Digital Commons Network^™

Vascular Brain Digital Twins For Medical Training And Education In Metaverse, Shamma Khaled Alghafri

Theses

This study addresses the need for innovative educational tools in the field of anatomy, specifically focusing on brain anatomy. The objective is to develop a virtual reality application and a 3D visualization that offer immersive and interactive learning experiences for students. The VR application, developed using Unity and designed for the Oculus Quest 2 headset, creates an immersive virtual laboratory environment. This environment includes interactive elements such as a table with buttons for displaying brain models and a whiteboard for user interaction. Users can manipulate and explore different brain structures, enhancing their understanding of complex anatomical features. Additionally, we integrated …

An Intelligent Academic Advising System For Course Recommendation Using Large Language Models, Malika Maya Iratni

Theses

Academic advising is an important resource for students, especially in higher education, in order to guide them to make the best possible decisions to improve their overall academic performance and overall academic journey. With the increasing number of students joining these institutions each year, traditional advising becomes a time-consuming and inefficient process that can leave students discouraged, and advisors overwhelmed. Therefore, there is a need to develop intelligent advising systems that make use of the recent advancements in technology, to support the advising process, and increase overall student satisfaction. In this work, an academic advising model that uses Recommender Systems …

Investigating The Relationship Between Hybrid Work, Job Burnout, And Job Satisfaction In Higher Education, Mariah Perry

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between hybrid work, job burnout, and job satisfaction in higher education. Amid the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many organizations began shifting their workplace model to encourage hybrid work. This research gleaned insight into the administrative staff perspective to provide data-informed support for higher education leaders when continuing or implementing hybrid work. Two measurement instruments were utilized, including the Maslach’s Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), along with demographic questions and three open-ended questions for hybrid-staff only. The combined survey was electronically administered to staff employed with three public higher …

Branding Corporate Criminals, W. Robert Thomas, Milhailis E. Diamantis

Fordham Law Review

Corporate punishment has a branding problem. Criminal sanctions should call out wrongdoing and condemn wrongdoers. In a world where generic corporate misconduct is a daily affair, conviction singles out truly contemptible practices from merely sharp, unproductive, or undesirable ones. In this way, criminal law gives victims the recognition they deserve, deters future wrongdoers who want to preserve their good name, and publicly reinforces society’s most treasured values.

Unfortunately, corporate punishment falls far short of all these communicative ambitions. For punishment to convey its intended message, society must be able to hear about it. When courts convict individuals, everyone understands that …

An Apt Analogy?: Rethinking The Role Of Judicial Deference To The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Post-Kisor, Amy Walker

Fordham Law Review

Since its inception in 1984, the U.S. Sentencing Commission (the “Commission”) has struggled to garner and maintain a sense of legitimacy among federal judges. The tension is both a story about competing expertise between judges and the Commission and competing values, namely uniformity and individuality. In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court in Stinson v. United States prioritized uniformity by telling lower courts to treat the Commission as they would any other administrative agency. Lower courts—for the most part—faithfully executed this directive until 2019, when the Supreme Court in Kisor v. Wilkie gave them another option, one that seemed to leave …

Faith Seeking Understanding: A Comparative Study Of Herman Bavinck And Wolfhart Pannenberg On The Doctrine Of Revelation, Jin Li

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation builds upon John Bolt’s suggestion that Wolfhart Pannenberg’s work can be utilized to extend and further elaborate upon Herman Bavinck’s efforts in outlining the fundamental contours of a philosophy of revelation. It focuses on various themes related to the doctrine of revelation to examine the theological and metaphysical frameworks of Bavinck and Pannenberg. Through a comparative analysis of their theoretical approaches, this study aims to offer a fresh, comprehensive perspective on the doctrine of revelation, highlighting their shared metaphysical foundations and the synthesis of orthodox and modern thought.

In this research, I explore the motifs and frameworks of …

Transforming Academic Librarianship Through Ai Reskilling: Insights From The Gpt-4 Exploration Program, Leo S. Lo

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic librarianship necessitates a corresponding evolution in librarians' competencies. This case study examines the GPT-4 Exploration Program at the University of New Mexico's College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences, which aimed to foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation by providing hands-on experience with advanced AI technology. Drawing on Malcolm Knowles' Adult Learning Principles, the program's structure and implementation are analyzed, highlighting the diverse range of projects undertaken by participants. The study reveals that effective AI reskilling involves cultivating a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and collaborative exploration, anchored in a …

Threads Of Connection: An Offering To Re-Tangle Humanity And Nature With The Patterns Of Our World, Emily Shelton

