Digital Commons Network^™

From Stigma To Strength: Exploring Workplace Wellness At Nami Monterey County, Maria G. Zamudio

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Employees in Monterey County face persistent challenges related to poor mental health, driven by high costs of living, limited access to providers, workplace stress, and stigma surrounding help-seeking behaviors. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Monterey County, a grassroots organization committed to education and advocacy, primarily serves caregivers and families of individuals with mental illness but is expanding efforts to address systemic workplace mental health barriers. This capstone project involved designing and piloting workplace-focused interventions, including presentations for a Public Works Department, a customizable training binder, and pre/post-assessment tools. The initiative sought to reduce stigma, increase awareness of resources, …

Little Hands, Big Impact: Building Responsibility And Environmental Awareness In Preschoolers, Danielle Gordon

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project focuses on social skills development, specifically teaching preschool-aged children environmental responsibility and the importance of cleaning up after themselves. Learning to take responsibility for their own actions fosters independence, cooperation, and respect for shared spaces; yet, many young children struggle with this concept due to their egocentric stage of development (Piaget, 1952). Preschoolers might not understand how their actions impact other people or the environment. To meet this need, I presented a 90-minute interactive lesson plan for preschoolers (aged 3-5) at Seaside Child Development Center that teaches children how even seemingly insignificant things, like tidying up their …

The Process Of Integrating Analog Music Recording Techniques In The Modern Age, Marley I. Jones

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Jacob Alfaro and I recorded an album called Greenway Derby. Taking past influences into account, this paper looks into how the modern musician can be inspired by these artists' techniques. Specifically focusing on analog recording gear and how, within the digital age, modern musicians can integrate techniques and sounds from the past into their own workflow when learning to write and record an album while still achieving the analog tones using both the professional studio and home studio options.

Enhancing Emotional Regulation Skills In Kindergarteners, Erica C. Ayers

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Kindergarten-aged children often have trouble regulating their emotions because emotional regulation is a complex process to comprehend and manage. The development of emotional regulation is crucial in this developmental stage because it sets the child up for academic, career, and social success in life (Schlesier et al., 2019). Failing to learn successful regulation can have negative effects on mental well-being and social behaviors. Therefore, it is essential to teach kindergarteners emotional regulation. For this purpose, I developed two workshops that promoted self-awareness, cognitive reappraisal, and versatility among kindergarteners (4 to 5 years old) at Brookside Christian Little Learners in San …

“Fighting For Our Future” The Grassroots Victory For Ethnic Studies In The Pajaro Valley Unified School District, Eli L. Davies

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This Capstone project captures personal participant ethnography of the 2023-2025 campaign to reinstate an esteemed Ethnic Studies consultant at the Pajaro Valley Unified School District in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, CA. I joined students, educators, parents, and community members to form a grassroots movement of resistance to counter right-wing Zionist attacks on Ethnic Studies. This paper will show how the rich legacy and spirit of resistance within Watsonville contributed to the victory against academic repression in K-12 Ethnic Studies.

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Butte Treatment Lagoons (Btl) Groundwater Treatment System Quarterly Operation And Maintenance Report – Quarter 2 2025 (Dated September 30, 2025), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final 2022 Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Sampling: Bres No. 96 – Washoe Dump Site Evaluation Summary Report, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Digital Divide: Enhancing Digital Literacy In Florida's Ged® Education Program, Nicole Howard-Rice

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

This dissertation addressed the critical need for mandated digital literacy courses in Florida's General Educational Development (GED®) programs. As digital skills become increasingly essential for success in education, employment, and daily life, GED® recipients often face significant disadvantages due to a lack of digital proficiency. The findings revealed positive results between digital literacy and employability, emphasizing the transformative potential of integrating digital skills training into GED® curricula. The research highlighted the barriers to acquiring digital skills faced by adult learners, including limited access to technology, varying skill levels, and insufficient instructional support. This study advocated for curriculum updates that align …

