Digital Commons Network^™

Transitions From Traditional Gender And Sexuality Roles To Non-Conforming Identities Through Performance Art: A Multiple Case Study, Adrianne Trogden, Dorin Captari-Scirri

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

This qualitative multiple case study examined how two individuals from religiously conservative households navigated transitions from traditional gender and sexuality roles to non-conforming and queer identities through performance art. Using case study methodology, five interconnected themes emerged: Performing Gender - pressure to "act masculine," Performing Sexuality – pressure to "act straight," Performing Art - freedom of expression of gender and sexuality on stage, Shame and fear transformed when accepted sexuality, and Finding one's voice and identity - gender and sexuality. Stage performance art served as an underlying foundation, providing a transformative space for safely exploring previously constrained gender and …

Sex And Stigma: The Cisgender Woman’S Experience, Regin Dean, Kara Schneider, Lucas M. Perez, Tae Joon Kim, Ryan G. Carlson

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

This study examines how sexual stigma and societal expectations affect the self-esteem of college-aged women within the context of casual sex. Using a qualitative, thematic design, participants were recruited through purposive sampling and interviewed using semi-structured protocols. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching domains: Identity & Self-perception (empowerment, femininity and body image, fluidity), Social Factors (familial and cultural expectations, shame and comparison, formative relationships), and Developmental Influences (social media, scrutiny, knowledge gaps). Findings demonstrate how stigma is internalized and reinforced through interpersonal and media influences, underscoring the need for counseling practices that address both individual wellness and systemic advocacy.

Purity Culture And Sexual Shame, Dr. Amanda Gray, Dr. Kat R. Klement

Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education

We investigated the relationship between Christian purity culture (PC) exposure/endorsement and sexual shame in 1,273 participants. Purity culture (PC) is a belief system predicated on sexual abstinence until heterosexual marriage and traditional gender roles. Correlational data showed that PC exposure was associated with higher sexual shame, particularly among women, and only among those who no longer endorsed PC. However, we did not find a causal relationship between PC exposure and sexual shame. Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for countering sex-negative messages during adolescence to improve healthy sexual development and better health and relationship outcomes.

Asymmetric Opinion Formation Of Emotional Excitable Agents, Irene Ferri, Emanuele Cozzo, Aleix Nicolás-Olivé, Albert Díaz-Guilera, Luce Prignano

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

The bounded confidence model represents a widely adopted framework for modeling opinion dynamics wherein actors have a continuous-valued opinion and interact and approach their positions in the opinion space only if their opinions are within a specified confidence threshold. Here, we propose a novel framework where the confidence bound is determined by a decreasing function of their emotional arousal, an additional independent variable distinct from the opinion value. Additionally, our framework accounts for agents' ability to broadcast messages, with interactions influencing the timing of each other's message emissions. Our findings underscore the significant role of synchronization in shaping consensus formation. …

Integrating Free, Prior, And Informed Consent Into Indonesia's Palm Oil Regulatory Framework For Indigenous Protection, Ermanto Fahamsyah, Natasya Aulia Putri, Ramadhan Dwi Saputra, Vicko Taniady

Padjadjaran Jurnal Ilmu Hukum (Journal of Law)

This study examines the absence of a binding Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) mechanism in Indonesia's palm oil regulatory framework, which has resulted in recurring land conflicts and insufficient protection for indigenous peoples whose customary territories are converted into plantation concessions. It aims to analyze the weaknesses of the current legal framework and to evaluate FPIC models in the Philippines and Colombia as potential references for national reform. This study adopts a normative legal method using statutory, case-based, and comparative approaches. Primary and secondary legal materials were examined to assess Indonesia's existing protections for indigenous peoples and to compare …

