Digital Commons Network^™

Kid Tech Balance: Providing Children Self-Management Tools As An Alternative To Parental Controls, Michael Scott Wendell

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Technology integration into the household is ever expanding and so is the need for children's safety when it comes to accessing this technology. Parental controls exist as a way for parents to be able to control and protect their children from possible hazards of technology use. However, many controls provide only the ability to help parents lock or restrict their children from using technology. This research seeks to identify and create a control solution that helps develop moderation habits in children instead of restrictions, thereby helping both parents and children. I developed a new control application through this research, aptly …

Analysis Of Learning Mechanisms In Spiking Neural Networks With R(T) Elements And Memristive Synapses, Farhana Afrin

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

As Moore's law ends, the conventional von Neumann computer architecture with binary-coded data representation has reached its bottleneck because of having separate computing and memory modules. In this architecture, continuous power is required due to sequential processing, making it challenging to improve efficiency further. The human brain can be regarded as the most energy-efficient computer architecture. In the brain, data is represented as small voltage pulses as spikes. That is why the neural units are called spiking neural networks (SNN). In SNNs, energy is required only when there is a spike, making it more energy efficient than the von-Neumann computer …

Multi-Scale Modeling Of Dna-Templated Aggregates For Excitonic Applications, German Barcenas Moncada

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Quantum entanglement occupies a central role in the application of quantum mechanics towards emerging technologies of quantum information systems. Meanwhile, quantum entanglement is believed to be observed at room temperature in photosynthetic complexes in plants and algae through the energy transfer of dye molecules. The goal of this project is to engineer dye properties and their arrangement when dyes and aggregates are covalently attached to DNA so that the emergent property of exciton delocalization is as coherent, predictable, detectable and controllable. The creation of such a platform would enable the continued study of near room-temperature quantum entanglement and the more …

Exploitative Labor In Los Angeles' Fashion Industry: A Path Towards Ethical Supply Chains, Magali Rodriguez

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

This chapter explores exploitative labor practices within Los Angeles' fashion industry and proposes pathways toward ethical supply chains. The fashion industry, particularly in Los Angeles, relies on labor-intensive production, which often leads to low wages, unsafe conditions, and systemic inequality. The complexity of global supply chains, power imbalances, and consumer demand for cheap clothing contribute to the persistence of exploitative practices. More than half of garment contractors in Los Angeles fail to meet minimum wage standards. The chapter emphasizes the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ethical sourcing, which includes accountability, transparency, and respect for human rights. It examines …

A Clinician’S Guide To Pediatric And Adolescent Alopecia Areata Treatments, Heli A. Patel, Rishab R. Revankar, Jenna E. Koblinski, Benjamin Ungar, Emma Guttman-Yassky, Jamie B. Mackelfresh, Dirk Elston, Peter Lio

Student Papers, Posters & Projects

Background: Available treatment options for pediatric alopecia areata are limited and may even exacerbate the physical and psychosocial burden. Objective: This article aimed to provide a treatment classification system and counseling recommendations. Recommendations: Topical corticosteroids are appropriate for initial treatment due to their ease of use and safety. Topical minoxidil and dithranol are often used as adjunctive treatments based on mixed data. Intralesional corticosteroids are effective for localized disease, but injections may be challenging in children. Contact immunotherapy, systemic corticosteroids, and immunosuppressive agents such as topical and oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, dupilumab, and low-dose methotrexate demonstrate varying effectiveness, adverse …

Consistent Vmt Mapping And Modeling In California: How Can We Better Assess The Vmt Impacts Of State And Local Transportation Projects?, Serena E. Alexander, Shams Tanvir, Syed Tanvir Ahmed, Annie Jones

Mineta Transportation Institute

Despite California’s ambitious target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, the state is not reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from personal vehicle travel, and per capita Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) and GHG emissions continue to increase. One central challenge of climate planning facing California is the lack of consistent methods to measure the VMT impacts of transportation projects. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, this research answers the question: “What are the advantages and limitations of existing VMT calculators to determine the climate impacts of transportation projects to help meet California’s climate goals?” Research methods included: (1) a quantitative analysis …

Learning To Accelerate Globally Optimal Solutions: Applications In The Ac Optimal Power Flow Problem, Muhammet Fatih Cengil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Alternating Current Optimal Power Flow (AC-OPF) problem is a fundamental optimization challenge critical to ensuring the economical and reliable operation of power grids. While fast heuristic methods provide upper-bound solutions, assessing their quality requires lower bounds obtained from relaxations of the AC-OPF problem. This dissertation focuses on finding globally optimal solutions to the AC-OPF problem by enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of Quadratic Convex (QC) relaxations. Leveraging machine learning techniques, we aim to achieve tighter relaxations faster and improve computational performance, enabling practical scalability for real-time applications.

