<p> This study explored the perceived effects of microaggressions on Peer Support Specialists (PSS). Although some research exists on the perceived effects of microaggression on individuals with lived experience of mental illness, known culturally as a marginalized group (Sue, 2010); none exists on PSS. The mental health movement began in the early 1900&rsquo;s, which later evolved into mental health recovery and psychiatric rehabilitation. This movement brought forth the development of psychopharmacology, supportive services, and mental health programs. During the early phases of mental health recovery and treatment, individuals with lived experience of mental illness were utilized as peers and eventually as peer support specialists, or liaisons. Peer support specialists (PSS) provide an invaluable resource to individuals struggling with mental illness, as the literature supports. Despite strides towards societal acceptance, individuals with mental illness, continue to experience discrimination, stigma and microaggressions. Research on historical trauma, although beyond the scope of this research will be reviewed to provide an understanding of how microaggressions are passed on and additionally a narrative review of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), aimed to contribute to the understanding of the history of trauma, engagement, and recovery. This research qualitatively explored the experience of sixteen participants who are PSS and in active recovery of mental illness. Semi structured focus group interviews revealed five major themes: Category 1&ndash;Microinvalidation: (1.1) Invalidation; (1.2) Second Class Citizen; Category 2&ndash;Resilience: (2.1) Advocacy; (2.2) Belonginess; (2.3) Perseverance.</p><p>

abstract: Random Forests is a statistical learning method which has been proposed for propensity score estimation models that involve complex interactions, nonlinear relationships, or both of the covariates. In this dissertation I conducted a simulation study to examine the effects of three Random Forests model specifications in propensity score analysis. The results suggested that, depending on the nature of data, optimal specification of (1) decision rules to select the covariate and its split value in a Classification Tree, (2) the number of covariates randomly sampled for selection, and (3) methods of estimating Random Forests propensity scores could potentially produce an unbiased average treatment effect estimate after propensity scores weighting by the odds adjustment. Compared to the logistic regression estimation model using the true propensity score model, Random Forests had an additional advantage in producing unbiased estimated standard error and correct statistical inference of the average treatment effect. The relationship between the balance on the covariates' means and the bias of average treatment effect estimate was examined both within and between conditions of the simulation. Within conditions, across repeated samples there was no noticeable correlation between the covariates' mean differences and the magnitude of bias of average treatment effect estimate for the covariates that were imbalanced before adjustment. Between conditions, small mean differences of covariates after propensity score adjustment were not sensitive enough to identify the optimal Random Forests model specification for propensity score analysis. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Psychology 2013

abstract: Research methods based on the frequentist philosophy use prior information in a priori power calculations and when determining the necessary sample size for the detection of an effect, but not in statistical analyses. Bayesian methods incorporate prior knowledge into the statistical analysis in the form of a prior distribution. When prior information about a relationship is available, the estimates obtained could differ drastically depending on the choice of Bayesian or frequentist method. Study 1 in this project compared the performance of five methods for obtaining interval estimates of the mediated effect in terms of coverage, Type I error rate, empirical power, interval imbalance, and interval width at N = 20, 40, 60, 100 and 500. In Study 1, Bayesian methods with informative prior distributions performed almost identically to Bayesian methods with diffuse prior distributions, and had more power than normal theory confidence limits, lower Type I error rates than the percentile bootstrap, and coverage, interval width, and imbalance comparable to normal theory, percentile bootstrap, and the bias-corrected bootstrap confidence limits. Study 2 evaluated if a Bayesian method with true parameter values as prior information outperforms the other methods. The findings indicate that with true values of parameters as the prior information, Bayesian credibility intervals with informative prior distributions have more power, less imbalance, and narrower intervals than Bayesian credibility intervals with diffuse prior distributions, normal theory, percentile bootstrap, and bias-corrected bootstrap confidence limits. Study 3 examined how much power increases when increasing the precision of the prior distribution by a factor of ten for either the action or the conceptual path in mediation analysis. Power generally increases with increases in precision but there are many sample size and parameter value combinations where precision increases by a factor of 10 do not lead to substantial increases in power. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2014

