Digital Commons Network^™

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back: The United States’ New Direction On Digital Trade

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

The New Professional: Intentional Goal-Setting For 2025, Amrita Patel D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The article emphasizes the importance of intentional goal setting, networking, and leadership for new dentists to achieve long-term success. It advocates for setting clear, measurable goals, breaking them into manageable milestones, and focusing on building strong professional relationships. Networking with mentors and peers, engaging in social media, and participating in dental organizations are highlighted as ways to foster growth and opportunities. Leadership roles, even in small capacities like volunteering or joining committees, are seen as critical steps toward personal development and career advancement. These strategies collectively help new dentists establish a solid foundation for achieving their professional aspirations.

Mda Services: Let Your Mda Membership Put Money Back In Your Pocket, Reva Darling

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

MDA membership offers significant financial savings through partnerships with endorsed vendors, providing products and services to enhance dental practice success. Members can save over $30,000 annually by utilizing resources like PPO Negotiation Solutions, Best Card for credit processing, ProSites for digital marketing, Eagle Associates for compliance, and iCoreConnect for cloud-based software. Additional discounts are available on dental supplies, accounting, and in-house dental plan administration, among other services. These benefits demonstrate the value of MDA membership in streamlining operations and improving profitability.

J Mich Dent Assoc January 2025

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association provides news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It is the primary publication reaching Michigan dentists. The January issue sets the tone for February, the observance of Children’s Dental Health Month.

Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry President Jessica Bentoski welcomes readers to this special issue, which features a cover feature on “Approaches to Care for Children with Special Needs in Dental Settings: Desensitization and Teledentistry” and a supporting article on “General Dentists’ Education, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Concerning the Effects …

General Dentists’ Education, Knowledge, Attitudes And Behavior Concerning The Effects Of Pregnant Patients’ Oral Health On Pregnancy Outcomes: A National Survey, Abad Mohammed O. Khuraybah B.D.S., M.S., James R. Boynton D.D.S., M.S., Robert F. Majewski D.D.S., M.S., Marita R. Inglehart Dr. Phil. Habil.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Objectives: Since 1996, substantial evidence showed that pregnant patients’ oral health and pregnancy outcomes are related. The objectives were to assess general dentists’ education, knowledge, and behavior related to treating pregnant patients and how COVID-19 changed behavior related to these patients’ treatment.

Methods: 2,500 surveys were mailed to general dentists who were members of the American Dental Association; 96 letters were undeliverable and 253 surveys were completed (Response rate: 10.52%).

Results: 50.2% agreed/strongly agreed that they were well-educated in dental school about treating pregnant patients. Only 34% were satisfied with this education. The majority knew that periodontal disease was associated …

Let’S Jettison Some Executive Perks: Exploring The Sec And Irs Approaches To Personal Use Of Corporate Aircraft, Christine Lane

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

In 2023, 46% of the S&P 500 companies provided personal use of corporate aircraft to their chief executive officers, and 31% provided this perk to other named executive officers. This type of executive compensation has notoriously garnered much attention from the media, given the large amount of investor money spent on personal travel and the environmental impacts of flying private. In addition, the line between personal travel and business travel is often blurred, and the media has tracked flight paths of corporate aircraft to speculate that some flights may be incorrectly categorized as business trips when the jets land and …

Air Strikes In Myanmar - An Analysis Under International Law, Jacob Davis

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the reignited Israel-Palestine conflict in 2023, international law regulating the use of air power has been put to the test. The use of air strikes in civilian areas has put this shortcoming at the forefront of conversation about the use of force, and what constitutes a war crime in modern conflict.

This conversation has centered around the two aforementioned conflicts but has left other international disputes out of the discussion. In particular the civil war in Myanmar, a bloody conflict which follows decades of ethnic violence, political stratification, and a successful …

Transportation Security Administration Use Of Facial Recognition Technology: Turbulence Surrounding Traveler Rights, Mckenly Redmon

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

Facial recognition technology has been employed by law enforcement agencies and private companies for decades. This technology promises safer and more efficient processes to identify individuals in the name of safety. However, not everyone approves of their biometric data being collected. This Article provides an overview of the current use of facial recognition technology by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in airport security checkpoints. It begins by explaining the underlying technology behind facial recognition and explores the safety and security concerns behind it. Building on this foundation, this Article then evaluates how the TSA’s use of facial recognition influences science …

Aviation Cybersecurity And Third-Party Software Service Providers: Do Companies Like Crowdstrike Get A Free Pass To Create Cyber Vulnerabilities?, Claire Konerza

