Digital Commons Network^™

Use Of Non-Invasive Testing In Primary Care For Earlier Diagnosis Of Liver Fibrosis, Amy L. Cable

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Chronic liver diseases, particularly those driven by metabolic risk factors, are frequently under-recognized in primary care settings until they reach advanced stages. Systematic screening using non-invasive testing is inexpensive and convenient, but baseline calculations remain low. The objective of this quality improvement project was to increase primary care providers' knowledge of early fibrosis identification and intent for utilization of testing. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected over a 16-week period. Post-intervention, providers' knowledge of non-invasive testing was improved by 28% and intention of utilization by 80%.

Closing The Gaps: Improving Opioid Overdose Prevention In African American Communities Through Education And Community Engagement, Tara Clinding

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

African Americans continue to experience high rates of opioid mortality, emphasizing the need for culturally relevant community education and overdose prevention strategies. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate community-based opioid overdose prevention education designed for individuals with substance use disorder, family and friends, and community members. Guided by Betty Neuman’s Model, the education focuses on recognizing opioid overdoses, administering naloxone when indicated, and identifying community treatment and recovery resources. A pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate changes in participants' knowledge and confidence following a structured educational session. …

Every Time The Beat Drops, What Does Your Heart Sing About You? Exploring Black Men’S Cardiac Health, Bianca S. Washington

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

The disparities Black men continue to face in rural areas in relation to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension, and cardiovascular mortality in comparison with other racial groups in the United States continue to be disproportionate. The disparities are influenced by limited access to healthcare, socioeconomic barriers, and structural racism within the health care system. Addressing these issues requires culturally tailored, evidence-based practice interventions that would help restore trust and hopefully engage patients to follow up with primary care providers and to take prescribed medication as directed for cardiovascular disease management. The purpose of this project was to examine …

Breathing Calm Into Testing: The Impact Of Mindfulness Meditation And Aromatherapy On Stress And Test Anxiety Of Prelicensure Nursing Students, Valerie A. Doig

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Nursing education is inherently rigorous, with students frequently subjected to high-stakes clinical assessments, simulations, and academic evaluations. Stress and test anxiety can impact learning, which can result in students’ inability to progress in nursing programs. This DNP project aimed to evaluate the effects of aromatherapy with lavender essential oil and meditation on the stress and test anxiety scores in associate degree nursing students through assessing the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WSTA) scores. Participants engaged in educational and interventional sessions that utilized aromatherapy and meditation. Surveys were deployed to gather baseline PSS and WSTA scores and …

Implementing A Peer Support Team To Address Workplace Violence: Enhancing Healthcare Worker Well-Being And Retention, Christina Liverman

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Workplace violence is a persistent challenge in healthcare and is associated with decreased psychological well-being, increased emotional distress, burnout, and staff turnover among nurses. Healthcare organizations are increasingly seeking evidence-based interventions to support employees following workplace violence incidents. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate a peer support program for medical-surgical staff following workplace violence incidents and to examine its effect on perceived psychological well-being.

A nonrandomized pre-test/post-test quality improvement design was implemented on a 38-bed medical-surgical unit in a rural community hospital. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants were invited to …

A Systematic Review On Niosomes: Composition, Preparation, And Applications, Sanket Gawade Mr., Sunil Attimarad, Vishakha Desai Ms.

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Conventional drug carrier systems are restricted owing to poor bioavailability, weak stability and non-specific localization, which causes systemic toxicities and reduced therapeutic efficacy. Niosomes, one of the nonionic surfactant vesicular systems, have been suggested that value to overcome these constraints. In this review, we give an account of recent progress in niosome research, highlighting their merits, composition, characterization, and applications.

Niosomes offer several advantages including increased drug bioavailability, targeted delivery and reduced toxicity. Bilayered niosomes can entrap both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, therefore allowing simultaneous delivery of actives components. We provide an overview of various techniques for niosome preparation including …

Learning Sustainability Under Tension: Experiential Learning And Reflexive Sensemaking In A Place-Based Simulation, Moon Kyung Cho, Nereu F. Kock, Nargis Sultana

Business Faculty Publications

This study examines how sustainability judgment develops in place-based experiential learning as learners navigate tensions between financial performance and environmental responsibility. Using a team-based, technology-enabled business simulation situated in a place-based context, participants managed a simulated company over eight quarters and subsequently reconsidered their decisions from the perspective of external auditors. The findings show that sustainability judgment developed iteratively through experience, reflection, and sensemaking. Participants distinguished sustainability practices according to their strategic and integrative potential and increasingly recognized that sustainability investments could support operational efficiency, innovation, and long-term financial viability rather than necessarily conflict with financial objectives. Place directed attention …

Predicting Tilt In Esports: A Psychophysiological Approach To Understanding Player Emotional Regulation, Nathan Rhea

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Emotional regulation and stress management are important to both casual and competitive esports players. When players become dysregulated, they experience a phenomenon known as “tilt” within the gaming community, where they often lose control of their emotions and their performance declines. This study aimed to investigate whether a psychophysiological variable in heart rate variability could predict tilt in college-age esports players. Additionally, the relationship between heart rate variability and emotions predicted by the Tiltometer system with gameplay performance and winning or losing was tested.

