Digital Commons Network^™

Ecological Interest Theory Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” And Its Application In The Yellow River Basin, Guangqian Wang, Deyu Zhong

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

To address the core challenges of quantifying ecological value and converting it into economic gains, this study proposes a theoretical framework of ecological interest (EI) based on the principle that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. Three fundamental origins of ecological interest are explained, including the temporal value discount, the spatial ecological compensation, and the civilizational occupation-compensation balance. These three dimensions establish the logical connection between ecological and economic values. Setting a 5% annual simple interest rate as the benchmark and adopting “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains” green certificates as the standardized ecological assets for property rights delineation …

Seizing Strategic High Ground Of Space Computing Power: Global Competition Landscape And China’S Path, Yan Chen, Wenbin Song, Ping Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The deep integration of artificial intelligence and commercial aerospace is accelerating the transformation of space computing power from conceptual exploration to engineering verification, becoming a key direction for building an integrated space-air-ground information infrastructure. This study delves into its strategic value, global landscape, industrial chain bottlenecks, and advancement paths. The research reveals that the core value of space computing power does not lie in replacing ground data centers, but rather in focusing on network coverage blind spots, data transmission limitations, and high-timeliness scenarios, providing a new supply model of “in-orbit computing + space-ground collaboration”. Currently, the world has entered a …

Do Universities Underpay Professors? Yes, Especially Women, Zhanhan Yu, Alfonso Flores-Lagunes

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Occupational Identity And The Interactions Of Perceptions Pertaining To Career Choice Satisfaction And Intrinsic Job Satisfaction, Barbara Denisi Etterle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Individuals are often remembered not solely for who they are but also for what they do. Grounded in identity theory, social identity theory, and informed biblical theology, this study advanced the premise that occupation serves as the most salient expression of identity and purpose. The construct of work–life purpose, defined as the alignment between an individual’s occupational pursuits and overarching life purpose, was introduced. This study examined the relationships among occupational identity; career choice satisfaction; intrinsic job satisfaction; and self-perception, others-perception, and divine-perception. Using bivariate correlations and regression analyses, the results revealed significant correlations among constructs, but the predictive power …

Impact Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Chosen Career And Job Fitness, Grace Corinne Jennings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative correlational study examined how experiences of abuse and neglect influenced career choice and whether individuals perceived their chosen careers as a good fit. Data were collected through an electronically distributed survey shared via social media, resulting in a sample of 542 participants. Analyses explored relationships between ACE scores, career field, job fit, and demographic variables including age and sex. Findings indicated that there was no statistically significant relationship between ACE scores and perceived job fit. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences between men and women in reported levels of job fit, nor between sex and highest level …

The Moderating Influence Of Intrinsic Religiosity For Technostress And Tech Addiction In Adults Working In A Digital Environment, Elaine M. Hensley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation examined factors influencing levels of technostress and tech addiction in adults working in digital environments, where technology is rapidly advancing. The main research questions asked: If and to what extent intrinsic religiosity and resilience, independently and through their interaction, predict levels of technostress and tech addiction among adults in a digital workplace environment. The research design used two multiple linear regression analyses and two moderation analyses to ascertain whether the null hypotheses would be retained. The procedure involved recruiting 222 participants through Prolific who activated a survey link from Qualtrics. The link contained demographic data and four surveys …

Resilience In The Age Of Covid-19: A Phenomenological Study Of Survivors 65 And Older, Kwajulyn Onothia Rucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Few studies have examined resilience among those aged 65+ during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research fills that gap, offering data to guide policies and treatments for future pandemics. The pandemic revealed factors influencing psychological resilience, with stressors linked to health issues becoming chronic worldwide. Older adults faced heightened stress, and 95.5% of COVID-19 deaths occurred in those 50 and older. Lockdowns increased isolation and depression, yet many showed resilience by drawing on strengths, social networks, and circumstances. Key themes from this study included faith, engagement, adaptability, and adversity. Most (80%) adapted well, feeling 'fine' or 'okay' and finding hope through …