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Commercial aviation has steadily become the busiest and most efficient means of travel across the world. In order to keep up with the increasing demands of its customers, the industry has undergone numerous digital and technological transformations in recent years. Collision avoidance systems have allowed for more planes in the skies, online ticket reservations have made booking a flight as simple as a few clicks, and in-flight wi-fi allows passengers to engage in both work and leisure at 30,000 feet. Overall, these innovations have increased safety, capacity, and convenience for both airlines and their customers. However, these transformations have also …

A Critique Of Findings On Gun Ownership, Use, And Imagined Use From The 2021 National Firearms Survey: Response To William English, Deborah Azrael, Joseph Blocher, Philip J. Cook, David Hemenway, Matthew Miller

SMU Law Review

For a paper that has not yet been through peer review or even been formally published, William English’s “2021 National Firearms Survey” has been remarkably prominent in gun rights advocacy and scholarship. As of December 2024, it has been cited in roughly sixty-five briefs, invoked at oral argument in the Supreme Court and multiple courts of appeals, and regularly cited in public writings and published academic work.

This response is offered in the spirit of a peer review. Our focus is on methodological issues, questionable statistical results, and problematic conclusions. Because of serious methodological issues, English’s draft fails to provide …

The Mutability Of Dangerousness: Domestic Violence And Second Amendment Restoration After Rahimi, F. Lee Francis

SMU Law Review

This Article considers whether the Constitution permits the permanent disarmament of individuals once deemed dangerous—particularly in cases involving domestic violence. In United States v. Rahimi, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the Second Amendment protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms, subject only to regulation consistent with historical tradition. That tradition, as examined under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, does not support lifetime bans absent an ongoing threat.

The Article argues that dangerousness is not immutable. Founding-era laws recognized disarmament as a temporary, conditional measure tied to present conduct, not a …

Ai And The Doctoral Schism: Institutional Resistance Vs. Adoption In Doctoral Education, Valerie A. Storey

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

This paper examines the schism emerging in doctoral education regarding the integration of Generative AI (GenAI). Drawing on Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT), this analysis examines how higher education institutions are responding to the disruptive potential of AI in doctoral writing, research, and dissertation defense. A historical examination spanning from Socrates’ resistance to written texts (370 BCE) through contemporary AI debates reveals a recurring pattern: initial resistance to technological innovations, followed by gradual institutional adoption as new frameworks emerge that accommodate the technical tools while preserving the core values of graduate education. DIT-grounded analysis reveals three key factors driving …

An Alternate History Of Chevron, With A Lesson For Today, Michael E. Herz

Articles

It is a banal truism that judicial deference to agency decisionmaking enables the executive branch to pursue its agenda, whatever that agenda may be. That was obvious to all in the early years of the Chevron decision, which was greeted enthusiastically on the right and skeptically on the left. In Chevron itself, and for a while thereafter, deference advanced the Reagan deregulatory program. Over the years, a subtler conclusion gained consensus: overall and in the long haul, judicial deference is likely to have a net pro-regulatory impact. Hence the right’s hardened opposition to Chevron leading up to its demise. But …

John C. West Papers - Accession 1400, John Carl West Sr.

Manuscript Collection

This collection consists of photographs, scrapbooks, framed items, awards and certificates, videotapes, audiotapes, and other memorabilia pertaining to former governor of South Carolina (1971-1975) and ambassador to Saudi Arabia (1977-1981) John C. West. John Carl West, Sr. (1922-2004) married 1943 Winthrop Alumna Lois Rhame West (1921-2014) and the Lois Rhame West Health, Physical Education, and Wellness Center was named in her honor. John West, as South Carolina Governor, played a prominent role in Winthrop’s move to coeducation and signed the bill confirming Winthrop’s transition in 1974.

Digital Zines As Mental And Sexual Health Communication Tools For Latina Teens: Format And Content Acceptability And Initial Findings, Jenn M. Lilly, D'Andrah Almanzar, Susan R. Pace, Dante D. Bryant

Social Service Faculty Publications

Recognizing the potential of digital zines (defined as selfpublished,

online publications combining artwork and

text) as culturally tailored health communication tools,

this article examines the acceptability and impacts of two

digital zines about mental and sexual health created by

Latina young people for Latina teens as a health communication

strategy. We conducted an anonymous online

survey completed by Latina teens who read the zines (32

for sexual health and 33 for mental health). Data analysis

aimed to explore, summarize, and interpret the collected

data using an artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced

approach. Survey participants found the zine format and

content acceptable and …

Examining Mental And Sexual Health Themes In Latina Youth Zines: A Multi-Modal Content Analysis, Jenn M. Lilly, D'Andrah Almanzar, Doreen Dorcely, Luisa Fernanda Sandoval Cortes, Ana Iris Murcia

