Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Depersonalizing Troubles In Institutional Interaction: Routinizing In Parent-Teacher Conferences, Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

This article advances our understanding of institutional interaction by showing when and how it can be advantageous for professionals to treat addressed-recipients as non-unique. Examining how teachers talk about children-as-students during parent-teacher conferences, this investigation illuminates several specific interactional methods that teachers use to depersonalize the focal student’s trouble, delineating as among these the novel practice of “routinizing”—citing firsthand experience with other similar cases. Analysis demonstrates how teachers use routinizing to enact their expertise, both responsively as a vehicle for attenuating and credentialing their advice-giving to parents/caregivers, and proactively to preempt parent/caregiver resistance to their student-assessments/evaluations. This research …

The Rayleigh Problem (Random Flights) Is Everywhere Redux, John E. Gray, Stephen R. Addison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The phase noise problem (or Rayleigh problem) occurs in all aspects of radar. It is an effect that a radar engineer or physicist always has to take into account as part of a design or in an attempt to characterize the physics of a problem such as reverberation. Normally, the mathematical difficulties of phase noise characterization are avoided by assuming the phase noise probability distribution function (PDF) is uniformly distributed, and the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) is invoked to argue that the superposition of relatively few random components obey the CLT and hence the superposition can be treated as a …

Choosing To Remember Beauty: Storytelling And Intergenerational Memory In The Mountains Sing, Matthew Tran , '23

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

No abstract provided.

Mental Health Experiences In 2021 For Adults With Disabilities Who Are Lgbt, Debra Brucker, Chris Surfus, Megan Henly

Faculty Publications

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s weekly Household Pulse Survey conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic (July 21, 2021 – October 11, 2021), this study examines the prevalence of anxiety, worry, loss of interest and depression, receipt of mental health treatment, and self-reported unmet need for mental health treatment among adults with and without disabilities by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) status. Controlling for age, educational attainment, employment, health insurance coverage, and race/ethnicity, adults with disabilities, regardless of LGBT status, had statistically significantly increased odds of anxiety, worry, loss of interest and depression, receipt of mental health treatment, and …

Parenting Style In Childhood And Depressive Symptoms Among Family Caregivers In Middle And Later Adulthood In The United States: The Role Of Perceived Control, Yujun Liu, M. Courtney Hughes, Abby Baumbach, Hongdao Meng

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Background

Method

Result

Policy Innovation As The Cornerstone Of Energy Transition: An Analysis Of Energy Policy In The Shipping Economy And Operations, Peyman Ghaforian Masodzadeh

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Despite being excluded from most climate change treaties, the maritime sector is expected to manage and reduce carbon emissions in line with global decarbonization goals. Although the IMO's effort has been evident by the adoption of energy regulations and the GHG strategy during the past decade, however, the effectiveness and adequacy of the adopted energy policy remain questionable. This thesis aims to identify problems associated with energy policy in the shipping industry and propose appropriate solutions. Initially, this study was premised on the hypothesis that “energy policy in the shipping industry involves problems associated with policy design, policy implementation, and …

#Notalllibraries: Toxicity In Academic Libraries And Retention Of Librarians, Samantha Guss, Jennifer Stout, Sojourna Cunningham

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Doing A Good Search: Basic Rules And Search Tips, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

This handout is an update of a previous handout and should be used as a reference for those learning how to search databases effectively. The handout covers the basic rules of doing a good search in order to search more efficiently and effectively. The revised handout includes information related to Boolean operators, types of questions, and a list of potential databases to be searched for various clinical questions.

Clinical Inquiry Question Development Checklist, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The Clinical Inquiry Question Development Checklist is a handout used in instructional sessions with nurses about the clinical inquiry process. This process includes evidence-based practice, performance improvement, and research. The revised handout contains information related to the performance improvement process and various other aspects of the clinical inquiry process.

The Clinical Inquiry Process Diagram Question Development Checklist, Roy E. Brown

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The Clinical Inquiry Question Development Checklist is a handout used in instructional sessions with nurses about the clinical inquiry process. This process includes evidence-based practice, performance improvement, and research. The revised handout closely aligns with the 4^th version of the Clinical Inquiry Process Diagram and contains information related to the performance improvement process and various other aspects of the clinical inquiry process.