In Chapter 2, we propose a machine learning-based method to accelerate the …

Graphene-Based Antennas Utilizing Polyvinylidene Fluoride (Pvdf) Substrates For Attenuation, Josef Frankhouse

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this study, a Terahertz (THz) band antenna which can regulate its own resonant frequency without the requirement of manual adjustment is simulated. A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) substrate is applied onto a rectangular graphene patch antenna. With a voltage potential applied onto the PVDF, the patch antenna can attenuate its frequency by physically changing the shape of the antenna, and in turn its resonant frequency. These antennas are within a 0.1 THz band between 1.32 THz to 1.22 THz measured from a radial bend of a flat surface to r = 75 , fitting into a return loss (S_{11 …}

Program Development For Transition To Adulthood For Individuals With Autism, Kendall Davis

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

This project aimed to enhance transition programs for individuals with autism by evaluating the assessments currently used to identify areas of concern in vocational skills training. A review of the literature highlighted that, as autism diagnoses continue to rise in the United States, transition programs play a crucial role in bridging the gap between youth and adulthood. However, programs focused on education and vocational skills training are often insufficient in clinical settings, revealing a significant need for improvement. The literature also indicated that occupational therapists face a shortage of effective vocational assessments tailored to support vocational readiness. This capstone project …

Occupational Therapy In The Nicu And Caregiver Involvement: The Impact Of The Sense Program, Victoria Dariana Aguilar

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

This capstone project focused on addressing the challenges that caregivers face in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Caring for an infant in the NICU, combined with the overwhelming environment, often contributes to caregiver trauma and apprehension, as caregivers may fear their involvement could negatively impact their infant’s care. Over the course of 14 weeks, this capstone experience was aimed towards using the SENSE program as a tool to promote health literacy, enhance role confidence and encourage caregiver involvement in the NICU. The use of this program additionally provided the opportunity to provide infants with consistent and developmentally appropriate sensory …

Quality Of Life Programs For Older Adults In Assisted Living, Annelise Moore

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

This doctoral capstone project focused on enhancing the quality of life (QoL) for residents in Wesley Court Assisted Living through individual programs designed to increase leisure, social participation, and/or mental wellness. Literature states the critical importance of integrating personalized, clientcentered programming in assisted living communities, addressing a pressing issue of limited opportunities for meaningful engagement, which can lead to isolation, depression, and diminished wellbeing among older adults. Approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Abilene Christian University’s Occupational Therapy Doctoral program, the project spanned 14 weeks and involved needs assessments, pre- and post-surveys, and personalized program implementation. Four residents …

Empowering The B&Vi Within The Sport Of Fencing: An Exploration Of Research, Grant Proposals, And Instructor Perspectives, Rylie Knight

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

Visual impairment can affect various aspects of individuals lives, including social interactions, daily activities, mobility, and emotional well-being. Individuals with visual impairment often exhibit lower levels of physical fitness and coordination, leading to increased sedentary behavior and potential long-term health consequences. Existing studies have not detailed occupational therapy involvement in blind and visually impaired (B&VI) fencing to enhance mobility, sensory capabilities, and daily activities. Furthermore, there is a lack of research on competitive sports within the B&VI community. This project addressed the limited research in B&VI fencing, analyzed the activity of fencing through an occupational therapy lens, discovered grants for …

Program Development For Enhancing Cognitive Performance Patterns For Adolescents Through Horticultural Therapy, Danielle Ayers

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstones

This capstone specialization focuses on program development within the context of mental health, particularly targeting adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The project aims to implement a horticultural therapy program to enhance these adolescents’ behavioral and social skills. Despite the foundational emphasis on mental health within occupational therapy (OT), practitioners may encounter challenges in effectively managing mental health issues. This project explores horticultural therapy as a complementary approach to traditional OT practice, aiming to improve mental health outcomes. Future directions include further exploration of program development strategies and their impact on mental health outcomes …

Public Health Implications Of State-Level Public Health Organizational And System Structures, Cameron Ferguson Hays

Dissertations

Public health thought leaders such as the Institute of Medicine and National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine have long been concerned about the lack of standardization among state-level public health systems (IOM, 1988; NASEM, 2023). However, little research studies these systems, their structures, and whether structural constructs affect population health outcomes.

This study attempted to examine the structural constructs that make up these systems and the impact of those constructs using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Variables from management science were qualitatively extracted from materials describing all 50 state-level public health systems. Those variables were then analyzed using a …

Intelligent Health Monitoring Systems Via Flexible Hybrid Electronics And Machine Learning, Masoud Panahi

Dissertations

Advanced data analytics approaches, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are increasingly being integrated into all aspects of patient care. This integration is paving the way for minimally invasive or non-invasive treatment modalities. By combining recent advancements in fabrication technology and computing ingenuity, wearable devices now enable continuous health monitoring and provide data for AI-driven analysis. These intelligent devices seamlessly integrate with the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling remote or “at-home” patient monitoring.

This dissertation study investigates the integration of recent advancements in flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) and machine learning (ML) to develop intelligent health monitoring systems. The developed FHE-based health …

Redefining Race In Redistricting, R. Jared Evans, Victoria Wenger

Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter

No abstract provided.

