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WELLNESS AMONG BIPOC COUNSELORS-IN-TRAINING: MEDIATION IMPACT ON STRESS AND BURNOUT
Full text linkThe purpose of this research study was to gather data on stress, wellness, and burnout levels from counselors-in-training (CITs) who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) to compare them to norm groups and assess the mediating effect of wellness on the association between stress and burnout. The researcher conducted this study to aid counselor educators in incorporating wellness into interventions that can help BIPOC CITs not only reduce their stress and burnout levels but also augment their overall wellness. The final sample consisted of 118 BIPOC CITs who thoroughly completed a demographic questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Five Factor Wellness Inventory - Adults 2, and Counselor Burnout Inventory. The researcher utilized the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 29, to examine all data. He found statistically significant differences among BIPOC CITs compared to norm groups in stress, burnout subscales of incompetence, deterioration in personal life, and negative work environment, and wellness dimensions of physical self and social self, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. Additionally, total wellness, along with its wellness facets of coping self, essential self, and creative self, partially mediated the relationship between stress and burnout. The implication of this study is to encourage counselor educators to use these results to inform their wellness interventions with BIPOC CITs in counselor education programs. Some limitations of this study included social desirability, limited generalizability associated with race/ethnicity and counseling track, and the use of a cross-sectional design
IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT: BUFFER TO SOCIAL IDENTITY THREAT IN INSTITUTIONS
Full text linkDue to the minority status non-white students face in higher education, they are susceptible to social identity threat (Steele & Aronson, 1996), which may lead to psychological distress. However, social support, particularly from in-groups, offsets related distress consequences, e.g., self-esteem, anxiety, and depression (Haslam et al., 2021). This study investigates social support, through collective racial socialization, as a buffer for social identity threats to minority college students. I investigated Hispanics and Black undergraduates\u27 self-esteem, using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979), before and after stereotype threat, with participants in minority-centered organizations as the moderator. Results revealed that there was a significant increase in self-esteem after induced stereotype threat overall, and those who are in the organization was the driver of this effect
AI-ASSISTED RISK PREDICTION AND POPULATION STRATIFICATION OF HEAD AND NECK CANCER (HNC) USING BASIC HEALTH DATA
No full textObjective: The primary goal of this research is to establish and test a predictive model for risk stratification of Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) developed and trained using routinely available clinical, lifestyle, and demographic data. To test generalizability, temporal stability, and possible clinical applicability, the study evaluates the model’s performance in several datasets and validation methods.
Methods: A proactive multilayer Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with 32 input features, two hidden layers of 12 neurons, and one output neuron, featuring a 32-12-12-1 architecture, was designed and evaluated using large-scale statistics from public health. Some of the input variables included demographic characteristics and lifestyle exposures, as well as clinical variables such as smoking status, alcohol consumption, gender, occupation, ethnicity, family history of cancer, and medical comorbidities. The training data consisted of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) and the Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 1997-2023), encompassing 821,545 individuals and 1,292 cases of HNC. The model was validated with a multi-tier strategy, which comprised k-fold cross-validation, domain transfer validation, pure temporal validation over 26 years, and interpretability through SHAP (Shapley Additive Explanations).
Results: The ANN demonstrated consistent performance across all validation methods. In the conventional cross-validation, the model reached the AUCs of 0.824 (PLCO), 0.721 (NHIS), and 0.836 (combined dataset). The temporal validation revealed long-term stability in performance, with an AUC of 0.921 (95% CI: 0.903, 0.939) on the redesigned NHIS data from 2019 to 2023, representing a 36 percentage point improvement in stability compared to previous years. This optimization could only be attributed to improved data quality, with no changes to the model architecture, which underscores the crucial role of data infrastructure in determining model performance. The three-tier risk stratification model identified 80.8% of HNC cases among 33.3% of all individuals at high risk (PPV = 0.35%), and it successfully eliminated 33.4% of people at low risk (NPV = 99.97%). The SHAP analysis showed that the predictive values were strongly biological, and the most significant factors include family cancer age, cardiovascular comorbidities (e.g., angina), and alcohol consumption
ADVANCED DEEP NEURAL NETWORK ARCHITECTURES FOR 3D GAIT ASSESSMENT FROM VIDEO IN THE EARLY DETECTION OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
No full textThis thesis presents an advanced deep learning framework for markerless 3D gait assessment using monocular video, aimed at the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recognizing gait abnormalities as potential preclinical biomarkers, the study leverages video-based human pose estimation to derive detailed spatiotemporal gait parameters without the need for specialized laboratory equipment. The proposed system adapts the MeTRAbs (Metric-Scale Truncation-Robust Heatmaps for Absolute 3D Human Pose Estimation) architecture to reconstruct metric-scale 3D human joint coordinates from RGB video recordings. A complete processing pipeline is developed to extract stride length, cadence, stance and swing phases, and gait variability, validated against the Zeno™Walkway an established gold-standard, pressure-sensitive gait analysis system.
Experiments conducted on custom datasets, recorded using monocular cameras under varied indoor conditions, demonstrate strong correlations for temporal gait parameters and moderate agreement for spatial measures. Quantitative evaluations yield mean absolute errors within practical thresholds for cadence (0.96 steps/min) and step time (0.009 s), while correlation analyses confirm high reliability (r \u3e 0.9) for temporal features. These results affirm that monocular video-based gait analysis can achieve clinically meaningful accuracy using low-cost, accessible technology.
