Digital Commons Network^™

Key-Point-Based Sign Language Translation With Multi-Stream Motion Modeling And Cross-Lingual Transfer, Alex Muchiri Kagozi

Dissertations and Theses

Automatic sign language translation remains challenging because models must recover linguistic structure from complex visual motion while relying on limited annotated data. This thesis investigates whether compact skeletal key-points can serve as an effective alternative to RGB video for continuous sign language recognition and translation, motivated by the privacy, computational efficiency, and transferability of skeletal representations. To address this problem, a segmented key-point-based framework is evaluated in continuous sign language recognition (Sign2Gloss), gloss-mediated translation (Sign2Gloss2Text), gloss-free translation (Sign2Text), and transfer learning within a common modeling pipeline. The proposed framework is a motion-aware multi-stream transformer encoder. Rather than processing the signer …

Factors Influencing Tree Vigor And Structural Failure Along Powerline Corridors In Northern California: A Multi-Species Analysis, David Justin Dorval

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Tree failures (e.g., stem breakage, uprooting, or branch drop) can pose significant risks to public safety, particularly along powerline corridors for the risk of power outages and wildfire ignitions. In California, tree-related powerline failures have led to severe ecological and human costs in recent years. Despite extensive research on tree failure in urban environments and post-disturbance contexts, comparatively little empirical work has examined where powerlines intersect largely unmanaged stands. This study evaluates tree failure trends across multiple forest types in Northern California by examining how tree-level characteristics influence recent growth and failure occurrence in regionally dominant tree species. Specifically, the …

Baker Cypress (Hesperocyparis Bakeri) In A Changing Fire Landscape: Characterizing Fire Refugia And Guiding Post-Fire Reforestation, Olivia Lorraine Moskowitz

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Increasing wildfire frequency threatens serotinous, fire-obligate species that depend on sufficient fire-free intervals to develop seed banks for reproduction. These species require fire intense enough to trigger seed release and create favorable substrate and light levels for regeneration, yet consecutive fires that reburn populations before they reach maturity can cause local population contraction or extirpation. Understanding the environmental drivers of natural regeneration and mature tree survival, as well as when and how active reforestation should supplement natural recovery, is critical for managing fire-adapted species under altered fire regimes.

This thesis uses Baker cypress (Hesperocyparis bakeri [Jeps.] Bartel), a rare …

Skeletal Markers: Interpreting Trauma, Healing, And Survival Through Osteological Remains From Medieval Pomerania, Michael Mulliner-Szyndler

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Traditionally, studies in bioarcheology have cited the presence of individuals with evidence of healed traumatic injuries and certain pathologies as an indication of social care either at the time of the trauma or throughout the individual’s lifetime. Here, I present three case studies of individuals who present with signs of having survived traumatic injuries and related pathologies. These individuals are from a late medieval cemetery in Żelewo, in the historical region of Pomerania in present-day northwestern Poland. The site is associated with the nearby town of Kołbacz, which is home to the oldest Cistercian monastery in Pomerania. This study aims …

Aquatic Habitat Use By Western Toads And American Bullfrogs In California’S Central Valley: Effects Of Local Habitat Characteristics And Landscape Composition, Kaitlyn Breana Hernandez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Drastic losses of historic wetland habitat in the California Central Valley have caused widespread population declines and extirpations of aquatic breeding amphibians. Efforts to restore wetland habitat have included private land, which represents 70% of land tenure in the Central Valley. Management of these restored wetlands is focused on waterfowl with the assumption that they will provide habitat for native herpetofauna. This study used combined surveys to test the assumption that restored wetlands on private land provide habitat for native amphibians with the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) as a case study. The objectives were to use environmental DNA …

The Effects Of Temperature On The Persistence Of Environmental Dna In Self-Preserving Filters, Megan Boche

