Digital Commons Network^™

Coercion, Consent, And Time, Michelle Madden Dempsey

Faculty Publications

This article sets out a framework for distinguishing three kinds of norms governing past sexual (mis)conduct and our responses to it: wrongfulness norms,excusability norms, and accountability norms. The framework provides conceptual tools for making sense of (and understanding the limits of ) three distinct responses commonly offered by those accused of past sexual misconduct: “But that used to be okay!” “But everybody used to think that was okay!” and “But thatwas so long ago!”

Properties Of Intimacy, Emily J. Stolzenberg

Faculty Publications

Today, nearly nineteen million U.S. adults are cohabiting with an intimate partner. Yet family law continues to struggle with the question whether these unmarried partners should have relationship-based rights in one another’s property. Generally speaking, states answer “no.” Because cohabitants are not spouses, they’re treated like strangers. As a result, their property rights usually follow title, and richer partners tend to walk away with a large proportion of the property acquired during the relationship. This Article shows the “cohabitant problem” to be no anomaly, but rather the clearest manifestation of family law’s overarching structure. In marital property regimes as well …

Policing Symmetry, Teressa Ravenell, Riley H. Ross Iii

Faculty Publications

Every day, criminal court judges across the United States decide whether the police had probable cause to arrest a suspect. When a court finds the police lacked probable cause, the arrestee may bring a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil claim against the arresting officer or municipality for a wrongful arrest. Yet, under current issue preclusion rules, whether the civil court will relitigate probable cause depends, in part, on who prevailed at the criminal court hearing. If the government prevails, the suspect will be precluded from relitigating the question of probable cause because they were a party to the original suit. …

The Covid-19 Vaccine Race: Intellectual Property, Collaoration(S), Nationalism And Misinformation, Ana Santos Rutschman

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a national and global vaccine race. This Article examines the race with respect to contemporary frameworks for biopharmaceutical research and development. Specifically, this Article focuses on the effect of patents, pre-production agreements, public-private partnerships, and vaccine misinformation. This Article analyzes lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates for promoting vaccine affordability and equity, and suggests modifications to existing preparedness frameworks to prepare for upcoming outbreaks of infectious disease.

Anthology Of An Empath, Meriel Melendrez Mees

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

How can we live here together? How can we, human beings (especially those of us not considered as such, historically, presently, or in the future) and more-than-human beings live here together and care for each other? I set out to learn how a pair of permaculture farmers in Southern Humboldt lived and worked with these questions: I attempted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of twenty years of natural history journals that one of them recorded. I was particularly interested in the aesthetics of land tending, affective relationships with more-than-human beings, and disrupting settler colonialism through epistemic reparations to the Sinkyone …

Why Do People Donate? Motivation Of Major Donors In Higher Education, Karin Hsuan Chao-Bushoven

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Higher education has relied on private philanthropy since the establishment of the first universities in the U.S. This reliance has increased over the decades as a result of rising costs and decreased government investment. As such, it has become more critical to better understand what factors motivate philanthropists to increase their support of higher education; including direct support for teaching and research and increasing financial support for those students otherwise not able to pursue secondary education. However, much of the existing data focuses only on point-of-philanthropic-act, and neglects to examine motivational factors of long-term donors that have progressively increased their …

Effects Of Spatial Language Cues On Attention And The Perception Of Ambiguous Images, Aaron Foster

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s superman!? Sometimes there are things in our world that are ambiguous. An ambiguous object, for the purposes of this thesis is any object that has more than one interpretation to it. The brain is designed to “fill in the blanks” and make sense of the world. Thus it will use anything available, like language, to help in resolving the ambiguity. Language can change how we perceive information in the world (Dils & Boroditsky, 2010) and where we direct our attention (Ostarek & Vigliocco, 2017; Estes et. al. 2008; Estes, Verges, Adelman, 2015). Language …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Drought Resistance And Recovery In Mixed Conifer Forests Of Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, Zachary J. Wenderott

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Forests throughout much of the western United States are experiencing increasing climatic variability, often resulting in decreased forest productivity and elevated likelihood of tree mortality. Severe drought, such California’s recent 2012-2015 drought, are projected to increase in intensity, frequency, and severity throughout much of this region in coming years. Forest management has long relied on prescribed fire and mechanical thinning to reduce fuel loads and ameliorate potential fire hazards. These treatments may also have the ability to reduce stand density, alleviate competitive pressures, and allow residual trees access to critical resources during periods of extreme stress. Utilizing a long-term National …

