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Strengthening the Preservation Ecosystem for Below-market-rate Housing in Santa Cruz
Get PDFIn Santa Cruz, California, policies and political movements of the last fifty years have both prevented sprawl and stymied the construction of new infill housing. As a result, today Santa Cruz is one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation, and the lack of available affordable housing has led to incredibly high rent burdens for the majority of the population, putting residents at risk of displacement through landlord action or market forces. This report assesses the efficacy of preserving existing affordable housing as an anti-displacement strategy in Santa Cruz. It uses key stakeholder interviews with local housing practitioners to identify community assets that support preservation efforts, and recommends legislative, programmatic, and research strategies for the City of Santa Cruz based on the findings.
There are three common housing-related strategies that seek to counteract displacement of existing residents: production of new housing, tenant and community protections, and preservation of existing affordable housing. Given that cities have less control over their housing markets than they do of their own policies and ordinances, the academic literature on displacement suggests that municipal governments focus on enacting protection and preservation strategies while pursuing longer-term plans that support production during strong markets. The literature is not conclusive about the efficacy of preservation strategies but suggests they are potentially cost-effective and could impact the large number of people already living in subsidized and unsubsidized affordable housing. Case studies in different U.S. cities showed that preservation strategies had positive community impacts.
An important 2019 study by Kathryn L. Howell, Elizabeth J. Mueller and Barbara Brown Wilson entitled One Size Fits None: Local Context and Planning for the Preservation of Affordable Housing compared three different U.S. cities’ approaches to preservation initiatives and identified categories of community assets needed for successful preservation work in any city. Local sources of funding, shared data and information among stakeholders, partnerships amongst housing practitioners, and the role of the local government were identified as the four key types of assets that make up a city’s “preservation ecosystem.” This report applies the same methods as the 2019 One Size Fits None study. Eight key stakeholder interviews were conducted, along with analysis of local policies, planning documents, and media stories in Santa Cruz to identify local preservation community assets in those same four thematic categories
Improving Communication and Job Satisfaction: Utilizing Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) for Interventional Service Areas
Get PDFPurpose: Improved communication and job satisfaction among staff are essential for those working in high-stress critical care environments like the cardiac catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab). The purpose of this investigation was to utilize the quality improvement initiative Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) to improve attitudes and job satisfaction in the Cath Lab. Method: A total of 30 subjects participated in a TeamSTEPPS educational intervention. After obtaining informed consent, a demographic survey, a pre- and post-test TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire (T-TAQ) and Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) were administered. The post-test included open-ended questions for feedback that were analyzed using manifest content analysis. Results: Qualitative findings indicated improvements in attitudes towards teamwork and job satisfaction. The qualitative results highlighted effective communication strategies promoted teamwork and patient safety. Teamwork ultimately improved by empowering staff to provide the best care, and positive teamwork impacted job satisfaction. Results of the quantitative analysis showed no significant difference between the mean T-TAQ and JSS scores on pre- and post-tests after the TeamSTEPPS educational intervention. Study limitations included a high leadership turnover, a small sample size and less than 4 months between the pre- and post-tests. Conclusion: This project highlights the critical role of teamwork and strategic communication in enhancing job satisfaction and ultimately better patient care in the interventional service areas, giving valuable insights for future practice and research in this area
Reclaiming Relational Pedagogies: The Role of Talking Circles in Decolonizing Higher Education Classrooms
No full textThis article explores the use of Talking Circles as a decolonizing pedagogical practice within higher education, grounded in Indigenous epistemologies and relational worldviews. Drawing on the works of Indigenous scholars such as Graveline, Wilson, Archibald, and Simpson, the article positions Talking Circles not merely as instructional strategies but as ceremonial, spirit-centered pedagogies that resist the Eurocentric hierarchical and individualistic norms of Western academia. Through autoethnographic reflection and student narratives from undergraduate and graduate education courses, the article demonstrates how Talking Circles foster relational accountability, ethical engagement, and transformative learning. By centering oral tradition, reciprocity, and communal learning, Talking Circles reconfigure the classroom as a space of collective inquiry and healing. The article also addresses the ethical considerations of integrating culturally grounded practices within institutional contexts, emphasizing the importance of protocol, consent, and community accountability. Ultimately, this work contributes to ongoing efforts in pedagogical resurgence and educational sovereignty, offering a framework for structurally embedding Indigenous ways of knowing in curriculum development, pedagogy, practice, and institutional change
Spartan Daily, December 4, 2025
No full textVolume 165, Issue 42https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartan_daily_2025/1086/thumbnail.jp
Effects of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction and Transglutaminase Treatment on the Physicochemical Properties of Protein From Stropharia rugosoannulata
