Digital Commons Network^™

Low-Dose Aspirin For Preventing Intrauterine Growth Restriction And Pre-Eclampsia In Sickle Cell Pregnancy, Lydia Pecker, Sophie Lanzkron

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

No abstract provided.

Dyadic Trust Congruence And Asymmetry: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Needs On Trust And Performance, Hongyin Cai

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This thesis examines how trust congruence and trust asymmetry shape leader-subordinate relationships and how these dynamics influence LTS and subordinate job performance. Trust congruence and trust asymmetry are defined by the degree of alignment between STL and SFT. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study investigates these processes from the subordinate’s perspective using a mixed-method design that integrates qualitative interviews and quantitative analysis.

Results show that subordinate trust in leader (STL), subordinate felt trust (SFT) and leader trust in subordinate (LTS) are three distinct constructs. Trust asymmetry is prevalent, with subordinate often trusting more than they feel trusted. Asymmetry meaningfully shapes …

Enterprise Digital Transformation: An Analysis Of Value Creation From An Operational Perspective, Weiguo Ling

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Digital transformation has become a critical pathway for the manufacturing sector to break through growth bottlenecks and reshape its core competitiveness. However, in practice, a large number of enterprises are trapped in the transformation paradox of a “discrepancy between perceived consensus and actual outcomes”. The core issue lies in the fact that traditional investment evaluation methods struggle to effectively measure the multi-dimensional value created by digitalization. From the perspective of operational management, this study focuses on the mechanisms and evaluation methods of digital value creation in different manufacturing contexts. A four-dimensional Value Evaluation Framework is proposed, comprise of Value Identification, …

The Impact Of Service Model Innovation Of Woodworking Machinery Equipment Suppliers On Downstream Furniture Industry Enterprises' Competitiveness, Wenquan Jing

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study examines the impact of service model innovation by woodworking machinery equipment suppliers on the competitiveness of downstream furniture enterprises, focusing on evolving competitive dynamics in equipment manufacturing within the context of service-oriented manufacturing and digital transformation. In the digital economy era, industrial competition is transitioning from traditional product-centric approaches to a value co-creation-oriented paradigm centered on customer value and service capabilities. As a typical equipment manufacturing subsector, the woodworking machinery industry has long relied on equipment sales and after-sales maintenance models that fail to meet downstream furniture enterprises" demands for flexible production, intelligent operation and maintenance, and end-to-end …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Cognitive And Affective Trust In Wealth Management: Impacts On Wealth Manager Selection And Asset Under Management (Aum) Growth, Ting Hsi Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Trust is key to wealth management decision-making; there is little empirical clarity on the relationships between different dimensions of trust and client behavior at each stage of the relationship. Previous works differentiated Cognitive trust, based on perceived competence, and Affective trust, based on relational and emotional connections. Nevertheless, the mechanisms under which these trust dimensions act during the pre- and post-account-opening phases have not yet been thoroughly studied. This research addresses this gap by exploring the stage-dependent influence of Cognitive and Affective trust on the central behavioral outcomes in wealth management.

The approach is a quantitative research based on a …

Gen Z Employees’ Characteristics And Their Impacts On Work Motivation And Outcomes: A Comparative Study Of Private Firms And State-Owned Enterprises In China, Yanfang Zheng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This study examines the characteristics of Generation Z (Gen Z) employees and investigates how these traits influence work motivation and job-related outcomes within the Chinese organizational context. Specifically, the research compares employees working in state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private firms, two dominant but structurally distinct organizational forms in China. Drawing upon self-determination theory, generational cohort theory, and organizational behavior literature, the study proposes a conceptual model in which Gen Z characteristics influence job outcomes both directly and indirectly through intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, with organizational type acting as a moderating variable. A quantitative, multi-source survey design was employed. Data were …

Boosting Agriculture Career Readiness In Stem Through A Virtual Symposium, Suzanna R. Windon, Hosung You, Christina Grozinger, Natalie Boyle, Hongmei Li-Byarlay, Torrence A. Gill, Simon Zebelo

