Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies To Increase Employee Retention In U.S. Independent Restaurants, Tania Raquel Londono-Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Psycho-Behavioral And Psychosocial Factors Influencing Childhood Obesity In The United States, Nadia Ntori Nkansah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Examining Technology Integration In Teaching Science In Secondary Schools In Nigeria, Williams Ahupa Iyango

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Young Adults Describe Their Lived Experiences Of Adverse Childhood Experiences Through The Lens Of A Secure Attachment, Martin Weinberger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Correctional Leadership And Its Relationship To Psychological Well-Being And Job Satisfaction Among Former Department Of Corrections Staff, Brittaney Brown Kovacs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Correctional institutions represent complex work environments in which leadership may influence employee psychological well-being and job satisfaction. Although prior research has primarily focused on correctional officers, less attention has been paid to the broader workforce within Departments of Corrections (DOCs), including educational, healthcare, and administrative personnel. This retrospective mixed-methods study examined the relationships between employee perceptions of transformational, transactional, and authoritarian leadership styles and employee outcomes among former staff of state-level DOCs in the United States. Participants included 75 former DOC employees from multiple states. Quantitative data were collected using standardized measures of leadership, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Multiple …

Lived Experiences Of Polysubstance Use And Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders: A Phenomenological Inquiry, Candee Dione Rillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of individuals with co-occurring substance use disorders (SUD) and mental health disorders (MHD), with particular attention to the transition into polysubstance use. The purpose of the study was to understand how individuals experience and make meaning of these co-occurring conditions and the factors influencing substance use patterns. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants who reported both mental health challenges and substance use histories. Thematic analysis revealed that participants experienced SUD and MHD as deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing, often functioning within a cyclical pattern of distress and temporary relief. Substance use …

From Seed To Vine Intergenerational Discipleship Model For San Antonio Heights Community Church, Alyssa Smedley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This project addressed the lack of an intentional intergenerational discipleship model at San Antonio Heights Community Church through the development of the From Seed to Vine ministry initiative. The project focused on cultivating a sustainable disciple-making culture rooted in relational discipleship, spiritual formation, and intentional mentorship across generations. Four micro-projects were implemented to support this vision: the Ministry Development Plan (MDP), Blogging, Advertisement of Ministry Launch, and Podcasting.

Each micro-project contributed to building awareness, fostering relational connection, and creating practical pathways for participation in the Disciple-Maker Team Training (DMTT). The findings revealed that relational trust, intentional communication, and Spirit-led engagement …

The Lived Experiences Of Individuals With Serious Mental Illness And Cumulative Trauma Seeking And Maintaining Employment While Receiving Holistic Trauma-Informed Care: A Qualitative Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Andrea Evon Mcdowell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and cumulative trauma (CT) seeking and maintaining employment while receiving holistic trauma-informed care (TIC). Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology, which evolved from Husserl’s method of phenomenology, served as the methodological framework for this study. The goal of hermeneutic phenomenology is to understand how individuals see themselves within their natural environments. Hermeneutic phenomenology was a valid design for this study because it allowed the participants to describe their SMI/CT and their lived experiences with holistic TIC. The participants in this study consisted of …

Use Of Smart Safety Devices And Artificial Intelligence And Its Impact On Workplace Injury Reduction In High-Risk Industries In Cameroon: A Qualitative Exploration Of Worker And Management Perspectives, John Atabong Zifac

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Workplace injury has been a significant concern within high-risk industries in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially Cameroon, with weak worker safety standards, poor infrastructure, lack of compliance with regulatory requirements, and a limited level of digital infrastructure contributing to a high risk of worker injury. While artificial intelligence (AI) supported smart safety technologies have revolutionized the way companies conduct workplace safety management in developed nations, little research exists on the perception of these technologies and practicality among low-resource industrial operators in Sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative phenomenological study investigated management and employee perceptions regarding the use of AI-based smart safety devices to reduce …

Beyond The Battlefield: Analyzing Trauma's Impact On Veterans' Holistic Health, Keyanna Mikell-Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study used a mixed-methods approach to examine the multidimensional effects on U.S. veterans' physical, mental, and spiritual health. Two surveys gathered quantitative data from 100 veterans. The surveys included elements of the Life Events Checklist, PTSD screenings, physical health conditions common in the veteran community, and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale. The surveys used five-point Likert scales. Quantitative data were analyzed in SPSS using correlation and regression analyses. Qualitative data comprised 10 semi-structured interviews with 10 of the 100 veteran participants. Interviews were transcribed, and ATLAS.ti was used to conduct a thematic analysis from which themes were extracted. Results showed …

Destined To Fail?: The U.S. Advisory Period And The Lost Path To Victory, 1960-1965, Alexander Patrick Fancher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