Indirectly Fired, Single-Chamber Parabolic Radiative Kiln, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a high-efficiency, multi-directional thermal enclosure consisting of a single-chamber, non-metallic refractory kiln characterized by a parabolic, catenary, or semi-spherical vaulted geometry. This document details a system configuration where a high-density masonry or clay enclosure functions sequentially as both an active combustion chamber and an indirect, passive radiant energy concentrator. By optimizing the internal radius of curvature of the vaulted shell, the system acts as a geometric infrared mirror, focusing and redistributing uniform multi-directional radiant heat flux to a centralized processing plane after the primary heat source is removed or extinguished. The thermodynamic principles, material properties, and physical …

Bio-Compatible Hardware Computing Framework, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure details an entirely metal-free, biochemical, and biodegradable hardware computing architecture. It is the explicit intent of the authors to place the entirety of these concepts, material configurations, and geometric manufacturing methodologies into the public domain to establish a permanent barrier of prior art. The configurations disclosed herein utilize the inherent, predictable chemical and physical properties of processed natural feedstocks (such as regenerated plant cellulose, exfoliated organic carbon, and biological resins). While these elements are isolated and processed from raw botanical and graphitic sources, the final textile computing assemblies operate strictly via the unalterable, native physical laws governing electron …

Thermochemical Heat Generation System, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a zero-petroleum, 100% biodegradable, multi-stage thermochemical heat-generation and dissipation system. The initial chemical energy release is driven by the highly exothermic hydration reaction of biogenic Calcium Oxide (derived via the calcination of Dreissena polymorpha biomass) when exposed to a high-surface-area, carbonaceous aqueous suspension (derived from pyrolyzed micro-algae). This document details a system configuration where an instantaneous core thermal spike of approximately 300 degrees Celsius is mechanically throttled, stored as sensible heat, and slowly dissipated through an exterior elastomeric silicone barrier. The resulting energy profile yields a safe, flattened, long-duration therapeutic thermal plateau of approximately 45 degrees Celsius …

Passive Micro-Climate Pressure Chamber, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a passive, localized, low-pressure, high-humidity unvented vapor-retention micro-chamber engineered from unglazed, porous, high-thermal-mass ceramic or earthenware materials. This document details a geometric design consisting of an inverted dome or bell-shaped housing configured to seat flush against a heated horizontal substrate (hearth). This configuration forms a sealed micro-climate capable of capturing, buffering, and recycling transient volatile vapors and moisture without requiring active mechanical gas-injection or external steam-delivery infrastructure. The thermodynamic principles and physical mechanics detailed herein are inherently enabled by thousands of years of European human cultural heritage—specifically the archaeological record of ancient Greek and Roman portable clay …

Baffled Solid-Medium Thermal Energy Storage System, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a passive, high-efficiency, solid-medium sensible heat Thermal Energy Storage system constructed from high-density, non-metallic refractory materials (such as fired clay bricks, earthen masonry, or cast stone). This document details a mechanical design featuring a multi-stage, tortuous, baffled internal flue matrix (a smoke labyrinth) engineered to maximize convective heat transfer from high-velocity, high-temperature combustion exhaust gases into a surrounding high-thermal-mass storage body. The physical mechanics, structural geometry, and thermodynamic principles detailed herein are inherently enabled by centuries of Eastern and Central European human cultural heritage—specifically the historical technology known as the "Russian Pech" (Russian Oven) and related masonry …

Fiber-Reinforced Silicate Particulate Composite, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

The material operates as a fiber-reinforced, particulate-bound multi-phase composite. The mechanical integrity relies on a dual-matrix system where structural sand grains provide compressive strength, a cohesive clay binder provides micro-particle cohesion via electrostatic forces, and high-tensile organic fibers distribute shear and tensile stresses to prevent cracks during moisture desiccation.

