Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beyond The Classroom: The Broader Effects Of Public Preschool Expansion On Children’S Early Educational Experiences And Early Literacy Skills, Michah Rothbart, Taryn Morrissey

Center for Policy Research

While previous research documents direct benefits of preschool for those who attend, less is known about how targeted expansions of public preschool to low-income households affects children’s early educational experiences, preschool attendance patterns, and school readiness in a broader community. This study uses administrative data from Virginia of first-time kindergarteners from 2011 to 2019 (about 630,000 students) and a discrete increase in targeted public pre-K (VPI+) to better understand the effects of expanding means-tested public preschool on patterns of prekindergarten participation and school readiness throughout the community. We find decreased probability that children in expansion districts spend no time in …

Delineating Flood Zones Upon Employing Synthetic Aperture Data For The 2020 Flood In Bangladesh, Saleh Ahmed

Environmental Studies Program Faculty Publications and Presentations

Delineating a flood map is critical to perceive the potential risks of the event at diverse communities living both in urban and rural settings in Bangladesh. A timely generated flood map can help determine the losses of properties, calculate payment options from insurances, and set up mitigation measures when required. Application of satellite remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) are common these days to determine inundated areas, and to calculate possible losses of economies at scale. However, challenges remain while considering the available options for collecting satellite imageries obtained during the monsoon season with more than 70% cloud …

Prevalence Of Alzheimer's Disease In Adults In The United States, Margaret George, Erica Bassett

Ballard Brief

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become increasingly prevalent among adults in the United States, with the CDC estimating that AD affects 5.4 million people in the US. As a neurodegenerative disease, AD leads to life-threatening physical and cognitive effects for adults ages 65 and older. Many risk factors contribute to the possibility of an individual developing AD in the United States. Some of these risk factors an individual can somewhat control, including wellness choices and the quality of one's social relationships. Other factors are more challenging for an individual to control, such as one's genetic history and environmental factors like air …

Inadequate Healthcare Services Among Individuals With Autism In The United States, Gabby Sutton-Clark

Ballard Brief

Healthcare innovation has been a pressing topic in public discourse across the United States for centuries. Advances have taken place in several healthcare fields, such as maternal and fetal medicine, cardiology, and surgical specialties; however, healthcare for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (AS □) has not received the same attention and care. A general lack of access to healthcare services, communication barriers, lack of ASD-specific provider training, and the physical healthcare environment all contribute to the inadequate healthcare experiences and services individuals with AS □ receive. As a result, individuals with AS □ not only seek healthcare less frequently for …

Financial Inaccessibility Of Mental Healthcare In The United States, Sophie Lasswell

Ballard Brief

Despite progressive improvements in healthcare in the United States, healthcare for individuals who experience mental health issues remains financially inaccessible. For this brief, financial inaccessibility refers to an individual's inability to afford mental healthcare services, such as therapy, prescriptions, and inpatient and outpatient services. Inadequate execution of legislation, such as the Mental Health Parity and the nature of insurance coverage, contribute to inaccessible mental healthcare in the US. Additionally, the United States maintains healthcare and health insurance costs that are more expensive than comparable developed countries, which contributes to the inaccessibility of mental healthcare in the United States. As a …

Presence Of Malnutrition And Severe Acute Malnutrition Among Children In South Asia, Madison Johnson

Ballard Brief

South Asia is home to 23% of the global population and has the largest prevalence of stunting in any region in the world. Severe acute malnutrition is a frequent cause of death in children under 5 globally. While sustainable development goals have brought more people out of poverty in the last 50 years, a disproportionate number of children remain malnourished. These children are typically found in developing countries, with a large burden existing in South Asia. Young children are most susceptible to the effects of malnutrition as they are at a stage of increased physical and cognitive development. There are …

Barriers To Career Advancement Among Skilled Immigrants In The Us, Cassie Anita

Ballard Brief

Over 2 million highly-skilled immigrants in the US are either underemployed or unemployed due to barriers to career advancement. Barriers to career advancement include, but are not limited to, legal status, the process of transferring credentials, the license and certification process, lack of employer recognition, lack of cultural literacy, and the language barrier. Because of these barriers, immigrants face many challenges, such as retraining, paying high fees for courses or tests, limited course options due to a language barrier, and lacking knowledge of US job application processes. These challenges often prevent immigrants from working high-skilled jobs in the workplace. When …