Data Analytics: Role Of Technology In College Sport Training, Quentin Pringle

Leadership Education Capstones

This study examines how coaches make decisions on player performance, game-day tactics, and injury prevention using performance data technologies, particularly Catapult. A set of coaches from different sports teams was surveyed as part of a descriptive qualitative approach. The findings showed that although coaches use data extensively for player development and game preparation, obstacles such as time restraints, a lack of technology resources, and difficulties interpreting data still exist. The study concludes that while Catapult and similar technologies are useful, improvements in data recording and analysis are required to boost usability and support decision-making. Future studies should concentrate on resolving …

200 Years Of Johnson V. M'Intosh (Jvm): Indigenous Responses To The Religious Foundations Of Racism, Philip P. Arnold, Sandra L. Bigtree, Adam Dj Brett

Religion - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Commencement: December 2024, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Workplace Ai And Human Flourishing, E. Gary Spitko

Connecticut Law Review

This Article explores the important but largely unexplored relationship between workplace artificial intelligence (AI) and human flourishing. More specifically, the Article examines the potential impact of workplace AI decision tools on such critical matters as workers’ human dignity, workplace and personal autonomy, and the opportunity for upward mobility. AI can analyze data far more quickly and efficiently than humans. Moreover, AI computer models are far superior to people in uncovering subtle correlations in large amounts of data and learning from those correlations. Thus, workplace AI decision tools teach themselves to choose the criteria for recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, and termination …

Do Rural Places Matter?, Stephen Clowney

Connecticut Law Review

Rural communities are at a crossroads. On one hand, small towns continue to receive robust support from the federal government. Congress sends billions of dollars in agricultural support, homeownership subsidies, and infrastructure spending to rural places every year. Yet, despite ongoing federal investment, conditions in rural America have deteriorated. Economic growth, educational opportunities, and health outcomes in rural places all lag behind the rest of the country.

This Article asks what has gone wrong. Why do rural communities continue to lose ground despite such significant outlays from Congress? This Article contributes to the ongoing debate about the future of the …

Imperfect Protection Against Perfect Enforcement: When Procedure Is Not Enough, William S. Fallon

Connecticut Law Review

Government technology that exclusively detects illegal conduct is per se constitutional. Today, the Fourth Amendment provides no protection—zero—against government technology that identifies illegality without also revealing private, innocent behavior.

Meanwhile, alarmingly, government is rapidly developing—and deploying— technology that bypasses the need to examine private, innocent behavior in its detection of wrongdoing. Government can know there is contraband in your bedroom drawer without the need to rummage through that drawer, your home, or any of your private information and possessions. Government can know there is illegal content on your phone without the need to search through that phone or any of …

2023-2024 Annual Report, Stephanie C. Miller

Law Library Annual Reports and Assessments

No abstract provided.

Teaching Constitutional Change, Carolyn Shapiro

Chicago-Kent Law Review

No abstract provided.

Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You? Assessing The Damage Associated With The Rise Of Reality Tv Policing And Proposing Avenues For Accountability And Reform, Danielle Taylor

Chicago-Kent Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pickleball And Well-Being, Marina Erickson

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project focused on community members who attended pickleball drop-in times at a neighborhood community center. This case study was done by survey data collection, observation, analysis, and connecting the ways pickleball impacts well-being. Participation in pickleball positively contributes to the physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of well-being.

Craving A New Look: Rebrand Of Cafe Crepes, Joan Yun

Graphic Communication

Cafe Crepes, located in the heart of downtown San Luis Obispo, is an established business that has been serving customers for over 10 years. However, despite their prime location and experience, Cafe Crepes often goes unnoticed and struggles to attract attention from the community due to their poor brand image and visibility. Cafe Crepes' current brand image is outdated and visually uninviting, primarily due to their existing logo, color scheme, and typeface. Additionally, Cafe Crepes suffers from low brand visibility due to minimal and inconsistent advertising efforts.

The goal of this senior project is to transform Cafe Crepes' brand image …

Artificial Authorship On The Big Screen: Regulating Ai In Scriptwriting, Cassie Larson

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

While the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) offers exciting, new creative possibilities for the entertainment industry, it also threatens to replace or undercompensate the humans who have been at the backbone of the industry since its inception. AI’s increasing ability to generate human-quality content raises concerns about job displacement and copyright ownership for scriptwriters. While the recent Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike secured several protections, the unique and rapidly evolving nature of AI requires that further legal safeguards be created. This Note argues for additional regulations to ensure that AI remains a collaborative tool for scriptwriters and not a …

Toxic Minimalism On The “Yolo” Court: The Supreme Court’S Dangerous Muddle In First Amendment And Speech-Adjacent Law, Matthew D. Bunker, Emily Erickson

UC Law SF Communications and Entertainment Journal

No abstract provided.

Impossibility Of Artificial Inventors, Matt Blaszczyk

UC Law Science and Technology Journal

Recently, the United Kingdom Supreme Court decided that only natural persons can be considered inventors. A year before, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued a similar decision. In fact, so have many of the courts all over the world. This Article analyzes these decisions, argues that the courts got it right, and finds that artificial inventorship is at odds with patent law doctrine, theory, and philosophy. This Article challenges the intellectual property (IP) post-humanists, exposing the analytical and normative perils of their argumentation, and recommends against getting rid of the nominally central place of humans …