Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sports Betting In Kentucky: An Analysis Of Kentucky’S Sports Wagering Legislation Through Local And Regional State Budgetary Revenue Trends, Brett Gillispie

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Kentucky’s legislation legalizing sports wagering in the Commonwealth and delineating its taxation, HB551 of the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly, has been implemented and posted numbers in its early months that suggested it will exceed revenue projections for the Commonwealth. Researchers have raised concerns, particularly in studying West Virginia, which implemented similar legislation in 2019, that sports betting may be cannibalizing existing gambling revenue for states that implement it. However, this was not conclusive. While evidence from West Virginia suggests that sports betting may be cannibalizing existing revenue, evidence from Kentucky and the individual and broader regional trends …

Financial Monitoring And Oversight Of Public Higher Education Institutions By States A Descriptive Case Study Analysis, Ryan Kaffenberger

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Higher education in America is at an inflection point with numerous challenges threatening the traditional business model relied on by institutions across the country. These forces include, but are not limited to: 1) A decrease in the number of high school graduates due to historical declines in birth rates (Grawe, 2018; Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 2020) 2) Sustained disinvestment by many states in their higher education institutions which has effectively shifted the cost of education to students and families (Kunkle & Laderman, 2023) 3) Increasing skepticism among Americans of the value of higher education, particularly given its rising …

Needs Assessment – National Repository For Nsf Agep Deliverables, Christie Sahley, Megan Sapp-Nelson, Donna Ferullo, Linda Mason, Hanzi Xie

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

This white paper proposes the establishment of a National Repository for NSF Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) Deliverables to address the critical need for preserving and sharing a wide array of materials generated from the AGEP program. Recognizing the challenges of ephemeral storage solutions and the absence of a unified collection mechanism, the paper underscores the repository's role in promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) research. It emphasizes the importance of accommodating diverse data types, enhancing discoverability, and ensuring long-term access to educational materials, policy documents, and research outcomes. Through a comprehensive approach, the proposed repository …

Effects Of Exergaming On Health And Fitness Outcomes For Students With Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis, Jordan Mauch

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

While research on VR gaming and Exergaming is in its infancy, both are interventions that have demonstrated positive results such as promoting physical activity participation and positive attitudes towards physical activity in children and adolescents. Exergaming has also been shown to be effective in increasing physical activity in children, and children with disabilities may find exergaming to be an enjoyable alternative to traditional physical activity due to increased accessibility and the focus on both gross and fine motor skills. In studies of VR and/or exergaming with participants with cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder, researchers reported increases in motor function …

Wmu Roundtable On Port Energy Transition And Stakeholders Engagement, Aykut Ölçer, Fabio Ballini, Alessandro Schönborn, Monica Canepa, Anas Alamoush, Peyman Ghaforian, Natalia Calderón

Marener Reports

No abstract provided.

Body. Freedom. Choice: Creating Artwork In Post-Roe America, Erin Sedra

MSU Graduate Theses

I knew from a young age that I never wanted children. Whenever I expressed my disinterest in motherhood, I was often met with bewilderment, disapproval, and hostility. The church I was raised in taught me that my value and worth as a woman directly correlated with the power of my birthing hips. This fundamentalist upbringing has significantly shaped my relationship with my femininity, my body, and my artwork. When I feel powerless, turning to my art gives me a sense of control and self-expression. This body of work began as a reaction to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and …

The Battle Over Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion And Critical Race Theory In Florida: A Case Study On The Stop W.O.K.E. Act, Grace Anne Castelin

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Accelerating from 2022 and continuing through 2024, the state of Florida has experienced significant policy changes, particularly within the realm of higher education and affairs of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many progressive officials, experts, and activists assert arguments that the state is on the verge of evolving into an authoritarian regime while many illiberal policies are being produced through the Florida legislature and current executive leadership—social and economic sectors are consequently threatened in order to maintain political oppression. The Stop W.O.K.E. Act has served as a catalyst for shifting the state's political stance on DEI, culminating in a chain …

Spatial Distribution And Significance Of Burdens To Environmental Justice In Parramore, Florida: An Urban Resilience Perspective, Lex Tracton

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In response to climate change, economic instability, and rapid urbanization, the notion of urban resilience has gained prominence in city planning and governance. Urban resilience is the ability of a system to adapt to new baseline conditions developing as a result of disturbances. This study is focused on one of urban resilience’s sub-tenets, ecological resilience. Ecological resilience is the ability of a system to sustain ecosystem services following a disturbance (i.e. droughts, flooding, heat waves). The health of the environment prior to a disturbance informs post-disturbance ecological resilience. An already stressed and unbalanced system, or an ecosystem with degraded health, …