Lack Of Child Protection In Us Custody Proceedings Involving Allegations Of Abuse, Elle Stoker

Ballard Brief

If allegations of abuse are filed in a child custody proceeding, it is meant to show evidence that the child could be in danger of future physical, sexual, or psychological abuse or neglect. The individuals who receive guardianship of children play a large role in the child's healthcare, education, and living situation. With some numbers estimating that 58,000 children per year are put into the custody of an abuser, this issue is important to consider. Currently, the United States has different laws and regulations that are not applied consistently across different court cases. While psychological testing is one of the …

Child Malnutrition In Cambodia, Ashley G. Bernal

Ballard Brief

Malnutrition has been recognized as a global issue and has a high prevalence in poorer countries like Cambodia. Children are most affected by malnutrition, especially those under age 5. Malnourished children are at an increased risk for developing diseases, developmental delays, and dying at an earlier age. Child malnutrition in Cambodia is primarily due to a lack of education, cultural beliefs and practices, food insecurity, and recurrent diarrhea. The current best practice is vitamin A supplementation, provided by groups such as Helen Keller International through medical professionals and community volunteers.

Fathers Are Fathers Are Fathers: How Sociocultural Context And Sexual Orientation Influence The Gendering Of Children, Sarah M. Frantz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Though the body of literature on gay father-headed families indicates there is no significant differences on measures of gender normativity and well-being between children raised with two dads and their peers raised by heterosexual parents, there is a proliferation of anti-LGBTQ+ policies throughout the United States aimed at limiting this community’s rights and silencing their lived experiences. Given that sociocultural and political environments vary greatly state-to-state, it is important to see how the specific context in which fathers live may impact their differential parenting of sons and daughters, their gender beliefs, and the way they feel they would navigate gender …

Problematic Social Media Use, Social Comparison, And Defeat: An Intensive Longitudinal Investigation, Natalia Macrynikola

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) have steadily risen over the past two decades. The simultaneous dramatic increase in social media use has fueled concerns that using social media may be contributing to suicide risk. Although an emerging body of evidence reveals associations between certain patterns of social media use and SITBs, most research studies have not been designed to assess the temporal order of these variables and have neglected to investigate mechanisms underlying such associations. As a result, whether and how social media use may be conferring suicide risk remains unclear. To address this gap, the present study examined a …

Competitive And Facilitative Interactions Between Pavlovian Cues In Human Associative Learning: A Behavioral And Neural Analysis, Fahd Alhazmi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Learning to anticipate significant events accurately is a crucial element of survival for all species. The process by which animals acquire this knowledge has been a central question of psychological research. A fundamental assumption of many learning theories is that the predictive value assigned to cues is not simply determined by their probability of reinforcement but rather by their ability to compete with other cues present during learning. The assumption of cue competition has significantly contributed to the development of behavioral and neuroscience research for decades, as it has opened the door to new empirical and theoretical advances on the …

Dean’S Report: Detroit Mercy Dental Evolving With Purpose, Value, And Pride: A Look At The Past Year And All The People Who Made It Happen, Mert N. Aksu Dds, Jd, Mhsa, Cert. Dph

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In the past year, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry has continued its commitment to evidence-based clinical education, preparing ethical and culturally sensitive graduates for dental practice. Changes brought on by the pandemic have become part of the new normal, with the introduction of the HyFlex classroom format, allowing students flexibility in attending classes in person, virtually, or through recorded lectures. Clinic time and sessions have been consolidated to provide more focused patient care, with students now spending 28-30 hours per week on direct patient care. The University Health Center (UHC) clinic, which served as a significant teaching …

Our Silent News, Third Quarter 2022

Our Silent News

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Fort Worth, TX

Our Silent News Finding Aid

Charging Drivers By The Gallon Vs. The Mile: An Equity Analysis By Geography And Income In California, Samuel Speroni, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Michael Manville, Brian D. Taylor