Beyond Care And Order In School Climate: A Qualitative Study Of Defender And Outsider Cognitions In Bullying Situations, William S. Richards Iv

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study examined the cognitions of students who intervene or do not intervene when they witness bullying incidents along with the ways that these cognitions may relate to these students’ perceptions of school climate at a small, rural high school in Northern California. Because increasing the frequency of bystander intervention has been found in prior studies to decrease bullying, this study illuminates the cognitive processes that support agency to intervene in bullying and distinguish them from cognitive processes that reduce agency to intervene. This study also identifies possible links between the ways students perceive school climate and their agency to …

Exploring Renewable Energy Futures In Humboldt County Consistent With The Goals Of California’S Renewable Portfolio Standard, Amin M. Younes

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Humboldt County has abundant wind, solar, and biomass resources, but has made limited progress towards the state’s 2045 requirement of 100% clean electricity. A recently rejected onshore wind project showed that technically and economically viable projects can fall to social and political challenges, emphasizing the need for social considerations in renewable transitions. I therefore integrated community members’ preferences into modeling of RPS-consistent renewable energy scenarios in Humboldt County. My model suggests that offshore wind, utility-scale solar, distributed solar, and biomass power are technically and economically viable sources of significant local generation at varying costs.

In interviews with energy-engaged residents, I …

May All Teachers Be Happy: A Mindfulness Manual For School Staff, Laura Ella Ashley

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

There are many teachers who leave the profession early due to burnout; furthermore, there are many requirements for teachers to support the social emotional wellness of their students. With training provided to teachers as to how to help students as the norm, and no support for helping the teachers who are burnt out, this project aims to bridge this gap. After facilitating and surveying participants in a mindfulness staff group, the results of this study clearly show that teacher well-being can be supported, and enhanced, with a simple mindfulness support group provided on site to school staff.

The Role Of Hardiness And Autonomy Support On College Student Engagement, Kevin Douglas Cherry

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The gap between college student enrollment and graduation rates remains a problem for college students and administrators. Literature on persistence in college suggests that factors such as hardiness and autonomy support may contribute to student perseverance through degree attainment. The current study focused on these constructs using a framework based on self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 1985). Factors related to student persistence, namely hardiness and autonomy support, were expected to positively predict college student engagement. Furthermore, hardiness was expected to moderate the relationship between autonomy support and college student engagement. College students from a university and a community college …

Write Yourself Awake: The Double Pursuit Of Mindfulness Meditation And Writing, Alysia M. Hegg

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Contemplative pedagogy involves teaching methods designed to cultivate deepened awareness, concentration, and insight. Contemplative practices work to undo the Cartesian mind–body dualism that says that mental phenomena are non-physical, or that the mind and body are distinct and separable. This project focuses on an understanding that our internal world includes communication with one’s self, acts of imagination and visualization, and recall and memory. These internal experiences foster many things, such as compassion and kindness, as well as resilience and sustainability through connection.

“McMindfulness” is a term that refers to when mindfulness is used for self-serving and ego-enhancing purposes. Symptoms of …

Can A Remote Sensing Approach With Hyperspectral Data Provide Early Detection And Mapping Of Spatial Patterns Of Black Bear Bark Stripping In Coast Redwoods?, Shayne R. Magstadt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The prevalence of black bear (Ursus americanus) bark stripping in commercial redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) timer stands has been increasing in recent years. This stripping is a threat to commercial timber production because of the deleterious effects on redwood tree fitness. This study sought to unveil a remote sensing method to detect these damaged trees early and map their spatial patterns. By developing a timely monitoring method, forest timber companies can manipulate their timber harvesting routines to adapt to the consequences of the problem. We explored the utility of high spatial resolution UAV-collected hyperspectral imagery as a …

A Comparison Of The Removal Of Estrogen Between Different Wastewater Treatment Processes, Danielle J. Jones

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Pharmaceuticals are found in water systems and are classified as contaminants due to their adverse effects on numerous types of aquatic organisms. Estradiol, a natural occurring estrogen and ethinylestradiol, a common synthetic estrogen found in birth control, are a class of pharmaceuticals called endocrine-disruptive contaminants (EDC). These contaminants have been shown to cause developmental delays in fish as well as feminizing male fish in concentrations as low as 1 ng/L for both estradiol and ethinylestradiol, and bioaccumulating in mollusks and oysters. There are many natural and human-assisted methods for removing pharmaceuticals in water, and they are dependent on both the …

