Digital Commons Network^™

Position: The Pre/Post-Training Boundary Should Govern Ip In Industry–Academia Ml Collaborations, Dirk Bergemann, Soheil Ghili, Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Industry–academia ML collaborations routinely fail to launch—not for scientific reasons, but because academics must publish while companies must protect models trained on proprietary data, and no standard contract framework resolves this tension. Because contracts are negotiated by legal departments alone, many apparent legal disputes are incentive misalignment problems that only scientists at the table can correctly diagnose. We propose PBOS (Protect-the-Business / Open-Source-the-Science), a community-adoptable contract template anchored to a single technically-grounded boundary: pre-training artifacts (architectures, training code, benchmarks, untrained weights) are open science; post-training artifacts (weights trained on proprietary data) are business IP. This boundary is technically meaningful, legally …

Class Peers As Competitors And Educators: The Consequences Of Rank-Based Academic Rewards, Mark R. Rosenzweig, Bing Xu

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

This paper examines the theoretical and empirical consequences of rank-based reward systems in schools in which students’ performance and effort are evaluated relative to their peers. In such environments, classmates act simultaneously as competitors—due to rank-determined rewards—and as educators through peer learning and assistance. Using nationally representative panel survey data from U.S. high schools, combined with administrative information on the location assignments of new refugee student cohorts, we exploit variation in school competition policies and class ability compositions to identify empirically their dual effects on student effort and peer learning. We develop a theoretical tournament model with heterogeneous students who …

Efficient Estimation In Infinite Dimensional Gmm, Jin Seo Cho, Peter C. B. Phillips

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

In GMM estimation it is well known that if the number of moment conditions grows with the sample size, GMM asymptotics differ from the standard case with moment size fixed as the sample size tends to infinity. The present work explores infinite dimensional GMM estimation under various conditions on the moment conditions and the weight matrix. Our approach employs a partial sum process formed by the moment conditions to represent high dimensional moments and an invariance principle to capture the infinite dimensional asymptotics as the moment size grows. Next, the GMM weight matrix is assumed to converge to one of …

Regional Economic Impacts And Emission Responses Under Solar Radiation Modification, Jenny Bjordal, Evelien Van Dijk, Henri Cornec, Anthony A. Smith Jr, Trude Storelvmo

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) has been proposed as a potential tool to limit increases in global or regional temperatures caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. While previous research has extensively examined the climate system’s response to various SRM strategies, as well as their aggregate economic consequences, the regional distribution of economic impacts has received less attention. In this study, we use NorESM2–DIAM—an Earth System Model coupled to a high-resolution integrated assessment model—to assess the economic impacts, measured in GDP per capita, in an idealised SRM scenario where incoming solar radiation is reduced by 1%. Our results suggest that, relative to …

Beyond Exposure: Predicting Ai Adoption Based On Comparative Advantage, Ilse Lindenlaub, Ryungha Oh, Maria Alejandra Rodriguez, Laura Veldkamp

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We document and explain the gap between measures of AI exposure and measures of AI adoption in the workplace. This leads us to propose a new AI adoption index based on comparative advantage. Using the representative German DiWaBe employee survey linked to worker and establishment information, we compare worker-reported AI use to prominent exposure measures and find that the relationship is weak. Motivated by this gap, we develop a framework in which adoption depends not only on technical feasibility—AI’s absolute advantage measured by exposure—but on profitability—AI’s comparative (dis)advantage relative to a specific worker—balancing AI productivity against AI user costs and …

Towards A Methodology For Measuring Rental Property Ownership In The United States, Stephanie Kestelman, Rebecca Diamond, John Eric Humphries, Kate Pennington, Winnie Van Dijk, John Voorheis

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Roughly one-third of U.S. households rent their homes, yet measuring who owns rental property is difficult: ownership is frequently obscured by LLCs, partnerships, and other intermediary entities that separate legal from economic control. We develop a method that traces ownership through administrative records—combining deeds and property assessments with the Census Bureau’s Business Register, IRS Schedule K-1 filings, and SEC filings on REITs—to identify ultimate owners and construct property portfolios across the full landlord size distribution. Applying the method to 11 large CBSAs, we find that individual landlords own a large majority of rental units, though their share varies meaningfully across …

From People’S War To People’S Rule: Rebel Governance And The Foundations Of Inclusive Democracy, Bhishma Bhusal, Michael Callen, Rohini Pande, Soledad Prillaman, Deepak Singhania, Apurva Subedi