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study investigates the effectiveness of self-preserving filter packs (filters designed to passively dry and stabilize captured eDNA without liquid preservatives or cold-chain) in maintaining the integrity of environmental DNA (eDNA) under varying temperature and environmental conditions. eDNA degradation was assessed at three temperatures (23, 33, and 43 °C) using water collected from two distinct study sites that differ in species composition and salinity, a freshwater hatchery and a brackish lagoon. To capture early degradation dynamics, eDNA concentrations were quantified using quantitative PCR assays immediately after filtration (t = 0) and after 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 days …

Relational Approaches To Fire Resilience: Designing A Living Shaded Fuel Break With Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Natalee Nicole Lopes

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Escalating wildfire severity across California reflects not only changing climatic conditions but also the cumulative impacts of colonial land management systems that have disrupted Indigenous fire stewardship and altered forest structure and function. This project examines how wildfire mitigation infrastructure, specifically linear fuel treatments, such as fuel breaks, can be reimagined through Indigenous relational frameworks of care-based land stewardship. Grounded in Happy Camp (Athithúfvuunupma), California, within the ancestral homelands of the Karuk Tribe along the mid-Klamath River, this research is carried out in collaboration with Karuk knowledge holders, centering Indigenous knowledge systems and priorities.

Using a mixed-methods approach that integrates …

From Theory To Ecosystems: Exploring Biodiversity And Ecosystem-Function In Pitcher Plant (Darlingtonia Californica) Microbial Communities, Gavin Sutter

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem-function (BEF) has been a central focus of ecological research for the last three decades, yet the role of space in shaping BEF relationships remains relatively unknown. Research has shown that community diversity and composition can strongly influence productivity, nutrient cycling, and decomposition, but much of this work treats communities as spatially isolated, leaving open how dispersal and other spatial processes shape BEF at broader scales. To begin addressing this gap, I used microbial communities inhabiting Darlingtonia californica pitcher plant leaves to evaluate how spatial organization and successional change shape biodiversity and ecosystem-functioning. I quantified …

Effects Of Coaching Interventions On Burnout And Mental Health Outcomes Among Collegiate Athletes: A Meta-Analysis, Natalie Mitchell

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This meta-analysis examined the effects of coaching interventions on burnout and mental health outcomes among collegiate athletes. Following PRISMA guidelines, literature published from 1980 onward was searched across SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and ProQuest Theses & Dissertations. Studies were included if they assessed burnout, psychological well-being, or related mental health outcomes in collegiate athletes and investigated a coaching intervention. Twelve interventional studies met the inclusion criteria. Across studies, coaching interventions varied in structure, duration, sport context, and cultural setting, with most emphasizing intrapersonal strategies and emotional or mental health outcomes. Meta-analytic results indicated small, non-significant effects favoring …

Conflict And Resilience: Unraveling The Connection Between Religiosity And Interethnic And Interconfessional Trust In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Željko Pavić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, national and religious identities have traditionally been deeply connected, serving as key markers of group belonging and boundaries between communities. Among the three main groups — Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs — religious affiliation often functions not only as a matter of personal belief but also as a symbolic affirmation of national identity. This study explores the relationship between various measures of religiosity and attitudes toward members of other nations and religions, with particular focus on differences among the three communities. The results confirm that religion remains an important marker of national identity across all three groups. …

The Ukrainian Religious Diaspora In Countering Russian Aggression, Liudmyla Fylypovych, Georgii D. Fylypovych Mr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the activities of the Ukrainian religious diaspora during the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, its involvement in humanitarian support, and information-media opposition to Russia. It examines the initiatives of various churches, including the UGCC, the Orthodox Church in America, and Protestant congregations abroad, in providing concrete assistance to Ukraine, specifically to refugees, displaced persons, medical institutions, and units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The assistance provided is multi-vector in nature, ranging from financial support for individuals or institutions to psychological aid for those suffering from various traumas. The article highlights the necessity of creating inter-confessional coordination centers for …

The Reconfiguration Of Institutional Trust In The Church In Ukraine During The Full-Scale Russian–Ukrainian War, Nataliia Ishchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the transformation of institutional trust in the Church in Ukraine under the conditions of the full-scale Russian–Ukrainian war. The phenomenon of trust is interpreted as an interdisciplinary concept that makes it possible to combine theological, anthropological, and social approaches to its comprehension. Trust in God and trust in the Church belong to different levels of religious experience: the former has an existential character, while the latter functions as a form of institutional legitimacy. Based on sociological survey data from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) and the Razumkov Centre, it is demonstrated that throughout all the …