Delegating Authority: How Student Leadership Influences The Workload And Well-Being Of Secondary Orchestra Directors, Lori M. Buonamici

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although it is standard practice for secondary orchestra directors to engage students in leadership roles to assist with instruction and ensemble management, music education research provides teachers with little guidance on creating and maintaining student leadership organizations. The current literature provides abundant evidence of the benefits of offering leadership opportunities to support student development. Still, little research examines the additional work this creates for the orchestra director. Drawing on Vygotsky’s constructivist worldview and the theory of the zone of proximal development, this study examines how guided support facilitates the development of student leadership skills. Granting student leaders authority may either …

Broken Promises: The Lived Experiences Of African American Employees Who Interpret The Removal Of Dei Policies As A Breach Of Psychological Contract, Geneva A. Henderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The publicized murder of George Floyd in 2020 prompted organizations across the United States to affirm their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Following the 2025 presidential administration, however, many organizations began retracting DEI policies and adopting merit-based initiatives aligned with new federal mandates. For African Americans (AA), this shift echoed a familiar historical pattern of progress followed by withdrawal, requiring them to navigate promises made and promises withdrawn. Despite the significance of these changes, little is known about how AA employees experience the workplace after the removal of a value-laden policy. This interpretative phenomenological analysis study explored the …

Building Capacity And Inspiring Change: The Impact Of Louisiana’S Ucedd Across The Lifespan, Alicia Kowitz, Constance Alphonse, Phil Wilson, Maria Blanco

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

The Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Human Development Center (HDC), as the state’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), serves as a catalyst for inclusive systems change through interdisciplinary training, community engagement, and evidence-based service delivery. This manuscript highlights the breadth and impact of HDC’s initiatives across early childhood, education, transition, and community inclusion. Through programs such as Inclusive Practices in Early Childhood, PAYCheck, and LEND, HDC builds capacity among professionals, empowers individuals with disabilities and their families, and strengthens systems to be more responsive and equitable. The stories and outcomes shared illustrate how intentional, collaborative efforts …

Building Cultural Wealth: A Look Into The 40x40 Council’S Rise East Plan, Camille L. Batiste

Master's Theses

This research began as an effort to understand how community-based organizations in neighborhoods that have experienced generational economic disinvestment address the financial and cultural wealth gap in their communities. With the 40x40 Council and its work in East Oakland serving as the case study, it is evident how this organization mobilizes to reverse the impact of cultural erasure and wealth exclusion, helping Black residents not just live, but thrive. With an enriched understanding of how the 40x40 Council frames its approach, implements its vision, and develops its longevity, the Rise East Plan utilizes an alternative wealth-building strategy that centers community, …

Between Code And Context: Empowering Qualitative Researchers To Leverage Ai With Rigor And Responsibility, Tito Dimas Atmawijaya

The Qualitative Report

Diana Garcia Quevedo and Josue Kuri’s AI for Qualitative Research: A Hands-On Guide for Management Scholars (2026) offers a timely and accessible introduction to leveraging large language models (LLMs) for qualitative analysis in management research. Organized into two parts—theoretical foundations and hands-on applications—the book equips researchers with both conceptual understanding and practical programming skills to integrate AI tools responsibly into their analytical workflows. Garcia Quevedo, whose research at ESCP Business School centres on gender, entrepreneurship, and AI-driven qualitative methods, and Kuri, a principal scientist with extensive expertise in AI and network systems, provide a unique interdisciplinary perspective. This review examines …

Governing Longevity: Biopolitics And Economic Restructuring In East Asian Aging Societies, Sherlyn She

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

How do rapidly aging societies govern longevity when demographic change threatens established welfare arrangements? This thesis examines aging governance in China, Japan, and South Korea to show how states simultaneously manage aging as a public-health problem and build it into an economic sector through what I term life capitalism.

