Digital Commons Network^™

Uncharitable Think Tanks, Faith Stevelman

FIU Law Review

As people debate whether the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is good policy, what’s being overlooked is that it’s likely unlawful as the work product of a charitable think tank. (Think tanks nearly always are qualified as charities under the tax code.) To reinforce think tanks’ educational mission, tax law sets rigorous content requirements for their materials. It also bans them from campaigning, sharply limits their lobbying, and prohibits their benefiting private parties. The doctrines are intended to keep think tanks charity-worthy educators, but they have not succeeded.

Ironically, the failure reflects other features of tax law that incentivize using think …

Uncharted Waters: Mapping A Vision For Student Success, Mallory Jallas, Christine Fary, Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Susan Franzen, Sarah French, Cassie Thayer-Styes

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

No abstract provided.

Nursing Students’ Perspectives Of Clinical Learning Environment In Experiential Learning And Faculty-Student Relationship-Interaction Patterns, Bindu John, Usha Marath, Sumathi P Valappil, Chinnu Ulahannan, Deepa Mathew

Health Professions Education

Purpose: The clinical learning experience of nursing students is crucial for developing competencies and skills through experiential learning, facilitated by nursing faculty. The study aimed to assess nursing students’ perspectives of the clinical learning environment (CLE) and determine the faculty-student relationship-interaction patterns (FSRIP) in clinical areas. The study also explored the relationship between FSRIP and perceived CLE, and examined the association of socio-demographic variables with CLE and FSRIP.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sampling technique. Participants included 1013 B.Sc. Nursing students from various nursing colleges in Kerala, India, who were undergoing clinical placements in different …

Health Promotion, A Missing Piece In Medical Education: Descriptive Analysis Of Medical Programs In Colombia, Erwin Hernando Hernandez Rincon, Juan Gabriel García Manrique, Daniela Barros Toro, Juanita Henao Girard

Health Professions Education

Background: Health promotion is a critical tool in training future health professionals, particularly in countries like Colombia, where structural inequalities impact public health outcomes. However, the integration of health promotion strategies into medical education programs remains inconsistent and underexplored. Objective: To describe the status of incorporating health promotion and health education elements in the curricula of medical schools in Colombia. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study covered the 63 active medical schools registered in the National Higher Education Information System (SNIES for its acronym in Spanish) until December 2024. The information available on the websites of each faculty was …

Perceptions Of Dental Students On Denture Teeth Arrangement And Digital Support: An Exploratory Study, Bora Lee, Juyeon Hwang, Soo-Yoon Kim, Jong-Eun Kim, Eunbae B. Yang

Health Professions Education

Purpose: This study explored dental students’ perceptions of arranging denture teeth in complete denture cases, the impact of digital support on learning strategies, and differences in their experiences based on whether they had access to digital support.

Methods: In this qualitative case study, a total of 14 students were randomly assigned to either the digital or non-digital support group. The digital group performed digital teeth arrangements, followed by manual tooth arrangements, with access to a 3D viewer, 3D-printed model, and instructor feedback. The non-digital group received only instructor feedback. While the sample size was limited, it is consistent with the …

Social Media Impression Management And Its Association With E-Professionalism Among Medical Students, Maysaa Ageel, Sarah Ahmed Eltouny, Rabab Abdel Ra’Oof Abed

Health Professions Education

Purpose: The globally expanding impact of Social Media on the personal and professional lives of healthcare professionals has increased research interest in e-professionalism. While there are benefits of Social Media usage among medical students, it may pose an unintended overlap between their personal and professional attitudes. This study aims to evaluate medical students' Social Media usage, attitude, and impression management and assess their relation to students’ e-professionalism. Methods: An observational cross-sectional/ correlational research design was carried out at Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences in Jeddah using an 18-item questionnaire adapted from a 43-item questionnaire published in a previous study carried …

State: The Magazine Of Illinois State University, Winter 2025, Illinois State University, University Marketing And Communications

