Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Emerging Giants And Lessons For Development: China, India, And Their Different Paths To Progress, Eskander Alvi Editor, Wei-Chiao Huang Editor

Upjohn Press

This book explores the differences and commonalities in growth experiences of two looming economic giants, China and India—countries that follow often-contrasting economic, social, and political paths as they struggle to achieve long-term prosperity for their billion-plus populations. The papers included within show that the economic and political realities in the two countries are quite different, and that these realities are deeply embedded in each country’s social framework. China and India are at markedly different stages of economic development but the challenges facing the two countries, unsurprisingly, diverge—not only because of the different stage of development each has reached, but also …

Gaza War: Too Many Citizens Being Killed, Sheraz Yaqub, Bjørn Edwin, Zane Hammoud, Gabriel Herrera-Almario, Buthaina Jabir, Kristoffer Lassen, Pål Dag Line, Miguel Angel Lopez-Gonzalez, Michael Puttick, Mohammed Ahmed Idrees Saadelnour, José Sampaio-Neto, Raghuram Sampath, Konstantin V. Sementsov, Ajith K. Siriwardena, Ernesto Sparrelid, Alberto Büge Stein, Robert Sutcliffe, Helena Taflin, Hany Takla, Silvio Valdec, Cherisse N. Vinoya, Waleed Zaid, Stephen J. Wigmore

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Challenges Of Conducting Qualitative Research In Quantitative Culture: Saudi Arabia As A Case Study, ِAbdulrahman Awdah Albeladi

The Qualitative Report

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), qualitative research methods are infrequently employed, as researchers in the region are more accustomed to quantitative approaches, with a certain hesitancy to embrace qualitative methodology. This research endeavor focuses on exploring the impediments faced by individuals engaged in qualitative research within the Saudi context. To do so, I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight doctoral students and employed a qualitative case study design for this paper. Utilizing the MAXQDA software, I also applied thematic analysis to the data gathered from the interviews. The primary findings highlight three significant themes: (a) challenges related to organizational …

Comics About Organs: Social Support And Graphic Medicine In The Awkward Yeti, Jacob Gibb

Theses and Dissertations

Comic strips have always been a medium for more than humor. Many comic strips published on social media sites address mental health issues. Despite their popularity, the field of graphic medicine, which examines the intersection of health care and comics, has seen little to no examination of how these comics function on social media. Utilizing the popular comic The Awkward Yeti, this research examines how the rhetorical devices of comics make them an ideal medium for communicating about mental health issues and providing social support to social media users. This study conducts a content analysis of 15 Instagram posts from …

Serum Neuroactive Metabolites Of The Tryptophan Pathway In Patients With Acute Phase Of Affective Disorders, Yanli Li, Leilei Wang, Junchao Huang, Ping Zhang, Yanfang Zhou, Jinghui Tong, Wenjin Chen, Mengzhuang Gou, Baopeng Tian, Wei Li, Xingguang Luo, Li Tian, L Elliot Hong, Chiang-Shan R Li, Yunlong Tan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Many studies showed disrupted tryptophan metabolism in patients with affective disorders. The aims of this study were to explore the differences in the metabolites of tryptophan pathway (TP) and the relationships between TP metabolites and clinical symptoms, therapeutic effect in patients with bipolar disorder with acute manic episode (BD-M), depressive episode (BD-D) and major depressive disorder (MDD).

METHODS: Patients with BD-M (n=52) and BD-D (n=39), MDD (n=48) and healthy controls (HCs, n=49) were enrolled. The serum neuroactive metabolites levels of the TP were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item (HAMD-17) and Young Mania Rating Scale …

My Journey In Researching Depression Among Black People: Experiences Of A Researcher In A Sensitive Study, Brightness L. Kgatla

The Qualitative Report

The interest in qualitative research on mental health within Black communities is rapidly growing. However, there are still debates on the conceptualization of depression among the Black community. This paper focuses on the researcher’s experiences as a young Black South African experiencing depression, and their reflections on interpretivist qualitative research focused on the realities of Black South African youth experiencing depression. The paper highlights the importance of reflexivity in a qualitative study and how the topics researched by a Black South African experiencing depression which is still considered a taboo within some parts of the Black community. If a researcher …

27th Annual Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies Symposium Program, 2024, Illinois State University, Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies Program

WGSS Student Research Symposium

Program from the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Symposium

Barna, George. Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’S Heart, Mind And Soul. Glendale, Az: Arizona Christian University Press, 2023., Robert J. Oliverio