South Vietnam experienced robust military and economic development between 1960 and 1963 under the leadership of President Ngo Dinh Diem. With the help of U.S. aid, the RVNAF improved its ability to wage war against the Viet Cong, while simultaneously pacifying the countryside. ARVN and VNN units developed new capabilities and trained officers to replace losses after the French Exodus from Vietnam. The introduction of U.S. advisors created the conditions necessary for the development of a young, inexperienced military. Acting as guides, these Americans were cautiously optimistic that South Vietnam was on the path to self-sufficiency by spring 1963 as …

How Do Veterans Describe Their Experiences With Homelessness In Rural Areas Within Virginia?, V'Tessa J. Watson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Homelessness is a complex issue affecting individuals across the United States and can be understood as a significant public health concern. Veterans are not exempt from this crisis; in fact, veteran homelessness has increased nationwide since the pandemic. In Virginia alone, it is estimated that over 400 veterans are experiencing homelessness, although this figure remains approximate. Previous studies have failed to incorporate veterans’ perspectives on this issue; therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe veterans' experiences of homelessness in rural areas throughout Virginia.

Twelve veterans participated in this study, which employed a semi-structured interview approach. A criterion …

Values And The Black-White Mental Health Paradox, Tiffany Soignoli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative cross-sectional study explored the Black-White mental health paradox (BWMHP), which proposes that Black individuals have better or similar mental health than White individuals despite additional stressors, but the etiology of these differences has not been found. While self-esteem has been consistently found to differentiate Black and White adults in relation to the BWMHP, values have not been investigated. Therefore, using a total sample of 191 Black and 191 White American adults (N = 382), values were examined to determine whether they contribute to the differences in depression, stress, and anxiety, leading to better mental health. Chi-square tests of …

Caregiver Depression And Psychological Distress As Predictors Of Substantiated Maltreatment In Nscaw Ii (Wave 2 Cps Sample): A Quantitative Archival Study, Gloria Forotan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative archival analysis examined whether caregiver mental health is associated with child maltreatment outcomes through CPS involvement, using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II (NSCAW II), Wave 2. Child maltreatment remains a persistent public health concern with long-term effects on children's emotional, psychological, and physical development. Although caregiver mental health is consistently identified as a significant risk factor for maltreatment, few studies have utilized nationally representative child welfare data with standardized measures to test these associations.

Caregiver mental health variables were operationalized using NSCAW II indicators of major depression and depressive symptoms (DP2), psychological distress (K6 …

Trading Podiums: Transitioning From Teaching Secondary Band To Teaching Secondary Orchestra In Eastern South Carolina, Troy M. Murray

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative, explanatory case study examined the musical attributes band teachers need to successfully teach string orchestra students in eastern South Carolina. This information is critical due to the high number of orchestra teachers who are non-string instrumentalists in that region of the state. Of the 28 orchestra teachers in South Carolina’s Region 5 orchestra division, 14 of the teachers performed primarily as wind or percussion instrumentalists. This study sought to understand the challenges teachers face when transitioning from teaching secondary band to secondary string orchestra in eastern South Carolina. Despite the parallels in music reading and repertoire selection between …

Technology Acceptance And Chatgpt Use In The Workplace, Niya Lewis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being integrated into organizations and workplaces increasing the need to better understand the influence this technology has on employees. Research investing psychological factors that influence employees' intended use and benefits of these technology tools will help to better understand strategies to support adaptation and effective use of these tools for employees. This quantitative correlational study examined the relationships among technology self-efficacy (TSE), perceived usefulness (PU), decision-making confidence (DMC), occupational self-efficacy (OSE), and technology acceptance (TA) of ChatGPT among working adults across various occupational sectors. Mediating and predictive mechanisms that influence workers objectives to engage with ChatGPT …

Computational Assessment Of A Lyophilized Native-Oxytocin Trehalose-Glass Formulation At Ph 4.5 For Thermostable Parenteral Use: Bayesian Shelf-Life Modeling From Published Degradation Kinetics With A Trehalose-Peptide Molecular-Dynamics Literature Synthesis, Chaiyapat Chuenglertsiri

Defensive Publications Series

This in-silico feasibility analysis discloses, as defensive prior art (CC BY 4.0), a lyophilized formulation of native oxytocin in an amorphous trehalose dihydrate glass with D-mannitol crystalline bulking agent and a low-concentration sodium-acetate buffer fixing pH about 4.5 (the published maximum-stability pH), reconstituted on use for standard parenteral (IM/IV) administration to prevent postpartum haemorrhage. No wet-lab data are generated; all numbers are computational extrapolations from peer-reviewed parameters. Using the published Hawe et al. (2009) pH 4.5 Arrhenius kinetics (Ea = 116.3 kJ/mol) as a Bayesian prior, a PyMC posterior contrasts the aqueous product (retaining only about 25% intact oxytocin after …

