Digital Commons Network^™

Rethinking The Scope Of State Power: Territorial Jurisdiction, Popular Sovereignty, And Extraterritorial Legislation, Jeffrey Schmitt

William & Mary Law Review

The Supreme Court applies the territorial framework of international law to resolve disputes over the reach of state power. Under this framework, a state’s power is coterminous with its borders, such that a state’s regulatory power within its territory is limited only by federal law. The Court recently used this framework to overrule an obscure line of Dormant Commerce Clause cases that held that a state regulation of local conduct could have impermissible extraterritorial effects.

This Article argues that the territorial model of state power from international law does not account for the division of sovereignty within our federal system. …

Too Cruel For School: How Parental Rights Doctrine Can Help Protect Against Book Bans, Tessa K. Wild

William & Mary Law Review

This Note argues that parents’ rights protections are crucial to protecting against broad censorship in public schools, and that if states want to effectively regulate book removals, they should preemptively adopt laws similar to Minnesota’s section 134.51.

[...]

Part I of this Note will provide background information about book removals as a freedom of speech issue, as well as a history of how parents’ rights rhetoric is tied to book-removal issues. Part II will address both the history and legal standards of parents’ rights protections. Finally, Part III, using Minnesota and Utah as case studies, will apply parents’ rights law …

Belonging, Ver Ikeseh

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This thesis explores belonging as the core of my artistic practice, developed through public murals and participatory installations in shared spaces. Grounded in a studio practice that engages directly with communities, the work positions art within everyday environments rather than separate from them. Through murals created across James Madison University and within surrounding communities, I examine how public art can generate moments of connection, visibility, and reflection. The thesis culminates in the participatory mural Belonging, created in the Duke Hall Gallery at James Madison University, where these ideas are brought together through direct public engagement. Developed through collaboration, the …

Perception Of Socioeconomic Status: A Meta-Analysis Of Manipulations, Jacinth Jia Xin Tan, Yong En Amos Tai

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The causal effects of one’s socioeconomic status (SES) on outcomes are typically examined by experimentally manipulating SES self-perceptions based on one of three SES dimensions—absolute resource, relative resource, and general social position. We investigated the efficacy of these manipulations by systematically meta-analyzing their effects on SES self-perceptions. Based on 107 eligible samples (N = 26,203), manipulations of SES self-perceptions across the three SES dimensions were effective overall (g = 0.56–0.95). Explicit priming of absolute resource and relative resource manipulations comparing high versus low SES were consistently effective—although bias-corrected effects were attenuated—suggesting the importance of salient SES information and social comparisons. …

Log Off To Level Up: The Effect Of Social Media Hiatus On Goal Pursuit, Nekysha L. Y. Jalil, Yong Han Tan, Andree Hartanto, Eddie M. W. Tong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Concerns are growing that social media, with its constant notifications and attention-grabbing content, may distract individuals and hinder progress toward important goals. Despite its pervasive presence in our lives, the impact of social media on goal achievement has not been thoroughly studied. This within-subject experimental study aims to investigate the effects of social media hiatus (SMH), a short abstinence from social media usage, on goal pursuit processes. Participants (N= 107) completed daily diaries over three consecutive days of SMH and three days of regular social media use. SMH was manipulated by blocking participants’ access to multiple social media platforms. The …

Meritocracy And Equal Access To The Public Sector: A Comparative Analysis Of Accessibility To Public Sector Jobs And Public Services, Beomgeun Cho, Heasun Choi

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This study investigates the impact of meritocracy on equal access to the public sector, focusing on public sector employment and services. While meritocratic principles promote impartiality and fairness in administrative processes, their effectiveness in improving equal accessibility remains understudied and contested. Drawing on the literature linking meritocracy to democratic stability, we argue that strong meritocratic systems enhance equal access to the public sector regardless of social groups and gender by fostering professional stewardship in the bureaucracy and strengthening checks and balances between bureaucrats and politicians. Our findings, drawn from a panel dataset consisting of 161 countries over 49 years, suggest …

The Effect Of A 14-Day Digital Nudge-Based Sleep Hygiene Intervention On Behavioural, Cognitive, And Emotional Well-Being In College Students: An Experimental Approach, Tracy X. Chen, Chi-Ying Cheng, Michelle Koay, Chin Boon Soh, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Sleep is essential for one's cognitive, psychological, and physical health. Yet, college students often face sleep deprivation due to academic demands, social obligations, and extracurricular commitments. This study implemented a 14-day Digital Nudge-Based Sleep Hygiene Intervention, delivered via a digital platform, to encourage healthier sleep practices among college students. Grounded in nudge theory, the digital intervention used subtle behavioural prompts to improve participants' sleep hygiene without imposing restrictions, demonstrating high adherence and scalability. Participants were guided through daily tasks to enhance autonomy and motivation, such as creating calming bedtime routines. The digital intervention led to positive outcomes across four domains: …