Two interpretations of East Asian aging policy are widely circulated: that it is a peripheral case of Western neoliberalism, or a residue of Confucian familism. I reject both: the neoliberal reading captures marketization but misses the state as its active builder, since these states are expanding rather than retreating; the Confucian …

The Regionalization Of The North American Auto Industry: A Comparative Analysis Of Automotive And White Goods Trade Under Nafta And The Usmca, 1990-2024, Helen Alexandra Helfgott

Master in Public Policy Theses

This research examines whether the auto-specific provisions introduced under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) have had a measurable regionalizing effect on North American export flows. The USMCA's auto-specific provisions, established in the rules of origin requirements (ROOs), increase regional value content requirements (RVC) while imposing new requirements for labor value content (LVC), steel and aluminum sourcing, and core parts. This research assesses whether these provisions are associated with a distinctive pattern of intra-regional export concentration not present in other sectors.

The study employs a descriptive comparative framework using data from UN Comtrade, spanning …

Electoral Threshold: Pros-Cons And Political Party Consensus In Indonesia, Azka Abdi Amrurobbi, Donis Daviska, Alam Mahadika

Jurnal Wacana Politik

The debates surrounding the parliamentary threshold and presidential threshold have become a recurring phenomenon, particularly in the period leading up to general elections in Indonesia. This paper aims to examine the pros and cons of the implementation and determination processes of both thresholds. Employing a qualitative research method and library research as the primary data collection technique, to validate the data then this research used data triangulation technique. In the Indonesian context, the thresholds applied constitute a form of formal threshold, namely thresholds determined through political and legislative processes in parliament. Consequently, threshold policies are heavily influenced by the configuration …

Uneven Ranks: Geographic Deepening Of The All-Volunteer Force, Christine Hogestyn

Master in Public Policy Theses

Who is enlisting in Fiscal Year 2025, and what state-level characteristics are associated with military enlistment rates, service selection, and recruit quality? This study documents the geographic landscape of U.S. military accessions during a period of recruiting recovery, filling a gap in the literature by providing a current, empirical description of who enlists and from where in today’s All-Volunteer Force. Drawing on personnel data from the Department of War, the U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, and a federal dataset of military installations, I analyze 203,987 new accessions across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps from …

The Digital Rentier State: Saudi Arabia, George Ngoh

Master in Public Policy Theses

As artificial intelligence reshapes Great Power Competition, control over digital infrastructure has become a key measure of global hegemony. In this context, Saudi Arabia is using its Vision 2030 strategy to pivot from traditional hydrocarbon reliance toward diversification into the AI and emerging technology sector, seeking to secure a position of power in an increasingly multipolar world.

This thesis analyzes whether Saudi Arabia’s AI investments signal a transition away from traditional resource rentierism or the creation of a new digital rentier model. Through primary and secondary research, this study argues that the Kingdom is establishing a sustainable pathway toward a …

The Environmental Cost Of Artificial Intelligence, Ava G. O'Connor

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the increasingly innovative and evolving world of artificial intelligence. As artificial intelligence becomes more integrated within global economies and infrastructures, its  environmental and economic impact has grown significantly, but still remains understudied in the conversation surrounding societal advancement and growth. This thesis delves into the history and development of artificial intelligence, AI's integration into modern life, Big Tech jumping to get ahead of AI development through investment, the cost of artificial intelligence, and the ethical and environmental implications of increasing artificial intelligence usage. Using multiple case studies, this thesis deeply explores the emergence of artificial intelligence as …

Inherited By “Merit”: What Caste Carries Across The Indian American Diaspora, Aarushi V. Jaiswal

