Digital Commons Network^™

Breakthrough Climate Constitutionalism?, Sam Bookman

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Clean Energy And Enclosure, Ann M. Eisenberg

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Renegotiating The Energy Transition, Hannah J. Wiseman, Jennifer Baka, Kaitlyn Spangler

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Unwell Water: Legal Silence, Private Wells, And Public Health In The Rural Americas, Shavonnie R. Carthens

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

"The Reality Is, It All Came Back To Catch Us": Urban Population Increase And Water Conservation In The Arid West, Madison Dobson

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Heat Misers, Snow Misers, And Cognitive Misers: The 'Nukewarm' Perceptions Of Nuclear Power, Tyler Williams

Dissertations and Theses

Rising energy demand in the United States necessitates alternatives to fossil fuels, yet renewable energy sources alone are insufficient to meet this demand. Nuclear power presents a promising option but faces persistent public hesitancy. This study examines how heuristic-based biases relate to American's risk-benefit perceptions towards nuclear power. Guided by the heuristic-systematic model. Results indicate that competence and affect are related to risk-benefit perceptions, and naturalness shows no relationship with risk perceptions but does correlate with benefit perceptions. Implications highlight the importance of affect-driven communication strategies for nuclear communicators, while also underscoring the need for participatory approaches that foster trust …

What Race Means For Health Among Black Americans: How Microaggressions Shape Self-Efficacy And Readiness For Behavior Change, Amanda Lee Almond

Publications and Research

Objectives: Persistent racial disparities in cardiovascular health among Black Americans reflect not only structural inequities in the United States, but also the racialized meanings of cardiovascular disease reproduced through public and private health communication. Drawing on ecological systems theory, this research examines how beliefs linking race and cardiovascular disease are reinforced through routine clinical interactions and how these meanings shape health behavior change. Method: Across two experimental mixed-methods studies, a model integrating ecological, social–cognitive, and behavior-change frameworks was tested. In Study 1 (N = 374), health-message framing was experimentally manipulated to examine effects on self-efficacy and decisional balance while controlling …

A Brief Measure Of Decisional Balance For Health Equity Engagement Among Health Professionals, Amanda Lee Almond

Publications and Research

Racial health and healthcare inequities are sustained in part by health professionals’ beliefs about the benefits and costs of equity-focused action, yet no validated decisional balance measure exists for this domain. This study introduces and evaluates the Health Equity Decisional Balance (HEDB) scale. Eighty-eight health professionals completed the scale of ten proposed items assessing perceived pros and cons of engaging with health and healthcare equity work, along with a measure of Anti-Racist Efficacy (ARE) (Eschmann et al., 2023). Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the latent structure of the scale and its predictive validity. A …

Infection Control Across Clinical And Laboratory Dental Settings Protocols, Risks, And The Role Of Emerging Technologies, Khrystyna Vyprynyuk, Laura Andreesku

Publications and Research

This article explores infection prevention strategies and disease transmission pathways in dental settings, emphasizing the critical connection between clinical practice and dental laboratories. It highlights the risks of cross-contamination, disinfection and sterilization challenges, and the growing role of technology in enhancing infection control.

Challenging Stem Learning Spaces: The Paradigm Of Contemplative Traditions As The Bedrock Of Creativity And Healing, Raaghav Pandya, Christopher Emdin

Publications and Research

As the post-pandemic classroom and pedagogy evolve to remedy oppressive norms, young people’s mental health and alienation has taken front stage (Rahmani & Zitouni, 2022). Traditional STEM learning spaces often teach inquiry as a linear, non-deviated approach to problems about self and nature (Hrisa & Psillos, 2022). Furthermore, because our classrooms often strip students and educators of their inherent creative abilities through constant assessments, improvement scales, and market-driven expectations, classrooms cease to become places of healing (Pandya, 2021). Eastern wisdom traditions and their associated philosophies provide a unique pedagogical lens that emphasizes a deep inquiry into self, empathy, and creativity …

What Race Means For Health Among Black Americans: How Microaggressions Shape Self-Efficacy And Readiness For Behavior Change, Amanda Lee Almond

