Digital Commons Network^™

Large Language Models And Identity: A Reflexive Approach, Nicholas Austin Nielsen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project explicates theories of identity, technology, and capitalism and uses an auto ethnographic approach in order to apply that explication at a personal level. The project responds to AI rhetoric in business and pedagogy and the instability surrounding perspectives on job security, the role of technology in Higher Education, and existential representations of the human. By deconstructing identity, ideology, cultural contexts, and technologic rhetorics, the goal is to further the scholarship surrounding Large Language Model applications in pedagogy and offer a personal, therapeutic approach to feelings of economic and existential discontent and fear experienced by students and educators regarding …

Loss Of Lgl1 Increases Expression Of C-Jun And Dcx In The Svz And Rms Of The Mouse Brain, Madison Leigh Gutierrez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive and treatment-resistant subtype of glioma, accounts for the majority of brain tumor–related mortality. A defining feature of GBM is its ability to invade healthy brain tissue through extensive cell migration, which severely limits the effectiveness of surgical and pharmacological treatments. Increasing evidence suggests that GBM cells activate gene programs known to drive normal neural stem and progenitor cell (NSPC) migration; however, the precise molecular mechanisms shared between NSPCs and GBM cells remain poorly understood. Lethal (2) giant larvae 1 (Lgl1), a conserved cortical cytoskeletal protein, has emerged as a key regulator of polarity and migration. …

The Mediating Effect Of Injury On The Relationship Between Running Mileage And Depressive Symptoms In Division 2 Cross Country Athletes, Jaxon Leduc

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Training for a cross-country season requires athletes to accumulate a high volume of training miles at different intensities. Over a period of months and years, consistent high training volumes have been shown to contribute to overuse injuries in cross country athletes. Injuries have been shown to negatively impact athlete’s mental health; this is especially true in student athletes. The purpose of this research is to explore the mediating effect of injuries on the relationship between training volume and mental health in collegiate cross-country runners. Participants in this study were 40 members of NCAA Division 2 Cross Country teams with eligibility …

A Comparative Analysis Of Perineuronal Nets In Trout And Zebrafish Models, Adnan Alyan

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are specialized extracellular matrix structures that surround certain types of neurons in the central nervous system. Research from the past few decades has cemented PNNs as an integral player in the closure and onset of critical periods, memory modulation, and neural plasticity. These effects are thought to occur when PNNs form around a neuron and structurally stabilize its synaptic connections. PNNs have been directly linked to behavioral changes, making them of interest to psychologists as well as neuroscientists. Several PNN components, such as Hapln1 and aggrecan such as have been found in zebrafish, a teleost fish (Kang …

Interview With Byu–Hawaii President John Kauwe Iii, Fred E. Woods

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This interview with President Kauwe traces Kauwe’s path from his time as a student at BYU to his appointment as the eleventh president of BYU–Hawaii. Kauwe shares insights into his Hawaiian heritage, academic and professional accomplishments, and his aspirations for the university. He underscores the vital role of faculty inbuilding students’ confidence, the distinct intercultural setting of BYU–Hawaii, and the centrality of the gospel in education. Reflecting on the rapid progression of his career, Kauwe also speaks about the importance of following divine guidance in our lives. The interview captures his dedication to promoting intercultural harmony and his deep testimony …

Appendix A, Anonymous

School of Public Affairs Faculty and Staff publications

No abstract provided.

Cint Summer Lecture Series: Investigational Devices, Abby Keeley

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Education

No abstract provided.

Human Subjects Oversight, Abby Keeley

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) Education

No abstract provided.

What’S Wrong With Inflicting Death? Evaluating Marquis’S “Future Of Value” Account, Christopher Kaczor

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

The Failures Of The Biologics Price Competition And Innovation Act, Nick Corwin

Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

2025-2035 Piscataqua Region Comprehensive Conservation And Management Plan, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership (Prep)

PREP Reports & Publications

No abstract provided.