State: The Magazine of Illinois State University (1999-present)

Illinois State University alumni magazine

Love Is Dead In The Restless West: Hippies, Manson, And California Culture, 1966-1970, Rebecca Allen

Scripps Senior Theses

Though an extreme aberration from most of the hippie counterculture of the 1960s, Charles Manson’s ultimately murderous cult arguably represents something particular about American culture in the late sixties, in which youthful hostility towards the status quo sometimes grew radical, and in the case of the Manson Family cult, extremely violent. By the mid-sixties, more and more young people began to feel alienated by a culture they felt no longer embodied their larger aspirations, and as a result, were drawn to the emerging counterculture that embraced alternative lifestyles that frequently clashed with the traditional sensibilities of their parents’ generation. After …

Empowering Adolescent Females: A Psychological Approach To Sexual Education, Paola Rausseo

Scripps Senior Theses

Adolescence is a pivotal stage of self-discovery, yet many young women lack the tools and knowledge to navigate sexual health confidently. This study implements an intervention rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Social Learning Theory (SLT) to enhance empowerment, self-advocacy, and boundary-setting in adolescent females aged 13–16. The program’s structure incorporates skill-based activities, including role-playing and action planning, to equip participants with practical tools and a safe space to practice these skills. This approach emphasizes addressing psychological and social factors influencing sexual decision-making and seeks to bridge gaps in traditional sexual education. Participants will be recruited from six randomly …

Cashing In Or Giving Back: The Role Of Film Tax Incentives In The Cultural Impact Of Runaway Productions, Karolina Krok

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis explores the internationalization of Hollywood through economic and creative runaway productions driven by international tax incentives. It examines how these incentives can impact not only the commercial but the cultural success of productions filmed abroad, focusing on regions such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, California, New York, and New Jersey. The analysis centers on cultural tests and diversity requirements, revealing two main approaches: the first requires a minimum of diversity standards and cultural tests points to be met, while the second prioritizes and rewards productions with the highest achieved assessment of those. Furthermore, …

In It For The Long Haul: Long-Haul Trucking And The American Myth, Ava Flum

Scripps Senior Theses

In It for the Long Haul: Long-Haul Trucking and the American Myth explores the intersection of culture, economics, and politics in the world of trucking, using the freight industry as a case study to interrogate the promises and failures of the American Dream. This thesis examines how the myth of trucking—framed as a pathway to freedom, prosperity, and autonomy—collides with the lived realities of truck drivers, who face economic precarity, corporate exploitation, and intense personal sacrifice.

Through an analysis of deregulation, industry practices, and the persistence of the myth in public consciousness, this work exposes how the romanticized ideals of …

The Association Between Obstetric Violence And Postpartum Depression Among Latina Women In The United States: An Integrative Review, Natalia Alameda

Scripps Senior Theses

Obstetric violence, a structural form of gender-based violence, involves abuse, mistreatment, or neglect by healthcare providers during obstetric care. It is often associated with childbirth trauma and may result in physical and psychological harm to mothers and children, including postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a major depressive episode occurring during pregnancy or within four weeks following delivery. While these concepts are often studied independently, few studies examine their intersection, particularly among Latina women in the United States. To address this gap, an integrative literature review was conducted to explore the association between obstetric violence and postpartum depression among Latina women. …

Sense Of Belonging And Perceptions Of Learning In An Introductory College Course, Ellen Wang

Scripps Senior Theses

A sense of belonging (SB) – the feeling of deep connection with social groups, places, and experiences – has been described as a fundamental, pervasive need among humans (Allen et al., 2021; Baumeister & Leary, 1995). SB, and lack thereof, predicts myriad mental, physical, social, and economic outcomes. Belonging is a complex, multidimensional concept with a breadth of research across disciplines. It has been applied to school contexts in association with academic and psychosocial outcomes. The researcher partnered with an undergraduate course at The Claremont Colleges, and administered electronic surveys at two time points of the course. Students' sense of …