Motivation And Productivity Of Female Employees In China With Scoliosis Pain, Shauna-Kay Reeves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A scoliosis diagnosis can impact an individual’s work performance, particularly if there is a lack of proper ergonomics or workplace accommodations that might lead to increased pain and discomfort. Organizational leaders must understand this impact as an indicator of employee motivation and productivity. The purpose of this qualitative, interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore the lived experience of female employees in China with scoliosis pain and its impact on their motivation and productivity. The theoretical foundations used in this study were the job demands-resources model and the self-determination theory. The participants consisted of eight female employees with scoliosis pain working …

Reference Dosimetry Data And Machine Performance Comparison For Tomotherapy Delivery Systems Audited By Iroc, Paige A Taylor, Hunter Mehrens, Mallory C Glenn, Fre'etta Brooks, Hayden Scott, Lian Duan, Taylor Meyers, Diana Carrasco Rojas, Michael Yang, Paola Alvarez, Jessica Lowenstein, Andrea Molineu, Stephen F Kry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The aim of this work was to compare the imaging and radiation oncology core (IROC) on-site TomoTherapy dosimetry measurement results among institutions and generate a dataset of basic dosimetric properties for TomoTherapy units. Independent ion chamber measurements for nine TomoTherapy units were acquired by IROC physicists between 2008 and 2023. Measurements included percent depth dose (PDD) in a water tank and off axis factors (OAF) in a solid Polystyrene phantom. The independent measurements collected during the on-site audits for each TomoTherapy system were compared to corresponding TomoTherapy TPS calculations from the institution to assess agreement. Numeric measurement values and comparative …

Inhibiting Monocyte Migration Reduces Arterial Thrombosis And Facilitates Thrombolysis, Hee Jeong Jang, Jiwon Kim, Ha Kim, Taesu Kim, Jinyong Chung, Sebastian Cremer, Marvin Krohn-Grimberghe, Eo Jin Kim, Dawid Schellingerhout, Matthias Nahrendorf, Dong-Eog Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Monocytes contribute to the initiation and propagation of venous thrombosis. Little is known about the roles monocytes play in arterial thrombosis, the cause of stroke and myocardial infarction.

Methods: We investigated how CCR2 (CC chemokine receptor 2) knockout (-/-)-mediated monocyte deficiency affects platelet function, blood coagulation, thrombus volume, and thrombolytic susceptibility in 666 male mice with FeCl3-mediated carotid arterial thrombosis, including 365 C57BL/6 wild type (WT) mice, 295 CCR2-/- mice, and 6 CX3CR1-GFP (CX3C chemokine receptor 1-green fluorescent protein) mice.

Results: Intravital microscopy and flow cytometry showed that both neutrophils and monocytes were recruited to the acute arterial thrombus, …

Adherence To Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Age-Eligible Us Women: Findings From Nhis 2021, Monalisa Chandra, Joël Fokom Domgue, Robert Yu, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite the proven benefits of early breast cancer detection in reducing mortality, adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines in the United States is suboptimal. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and factors associated with adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines.

Methods: Using nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey 2021, we included breast cancer screening-eligible women (aged 50-74). Descriptive statistics and population-weighted multivariable logistic regression were employed to examine breast cancer screening adherence per the United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines, and its determinants in this population.

Results: Of the 6814 screening-eligible women included in …

Individualizing Nsaid Therapy In Axial Spondyloarthritis: N-Of-1 Trials With Bayesian Analysis, Mark C Hwang, Seokhun Kim, Shervin Assassi, Reyna Chavez, Joyce Samuel, Charles Green, Jon Tyson, John Reveille

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease predominantly affecting the spine and sacroiliac joints. NSAIDs are first-line therapy, but individual responses vary widely. We evaluated the efficacy and patient preference of three NSAIDs (celecoxib, meloxicam and naproxen) through Bayesian N-of-1 clinical trials to optimize axSpA management.