Publications and Research

Objectives: Persistent racial disparities in cardiovascular health among Black Americans reflect not only structural inequities in the United States, but also the racialized meanings of cardiovascular disease reproduced through public and private health communication. Drawing on ecological systems theory, this research examines how beliefs linking race and cardiovascular disease are reinforced through routine clinical interactions and how these meanings shape health behavior change. Method: Across two experimental mixed-methods studies, a model integrating ecological, social–cognitive, and behavior change frameworks was tested. In Study 1 (N = 374), health-message framing was experimentally manipulated to examine effects on self-efficacy and decisional balance while …

Teachers' Perspectives On Inclusive Education For Children With Special Needs, Abakah Francis, Ava-Gay Annakaye Morgan, Emmanuel Ogheneovo Sodje, Francis Dugbartey, Gabriel Lagbel, Okezie Chika Chibundu

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Inclusive education is widely recognized as a key approach to ensuring equitable access to quality education for children with special needs, requiring teachers to possess adequate knowledge, skills, and supportive resources. In the Nigerian context, particularly in private schools, gaps in teacher training, limited resources, and insufficient institutional support continue to hinder the effective implementation of inclusive education practices. This study investigates teachers' perspectives on inclusive education for children with special needs in Nigerian private schools. The primary purpose is to assess teachers' understanding of inclusive education, their familiarity with effective teaching strategies, and their preparedness to implement inclusive practices. …

The Presidential Address To The Association For Career And Technical Education Research: Cte Research Ecosystem Growing Scholars And Workforce Capacity, Michelle E. Bartlett

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Career and Technical Education (CTE) research has advanced knowledge, strengthened communities, informed policy, and expanded pathways to opportunity for decades. As ACTER begins a new chapter, we are invited to imagine the future of our field beyond a linear pipeline. We can embrace a view of CTE research as a living ecosystem that grows talent, supports collaboration, and sustains discovery over time. This presidential address emphasizes three priorities for that future: applied research that reaches practice, mentorship that nurtures the next generation of scholars, and partnerships that ensure knowledge becomes action. By centering learners and communities in our work, we …

Debt Decisions: The Effects Of Paying For College In The United States With Student Loans, Kim E. Bullington, David J. Thomas, Minghui Hou, William L. Nuckols, Dennis E. Gregory, Joshua L. Howell, Kaycee L. Bills, Amy-Leah Joaquim

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Student loans have increasingly become a burden on individuals. This qualitative analysis explores how structural inequities and financial literacy gaps influence US student loan borrowers’ decisions to finance postsecondary education. The study highlights racial and economic disparities, examining participants’ reflections on debt aversion and systemic barriers to equitable access. We asked why participants took out federal student loans, asked about their decision processes when taking on debt, whether participants took any action to reduce accumulated debt, and if they’d made any discoveries about their decisions to take on student loan debt. After coding and a thematic analysis, five themes and …

Potassium For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Potassium (K) deficiency can lead to a decline in clover content and severely limit pasture productivity in high rainfall pastures. Large amounts of potassium can be lost each year through leaching and removal of potassium in hay or silage.

This information is specific to high rainfall pastures receiving more than 600mm average annual rainfall in the south-west of Western Australia.

Tissue Sampling And Analysis For High Rainfall Pastures In Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

Tissue testing helps identify nutrient deficiencies that impact plant health. In high rainfall areas ( > 600 mm), pastures are highly productive and have greater demand for both macro- and micronutrients. Micronutrient status is best assessed through plant tissue, as soil levels are difficult to measure accurately.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends tissue testing to assess the effectiveness of fertiliser and soil testing programs, and diagnose emerging macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies that could cause production losses.

Environmental Impact Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilisers In High Rainfall Pasture Areas Of Western Australia, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources factsheets

The most commonly used nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers in the high rainfall (>600mm annual average) south-west of Western Australia can be leached into the groundwater and washed into waterways, resulting in serious environmental and economic damage.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development recommends regular soil testing and consultation with FertCare-accredited advisers to reduce leaching losses and increase profit from added nutrients.