Social Service Faculty Publications

Multiple, convergent risk factors place Latina youth at disproportionate risk for mental

and sexual health issues. Yet, their firsthand perspectives and experiential knowledge of

how to navigate mental and sexual health challenges is rarely the subject of scholarly

inquiry. This article presents a multi-modal content analysis of themes and messages

conveyed by two digital zines created by Latina young adults for Latina teens through an

arts-based research project. In this arts-based research, zines functioned as both data and

method, capturing Latina youth’s nuanced perspectives and lived experiences of mental

and sexual health. We identified six themes in their works—acknowledging and …

Revised Final Multi-Pathway Residential Metals Abatement Program Plan, Atlantic Richfield Company, Butte Silver Bow

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Role Of Rps3 In The Homologous Recombination Dna Repair Pathway, Jerome Robert Dorsey

Theses and Dissertations

Ribosomal proteins have been demonstrated to perform extra-ribosomal functions beyond protein synthesis, including roles in cell signaling, transcription regulation, apoptosis, and DNA repair. Ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), in particular, has been implicated in DNA repair and apoptosis pathways, suggesting a critical role in maintaining genomic stability. However, the specific mechanisms involving RPS3 are still unknown, particularly in the context of double-stranded break (DSB) repair. DSBs are among the most severe types of DNA damage, often resulting in chromosomal instability or cell death if not properly repaired. Nonhomologous End Joining (NHEJ) and Homologous Recombination (HR) are the two primary DNA repair …

The Relationship Between Cardiac Patient Beliefs And Experiences With Insurability And Their Decisions On Whether Or Not To Pursue Genetic Testing, Julia Schoeni

Theses and Dissertations

Since the enactment of the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) in 2008, genetics providers have been incorporating conversations about GINA in pre-test counseling. There is currently limited evidence of the effects of personal or family histories of cardiomyopathy or aortopathy and associated genetic testing on patients seeking insurance policies not protected by GINA, including life, long term care, and disability insurance. This study aimed to determine whether individuals with a personal or family history of cardiomyopathy or aortopathy are having conversations about future insurability with their healthcare providers and how they perceive their ability to get these insurances when deciding …

Knowledge And Ontology Enhanced Approach To Natural Language Understanding (Koe-Nlu) In Computational Social Media And Healthcare, Naga Usha Gayathri Lokala

Theses and Dissertations

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) faces both opportunities and challenges as the amount of social media and healthcare data grows. This is particularly evident in context-sensitive applications such as evaluating cognitive health, identifying mental health symptoms, and monitoring drug abuse. Even though traditional NLU models work well for processing language in a wide range of areas, they often lack the ability to understand language in a specific domain, reason in context, and incorporate structured external knowledge. This dissertation talks about the Knowledge and Ontology Enhanced Approach to Natural Language Understanding (KOE-NLU), a new framework that is meant to make NLU systems …

“Digital Shame Shift”: From Telling The Pain To Recording The Truth — Black Maternal Health And Digital Counter-Narrative Storytelling On Tiktok, Odera Covenant Ezenna

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores how digital storytelling on TikTok is used to challenge medical racism, with a particular focus on Black maternal health. Guided by Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA), the study examines how TikTok users—ranging from Black mothers to healthcare professionals—create and circulate counter-narratives through two prominent campaigns: #BlackMaternalHealthWeek and #BlackMamasMatter. These digital stories serve as acts of resistance, disrupting dominant medical discourse and amplifying the lived experiences of Black birthing individuals. The research analyzes over 2900 TikTok videos posted between 2021 and 2024, identifying key themes, storytelling strategies, and rhetorical shifts over time. The …

Parental Sources Of Nutrition Information And Their Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors: Impact On Children's Dietary Intake In Ages 2-5 – A Cross-Sectional Study, Mara O. Fiorio

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: Nutrition in early childhood is critical to long-term health outcomes and parents play a key role in shaping children’s eating habits. This study examined where U.S. parents of children aged 2–5 obtain nutrition information, source credibility, and how parental nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) relate to children’s dietary intake.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 126 parents, recruited via social media and community networks using convenience sampling. The survey assessed parental sources of nutrition information, perceived trustworthiness, nutrition knowledge, feeding attitudes and behaviors, and child dietary intake. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic characteristics and source utilization. Chi-square …

Assessment Of Surface Area Application Ratios For Beach Sand Treated Via Surface Percolated Micp-Bioslurry For Erosion Mitigation, Connor J. Marlin