Methods: We conducted N-of-1 trials with 42 patients meeting ASAS criteria for axSpA. Each patient was asked to complete two cycles of randomized double-blind crossover comparisons of the three NSAIDs, each for 4 weeks. The primary end point was the change in the Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS). Bayesian analysis assessed …

Fusobacterium Sphaericum Sp Nov, Isolated From A Human Colon Tumor Adheres To Colonic Epithelial Cells And Induces Il-8 Secretion, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Yannick Eisele, Alexander Baryiames, Hanrui Wu, Claudia Mengoni, Gianmarco Piccinno, Elsa F Mcmahon, Kaitlyn D Lacourse, Dakota S Jones, Hans Hauner, Samuel S Minot, Nicola Segata, Floyd E Dewhirst, Christopher D Johnston, Susan Bullman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cancerous tissue is a largely unexplored microbial niche that provides a unique environment for the colonization and growth of specific bacterial communities, and with it, the opportunity to identify novel bacterial species. Here, we report distinct features of a novel Fusobacterium species, F. sphaericum sp. nov. (Fs), isolated from primary colon adenocarcinoma tissue. We acquire the complete closed genome and associated methylome of this organism and phylogenetically confirm its classification into the Fusobacterium genus, with F. perfoetens as its closest neighbor. Fs is phenotypically and genetically distinct, with morphological analysis revealing its coccoid shape, that while similar to …

From Concept To Community: Building And Sustaining Communication Research Labs, America L. Edwards, Matthew J. A. Craig, Hannah E. Jones, Chad Edwards, Autumn P. Edwards

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This essay explores the conceptual, practical, and relational foundations of building and sustaining communication research labs. Drawing on early models of research teams, we argue that contemporary labs function as living systems that integrate research, teaching, mentorship, and community engagement. The essay outlines practical considerations for creating and maintaining labs, including recruitment, infrastructure, leadership succession, and digital presence, while emphasizing the importance of flexibility and autonomy. Rather than viewing labs as static organizational units, we position them as relational ecosystems that evolve through connection, shared purpose, and adaptability across time and institutions. Ultimately, this work encourages scholars to view lab-building …

Adenovirus Types In Us Children Hospitalized Or Seen In The Emergency Department With Acute Respiratory Illness, 2016-2019., Tess Stopczynski, Varvara Probst, Adam Gailani, Justin Z. Amarin, Olla Hamdan, Haya Hayek, Laura S. Stewart, Herdi K. Rahman, Rangaraj Selvarangan, Jennifer E. Schuster, Christopher J. Harrison, Mary E. Moffatt, Marian G. Michaels, John V. Williams, Julie A. Boom, Leila C. Sahni, Vasanthi Avadhanula, Mary Allen Staat, Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker, Christina Quigley, Geoffrey A. Weinberg, Peter G. Szilagyi, Janet A. Englund, Eileen J. Klein, Aaron T. Curns, Heidi L. Moline, Ariana P. Toepfer, James D. Chappell, Andrew J. Spieker, Natasha B. Halasa

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Human adenovirus (HAdV) is a common cause of pediatric acute respiratory illness (ARI), contributing to 5-13% of cases worldwide. Clinical manifestations vary by HAdV species and type; therefore, delineating type-specific disease presentations and understanding severity of specific HAdV types' disease may help develop targeted interventions.

METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, prospective study within the New Vaccine Surveillance Network to characterize HAdV types. Children < 18 years old with ARI were enrolled in the emergency department or inpatient setting at 7 US children's hospitals from 1 December 2016 to 30 November 2019. Respiratory specimens were collected and tested for HAdV and other viruses. Subsequently, typing was conducted on HAdV specimens using single-plex real-time PCR assays targeting sequences in the hexon gene. Comparisons between HAdV types were performed to determine differences in characteristics and outcomes. Generalized linear mixed effects models were used to evaluate severity.

