finance?, Rebecca Schubach

Business and Economics Honors Papers

At a time when women are equally represented in professional fields such as medicine and academia, the finance industry is still facing a lack of gender diversity, most notability at the C-Suite level. Statistics on the paucity of women paint a bleak picture, despite the fact that women are awarded majority of undergraduate and graduate degrees in the United States, a reversal from just one generation ago. This begs the question, what is deterring women from a career in finance? Are compensation discrepancies at play? This paper seeks to examine if being a female truly penalizes a woman in regards …

Examination Of Online Voter Registration Within Non-Profit Organizations Post 1993, Jonathan Mcnicholes

Political Science Theses and Capstones

Voting is a key eliminate to the validity of our democracy. Nonprofit organizations are one of the fastest growing organization structures within our society, with growing opportunities to engage voters in pursuit of their goals along with enhanced pressure following the movements surrounding the 1993 voter registration act. In this Thesis I analysis what categories of nonprofit organizations promote voter registration using their websites, to order to establish which organizations are utilizing their resources to promote their goals. The data I use is taken from the Washington Representatives studies which consists of 43,012 nonprofit organizations within Washington DC. My research …

Juvenile Diversion Programs: Comparing Minnesota County Characteristics To Determine Their Role In Pre-Trial Diversion Programs, Kaydin Schmitt

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The main goal of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate offenders and prevent youth from entering the adult justice system. One approach is through the use of diversion programs. The state of Minnesota requires all counties to offer at least one type of pre-trial diversion program. However, there is no ubiquitous program; the number and types of programs differ between counties, and the reason for these differences between jurisdictions is under-researched. I analyze the number and types of pre-trial diversion programs in Minnesota counties and compare them to various county characteristics to determine which characteristics play a role in …

Food Affordability: Sustainable Food Center Increasing Food Access Through Double Dollars Incentive, Codie Freeman

Public Affairs Theses - Archive

Food barriers have become a growing problem for many communities due to lower access to healthy foods. Not having access to healthy foods has been linked to health problems rising in communities. There are several food barriers including affordability of food that causes individuals of low-income groups to struggle to gain access to fruits and vegetables. Communities across the world have been creating and implementing new policies and programs in order to reduce the geographic and monetary barriers to increase food access. The Sustainable Food Center has been utilizing their Double Dollars Program to help lower income families who are …

Leadership, Contexts, And Learning - Part 1. Leadership Definitions And Themes, Larry M. Starr, Phd

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Faculty Papers

In two parts this paper examines how leadership is understood, taught, and anticipated to be learned in undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs. Part 1 introduces the challenges of defining leadership then presents three taxonomies or themes representing the prevailing leadership models, theories, and practices. I then introduce a fourth theme derived from a broader understanding of context, particularly differences between challenges that are complicated and complex. This informs an expanded context-definition of leadership for which examples of leadership characteristics and proficiencies from a complex systems perspective are presented.

Part 2 is presented as a separate essay. It discusses the …

Case Study: Horse Drawn Carriages In Philadelphia, Bibi Khan, Michael Jones, Hamid Bertal, Regina Tendayi

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Presentations

Hypothesis

Horse & Carriage ride business is not sustainable.

Supply & Demand: Awareness of inhumane treatment of carriage horses will lead to the decline of demand for the rides which leads to decline in revenue. This is not sustainable.

World Assumptions And Growth From Adversity In Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Karina L. Peters

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Research on trauma and adversity has become increasingly focused on factors associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG). One of the factors identified in research that is associated with PTG is world assumptions, implicit assumptions about the world that facilitate a sense of security. One theory is that trauma and adversity prompt a shift in world assumptions, which in turn influences the development of PTG. While this research body has included various populations (military veterans, cancer survivors, bereaved parents, natural disaster survivors), there has been little research on the relationship between world assumptions and PTG for parents of children with Autism Spectrum …

Examining Racial Bias Within The Items Of The Macarthur Competence Assessment Tool – Criminal Adjudication, Isolde Hughes

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

The United States is the world’s leader when it comes to incarceration rates, and racial disparities are significant within this system (World Prison Brief, 2020). The most significant factor proposed as influencing this disparity is the ongoing racial bias within and outside of the legal system. Throughout the legal process, there are several instances where the defendant’s race may come into play when it comes to competency to stand trial evaluations. The first instance is during the referral process, and the second instance is during the competency evaluation itself. Several instruments have been developed to capture an individual’s understanding of …

Under The Radar: The Everyday Resistance Of Anarchist Punks In Bandung, Indonesia, Steve Moog

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Amidst a current resurgence of hypernationalism across the globe, resistance movements and counterhegemonic ideologies are becoming increasingly visible and more common elements of broader socio-political discourses. While high-profile protests have ignited public interest in resistance movements—turning relatively unknown groups such as Antifa and Black Bloc into household names—little attention has been paid to the behind-the-scenes networks undergirding many of these organizations. Translocal do-it-yourself (DIY) punk rock networks are spaces in which alternative and subversive ideologies are enacted through the everyday implementation of anarchist philosophies and DIY ethics. Here, ‘under the radar’ modes of resistance are found in the lived realities, …