Technology And Coding The Great Equalizer: A Case Study Of A Formerly Incarcerated Leader, Joni Schwartz

Publications and Research

Providing meaningful educational and employment opportunities for returning incarcerated citizens from marginalized communities contributes to a more sustainable future for all. This chapter examines the barriers faced by returning incarcerated citizens in employment and presents a case study of a Dario Peña, who is a formerly incarcerated citizen. Peña's lived experience, leadership preparation, vision, and bottom-up leadership made him a leader for the Justice through Code program, which aims to provide prisoners and returning citizens with professional skills to create a sustainable career in the tech industry. Anchored in Critical Race Theory (CRT), this chapter delves into structural inequalities like …

Food Waste Crisis In The United States Of America: The Known, The Overlooked And The Undisclosed, Sagarika Srivastava, David J. Tonjes

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

With a loss of 1,250 calories per day per person or 140 kg/p/yr, the United States (U.S.) has a large problem with food waste. The later a product is wasted in the supply chain, the greater its environmental cost. Many food waste mitigation efforts focus on the retail and consumer stages, but there is also considerable food waste in the production phase, which includes growing, harvesting, transportation, storage and processing. The study is conducted in two steps: a bibliometric analysis of 218 articles on food waste in the U.S., followed by an investigation of options to meet food waste recovery …

Bio-Inspired Sutures: Localizing Damage By Isolating Strain Energy, Diana A. Chen, Melissa M. Gibbons

School of Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

This study draws upon bio-inspiration from anatomical sutures found in hard structures, such as turtle shells, to explore if impact energy can be dissipated through geometric parameterization rather than relying on energy-absorbing materials. While previous finite element analysis studies identified optimal dovetail suture geometries for maximizing the global stiffness and toughness of archway structures, this paper explores how different suture geometries might optimize localization effects through segmentation to isolate damage caused by the propagation of strain energy. We compare the global toughness of each suture geometry to its scaling factor, defined as the ratio of strain energy in the center …

“Pick-Up Orders” And Foster Youth In Washington, Lauren Higgins

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Budget Oversight Policy 1st Quarter Budget Review Fy 2025-26, Csusb Budget Office

University Budget Office records

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Fructose Metabolism On Hepatic De Novo Lipogenesis And Adipose Tissue Insulin Resistance, Taghreed Ibrahim Fadhul

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

There is a worldwide epidemic of obesity and metabolic dysfunction. The root cause of obesity is driven by a positive energy balance, which is a consequence of increased caloric intake and decreased energy expenditure. Energy intake is the more dominant force, as increasing energy expenditure is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. The caloric surplus can be mainly accounted for by increased consumption of high-fat and high-sugar diets. While the risks associated with fat consumption are well-documented, the impact of sugar intake is less understood.

Fructose is a simple sugar widely consumed in modern diets. Its intake has been associated with …

Spermidine And Polyamine Blockade As Key Mediators Of Intestinal Epithelial Cell Functions, Madison Lynn Flory

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Frequently, alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota and its metabolites are linked with intestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. However, the direct connections between alterations in the microbiome and disease states often remain elusive. Prior research has identified increases in both polyamines, which are a class of microbial metabolite, and in the abundance of bacteria that can produce polyamines, in a murine colorectal cancer model. Understanding the significance of the interaction between these microbial metabolites and intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) will provide new and expanded evidence of the importance of the gut microbiome in colorectal …

International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutritional Concerns Of The Female Athlete, Ralf Jäger, Jeffery L. Heileson, Sidney Abou Sawan, Broderick L. Dickerson, Megan Leonard, Richard B. Kreider, Chad M. Kerksick, Stephen M. Cornish, Darren G. Candow, Dean M. Cordingley, Scott C. Forbes, Grant M. Tinsley, Tindaro Bongiovanni, Roberto Cannataro, Bill I. Campbell, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Jeffrey R. Stout, Douglas S. Kalman, Jose Antonio