A Biodegradable Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a high-tensile, biodegradable, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material comprising a continuous amorphous carbohydrate polymer matrix (derived from thermally processed sucrose and honey/fructose blends) reinforced with a high-fraction organic particulate phase (comprising sheared or whole high-aspect-ratio botanical elements, specifically Prunus dulcis endocarps/almonds). This document details the precise thermal liquefaction, phase change, mechanical compounding, and extrusion techniques required to manufacture this load-bearing composite. The material mechanics and thermal profiles of this formulation are inherently enabled by historical cultural heritage, specifically the 1815 public documentation of Marie-Antoine Carême regarding structural nougat manipulation for architectural elements.

Applications Of A Biopolymer Hydrogel Matrix, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a thermally reversible, biodegradable, high-water-content biopolymer hydrogel matrix generated through the controlled thermal denaturation, extraction, and subsequent low-temperature cross-linking of animal-derived collagen proteins (primarily Type I gelatin) suspended in an aqueous vehicle. This document outlines the chemical clarification, thermal setting profiles, and stabilization techniques required to transform this liquid protein suspension into an elastic, solid hydrogel sheet or airtight protective encapsulation layer. The physical mechanics and chemical formulations of this material are inherently enabled by historical cultural heritage, specifically the 1815 public documentation of Marie-Antoine Carême regarding clarified savory aspics and molded bavarois emulsions.

Applications Of A Low Density, Rigid, Open Cell Biofoam, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a low-density, biodegradable, open-cell structural biofoam generated through the gas-phase dispersion and mechanical fluid-shearing of an aqueous avian egg-white protein solution (specifically ovalbumin, conalbumin, and ovomucoid) stabilized by a high-fraction crystalline carbohydrate solute (sucrose). This document outlines the mechanical aeration, extrusion, and thermal desiccation techniques required to convert this viscoelastic liquid foam into a lightweight, rigid, porous solid block. The physical mechanics and foundational chemistry of this material are inherently enabled by historical cultural heritage, specifically the 1815 public documentation of Marie-Antoine Carême regarding mechanically aerated meringue structures and piping bag extrusion systems.

A Biodegradable Particulate-Polymer Composite, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a low-cost, room-temperature curing, biodegradable particulate-polymer composite material consisting of a crystalline carbohydrate filler (sucrose), an organic polysaccharide binder (gum tragacanth or equivalent water-soluble vegetable gums), and a liquid vehicle (water). This disclosure details the mechanical formulation, processing methods, and structural applications of this material for non-culinary industrial uses, including sacrificial tooling, casting mandrels, rapid prototyping, and biodegradable architectural modeling. The physical mechanics and chemical formulations of this material are inherently enabled by historical cultural documentation, specifically the 1815 publications of Marie-Antoine Carême regarding pastillage matrices.

Structural Hydrocolloid Scaffolding In 19th Century Pastry, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure details the technical methods for creating shelf-stable, structurally sound, and aerated dairy compositions without the use of modern synthetic stabilizers. It documents the "Diplomat" and "Mousseline" systems as prior art for structural hydrocolloid scaffolding and fat-protein emulsification, specifically addressing the prevention of syneresis (weeping) and the deactivation of starch-degrading enzymes.

The Art Of The Kitchen Insult, Natalie M. Durdle Miss

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure identifies a systematic method of political subversion embedded in the "High Art" of 19th-century French pastry, specifically the works of Marie-Antoine Carême. It identifies the "Crème Diplomate" and "Crème Bavaroise" as deliberate semiotic parodies of the diplomatic class and the Bavarian state. By utilizing gelatin-stabilized aerated structures, the "Chef-Architect" performed a public satire of "spineless" and "insubstantial" political entities, effectively "manufacturing" an illegitimate social class of chef-experts (the "Tiddy-Doll" effect).

