Click on this link to download the full high-definition interactive pdf for AJUR Volume 21 Issue 3 (December 2024) or https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.121
Links to individual manuscripts, abstracts, and keywords are provided below.
Bailey Kersey, Kari N. Thomsen, Debra Bartelli, & Kathryn H. Howell
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
School of Public Health, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.122
Students: bekersey@memphis.edu, knthmsen@memphis.edu
Mentors: dbrtelli@memphis.edu, k.howell@memphis.edu
ABSTRACT: Previous research has shown that exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with increased behavior problems in children. Few studies, however, have taken a multi-informant approach to examine how different factors involving both the child and caregiver affect children’s externalizing problems. Guided by Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, the current study examined how child age and gender, caregiver age, household income, child and caregiver adversity, and child and caregiver report of caregiver involvement were associated with children’s externalizing problems. The sample included 65 caregiver-child dyads recruited from community programs in the Midsouth, United States. Youth were aged 6-12 years and primarily identified as Black or African American (95.45%) and as boys (54.55%). Two linear regression models were run with caregiver-report of child externalizing problems as the dependent variable in both models. One model focused on child variables, including child age, child gender, child adversity, and child-report of parental involvement, while the other centered caregiver variables, including caregiver age, income, caregiver ACEs, and caregiver report of their own parental involvement. Only the caregiver model was significant, with more caregiver ACEs related to higher child externalizing problems. None of the other independent variables were related to child externalizing problems. These results demonstrate the impact of caregiver’s history of adversity on child functioning. Interventions that target children’s externalizing problems may benefit from incorporating an assessment of parent adversity history. Future research should explore underlying mechanisms that may explain this association to identify modifiable factors that could be included in treatments for youth experiencing externalizing problems. KEYWORDS: Intergenerational; Behavior Problems; Adverse Childhood Experiences; ACEs; Caregiver-child Dyads; Youth Functioning; Family Systems; Multi-informant
p.15. Cross-validation Optimal Fold-Number for Model Selection
Angelos Vasilopoulos, Gregory J. Matthews
Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.123
Students: avasilopoulos1@luc.edu
Mentor: gmatthews1@luc.edu
ABSTRACT: The resampling method of k-fold cross-validation is popular for error estimation and model selection in computational research. However, there is limited focus in the literature on the question of what fold number k is appropriate for various dataset dimensions. Here we review relevant literature and present a simulation of linear and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression prediction error estimation at various values of k and sample size n. In agreement with current literature, we find that contrary to a persisting understanding, there is no bias-variance trade-off in selection of k. Instead, with increasing k both bias and variance decrease, perhaps asymptotically. Our results also suggest a predictable relationship between optimal values of k and n. KEYWORDS: Cross-validation; Optimization; Fold number
p.31. Effects Of Sex Education Perspectives
Tatiana Shojaei, Ryan Glick
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.124
Students: tmshojaei.99@tamu.edu, ryanglick@tamu.edu
Mentors: saradowd@tamu.edu, rsmallman@tamu.edu
ABSTRACT: Sex education is crucial for promoting informed and healthy sexual behaviors, though the content and approach of these programs have varied significantly. This study examined three distinct approaches to sex education—love and intimacy-based, biology-based, and abstinence-based—with the aim of evaluating how each influenced perceptions of sex, virginity, love, intimacy, and sexual well-being. By examining the strengths and limitations of these strategies, this research aims to enhance the investigation of diverse sex education perspectives. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: love and intimacy-based, biology-based, abstinence-based, or control, with each group receiving a corresponding educational video, except for the control group. Although no statistically significant differences were observed among the groups, participants who already held abstinence-based perspectives were more likely to view virginity as a gift. Significant gender differences were also found, with women reporting higher levels of stigma and stronger associations of love with sex. These findings underscored the impact of participants’ preexisting sex education perspectives and gender on their attitudes toward sex and virginity, suggesting that sex education programs may benefit from accounting for these individual differences to enhance their effectiveness. KEYWORDS: Sex Education; Comprehensive Sex Education; Abstinence-Based Sex Education; Love And Intimacy-Based Sex Education; Biology-Based Sex Education; Sexual Well-Being; Perceptions Of Virginity; Gender Differences; Sexual Attitudes