Graduate Theses

In our world there are patterns of self-similarity that serve as evidence of the interconnectedness between humankind and the rest of the natural world. They are reflected in our bodies, behaviors, and environments, both natural and manmade, and can be found throughout systems at every scale, micro through macro. These organic, linear motifs branch into smaller iterations that seem to shape our existence on this planet as we gravitate towards experiences that echo these patterns. During everyday acts like shopping in a grocery store or a crowd at a concert, we unconsciously participate in self-similar collective movements as we navigate …

The Benefits Of Teaching Young Adults Leadership Skills In The Early Stages Of Their Academics, April Marie Gura

All Student Scholarship

This study investigates the possibility of implementing leadership skills, at a younger age, specifically during high school, to enhance our future leaders. This quality is essential to our society. The interviews are conducted with a spectrum of teachers, who consider, through their experiences, what issues they view plague young people in today’s workforce. To better understand the problem, this study explores how leadership is viewed and displayed in their school systems. It addresses how leadership has formed into a needed life skill studying which should be infused into all high school curriculums. The finding of this study is that leadership …

The Impact Of Habit Formation On Healthcare Workers: An Occupational Therapy Approach To Well-Being, Hillary Littlefield Msot, Otr/L

All Student Scholarship

Occupational therapists have an opportunity to act as consultants in their healthcare systems to provide education, resources and guidance to interdisciplinary team members. This concept aimed to provide evidence to support an occupational therapy-based program focused on incorporation of healthy habits and routines into one’s daily life as a means to improve nursing altruism, quality of life and perception of one’s successes and value in their occupation. Pre- and post- survey data was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of an occupational therapy-based initiative that provided 1:1 and group coaching to a population of acute care nurses as an evaluation of …

The Effectiveness Of An Online Training Module For Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers: A Case Study, Areej Elsayary, Jenny Eppard, Laila Mohebi, Fatima Bailey, Hanada Taha Thomure

All Works

This study aims to understand the effectiveness of online training for pre-service and in-service teachers by exploring any differences between pre-service and in-service teachers’ satisfaction and learning following an online professional training video. Additionally, the study focused on evaluating any differences in satisfaction and learning of pre-service and in-service teachers based on age, experience, subject taught, and grade level, as well as nationality. An online 20-minute video session was shown to the participants and a survey question-naire, based on the Kirkpatrick Model, was used to explore their reactions and learning. The study employed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with independent sample …

Research On The Impact Of Ai Technology Adoption On Organizational Resilience Of Service Enterprises, Jianlin Deng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In a time of frequent global economic fluctuations, understanding how service enterprises can sustain stability amid fluctuating environments, and even thrive during crises, has become a significant research focus within the current economic context. Advancements in the digital economy provide service enterprises with new digital technology support, leading to their reduced operational costs and heightened efficiency. Among them, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is highly praised by service enterprises. AI technology is extensively integrated into service enterprises’ daily operations and management decision-making. However, limited research has been conducted on how AI technology can assist these enterprises in navigating external environmental disruptions. …

Enabling Criticality-Aware Optimized Machine Perception At The Edge, Ila Nitin Gokarn

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Cyber-physical systems and applications have fundamentally changed people and processes in the way they interact with the physical world, ushering in the fourth industrial revolution. Supported by a variety of sensors, hardware platforms, artificial intelligence and machine learning models, and systems frameworks, CPS applications aim to automate and ease the burden of repetitive, laborious, or unsafe tasks borne by humans. Machine visual perception, encompassing tasks such as object detection, object tracking and activity analysis, is a key technical enabler of such CPS applications. Efficient execution of such machine vision perception tasks on resource-constrained edge devices, especially in terms of ensuring …

An Attentionless Account Of The Attentional Blink, Matthew Stephen Junker

Dissertations

Theories of the attentional blink (AB) – a deficit in responding to the second of two temporally proximal stimuli (within 500 ms; Raymond et al., 1992) – generally explain the deficit as resulting from either the dynamics in top-down and bottom-up attentional process, or limitations in the capacity of the hypothesized attentional process. Extensive basic research has been conducted on the neural correlates of top-down and bottom-up attention as well as on the capacity limitations of attention; however, rather than leading to a single definition, the variety and complexity of results has led several taxonomies which differ systematically with the …

An Integrated Transformational Teaching Model For Empowering Undergraduate Psychology Students To Cultivate Self-Awareness, Wellness Practices, And Resilient Mindsets During Their Undergraduate Careers, Summerrae L. Arcemont

