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Utilizing the Spatial Evaluation of Language and Flexibility for Youth (SELF-Y) in Clinical Case Conceptualization
No full textIndividuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience challenges with restricted and repetitive behaviors, relating directly to challenges with psychological flexibility (Hyman et al., 2020; Hayes et al., 2006). Unfortunately, the history of applied behavior analysis has extended harmful implications of treatment that have focused on compliance training and punishment, often worsening psychological flexibility (Sandoval-Norton et al., 2019). Research is calling behavior analysis to combine flexible approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, with technologies exploring the intricacies of individual relational networks (Hayes et al., 1999; Hayes et al., 2022; Hayes & King, 2024). The present study introduced the Spatial Evaluation of Language and Flexibility for Youth (SELF-Y) as a contextual functional assessment technology. The SELF-Y provided maps of the relational networks across the contexts of one participant receiving ABA intervention. Combined with a contextual, highly personalized ACT intervention approach, the SELF-Y informed the participant’s case conceptualization and indicated a contextual function. Results demonstrated significant improvements across the participant’s contexts and ability to contact, build, and navigate valuable relationships while building defusion and committed action skills. The present study detailed a case example indicating where the future of behavior analysis lies – contextual approaches bridging the gap between complex theory and practice
Ordinary Signs, Practical Magic
No full textOrdinary Signs, Practical Magic outlines my personal wrestling with belief – in art, in spiritual intervention, in self, and in the quiet forces that guide us through the world. Using the frameworks of ordinary signs – tactile and visual cues that ground and orient me and practical magic – what I define as human intervention and the act of creation – this work examines how attention, care, and materiality shape my understanding of meaning and connection. Through visual data collection –photography, assemblage, collage, drawing, painting and found objects – alongside poetic writing and personal narrative, my thesis navigates the tension between control and chance, presence and absence, belief and doubt. It reflects on how I transform the ordinary into something symbolic, how process becomes ritual, and how the act of making becomes an expression of care. This thesis project culminates in a public exhibition and visual collection, inviting viewers to engage in their own process of noticing and believing, encouraging a slower, more attentive way of moving through the world – one where every object holds potential, and every act carries meaning
Overcoming Challenges to Student Belonging at a Majority-Minority Hispanic Serving Institution: A Competing Demands Framework
No full textSense of belonging is a fundamental human need that can raise the chances of self-actualization and academic success in college. Latine and other historically underrepresented student groups may experience greater challenges in this area than White students due to a greater propensity for feelings of belonging uncertainty, perceptions of inequality or experiences with microaggressions, or greater struggles with food and housing insecurities, even when they outnumber White students on campus. In this study, we utilized a person-centered approach to explore the heterogeneity in belonging in a large sample of undergraduate students (N=2,003) between the ages of 18 and 25 at a majority-minority Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). We also used multinomial analysis to determine whether Latine and other non-White students, as well as those experiencing greater food and housing insecurities, were more likely to experience lower levels of belonging than their peers. The data pointed to three profiles of belonging, the lowest of which was characterized by low peer support and high isolation. Latine and Black students, and those experiencing more food and housing insecurities, were all more likely to identify with the Low Peer Support/High Isolation Profile
Best Management Practices: Sambucus Canadensis Propagation Techniques
No full textAmerican elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis) is a fruit-bearing shrub native to North America, traditionally utilized for medicinal and culinary purposes. In recent years, its popularity has surged due to emerging research supporting its immune-boosting properties. Despite its growing demand, standardized best management practices for elderberry cultivation, particularly propagation techniques, remain lacking. This study aims to clarify propagation recommendations by examining the influence cutting size and stem diameter on rooting success. A field study was conducted from February to May 2024, in which one-node and two-node dormant hardwood elderberry cuttings of varying stem diameters were planted in small pots in the ground to simulate a simplified field propagation method. A greenhouse study was conducted from December 2024 to March 2025, using the same parameters to determine the ability of one and two-node dormant hardwood elderberry cuttings to propagate under controlled conditions. Following the