English Undergraduate Distinction Projects

This project traces the rhetorical formation termed “meritocratic nationalism,” a political vocabulary that makes national belonging conditional on moralized merit, converting structural advantage into the language of individual character. Meritocratic nationalism is traced across three political figures whose rhetoric represents successive moments in a single ideological trajectory. Reading Narendra Modi’s 2014 and 2018 Independence Day addresses and his 2014 Madison Square Garden speech to the Indian American diaspora as the formation’s originating texts, this project argues that Modi’s recurring moral tetrad of conduct, values, traditions, and ability translated the structurally concentrated advantages of India’s upper-caste professional class into a universalist …

Grief Journeys: A Literature Review On Integrating Expressive Arts And Play In Grief Therapy, Joanna Marcus

Expressive Therapies Theses

This literature review explores the use of expressive arts therapy and play therapy in therapeutic spaces for grieving children. The author seeks to investigate how elements of expressive arts therapy and play therapy might be integrated to offer more effective support. Research was conducted using search engines to gather literature about historical and contemporary bereavement theories, play therapy, and expressive arts therapy, with a focus on children’s experiences. Two primary insights gleaned from this review are that the cognitive understanding of death is multifaceted and changes as children mature, and that children grieve in ways unique to their developmental stages. …

Dance/Movement Therapy As A Person-Centered Treatment For Alzheimer’S Disease And Dementia Through Physical, Social, And Sensory Elements: A Literature Review, Margaret Carson Thatcher

Expressive Therapies Theses

This thesis explores the use of dance/movement therapy as treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The literature review covers dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, current and emerging approaches to treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, dance/movement therapy, and dance/movement therapy for individuals with dementia. The theme of dance/movement therapy as a person- centered treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia is explored. The efficacy and outcomes of dance/movement therapy with the population are examined. Key components of dance/movement therapy with this population emerged. These elements, social, physical, and sensory, are described and connected to person-centered outcomes for treatment. Applications for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and …

Incorporating Principles And Wisdom From Hospital Chaplaincy And Pastoral Ministry To Create A Ministry Model To Address Social Isolation And Loneliness In Black Churches, Albert A. Kemp

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

To address the growing and widespread epidemic of social isolation and loneliness, with special focus on Black churches, this dissertation developed a program with the following areas of application: 1) how healthcare trained chaplains can coordinate with churches to positively impact individuals identified as lonely and socially isolated with better social and physical health, 2) how principles of chaplaincy and pastoral care can mitigate and intervene competently when such people are identified, and 3) how the project’s model can be organized, taught, and incorporated into existing arenas of church ministry.

The purpose of the project was to create a ministry …

Essays On Development Economics, Environmental Economics, And Political Economy, Weihong Li

Economics Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 explores the strategic behavior of provincial leaders in China in response to visits by central government leaders. I find that such behavior is correlated with provincial leaders’ personal characteristics and their connections with the visitors. Meanwhile, acting strategically during these visits has a positive and significant effect on overall promotions, but a positive and insignificant effect on promotions to the most important positions in the Politburo.

Chapter 2 examines the impact of the Confucian norms on the spatial heterogeneity of fertility rates and sex-selective abortions in contemporary China. To overcome the challenge of quantifying cultural norms, I construct …

Beyond Brain Drain: H-1b Visas, Innovation, And Human Flourishing, Joel Wong

Honors Projects

High-skilled migration has become one of the defining features of the modern global economy, especially in technology, engineering, and research-intensive industries. While public debate surrounding the H-1B visa program often centers on its effects within the United States, less attention has been given to how these migration flows affect the countries from which workers originate. This question is important because many sending countries invest heavily in the education and development of highly skilled workers while also seeking long-term economic growth and innovation. This study examines whether increases in H-1B visa migration are associated with changes in innovation outcomes in major …

Fluid Identities: Using Seattle's Diverse Water Narratives To Shape Cultural Values And Adaptive Conservation Strategies, Brooke J. Vanden Berg