Garcia De Orta And The Colloquies: The Role Of Imperialism And Colonialism In Shaping Knowledge During The Scientific Revolution, Anabhra Singh

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis examines the role of Portuguese doctor Garcia de Orta (1501–1568) and his Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India within the broader framework of the Scientific Revolution, emphasizing the interplay of imperialism, colonialism, and transnational knowledge exchanges in shaping knowledge production. Traditional narratives of the Scientific Revolution often focus on European advancements in physics and astronomy. However, recent scholarship highlights the contributions of non-European knowledge systems and the significant role of empire and trade networks in advancing scientific inquiry. Although Orta’s findings were not novel, the novelty of his text lay in its seamless integration of European, …

Social Rejection, Isolation, And Substance Use Disorders: A Neurobiological Defense Of Social Network Intervention In Single-Site Housing First, Victoria Eichel

Scripps Senior Theses

Abstract

Introduction: Rising rates of homelessness in the United States demand not only increased housing efforts but also comprehensive strategies addressing the underlying causes of chronic homelessness. Among the most prevalent factors is substance use disorder (SUD), which both contributes to and results from housing instability. Conventional abstinence-based treatment models often fail to address the root causes of substance use, particularly the chronic social isolation and rejection experienced by the unhoused. This thesis argues for the adoption of a neuroscience-informed model of recovery rooted in community reintegration and low-barrier housing with on-site support services.

The Neuroscience of Substance Use Disorders …

Medicare Drug Price Negotiations: A Blueprint For Ethical Pricing Across The Healthcare System, Jacqueline Fox

FIU Law Review

In a healthcare system with scarce resources, profit that exceeds the value of what is being paid for cries out for justifications. The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, is a new program that allows Medicare to begin negotiating with drug companies to determine the maximum fair price for a small set of drugs. This Article argues that the methods for conducting these negotiations represent a significant step forward in a dramatic and important reordering of how we view the healthcare financing system, allowing us to consider rational, coherent concepts of value without …

Arbitrator Selection Default Rules, Irene M. Ten Cate

American University Law Review

This Article makes the case for changing the default settings for the selection of arbitrators in international commercial arbitration. For three-member tribunals, the rules of most international arbitration institutions provide that each party picks an arbitrator. The institution or the co-arbitrators then select the tribunal’s president. This prescription, which parties may set aside by agreement, codifies longstanding practices and corresponds to the strong preference of international arbitration insiders. Nonetheless, I argue that arbitration rules should default toward institutional selection of all arbitrators.

Switching the default nudges parties that can’t take full advantage of the arbitrator selection game—due to inexperience, lack …

End-To-End License Plate Detection And Recognition In Iraq Using A Detection Transformer And Ocr, Younis Al-Arbo, Hanaa F. Mahmood, Asmaa Alqassab

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR), DEtection TRansformer (DETR), Deep Learning for Object Detection, Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Region-Specific Vehicle Identification

Using Wearable Technology For Context-Aware Of Pilgrimage Management System During/Post-Pandemic Of Covid-19, Fatina Shukur, Ahmed Al-Fatlawi, Safaa Jasim Mosa, Nasir Ibrahim

Mesopotamian Journal of Computer Science

Hajj is an annual event placed in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest religious gatherings, such that it gathers millions of pilgrims from all around the world. The pandemic of Covid-19 is not over yet, and could likely be part of our life for a long time. Also, it is negatively affecting such mass gatherings. The aim of this research is to facilitate the overall hajj event while maintaining peoples’ health, safety, and security. Therefore, we use a technology that helps to reduce direct contact between pilgrims themselves as well as with other entities, such that human interaction …

Utilizing Graph Theory Algorithms For The Modeling And Analysis Of Covid-19 Infection Dynamics, Ioannis Adamopoulos, Antonios Valamontes, Niki Syrou, Jovanna Adamopoulou, Antonios Bardavouras