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

How does wartime rebel governance shape post-conflict institutions? We study this in Nepal, where the Maoist People's War (1996–2006) dismantled a 240-year caste-based monarchy and ended with Maoists entering democratic politics. During the conflict, Maoists established sub-national “People’s Governments” that administered justice, collected taxes, and delivered local services. Using a spatial regression-discontinuity design, we show that exposure to People's Governments increased political knowledge and participation especially among historically marginalized indigenous groups (Janajatis). Exposure also reshaped party institutions and inter-party competition: candidate-selection committees in more exposed areas have 26 percent more Janajati members who, drawing on novel implicit-attitude data, exhibit less …

Learning Through Imitation: An Experiment, Marina Agranov, Gabriel Lopez-Moctezuma, Philipp Strack, Omer Tamuz

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We compare how well agents aggregate information in two repeated social learning environments. In the first setting agents have access to a public data set. In the second they have access to the same data, and also to the past actions of others. Despite the fact that actions contain no additional payoff-relevant information, and despite potential herd behavior, free riding and information overload issues, observing and imitating the actions of others leads agents to take the optimal action more often in the second setting. We also investigate the effect of group size, as well as a setting in which agents …

リアホナからの知恵の凝集オーディオ深堀シリーズ, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

本資料は、教会誌『リアホナ』の4,000件以上の記事を分析する過程で、GeminiのNotebookLMを活用して生成された3６の対話形式の要約（Audio Overview）です。AIの特性上、一部に読み間違いが含まれていますが、多様な角度から日常の疑問や微妙な心理に寄り添う構成となっており、繰り返し聴くことで重要な教訓を、一人の人が考えうるレベルをはるかに超えて、さまざまな角度から考えることができ、これまで心理的に障害になっていたことを乗り越える具体的なヒントがふんだんに語られています。自然と身につきます。最大限に活用するために、まずはいくつかのバージョンに触れ、その中から自分に合うポイントを1つ選び、数週間かけて習慣化することを目指してください。一度にすべてを実践しようとせず、一つひとつを生活に馴染ませていくことが、最終的には知的・霊的な生産性を飛躍させる鍵となります。

Invoking The Senior Partner, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

For faculty who hold religious faith, the relationship between scholarly work and divine communion is not a private afterthought but a potential cognitive and motivational resource of the first order. This article draws on ten converging theoretical frameworks in organizational psychology, positive psychology, and learning science to argue that actively seeking divine guidance through prayer — treating Heavenly Father as a Senior Partner in the research enterprise — is not a retreat from rigorous scholarship but an extension of it. We examine how practices of spiritual seeking interact with flow states, resilience, intellectual humility, and prospective thinking to produce measurable …

A Novel Approach To Creativity Assessment: Forced Pairwise Ranking With Large Language Models, Phillip R. Gregory Jr

Master's Theses

Assessing creativity at scale remains a persistent challenge in cognitive science, as human raters are costly, slow, and often inconsistent in their judgments. This thesis introduced a novel framework for automated scientific creativity assessment using forced pairwise ranking, in which fine-tuned large language models compared response pairs and determined which was more creative. Five empirical studies were conducted using Llama-2-7B and Llama-2-13B models adapted via LoRA fine-tuning and benchmarked against human scored responses from the Scientific Creative Thinking Test. A regression baseline achieved Pearson �� = .74 on the test set, matching the human inter-rater ceiling reported in the literature. …

Effects Of Embedding Psychoeducational Group Counseling In A Stem Summer Internship Experience, Nina Goodey, Matthew Murray, Michael Hannon, Amy Tuininga, Lora Billings, Brian Johnson

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A Survey On Digital Reading Materials And Personal Study Of Christian Religious Texts, Teancum Price

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Religion, including reading from religious texts such as scriptures, are a part of the daily lives of many people. Modern technology has influenced the way that this religious reading takes place, but its effects have not yet been studied. Existing research of the effects of technology on reading focus on topics such as reading comprehension, but the study of religious texts is often focused on achieving a religious experience, so the existing research does not capture the whole scope of these changes. In our study, we surveyed two universities (Utah State University and Abilene Christian University) to ask individuals how …

Decreasing Inappropriate Student Behavior Using Interdependent Group Contingency: Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Shelby Craig

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Students with intellectual disabilities have the right to participate in the same educational activities as their peers while receiving appropriate supports. Many schools implement Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to promote appropriate behavior through structured reinforcement systems, including group contingencies. This study examined the effectiveness of a group contingency intervention, the Caterpillar Game, in reducing inappropriate behaviors among six students with intellectual disabilities. Results indicated a consistent decrease in inappropriate behaviors following implementation of the intervention.

