East Stroudsburg University

ABSTRACT Culture affects the perception of mental health challenges and wellness. Research shows that racial and ethnic minorities experience disparities in mental health care that may be mitigated by culturally sensitive providers. This qualitative research explored various cultural experiences through focus groups with 18 university students and staff. Thematic analysis revealed seven key themes: traditional understandings, cultural trauma, community support, spirituality, meditation, acculturation effects, and natural remedies like exercise and nature. Findings add to knowledge about culture and mental health and the salience of cultural sensitivity in enhancing the helping alliance and promoting more inclusive therapeutic options.

The social work profession stands at a critical juncture where financial and regulatory mechanisms intersect with its core values of equity, justice, and empowerment. This think piece examines these intersections through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), focusing on the tenets of intersectionality and interest convergence. It explores the inequities in licensure pass rates, shedding light on the compounded barriers faced by marginalized groups, where race, class, gender, and other social identities intersect to exacerbate disparities. Specifically, it analyzes how factors such as exam construction, educational preparation, and financial barriers disproportionately affect these groups, contributing to their lower pass rates. The historical context of how learning is acquired in social work is framed within an understanding of systemic oppression, emphasizing the tension between transactional operations and the profession’s commitment to transformative impact. The tenet of interest convergence highlights how changes in licensure processes may only occur when the interests of marginalized groups align with those of dominant groups, underscoring the need for structural reform that addresses systemic inequities and professional advancement opportunities. The discussion proposes strategies to mitigate these inequities, ensuring that licensure processes are accessible, just, and equitable for all social workers, particularly those from historically underrepresented communities.

The Relationship Between Sports Performance Variables and Hitting Performance in NCAA Division II Softball Athletes Matthew R. Miltenberger, Chrystiana N. Brettle, Angelina E. Monti, Brandon W. Snyder, Brendan S. Finn, Shala E. Davis, Connor M. Saker. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA.Literature suggests that lower body strengthening and explosive training can be effective in increasing the rate of force development, and in turn bat velocity in baseball players. Despite the similarities between the hitting movements associated with baseball and softball players, there has been little research done on the relationship between resistance training and the effect of swing performance in softball players. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between measures of strength or power to bat swing velocity (BV) and batted ball velocity (BBV) in NCAA Division II softball players. METHODS: Twenty-two NCAA Division II softball players from a regional Northeast University (age: 19.50 ± 1.44 years, height: 65.55 ± 2.30 inches, mass: 148.68 ± 19.40 pounds) participated in this study and were tested on BV, BBV, Medicine Ball shot put for distance, 1RM Back Squat, 1RM Deadlift, hand grip strength and a Lateral Bound. RESULTS: BBV was significantly related to 1RM back squat (r = 0.709, p = 0.001) and 1RM deadlift (r = 0.602, p = 0.003). A moderate relationship was seen between rotational shot put and BBV (r = 0.414, p = .055) and between BV and 1RM deadlift (r = 0.487, p = 0.022). There is a strong relationship between BBV and grip strength of the top hand (r = 0.583, p = 0.004), and there is a moderate relationship between BBV and grip strength of the bottom hand (r = 0.484, p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: There is a need for sports performance professionals to understand the importance of the 1RM back squat and 1RM deadlift in their softball athletes. Incorporating these training measures may translate into an increase in BV and BBV, which ultimately creates greater offensive success on the field. SIGNIFICANCE: Incorporating maximal strength movements into softball training could lead to more productive offensive softball players. There is also a need for future research to examine the translational relationship between strength and power and additional on-field variables.

Programming or coding plays a crucial role in ensuring reproducibility in data analysis. Among the various programming languages in the field of data science, R stands out as a powerful tool capable of implementing a diverse range of statistical and graphical techniques. Unfortunately, in general education, lots of non-computing majors do not take a typical programming course due to their fear of the command line. A web app Rstats (http://esumath.shinyapps.io/rstats) was developed to promote students’ interest in R programming while learning introductory statistics, irrespective of their coding background. The web app provides a user-friendly point-and-click interface for data analysis, allowing students to explore statistical concepts without having to write code directly. But reproducible R code for the data analysis will be generated and displayed in the web app. Thus students can learn the programming language R during data analysis with the web app. By removing the intimidation associated with coding features, the web app aims to engage a broader audience in the realm of data and information. Source code of the app is provided for instructors who wish to deploy the web app to their own server. The features of the web app are described in detail and how the web app was applied to a GE statistical data analysis is discussed.

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

This study examines the impact of two significant regulatory reforms, the Banking Reform Act (2013) and the Financial Services and Markets Act (2023), on the market value of the four largest retail banks in the UK. The research employs an event study methodology, a well-established approach in financial economics, to analyse the stock market reactions to key legislative events associated with the enactment of both acts. The study focuses on three critical stages in the legislative process: the third reading in the House of Commons, the third reading in the House of Lords and the Royal Assent. Daily stock price data from 2000 to 2023 is used to calculate abnormal returns, which are then analysed for statistical significance using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The findings reveal that the Banking Reform Act 2013, while not significantly impacting individual bank returns, had a collective negative effect on the stock prices of the four banks. This suggests that the market perceived the reforms as potentially reducing bank profitability due to increased regulatory burdens and structural changes. Conversely, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, enacted a decade later, showed a positive and significant effect on the collective stock returns of the banks.

Background: The prevalence of mental health (MH) disorders among college-aged young adults is alarmingly high, with many also experiencing poor physical health and comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on MH among college students. Materials and methods: Fifteen participants (60% males, 20.0 ± 2.0 years) participated in this 8-week study. Nine participants completed the exercise (EX) intervention, while 6 formed the non-exercise control (CON) group. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scores (DASS-21) instrument was used to collect data for the dependent variable and analyzed using linear mixed models (LMM). Results: No statistically significant differences were found in depression (F = 0.015, p = 0.904), anxiety (F = 1.038, p = 0.327), and overall MH (F = 0.266, p = 0.615) scores between groups or over time. The EX group’s pre/post scores (mean ± standard deviation) for depression (pre: 1.11 ± 2.62, post: 2.44 ± 5.34), anxiety (pre: 1.00 ± 0.87, post: 3.11 ± 2.52), and overall MH (pre: 3.33 ± 5.34, post: 8.55 ± 13.06). The CON group’s pre/post scores for depression (pre: 0.66 ± 1.21, post: 2.32 ± 3.83), anxiety (pre: 1.67 ± 2.40, post: 5.16 ± 6.49), and overall MH (pre: 4.33 ± 4.23, post: 13.33 ± 16.91). Conclusion: Although there were no statistically significant differences in depression, anxiety, and overall MH scores between the EX and CON groups, the findings may have practical implications. Notably, the anxiety and overall MH scores in the CON group exceeded the normal classification, and the EX group maintained normal scores throughout the 8-week intervention. These findings suggest that regular exercise likely plays a crucial role in sustaining MH status, highlighting its importance as a preventive measure rather than solely a therapeutic intervention.