Journal of Youth Development

This study evaluated a recorded virtual career symposium aimed at enhancing STEM in Agriculture and graduate education readiness among students from Minority-Serving Institutions.The evaluation focused on changes in participants’ perceived readiness for STEM careers and graduate education, the relationship between readiness and demographic factors, and participants’ overall experience with the event. Featuring presentations from faculty and alumni, the symposium highlighted career pathways in agriculture and entomology, essential skills, and graduate education opportunities. Participants from five institutions were invited to view the recorded sessions and complete an online survey. Of the 56 responses received, 41 were analyzed. Results indicated that most …

The Impact Of Civic Engagement On Filipino Youth During The Pandemic: The Role Of Social Networking Sites For Social Capital Building, Ma. Glenda Wui, Katrina Yuzon, Joane Denise Alliah Axibal, Gel Christian Llames, Enrique Niño P. Leviste

Journal of Youth Development

This study examined the civic engagement of Filipino youth (N=14) volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anchored in the asset-based framework of Positive Youth Development, the study discussed the critical role of civic engagement in enhancing the well-being of youth during the pandemic. It also analyzed the role of Social Networking Sites (SNS) in building social capital for civic engagement. Through in-depth interviews, the study examined the impact of the participants’ engagement on their lives, and how they confronted challenges related to civic work. Thematic analysis of the interview data yielded four themes: personal challenges during the pandemic, coping with the …

Volume 21.1, Spring 2026

Journal of Youth Development

No abstract provided.

Youth Development Opportunities Among Sexual/Gender Minoritized Youth: Who Is Left Out?, Amy L. Gower Ph.D., Ben Parchem, G. Nic Rider, Hana-May Eadeh, Ryan Watson, Samantha E. Lawrence, Stephen Russell, De'shay Thomas, Marla E. Eisenberg

Journal of Youth Development

Youth development opportunities promote health and wellbeing across adolescence. However, scholars have increasingly questioned whether these programs are relevant to and meet the needs of youth with minoritized identities. Using an intersectionality lens, 2022 Minnesota Student Survey data from 8th, 9th, and 11th graders who indicated a minoritized sexual and/or gender identity (N=24,400) were analyzed using exhaustive Chi-square automatic interaction detection to understand how youth’s racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender identities and grade contributed to engagement in youth development opportunities. Mean youth development opportunity scores were lowest among youth with multiple minoritized identities, particularly transgender and gender diverse youth of …

Improving Agent Retention By Documenting The Impact Of 4-H In Kentucky, Ken Culp, Kimberly Ragland, Tori Stanton, Katherine L. Thompson

Journal of Youth Development

The purpose of this study was to improve agent retention by documenting the positive impact that 4-H agents were making by identifying the most effective program delivery methods in Kentucky. This could help agents prioritize their time, emphasizing high-impact activities. Agents indicated that while one year of 4-H makes the greatest impact, 10 years’ membership is ideal. The most impactful delivery methods were clubs and camps. The most important life skills developed in 4-H were communication, leadership, and community service. Club programming includes all highly valued core experiences identified in this study (leadership opportunities, community service, and communication).

Community-Based Programming And Ecological Resilience In Vulnerable Youth: A Mixed Methods Study, Alicia Mcvarnock, Leanna M. Closson, Meg Ternes, Nichole L. Cole

Journal of Youth Development

This exploratory sequential mixed-methods study aimed to provide a deeper understanding regarding ecological resilience theory among adolescents and emerging adults engaged in community-based programming. Phase 1 participants were 18 Leave Out Violence Nova Scotia Youth Leaders and alumni aged 16 to 31 (M_age = 24.28, SD = 3.75; n = 10 female). Semi-structured interviews were used to examine participants’ past and present experiences with Leave Out Violence Nova Scotia, with a focus on perceptions of resilience in their lives. Results were analyzed through mixed (inductive and deductive) thematic analysis. In Phase 2, a focus group assisted in developing a …