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study used data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey California Add-On sample to explore how replacing the current state vehicle fuel tax with a flat-per-mile-rate road-user charge (RUC) would affect costs for different kinds of households. We first estimated how household vehicle fuel efficiency, mileage, and fuel tax expenditures vary by geography (rural vs. urban) and by income. These findings were then used to estimate how much different types of households pay in the current per-gallon state fuel tax, what they would pay if the state were to replace fuel taxes with a flat-rate road-usage charge (RUC) that …

Routes To Lower Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Freight Transportation In The City Of San José, Serena Alexander, Kyle Laveroni, Maxwell Friedman, Janani Thiagrajan

Mineta Transportation Institute

Freight represents approximately 30% of all transportation-related emissions in the U.S., but local climate action plans (CAPs) and freight plans often place limited emphasis on freight emissions reduction strategies. The objective of this report is to examine and present strategies for the City of San José, California to reduce GHG emissions from freight. The authors conducted a geospatial analysis of freight data related to San José, and an analysis of relevant literature and successful freight reduction strategies implemented globally. The report also provides key objectives and generalized strategies to reduce GHG emissions from freight as well as specific recommendations for …

The Role Of A Green Bank In South Carolina: A Market & Feasibility Assessment, Jory Fleming, Claire Windsor

Faculty Publications

A market and feasibility report that explores the role of a green bank in South Carolina. This report is the culmination of a multi-year process that included a comprehensive market assessment and interviews with over 60 organizations across South Carolina. It demonstrates that a green bank could play a vital role in South Carolina by creating a dedicated institution working to accelerate the flow of capital to projects that seek to reduce carbon pollution and increase resilience to climate impacts.

Open Educational Resources: Opportunities For Librarians At Olc 2022, Ruth Monnier

Open Educational Resources - Presentations

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials that provide everyone with free permission to use. OER, which can include images, articles, videos and more, can lower barriers to accessing information. While OER is typically associated with academic libraries, there are many different kinds of openly licensed materials available, and many are applicable to other types of libraries. This session will cover what OER is, how OER can create a more inclusive and accessible environment, and ways OER might be used for programming and library needs.

Faculty Research Profile: Dr. Dylan Girodat, Lutishoor Salisbury, Fardy Faustin, Jeremy Smith

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This poster was compiled to highlight Dr. Girodat’s research as a new faculty in the Department of the Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arkansas. It provides a summary of his research achievements and his scholarly impact.

Faculty Research Profile: Dr. Shang Jia, Lutishoor Salisbury, Fardy Faustin, Jeremy Smith

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This poster was compiled to highlight Dr. Jia’s research as a new research faculty in the Department of the Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arkansas. It provides a summary of his research achievements and his scholarly impact.

Evaluating The Panoptic Deterrent Effect Of Skywatch Surveillance Towers: A Mixed Methods Analysis, Penny M. Geyer

Doctoral Works at the University of New Haven

The internalization of an all-seeing gaze is an important component of crime control, whether in the form of suitable guardians, place managers, or meticulous surveillance ceremonies. Specifically, panoptic technologies have the potential to “normalize” behaviors through visible yet unverifiable surveillance. Although marketed as a technology that deters crime, SkyWatch surveillance towers’ actual deterrent effect has never been empirically evaluated. Such an assessment is critical not only from a crime reduction perspective, but also one of cost-effectiveness as these towers cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Utilizing a sequential triangulation mixed method procedure, information from 21 semi-structured interviews was combined with …

Spartan Daily, September 1, 2022, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2022

Volume 159, Issue 6

Implementing Federalism: The Case Of Nepal, Roy W. Bahl, Andrey Timofeev, Serdar Yilmaz

ECON Publications

The new Constitution of Nepal established a federal system of governance in 2015. Implementation began in 2018 following the 2017 subnational elections. The new system is comprised of seven provinces and 753 local governments. The Constitution assigns important functional responsibilities to provincial and local governments and mandates that they have significant autonomy in deciding how services will be delivered. Subnational governments accounted for over one-third of total government expenditures planned for FY2021, financed primarily by intergovernmental transfers. This paper describes the new federal system, discusses the early implementation successes and challenges, and draws some lessons from Nepal's experience.

