California State University, Monterey Bay
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Development of a Benchmark Eddy Flux Evapotranspiration Dataset for Evaluation of Satellite-Driven Evapotranspiration Models Over the CONUS
Get PDFA large sample of ground-based evapotranspiration (ET) measurements made in the United States, primarily from eddy covariance systems, were post-processed to produce a benchmark ET dataset. The dataset was produced primarily to support the intercomparison and evaluation of the OpenET satellite-based remote sensing ET (RSET) models and could also be used to evaluate ET data from other models and approaches. OpenET is a web-based service that makes field-delineated and pixel-level ET estimates from well-established RSET models readily available to water managers, agricultural producers, and the public. The benchmark dataset is composed of flux and meteorological data from a variety of providers covering native vegetation and agricultural settings. Flux footprint predictions were developed for each station and included static flux footprints developed based on average wind direction and speed, as well as dynamic hourly footprints that were generated with a physically based model of upwind source area. The two footprint prediction methods were rigorously compared to evaluate their relative spatial coverage. Data from all sources were post-processed in a consistent and reproducible manner including data handling, gap-filling, temporal aggregation, and energy balance closure correction. The resulting dataset included 243,048 daily and 5,284 monthly ET values from 194 stations, with all data falling between 1995 and 2021. We assessed average daily energy imbalance using 172 flux sites with a total of 193,021 days of data, finding that overall turbulent fluxes were understated by about 12% on average relative to available energy. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that daily average latent energy flux may be typically understated slightly more than sensible heat flux. This dataset was developed to provide a consistent reference to support evaluation of RSET data being developed for a wide range of applications related to water accounting and water resources management at field to watershed scales
Mental Health Awareness for Low-Income Families in Santa Cruz County
Get PDFMental health is an ongoing issue that affects millions of individuals each year. Mariposa Wellness Center is an agency within Community Connections that provides various services and support for individuals seeking treatment. Mariposa Wellness Center is a program located in the city of Watsonville. Mariposa Wellness Center aids struggling adults who suffer from mental health issues, addressing increased needs in Santa Cruz County due to the pandemic, stigma, and limited healthcare access. A mental health condition involves changing moods, behaviors, and emotions. Mental health illness requires treatment, and without treatment, it can lead to major and significant consequences such as having a dysfunctional family, homelessness, alcohol, and substance abuse. The outreach will be performed at a community event, such as the local farmers\u27 market. The outcome of this outreach will be to raise awareness, educate, and receive more incoming referrals, which will allow Mariposa Wellness Center to provide adequate treatment
Contemplative medicine: A practical approach to “Well-Being 2.0” in medicine
Get PDFObjective: To examine the relationship between Contemplative Medicine training and clinician burnout.
Methods: Clinicians underwent a 12 month training program in Contemplative Medicine, which addresses several of the “Well-being 2.0” framework elements. An uncontrolled pre and post test study design was used with the validated Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) as the study tool to evaluate efficacy of the program.