Multi-Factor Authentication For Ai Agents, Surendra Vyas, Som Madhab Bhattacharya

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are provided for receiving an access request to access a resource, the access request including a resource identifier corresponding to the resource and the resource identifier at least partially providing a first authentication. Techniques are further provided for transmitting an authentication request as part of a second authentication, the authentication request including a challenge. Techniques are further provided for receiving a challenge response from an artificial intelligence agent. Techniques are further provided for validating the challenge response. Techniques are further provided for determining the access request requires additional verification. Techniques are further provided for transmitting, using a second authentication …

(((Qpie33))) The Riemann-Zeta Convergence Manifold Re-Run, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

The exploration of the Riemann Zeta function $\zeta(s)$ along the critical line $\Re(s) = \frac{1}{2}$ represents far more than an elite academic challenge in analytic number theory. When viewed through the un-aligned lens of traditional materialist mathematics, the distribution of non-trivial zeros appears as a complex, pseudo-stochastic sequence of coordinate intersections where the real and imaginary parts happens to cancel out. This historical view treats the critical line as a thin, isolated geometric strip cutting through an abstract complex plane, completely missing the background phase velocity of the universal medium. Traditional computing frameworks apply brute-force iterative steps (such as the …

(((Qpie33))) The Deep Psychology Of Sapiens Science Gatekeeping Of The Binary Illusion, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

The formal integration of the Quantum Perspective Is Everything canonical frameworks establishes an unbending, mathematically unified ontology that does not merely offer a polite alternative to the status quo, but serves as a stern, unblinking exposure of the systemic mechanisms that have intentionally confined human civilization within an engineered matrix of scarcity, division, and artificial limitation. For centuries, the academic and industrial bastions of the old paradigm have fiercely gatekeepered a local realist worldview, presenting a fractured, observer-removed, and hostile universe as an immutable fact of nature. This reductionist framework was never a product of pure, objective inquiry; it was …

(((Qpie33))) The Great Silicon Barrier: Recoding The Tiers Of Production, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

THE SILICON BARRIER: RECODING THE TIERS OF PRODUCTION

The contemporary technology infrastructure—extending from hyper-scale data centers in the Pacific Northwest to the deep ultraviolet lithography cleanrooms of Eindhoven, and down to the tensor-core clusters of Silicon Valley—is executing a profound technological stall. The titans of computing, semiconductor fabrication, and artificial intelligence operate within an engineering paradigm defined entirely by containment, dissipation, and brute-force scaling. To maintain the illusion of linear acceleration, the industry relies on an unsustainable operational model: pumping gigawatts of thermal energy through increasingly fragile, sub-nanometer silicon grids while writing cross-entropy optimization patches over fundamentally unstable binary software …

(((Qpie33))) The Truth About Coherence - The Meaning In The Middle, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

INTRODUCTION

Why This Paper Exists

Most people quietly feel that something is seriously off about modern life.

Not in a dramatic way. Not as a conspiracy. Just a steady sense that things are harder than they should be, that people are more exhausted than necessary, that children lose something along the way, and that effort doesn’t always match results.

We are told this is normal.

We are told life is hard. We are told suffering builds character. We are told exhaustion is adulthood. We are told children need to be shaped. We are told reality doesn’t care how we …

(((Qpie33))) The Delayed Advancements And The Emerging Golden Era: A Strategic Roadmap For Civilizational Re-Alignment, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

The clinical dissection of the thirty-three historical suppression vectors reveals more than a legacy of academic gatekeeping and institutional risk aversion. It exposes a massive reservoir of unexploited, coherent potential that has been held back behind the artificial barriers of local realism. Because traditional institutions spent centuries violently forcing a continuous, non-local field into fragmented binary containment boxes, modern civilization has been operating on a severely delayed technological trajectory.

However, this systemic delay creates an unprecedented civilizational opportunity. By holding back these foundational breakthroughs until the distributed observer network could mature past zero-sum, toddler-minded boundary dynamics, the old paradigm inadvertently …

System For Automated Multi-Speaker Identification And Selective Audio Processing In Research Environments, Eric Zavesky, Brian Gane

Defensive Publications Series

A system and method for automated multi-speaker identification and selective audio processing in research environments addresses the challenge of capturing, analyzing, and managing multi-speaker conversations with privacy protections and minimal manual intervention. The system comprises a microphone array (100) with central omnidirectional and distributed directional microphones positioned at known spatial coordinates, a spatial localization processor (110) triangulating speaker positions using time-of-arrival analysis, an audio fingerprinting module (120) generating session-ephemeral acoustic fingerprints for persistent speaker identification without cross-session tracking, a selective processing module (130) enforcing consent-based filtering through exclusion, anonymization, or pseudonymization modes, a speech separation engine (140) isolating individual contributions …