Differences In Student Basic Need Satisfaction Across University Community Service Offerings In Vietnam, Myles Lynch, Nguyen Lam Phuong, Duong Ngoc Anh, Huy Ngoc Vu, Hoang Quang Thang

Journal of Youth Development

In 2018, the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) made experiential learning a mandatory component of general education in an effort to enhance student skills pertaining to career and professional success. Community service, as a form of experiential learning, can enable individuals to apply knowledge and skills to address societal challenges beyond classroom settings. The availability and effectiveness of structured community service-learning programs vary across Vietnamese universities. Using Basic Needs Theory (autonomy, competence, relatedness), a sub-theory of Self-Determination Theory, this study examined differences in Vietnamese student need satisfaction based on availability of community service courses, providing insights into program …

Love, Support, Good Vibes: Unconditional Positive Regard And Lgbtqia+ Youth After-School Stories, M V. Pease, Maggie Brooks, Wilson Lazo-Salmeron, Ayushi Sarkar, Halle Ho-Yee Shen, Sharon Colvin

Journal of Youth Development

LGBTQIA+ youth face high rates of identity rejection and bullying, creating an urgent need for support and affirmation within oppressive societal structures. School environments can uniquely support LGBTQIA+ youth through after-school programming designed to provide positive community experiences. Using qualitative thematic analysis of personal stories from LGBTQIA+ youth (N=94), we examined what LGBTQIA+ youth envision as ideal support within after-school programming. Our analyses, informed by humanistic psychology principles, revealed eight major themes: good vibes, compassion and empathy, non-judgment and acceptance, multidimensional human connection, safety, proxy for home/family, adults and mentors, and altruism. Results indicate the need for warmth, safety, connection, …

From “Scared” To “Empowered”: Lived Experience Of Out-Of-School Youth In The Philippines, Sheilalaine G. Romulo

Journal of Youth Development

In the Philippines, marginalized youth (e.g. out-of-school) are mostly excluded from civic engagement. This study explores how 5 young Filipino leaders, once out-of-school, navigated a community-based alliance with adults. The lifeworld of these young leaders is accessed through a phenomenological interview guided by Max van Manen’s phenomenological method. Their lived experience tells a transformative journey of being scared youth to becoming empowered young leaders who have found their voice after overcoming insecurities, fear of exclusion, and being misunderstood. It can also be gleaned from their lived experience how the adult partners may have contributed to their transformation. This article recommends …

Growing Mathletes: Integrating Growth Mindset, Math, And Sports To Support Youth Learning, Sanlyn Buxner, Erin Turner, Seneca B. Miller, Christina Baze, Ricardo Valerdi

Journal of Youth Development

Through Growing Mathletes, we developed and field-tested informal education activities designed to teach math within the context of baseball in a way that supports youth in developing a growth mindset. We present our development strategy and discuss our implementation with third through eighth graders at five informal learning sites across the United States. Assessment of program success included pre- and post-program surveys and post-program interviews with youth from all five informal education settings. Our findings revealed our strategy to integrate growth mindset concepts with math and baseball lessons led to positive outcomes related to youth mindset and confidence. We present …

To Employment And Beyond: Life Skills Development Through A Private-Nonprofit Partnership, Spencer Dudley, Victoria Haley

Journal of Youth Development

The transition to employment is a pivotal step for youth and young adults. A successful shift to the workforce can support financial independence and open pathways toward further learning and personal growth. Employers increasingly prioritize life skills over complex or technical skills in the current labor market. However, opportunities to develop these skills are not equitably distributed. Life skills training programs within a positive youth development framework show promise in affording historically marginalized youth populations opportunities to identify and develop these skills, yet research on youth experiences in such programs remains limited. This qualitative study draws on focus groups and …

A Review Of Teaching Storytelling In Classrooms And Communities, Kimberly Allen

Journal of Youth Development

Storytelling has long been a powerful tool for self-expression, community building, and social change—yet educators often struggle to integrate it meaningfully into their curriculum. Teaching Storytelling in Classrooms and Communities: Amplifying Student Voices and Inspiring Social Change by Drs. González, Kokozos, and Byrd offers practical strategies for bringing storytelling into classrooms and program development. Through research and real-world examples, the authors highlight how storytelling fosters belonging, critical thinking, and student empowerment while addressing trust, ethical storytelling, and social change. Organized into eleven chapters, the book explores key topics such as centering youth voices, challenging dominant narratives, and making storytelling impactful. …