Faculty Publications

Position Statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) presents this position based on a critical examination of the literature surrounding the effects of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3 PUFA) supplementation on exercise performance, recovery, and brain health. This position stand is intended to provide a scientific foundation for athletes, dietitians, trainers, and other practitioners regarding the effects of supplemental ω-3 PUFA in healthy and athletic populations. The following conclusions represent the official position of the ISSN: Athletes may be at a higher risk for ω-3 PUFA insufficiency. Diets rich in ω-3 PUFA, including supplements, are effective strategies for …

Visual Legal Rhetoric In The Age Of Generative Ai And Deepfakes: Renaissance Or Dark Ages?, Michael D. Murray

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

The paradoxical development of visual generative AI tools, such as OpenAI’s DALL-E 3, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion, simultaneously signals a renaissance and a potential dark age in visual rhetoric and communication. On the one hand, these tools democratize the creation of visual content, empowering attorneys and others to become artists and illustrators of their legal communications without needing to learn how to draw. These AI systems can simplify complex legal concepts, bridge language barriers, and enhance advocacy. But on the other hand, the proliferation of deepfakes presents significant challenges for visual rhetoric. Deepfakes can quickly and easily create realistic but …

Pesticide Lies! A Call For Epa Action As Recent Judicial Decisions Reveal The Harmful Truth Resulting From Exposure, Stevi Whitman

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

In this note, Stevi Whitman analyzes the dangers of weak pesticide regulation in the United States. Whitman explains that the EPA’s reliance on the vague “unreasonable adverse effects” standard under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) allows harmful products like Roundup to remain on the market despite strong evidence of health risks. Whitman argues for strengthening U.S. pesticide laws to match the European Union’s stricter safety threshold. She proposes amending FIFRA to require proactive bans on hazardous pesticides and greater accountability from manufacturers to better protect public health and the environment.

Unreadable, Unfindable, And Incomplete: Evaluating Prea Information In State Correctional Handbooks, Jessie L. Krienert, Jeffrey A. Walsh, Caitlyn Donnelly

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was enacted in 2003 to prevent sexual abuse in correctional settings through a zero-tolerance framework. While all states formally acknowledge PREA, the accessibility, clarity, and completeness of the information provided to incarcerated individuals remain uncertain. This mixed-methods study evaluates PREA-related content in 62 state correctional handbooks from 49 states, assessing three core dimensions: readability, findability, and substantive content. Grounded in compliance theory and institutional betrayal, the analysis focuses on how correctional institutions communicate PREA protections, prevention strategies, and reporting procedures. Results reveal that most PREA content exceeds the literacy levels of the intended audience, …

Reconciling The Lgbtqia+ Community Through The Filipino Indigenous Concepts Of Loob And Kapwa, Melchor L. Cuizon, Nympha C. Cuizon

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

The Philippines lgbtqia+ community has a long way to go towards acceptance and recognition. They face gender discrimination and exclusion due to laws and policies lacking moral grip, and, in response, hide their true identity out of fear of stigmatization in the public sphere and workplace. This research aims to shed light on the complicated moral issues surrounding the lgbtqia+ community, namely, that these “otherly oriented/gendered” persons are people of faith discriminated against by those with common beliefs. It explores the concepts loob (self) and kapwa (other) as they relate to the Filipino understanding of a person, wherein the former …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Parenting Behavior, And Parenting Self-Efficacy In African American Families With Low-Income, Maleek Holmes

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Early trauma is linked to adverse adult outcomes, including parenting deficits. While prior research has emphasized specific trauma types and severe parenting deficits, less is known about how cumulative trauma shapes normative parenting behaviors. Parenting self-efficacy (PSE) has been proposed as a potential mechanism linking early adversity to later parenting practices, though under-researched. This study examined the relationships between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), PSE, and positive parenting behaviors in a sample of 56 caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start. PSE was significantly associated with greater use of limit-setting, positive behavior support, and proactive parenting strategies, reinforcing its role …