Wingate Muscular Power Test Reference Values For Active Healthy Adults Ages 19-29: Normative Data And Differences Between Sex, Levi Basist

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Wingate Muscular Power Test (WMPT) has existed for several decades and to this day is considered the gold standard for evaluating an individual’s muscular power. However, the utility of this test is predicated on having accurate and relevant normative data with which to compare individual results. At present, the existing literature on this subject is either several decades old and/or inclusive of only specific subject groups (i.e. men only or sport-specific athletes). This study presents WMPT normative values for active healthy adults ages 19-29, separated by sex. The sample consisted of 330 active healthy volunteers (186 men and 144 …

Laboratory To Landscape: Mycorestoration, Riley Sanae Allen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Mycorestoration is the use of saprophytic fungi to remediate pollutants from land and water. To address contaminant presence in non-point source pollution primarily from agricultural runoff, we worked towards identifying the community-scale implementation process of mycofiltration, a type of mycorestoration that filters contaminants from water, in Arcata, California. This place-based study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) to collaboratively conduct Transdisciplinary Research (TR) to collect baseline qualitative and quantitative data that did not exist for Arcata’s context. These data have been compiled into a written implementation plan which is intended to exist as a living document that is referenced and transformed …

Use Of Redwood Basal Hollows By Bats: A Focus On The Townsend's Big-Eared Bat On The North Coast Of California, Amon Jotesh Armstrong

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Loss of roosting resources, either through disturbance or removal, negatively affects bats. For sensitive species, such as the Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), determining roost requirements is a critical component in conserving their habitat. Such cavity roosting bats on the North Coast of California may use hollows in large redwood trees. In this study, I examined the factors determining the use of basal tree hollows by different bat species at eight redwood forest sites in Del Norte, Humboldt, and Mendocino Counties, California. Bat guano was collected from 179 basal hollow roosts from 2017 to 2018, and guano mass …

Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Evaluating abundance of juvenile salmonids is critical to conservation and management. Current abundance estimation involves use of rotary screw traps and mark-recapture studies. Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples offers a noninvasive and less expensive approach that may potentially improve or eventually replace traditional monitoring. Here I evaluate the utility of eDNA to predict weekly abundance estimates of outmigrating Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts in the Klamath River, California. A total of 15 water samples were collected per week over the 17-week smolt outmigration in both 2019 and 2020. Chinook salmon eDNA concentration in each water …

A Techno-Economic Comparison Of Battery Electric And Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Transit Bus Fleet Options For Humboldt County, California, Aditya S. Kushwah Mr.

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study analyzes the techno-economic feasibility of converting the conventional transit bus fleet of the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA) into a battery-electric or a hydrogen-fueled bus fleet. The study identifies which of these technologies represents the more economically viable investment for HTA by analyzing the costs and benefits associated with each pathway. Both pathways involve zero-emission or low-emission technologies.

The study outcomes suggest that the conversion of the HTA’s current conventional fleet to an electric fleet is more feasible than conversion to a hydrogen fuel cell bus fleet. The total discounted cost (3% rate) of converting the 21-bus conventional fleet …

Identifying Neuron Clusters Controlling Movement Vigor, Jay A. Strabinick

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively decreases dopaminergic function. Lower amounts of dopamine may cause an innate motivational shift that decreases movement vigor when performing difficult tasks. In PD patients, bradykinesia, the slowing of movement, is characteristic of this decrease in vigor. The movement vigor hypothesis proposes that dopamine neurons modulate performance aspects of movement, like speed and persistence. This paper proposes a series experiments utilizing neuron recording techniques in zebrafish that would test the movement vigor hypothesis by determining whether in fact there is a distinct group of dopamine neurons that modulate movement vigor. Core elements …

Response Of Coastal Ichthyoplankton Assemblages Off Northern California To Seasonal Oceanographic And Climate Variability, Blair M. Winnacott

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study analyzed samples collected along the Trinidad Head Line (41°N) to characterize variability in the ichthyoplankton assemblage in coastal waters off northern California from late 2007 through 2019, a period during which a major marine heatwave (MHW; late 2014-16) strongly perturbed the ecosystem. I augmented visual identification with genetic techniques to resolve the species composition of visually cryptic larval rockfishes (Sebastes spp.). While taxonomic composition off northern California was largely similar to studies off Oregon and Washington, and cross-shelf structure and seasonal patterns in species’ abundance were generally consistent with the distribution and phenology of parental stocks, interannual …

"It's Odd, Isn't It?": Irony, Breakdown, And Self-Healing In Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook, Rachel M. Goodner

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

No abstract provided.