Exploring Evidence-Based Intervention Methods In The Juvenile Justice System, Edgar J. Quinones-Gomez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A large body of research has been devoted to understanding evidence-based interventions (EBI) and their effectiveness in the juvenile justice system. This systematic review examines three commonly used interventions used to reduce recidivism among adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Functional Family Therapy (FFT), and Multisystemic Therapy (MST). The systematic review analyzes findings from prior studies evaluating the impact of CBT, FFT, and MST on recidivism among adjudicated youth. The sample includes 23 peer-reviewed studies that utilized samples of adjudicated youth in the United States and were published after 2010. Findings revealed CBT as the most …

Unveiling A Hidden Peril: Unanticipated Emergence Of Diaphragmatic Hernia After Trauma, Deepak Benny Dr, Deepak K. S Dr, Vishal S. Dharpur Dr, Priyanshi Tapadia

Radiology Teaching Files

This case report presents a rare instance of a delayed diagnosis of obstructed diaphragmatic hernia in a 57-year-old male, a year after sustaining trauma. The patient initially presented with abdominal pain and obstipation, without any overt signs of diaphragmatic injury. Diagnostic challenges were compounded by the patient's non-specific symptomatology and the absence of immediate post-traumatic complications. The report discusses the clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging, and therapeutic management, underscoring the importance of considering diaphragmatic hernia in differential diagnoses of abdominal pain post-trauma. The case highlights the necessity for heightened clinical vigilance and the pivotal role of advanced imaging techniques in diagnosing …

Unveiling The Silent Specter: A Comprehensive Exploration Of Silent Sinus Syndrome, Deepak Benny Dr, Sudha Kiran Das Dr, Shwetha R. Poojary Dr, Priyanshi Tapadia

Radiology Teaching Files

A 42-year-old individual presented to the outpatient clinic with subtle facial asymmetry noted over the past year, primarily characterized by a progressive, painless sinking of the right eye (enophthalmos). The patient reported a history of mild, intermittent nasal obstruction but no acute sinus infections, significant nasal discharge, or facial pain. Despite these mild symptoms, the patient expressed concern over the noticeable change in facial appearance and occasional double vision, which prompted a visit to the clinic.The patient described a gradual onset of the right eye appearing "sunken" without any preceding trauma, infection, or significant weight loss. Initially dismissed as a …

Pericallosal Lipoma Unveiled: A Rare Case Of Incidental Discovery And Its Clinical Implications, Deepak Benny Dr, Sachin P. Shetty Dr, Kavitha B. C Dr, Sinchana N Dr

Radiology Teaching Files

This case report delves into the incidental finding of a pericallosal lipoma during routine neuroimaging conducted for non-specific neurological symptoms. It provides a detailed examination of the lipoma's radiological features, outlines the clinical significance of such findings, and discusses the management approach adopted, including considerations for surgical intervention versus conservative monitoring. The report further explores the implications of incidental pericallosal lipomas on patient outcomes, emphasizing the need for awareness among clinicians about this rare condition and the importance of individualized patient care strategies in the context of such incidental neuroimaging discoveries.

Emerging Mania In Young Adulthood: A Case Report Of Idiopathic Fahr's Syndrome Unveiling Neuropsychiatric Dimensions, Deepak Benny Dr, Shwetha R. Poojary Dr, Kavya B. T Dr, Sudha Kiran Das Dr.

Radiology Teaching Files

This case report outlines the diagnosis and management of an 18-year-old male presenting with first episode mania, attributed to idiopathic Fahr's Syndrome. Despite having no significant past medical or psychiatric history, the patient exhibited classic manic symptoms alongside grandiose delusions. Notably, CT imaging revealed brain calcifications characteristic of Fahr's Syndrome, absent metabolic disturbances commonly associated with the disorder. This case underscores the clinical complexity of Fahr's Syndrome, illustrating its potential to manifest primarily with psychiatric symptoms and the importance of integrating neuroimaging in the psychiatric evaluation to uncover underlying neurological disorders.

Pulmonary Infarction, Manu Chaudhary Dr, Sachin P. Shetty Dr, Sinchana N Dr

Radiology Teaching Files

68 years old female presented with breathlessness and chest pain to EMD, on clinical examination her saturation was low and D-Dimer levels were significantly elevated raising the possibility of pulmonary thromboembolism. Further the patient was referred for chest radiograph and CT thorax with contrast for better evaluation and was diagnosed with pulmonary thromboembolism with pulmonary infarct. The patient was treated for the same.