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Human-Machine Communication: Complete Volume. Volume 7 Special Issue: Mediatization

Human-Machine Communication

This is the complete volume of HMC Volume 7. Special Issue on Mediatization

Artificial Sociality, Simone Natale, Iliana Depounti

Human-Machine Communication

This article proposes the notion of Artificial Sociality to describe communicative AI technologies that create the impression of social behavior. Existing tools that activate Artificial Sociality include, among others, Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, voice assistants, virtual influencers, socialbots and companion chatbots such as Replika. The article highlights three key issues that are likely to shape present and future debates about these technologies, as well as design practices and regulation efforts: the modelling of human sociality that foregrounds it, the problem of deception and the issue of control from the part of the users. Ethical, social and cultural …

The Perturbing Mediatization Of Voice-Based Virtual Assistants: The Case Of Alexa, Leopoldina Fortunati, Autumn P. Edwards, Chad Edwards

Human-Machine Communication

This study examines the role of voice-based assistants (VBAs), specifically Alexa, in the mediatization paradigm framework. The authors hypothesize that emerging technologies such as chatbots and VBAs intensify the process of online meta-reintermediation of news. Three research questions were investigated through a questionnaire administered to 655 university students in the US and Italy: Do participants try to get news from Alexa? Are participants aware that VBAs represent a case of meta-reintermediation of news? Does Alexa contribute to the potential hybridization of news, information, and knowledge? The analysis of 451 open-ended answers showed that only a fraction of participants searches for …

Communicative Ai And Techno-Semiotic Mediatization: Understanding The Communicative Role Of The Machine, Göran Bolin

Human-Machine Communication

Mediatization discourse has so far mainly been centered on media from institutional or social-constructionist approaches. The technological developments within communications industries coupled with the wider societal process of datafication might, however, beg for dusting off the smaller, although the long-time existing, technological approach to mediatization as a complement to the two other approaches, in order to understand aspects of automation and human-machine communication. This theoretical article explores how existing mediatization approaches can refocus to include lessons learned from human-machine communication. The first section accounts for the main mediatization approaches. The second section discusses debates on communication, artificiality, and meaning-making. The …

A New Family Member Or Just Another Digital Interface? Smart Speakers In The Lives Of Families With Young Children, Giovanna Mascheroni

Human-Machine Communication

Based on longitudinal qualitative research involving twenty families with at least one child aged eight or younger, the article provides an account of how families, as distinctive communicative figurations, adopt, use and make sense of smart speakers through diverse socially situated practices. Findings show that parents and children enter in a communicative relationship with smart speakers based on their attribution of human-like or machine-like traits to the device, and the device response to their expectations. Moreover, engaging in communicative practices through and with smart speakers, family members subvert or reinforce existing power relations. However, smart speakers acquire new agency by …

Mediatization And Human-Machine Communication: Trajectories, Discussions, Perspectives, Andreas Hepp, Göran Bolin, Andrea L. Guzman, Wiebke Loosen

Human-Machine Communication

As research fields, mediatization and Human-Machine Communication (HMC) have distinct historical trajectories. While mediatization research is concerned with the fundamental interrelation between the transformation of media and communications and cultural and societal changes, the much younger field of HMC delves into human meaning-making in interactions with machines. However, the recent wave of “deep mediatization,” characterized by an increasing emphasis on general communicative automation and the rise of communicative AI, highlights a shared interest in technology’s role within human interaction. This introductory article examines the trajectories of both fields, demonstrating how mediatization research “zooms out” from overarching questions of societal and …

Smoothing Out Smart Tech’S Rough Edges: Imperfect Automation And The Human Fix, Christian Katzenbach, Christian Pentzold, Paloma Viejo Otero

Human-Machine Communication

In this article, we take issue with an idea of autonomous and efficient automation that is upheld through the paradoxical conjunction of a flawed vision of the technological fix and the under-acknowledged human work required to fill in the gaps between machines and users. Our argument is based on two case studies that sit at opposite tails of automation processes: the front end of self-service checkouts and the back end of content moderation. This juxtaposition allows us to surface three themes on how the hype around automation is enabled by human interventions: the ad-hoc sociality in situated practices of automation, …