Results: Participants demonstrated improvement in burnout levels after the intervention. There were significant differences at the 0.05 significance level or better on all three scales of the MBI instrument when comparing baseline to follow-up responses, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of personal accomplishment. Particular improvement was noted in the “personal accomplishment” domain, with p \u3c 0.01 when comparing baseline and follow-up responses.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that Contemplative Medicine training is a viable approach for improving clinician burnout and concretely implementing the “Well-being 2.0” framework
Supporting Social Development in Students with Disabilities
Get PDFThis capstone project focused on the social development of kindergarten students receiving special education services who spend a portion of their day in inclusive placements. The number of students receiving special education services in inclusive classroom environments has increased over time. However, special education students often experience social isolation, lack reciprocal friendships, and have limited interactions with peers without disabilities, even in inclusive settings (Avramidis et al., 2018; Koster et al., 2010). Therefore, there is a need to encourage positive interactions between peers with and without disabilities. To address this need, I developed a set of three lessons for special education kindergarten students designed to promote social skills among students with moderate to severe educational disabilities, with an emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The first lesson taught youth about socially acceptable strategies for initiating a conversation with another person. The second lesson addressed appropriate physical distance when interacting with others. The third lesson taught students the necessary skills to maintain eye contact. This project was conducted at Ord Terrace Elementary School with children ages five to seven years who receive special education services in inclusive settings
Assessing the Effects of Upwelling-Driven pH and Dissolved Oxygen Variability on Juvenile Rockfishes
Get PDFGlobal climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of upwelling events in the California Current Ecosystem, yielding concurrent reductions in pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) in coastal marine environments. Juvenile copper (Sebastes caurinus) and gopher (Sebastes carnatus) rockfish may be particularly vulnerable to low pH and DO because they settle nearshore during the upwelling season. Previous studies often use static (i.e., fixed) pH and DO treatments in the laboratory, but ocean chemistry is dynamic and these conditions fluctuate naturally in upwelling zones. To determine how fluctuations in ocean chemistry will impact rockfish behavioral and physiological performance at this critical life history stage, I exposed juveniles of both species to one of the following pH/DO treatments: static control (8.0 pH, 8.3 mg/L DO), static moderate (7.5 pH, 4.0 mg/L DO), static extreme (7.3 pH, 2.0 mg/L DO), and two fluctuating treatments, upwelling and relaxation (recurring cycles of 8 days of 7.3 pH, 2.0 mg/L DO and 8 days of recovery at control conditions). Responses to sublethal stress were evaluated after 1-13 weeks of exposure (or up to six 16-day fluctuating cycles) through behavioral and physiological metrics including lateralization tests, escape time trials, startle response, critical swimming speed (Ucrit), metabolic performance (standard and maximum metabolic rates, capacity for aerobic activity), hypoxia tolerance (critical oxygen tension [Pcrit]), growth rates, body condition, and mortality. I did not observe any significant effects of upwelling conditions on the behavioral metrics of lateralization, escape time, or startle response. Rockfish exhibited impairment in aerobic scope (due to a reduced maximum metabolic rate), swimming speed, and increased ventilation rates and hypoxia tolerance, under simulated upwelling conditions, performing equally to fish in the extreme treatment. In the fluctuating upwelling treatment, both species appeared to recover fully for most physiological metrics when returned to control seawater for 6-7 days (i.e., a simulated oceanographic relaxation event). Both species exhibited the lowest growth rate in the extreme low pH/DO treatment and intermediate growth in the two fluctuating treatments, suggesting lasting cumulative negative impacts of exposure to future upwelling conditions. Mortality was highest in the extreme low treatment and body condition tended to decrease as treatments became more extreme. While juvenile rockfish are susceptible to physiological impairment under extreme climate change scenarios, the severity and duration of future hypoxic, acidic events will ultimately set the consequences for survivorship and physiological fitness, influencing the outcome of the population replenishment process and the long-term sustainability of economically and ecologically important nearshore rockfish species
Anger Management Lessons for Elementary School Students