Hydraulic Assessment Of Traditional And Fish-Friendly Tide Gates In Humboldt Bay, California, Marcela Anne Jimenez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Tide gates are common hydraulic structures located throughout coastal and estuarine areas that prevent tidal waves from flooding previously converted tidally influenced areas. As restoration efforts increase, more “fish-friendly” tide gates that allow for larger openings and longer opening periods are being installed to improve habitat for threatened or endangered species. The purpose of this thesis was to determine discharge and head loss coefficients for traditional and side-hinged tide gates that could be inputs for hydraulic models and improve tide gate sizing and design. The study sites included Gannon Slough and US 101 Slough in Humboldt, California that represented a …

Response Of Invertebrate Drift To Dam-Release Restoration Pulse Flows From Lewiston Dam On The Trinity River, Ca, Jasmine S. Williamshen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The widespread construction of dams to regulate rivers has dramatically altered aquatic ecosystems, but these impoundments also provide a unique opportunity to support freshwater conservation goals by implementing functional flow regimes designed to mitigate dam-related impacts on fisheries. Drifting invertebrates are an important food source for stream-dwelling juvenile salmonids such that drift feeding can be an energetically profitable foraging strategy, yet the effect of streamflow alterations on invertebrate drift dynamics is largely undetermined. Drift net samples were collected on four days before and four days during the ascending limb (14-42 m³/s) of restoration pulse flows in April 2020 …

Evaluations Of Group Activism When Faced With Identity Threat, Ari Neely

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The current research is closely bound to a number of critical social issues that are becoming increasingly prevalent, such as homegrown terrorism enacted by Right wing extremist groups in the United States, through its focus on the development of attitudes toward moderate and extremist activism. This study examines the impact of an extremist, ingroup faction by manipulating identity threat and minority or majority influence. The current research examined these effects by measuring evaluations of moderate and extremist activist groups among members of the Democratic Party in the United States (N = 391) who were recruited from MTurk. Participants …

On The Acceptance Of Urban Beavers In Martinez, California, Zane A. Eddy

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

As ecosystem engineers, beavers construct complex riparian and wetland habitats that benefit many other species, including endangered salmonids. Through their landscape alterations, beavers also promote increased groundwater recharge and provide refugia during wildfires and high flow events by impounding water and allowing it to spread across the landscape. Prior to the North American colonial fur trapping campaigns, there were between 60 and 400 million beavers in North America. By the beginning of the 20th century, beavers were extirpated from many parts of the continent, however through human efforts, their population has since rebounded to between 10 and 15 million. The …

A Survey On The Status Of Acceptance And Commitment Training In Rural Northern California, Jacqueline A. Morris

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The interest in acceptance and commitment training (ACT) from within the applied behavior analysis (ABA) community has increased as evidenced by recently published literature addressing the need to examine the acceptability and utilization of ACT within ABA. However, there is limited literature on the perspectives of those working in the field of ABA on the use of ACT. In the present study a survey was conducted of ABA practitioners working in rural northern California to evaluate their level of interest in ACT, their perceptions of ACT being within the scope of practice of ABA, and any perceived challenges in developing …

Intrusion Detection For Industrial Control Systems, Kurt Lamon

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) are rapidly shifting from closed local networks, to remotely accessible networks. This shift has created a need for strong cybersecurity anomaly and intrusion detection for these systems; however, due to the complexity and diversity of ICSs, well defined and reliable anomaly and intrusion detection systems are still being developed. Machine learning approaches for anomaly and intrusion detection on the network level may provide general protection that can be applied to any ICS. This paper explores two machine learning applications for classifying the attack label of the UNSW-NB15 dataset. The UNSW-NB15 is a benchmark dataset that was …

Beaver Moderated Fire Resistance In The North Cascades And Potential For Climate Change Adaptation, Joseph John Weirich Iii

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Climate change and fire suppression have altered historic fire regimes, creating conditions for larger, more intense fires. Intense burns can alter watershed hydrology, increasing the potential for harmful channel incision, which impairs riparian ecosystem function by lowering the water table, disconnecting floodplains from aquatic environments. However, wetlands and functioning riparian zones can reduce burn intensity. Beaver, with their unique ability to build dams, can restore incised and degraded streams, store water, and expand wetland environments, potentially decreasing wildfire intensity, fire spread and create fire breaks across the landscape. My objective was to test the hypothesis that beaver impoundments increase landscape …