Sexual Politics On Youtube : Shifting Values In Femininities And Women’S Empowerment, Porranee Singpliam

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

This research examines sexual politics in the new media platform YouTube. The gendered notions studied depart from existing scholarly works as they emphasize the process of change in Thai gender order. A mixed research method combining qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. The findings from studying five women YouTubers show two significant themes: 1) The politics of the sexes in which society’s admiration of material possessions, individualism, and wealth is evident, and 2) A change in sex/gender relations wherein production, consumption, and accumulation relations shift together with power relations. Ultimately, this research contends that women YouTubers should be read as …

Memory And Posthuman Subjectivity In Kazuo Ishiguro’S Never Let Me Go, Natawan Wongchalard

Manusya, Journal of Humanities

This article explores the significance of posthuman subjectivity and memory in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005). The narrative details the life of clones bred for medical donation, who are facing premature demise. Kathy H., the protagonist and narrator, has been criticized for her seeming passivity and submission to oppression. However, this inquiry contends that her narrative – propelled by her act of remembrance – is a mechanism formulated to reclaim the agency of the non-human other or posthuman subject. The study employs Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts of ‘desire’ and ‘becoming’ to examine the clones’ desires, which are constrained …

Beyond Hysteria: Prosecuting Women For Abortion Is More Likely Now Than Before Roe, Alison Mccarthy

Saint Louis University Law Journal

When Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health first overturned long-standing precedent protecting a woman's fundamental right to abortion, pro-choice leaders issued warnings about the possibility of prosecuting women for abortions. These concerns were dismissed as hysterical or as political theatrics because, in the past, women were rarely prosecuted for their own abortions. This note analyzes the history of illegal abortion before the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade to demonstrate that women were targeted, used as leverage against abortion providers, and sometimes arrested for their roles in the procedure. Further, this note argues that nationwide panic over gender roles, increasing …

Environmental Pollutants: A Risk For Premature Aging And Transgenerational Toxicity, Alex Kathleen Daniels

Masters Theses

"This thesis aims to identify interactions between C. elegans’ reproductive system and global pollutants such as microplastics, HgCl₂, nicotine, and pesticides. Human exposure to these pollutants and their effect on reproduction can be analyzed using the C. elegans as a model organism. Systematic analysis of matricidal hatching, progeny production, germline apoptosis, and lifespan assays determined effects on reproduction and reproductive aging. Through my experiments, it was determined that no significant effects were produced from the selected polystyrene, polyethylene, vape juice, nicotine hemi sulfate salt, imidacloprid, or glyphosate regarding matricidal hatching or progeny production. I confirmed that HgCl₂ induced significant effects …

Kentucky Comfort Care: Understanding And Awareness Of Palliative And Hospice Care In Kentucky Adults, Riley E. Hicks

Honors Theses

Kentucky has an overwhelming need for both palliative and hospice care services because of the high percentage of individuals who struggle with chronic or life-threatening conditions. Studies have shown that access to palliative and hospice care may be inhibited by the knowledge patients have of these services. The purpose of this study was to examine the awareness and understanding Kentuckians have of palliative and hospice care and to determine the factors influencing them. A 22-question survey was administered to collect information about Kentuckians understanding of available palliative and hospice care services and common vocabulary used by providers in these settings. …

Deep Learning Methods For Protein - Small Molecule Interactions With Applications To Early-Stage Drug Discovery, Gregory William Kyro

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Drug discovery is a challenging endeavor for multiple reasons including the complexity of protein-ligand interactions at the molecular-level, the vastness of chemical space, and safety constraints related to unintended biological effects. In this dissertation, I present a suite of novel deep learning approaches that address these challenges from multiple angles. I first introduce HAC-Net— a deep learning model that, at the time, was the state of the art for predicting protein-ligand binding affinity—which was used to identify a potential inhibitor of a G protein-coupled receptor whose overexpression leads to cancer, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis, as well as a potential antivirulence …