Challenges Of The Religious Leadership In The Era Of Digitalization And Information-Communication Technology: The Example Of North Macedonia And Serbia, Vesna Zabijakin Chatleska, Marijana Maksimovic, Ruzhica Cacanoska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Abstract

The rapid development of the digitalization and the information-communication technology resulted in their wider use in the everyday professional and personal life, via various forms of its manifestation, such as, social networks, podcasts and artificial intelligence. The willingness and the capability of the religious leaders to accept information and communication innovations, and to adjust them to the existing specific structure of the religious communities, presupposes a strategic re-thinking of the religious practices and the relations with the believers in the online space. New technologies have enabled simpler and faster communication in religious communities, but with the use of digital …

Two Fronts Of War: Physical And Spiritual: A Conversation With The Head Of The Chaplaincy Service Of The Land Forces Of The Armed Forces Of Ukraine– Larysa Polianska, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

She is an officer – and a woman. Emphasizing that she is not a military chaplain herself, she describes her role as a manager of the spiritual front. She is responsible for organizing the fulfillment of soldiers’ spiritual and religious needs and coordinating military chaplaincy activities. This conversation with Colonel Larysa Polyanska explores what it means for a woman to lead the chaplaincy service of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the reality of two fronts – physical and spiritual – and the pain of loss, prayer, and the power of words.

The Phenomenon Of Professional Burnout Among Military Chaplains In Ukraine, Artem Makovskyi, Oleg Mateyuk, Oleksandr Bilovskyi, Anton Datskov, Dmytro Oleshko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of professional burnout among military chaplains in Ukraine in the context of their personal experience of being in extreme (combat) conditions. The relevance of the problem is due to the prolonged impact of combat operations, high psycho-emotional stress, and the special role of military chaplains in the system of moral and psychological support for Ukraine's security and defense sector. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was the concept of professional burnout by K. Maslach, the provisions of the person-centered approach, and the theory of personal experience. The empirical study …

Ten Signatories, A Hundred Communities: Pluralization Without Consolidation In Slovenian Protestantism, Katja Brkič Golob

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines why contemporary Slovenian Protestantism exhibits a dual structure: a low‑variance Lutheran core (the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession - ECAC) and a high‑variance neo‑Protestant field (mainly Pentecostal, Charismatic, Evangelical, and some Baptist communities). Using the public Register of Churches and Other Religious Communities as an administrative tracer of organizational volatility (first registrations, renamings, deletions), and situating findings in census/survey context, the study shows that post‑1991 legal liberalization enabled rapid formalization without automatic consolidation. A four‑lens framework—historico‑legal, sociological (church–sect–mysticism; religious‑economy), ecclesiological (order vs. movement), and psychological (charisma and its routinization; risks of authoritarian patterns)—explains why tensions in …

The Reformation And The Formation Of A Ukrainian Model Of Theological Education: From The Ostroh Academy To The Present, Vitalii Leonidovich Khromets Dr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article traces the institutional history of theological education in Ukraine from the Ostroh Academy (1576) to the present, proposing a typological framework of four models. The Ostroh Academy is interpreted as a proto-university synthesising Orthodox confessional formation, humanist learning, and civic responsibility. The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (1632/1701) is read as a paradoxical Counter-Reformation continuation of the same logic, appropriating the Jesuit collegium model as an instrument of resistance to Polonisation and Latinisation. The eighteenth-century network of collegia — Chernihiv, Pereiaslav-Khmelnytsky, Kharkiv, and the Poltava Slavonic Seminary — is treated as a mature networked form integrating theological education with Pietist influences …