RESULTS: Among the 1843 HAdV-positive cases, 1402 specimens (76%) were typed. The most common types detected were HAdV-C1 (n = 439), HAdV-C2 (n = 393), and HAdV-B3 (n = 221). Children with HAdV-B7 (n = 78) …

Δ-Open Maps And-Closed Maps In Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Soft Topological Spaces, Vijayalakshmi B, Madhunika S

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Markov Decision Model For Strategic Planning In The Leisure Sports Industry Competitiveness Analysis Under Triple Uncertainty, Jianjun Yin

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Big Data Informatization Empowers Integrity Building In University Sports Under Type-2 Neutrosophic Fuzzy Sets: Theoretical Framework, Practical Dilemmas And Institutional Innovation Evaluation, Jie Zhou

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Halo Gravity Traction And Temporary Internal Distraction, Nicholas D. Fletcher, Anson G. Bautista, Joshua S. Murphy, K Aaron Shaw

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Severe pediatric spinal deformities may require staged correction strategies to mitigate neurologic risk and optimize cardiopulmonary outcomes. This paper reviews two adjunctive techniques—halo gravity traction (HGT) and temporary internal distraction (TID)—used in the management of rigid scoliosis. HGT enables gradual preoperative spinal elongation and coronal/sagittal realignment, improving pulmonary function and nutritional status while reducing the need for three-column osteotomies. TID offers an internal, staged distraction approach for patients contraindicated for external traction, allowing incremental correction via posterior instrumentation followed by definitive fusion. Clinical studies report Cobb angle reductions of 30–80 %, with low rates of neurologic complications when neuromonitoring and …

Realizing The Americans With Abilities Act: Promoting Civil Rights & Capabilities In The Service Of Individuals With Brain Injury, Zachary E. Shapiro, Tiffany Li, Kaiulani S. Shulman, Melisa Olgun, Chantelle Van Wiltenburg, Molly Teague, Emma Kromm, Brandy Allen, Elliot E.C. Ping, John D. Bowers, Rebecca Harris, Nayla Basma, Apurv Hirsh Shekhar, Gregory E. Antill, Megan S. Wright, Joseph J. Fins

UC Law Journal

Brain injuries often result in varying degrees of impairment to communication and cognitive processes, impeding an individual’s ability to engage in daily activities, participate in social interactions, and achieve independence. This paper builds upon our legislative proposal from Designing An Americans With Abilities Act: Consciousness, Capabilities, and Civil Rights, published in the Boston College Law Review in 2022. That paper proposed new legislation called “The Americans with Abilities Act” (“AWAA”), a comprehensive framework for the effective development, uptake, and utilization of advanced assistive technology (“AT”). These technologies aid individuals with brain injuries in realizing their capabilities and reintegrating into broader …

Insurance Under Fire: Assessing How California’S Insurance Industry Is Tackling The Wildfire Crisis And What’S Next, Mackenzie Paskerian

UC Law Journal

California is currently facing an insurance crisis. The increased impact of climate change, including extreme droughts and wildfires, poses new risks to the insurance industry, especially when it comes to homeowner’s insurance. Insurance providers have limited their homeowner coverage, with many companies leaving the state entirely due to the undervaluation of climate risk in the policies they provide. A so-called “climate insurance bubble” is already beginning to burst. The state’s last-resort public insurance program, the FAIR Plan, has expanded rapidly to fill in for the lack of insurance providers in the state. But because FAIR Plan policies are expensive and …

Brewing Solidarity: Rights Consciousness And Class Consciousness In Coffeeshop Organizing, Brishen Rogers

UC Law Journal

Almost ten thousand baristas have unionized since 2022 in cafes across the country. Their effort breaks with recent history in several respects. For example, baristas have used a novel “worker-to-worker organizing” model in which workers themselves—rather than union staff and leadership—design and manage campaigns. Also, while scholars and unionists have argued for decades that the National Labor Relations Board’s secret ballot elections process is a dead end, baristas have used that process quite effectively, winning over 85% of their elections against the major company involved. Through their organizing efforts, baristas have centered the issues and voices of LGBTQ+ workers and …

Religious Freedom & The Fertilized Egg, Rabea Benhalim

UC Law Journal

Anti-abortion activism and litigation have challenged established caselaw on the legality of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the legal treatment of IVF fertilized eggs. These challenges rely on conservative Christian ideologies that full personhood occurs at fertilization. Litigation has primarily arisen out of wrongful death suits and divorce proceedings, wherein a party either has destroyed or seeks to dispose of frozen blastocysts. Some legislatures now seek to regulate the treatment of IVF fertilized eggs vis-á-vis legislation, as politicians increasingly seek to ban any destruction of human fertilized eggs by legally defining human life as beginning at fertilization. However, the question …