Brief Virtual Reality And Mixed Reality Mindfulness Breathing Exercise For Emotional Well-Being And Cognitive Functions In University Students: Within-Subjects Experimental Design Study, Zoey Khai Yee Eun, Charmaine Jiali Koh, Hwajin Yang, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Meilan Hu, K Tennakoon Appuhamillage Sandeeshwara Kasturiratna, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Background: Mindfulness has been shown to enhance emotional well-being and cognitive performance, yet much of this evidence stems from interventions requiring prolonged practice, making them time-consuming and less accessible. Recent studies suggest that brief mindfulness sessions may also yield positive outcomes, but the effectiveness of such interventions in virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) remains underexplored. Objective: This study investigates the effects of brief mindfulness breathing exercises delivered through VR and MR on attentional and emotional restoration and self-control capacity. Methods: Using a within-subjects experimental design, 102 undergraduate participants (n=83, 81.4% female; mean age 20.87, SD 1.89) completed a …

Digital Grief Technology To Support Bereavement: A Systematic Review Of Potential Benefits And Risks, Xun Ci Soh, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Paye Shin Koh, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Grief is a universal and inevitable experience. However, the way we support the bereaved is changing, especially in the digital era. This systematic review examines the potential benefits and risks associated with various digital grief technologies, including online grief support groups, generative AI chatbots, online memorials, online therapy interventions, virtual reality, and digitally reproduced visuals or audio of the deceased. A systematic search was conducted in seven databases, and 30 articles were included in the final review. Findings indicate that digital grief technologies offer several benefits, such as reductions in grief and depressive symptoms, enhanced social support, greater accessibility, and …

Understanding Critical Thinking In Generative Artificial Intelligence Use: Development, Validation, And Correlates Of The Critical Thinking In Ai Use Scale, Gabriel R. Lau, Wei Yan Low, Louis Tay, Ysabel Thereze Ang Guevarra, Dragon Gašević, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Generative AI tools are increasingly embedded in everyday work and learning, yet their fluency, opacity, and propensity to hallucinate mean that users must critically evaluate AI outputs rather than accept them at face value. The present research conceptualises critical thinking in AI use as a dispositional tendency to verify the source and content of AI-generated information, to understand how models work and where they fail, and to reflect on the broader implications of relying on AI. Across six studies ( N = 1341), we developed and validated the 13-item critical thinking in AI use scale and mapped its nomological network. …

How Ai Destroys Institutions, Woodrow Hartzog, Jessica Silbey

Faculty Scholarship

Civic institutions—the rule of law, universities, and a free press—are the backbone of democratic life. They are the mechanisms through which complex societies encourage cooperation and stability, while also adapting to changing circumstances. The real superpower of institutions is their ability to evolve and adapt within a hierarchy of authority and a framework for roles and rules, while maintaining legitimacy for the knowledge produced and the actions taken. Purpose-driven institutions built around transparency, cooperation, and accountability empower individuals to take intellectual risks and challenge the status quo. This happens through the machinations of interpersonal relationships within those institutions, which broaden …

Massachusetts' Unseen Contributors: The Economic Contribution Of Its Latino Population With Irregular Immigration Status, Phillip Granberry, Mariana Dutra

Gastón Institute Publications

This report shows that so-called “irregular” Latinos are an essential part of the

workforce. Beyond community spending, consumer activity, and taxes paid

(including tax benefits that many will never benefit from), it is important to

remember that we are talking about people— human beings with stories, families,

difficult choices, and dreams. I hope that in the near future, when we are able to

dream big again, this analysis will sustain our advocacy for systems that truly reflect

our (Latino) contributions to the Commonwealth and beyond.

A Global Prospective Harmonization Framework For Suicidality, Anhedonia, And Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms In Psychiatric Genetic Studies: A Cross-Continental Study Within The Ancestral Population Network, Ana Diaz-Zuluaga, Jacey Anderberg, Ana Ramirez-Diaz, Andrea Marques, Catherine Rast, Daniel Bustamante, Deborah Jonker, Johanna Valencia-Echeverry, Stella Gichuru, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