Dosimetric Effect Of Abdominal Compression In Online Adaptive Planning For Abdominal Cancers Treated With A 15 Tesla Magnetic Resonance-Guided Linear Accelerator, Moghadaseh Khaleghibizaki, Angela Sobremonte, Luis Perles, Surendra Prajapati, Ergys Subashi, Yao Ding, Kristy Brock, Roya Barati, Eugene Koay, Chad Tang, Jinzhong Yang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Compression belts (CBs) are sometimes used to reduce respiratory motion during stereotactic body radiotherapy of abdominal cancers with magnetic resonance (MR)-guided online adaptive planning. This study evaluated the dosimetric effects of overriding the relative electron density (ED) value of CBs in creating synthetic computed tomography (CT) scans for MR-guided adaptive planning. We evaluated plans for 12 patients with abdominal cancer and identified that ED values between 0.2 and 0.3 achieved the best approximation of CB ED in dose calculation. Our study presented an approach to estimate appropriate ED overrides for CBs in MR-guided online adaptive planning.

The Effects Of Measurement Errors On Minimum Ablative Margins After Thermal Ablation Of Liver Tumors: A Simulation Study, Iwan Paolucci, Jessica Albuquerque, Noreen S Siddiqi, A Kyle Jones, Kristy K Brock, Bruno C Odisio

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To develop a mathematical framework to estimate the in silico A0 threshold based on the technical specifications of a specific ablation confirmation software package for thermal ablation of liver tumors that can then be used to identify the impact of different sources of error.

Methods: To estimate in silico A0 thresholds, we developed a simulation framework incorporating technical parameters and biological effects. Technical parameters were segmentation error, registration error, and slice thickness, and biological effects were tissue shrinkage and microscopic satellite lesions; these parameters and effects were all modeled using statistical distributions. For each permutation of parameters, a logistic …

Association Between Three-Dimensional Margin Assessment And Local Tumor Control In Percutaneous Lung Cryoablation Of Colorectal Metastases, Frank Mohn, Koustav Pal, Caleb O'Connor, Iwan Paolucci, Austin Castelo, Kamran Ahrar, Steven Yevich, Joshua D Kuban, Bruno C Odisio, Alda Lui Tam, Rahul A Sheth, Kristy K Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose

To evaluate the association of two minimum ablation margin (MAM) estimation methods: manual three-dimensional segmentation and biomechanical deformable image registration (DIR) with local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS) after percutaneous lung cryoablation of colorectal pulmonary metastases.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective single-institution study included patients who underwent percutaneous lung cryoablation between May 2012 and March 2023 (median follow-up, 3.6 years; range, 0.8–9.6 years). Manual three-dimensional MAM was calculated for all tumors, and DIR-based MAM was estimated in a subset with intraprocedural full-thorax imaging. Cox proportional hazards regression assessed associations between MAM and LTPFS. The primary outcome was 2-year LTPFS, with …

Uncertainty-Guided Test-Time Optimization For Personalizing Segmentation Models In Longitudinal Medical Imaging, Jaehee Chun, Austin Castelo, Mckell Woodland, Caleb O'Connor, Mais Al Taie, Mohamed Eltaher, Aashish Gupta, Bilel Daoud, Shanli Ding, Jeddy Bennett, Anirban Maitra, Matthew A Firpo, Kimberly Kirkwood, Eugene J Koay, Kristy K Brock

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Accurate and consistent image segmentation across longitudinal scans is essential in many clinical applications, including surveillance, treatment monitoring, and adaptive interventions. While personalized model adaptation using patient-specific prior scans has shown promise, current approaches typically rely on fixed training durations and lack mechanisms to determine optimal stopping points on a per-patient basis, particularly in the absence of validation labels.

Purpose: We propose an uncertainty-guided test-time optimization (TTO) framework that dynamically adjusts the personalization duration for each patient using a validation-free stopping criterion based on predictive uncertainty.