No full textProtein from edible mushrooms can serve as a new alternative protein to replace meat in various food formulations. However, the processing characteristics of mushroom protein were poor. In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and transglutaminase (TGase) were used for the modification of protein from Stropharia rugosoannulata (SRP) to improve its utilization. The optimal parameters of UAE were 480 W for 20 min. The process of TGase modification was optimized by a single-factor experiment and response surface test to obtain the TGase dosage of 0.36 % (w/w), cross-linking at 40℃ for 1.5 h, and reaction pH of 5.4. The effects of UAE and TGase treatment on the structure and functional properties of SRP were further investigated. UAE could improve the protein yield, the water and oil-holding capacity of SRP. The SRP was cleaved into small molecular fragments, and the protein particle size was decreased. The levels of β-sheet decreased, and the random coil increased by the UAE treatment. The water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and emulsifying properties of SRP increased after the modification of TGase due to the cross-linking action. The results indicated that UAE and TGase treatment could alter the structure of SRP and improve its functional properties. Our results suggested that the UAE and TGase modification technology would be applied to the utilization of SRP as alternative protein for plant-based meat analogs in the future
Machine Learning for Dissolved Oxygen Prediction in the Manawatu River Catchment, New Zealand
No full textUncontrolled anthropogenic activities have increased river pollution, resulting in poor water quality and a growing need for continuous monitoring, which is time-consuming and costly. This study evaluated the accuracy of machine learning (ML) models in predicting dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, aiming to reduce field monitoring efforts and minimize the number of measured parameters. Regression models (Huber, Linear, Ridge), Bagging methods (Extra Trees, Random Forest, Decision Trees), and Boosting techniques (Gradient Boosting, Light Gradient Boosting, AdaBoost) were tested using data from three sites in the Manawatu Catchment, New Zealand. Data spanning 1989–2014 included 12 water quality variables and was split into 70% training and 30% testing sets. Model performance was assessed using Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, root mean square error, and coefficient of determination (R2). Results showed that fewer water quality indicators, particularly temperature, pH, and nutrients, effectively predict DO. All three regression models offer the best value for predicting DO within the Manawatu catchment over Bagging and Boosting regressors with R2 \u3e 0.95. This study presents a novel, data-driven approach to water quality monitoring, demonstrating that ML can accurately predict DO using a reduced set of indicators, making monitoring efforts more computationally efficient, labor-saving, and cost-effective for water resource managers
Late Holocene Paleodietary Patterns Among the Ancestral Ohlone: Ecogeographic Partitioning of Resources Along the San Francisco Bay Eastern Shore
No full textObjectives: In the San Francisco Bay Area, Late Holocene resource intensification models predict an increase in diet breadth and a reduction in foraging efficiency associated with an increase in population, sedentism, and territoriality among fisher-hunter-gatherer populations. Here we compare bone stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of sites along the eastern bay shore to interpret how ecogeographical partitioning of resources by latitude and distance from the bay reflects differential access and control of resources. Materials and Methods: With the support of, and in collaboration with, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area, we analyzed bone collagen and bioapatite from 154 burials from Mánni Muwékma Kúksú Hóowok Yatiš Túnnešte-tka (CA-ALA-329) (2500–180 cal B.P.) to examine temporal changes in diet. Further, we examined the ecogeographical partitioning of resources in relation to published data from four contemporaneous sites. Results: For collagen (n = 146), δ13C values average −18.2‰±0.7‰ (1SD) and δ15N values average 9.8‰±1.5‰ (1SD). For bioapatite (n = 144), δ13C values average −13.8‰±1.0‰ (1SD). Adult males had statistically significantly higher isotope values compared to adult females, but differences were minimal (\u3c 1.1‰). No meaningful temporal changes in diet were identified. Regional dietary differences occurred along a latitudinal gradient of the eastern bay shore. Discussion: Foraging efficiency was localized, suggesting that the exploitation of different microhabitats was critical to each tribal group. Stable isotope data complement zooarchaeological and paleobotanical data; although they reveal different aspects of subsistence practices and diet
The Access Assembly: Learning Together, Building Friendships, and Strengthening Our Leadership Capacities
No full textFounded in 2014, the Access Network brings together nine student-centered, university-based programs that pursue systemic change towards a vision of a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible STEM community. Leaders at the Network-level and program-level are either current students (undergraduate or graduate) or young faculty and professional scientists, many of whom started out as student leaders in Access programs. Over the last 9 years, Access has brought people together (virtually or in-person) for an annual event called the Assembly. Student leaders who attend the Assembly appreciate community-building and networking opportunities that help them build capacity for leading local site programming. Many participants report that the Assembly is a special place with a different feel than many other professional spaces. In this paper, we share vignettes from past Assembly events to give you a feel for how this space operates differently. We also report on the results of a post-Assembly evaluation survey which illustrate that participants tend to feel included, make new friends, feel valued, and build confidence as leaders
Rhizosolenia Mat Diatoms Associate With Nitrogen-Fixing Microbes
No full textSome Rhizosolenia diatoms living in oligotrophic marine ecosystems are known to form large, conspicuous mats and are thought to be sources of new nitrogen to surface waters via vertical migration to the nitracline where subsurface nitrate is accessed for growth. These vertically migrating Rhizosolenia mats are chronically under sampled, and both the diatom species comprising the mats and the associated microbiome have not been characterized using modern molecular techniques. Here we present the first DNA-based analysis of Rhizosolenia mats collected in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Using sequencing of 18S rRNA and nifH genes (a proxy for N2 fixation capacity), we report on the molecular diversity of mat-forming Rhizosolenia species, which include two newly sequenced clades, and an assemblage of associated N2-fixing microorganisms that is distinct from the non-mat associated water column assemblage. Our findings advance knowledge of oligotrophic diatom diversity and challenge prevailing views of their nitrogen sources, suggesting these mats may obtain nitrogen through association-based N2 fixation. Further work is needed to understand the nature of these associations, and whether Rhizosolenia mat communities are a significant unrecognized source of N2-fixation-derived new nitrogen to the oligotrophic surface waters