This study aims to prospectively collect harmonized, quantitative, and dimensional psychiatric phenotypes (suicidality, anhedonia, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms) and information on discrimination, stigma, and unfair treatment in up to 27,500 individuals across diverse ancestries and clinical populations for genetic analysis within the NIMH Ancestral Population Network (APN). Five APN projects are participating in the current study (PUMAS-Paisa, PUMAS-NeuroGAP, KOMOGEN-D, LATINO, and SAX-II), spanning recruitment over 15 countries across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Participants are being enrolled via the recruitment protocols specific to each participating project. The harmonized clinical battery includes the Columbia-Suicide Severity Scale, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and Florida Obsessive-Compulsive …

Decomposition And Spectral Characterization Of Unsteady Loads In Pulse-Jet Propulsion Testing, Cesar Benitez

Theses and Dissertations

Pulsed jet propulsion systems produce inherently unsteady forces whose time-resolved characterization is essential for performance assessment, yet the measured load signal conflates aerodynamic forcing with the dynamic response of the measurement balance itself. This thesis develops a load centered framework for the dynamic characterization of a pulsed jet system, treating the measured load fluctuation as the primary physical observable rather than attempting full true-thrust reconstruction. A single-degree-of-freedom balance model identified through ringdown testing provides the structural reference scale, yielding a natural frequency of 8.5 Hz and damping ratio of 18%. Power spectral density, phase-averaging, and synchronous–residual decomposition is applied uniformly …

Developing An Independent Shallow-Water Survey For The Western Rock Lobster Fishery: Tracking Pre-Recruitment Abundance And Habitat Change, Lucy Rudd, Simon De Lestang, Owen Young, Benjamin Hebiton

Fisheries Research Reports

Background

Puerulus settlement has proven to be a good forecaster of legal recruitment of Western Rock Lobster entering into the commercial and recreational fisheries. However, in 2011, this relationship broke down, with average puerulus settlement levels not being reflected in commercial catch rates four years later. Some northern areas showed unexpectedly low catch rates, while other southern areas showed unexpectedly high catch rates. Since this change followed the 2011 marine heatwave, it was assumed that this event changed some component(s) which were important to the growth and survival of juvenile lobsters. It was determined that a better understanding of this …

Exploring Clinical Reasoning In Occupational Therapy Students Using Think Aloud During Computerized Patient Simulation, Candra Selene Talylor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The objective of this research was to explore the effects of the think aloud (TA) method on the development of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy students completing an online simulation assignment. The study aimed to determine if thinking aloud develops clinical reasoning in occupational therapy students as evidenced by a change in clinical reasoning skill scores and investigates the relationship between students' overall clinical simulation competency scores.

This study used a mixed methods design, combining quantitative and qualitative data to explore and measure the use of the TA strategy on the development of clinical reasoning skills. The sample from this …

Manufacturing Systems: Characteristics And Dynamics, Alan J. Fitzmorris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research answers three basic questions. First, what are the behaviors (dynamics) of a manufacturing system in the context of system performance? Are these dynamics best described as linear deterministic, periodic, nonlinear deterministic, or stochastic? Second, what are the complexity (chaotic) characteristics of a manufacturing system, namely the maximal Lyapunov exponent, correlation dimension, and Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy? Third, is there a relationship between complexity characteristics and manufacturing system performance? This research involves four high level steps: data analysis, system dynamics analysis, system complexity analysis, and correlation analysis. The data analyzed consists of concrete plant and shipbuilding shop time series performance data. …

Advertising The Noble Savage: Blackfeet Exploitation And Erasure Through Glacier National Park, The Great Northern Railway, And The Bureau Of Indian Affairs From 1900-1920, Edward D'Angelo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Blackfeet Native Americans have lived in and around Glacier National Park and their current reservation boundaries for thousands of years. They previously lived a nomadic lifestyle, but were forced onto a reservation by the American government in the nineteenth century. At the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, the Blackfeet sold more land to the federal government at the same time the Great Northern Railway was building its railroad through the Rocky Mountains. In order to increase travel demands on its railway in the area, the Great Northern Railway lobbied the federal government …

Associations Of Blood Biomarkers Of Glial Cell Dysfunction And Neuronal Injury With Future Cognitive Decline And Incident Dementia, Srishti Shrestha, Xiaoqian Zhu, B Gwen Windham, Kevin J Sullivan, Priya Palta, Rebecca F Gottesman, Russell P Tracy, Clifford R Jack, Petrice M Cogswell, Prashanthi Vemuri, Sudha Seshadri, Thomas H Mosley, Michael E Griswold, Myriam Fornage

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Prospective studies of blood-based biomarkers reflecting pathogenic processes, other than Alzheimer-specific pathologies, that contribute to dementia in diverse cohorts are lacking.