Methods: Our framework personalizes a generalized segmentation model using patient-specific prior imaging and …

Outcomes Of Patients With Melanoma Brain Metastases Treated With Ipilimumab And Nivolumab With Or Without Upfront Comprehensive Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Troy J Kleber, Denái R Milton, Subhiksha Srinivasan, Bikash Panthi, Warren Floyd, Eric A Goethe, Michael A Davies, Hussein A Tawbi, Isabella C Glitza Oliva, Diana Kaya, Jing Li, Todd A Swanson, Subha Perni, Martin C Tom, Chenyang Wang, Sujit Prabhu, Jeffrey S Weinberg, Ian E Mccutcheon, Caroline Chung, Sherise D Ferguson, Thomas H Beckham

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The efficacy of ipilimumab and nivolumab (ipi/nivo) for melanoma brain metastases (MBMs) has been previously reported, leading to uncertainty regarding the optimal role of comprehensive stereotactic radiosurgery (cSRS). We therefore conducted a single-institution retrospective study to compare outcomes of upfront versus deferred cSRS for MBM treated with ipi/nivo.

Methods: We identified patients who started ipi/nivo for newly diagnosed MBMs between 2018 and 2023, with or without upfront cSRS. Patients with >15 MBMs, leptomeningeal disease, or whole-brain radiotherapy at baseline were excluded. Outcomes were compared using multivariable regression and reported as adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% CIs.

Results: Of …

Reply To: Late Nonrelapse Mortality: A Hidden Risk In Triplet Therapy For Idh-Mutated Aml?, Jennifer Marvin-Peek, Courtney D Dinardo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Perspective: Radiotherapy And Body Composition: Unmet Needs In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Alexia J Murphy-Alford, Aaron J Grossberg, Vickie E Baracos, Maha Barbar, Judy Bauer, Jonathan P Bennett, Elena Fidarova, Clifton D Fuller, Anastassia Löser, Amy C Moreno, Anurima Patra, Deepa Puttaswamy, David I Rosenthal, Judy Schoeman, Yavuz Anacak

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiotherapy plays a vital role in cancer treatment, yet its effects on patients' nutritional status can precipitate muscle loss, with significant implications for treatment tolerance and outcomes. Evidence from high-income countries increasingly links radiation-induced muscle loss to adverse clinical outcomes. In contrast, low- and middle-income countries face a stark evidence gap, despite the heightened vulnerability of cancer patients in these settings due to delayed diagnosis, limited access to care, and high rates of co-morbidities. This paper highlights the critical gaps in nutritional care for radiotherapy patients in low- and middle-income countries.

Genomic Determinants Of Response And Resistance To Pirtobrutinib In Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Jennifer R Brown, Bastien Nguyen, Sai Prasad Desikan, Helen Won, Shady I Tantawy, Samuel C Mcneely, Narasimha Marella, Hetal S Randeria, Lauren M Hanson, Andrew Parker, Salomé Calado Botelho, Jennifer A Woyach, Krish Patel, Constantine S Tam, Toby A Eyre, Chan Y Cheah, Nirav N Shah, Paolo Ghia, Wojciech Jurczak, Minna Balbas, Binoj Nair, Paolo Abada, Chunxiao Wang, Denise Wang, Lindsey E Roeker, Varsha Gandhi, William G Wierda

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Pirtobrutinib, a noncovalent, reversible Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), demonstrated efficacy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), resistant to covalent BTKi (cBTKi). We analyzed genomic correlations with response and resistance to pirtobrutinib in relapsed/refractory (R/R) patients with CLL pretreated with cBTKi enrolled in the phase 1/2 BRUIN trial. DNA sequencing was performed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells at baseline, on treatment, and at progressive disease (PD). Common alterations at baseline included mutations in BTK (43%), TP53 (38%), SF3B1 (25%), NOTCH1 (23%), ATM (19%), XPO1 (11%), PLCG2 (9%), BCL2 (8%), and 17p deletion (28%). Common baseline BTK mutations included C481S …