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rapid shoreline erosion associated with sea-level rise is an ongoing threat to coastal infrastructure. Traditional stabilization techniques, such as revetments, seawalls, and periodic nourishment, often prove costly, ecologically disruptive, or provide only temporary protection. Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) and its operational variant, bioslurry, present a biologically inspired alternative capable of forming a cemented surface crust that reduces soil erodibility. Previous laboratory studies typically prescribed a solution dosage as a percentage of pore volume (%PV). While geotechnically sound, this metric is poorly suited to field deployment across a large area. This thesis evaluates surface-area-based dosing (L/m²) as the primary dosage …

Dielectric Performance Of Fused Filament Fabricated Ultem 9085 For Naval Radome Application, Carson Rogers

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ULTEM 9085 is a high-performance thermoplastic used in the fused filament fabrication (FFF) additive manufacturing process. It has found use in applications where mechanical strength, chemical integrity, and thermal stability are of paramount importance. In this thesis, the effects of process parameters, annealing, and weathering on the mechanical and dielectric properties of FFF ULTEM 9085 have been investigated.

The first part reviews existing research on how printing parameters such as nozzle temperature, chamber temperature, print speed, infill, and layer height affect the mechanical performance of FFF ULTEM 9085. Data from the manufacturer of commonly used ULTEM 9085 filament, Stratasys, has …

Breaking The Ice: Disability Representation In The “Ice” Love, Death + Robots Adaptation, Danbee You

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize

This essay examines how Netflix’s Love, Death + Robots (LDR) adaptation of Rich Larson’s short story “Ice” transforms its original sibling dynamic into a commentary steeped in ableist tropes. While Larson’s story portrays Sedgewick, the unmodded brother, as autonomous and confident, the episode reinterprets him through infantilizing and victimizing lenses, casting him as a disabled figure in need of rescue. The LDR episode’s decisions to downplay or embellish certain elements of Larson’s short story reveal eco-ableist and transhumanist-ableist themes that link bodily limitation to environmental incompatibility and valorize technological modification as physical superiority. Furthermore, Fletcher’s deceptive “help” exemplifies the heroic …

“They Not Like Us” - Who Actually Won The Drake Vs. Kendrick Beef?, Israel Mbatai

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize

In the spring of 2024, two of hip-hop's biggest names, Drake and Kendrick Lamar, ignited a rap battle that dominated headlines, playlists, and streaming platforms. What started as humorous lyrical jabs quickly escalated into character defamation and conspiracy theories within three swift weeks. Fans quickly picked sides as streams skyrocketed, and media platforms blew up. Yet beneath the hype, this was not just another clash of egos; it was a cultural spectacle between two influential giants. This paper argues that while Drake and Lamar have been cast as the central figures of this lyrical war, neither of them truly comes …

Leveraging Ownership: Comparative Analysis Of Old North And Pruitt-Igoe, Ben Stephens

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize

This paper compares the failed top-down development of St. Louis' Pruitt-Igoe with the community-based efforts of the Old North neighborhood.

To Compare Is Human: A Review Of Social Comparison Theory In Organizational Settings, Michael J. Matthews, Thomas K. Kelemen

Management Faculty Publications

Social comparisons are one of the most ubiquitous behaviors that individuals, groups, and firms undertake. In particular, social comparison theory is based upon the premise that actors are motivated to engage in comparisons and that decisions throughout this process impact employees’ core self-evaluations, team relations, executives’ behaviors, firm prestige, and more. However, despite the prevalence of the phenomenon—and thereby the frequent application of the theory in organizational studies—a synopsis of the theory’s underpinnings and extant findings remains absent. Here, we present a state-of-the-art review that summarizes the theory’s history and mechanics and critically examines how social comparison theory has been …

Decreasing Food Waste In Home Kitchens By Increasing Food Literacy, Thao Rich

Student Publications

In a world that produces enough food for all of its occupants, a staggering amount of it bypasses empty stomachs and goes into landfills every day. There it sits in a plastic bag, which delays decomposition and increases the harmful greenhouse gas emissions. There are numerous reasons for the inequitable distribution of food ranging from politics to logistics, but the fact is that each person can make a dent in reducing their carbon footprint by simply reducing the amount of food they place in the trash each week. Food waste reduction is a small goal that requires no additional spending, …

Improving Queries To Retrieval-Augmented Generation Ai Tools By Inferring The Sources Of Bad Results, Julie Arendt

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Since ChatGPT’s wide release, businesses have rushed into expanding their use of generative artificial intelligence. Information providers, including suppliers of library databases and integrated library systems, are joining the trend, with many products combining the verifiability of direct source access and citation with the conversational answers produced through large language models. Retrieval-augmented generation is a common technique that overlays search results with text extracted and processed through generative artificial intelligence. This poster provides an overview of retrieval-augmented generation and summarizes ways that it can produce errors. Strategies for improving results, based on those error modes are suggested.