Contemporary Challenges And Regulatory Improvements Regarding “Temporary Passengers” On Ro-Ro Ships: A Case Study From South Korea, Junghwan Choi, Sangseop Lim

Journal of Marine Science and Technology

The coastal shipping industry plays a crucial role in Korea’s industrial development by transporting essential goods for citizens and bulk shipments that are the backbone of national key industries from 28 trade ports and 22 coastal ports nationwide to inhabited islands. Since the revision of the Ship Safety Act in 2007, cargo truck drivers have been boarding the Ro-Ro (Roll-on, Roll-off) cargo ships along with the cargo as temporary passengers. However, persistent concerns have been raised about the human and cargo safety aspects of this practice in coastal shipping. This study aims to examine these issues and propose improvements to …

Department Chairs’ Impact On The Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Of Their Departments, Nicholas R. Garcia Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs serve not only as the leaders of their departments but also as middle managers in their schools, colleges, and universities. While many department chairs see their role as having little authority, they still play an integral role in day-to-day campus operations (Hunt & Jones, 2015). As leaders of their departments, chairs can directly influence the department’s organizational culture (Schein, 2010), including the culture of diversity and inclusiveness. Departments nationwide are being held responsible for increasing the diversity of the faculty and responding to students' calls for diversity. Departmental organizational culture and the role of the chairperson are essential …

A Bargaining Theory Of Us-China Economic Rivalry: Differentiating The Trade And Technology Wars, Cathy Xuauxuan Wu

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This article examines the outbreak and persistence of US–China economic war, which comprises both the trade war, featured with retaliatory tariffs, and the technology war, featured with restrictions on Chinese access to US technologies. Building on the analytical framework of bargaining and war, I argue that different components of the economic war emerged from distinct causes. The outbreak of the trade war was primarily driven by the information problem, characterized by mutual uncertainty and the lack of effective communications. The technology war was largely a result of the commitment problem driven by the existing power’s concern regarding potential future changes …

A Comparison Of Machine Learning Surrogate Models Of Street-Scale Flooding In Norfolk, Virginia, Diana Mcspadden, Steven Goldenberg, Binata Roy, Malachi Schram, Jonathan L. Goodall, Heather Richter

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Low-lying coastal cities, exemplified by Norfolk, Virginia, face the challenge of street flooding caused by rainfall and tides, which strain transportation and sewer systems and can lead to personal and property damage. While high-fidelity, physics-based simulations provide accurate predictions of urban pluvial flooding, their computational complexity renders them unsuitable for real-time applications. Using data from Norfolk rainfall events between 2016 and 2018, this study compares the performance of a previous surrogate model based on a random forest algorithm with two deep learning models: Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). The comparison of deep learning to the random …

Trust: The Feature That Vending Machines And Atms Share, But Simplygo Lacks, Sun Sun Lim

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The article discussed the intricacies of trust in the SimplyGo debacle and highlighted how the design of physical interfaces like vending machines and ATMs and digital interfaces from apps like Grab, Parking.sg and ShopBack have critical features to instil trust. People need to be reassured that their transactions have proceeded as they should, and thay have not been short-changed.

Sleep Disturbances And Psychological Well-Being Among Military Medical Doctors Of The Swiss Armed Forces: Study Protocol, Rationale And Development Of A Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Interventional Study, Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani, Viola Rigotti, Zeno Stanga, Undine E. Lang, Rebecca K. Blais, Michelle L. Kelley, Serge Brand

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Compared to civilians and non-medical personnel, military medical doctors are at increased risk for sleep disturbances and impaired psychological well-being. Despite their responsibility and workload, no research has examined sleep disturbances and psychological well-being among the medical doctors (MDs) of the Swiss Armed Forces (SAF). Thus, the aims of the proposed study are (1) to conduct a cross-sectional study (labeled ‘Survey-Study 1’) of sleep disturbances and psychological well-being among MDs of the SAF; (2) to identify MDs who report sleep disturbances (insomnia severity index >8), along with low psychological well-being such as symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, but …

Note On Fuel Consumption In Ocean Container Shipping: Bounds On Fuel Usage, Manwo Ng

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper contributes to the literature by deriving upper and lower bounds on the fuel consumption in container shipping. The bounds are derived from sailing distances, port times, and the possible arrival times at ports/ the berth windows negotiated between the ocean carrier and the port operators. Crucially, the derived bounds can be used in conjunction with any of the common fuel consumption functions proposed in the literature. This latter is especially important since currently there is no consensus on a specific functional form for the fuel consumption function. The behavior of the bounds will be illustrated with numerical examples.

Implications Of Alternative Communications And Sensing Technologies For Implementing Variable Speed Limit Control Through Connected Vehicles: Sag Curve As A Case Study, Reza Vatani Nezafat, Mecit Cetin, Elizabeth Williams, George F. List

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Connected vehicles (CVs) will enable various applications to improve traffic flow. This paper's focus is to investigate how the potential implementation of variable speed limit (VSL) through different types of communication and sensing technologies on CVs makes it possible to mitigate congestion at a sag curve bottleneck. A VSL algorithm is developed and implemented in a simulation environment for controlling the inflow of vehicles to a sag curve to minimize delays and increase throughput. Both vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) options for CVs are investigated when implementing the VSL control strategy in a simulation environment. Also, for measuring traffic density …

The Classification Paradox: Historically Black Colleges' And Universities' Complex Relationship With Inequitable Experiences With The Carnegie Classification System, Felecia Commodore

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Higher education in the United States boasts of diverse institutional offerings to students. From community colleges to well-resourced liberal arts institutions, this diverse array of institutions and types has created a system commonly viewed as having a variety of access points for those seeking higher learning. Higher education stakeholders can argue that this diversity is a strong suit of American higher education, but an argument can also be made that this same institutional diversity laid the groundwork for systemic racism and inequities within the higher education system.