Phun With Phages: Discovering Novel Bacteriophages In The Soil, Julia Kutz, Ryan Dodds, Logan Dykstra, Taylor M. Rentschler, Emma Steinhardt, Megan Vangarven, Jacie Vanderwaal, Shayler Vangelder, Byron Noordewier, Sara S. Tolsma

Celebration of Research

We used three bacterial hosts: Mycobacterium smegmatis, Microbacterium foliorum, and Gordonia terrae, to isolate novel bacteriophages from soil samples. We named these phages, created high titer lysates, and purified their DNA genomes. We have archived the high titer lysates at Northwestern College and the University of Pittsburgh. The genomes of three of our phages were sequences at the University of Pittsburgh and we will be sequencing the remaining genomes this summer. Additionally, we are planning to image our phages with transmission electron microscopy at the University of Iowa or Nebraska yet this semester.

Gender Bias In The Hiring Process: The Sexism You Don’T See, Jessica Nibbelink

Celebration of Research

Men and women have often been seen as opposite sides of a spectrum. The tension between masculinity and femininity is created through forced stereotypes. These gendered stereotypes along with implicit gender bias work together to enforce gender discrimination. An area of society that is impacted by this gender discrimination is the workplace. The current study looks to investigate the gender discrimination that is found in the workplace, and more specifically in the hiring process. Through the use of fake gendered resumes, participants report employer perception scores which are used to dissect gender favoritism in the hiring process. Though this study …

Prepplates: Meal Prep For Busy Lives, Alec Coronado Garcia, Luc Roelofs, Kade Fey

Celebration of Research

PrepPlates is an innovative meal idea based in Sioux County. Our purpose is clear: to transform the way people approach mealtime by providing not only nourishment but also a comprehensive dining experience suited to their preferences and lifestyles. Our business venture aims to revolutionize the meal kit industry by providing convenient, affordable, and high-quality meal solutions tailored to the preferences and lifestyles of our demographic. Through research and strategic planning, PrepPlates emerges as a beacon of innovation in the competitive landscape of meal preparation services. Rooted in a comprehensive understanding of demographic and market trends, our business model is tuned …

Dementia Worry In A Young Adult Population: Investigating Its Relationships With Anxiety, Coping Strategies, And Memory, Anneka Sterk

Celebration of Research

Dementia worry is a specific form of health-related anxiety in which individuals worry about or fear developing or having dementia. To a severe degree, this may affect their psychological well-being. Previous literature has only studied dementia worry in middle-late aged adults. This study investigated dementia worry in a young adult population and focused on its relationship with possible correlates, coping skills, trait anxiety, and memory. A multiple regression analysis was performed in which only subjective memory and trait anxiety showed significant, positive correlations. All other variables included in the regression analysis showed no significant correlations. There were no significant differences …

Perceived Severity Of Trauma: The Impact Of Gender And Exposure, Macy Hajek

Celebration of Research

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that may influence the perceived severity of traumatic events. Perceived severity scores were examined in a 2x2 factorial ANOVA with the factors of gender and trauma exposure. A qualitative measurement of the most feared trauma was also investigated. Participants were a convenience sample of 98 Northwestern College Students ranging from ages 17 to 22. Perceived severity scores and the most feared trauma were obtained using an adapted version of the Trauma History Questionnaire. A Trauma History Screener was used to divide participants into trauma exposure groups. It was hypothesized that females …

Does Testing Help Learning? Mindset And Testing’S Impact On Memory And Accuracy Of Judgments, Jessica Nibbelink, Anneka Sterk, David Grandel

Celebration of Research

To conduct a replication of a previous experiment (Kornell & Son, 2009) to measure the accuracy and judgement of learning between two ways of studying and if receiving feedback after testing altered their learning. Participants were tasked with learning 4 lists of Indonesian words, half of the participants learned by re-exposure to the words while the other half learned by test-taking. The test-taking group was further divided into feedback or no-feedback conditions. Contrary to the previous study we found that testing did not impact memory. However, self-testing did make learners more accurate in their judgments of what they knew. Students …

Exploring The Dilemma Of Innocent Defendants In The Plea Bargaining System, Taylor Van Ostrand, Dr. Jay Medenwaldt

Celebration of Research

This study investigates the challenges faced by innocent defendants in the plea bargaining system. The dilemma arises from the choice between a risky trial and an immediate conviction for a reduced charge. The research, conducted with fifty-six undergraduate students, the rationality of innocent defendants, the influence of jail threats, socioeconomic status, and gender differences. Using hypothetical scenarios, participants review documents related to a fictitious charge, and ANOVA as well as chi-square statistical analyses are employed to assess the impact of various factors on plea decisions. Surprisingly, the presence of jail time did not significantly influence the likelihood of innocent defendants …

Inventory For Baker-Cederberg/Rochester General Hospital, Rochester General Hospital

Finding Aids

Inventory for Baker-Cederberg/Rochester General Hospital archival record groups. There are 31 record groups listed.