p.45. Identifying SES Factors in the National Household Education Surveys
Amanda Delore, Ashley Jeanty, & Ron Brown
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA
School of Liberal Arts, Dean College, Franklin, MA
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.125
Students: adelore333@gmail.com; ashleyjeanty01@gmail.comMentor: rbrown@dean.edu
ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine if conceptually and psychometrically rigorous measures of socioeconomic status could be developed for the National Household Educational Surveys (NHES). Exploratory factor analyses were performed for the following NHES: (1) Parent and Family Involvement in Education; (2) School Readiness; (3) Early Childhood Program Participation; (4) After School Programs and Activities; and (5) Adult Education/Adult Education and Lifelong Learning over several years of this administration, including two of the NHES surveys conducted in 2019. The results, while preliminary, suggest that rigorous measures of socioeconomic status (SES) can be constructed for most of the surveys based on Hauser and Warren’s model which used income, education, and occupation. This should enhance inferences based on these data and simultaneously increase the appeal of this database to the educational research community. If the measurement of SES is enhanced, it will fundamentally raise the level of quality of research findings and make them more attractive to educational researchers who use the NHES survey database. KEYWORDS: Educational Attainment; Exploratory Factor Analysis; National Surveys; Parent Involvement; School Readiness; Socioeconomic Status; Data Analysis Methods; Educational Research Databases
Liz Ashing, Ashley Nelson, Zefanias Ngove, Aundrea Crain, & Cole Davidson
Department of Biology, Wartburg College, Waverly, IA
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.126
Students: liz.ashing@wartburg.edu, ashley.nelson@wartburg.edu, zef.ngove@wartburg.edu, aundrea.crain@wartburg.edu
Mentor: cole.davidson@wartburg.edu
ABSTRACT: Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is a lethal cancer affecting the central nervous system. Existing treatment methods for GBM include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Temozolomide is a common chemotherapy treatment for GBM but causes unwanted side effects, as do most chemotherapy treatments. To decrease the harmful side effects of chemotherapy, research has turned to exploring natural compounds to treat cancer. In this study, the natural compound bavachin was investigated to determine cytotoxicity in GBM cells. Bavachin has been tested in many cell lines but not glioblastoma. A sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay, trypan blue counting, and a tumorsphere assay were used to test the hypothesis in this study. It was found that bavachin suppressed glioblastoma cell and tumorsphere viability, had a synergistic interaction with temozolomide, and ornithine decarboxylase was identified as a potential target in silico. This study demonstrated the ability of bavachin to suppress the growth of U-87 MG glioblastoma cells and enhance temozolomide efficacy. These findings demonstrated that bavachin is a potential treatment for GBM based on its ability to suppress cell growth. KEYWORDS: Glioblastoma Multiforme; Temozolomide; Bavachin; Flavonoid; Tumorspheres; Cell Viability; Cancer; Apoptosis; Psoralea corylifolia
p.73. On the Center of Mass of the Half n-Ball
Hugh Riley J. Randall, Carolina C. Ilie
Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2024.127
Student: hrandal3@oswego.edu
Mentor: carolina.ilie@oswego.edu
ABSTRACT: This project explores how the center of mass (COM) of a half n-ball depends on the dimension, n. We study the case of uniform density, where the COM is equivalent to the object’s centroid, or geometric center. We find a closed form solution, a sequence describing the centroid in n dimensions, which confirms the common two and three dimensional cases. Furthermore, the sequence is analytically proven to converge to zero in the limit as n approaches infinity. KEYWORDS: Mechanics; Mathematical Physics; Center of Mass; Centroid; Hyper-Geometry