Least Flycatchers Under-Reported In Fall Migration In Arkansas —A Citizen Science Conundrum, L. Barnes, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Least Flycatcher Empidonax minimus is a small passerine migrant bird that passes through Arkansas in fall and spring migration. The birds are vocal during spring passage but relatively quiet and unobtrusive during fall migration, leading to many fewer reports by birdwatchers in fall than spring. We use eBird maps and data to present evidence to support this discrepancy between fall and spring observations. We also show that the species is under-reported in Arkansas during the fall compared to neighboring regions. This may be in part due to the reluctance of some birders to provide the minimal evidence required to …

Citizen Science: Role Of Inaturalist In Biodiversity Documentation And Education In Arkansas, K. Baker, L. Barnes, S. Rana, J. Jackson, R. Kannan

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

iNaturalist is a global online digital platform for documenting and fostering interest in biodiversity, with Research Grade (RG) entries being vetted and scientifically valid observations. Here we present a review of the role of approximately 16,000 Arkansans using the iNaturalist tool for recording 445,000 verifiable observations comprising 10,800 species, with 40 percent RG, and one third of observations still pending confirmation. Overall, plants lead in RG observations followed by invertebrates and birds. Within these groups, reptiles lead in proportion of RG observations, followed by birds and amphibians. Less charismatic or infrequently encountered organisms are less represented. Arkansas ranks about average …

Meeting Clean Energy Goals Will Require The Grid Of The Future, Ken Berlin, Rob Gramlich, Alexandra B. Klass, Josiah Neeley

Articles

The transmission grid is the critical superhighway that connects energy supply and demand. But our grid was designed for the power plants of the past—not for the diverse range of resources and technologies of our clean energy future. Over 70 percent of the nation’s transmission infrastructure is more than 25 years old, and in many areas of the country constraints have already been an impediment to renewable power. To meet greenhouse gas reduction goals, we will need to expand electric transmission systems by 60 percent by 2030 and possibly triple the capacity of these systems by 2050. The Infl ation …

Expanding Medicaid To Reduce Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission In Houston, Texas: Insights From A Modeling Study, Francis Lee, Aditya S Khanna, Camden J Hallmark, Richa Lavingia, Marlene Mcneese, Jing Zhao, Melanie L Mcneese, Salma Khuwaja, Babak M Ardestani, Nicholson Collier, Jonathan Ozik, Anna L Hotton, Nina T Harawa, John A Schneider, Kayo Fujimoto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

CONTEXT: Medicaid expansion has been nationally shown to improve engagement in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and prevention continua, which are vital steps to stopping the HIV epidemic. New HIV infections in the United States are disproportionately concentrated among young Black men who have sex with men (YBMSM). Houston, TX, is the most populous city in the Southern United States with a racially/ethnically diverse population that is located in 1 of 11 US states that have not yet expanded Medicaid coverage as of 2021.

METHODS: An agent-based model that incorporated the sexual networks of YBMSM was used to simulate …

Is Idaho English Really “The Epitome Of Average English”?, Joseph A. Stanley, Katrina Jackson

Faculty Publications

“Epitome of Average English”?

Preston (1989:64–65) chapter 3: “Where they speak correct English”

• Indianans ranked all 50 states’ English from most correct to least correct
• Mississippi’s ratings clustered low.
• Indiana’s ratings clustered high
• New York’s was bimodal.
• Florida’s was uniform.
• Idaho’s was normally distributed, centered around the middle.

“Idaho… [shows] a remarkably normal histogram… It is, apparently, the epitome of average English for these raters. Perhaps it is a least-caricatured state, meeting the negative definition of Standard English – the variety which displays no known non-standard elements.”

"That Was Biased": How Do Parental Racial/Ethnic Socialization And Motivations To Control Prejudice Predict White Adults' Defensive Reactions To Prejudice Feedback?, Joo Young Yang

Psychology Faculty Publications

Racism and systemic racism remain prevalent issues in American, but White Americans (50%) tend to be less likely to recognize the existence of institutional racism in America compared to people of color (67-83%; Ipsos, 2020). Moreover, studies indicate that many White Americans react defensively when given feedback about their own biases (Howell, 2017). White parents in America are unlikely to have discussions about race or racial inequality with their children, taking a rather race mute approach (Apfelbaum et al., 2012), although how parents discuss about race can create a powerful context for children's racial attitude development. Thus, this study aimed …

A Coalition-Driven Examination Of Organization Capacity To Address Food Insecurity In Greater Houston: A Qualitative Research Study, Jemima C John, Jennifer Gonzalez, Sara-Grace Chan, Heidi Mcpherson, Jennifer N Aiyer, Esperanza Galvan, Nicole Browning, Shreela V Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Economic and social hardships have worsened food insecurity, particularly among low income and racial-ethnic minority groups. Given the core goal of the 150+ member Houston Health Equity Collective (HEC) to reduce food insecurity by 5% in 2025, we explored member organizations' capacity and challenges faced in screening and responding to food insecurity through care coordination efforts.