Metastasis-Directed Radiotherapy For Oligometastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Of The Bladder And Upper Tract, Patrick Carriere, Omar Alhalabi, Jianjun Gao, Amishi Shah, Sangeeta Goswami, Matthew Campbell, Ruitao Lin, Lauren Mayo, Osama Mohamad, Karen Hoffman, Henry Mok, Charmaigne Lozano, Ashish Kamat, Neema Navai, Kelly Bree, Byron Lee, Charles Guo, Michael Rooney, Chad Tang, Seungtaek Choi, Comron Hassanzadeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) for oligometastatic cancer is utilized for genitourinary malignancies including prostate and kidney cancers. Clinical research on MDT for urothelial carcinoma (UC) remains sparse, especially as systemic therapy advances have improved outcomes.

Objective: We investigated the role of MDT, specifically radiotherapy, for patients with oligometastatic bladder or upper-tract UC.

Methods: Data were collated on patients with metastatic UC with 5 or fewer metastatic sites undergoing MDT with ablative radiotherapy with or without preceding systemic therapy during January 2016 to July 2024. Endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazards analysis was conducted to …

The Effects Of Fitness Self-Testing With Instant Feedback On Changes In Health-Related Fitness Among Chinese Male College Students, Yongshun Wang, Xiaofen D Hamilton, Rulan Shangguan, Anlu Yang, Na Xiao, Chenhao Wu, Sizhe Liu, Ren Yang, Jiren Zhang, Mark F Hamilton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The decline in health-related physical fitness resulting from physical inactivity remains a critical global public health concern. Technology-supported fitness self-testing has the potential not only to improve students' testing experiences but also to enhance their health-related fitness. However, the effectiveness of such approaches has not yet been systematically examined, and their validity within university populations remains largely unestablished.

Method: A quasi-experimental research design with a control group (n = 45) and an experimental group (n = 44), incorporating pre- and post-tests, was employed in this study. The experimental group completed monthly self-testing sessions accompanied by GAI-generated instant feedback over …

A Multidisciplinary Transitional Care Bundle To Reduce Hospital Readmission In Patients With Heart Failure: A Quality Improvement Project, Pearl Zehua Stahler

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Background: Heart failure (HF) is associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, healthcare utilization, and risk of unplanned hospital readmission. Gaps in structured discharge planning and post-discharge follow-up may contribute to preventable readmissions. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to implement a multidisciplinary transitional care bundle to strengthen care coordination, improve the post-discharge pathway, and reduce unplanned heart failure hospital readmissions (UHFHR). Methods: The project included 20 adults hospitalized with HF in a 56-bed telemetry unit in a South Texas acute care hospital. The eight-week intervention included social determinants of health (SDoH) assessment, nursing-led discharge education, HF clinic follow-up within 14 …

Improving Hpv Vaccine Series Completion Rates Among Adolescents In A Primary Care Clinic, Emily K. Nettle

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Introduction

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination prevents HPV related cancers, yet completion rates remain below state (Texas) and national goals. At the selected primary care clinic, 42% of adolescents aged 15-18 years had completed the HPV vaccine series as of October 2025. This quality improvement project aimed to improve HPV vaccine initiation and follow-up dose scheduling through a culturally tailored, multilevel intervention.

Methods

Guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, an eight-week intervention included bilingual education for adolescents and caregivers, provider education, electronic health record (EHR) prompts, and digital reminders. Baseline data from an eight-week period in 2025 were compared with intervention data …

Reducing Re-Hospitalizations Among Adult Residents In Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Guideline Project, Nicole Crooks

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Purpose: This project aimed to develop an evidence-based guideline to support early recognition of clinical deterioration and improve communication among SNF staff, with the goal of reducing avoidable rehospitalizations, and to evaluate stakeholder perceptions of the proposed recommendations. Methods: A literature review was completed to develop eight recommendations that were used to create a guideline and toolkit for the SNF setting. Six stakeholders evaluated the recommendations on a 4-point scale. Ratings were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Friedmans test. Results: Stakeholder ratings were favorable, with means ranging from 3.50 to 3.83. Recommendations 3 and 6 had the highest means …