Hong Kong’S Political Landscape From The Media Coverage In The Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement, Kexin Sun

Proceedings of the New York State Communication Association

The study aims to obtain a deeper understanding of the political landscape in Hong Kong by investigating agenda-setting and narratives that are being presented by media from Hong Kong and mainland China during The Anti-ELAB Movement in 2019. News stories about The Anti-ELAB Movement from five media outlets in Hong Kong and mainland China are collected to answer three questions. First, does their agenda-setting differ in the collected news stories? Second, what specific issues do those media navigate differently? Third, what do those news stories reveal about the political landscape?

Hong Kong is a complex blend of Chinese and Western …

Transformative Agreements: Where To Begin, Jeff Graveline, Peggy Kain

Libraries Professional Work

Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) webinar presentation

The Holobiont, Food Justice, And Gaia 2.0 A Post-Human(Ist) Approach To Functional Medicine, Rosalynn A. Vega

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Functional medicine is a personalized and holistic approach to treating chronic disease. In this article, I build upon posthumanist literature by examing how functional medicine practitioners are decentering and destabilizing what it means to be human. Functional medicine discourse on the holobiont, which considers the human as an assemblage of different microbial species, reframes the “humananimal” (see Nayar 2018) as the “humicrobe.” I engage Gaia 2.0 (see Lenton and Latour 2018) when analyzing the interconnectivity, interdependence, and mutualism of all life. My approach to interconnectivity interweaves both functional medicine descriptions of systems biology and Luhmann’s (2012) approach to system’s theory …

Unveiling The Librarian Of Tomorrow: Why Librarians Are Needed Now More Than Ever, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"I fell in love with Libraries the moment I set foot in the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt, where I had the privilege of working for five enriching years. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina stands as a modern reincarnation of the legendary ancient library, a beacon of learning and exchange. Reflecting on its revival, I marvel at the timeless significance of libraries throughout history. From the fabled repositories of knowledge in Alexandria, Athens, and Constantinople to their contemporary counterparts, libraries have endured as bastions of enlightenment and progress. The spirit of international collaboration that birthed the Bibliotheca Alexandrina underscores the global significance …

Latent Classification Of Multi-Model Non-Homogeneous Continuous-Time Markov Chains, Joonha Chang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) model and latent clustering models are commonly used to study longitudinal measures of categorical outcomes. Because of its simple but powerful Markovian property, CTMC models have been widely used in medical and public health researches. Due to limitations in the standard CTMC model, there have been some studies on non-homogeneous continuous-time Markov chain (NH-CTMC) that utilized time-dependent rates, but the progresses have been limited. NH-CTMC can be more powerful than CTMC by its default nature of time-dependent rate that can be fitted to a wider range of applications in medical studies. In this study, we …

Can Podcasts Reduce Affective Polarization By Combating Contextomy Via Long-Form Discussions?, Luke D. Hartvigsen

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing concern regarding political polarization in the United States, most notably the phenomenon of affective polarization, which is when polarization increases negative feelings toward those who differ politically. The current dissertation project sought to address this issue by testing a media intervention using podcasts. Podcasts allow speakers to talk for hours uninterrupted through long-form discussions, whereas other media often edit political discussions to the point of contextomy (editing and framing a quote out of its proper context). Podcasts were created for this dissertation which differed on the political message of the podcast guest (conservative vs. liberal), and …

Overnight Shifts And Poverty: A Look At How Money Affects Sleep, Jared Scott

FHSS Mentored Research Conference

Overnight shift work has been clearly linked to overall poorer sleep. Additionally, socio-economic status (SES) is a strong predictor of many health outcomes, including sleep health. This study looks at the intersection of shift work and SES as they relate to sleep health.

Data on 9,210 workers aged 18 years and older were acquired from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. These workers self-identified their typical shift as overnight, evening, daytime, or rotating. Data on poverty income ratios (PIR) was also collected and was used to generate SES groups of poverty (PIR ≤ 1), below median (PIR ≥ 1 …