Honors Projects

This paper explores human interactions with the environment in and around Seattle, Washington, following its trajectory from the Vashon glacial episode to its present standing as a city on the frontier of future urban climate resilience. By examining the shift from indigenous stewardship to a twentieth-century settler-led industrial “taming” paradigm, ecological vulnerabilities are considered through the lens of ill-advised hydraulic regrading and the centralization and privatization of water infrastructure and rights. This history is contextualized in the 21st century as climate projections indicate that Seattle's reliance on mountain snowpack, increasing thermal extremes, sea-level rise, and hydraulic instability caused by climate …

Agricultural Water Management, Farmer Decision-Making And Climate Adaptation In Dryland Agriculture: A Case Of The Middle Rio Grande Basin, Oluwatosin A. Olofinsao

Economics ETDs

Agriculture in dryland regions faces mounting pressure from climate change, water scarcity, and shifting land-use demands. The Middle Rio Grande Basin (MRGB) of central New Mexico exemplifies these challenges, where irrigated agriculture relies on increasingly variable surface water supplies. This dissertation examines agricultural water use, farmer decision-making, and adaptation strategies across farm types and climate conditions in the MRGB. The first study presents a spatial descriptive analysis of farm size, crop patterns, groundwater access, evapotranspiration (ET), and effective ET, revealing a landscape numerically dominated by smallholder farms that account for a substantial share of irrigation water use. The second study …

Moving As Mycelium: Dance/Movement Therapy With Nature And Its Potential For Sustainability Transformations: A Literature Review, Abby Polk

Expressive Therapies Theses

Environmental degradation and destruction impact the long-term health and wellbeing of humans and ecosystems alike. Humans require new ways of relating to nature that support sustainable futures for all. This thesis argues that dance/movement therapy (DMT) with nature has the potential to facilitate sustainability transformations and that the embodiment of relationality can support the development of reciprocal human-nature relationships. This literature review is grounded in theories of relationality and reciprocity as conceptualized in various Indigenous knowledge systems and the fields of both sustainability and DMT. Existing research suggests that culturally-responsive, embodied, arts-based practices may increase human-nature connectedness and strengthen reciprocity …

The Motivation Tapes: Employee Narratives Of Leadership That Matters, Jessica Gray

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative phenomenological study explored how employees describe their lived experiences at work. The purpose of the research was to understand the relational, emotional, and developmental dimensions that shape employees’ day-to-day workplace realities and the meanings they assign to those experiences. Four participants from diverse occupational backgrounds were interviewed using semi-structured protocols designed to elicit rich, descriptive accounts of their work environments, relationships, and sense-making processes. The findings reveal that participants shared experiences of supportive and hands-on leadership, opportunities for autonomy and ownership, and moments of connection, meaning, and long-term growth. Participants also described disruptions to these experiences. The implications …

Examining The Glat As A Measure Of Ai Literacy, Hunter R. Castleton

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The current study examined the Generative AI Literacy Assessment Test (GLAT) as a promising test of AI literacy due to its content, which is grounded in relevant AI literacy theory, and its design as a cognitive measure of AI literacy. To examine the GLAT, data were collected from a sample of 543 graduating seniors at James Madison University (JMU) who took the GLAT as part of a longer series of tests. Their responses were first analyzed to assess the test’s item characteristics and internal structure. Following this initial analysis, a final item set was established to ensure that low-quality items …

Brain-Based Mechanisms Of Behavioral Impairment In Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Fasd): The Neuroimaging Biomarkers Of Inhibitory Control, Zinia Pervin

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

The developing brain is highly susceptible to alcohol-induced toxicity, often resulting in long-term deficits in executive function and behavioral regulation. Inhibitory control impairments are among the most prominent deficits observed in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This study investigated the neural mechanisms of inhibitory dysfunction using a multimodal MEG–DTI approach in 67 children aged 6–8 years (34 with FASD, 33 controls) who performed a Go/No-Go task. Source-level MEG analyses revealed reduced stimulus-locked cortical activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and significant group-by-hemisphere interactions in the superior parietal cortex and cuneus. Time–frequency analyses showed diminished response-locked beta power in the sensory-motor …