METHODS: A twice-administered Qualtrics XM survey (Provo, Utah) with 76 organizations, followed by five focus groups with 22 of these organizations, explored reach and response efforts to food insecurity. Qualitative assessments lasted between 0.5 to 1.5 h, were audio-recorded, cleaned, coded, and thematically …

Using Implementation Mapping To Increase Uptake And Use Of Salud En Mis Manos: A Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening And Hpv Vaccination Intervention For Latinas, Lara S Savas, Preena Loomba, Ross Shegog, Angelita Alaniz, Crystal Costa, Emily Adlparvar, Marlyn A Allicock, Roshanda Chenier, Margaret Goetz, Christine M Markham, Maria E Fernandez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Despite CDC recommendations for breast and cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination, cancer control behaviors are underutilized among low-income Latinas.

METHODS: We used Implementation Mapping to create SEMM-Dissemination and Implementation Assistance (SEMM-DIA), a set of implementation strategies designed to support implementation and maintenance of SEMM in clinic settings. Specifically, we used Implementation Mapping's five iterative tasks to guide the use of theories and frameworks, evidence, new data, and stakeholder input to develop strategies to accelerate and improve implementation fidelity, reach, and maintenance of the SEMM intervention. The resulting implementation mapping logic model also guides the SEMM-DIA evaluation plan to …

Health-Related Quality Of Life And Recovery Capital Among Recovery Residents Taking Medication For Opioid Use Disorder In Texas, Elizabeth O Obekpa, Sheryl A Mccurdy, Vanessa Schick, Christine M Markham, Kathryn R Gallardo, Johnny Michael Wilkerson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) includes improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and is supported by recovery capital (RC). Little is known about RC and HRQOL among recovery residents taking medication for OUD. We described HRQOL and RC and identified predictors of HRQOL.

METHODS: Project HOMES is an ongoing longitudinal study implemented in 14 recovery homes in Texas. This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 358 participants' on HRQOL (five EQ-5D-5L dimensions-mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and RC (Assessment of Recovery Capital scores) collected from April 2021 to June 2023. Statistical analyses were conducted …

Understanding The Implications Of Under-Reporting, Vaccine Efficiency And Social Behavior On The Post-Pandemic Spread Using Physics Informed Neural Networks: A Case Study Of China, Samiran Ghosh, Alonso Ogueda-Oliva, Aditi Ghosh, Malay Banerjee, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In late 2019, the emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, led to the implementation of stringent measures forming the zero-COVID policy aimed at eliminating transmission. Zero-COVID policy basically aimed at completely eliminating the transmission of COVID-19. However, the relaxation of this policy in late 2022 reportedly resulted in a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases. The aim of this work is to investigate the factors contributing to this outbreak using a new SEIR-type epidemic model with time-dependent level of immunity. Our model incorporates a time-dependent level of immunity considering vaccine doses administered and time-post-vaccination dependent vaccine efficacy. We find that vaccine …

Fakestack: Hierarchical Tri-Bert-Cnn-Lstm Stacked Model For Effective Fake News Detection, Ashfia Jannat Keya, Hasibul Hossain Shajeeb, Md Saifur Rahman, M F Mridha

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

False news articles pose a serious challenge in today's information landscape, impacting public opinion and decision-making. Efforts to counter this issue have led to research in deep learning and machine learning methods. However, a gap exists in effectively using contextual cues and skip connections within models, limiting the development of comprehensive detection systems that harness contextual information and vital data propagation. Thus, we propose a model of deep learning, FakeStack, in order to identify bogus news accurately. The model combines the power of pre-trained Bidirectional Encoder Representation of Transformers (BERT) embeddings with a deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) having skip …

Age And Sex-Specific Stroke Epidemiology In Covid-19, Youngran Kim, Maria A Parekh, Xiaojin Li, Yan Huang, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Bharti Manwani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has emerged as an independent risk factor for stroke. We aimed to determine age and sex-specific stroke incidence and risk factors with COVID-19 in the US using a large electronic health record (EHR) that included both inpatients and outpatients.

METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using individual-level data from Optum

RESULTS: Of 387,330 COVID-19 patients, 2,752 patients (0.71%, 95% CI 0.68-0.74) developed stroke during the 180-day follow-up, AIS in 0.65% (95% CI 0.62-0.67), and ICH in 0.11% (95% CI 0.10-0.12). Of strokes among COVID-19 patients, 57% occurred within 3 days. Advanced age was associated with a substantially …

Understanding The Influence Of Atomizing Power On Electronic Cigarette Aerosol Size And Inhalation Dose Estimation, Jinho Lee, Wei-Chung Su, Inkyu Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Although many studies have estimated the inhalation dose of aerosols emitted from electronic cigarettes (e-cigs), the association between the atomizing power and inhalation dose of e-cig aerosols has not been fully examined. The aim of this study was to determine the mass and inhalation doses of e-cig aerosols and their association with the atomizing power of vaping devices. Size-segregated aerosol masses were collected using an 11-stage cascade impactor and the deposition dose in the human respiratory tract was estimated using the size-segregated aerosol mass. The results showed that an increase in atomizing power was positively associated with the amount of …