Context-Driven Grid Deformation And Deep State Injection For 3d Perception, Idan Kligvasser, Ehud Rivlin, Regev Cohen, George Leifman, Yotam Intrator

Defensive Publications Series

Existing 3D perception methods can be computationally inefficient due to static grids that may process irrelevant spatial regions and may struggle to integrate driving context. A framework can use a global state vector, derived from data such as vehicle ego-state and environmental information, to manage a perception pipeline. The state vector may concurrently drive two mechanisms: a context-driven grid deformation that can create a dynamic, foveated voxel grid to concentrate resolution on pertinent areas, and a deep state injection method using adaptive instance normalization to condition a network’s feature extraction at multiple layers. This integrated system may improve computational efficiency …

Cooperative Ue-Network Delivery Of Map Data For A Predicted Area Of Interest, Arunoday Bhattacharya, Andy (Jibing) Wang

Defensive Publications Series

A method is described for delivering map data to resource-constrained devices, such as smartwatches, operating on bandwidth-limited networks, for example, cellular or non-terrestrial networks. A user equipment (UE) can use sensors and contextual data to predict a user's trajectory and define an area of interest (AoI). The user equipment (UE) may send an area of interest (AoI) request, including its display characteristics, to a network. A network function can then fetch map data, perform server-side optimizations like tiling and layer selection, and computationally crop the data to a shape corresponding to the user equipment (UE) display before transmission. This approach …

Mobile User Interface With An Ergonomic, Bottom-Placed Primary Action And An Explicit, Non-Iconic Dismissal Control, Lin Chen, Yanhao Tan, Andrew Campbell, Onur Turna, Tom Woudenberg, Boriana Viljoen, Jaclyn Einis

Defensive Publications Series

A user interface for a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, can present promotional content in a bottom-sheet container to address potential user engagement issues. The interface may utilize a vertical stack of call to action buttons, placing a primary action at the bottom of the stack to improve ergonomics by being within an easily accessible thumb zone. A conventional x close icon may be omitted. In its place, a secondary dismissive button can use explicit, descriptive text, for example, "Stay on website," to articulate the action's consequence. This configuration of ergonomic placement and an explicit, non-iconic dismissal …

System And Method For Assessing User Engagement And Ad Placement Quality, Xing Tan, Sahil Dhuper, Dongjing He, Yan Chen, Richard Zippel, Rui Zhang, Zachary Loebel Fried

Defensive Publications Series

The described technology provides a system for generating behavioral scores to assess digital publisher properties. The system calculates scores indicating the quality of content placements and user engagement to identify anomalous or low-quality traffic patterns. The evaluation is based on behavioral metrics derived from user interactions with the publisher content and promotional elements. This approach transforms varied interaction signals into normalized, ensembled scores that provide actionable insights into the underlying quality of the digital inventory. Keywords: behavioral score, user engagement, placement evaluation, anomalous traffic, digital advertising, content quality.

Proactive Reservation Of Network Slices Based On Manual Or Contextual Triggers, Arunoday Bhattacharya, Amruth Ramachandran, Jayachandran C, Vid Adiraju, Pavan Nuggehalli

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods are described for a mechanism that supports the proactive reservation of network resources for a specified future time period. This reservation can be initiated manually by a user or automatically by an on-device agent that analyzes contextual signals, such as calendar events or location history, to anticipate a future need for enhanced connectivity. Following a pre-negotiation phase, the network can reserve the resources and deliver an updated routing policy to a user device, for example, a smartphone, smart watch, or augmented reality glasses. This can allow the device to activate the pre-provisioned network slice at the scheduled …

Pathogenic Oral Microbiota Abundance Is Associated With Reduced Bite Force In Patients With Periodontitis, Yi-Fan Wu

Articles in Press

No abstract provided.