growing period, root development was analyzed based on dry weight and assessed using WinRHIZO software to compare root length, diameter, and total root area between cutting types and diameter classes. Minitab statistical software was used to perform two-factor independent samples t-tests based on parameters. The field study yielded results that suggest no significant difference between the rooting ability of one-node and two-node dormant hardwood elderberry cuttings under field conditions. The greenhouse study inconclusive due to unforeseen complications that impacted propagule survivability. The findings from this study provide practical evidence that American elderberry can be efficiently propagated using single-node cuttings, which offers producers an opportunity to maximize the number of cuttings taken from each stock plant, increasing propagation efficiency and plant availability
What I Was and Who I Am, and before and after
No full textThis thesis begins with a critical introduction which analyzes varying forms—such as the inverted sonnet—the schools of confessional and post-confessional poetry—and how they differ—and inspiration used for my creative work in poetry. I claim to be a poet who writes primarily based on personal memories. I chronicle my initial encounters with poetry as a teenager through the lens of confessionalism, as demonstrated by Eavan Boland and Anne Sexton. To exhibit my gained knowledge, I reference poetic theorists such as Richard Hugo, Charles Olson, Adrienne Rich, Mary Ruefle, and Gertrude Stein when analyzing which theories and dialogues influence my poetic style. Breath, sound, and pace are the structural elements I explain and covet, as all the theorists listed prioritize voice over the look of poetry on the page. This is demonstrated in ways such as lack of punctuation and defying typical grammatical rules. I also reference poets such as Ai Ogawa, Ruefle and Diane Seuss when deciding which poets most greatly influence my poetry as produced in my graduate degree. These poets are examples of female confessional poets, Ruefle and Seuss often implement a stream of consciousness that exhibits Olson’s idea of breath, as well as emphasizes Ruefle’s essay on remembering. Additionally, I situate my poetry among the contemporaries listed, demonstrating comparability and contrast. I compare myself to Ruefle in the means of writing about memory, arguing that authoring memories in the poetic frame leads to catharsis, improved self-awareness, and enhanced self-confidence when sharing personal work amongst peers and teachers
Inoculating Soybean Plants at Different Growth Stages: Selecting Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, or Both
No full textSoybean plants rely on nitrogen for growth, however atmospheric nitrogen (N2) is not a usable form and needs to be converted into different forms that are available to the plant. Nitrogen fixing bacteria such as rhizobia form symbiotic relationships with Soybeans in exchange for shelter and excess plant sugars. As a result, the plant can get the nitrogen it needs. There are four main genera of rhizobia that can form root nodules on Soybean including Bradyrhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Rhizobium. At this point, the effect that age of the host plant has on the selection of rhizobia within root nodules is unknown. It is also unknown whether the cell density of two different compatible rhizobia in the rhizosphere influences their selection. This study is focused on the Bradyrhizobium and Sinorhizobium genera and whether soybean plant age plays a role in the selection of rhizobial endophytes. The other focus looks at what effect rhizobial abundance in the rhizosphere has on endophyte selection. Soybeans were grown for fifty-six days and were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens (previously known as Bradyrhizobium japonicum) USDA 110 (B. diazoefficiens) and Sinorhizobium fredii USDA 191 (S. fredii) at different cell density ratios (1:1, 1:100, 100:1) at different plant growth stages (T0, T2, T4). I assessed the relative bacterial abundance within root nodules across all treatments using Illumina paired-end DNA sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. I observed a preferential selection of S. fredii over B. diazoefficiens as plant age increased and across all cell density ratios. In summary, the age of the host plant could be a driving factor for endophyte selection in root nodules. Cell density does not seem to influence selection as the host plant matures
Building Rhythmic Independence in Beginning Band Students
No full textThe purpose of this study was to design and implement a unit of instruction based upon three common approaches to teaching rhythm in the beginning band setting and to examine their effect on the rhythmic understanding, confidence, and independence of students in my sixth grade beginning band class. Students received instruction that was traditionally-based, aurally-based, and movement-based for one week each, respectively. An analysis of my teaching was provided by the notes I took that detailed what my students and I did throughout the study. Through my instruction, my students were able to increase their interactions with rhythm. Students were able to count using traditional methods, developed aural awareness and audiation skills using aural methods, and created and performed body percussion movements for rhythmic