Enhancing Evidence-Based Practice Decision-Making Among Practitioners In Adult Disability Service Settings, Aubrey Vance

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) working in adult disability services often face challenges such as high caseloads, limited oversight, and restricted resources, which can make it difficult to use individualized, research-supported interventions. Although evidence-based practice (EBP) is central to applied behavior analysis, many practitioners receive little training on how to integrate research evidence, client values, and clinical judgment into their decision-making. This study examined whether BCBAs could be effectively trained to use a structured decision-making framework based on the EBP model by Slocum et al. (2014). Using a multiple baseline design, we evaluated the effects of Behavioral Skills Training (BST) …

Spatial And Seasonal Concentrations Of Atmospheric Halogens Around The Great Salt Lake (2023/2024), Himalaya Sapkota

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The Great Salt Lake (GSL), located in northern Utah, is one of the world's saltiest lakes and an essential resource for industry. It is also a significant hotspot for halogen emissions, including chlorine (Cl) and bromine (Br) from both natural and human sources. Although their concentrations in the atmosphere are low, they influence tropospheric chemistry by forming criteria pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter. These pollutants are detrimental to air quality, impacting public health and property. This study investigates the spatial and seasonal variability of halogen species (gas- and particulate-phase of Cl and Br) in the Northern Wasatch Front …

Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion Infrastructures And Faculty Composition: Associations With Undergraduate Student Outcomes At R1 Universities 2011-2021, Niyonta Nahia Chowdhury

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study explores how the structure and composition of research universities relate to student outcomes. Specifically, it asks whether having visible Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) infrastructures and diverse faculty representation is associated with who enrolls, who graduates, and how graduation rates differ within racial groups at R1 universities in the United States. Using national data from 2011 to 2021, the project analyzes enrollment and graduation patterns across institutions while accounting for differences in geography, governance, and state political context.

Rather than focusing on individual students, the study looks at institutional patterns. It examines how the racial and gender makeup …

Impact Of Inhibiting Mitochondrial Calcium Uptake On Calcium Homeostasis And Postmortem Metabolism In Porcine Muscle, Fatema Rahaman Mishu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

After harvesting the animal, pork muscle continues to undergo changes as it turns from muscle into meat. During this early period, the muscle uses up energy and produces acid, which lowers pH and can affect important quality traits such as color and how well the meat holds water. A key driver of these early changes is calcium, a natural mineral inside muscle cells that helps control contraction and energy use. In this study, we tested whether mitochondria (the cell’s “powerhouse”) help control calcium after harvest and, in turn, influence early postmortem changes in pork. We used a research compound (DS16570511) …

Advanced Integrated Practice: Holding Complexity With Integrity, Brittany Heather Mattfeld

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This professional portfolio presents an integrated approach to social work practice that holds systems-level analysis alongside relational, client-centered engagement. Drawing from graduate coursework, residential youth work, and applied program development, it examines how policy, power, and institutional structures shape lived experience within child welfare and juvenile justice systems. This work challenges the assumption that systems operate neutrally, highlighting how practices such as “voluntary” services may be experienced as coercive in application. Across core competencies—ethical practice, trauma-informed engagement, assessment and intervention, policy practice, research-informed practice, and interdisciplinary collaboration—the portfolio emphasizes that meaningful change occurs not only through structural reform, but through …

Beyond The Straight Road: A Narrative Of Growth Toward Integrated Social Work Practice, Samantha Bymaster

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

Msw Portfolio: Advancing Social Work Practice In International And Marginalized Communities, Emily L. Curtis

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

My portfolio presents an integrated reflection of advanced social work practice developed through my academic training and immersive field experiences across the United States, Germany, and New Zealand. Grounded in trauma-informed care, cultural humility, and strengths-based approaches, it demonstrates my application of the ten core social work competencies and five elements of advanced integrated practice within diverse and marginalized communities.

Drawing on my work with Māori and Pasifika women, refugee populations, and rural communities, this portfolio explains the importance of understanding individuals within broader cultural, historical, and systemic contexts. It emphasizes the need for socially just, culturally responsive, and relationship-centered …

An Exploration Of Personal Grievances And Susceptibility To Terrorist Recruitment Among Aggrieved U.S. Military Members: A Scenario-Based Qualitative Study, Jose R. Munoz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how personal, relational, and institutional experiences influenced susceptibility to terrorist recruitment among aggrieved U.S. military members. Using a scenario-based interview design grounded in the Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol-18 (TRAP-18), twenty current and former service members participated in standardized, one-on-one interviews. The study aimed to identify patterns of vulnerability and resilience that emerge from experiences of marginalization, isolation, emotional distress, and moral conflict within military contexts. A deductive analytic approach combined TRAP-18 indicators with Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis to interpret how participants conceptualized grievance, belonging, and institutional trust.