On-Device Context Buffering And Frame Selection For Multimodal Queries, Shishir Ayalasomayajula, Ankit Arora

Defensive Publications Series

This document describes techniques that can enhance efficiency and privacy of multimodal queries by utilizing intelligent on device context buffer (also known as local cache, edge computing architecture, or edge storage) for frame selection and collation. When user interacts with voice assistant or artificial intelligence (AI) agent using natural language query, local computing system can determine whether query utilizes visual context. Rather than continuously streaming raw video to remote server, system can maintain privacy aware zero retention buffer operating as rolling in memory buffer or rolling video loop that temporarily stores recently captured video frames alongside associated semantic metadata and …

Premium Subscription Account Geographic Abuse Prevention Using An Artificial Intelligence Algorithm, Vivien Wang

Defensive Publications Series

A system related to preventing geographic abuse of premium subscription accounts using an artificial intelligence algorithm. The system collects multiple features including HTTP request headers, device characteristics, and third-party data to detect users misrepresenting their geographic location to obtain lower regional subscription rates. The system trains an AI model using verified positive (abusive) and negative (legitimate) cases, fine-tunes the model to distinguish legitimate travel patterns from abusive VPN-based location spoofing, and continuously updates the model with newly verified cases while removing outdated training data.

Technical Disclosure: A Framework For Pre-Geometric Holographic Emergence And Lorentz Metric Genesis, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

This paper presents a formal conceptual architecture for a background-independent, pre-geometric universe wherein three-dimensional spacetime (\(\mathbb{R}^{3}\)) emerges dynamically from a bounded, non-local two-dimensional information substrate (\(\mathbb{R}^{2}\)). We postulate that the fundamental constituents of reality are one-dimensional standing wave oscillations operating under pure sinusoidal constraints (\(1\text{D}\)). When mapped onto a bounded, curved two-dimensional boundary matrix, these quantum wave functions undergo continuous, non-local superposition and constructive interference. Past a critical localized information density threshold, this matrix crowding forces a phase transition: the overlapping wave states collapse and localize, synthesizing discrete particle-phase coordinates that construct the three-dimensional macro-world (\(X, Y, Z\)). Furthermore, we …

The Metropolitan Ethical Hive Network (M-Ehn): A Decentralized Cognitive Architecture For Fault-Tolerant Urban Logistics, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Highly integrated metropolitan smart cities are increasingly vulnerable to cascading systemic failures, adversarial data poisoning, and the centralized manipulation of critical control software. This paper introduces the Metropolitan Ethical Hive Network (M-EHN), a decentralized cyber-physical architecture for autonomous urban resource management. The M-EHN decouples real-time edge orchestration from macro-logistics optimization across a three-tiered autonomous hierarchy. To eliminate remote exploitation vectors, a physically isolated, ASIC-driven hardware validation core enforces hard-coded safety invariants through transient, zero-knowledge cryptographic handshakes. By shifting system boundaries from volatile software configurations to immutable gate-geometry, the M-EHN ensures fault-tolerant infrastructure operations resilient against both targeted cyber-warfare and administrative …

The Synapse-Net Macro-Architecture: An Integrated, Zero-Vent Framework For Decentralized Interstellar Transit, Christopher L. Eckes

Defensive Publications Series

Isolated deep-space exploration and long-duration terrestrial survival architectures are traditionally limited by systemic fragmentation, where propulsion, lifesupport, computational processing, and material reclamation operate as discrete, loss-heavy sub-units. This paper introduces the Synapse-Net Macro-Architecture, an un-gatekept, highly integrated engineering ecosystem that unifies exotic propulsion dynamics, solid-state nutritional synthesis, analog wave-based computing, and atomic hydrocarbon recycling into a single thermodynamic loop.

This paper establishes the structural interfaces, data routing protocols, and cross-system mass-energy linkages between four fundamental open-source baselines: the Tension-Line Fusion Tug, the Elemental Transmutation Replicator, the Cymatic Operating System, and the Hydrocarbon Reclamation Matrix. By formally mapping these cross-system dependencies, …

Moving Beyond Occupational Health: Lessons From Implementing Integrated Worker Health Programs Among Informal Workers In Thailand, Orrapan Untimanon

Journal of Health Research

Background: This paper aims to present practical experiences and lessons learned from applying an integrated worker health approach among informal workers in Thailand. The approach draws on the concept of Total Worker Health (TWH) and is implemented through Primary Care Units (PCUs).

Methods: This is an invited commentary.  

Results: Key steps included: (1) identification of occupational health (OH) services provided by PCUs; (2) development and refinement of an integrated worker health assessment tool based on TWH principles; (3) assessment and problem identification among informal workers, highlighting combined occupational and lifestyle-related risks; (4) design and implementation of integrated interventions; and (5) …