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<p> Alcoholism and alcohol use disorders are a major problem worldwide. Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with cognitive impairment not only in drinkers but also in their offspring. Previous clinical reports have suggested that inherited drug use behavior in individuals, including the overall amount of alcohol consumed, originates from parents who engage in the consumption of alcohol both during and prior to conception. For example, mothers exposed to alcohol during pregnancy have been shown to produce offspring with neurodevelopmental, physiological, and behavioral deficits, in rodents. Additionally, several studies now support the idea that fathers exposed to alcohol prior to mating produce male offspring with developmental, physiological, and cognitive deficits as well. With this said, alcohol exposed fathers appear to pass different phenotypes to their sons than they do their daughters. To date, little research has been dedicated to examining cognitive deficits associated with paternal alcohol exposure or the volume of alcohol intake in daughters of male alcoholics. The purpose of this set of experiments is to explore possible changes in cognitive function and alcohol acceptance in both male and female offspring of alcohol-exposed fathers. Adult male rats were exposed to a repeated binge dose of alcohol and later mated with non-manipulated females. Offspring of exposed fathers were assessed for levels of alcohol consumption via Intraoral Cannulation, followed by a series of cognitive function tests via T-maze task performance. Accuracy percentage within the T- maze and volume of alcohol accepted were compared and analyzed using an ANOVA. Our findings suggest that paternal binge doses of ethanol exposure prior to breeding results in offspring that consume significantly more ethanol than controls, exhibit greater latency time to reach criterion in a T-maze, and having significantly fewer percent correct responses in T-maze task performance when including all trials. The results presented here add to the growing body of literature aimed at understanding the consequences of paternal pre-conception ethanol exposure and the effects on subsequent generations.</p><p>

<p> Psychotropic medications rank among the most widely prescribed, largest-selling, and fastest-growing classes of drugs in the U.S. today. Largely attributed to the role of primary care providers in mental health care and the use of psychotropic medications for non-psychiatric conditions, the prevalence of psychotropic medication prescribing is a problem due to side effects, drug-to-drug interactions, and withdrawal effects. Previous research has not reliably explained why practitioners vary in prescribing behavior. This non-experimental cross-sectional quantitative research investigation compared the psychotropic medication prescribing behavior of primary care prescribers from the perspective of the theoretical domains framework (TDF), a validated theoretical framework for identifying factors influencing clinical behavior. The inquiry was guided by four research questions that explored prescribing behavior between primary care physicians (MDs, DOs), physician assistants (PAs), and nurse practitioners (NPs), between high and low prescribers, among high prescribers, and among low prescribers. The Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire: Psychotropic Medication Prescribing Behavior (DIBQ: PMPB), a unique psychotropic medication prescribing behavior version of the TDF-based Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire (DIBQ) template was administered to 49 Pennsylvania primary care MDs, DOs, PAs, and NPs. Due to low sample size, the groups were aggregated and compared between MDs/DOs and PAs/NPs. Data were analyzed with the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results revealed that mean ranks were significantly different only among low prescribers in which MDs/DOs were significantly higher than PAs/NPs in Socio-political context and Innovation strategy. However, PAs/NPs were higher than MDs/DOs in Social/professional role and identity and Intentions. Findings suggest that differences may be related to division of labor, primary care setting, and age and gender of provider. MDs/DOs may focus more on protocol, organization, and practice-based aspects of running a business, whereas PAs/NPs may have a holistic mindset that is more flexible, accommodating, and sensitive to the patient. These factors should be thoroughly investigated in randomized controlled trials to more fully understand a provider&rsquo;s motivation and pattern for prescribing psychotropic medications, particularly in situations where safer evidence-based treatments exist.</p><p>

A method has been developed that uses uranium hexafluoride as the internal standard to quantitatively determine trace impurities in the uranium hexafluoride using relative response factors. A computer program was written to control the mass spectrometer and determine the concentrations of target impurities present. Overlapping spectra are deconvoluted using the Gauss-Seidel iterative method. The composition of the sample is determined by comparing the peak height ratios of the target impurities to the internal standard. Measurement parameters are easily modified using the menu driven program. A flexible database allows the list of target impurities to be extended to accommodate any changes in analytical requirements. The method has been adapted for automatic on-line measurements. The technique was evaluated by analysing a number of carefully prepared standards. Nine target impurities were studied which ranged in concentration from parts per million to percentages. An overall precision of fifteen percent was obtained. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 1993. / gm2013 / Chemistry / unrestricted

"Adonde esten mis hijos alli que me entierren," presents the migration history of my great-aunt Aura Lila Callejas. This work utilizes the oral history method to examine one woman's migration experience in an attempt to identify various theoretical issues. Aura Lila's immigration experience sheds light on a number of different issues, including the reasons why people migrate and how they adapt to an entirely new and often frightening set of circumstances in the country of arrival. The oral history method has proven useful in presenting some of the ways in which structural factors combine with personal motivations to provide the impetus for Aura Lila's journey of international migration. My work with Aura Lila has also served to highlight some of the existing gaps in the current literature regarding Nicaraguans in the United States and the importance of the family within the overall process of migration. Finally, this work explores the nature of the relationship between the researcher and subject within the ethnographic process. While much of Aura Lila's story remains unique and specific to her family's history, her narrative can be related to the growing body of literature focusing on women's life histories.