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This Narrative inquiry explored psychology students’ perceptions of self-awareness interventions and wellness training in undergraduate psychology coursework. Participants included seven undergraduate psychology majors who completed a psychology health and wellness course in the Fall 2023 semester at a regional university in the Southeast. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and examined to identify themes in the students’ stories regarding their journeys through the wellness course. The use of reflexive thematic analysis helped determine the following five overarching themes from the data: Roadmap for Navigating Wellness, Group Experience, Newfound Insight, Personal Growth and Transformations, and Moving Forward. The results of this study highlighted …

Increasing Head Start Parents' Awareness About Kindergarten Readiness, Griselda Galvan-Ramirez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Kindergarten is important for children because this is where they start to be prepared socially, emotionally and cognitively to reach their full potential at school. Many of the children in the USA are not prepared for kindergarten and this is something that can be prevented if their parents engage in at home activities. This activities help prepare their children for kindergarten. This project focused on informing Migrant Head Start parents of ways they can support their children’s development to achieve kindergarten readiness. Kindergarten readiness helps children make the transition to school be smooth and positive. Parents need mentorship and guidance …

The Importance Of Maintaining Healthy Relationships In Middle Childhood, Hailey Oyoque

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

My Capstone Project focuses on the importance of healthy relationships in middle childhood, ages nine to eleven. Middle childhood is a sensitive time period in the lifespan . Fourth and fifth graders in particular (9-11 years of age) are gaining a greater perception of the world around them as they are anticipating adolescence. These factors can have an influence on their peer relationships. In completing service learning at Henry F. Kammann elementary school in Salinas, California, I have learned that most students have dealt with peer conflicts (bullying, discrimination). As stated in an article called Middle Childhood, “Children in this …

Emotional Regulation In Preschool Age Children, Esmeralda Mendez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone focuses on teaching preschool students about emotional regulation and emotional understanding. Many preschool students have not developed the appropriate language to express their emotions making it difficult to regulate emotions. Poor emotional regulation at a young age can have negative effects on a child's life. For example, it can affect their behavior at school, their ability to deal with transitions during the school day, and their social relationships (Loomis, 2023). Young children have a difficult time regulating emotions because they are not sure of the feelings that they have and have not developed the skills to control their …

Preventing Homeless Provider Burnout, Airam Gutierrez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For my capstone project, I focused on bringing awareness to College Corps fellows, ages 20-30, about the causes of homelessness, the costs of burnout, and a few mindfulness practices to prevent burnout. College Corps is a first-of-its-kind initiative launched in partnership with California colleges and universities deploying over 10,000 College Corps Fellows to work in K-12 education, climate action, and food insecurity. These fellows are at high risk for burnout since they are attending college full-time and tackling some issues related to homelessness. I experienced burnout firsthand as a part of the first-ever College Corps cohort 2022-2023. I faced feelings …

The Startup Spotlight: Chronicles Of Innovation (2016-2023), Dawn Hightree

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Institute for Innovation and Economic Development (iiED) is a nonprofit organization that has been pivotal in supporting entrepreneurial success in the Monterey Bay Region. The iiED’s programs and services are effective at helping to solve the problem that Too many entrepreneurs lack resources, support, and innovation to effectively start a business in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties. Nonprofit organizations need to provide adequate proof to all stakeholders of mission fulfillment. Limited staffing, funding dependencies, and entrepreneurs needing substantial business services to meet the companies are contributing factors that can lead to missed opportunities, failed program deliveries, and …

Empowering Vidas By Affirming Motivation, Optimism, Resilience In Educators, Irene Castro

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The state of California has a severe teacher shortage that poses a significant threat to the quality of education to our students. Through a survey conducted at one of the agency’s school sites we were able to explore the issue, shedding light on its root causes, implications, and potential solutions. This crisis has been exacerbated by factors such as low teacher salaries, challenging working conditions, and a lack of resources in schools, particularly in underserved communities. The impact of the issue is creating a ripple effect that hampers student learning outcomes. This shortage disproportionately affects schools in economically disadvantaged areas, …

Improving Mental Health And Well-Being In Elementary School Students Through Stress Management Activities, Shya Vasquez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The number of students who are experiencing mental health issues is on the rise. There is a variety of reasons that contribute to the increasing numbers which include the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of support from teachers, the kinds of mental health activities that have not been incorporated into classrooms, and much more. Given this, this capstone project examines how to improve mental health and well-being of elementary school students through stress management activities through the use of literature review, interviews with two teachers, two parents, and two prospective teachers, and classroom observations. The results indicated the many benefits and different …

The Impact Of Parental Involvement On Academic Achievement And Self-Concept Of Elementary School Students, Alexis Randall