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

The COVID-19 outbreak has shown how urgently good models are needed to understand and project the dissemination of infectious diseases. Graph theory's excellent basis for presenting and analyzing complex networks helps one to grasp COVID-19 transmission dynamics. This work investigates the simulation and evaluation of the COVID-19 spread using multiple graph theory approaches. We utilize algorithms, including centrality assessments, community detection, and epidemic spreading models, to identify significant transmission channels and viable intervention sites; we also study the usage of network-building strategies to show relationships between individuals and communities. By incorporating real-world data with graph-based models, we demonstrate how these …

Models Of Machine Learning To Diagnose Chronic Kidney Disease Using A  Weka-Based Classifier, Shaymaa Adnan Abdulrahman, Sameerah Faris Khlebis

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

In the present day, humans are confronted with a variety of diseases as a result of their lifestyle and the current environmental conditions. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and predict these diseases in their early phases in order to prevent their severe manifestations. Manually identifying maladies is a challenging task for physicians on a regular basis. Predicting chronic illnesses is the aim of this article. This goal is applicable through a state-of-the-art approach to classification correctly identifies people with chronic illnesses. Predicting maladies is also a difficult endeavor. Therefore, disease prediction is significantly influenced by data mining. To get …

Biogpt: A Generative Transformer-Based Framework For Personalized Genomic Medicine And Rare Disease Diagnosis, Ghada Al-Kateb, Emine Cengiz, Murat Gök

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

This paper introduces BioGPT, a generative transformer-based framework designed to advance personalized genomic medicine and rare disease diagnosis. Unlike conventional models that process either genomic sequences or clinical narratives in isolation, BioGPT employs a cross-modal architecture that effectively fuses both data streams, enabling precise classification and interpretable natural language generation. The model is pre-trained on large-scale genomic and electronic health record datasets and fine-tuned for rare disease tasks. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate BioGPT’s superiority over state-of-the-art biomedical models, including RarePT, BioBERT, and DNABERT, with improvements of up to 10% in F1-score and over 20 BLEU points in justification fluency. Ablation studies …

Adaboost-Based Classification For Bone Sarcoma Outcome Prediction: A Comparative Machine Learning Approach, El-Sayed M. El-Kenawy, Ahmed Mohamed Zaki, Marwa M. Eid

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Bone sarcomas represent aggressive malignancies with complex clinical presentations where traditional prognostic methods often lack precision in predicting patient outcomes. This study developed and validated machine learning models for predicting bone sarcoma patient outcomes using a comprehensive dataset from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center spanning 2010-2020, comparing multiple algorithms including AdaBoost, Logistic Regression, Ridge Classifier, Quadratic Discriminant Analysis, and Linear Discriminant Analysis. AdaBoost demonstrated superior performance with 0.84 accuracy, 0.875 sensitivity, 0.7955 specificity, 0.8448 precision, 0.8333 negative predictive value, and 0.8596 F1 score, outperforming other algorithms which achieved 0.83 accuracy and 0.8496 F1 score. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences between …

A Critical Review Of Consumer Perception And Environmental Impacts Of Bioplastics In Sustainable Food Packaging, Junjie Lin, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

As awareness of environmental issues deepens and the demand for sustainability grows among societies, businesses, and consumers, minimizing the environmental impact of food packaging has become increasingly important. Bioplastics offer a promising solution due to their use of renewable resources (such as plants), their biodegradability, and their ability to retain the protective properties of traditional plastics. This review discusses recent advancements and trends in sustainable food packaging, emphasizing the role of bioplastics. Several typical types of bioplastics are introduced, along with an analysis of their advantages and limitations. Furthermore, this study investigates consumers' attitudes toward bioplastic food packaging, emphasizing their …

Farmers' Experiences Of Transitioning Towards Agroecology: Narratives Of Change In Western Europe, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Áine Macken-Walsh, Aileen Carter, Simon Mooney, Emma J. Devereux, Maeve Henchion, Paul Hynds