The findings validate the feasibility of employing advanced neural architectures for vision-based gait analysis as a non-invasive, scalable tool for early AD screening. The study contributes to bridging the gap between laboratory precision and real-world accessibility, highlighting the potential of computer vision in advancing digital biomarkers for neurodegenerative disease assessment
SHARKS IN THE EAST OKEECHOBEE AREA
No full textThe East Okeechobee Region in Southeast Florida lacks a comprehensive regional study of sharks and shark remains found in archaeological contexts. Previous studies in the region have compared materials to those of other large regional centers outside the East Okeechobee Area. This study examined materials collected from previous excavations at four sites from coastal Palm Beach County to add to the understanding of the ways sharks were utilized in the past. Shark species found at all four sites indicate that the people of the region targeted sharks as a resource for tool or decoration production. Examination of Shark teeth and centra builds on the bone tool tradition outlined from other sites in the region
SUSTAINED CELLULAR SURVIVAL AMID AMYLOID BETA (Aβ) BURDEN
No full textAmyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), persisting in the brain for years. Despite its neurotoxic potential, widespread neuronal death is not consistently observed. Histopathological analysis indicates that most neurons remain viable, suggesting an altered survival state under chronic Aβ burden. This study integrates clinical, imaging, and in vitro evidence to characterize this non-lethal state. FDG-PET imaging reveals reduced glucose metabolism. In vitro, Aβ exposure leads to decreased uptake of glucose and amino acids. Reductions in ATP levels and AMPK activity indicate impaired metabolic regulation. Despite these metabolic disruptions, cell death is not observed, implying a state of survival under nutrient stress. Atrophy may reflect synaptic loss and axonal retraction rather than neuronal loss. These findings support a model where neurons persist in a metabolically constrained but viable state
ANALYSIS OF THE SUBMERGENCE, LANDING, AND NAVIGATION OF AN AUTONOMOUS UNDERWATER LANDING VEHICLE
No full textAutonomous Underwater Landing Vehicles allow for seafloor data to be taken in multiple locations with little to no human intervention. The movement of these vehicles needs to be analyzed through simulated to ensure the correct programming of vehicle missions. This analysis includes the surface navigation, the drift experienced by the vehicle during descent, and the seafloor stability of the vehicle. The results then inform the limitations of this vehicle and the necessary adjustments to subsequent versions. Surface navigation allows understanding of vehicle movement between ascent locations, waypoints, and descent locations. Drift during descent allows for visual of the vehicle’s movements below the surface once the GPS location of the vehicle is no longer available. Seafloor stability is important for the environment the vehicle can handle once it has landed in terms of the seafloor slope, direction of the current, and speed of the current
The History and Modern-Day Reality of Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection
Full text linkThe role that a prosecutor and attorneys have in the courtroom is vital in shaping the composition of a jury in any court case. Prosecutors and attorneys employ strategies during the Voir Dire process to maximize their chances of securing favorable outcomes. Upon examining how juries are selected, jury pools can be studied from historical and modernday cases that show trends of racial discrimination. The methods and decision-making process to select a jury can involve racial biases that ultimately affect the outcome of the court decision. Through case studies and legal documentation, this article will explore how implicit racial bias affects jury selection and jury decisions. The use of excessive and racially motivated peremptory challenges is unconstitutional, defeating the purpose of accurately representing a community that a jury serves to represent
NO NEUTRAL GROUND: SPORTS POLITICAL IDEOLOGY IN THE 1936 OLYMPIC GAMES
Full text linkBy using literary and cinematic narratives to explore changing cultural and ideological positions, my thesis demonstrates how the 1936 Berlin Olympics became a defining event of the intersection of sports and politics. Through analyzing Leni Riefenstahl’s Olympia, Richard Mandell’s The Nazi Olympics, and Elise Hooper’s Fast Girls, I show how distinct historical circumstances inform understandings of race, gender, and nationalism. The Berlin Games, used by the Third Reich as a platform for Nazi propaganda, stand as an example of how international sporting events become battlegrounds for ideological struggles and political messaging. This thesis argues that these narratives are not just records of the past; they are cultural artifacts revealing changing dynamics of power and anxieties. By placing sports within a broader socio-political context, I demonstrate that the notion of sports being apolitical is a myth, revealing an inevitable intersection of athletics with nationalism, social justice movements, and global political discourse
LITTLE HABITS
Full text linkLittle Habits is a body of work that explores the subject of coping mechanisms and defense mechanisms that manifest as psychological and physiological defenses resulting from long-term chronic stress and complex trauma. Emphasizing the physical tactility of flesh and bodily fluids, the use of soft, pliable natural fibers and glass beads and yarns, are purposefully found woven, entangled, and embedded within and through the reclaimed wood stretchers. Through mixed media installation, the series probes the intimate details of mechanisms in which symptoms of stress and trauma can manifest. Focusing on an overarching survey of maladaptive mechanisms, the work serves as both self-reflection and a visual translation of the ongoing internal dialogue between the physical “self” and the mechanisms that one’s “self” may come to embody