Beyond Stabilization: Biological Healing, Structural Exclusion, And The Recovery Gap After Border-Fall Trauma At The U.S.-Mexico Border, Julia Robinson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis examines the biochemical, ethical, and public health consequences of insufficient post-operative follow-up care for undocumented immigrants injured in border falls. Discussing pathways of inflammation resolution, wound healing, and bone remodeling, this thesis argues that recovery depends on tightly regulated molecular and cellular processes that are highly vulnerable to disruption without continued monitoring and rehabilitation (Loi et al., 2016; Maruyama et al., 2020). When follow-up care is absent, these processes can be predicted to derail, leading to infection, impaired healing, and permanent disability (Chung & Sohn, 2025; Howard et al., 2020; Kruidenier et al., 2018). Framed through principles …

Separation Of Copyright Powers, Blake Reid

Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, & Innovation Law

The United States Copyright Office’s multifarious roles in the U.S. copyright system have long prompted uncertainty about its position among the branches of the federal government. From its formal home in the Library of Congress, the chameleonic Office has accumulated a wide range of advisory, rulemaking, adjudicative, and administrative functions that have long prompted questions about both agencies’ exercise of dueling legislative and executive powers. Despite its increasingly sprawling portfolio and unusual configuration, the Office has never faced a serious separation-of-powers reckoning—until now. In the span of just five days in May 2025, Donald Trump fired the Librarian of Congress …

The Names We Carry, Christan Hickman

Masters Theses

The Names We Carry explores the weight of the labels and expectations we carry from others and sometimes from ourselves. It tells the story of moving from exhaustion, self-doubt, and trying to be everything for everyone to discovering rest, boundaries, and a sense of wholeness. The book looks at identities people have given us and asks whether these names show who we really are or who we had to become to survive. It is about learning to live fully, care for ourselves without guilt, and embrace authenticity in work, relationships, and faith. At its heart, The Names We Carry is …

Cinematic Biblical Translation: An Introduction To Narratological Screenwriting Through Genesis 38, Wesley Newman

Masters Theses

CBT draws from three areas of study: screenplay analysis, biblical narratology/narrative criticism, and screenplay adaptation to evaluate specific Hebrew narratives into a screenplay. Biblical narratology offers insight into the literary structure and narrative logic of ancient Hebrew storytelling, while contemporary screenwriting explains how narrative functions within modern audiovisual media. The marrying of these two fields creates a new methodology for translating biblical narratives into a form that remains faithful to the text while also being engaging on screen. This allows me to establish the guidelines necessary for crafting an accurate and compelling screenplay translation while also laying the foundation for …

The Impact Of Teacher Verbal And Nonverbal Communication On Student Motivation, Claire E. Haines

Masters Theses

The classroom environment is one of vast areas of scholarly literature yet may levels of understanding classroom communication remain unexplored. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the lived student experience with how teacher communication impacts student motivation in general as well as intrinsic forms of communication. Data for this research was taken directly from student accounts of verbal and nonverbal interactions with teachers that impacted their motivation. One of the key findings of this research was the observed process that participants described through interviews. This observed three step process displayed how verbal and nonverbal communication were expressed to have …

Dialogue In Screenwriting: Developing The Character Through Conversation, Madalynn Ruth Shiderly

Masters Theses

The purpose of this document is to highlight the importance of dialogue in a screenplay, discuss specific examples of dialogue from well-known films, and analyze how words affect the characterization of a film’s protagonist. First, the document explains the importance of having strong characters in a story for it to be compelling enough for audiences to engage with it. Then, the question of whether character or plot is more important in a narrative is discussed. Finally, the document introduces the concept of dialogue in a screenplay, forming the argument that dialogue is just as important as plot structure. For this …

Man's Modern Need For God: A Literary Apologetic, Matthew G. Jones

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that modern man’s attempt to dispense with God inevitably results in psychological, moral, and existential collapse, a reality most powerfully revealed through the literary works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Leo Tolstoy. Before Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God and called humanity to transcend traditional morality through the rise of the Übermensch, Dostoevsky and Tolstoy had already responded, not merely with philosophical counterarguments, but with stories that exposed the devastating consequences of life divorced from the divine. Through literary apologetics, this thesis examines the broader cultural and spiritual conversation taking place between these nineteenth-century thinkers and …