Conference papers

Transitioning to agroecology on dairy and beef farms is touted as a sustainable response to environmental externalities. The current study conducted narrative interviews with farmers who transitioned towards agroecological food production by implementing pro-environmental diversification measures in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and France. The study aimed to determine farmers' experiences of agroecology and used a thematic approach for the analysis. Results indicate that the motivations, values and principles of farmers transitioning to agroecology are closely aligned with the ideology of the new/peasantry. Farmers' decisions were primarily influenced by ecological principles and a sense of responsibility towards environmental …

Power Saving In Open Ran By Using Advanced Cpu Scheduling Algorithm, Saish Urumkar, Sachin Sharma

Conference papers

Open RAN is an emerging wireless technology that is gaining significant attention for its potential to enable flexi- ble, cost-efficient, and interoperable networks. Reducing power utilization in Open RAN, particularly for 5G base stations (gNodeBs) deployed in remote areas, remains a critical challenge due to limited power availability. In our previous work, we developed a CPU scheduling algorithm that optimized core allocation based on load conditions, reducing power utilization for gNodeB in a virtualized Open RAN environment. Extending our previous work, this paper introduces an advanced CPU scheduling for Open RAN designed to reduce power utilization in real hardware Open …

Demonstrating The Impact Of Cpu Scheduling On Power Consumption In Virtualized Open Ran, Saish Urumkar, Sachin Sharma

Conference papers

Open RAN (Open Radio Access Network) is a next- generation wireless network gaining significant research interest globally due to its potential to provide a cost-efficient and scalable solution for growing network demands. Energy efficiency is an important area of focus in Open RAN deployments, as reducing power consumption while maintaining network performance is essential for sustainable wireless communication. This paper demonstrates the impact of CPU (Central Processing Unit) scheduling process priorities on power consumption and network performance in an Open RAN NodeB deployed on a testbed in the USA. The experimental results are demonstrated using two scenarios: (1) CPU Priority-Based …

Digital Playgrounds: Irish Tweens' Media Literacies In The Context Of Social Media Content Creators, Fardus Sultan

Doctoral

Children under 12 are avid social media users. Of these, tweens, children aged 9 to 12, are currently the age group most likely to engage in independent social media content consumption. One of their favourite online activities is watching content produced by social media influencers and content creators, collectively referred to here as social media creators. The popularity of social media creators has grown exponentially in recent times. Considered trusted, relatable and authentic, they produce content that resonates with audiences. Consequently, their messages often possess greater persuasive power, making them a popular choice for advertisers. Creators seamlessly blend commercial messaging …

Driving Impactful Change: Entrepreneurial Insights For Social Responsibility In The Irish Context, Anna Zherdeva, Deirdre Mcquillan, Lucia Morales

Articles

Today’s volatile situation at the global level, provoked by a significant rise in Economic and Political Uncertainty, emerged as an answer on countries attempts to manage the climate change crisis, armed conflicts, the rising cost of living, a growing divide between the more prosperous Global North and the poorest Global South that are reflected on the emergence of multifaceted, multiple and long-lasting crises. During periods of heightened instability and economic uncertainty, businesses struggle to build trusting relationships with stakeholders as they seek to reduce costs. Additionally, companies seek deep engagement as they confront the costs associated with sustainability challenges and …

Graphene Biosensors For The Detection Of Alzheimer's And Cardiovascular Disease Protein Biomarkers, Theodore Bungon

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Dementia describes a syndrome or group of symptoms associated with the decline of brain functioning such as loss of memory, mood, judgment, language, thinking speed, mental sharpness and other mental abilities. Different classes of Dementia are Jakob Disease, Korsakoff Syndrome, Vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington disease, young onset dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) etc. At present, AD is irreversible and incurable, and it worsens overtime, it is neurodegenerative, caused by the accumulation or build-up of abnormal protein in the brain. It is a type of dementia that is common, affecting about 60% of patients with dementia diagnosis. Globally, over 54 million …