Scoping Review: Facilitators, Barriers, And Cultural Adaptations In The Caregiver Skills Training Program For Children With Developmental Concerns, Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Maria C. Montenegro, Ana C. Ramirez, Victoria Villarreal, Lucia Murillo Chacko, Pamela Dixon, Sarah Dababnah

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Autism interventions are predominantly developed in high-income countries, limiting access for families in low- and middle-income countries due to systemic, cultural, and logistical barriers. The Caregiver Skills Training program aims to address this disparity by equipping caregivers with practical skills. This scoping review examines the cultural adaptations, facilitators, and barriers to the implementation of Caregiver Skills Training, focusing on its accessibility, feasibility, and acceptability. A comprehensive search of ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science identified eligible studies that reported cultural or linguistic adaptations of Caregiver Skills Training. Forward searches and manual reference checks supplemented the review. Data were extracted …

Trauma: Blunt Solid Organ Injury, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways

No abstract provided.

How Does Communication Breakdown Impact Group Cohesion Over The Lifespan Of A Team?, Hannah Dyche

University Honors Theses

Communication is one of the main determinants of whether a team or group achieves a successful outcome; when it starts to erode, the team's overall goal often erodes with it. Communication breakdown within teams directly impacts group cohesion, causing small misunderstandings to escalate into larger conflicts. Every team experiences ups and downs, but maintaining a strong foundation of communication and continually strengthening it will prevent this breakdown.

Most of the existing research on team dynamics focuses on corporate environments. By shifting the focus to a short-term academic team, this thesis shows how communication breakdown impacts group cohesion over the lifespan …

How Agile Became The Design Philosophy Of Ai Fishbowl Under Real-World Constraints, Jad Saad

University Honors Theses

This capstone review examines the development of AI Fishbowl, a public-facing, interactive artificial intelligence system, as a case study in how Agile methods evolve from a project management tool into a design philosophy under real-world constraints. Although the project adopted an Agile workflow early on through a Kanban-style task management approach, the initial system design and architecture were still shaped by a largely plan-first mindset. This created a mismatch between flexible process and rigid design assumptions, which became increasingly apparent as the team moved from high-level architecture into implementation.

A critical turning point occurred when early architectural plans proved difficult …

The Clear Custom Matrix Technique For Class Ii Light-Cured Composites, James C. Hamilton, Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This clinical article details the Clear Custom Matrix Technique (CCMT), an innovative method for placing posterior composite restorations. The technique uses a pre-operative PVS impression to act as a die, reforming unset composite to precisely match the tooth's original anatomy. The author provides a step-by-step guide, demonstrating how the method saves chair time, reduces the need for finishing and polishing, and eliminates the air-inhibited layer. The article also discusses matrix selection, layering techniques, and troubleshooting common clinical challenges to achieve highly accurate and aesthetic results.

Mda Advocacy: Advocacy Continues Despite A Challenging Climate, James Budd Mpp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This update reviews the MDA's legislative efforts during a period of significant gridlock in the Michigan Legislature. It highlights key priorities such as bills addressing virtual credit card payments and dental specialty advertising. The source emphasizes that advocacy remains essential even when progress is slow, as it builds the relationships necessary for future success. Additionally, it outlines the "MDA Service Promise" and announces an upcoming PAC competition at the Annual Session to support the association's political activities.