These inequities exist through various intersecting systems and practices, such as the …

Social Media Sanctuaries: A Discourse Analysis Of Indian International Students' Agency And Liminality During The Russian-Ukrainian Conflict, Bhavika Sicka, Nadiya Ungo, Dennis Gregory

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study used a social media discourse analysis approach to illuminate the narratives of Indian international students in Ukraine who experienced displacement and upheaval because of the Russo-Ukrainian war. We used agency and liminality as analytic lenses to highlight how this uniquely situated population used Facebook to navigate conflict, voice their demands, support each other, challenge hegemonic narratives, re/construct their diasporic identities, and re-orient their futures. Findings indicate that Indian international students in Ukraine displayed insurmountable courage and resilience during the war, enacting agency from the margins to amplify their voices and actuate desired futures. Furthermore, South Asian students in …

Cooperative Trucks And Drones For Rural Last-Mile Delivery With Steep Roads, Jiuhong Xiao, Ying Li, Zhiguang Cao, Jianhua Xiao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The cooperative delivery of trucks and drones promises considerable advantages in delivery efficiency and environmental friendliness over pure fossil fuel fleets. As the prosperity of rural B2C e-commerce grows, this study intends to explore the prospect of this cooperation mode for rural last-mile delivery by developing a green vehicle routing problem with drones that considers the presence of steep roads (GVRPD-SR). Realistic energy consumption calculations for trucks and drones that both consider the impacts of general factors and steep roads are incorporated into the GVRPD-SR model, and the objective is to minimize the total energy consumption. To solve the proposed …

Segac: Sample Efficient Generalized Actor Critic For The Stochastic On-Time Arrival Problem, Honglian Guo, Zhi He, Wenda Sheng, Zhiguang Cao, Yingjie Zhou, Weinan Gao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper studies the problem in transportation networks and introduces a novel reinforcement learning-based algorithm, namely. Different from almost all canonical sota solutions, which are usually computationally expensive and lack generalizability to unforeseen destination nodes, segac offers the following appealing characteristics. segac updates the ego vehicle’s navigation policy in a sample efficient manner, reduces the variance of both value network and policy network during training, and is automatically adaptive to new destinations. Furthermore, the pre-trained segac policy network enables its real-time decision-making ability within seconds, outperforming state-of-the-art sota algorithms in simulations across various transportation networks. We also successfully deploy segac …

Pricing, Decarbonization, And Green New Deals, David M. Driesen, Michael A. Mehling

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

This Article evaluates an emerging literature claiming that carbon pricing (emissions trading or carbon taxes) has not performed very well and therefore cannot be the basis for the sort of transformative change now required to address the climate crisis. This is an important claim, as carbon pricing has been viewed as being at the heart of global efforts to address one of our most important contemporary problems.

We provide theoretical and empirical support for these critics’ claim that carbon pricing by itself cannot catalyze the technological transformation now required, and that other approaches have done and will likely do better. …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

An Analysis Of The Public Participation Processes Employed For An Urban Greenway Project, Maeve O'Connell

Articles

The purpose of this study is to examine the public participation mechanisms employed for a proposed new infrastructure project. Public participation is a core characteristic of a contemporary democratic society as policy makers are increasingly encouraged to engage with citizens for learning and legitimacy. Participation is a loose concept with many forms and interpretations. This study explores the key characteristics of public participation formats, challenges to and the criteria for success. This analysis is then applied to the proposed local infrastructure consultation process. An additional survey is designed and its role in the public participation process is assessed. The processes …

Sectarianism And Elite Strategies In Fueling Conflict: Evidence From Iraq Under Saddam Hussein And Nouri Al Maliki, Mohammed Al Awwad

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

What contributes to sectarian conflict? Some existing literature essentializes sectarian identities and blames ancient hatred between different groups as the cause of conflict, this thesis argues that sectarian conflict occurs when sectarianism is politically employed by elite actors facing state weakness. The proposed theory suggests that a drop in state capacity regardless of the cause, can motivate political elite actors to instrumentalize the salience of sectarian identities as a form of either repression or cooptation targeting the sectarian outgroup for the purposes of regime survival. The theoretical claims in this study are examined using a qualitative comparative case study analysis …