The Occupation Of The Uyghur People By The Chinese Communist Party, Duncan Forrest

Ballard Brief

The Uyghurs are a group of ethnic Muslims in China that have recently been invaded by an external government: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Uyghurs inhabit a resource-rich part of China that the CCP desires to control because of China's growing population and large-scale international projects. The stark religious differences between the CCP and Uyghurs have also fueled the conflict. Additionally, the CCP has claimed that the Uyghur people are separatists and terrorists, threatening the CCP. The unforthcoming nature of the CCP has made it difficult for outside observers to understand the extent of the human rights violations in …

Inadequate Immigration System For Asylum Seekers At The Us-Mexico Border, Kyli Fox Soug

Ballard Brief

The history of immigration in the US goes back to its founding. However, in recent years, immigration trends at the US-Mexico border have gained media and political attention as more migrants flee to the border and face challenges as they seek refuge in the US. The inadequate immigration system has been exacerbated as legislation like the Migrant Protection Protocols and metering complicates the legal system and forces asylum seekers into border towns. Border patrol's misuse of resources and insufficient immigration data also contributes to the inadequate immigration system. Families and individuals seeking legal asylum at the border are being detained …

Child Labor In Ghana, Cara Pugmire

Ballard Brief

Child labor has been a pressing issue for many years, with about 160 million children involved in child labor worldwide. Ghana has one of the highest rates of child labor per country in the world, with about 21% of the childhood population in the country participating in some form of child labor. Children in Ghana become a part of child labor due to a variety of reasons, including outside cultural influences, lack of access to quality education, and a lack of regulation regarding current child labor laws. There are several negative consequences that affect children's lives when they are involved …

Prevalence Of Non-Communicable Disease Among Adults In Tonga, Autumn Vaitohi

Ballard Brief

Non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, are a primary health issue among people in the South Pacific country of Tonga. This issue is driven by various factors, the most notable being poor consumption behaviors, sedentary living, and genetics specific to this demographic. As a result of NCDs in Tonga, the population is experiencing high morbidity and mortality rates and a decreased stability of the healthcare system, government, and economy. Therefore, implementing interventions that are multifaceted and able to address all aspects, social, legislative, physiological, environmental, and so on, of the issue is key to finding success in overcoming this health issue.

Effects Of Plastic And Waste Pollution On Ocean Communities In The Asian Pacific Region, Whitney Kingsolver

Ballard Brief

Plastic and waste pollution is a global problem, but it affects ocean communities in the Asia Pacific Region (APR) the most due to their lack of resources to process the pollution. Additionally, low-income areas in these countries need access to sustainable non-plastic packaging options, which increases the amount of plastic generated. Direct pollution leads to poor ocean health and the disruption of important industries like tourism or fishing. Plastic pollutants eventually break down, which creates microplastics and releases toxic chemicals. These pollutants damage ecosystems and severely harm marine life. The overwhelming amount of waste pollution in the APR also damages …

The Social Construction Of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (Pmdd), Raya Balabanova

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The creation of psychiatric diagnoses, otherwise known as psychiatric nosology, is a complex endeavor, one involving a great deal of social construction. One diagnosis in particular, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), exemplifies the different factors that go into the creation of psychiatric labels. After decades of research, activism, and debates, PMDD was included in the diagnostic and statistical manual (DSM-5), which is widely used by clinicians in the U.S. This thesis aims to describe how the symptoms described by PMDD caught the attention of the medical profession and how PMDD was shaped into the diagnosis it is today. The introduction of …

The Effects Of Network Structure And Social Information On Contribution Performance On Crowdfunding Platforms: An Experimental Investigation, Yanni Hu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The long-term potentiality of online communities and activities depends critically on contribution behaviors of online individuals. In this dissertation, this study deepen and extend our understanding of contribution behavior by applying contributions to crowdfunding platforms, whereas social networks, social information, and social influence affect people’s contribution decisions, which in turn influences their contribution performances. Specifically, this study looked into how contribution behavior at crowdfunding platforms is shaped at a fundamental level of social interactions initiated by social and information technologies on contribution performance, using online and natural experiments as study methodologies.

Examining the effects brought by online social interactions on …