Gynocentric Apuleius: Female Agency In 'The Golden Ass', Kelsey Schalo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Through a close reading of Apuleius’ Golden Ass, I argue that characters such as Byrrhena, Photis, and Psyche function as positive examples of female sexual authority and autonomy and effectively challenge the phallocentric theories commonly applied to Greek and Roman gender and sexuality, the Penetrative Model associated with Foucault, and structuralism, associated in classics with French historians Marcel Detienne, J-P Vernant, and Pierre Vidal-Naquet. While still penetrated, many of these women actively claim their agency in sex through pleasure and narrative. Additionally, in correlation with Julia Kristeva’s theory of the abject, while Apuleius’s female witches behave in horrific and chaotic …

Relational Uncertainty In Romantic Relationships: The Influence Of Attachment And Relational Maintenance Behaviors, Jay Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of attachment and relational maintenance behaviors on relational uncertainty. Ninety individuals currently involved in romantic relationships completed measures assessing their attachment (i.e., secure, preoccupied, dismissive, fearful), relational uncertainties (i.e., self, partner, relationship), and relational maintenance behaviors (i.e., shared tasks, shared networks, positivity, openness, assurances). Findings demonstrated that both secure attachment and fearful attachment were not significantly associated with self, partner, or relationship uncertainty. In addition, dismissive attachment was negatively associated with partner uncertainty and positively associated with relationship uncertainty. Preoccupied attachment was positively associated with both partner and relationship uncertainty. Furthermore, secure attachment was positively …

Approach And Avoidance Coping Humor Motives And Their Relation To Trauma Exposure And Physical Health, Andrea D. Dorbu

Theses and Dissertations

The present study investigated approach-avoidance motives for humor use and their association with physical health symptoms linked to childhood trauma exposure and adult relationship trauma exposure among military-affiliated people and civilians (N=100). Results indicated that approach-avoidance motives for humor use were not associated with study variables. However, adult relationship trauma exposure had a significant positive association with physical health symptoms among both groups. In addition, childhood trauma exposure was significantly positively associated with adult relationship trauma exposure.

A Comparison Of Response-Contingent And Response-Independent Autoshaping Trials In Rats, Jenna E. Gaskins

Theses and Dissertations

Autoshaping is a procedure, combining both operant conditioning and classical conditioning, used in animal training to jump-start a target behavior. Lepper and Petursdottir (2017) found that response-contingent pairings (RCP) were more effective than responseindependent pairings (RIP) in producing vocalizations in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). RIP procedures entail a time-based intertrial interval (ITI) followed by the beginning of a trial, whereas RCP procedures include a response initiation period between the ITI and the trial. The current study compared RCP and RIP procedures to determine which one was more effective for acquisition of nose poking in rats. Number of days …

Knowledge, Trait Mindfulness And Perceived Discrimination As It Relates To Coping Self-Efficacy In African American Women, Collins D. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This is a cross-sectional study that investigated the relationship between preconception care knowledge, trait mindfulness, perceived discrimination, and coping self-efficacy. It addressed the lack of research into the effects of pregnancy-related distress on maternal mortality in African American women. There were 117 participants ages 18 -30 whose data was collected through an online survey. The results suggest that greater preconception care knowledge predicts greater pregnancy-related distress coping self-efficacy. Trait mindfulness also predicted pregnancy-related distress coping self-efficacy. Perceived discrimination did not predict coping self- efficacy in a negative direction as expected.

Examining The Needs Of First-Generation Students, Ashley A. Mayer

Theses and Dissertations

First Generation Students at Columbus State University identify as having a lack of resources that are helpful to them. This research paper analyzes the problems faced by first generation college students at Columbus State University. These needs were assessed using an electronic survey that was distributed to first generation students. The proposed goals are based around supporting the academic and social well-being of FGS at CSU. A set of strategies and tactics are proposed for reaching these goals.

The Impact Of Severe Mental Health On Peers In Supporting Roles: A Look At Secondary Trauma And College Students, Courtney Tripp-Stuck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Evidence indicates directors of college counseling centers and those in student affairs roles have observed a steep increase in the number of severe mental health crises on their campuses, thereby also impacting student leaders and those in helping roles as counseling centers try to adapt to the influx of need (Kitzrow, 2003; CAS, 1999). Additionally, there is evidence to support students are more likely to turn to peers first when experiencing mental health crises than they are to seek out professional help (Drum, Brownson, Burton-Denmark, Smith, & Roberts, 2009; Gallagher, 2013). The goal of this study is to examine whether …

Hi God: An Autoethnography Of Loneliness In Graduate School, Grace Elisabeth Mertz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

I may have started college too early. My fifteen-year-old homeschooled mind could not have predicted the identity shift that higher education would demand of me. I did not expect academia to be filled with people who shared my background and beliefs, but I was, in many ways, unprepared for the way my Christianity would be challenged in the classroom and in my professors’ offices. After seven years of education within the structures of academia, I certainly have not lost my faith, but the way I think about, talk about, and practice it has tangibly changed. The questions I ask of …