A Comprehensive Digital Marketing Strategy Guide For Independent Musicians, William Elree Hilburn

Theses

Creating and implementing a sound digital marketing strategy is a crucial element to consider as an independent musician. In this thesis report and the strategy guide that follows, a number of current digital marketing strategies are discussed at length. The strategies that are discussed in this report and within the strategy guide have been gleaned through semi-structured qualitative interviews with two separate up-and-coming music artists. The information shared by these case studies has been documented and synthesised into this report, as well as, into a comprehensive strategy guide that has been written to aid fledgling music artists in their digital …

Rubbing Away Respect: How Repeated Touch Alters The Meaning Of Women’S Statues, Olivea Kittrell

Theses

This thesis examines how repeated public interactions with statues of women, particularly the ritualized rubbing of their breasts, alter both the material surfaces and symbolic meanings of statues. We will focus on three bronze sculptures: the Molly Malone statue in Dublin, the Juliet statue in Verona, and the Bust of Dalida in Paris. Through these, we will investigate how statues created with commemorative intent become sites of sexualized behavior based on gender. The problem this thesis addresses is the lack of scholarly analysis on how gendered public interaction physically and symbolically transforms statues of women. While some scholarship covers either …

Identity And Representation In Contemporary Art: An Inclusive 400/500-Level Art History Seminar Course, Laura E. Franz

Theses

This project is an upper-level art history seminar addressing identity and representation – specifically related to race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality – in contemporary art. Primarily a discussion-based course, the course is focused on inclusivity and is highly structured, with weekly low-stakes assignments that provide students with ample opportunities to practice engaging with academic texts. Designed for students with varying levels of academic skills, it is built around current non-academic articles that students select via an online survey. Students then “unpack” the “big ideas” in each of the four chosen non-academic articles via a cluster of academic readings and videos …

Social Media's Impact On Female Generation Alpha's Beauty Standards And Consumer Habits, Matisen O'Brien

Theses

This study examines how social media shapes beauty standards and consumer behaviors among female Generation Alpha (ages 7–13). As the first generation fully immersed in digital culture, these young girls face early exposure to influencer marketing, algorithmic promotion, and adult beauty practices, which influence their skincare routines and product preferences. The research highlights the decline of child-centered physical spaces, intensifying their engagement with digital platforms. Using a mixed-methods approach focused on a subgroup of female gymnasts, the study combines quantitative surveys and qualitative analysis to reveal how social media affects identity formation, consumer choices, and related mental health concerns. Results …

Frameworks Of Genius: Fresco, Labor, Scaffolding, And Patronage In The Making Of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Jackelyn Eileen Adkins

Theses

This thesis examines how the materiality of production and the patronage of Pope Julius II influenced the visual and conceptual outcome of Michelangelo’s ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. It argues the physical demands of the fresco medium, the architectural constraints of the chapel, and the material infrastructure, such as the pigments, scaffolding, and spatial dynamics related to the political, theological, and ideological imperatives of papal authority. The materials served as a symbolic extension of Pope Julius II’s ambitions, embedding his message directly into the frescoes. By foregrounding the complex web of labor and materials that supported the project, this …

Effects Of Juncus-Derived Biochar And Fertilizer Rate On Soil Properties, Sorghum Yield, And Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In Southern Texas, Damar David Patrick Wilson

All Theses

Biochar is a crucial soil amendment used in agriculture to enhance soil health, improve crop yields, and increase climate resilience, thereby promoting sustainable agriculture. Biochar produced from Juncus effusus plants can also be utilized to enhance soil health, increase water retention, and improve nutrient availability and beneficial microbial activity, thereby promoting better plant growth and stress management. This research was conducted at the Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) research farm. It aimed to highlight how biochar produced from J. effusus, utilizing a circulator system that sequesters heavy metals from the water and then converts it to biochar, can be used, …