Findings revealed that radicalization susceptibility does not emerge …

Mental Health Outcome Disparities In Children With A History Of Maltreatment: A Qualitative Study, Anna V. Echaury

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Child maltreatment is a widespread social issue that leads to lasting effects that include perpetuating cycles of violence and can lead to long term problems in adulthood. The presented study aims to focus on describing the mental health outcome disparities in children who have experienced child maltreatment. Although existing studies have addressed mental health outcomes, previous work has overlooked the disparities between children who have experienced maltreatment and children who have not. This qualitative study will collect data using interviews and utilize thematic analysis to analyze the collected data. This research will enhance understanding of the impact of child maltreatment …

Human Trafficking Of Children Efficacy Of Counter Trafficking Programs For Youth, Alma Rodriguez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Human trafficking is a global problem, and it is a significant problem within the United States. Children are a vulnerable group that become victims of human trafficking operations. Human trafficking prevention programs are available to address this issue, but there is much needed research to test the effectiveness of the countertrafficking programs for high-risk children. This study is a systematic review of studies on countertrafficking programs. This study will use a mixed methods approach to analyze quantitative and qualitative data from selected studies. This study hopes to find if current counter-trafficking programs are effective in preventing at-risk youth from becoming …

Evaluating The Impact Of Myplate-Based Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program (Efnep) On Healthy Dietary Choices Among Low-Income Families, Theresa N. Agbonome

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Dietary behaviors towards healthy food choices remain a major public health issue in the United States, with prevalence among low-income families. The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) with Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) trains both health educators and volunteers to provide community-based nutrition education, which prioritizes low-income families. The initiative employs the MyPlate guidelines that are composed of 5 different food groups which include fruits, vegetables, protein, grains, and dairy products. This project focuses on evaluating nutritional habits of disadvantaged families within San Bernardino County (SBC) by using an evidence-based evaluation tool known as the …

We Define The Future: Lived Experiences Of Foster Youth In Higher Education And The Role Of The Educational Opportunity Program, Krystalyn T. Diaz

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Foster youth face significant barriers to higher education, including housing instability, financial insecurity, trauma, and limited adult support, contributing to low college completion rates, with only 3 to 11 percent earning a bachelor’s degree (Morton, 2018; Moyer & Goldberg, 2019). The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), established in 1969 within the California State University system, was designed to reduce these barriers through counseling, mentoring, financial assistance, and basic needs support. However, limited research has centered the voices of foster youth to understand their experiences with these services. Guided by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Resilience Theory, this qualitative phenomenological study explored …

Development Of An Employee Leave Guide Handbook At The California University Of Science And Medicine, Leyal Nidal Fakhreddine

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Employee leave policies play an important role in supporting workforce well-being, organizational compliance, and retention of skilled labor, especially in medical and educational health institutions. However, employees still experience confusion when trying to make sense of complicated leave options such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), maternity and paternity leave, and military leave. The lack of clear, centralized guidance can result in delays, miscommunication, and increased workplace stress.

This project was carried out as a part of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program integrative learning experience requirements at California State University, San Bernardino, and was conducted during …

Culture Shock Among International Students In U.S. Higher Education, Pablo A. Gutierrez Cervantes

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

International students continue to represent a vital and growing population within U.S. higher education; however, many encounter significant cultural, academic, and emotional challenges during their transition to American institutions. This qualitative thematic analysis study explored the lived experiences of international students navigating culture shock in U.S. higher education and examined how these experiences influenced their academic adjustment, social integration, and psychological well-being. Grounded in Kim’s Integrative Theory of Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, this study sought to understand how students made meaning of their cultural transition and what personal and institutional factors facilitated or hindered their adaptation.

Nine international …

Reducing Hospital Readmissions Through Post-Discharge Follow-Up Programs, Gurjeet Singh

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Within 30 days of the discharge, hospital readmissions continue to be one of the significant problems in healthcare organizations and are commonly seen as the measure of care quality, coordination, and efficiency. The high readmission rates indicate the disconnect between inpatient and outpatient settings, patient education, medication reconciliation, and discharge planning. They also have high financial implications in value-based reimbursement settings. The proposed project will be a descriptive and analytical literature review studying the effects of structured post discharge follow up interventions such as scheduled telephone calls, telehealth visits, and home based outreach on preventing unnecessary hospital readmission and enhancing …