Methods: We jointly fitted linear mixed-effect models and proportional hazards models to examine associations of midlife glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40), soluble cluster of differentiation-14 (sCD14), neurofilament light chain (NfL), total tau (t-tau), and ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) levels in serum (collected in 1993 to 1995) with cognitive decline and incident dementia (ascertained over 29 years through 2022) in the community-based Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. sCD14 and YKL-40 were measured in 3082 …

Perceived Neighborhood Environment And Objectively Assessed, Habitual Physical Activity Among Us Adults: An All Of Us Research Program Study, Natalia I Heredia, Michael C Robertson, Christopher D Pfledderer, Ethan T Hunt, Timothy J Walker, Deborah Salvo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the associations between perceived socioenvironmental neighborhood attributes and objectively assessed habitual physical activity among US adults as well as whether associations vary by sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: We used data from the All of Us research program, a longitudinal cohort study of a diverse sample of Americans. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion, physical and social disorder, walkability, and sociodemographic characteristics were self-reported. Habitual physical activity was ascertained using Fitbit-derived step counts over ≥24 weeks. Generalized additive mixed-effects models were used to test the associations between perceived socioenvironmental neighborhood attributes and daily step counts. …

Retrospective Analysis Of Implemented Project Management Within A Small-Scale Student Engineering Project: Beng Fountain Wars Team Case Study, Holli E. Jenkins

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This honors thesis provides a retrospective analysis of how the 2025 inaugural University of Arkansas’s ASABE Fountain Wars Student Team could be improved through project management. Project commitment, early stakeholder influence, rich communication, and a detailed project plan are all attributes of successful projects, and the team’s strengths and weaknesses within these categories were determined through a team poll. After the poll was conducted, three methodologies, Agile, Hybrid, and Waterfall, were assessed to determine how they would effectively address the team’s weaknesses. A weighted objectives table was created to compare each methodology’s effectiveness across the management categories. The analysis revealed …

Table Of Contents

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of Global And Regional Human Rights Standards On Gender-Based Violence, Tamar Ezer, R. Denisse Córdova Montes

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

A Concerted Effort: How The Roberts Court Demolished Anti-Gerrymandering Protections, Samuel Ogden

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

A Mass Disabling Event: Why California Courts Must Protect Workers’ Families From Take-Home Covid, Ellery Armstrong

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Zoom Dock Is Worse Than A Cage: Remote Appearances From Jail Are Unconstitutional In Washington, Michael Mactaggert, Jeremiah Noonan

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Welcome To The Dollhouse: New Ai Technology Poses Ethical Issues In Prison Systems, Bailey Mccoy

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Current Status Of Infant Oral Health Instruction Within Predoctoral Dental Education, Beau D Meyer, Priyanshi Ritwik, Jean Star, Timothy Followell, Mikhail Jones, Leola Royston, Brenda Bohaty, Martina Majstorovic, Adriana Modesto Gomes Da Silva, Katherine Chin, James R Boynton, Chelsea Fosse

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A pediatric dental home is a patient-provider relationship that establishes compassionate, comprehensive care that is continually accessible. For more than two decades, professional organizations have recommended children establish a dental home by their first birthday. In 2024, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Council on Pre-Doctoral Education had a governance charge approved by the AAPD Board of Trustees to evaluate the status of infant oral health (IOH) instruction in pre-doctoral dental education. This study was designed to describe the current state of didactic and clinical clock hours dedicated to IOH in U.S. pre-doctoral curricula. Following IRB approval, a 25-item …

Hollow Nickel-Iron Nanoshells As Electrocatalysts For The Oxygen Evolution Reaction, Jonathan Batey

Chemistry & Biochemistry Undergraduate Honors Theses

The development of highly active and affordable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction is crucial to achieve a future where hydrogen is generated cleanly using renewable methods. Ni-Fe nanocatalysts show great promise in this area, as they are affordable and highly active. However, to overcome the industrial dominance of steam methane reforming, their activity needs improvement. This work aims to increase the activity of Ni-Fe nanocatalysts by making hollow nanostructures. Hollow Ni-Fe nanostructures were synthesized by coating a Cu template with Ni and Fe, followed by the etching of the Cu template. This left hollow Ni-Fe nanoshells, which were used …

That Song Sounds Familiar: An Analysis Of U.S. Copyright Considerations In Popular Music, Jessica Johnson

Honors Theses

Much of popular music has started to bear resemblance to songs of the past as artists rely on techniques, including sampling and interpolations, to ensure their song is a guaranteed hit. But what are the legal implications behind that, and is the line between inspiration and copying getting blurred? This thesis aims to consider the precedent of copyright law as applied to modern musical works and how the landscape of popular music has evolved over time to raise more copyright concerns. It also looks at two modern case studies of musical inspiration that have resulted in legal claims: the song …