Imperial Islam And Colonial Control: The Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly As A Mediator Of Russian Rule In The Kazakh Frontier, Zharas Akhan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the strategic role of the Orenburg Muslim Spiritual Assembly (OMSA) as a pivotal instrument of imperial governance in the Kazakh Steppe during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The study investigates how the Russian Tsarist administration instrumentalized Islamic institutions to exercise political control and facilitate the integration of nomadic Kazakh society into the imperial hierarchy. Drawing on extensive archival evidence, the author analyzes the institutional evolution of the Muftiate, its involvement in diplomatic and intelligence operations, and the intermediary agency of Tatar mullahs who bridged the gap between the Kazakh aristocracy and the Russian bureaucracy. The paper identifies …

The Russian Orthodox Church In The Ukrainian Ssr, 1946–1951: Activity And State Relations In Vinnytsia Region, Natalka Zhmud, Anatoliy A. Voynarovskiy Skiy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church (hereafter, ROC) and its relations with Soviet authorities in the Ukrainian SSR between 1946 and 1951. It draws on archival materials introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time–specifically, reports by commissioners of the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Council for the Affairs of Religious Cults in the Ukrainian SSR, with particular reference to Vinnytsia region. Relations between the ROC and the Soviet authorities, in authors opinion, should be regarded in the context of a noticeable easing of anti-religious pressure under Stalin’s totalitarian regime …

The Religious Dimension Of The Seasonality Of Marriage In Right-Bank Ukraine In The Late 19th And Early 20th Centuries, Oleksandr Maksymov, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Maryna Lysak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the religious influence on the regulation of the demographic behavior of the population, in particular the seasonality of marriages, using the example of the Orthodox parish of the village of Biloshytsi, Ovruch County, Volhynian Governorate, in the last quarter of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. The study is based on an analysis of the metric records of St. Dmytro’s Church and archival sources, which make it possible to trace the peculiarities of the marital behavior of the parish community. Particular attention is paid to the institutional influence of the Orthodox Church on the regulation of …

Religious Security In The Post-Soviet Space: The Evolution And Socio-Political And Legal Consequences Of Religious Extremism In Kazakhstan, Zharas Akhan Phd

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Examination of the processes of emergence, institutionalization, and development of religious extremism in post-Soviet Kazakhstan. Utilizing historical-comparative and institutional methodologies, the study analyzes the socio-political and economic factors that have contributed to the spread of radical religious ideologies from the 1990s to the present. The development of religious extremism in Kazakhstan is categorized into three chronological stages: the latent formative period (1991–1998), the stage of institutional adaptation and prevention (1999–2010), and the phase of transition to terrorist methods (2011–present). The research findings demonstrate that religious extremism in Kazakhstan has evolved from a perceived external threat into a complex internal security …

Russian-Speaking Muslim Female Bloggers And The Rise Of Gender-Justice Religious Narratives, Kymbat Karatyshkanova, Kudaiberdi Bagasharov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines how Russian-speaking Muslim female bloggers use social media to construct gender-justice narratives and contest religious interpretations they perceive as patriarchal. Drawing on qualitative thematic discourse analysis of publicly available content on YouTube, Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok, the study conceptualizes these practices as digital counter-preaching: the public contestation and reframing of existing religious messages through alternative Islamic arguments. The findings identify several strategies, including framing women’s rights as divinely grounded entitlements, distinguishing Islam from patriarchal cultural practices, promoting economic resilience, challenging selective gendered accountability, and emphasizing reciprocity in marital relations. Digital counter-preaching emerges from perceived interpretive injustice, women’s …

Belief, Religious Practice, And Religious Self-Description: A Comparative Analysis Of World Values Survey Wave 7 Data From Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, And Uzbekistan, Margulan Alpysbay, Dinara Utebayeva, Asset Kuranbek

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Although religiosity may appear straightforward to measure empirically, no single survey item captures it fully. This limitation is particularly evident in societies where belief in God is widespread: belief may not correspond to religious attendance, prayer frequency, or self- description as a religious person. Treating these differences as merely methodological would obscure important variation in how religiosity is expressed. A comparison of five empirical indicators of religiosity in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. It examines how belief in God, the importance of God in life, religious attendance, prayer frequency, and religious self-description converge or diverge. The analysis uses World Values Survey …