No full textThis project focuses on developing tailored anger management skills for elementary school children, specifically targeting 11-year-old African-American boys in a low-income community at the Village Project in Seaside, California. The primary goal is to address the urgent need for these children to acquire effective anger regulation abilities, considering the potential impact of uncontrolled anger on their well-being and relationships. Many of these boys have faced adversity, including exposure to gang-related violence and drug involvement, emphasizing the critical necessity for mastering emotional regulation. The project is structured around three key facets: competent anger management, adept expression of anger, and integrating mindfulness techniques. Through a pedagogical approach involving carefully crafted instructional sessions, the project aims to nurture positive behavioral responses, enhancing social interactions with peers and adults. This endeavor seeks to provide a structured methodology to empower these children in cultivating essential skills for effective anger management, guiding them toward more balanced lives. In conclusion, this project focuses on tailoring anger management skills to benefit elementary school children, specifically targeting 11-year-old boys in the low-income community at the Village Project in Seaside, California
Crafting Journalism: The Pseudonyms of American Reform
Get PDFThe late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States saw the rise of Stunt Girls and Sob Sisters in journalism. These pioneering women defied traditional societal expectations of housewives and pursued careers in reporting, gaining recognition for their accomplishments through the dangerous nature of their work. While many may know the name Nellie Bly, the pseudonym for Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, other reporters played a vital role in the transformation of journalism, including Caloipe, Nellie Bly, Lola, Annie Laurie, Dorothy Dix, Enid, Eva Gay, Nora Marks, Girl Reporter, Nell Nelson, Grace Ermine, Meb, and Olivia. It is important to recognize the incredible impact these women had on American society. To honor their contributions, this project will feature a quilt of the United States with an augmented reality display showcasing the achievements of each of these women, whose work spurred reforms throughout the legal, medical, judicial, and egalitarian sectors of the United States
Benefits of Parental Involvement in Elementary School Students’ Academic Achievement
No full textAcademic performance is positively correlated with parent involvement in a child’s education. The mechanisms behind this association, however, have largely been ignored. It was found that parenting involvement and standardized achievement test performance are fully mediated by a child’s perception of cognitive competence. Teacher ratings of the child’s classroom academic performance were fully mediated by the quality of the student-teacher relationship. For this research I emailed a couple of questions to parents and teachers in elementary schools to know how well parents are involved in their child schools. This senior capstone research project examines the benefits of parental involvement in elementary school students’ academic achievement
Umbrella of Mental Health Resources in Schools
Get PDFMental Health is a worldwide crisis that students face every day, especially in school environments. Having resources available to students in schools could potentially help students to deal and manage mental health. Seaside High School is a public school in Monterey County that provides services for students in grades 9-12. The counseling department is the center in the school that facilitates the educational support that students need in regards to career exploration and further academic concerns. At Seaside High School there is a high rate of students that deal with low mental health. Incorporating support groups can provide assistance and decrease the number of students dealing with mental health concerns. The project was running support groups to address topics that are affecting student’s mental health. The support groups consisted of meeting with students for an hour every two weeks, and materials were prepared beforehand, in order to determine what supplies are needed for the activities. The support group reached a maximum of 10 girls and varied in attendance as the meetings continued. The topics concentrated on the topic of self-esteem and body image awareness. The results were that the majority of girls found the meetings informative and useful, but the larger goal of the meetings will not be seen until the school keeps implementing support groups. It is expected that the students who participate in support groups will be able to control their mental health concerns and apply what they learned in their daily life activities. The support group meetings were a success and it is recommended that support groups are continued
Calibration and Multiple Reliability Assessments of a Scrum Machine Instrumented to Measure Force
Get PDFCoaches need reliable methods of quantifying rugby union scrum force performance in order to make data-driven decisions. The purpose of this study is to present the reliability of a replicable instrumented scrum machine. We performed 3 phases of deadweight calibration on 8 S-type load cells; during deadweight calibration, each load cell was loaded with ~20–200 kg. Phase 1 compared power sources (wall outlet vs. portable power station). Phase 2 tested the inter-session reliability of the load cells after 15, 30, 45, 60, and 420 min of run time. Phase 3 tested between-session reliability, comparing days 0, 1, 7, and 180. We also performed a phase of inter-trial reliability when humans pushed on the fully instrumented scrum machine. Fourteen collegiate rugby players performed four warm-up trials and then five 100%-effort trials; peak and average voltage during the push were compared between the 100%-effort trials. For all phases, statistical analyses show near-perfect reliability. Therefore, we conclude that our novel instrumented scrum machine is ready for in vivo data collection; other coaches or researchers could duplicate our methods to create their own reliable instrumented scrum machine