Quantitative Comparison Of Different Ultrasound Simulation Approaches For Civil Engineering Applications, Fabian Dethof, Simon Schmid, Jean-Marie Henault, Thomas Schumacher, Sylvia Kessler, Salvador Villalobos

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Interpreting ultrasonic waveforms is often challenging, especially in the presence of tilted boundaries that introduce multiple reflections, mode conversions, and echoes. To analyze such complex signal patterns, wavefield simulations provide a valuable tool. To ensure confidence in the simulation results, the accuracy of the numerical method is crucial. Another consideration when using simulations is their computational expense. Especially in civil engineering applications, large structures need to be investigated, which may not be feasible given the available resources. In this study, different numerical methods and software implementations commonly used for simulations in civil engineering are compared, including the Elastodynamic Finite Integration …

Species Sorting And Spatial Effects In Hyporheic Invertebrate Functional Groups, Benjamin T. Hutchins, Zoey B. Chanin, Kathryn E. Perez, Peter H. Diaz, Benjamin F. Schwartz

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Invertebrate communities in the hyporheic zone are structured by metacommunity processes including environmental filtering and spatial effects (e.g., dispersal). We investigated how these processes differentially influence two functional groups: groundwater-obligate invertebrates (stygobionts) and benthic insects. We predicted that environmental filtering would dominate for insects, while spatial effects would prevail for stygobionts. We collected 76 samples from 28 hyporheic sites along 109 km of the Rio Grande, Texas, USA, enumerating 54,508 individuals across 80 taxa. Concordance analysis and RDA revealed two communities: one dominated by insects, and another by crustaceans and soft-bodied organisms, including all stygobionts. In linear models, insect richness …

Transfer Learning Neural Networks For Nuclear Forensic Image Morphology Using Image Splitting Techniques, Niko A. Petrocelli, Lee C. Lambert, Brett J. Borghetti, Abigail A. Bickley

Faculty Publications

Manual morphological analysis of actinide particles from scanning electron microscope (SEM) imagery is a critical component of nuclear forensics but is prone to significant inter-analyst variability. To address this challenge, this work develops and evaluates an automated classification method using deep learning. We introduce a methodology based on partitioning 1906 SEM images, representing 13 classes of uranium compounds, into smaller patches for analysis. Three convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures of increasing complexity were compared: a custom baseline CNN, a simple transfer learning model using ResNet50v1, and a complex model featuring hierarchical feature extraction and a spatial attention mechanism built upon …

Design And Development Of A 12-Degree-Of-Freedom Quadruped Robot, Kai De La Cruz

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a 12-degree-of-freedom (DOF) quadruped robot developed as a research platform for legged locomotion and control. The system builds upon the Cal Poly Legged Robotics Group’s prior 8-DOF quadruped, addressing key limitations in manipulability, load distribution, and mechanical robustness by introducing a 3-DOF leg architecture.

The mechanical design emphasizes lightweight construction, structural integrity, and modularity to support future research extensions. Static and dynamic loading models were developed to inform component sizing and material selection. A carbon-fiber chassis and redesigned leg assemblies were fabricated and validated through finite element analysis and physical …

The Application, Construction, And Validation Of Hidden Markov Model Profiles For Carbonic Anhydrase Enzymes, Samuel F. Kaplan

Master's Theses

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2 and have evolved independently at least eight times, resulting in structurally distinct enzyme families (α, β, γ, δ, ζ, η, θ, ι). Traditional sequence alignment methods struggle to classify these convergently evolved proteins because their sequential similarity does not reliably indicate functional or evolutionary relationships. Many CA sequences in public databases are annotated generically without family assignments, and prior computational approaches have focused predominantly on the three well characterized families (α, β, γ), leaving the five recently discovered classes without robust classification tools. Family level assignment is often a prerequisite for …

Sea Level Trends Near Critical Levees In The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Reyna Sanchez Gomez

Master's Theses

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) levee system faces threats from rising sea levels, land subsidence, and deteriorating levees, all of which pose risks to California’s primary surface water supply. The purpose of this thesis is to assess relative sea level rise (RSLR) and estimate the spatially varying factors that influence water levels in the Delta. This thesis extends the work of Baranes et al. (2023) to the period 1975-2022 by appending recently acquired water-level records (1975-1982) to modern datasets (1982-2022) from 10 water-level stations. These water level datasets were digitized, quality-assured, and referenced to a common geodetic datum, as described …