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Lack of parental involvement in schools is the missing link to long-term student success at the elementary school level. Within the first few years of elementary school, parental help and support is all that students need as they begin to grow and learn new concepts at school The continuing absence of parental involvement in school can have a long-term impact on the students, hindering their growth in the years to come in their academics and self-concept. A literature review and surveys with parents and teachers indicated that the lack of parental involvement in schools contributed to students’ behaviors, lack of …

A Menace To Math: When Numbers Attack And Anxiety Strikes Back, Celycia Rogers

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

In this Capstone Project, the researcher examined educators' perspectives on math anxiety and investigated their personal experiences with math to identify effective approaches for reducing math anxiety. Addressing math anxiety is essential to reduce the tension and fear individuals experience in math-related situations due to environmental factors and teaching methods. The primary stakeholder perspective obtained for this study was that of educators, as they have the most significant influence on student's math comprehension and emotional associations with the subject. Following interviews with participating educators and a review of relevant literature, three emergent themes were identified: making math fun, phasing out …

Sexual Satisfaction, An Indicator Of Sexual Health And Well-Being? Insights From Sti/Hiv Prevention Research In European Men Who Have Sex With Men, Karel Blondeel, Massimo Mirandola, Lorenzo Gios, Cinta Folch, Christiana Noestlinger, Maddalena Cordioli, Petra Sutter, Marleen Temmerman, Igor Toskin

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Introduction Although sexual health has been holistically defined to include sexual satisfaction, it has been largely absent in health services and sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes in many parts of the world. We propose sexual satisfaction as a useful indicator, as one of the proxy measures for sexual health and well-being and as a component of well-being in general.

Methods The Sialon II project is a multicentre biological and behavioural cross-sectional community-based survey implemented across 13 European cities during 2013–2014 among men who have sex with men. Sexual satisfaction was explored using one single item: ‘How satisfied are …

Adolescent Development Unconsidered - Facts Related To Youth In The Adult Criminl Legal System, Stephen Phillippi

Journal of the Louisiana Public Health Association

After three administrations, including republican and democrat leadership, and over two-decades of bi-partisan justice reform, Louisiana has elected to likely return to a time when we were known as the incarceration capital of the world. There were numerous reasons for the reforms that happened, including federal lawsuits, supreme court rulings, new evidence of what works in juvenile justice, and a renewed focus on community programs to support youth and families (both victims and delinquent youth). These reforms focused on increasing public safety, improving outcomes, being more developmentally responsive, and responsibly lowering reliance on incarceration. The commentary that follows is solely …

Muslim International Students’ Perception Of Islamophobia In Their Immigration Journey To The U.S.: A Case Study, Sheri Beyer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study serves as an impetus for universities to address improving pre-arrival services and procedures for Muslim international students and a resource for practitioners and lawmakers to examine current policies specifically through the lens of Critical Race and Critical Muslim Theory. Policymakers can examine the effects of Islamophobia on international students and how it affects higher education, communities, and the economies.

Diversity Coordinator Training, Norma Victoria

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Restorative Justice Program in The Schools is an agency that helps students, facilities and family members resolve conflict in a restorative method and helps them understand the result of their actions. Historically, students of color continue to have a higher suspension rate than white students. Providing coordinators with answers to help students with their questions about race and ethnicity in the schools can help eliminate students' own misunderstandings that contribute to disputes that result in suspensions. The contributing factors are minimal parental engagement and implicit bias and discriminatory practices. The consequences include academic achievement gap and increased drop out …

County Compensation Proposal: Bridging Benefit Gaps For Employees, Danny Jaramillo

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The National Guard and Reservists are members of the U.S. military who face wage loss due to their Inactive Training Duty (ITD). This issue stems from contributing factors such as an employer's lack of knowledge of service obligations, inadequate legal protections, and inadequate preparation for ITD. The lack of legal protections while service members attend mandatory training exacerbates their financial burden. These contributing factors lead to severe consequences, such as financial strain on service members. One of these financial strains is using vacation accrual hours to supplement income. Burnout, fatigue, and stress from a lack of paid leave can lead …

Community Benefits Awareness Presentations, Marlene Ramirez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Socioeconomic disadvantage significantly impacts educational outcomes, with 81% of Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) Alternative Education program students facing economic hardships. Serving youth in grades 9-12 and adults in Monterey County, including those within the county jail and juvenile facilities, the MCOE Alternative Education program strives to facilitate high school diploma attainment. This project sought to bridge the knowledge gap surrounding the Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs benefit programs through presentations shared within the MCOE community and partner agencies. A partnership between MCOE and the Monterey County Department of Social Services (MCDSS) was established to further this goal. The anticipated …