passages. In my observations, I saw that while engagement was high, students experienced various levels of success with the traditional-based strategies. Students enjoyed the almost immediate success they experienced with aural strategies, after an initial hesitation to participate fully. I observed that students were more off-task during the movement-based portion of the study. Based on these results, I offer implications for my future teaching. Meaningful instruction follows a sequence. The sequence suggested in this study follows Bruner’s sequence of building knowledge beginning with enactive experiences, moving to iconic experiences, and culminating with symbolic experiences. Students should gain physical experiences in rhythm, such as through the use of movement or aural strategies, before they are asked to read or notate it
Victim-Offender Relationships and Their Influence on Crime Brutality and Sentencing Outcomes in Capital Homicide Cases
No full textThis study examines capital murder cases in Missouri from 1976 to 2022 to explore how victim-offender relationships relate to both the brutality of homicides and sentencing outcomes. It addresses three main questions: What are the different types of victim-offender relationships in these cases, and how frequently does each type occur? How do these relationships influence sentencing outcomes, particularly the likelihood of receiving the death penalty versus life without parole? And which types of relationships are associated with the highest and lowest levels of brutality? The study uses official court records and applies a coding process to analyze relationship type, sentencing outcomes, and crime characteristics. By focusing on capital homicide cases in a Midwestern state, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how interpersonal dynamics may shape severity assessments and sentencing decisions in the most serious criminal cases. Findings indicated that social and stranger relationships were the most common victim-offender relationships in Missouri capital homicide cases. Stranger and criminal justice-related relationships were statistically significantly associated with higher likelihoods of receiving the death penalty over a life without the possibility of parole sentence. Stranger relationships were found to be statistically significant with lower brutality scores, when assessing crime brutality which is based upon a scale that assesses only the manner of death
Preventing Chemical and Biological Attacks: Enhanced Threats Requiring Enhanced Solutions
No full textChemical weapons (CW) and biological weapons (BW) are becoming more dangerous for experts to employ and more accessible to amateurs. Despite CW and BW attacks throughout history that killed and maimed millions of people, the international community has failed to establish meaningful consequences to prevent them. Agreements such as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention vow to eliminate and reduce the effects of CWs and BWs but lack respected response precedents and capabilities. The limited and inconsistent enforcement has inadvertently allowed CWs and BWs to become plausible weapons, especially to gain asymmetric advantages, while modern developments exasperate the problem. The availability of information and interconnectedness, artificial intelligence, dual-use technology, and multiplying vectors increases damage potential in the hands of experts with tacit knowledge and lowers barriers to entry for rudimentary CWs and BWs for others. Future prevention efforts should be aimed at increasing consistency and limiting the impact of technology used for nefarious activity. The activities should include expanding detection and attribution capacity, leveraging general deterrence principles with incentives and disincentives, more stringent monitoring of dual-use technology, and targeting technology with technology
Consumer Willingness to Buy and Willingness to Pay a Premium for Climate Smart Food Products
No full textThis study investigated consumer willingness to buy (WTB) and willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for Climate Smart (CS) food products. Focusing on soil health improvement practices such as biochar utilization, data from two surveys were analyzed. One survey was implemented and sought responses from consumer households in six midwestern states, and the other survey was distributed to institutional (universities, K-12 schools, corporations, etc.) and intermediary (restaurants, grocery stores, distribution centers, etc.) buyers. Consumer WTB and WTPP was examined through two independent ordered probit models, and the buyer survey data was utilized in descriptive analysis. Findings suggested that younger consumers, white or Caucasian consumers, individuals with bachelor’s degrees or more, individuals who live in urban areas, and individuals with knowledge regarding CS agriculture were more willing to buy CS food products. Furthermore, women, individuals with children in the household, individuals with bachelor’s degrees or more, individuals who are employed, individuals who spend more per grocery trip on average, individuals who live in urban areas, individuals in Generation Z, and individuals with knowledge regarding CS agriculture were willing to pay a premium. A price premium of 6.15% was estimated to be achievable by CS producers. Both types of buyers were willing to buy CS food products