Urban Trees In The Urban Hydrology Cycle, Jorge R. Vera

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In urban forestry, trees provide numerous economic, ecological, and aesthetic benefits to the surrounding community. One of their key roles is intercepting stormwater runoff, reducing flooding risk, and improving water quality. Chapter 1 of this thesis characterized the ecological and economic contributions of urban trees on the Marshall University campus and provides guidance on their management and conservation in the future. Chapter 2 examined how urban tree species modify the urban hydrology cycle by altering the volume and timing of precipitation delivery. In Chapter 1, we inventoried 114 acres of Marshall University's main campus in Huntington, WV, from June 28 …

Researching A New Religious Phenomenon Of The Central Asia: Digital Sufism, Bekzhan A. Azhimov, Nurlan Kairbekov, Jolaman Bulan, Tussipkhan Imammadi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This study examines the emergence of digital Sufism as a modern spiritual phenomenon. It investigates the participation of Sufi groups on social media, the themes conveyed in their online sermons, and the ways their digital strategies compare with other Islamic organizations. The article further explores how Sufi orders navigate virtual environments, questioning whether they reveal elements of esoteric knowledge in these spaces. The notion of digital Sufism is presented as a lens for understanding how Sufi traditions integrate modern technology to widen the influence and relevance of their teachings. The research highlights how Sufism has adjusted to the challenges of …

Psychological Aspects Of Religious Faith Among Participants Of Combat Operations In Crisis Situations, Ivan Bilosevych, Hanna Voshkolup, Andriy Hirnyak, Anastasiia Yatyshchuk, Volodymyr Shafranskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of the psychological dimensions of religious faith on the sense of coherence among military personnel, which in turn serves as an indicator of heightened stress tolerance. The study employs various empirical methods, including questionnaires, as well as both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The Duke Religiosity Index is utilized to assess the level of religiosity among military personnel, encompassing three dimensions: organizational religious activity, non-organizational religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity. To evaluate the level of coherence in military personnel under stress and combat conditions, the Antonovsky SOC-13 scale is employed, utilizing …

Development Of True Orthodox Church In Kyiv Region (1927-1931), Oleksandr Trygub, Oleh Bazhan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The preconditions for the formation and activities of the True Orthodox Church in the territory of the Kyiv region from 1927 to 1931 are studied in the scientific paper. Based on archival documents, the reasons for the emergence of the anti-Sergius opposition among the Orthodox clergy and laity who rejected the Declaration of Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky) on loyalty to Soviet power are analyzed. It is shown that the Kyiv region became one of the centers for the development of the True Orthodox Christian movement in the Ukrainian SSR, where independent communities were formed. The specifics of underground church life are …

2025-26 Annual Report, Tennessee. Board Of Paroles

Annual Reports

This document is the annual report for the Tennessee Board of Parole during the fiscal year.

The Impact Of Belonging To Identity-Based Student Organizations On Minority Stress In A Midwestern Predominantly White University, Mallory Millet, Akanksha Das, Christian C. Garcia, Rose Marie Ward

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Minoritized students are exposed to additional unique stressors due to the systematic devaluation of their identities (i.e., minority stress). Additionally, minoritized students report higher levels of mental health concerns than their peers (e.g., anxiety, depression). Identity-based student organizations can be one avenue that universities could use to support these students. These organizations, designed to build social connections among students with shared experiences, may reduce minority stress through fostering students’ sense of belonging. However, the relationship between sense of belonging, minority stress, and identity-based student organizations has yet to be studied. The present study used quantitative and qualitative methods to understand …

“Maybe I’M Not Valued Here”: Organizational Toxins In Student Affairs, William R. Bowey Jr

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Organizations of student affairs are dynamic entities that are situated to support the learning, growth, development, and wellbeing of students. However, like any organization, they may contain toxins that detract from these goals. This study situates ambiguity and exploitation as organizational toxins faced by individuals in student affairs. The conceptualization of organizational toxins is novel to the student affairs literature, and the findings provide fertile ground for future research and the implementation of strategies to mitigate toxins in student affairs.