Association Of The Gut Microbiome With Kidney Function And Damage In The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study Of Latinos (Hchs/Sol), Brandilyn A Peters, Qibin Qi, Mykhaylo Usyk, Martha L Daviglus, Jianwen Cai, Nora Franceschini, James P Lash, Marc D Gellman, Bing Yu, Eric Boerwinkle, Rob Knight, Robert D Burk, Robert C Kaplan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: The gut microbiome is altered in chronic kidney disease (CKD), potentially contributing to CKD progression and co-morbidities, but population-based studies of the gut microbiome across a wide range of kidney function and damage are lacking.

METHODS: In the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, gut microbiome was assessed by shotgun sequencing of stool (

RESULTS: Higher eGFR was associated with overall gut microbiome composition, greater abundance of species from Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, and Eubacterium, and microbial functions related to synthesis of long-chain fatty acids and carbamoyl-phosphate. Higher UAC ratio and CKD were related to lower gut microbiome diversity and …

Examining Neighborhood-Level Hot And Cold Spots Of Food Insecurity In Relation To Social Vulnerability In Houston, Texas, Ryan Ramphul, Linda Highfield, Shreela Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Food insecurity is prevalent and associated with poor health outcomes, but little is known about its geographical nature. The aim of this study is to utilize geospatial modeling of individual-level food insecurity screening data ascertained in health care settings to test for neighborhood hot and cold spots of food insecurity in a large metropolitan area, and then compare these hot spot neighborhoods to cold spot neighborhoods in terms of the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index. In this cross-sectional secondary data analysis, we geocoded the home addresses of 6,749 unique participants screened for food insecurity at health care locations participating in CMS's …

Building Community Between High School And College Librarians, Sarah M. Vital

Staff Works

No abstract provided.

Motivated And Determined & Making A Difference As Executives (Mad & Made) In The Entertainment Industry: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Female Entertainment Industry Executives’ Challenges And Paths To Elevation, Angela M. Killens

Theses and Dissertations

Since the birth of the United States and the enslavement of Africans in America, Black women have had to navigate challenges in various industries to elevate toward, and excel in, positions of power. From grade school to the workplace, Black women have had to contend with racism, discrimination, and inequities that have been impediments despite their level of education and experience. With little literature specifically documenting the experiences of Black women who work on the corporate side of the entertainment industry, the data acquired from this qualitative phenomenological study provides insight into these women’s lives. The study discloses some of …

Development & Evaluation Of An Introductory Webinar Training For Mental Health Professionals Working With Perpetrators Of Child Sexual Abuse: A Strengths-Based Sociocultural Perspective, Angie Yvette Reyes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation project was to develop an introductory webinar resource to provide training of mental health professionals (MHPs) to work with perpetrators of child sexual abuse (PCSA). The training utilizes a strengths-based approach with a focus on sociocultural considerations for working with this population. A literature review revealed a gap in resources, treatment, and clinical training pertaining to PCSA. The results of an initial training needs survey among MHPs indicated that MHPs do not receive education or training on PCSA and could benefit from training. Through this webinar training, MHPs acquire a basic understanding of PCSA and …

Exploring Leaders' Sensemaking Of Emergent Global Norms For Open Science: A Mixed Methods Discourse Analysis Of Unesco’S Multistakeholder Initiative, Lisa Cuevas Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

In November 2021, all 193 United Nations Member States adopted the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Recommendation on Open Science (UNESCO, 2021a), which signaled a shared commitment to globally recognized standards for open science. However, as with other normative instruments established by intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as UNESCO, the ways in which local, national, and regional leaders will implement the recommendation can and will vary (Finnemore, 1993). Top-down and bottom-up coordination across international stakeholders in the research system is critical for the framework to be effective in driving global policy implementation and enabling sustained research culture change. …

Leadership Development Of Physician-Trainees, Julie Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

Physicians frequently occupy leadership roles, yet training in leadership development in the medical education continuum is scarce (Angood, 2015; Dhaliwali & Sehgal, 2014; Rotenstein et al., 2018; Varkey et al., 2009). Effective leadership training can guide physician-trainees on a journey toward self- and others- awareness and management utilizing emotional intelligence (Goleman, 2006), integrity, authenticity (Erhard et al., 2010; George, 2003; Snook et al., 2012), communication, teamwork (Hackman, 2012; Larson & LaFasto, 1989), change management (Kotter, 1995; 2012), and systems thinking (Senge, 2006). The call to enhance leadership development of physicians across their education continuum is unmistakable (Blumenthal et al., 2012, …