This study used a quantitative correlational research design. Participants for this study were college-age players (N=23) …

In Memory Of Dan Subotnik—Friend And Scholar, David M. Phillips

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Memories Of My Father, Daniel Ezra Subotnik, Joseph E. Subotnik

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Revisiting “Of Arms And The Militia: Gun Regulation By Legislatively Defining ‘Ordinary Military Equipment’”, Edward J. Curtis ,Jr.

Touro Law Review

In 2021, I published an article arguing that semi-automatic rifles and semi-automatic handguns, among other weapons, could be most effectively regulated by defining the “ordinary military equipment” that the states’ militia members were expected to produce in the event they were called to service. I based my argument on the rationale employed by the United States Supreme Court in its 1939 decision in United States v. Miller, which upheld the National Firearms Act of 1934.

The American Dream And The Politics Of Promise: Presidential Rhetoric Against Reality On Inequality, Education, And Assistance Since 2000, Abigail Demonte

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

High Stakes And Random Rewards: A Critical Look At Loot Boxes And Illegal Gambling, Brian T. Wersan

Touro Law Review

Since their inception in the mid-2000s, loot boxes have been legal and virtually unregulated in the United States. Ever-growing mountains of evidence demonstrate the harms of loot boxes, but their structure has not yet been found to be in violation of any current U.S. gambling law, leading to a complete lack of recovery for victims. Certainly, if people experience harm, a legal avenue providing justice must exist. While other avenues are referenced, this Note ultimately argues that loot boxes can be interpreted by courts to satisfy the elements of, and thus, violate multiple state gambling laws, revealing a path to …

Anatomy Of A Successful College Closure, Kevin P. Mcdonough

Touro Law Review

Alarming forecasts of mass closures of colleges and universities in the United States have been part of the higher education landscape for many years now. Unfortunately, such prognosticators have been proven largely correct as college closures have been occurring with increasing regularity. The closure process has been carried out with varying degrees of success. At one end of the spectrum lies the poorly planned, precipitous closure, which often garners the most attention because of its devastating impact on students and their families. This Article examines certain actions and strategies that the leadership of a college compelled to cease operations can …

Who’S In Charge Here?: Collegiate Athletics After The House Settlement, Pamela Ko

Touro Law Review

The House v. NCAA settlement, which was approved in June 2025, paved the way for groundbreaking changes to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the implementation of its rules and regulations related to athlete rights, including transformative levels and types of student-athlete compensation that have never been permitted in the history of college sports. These changes fundamentally altered the relationship between many Division I student-athletes, educational institutions, athletic conferences, and the NCAA. This Article will discuss both the short and long-term impacts of the House settlement while analyzing both the continuing role of the NCAA and the role of …

Fourth Amendment Rights In The Age Of Automated License Plate Recognition Cameras, Jessica L. Terkovich

Touro Law Review

Law enforcement technology has evolved to the point of being ever-present, especially in the form of automated license plate recognition cameras. This Article analyzes recent Fourth Amendment challenges to automated license plate recognition camera systems and developments in the technological landscape in the wake of seminal cases discussing the changing expectations of privacy as law enforcement technology evolves. The Article concludes that, as is, automated license plate recognition camera systems are not unconstitutional dragnets and do not perform warrantless searches, though they have potential to raise constitutional issues in the future.

Ai-Assisted Wheat Spike And Spikelet Detection And Density Mapping Using Multiscale Remote Sensing Data To Support Wheat Grain Yield Forecasting, Hillson Ghimire

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wheat grain yield is determined by the number of spikes per unit area, the number of grains per spike, and kernel weight. However, spike number and spikelets per spike are still measured predominantly through manual counting, a labor-intensive and subjective process that limits phenotyping throughput and selection intensity in modern wheat breeding programs. This thesis develops and evaluates a deep learning framework for automated, high-throughput phenotyping of wheat spike and spikelet traits across complementary imaging scales and implements the framework as a deployable platform. First, two large-scale benchmark datasets with oriented bounding box (OBB) annotations were established, comprising 48,521 spike …

A Wellness Approach To Aging, Retirement, And Suicide Risk: Gerontological Considerations, Seth T. Robinson, Derek J. Lee

Adultspan Journal

Suicide risk in older adulthood represents complex interactions between developmental transitions; changing social contexts; and interactions between ecological context and individual perceptions of belongingness, burdensomeness, and hope. This paper presents an integrative,developmentally appropriate framework for conceptualizing and addressing suicide risk in older adulthood, which is grounded in the Indivisible Self model of wellness. Drawing on current empirical knowledge of wellness, suicidality, and older adulthood, this paper presents risk and protective factors associated with older adulthood through life transitions, changing social contexts, and other relevant factors. We present a novel integration of suicide intervention, wellness, and holistic care as a suitable …

Retirement As A Psychosocial Transition: A Social Determinants Of Mental Health Framework For Counseling Practice, Janelle L. Jones, Lauren Robins, Melanie Calhoun, Aaliyah Bond-Richardson, Latesha S. Holloman, Zoe N. Stuckey

Adultspan Journal

Retirement is commonly framed as a normative and voluntary developmental milestone; however, access to a psychologically healthy retirement is unevenly shaped by social, economic, and structural conditions. This conceptual article applies a social determinants of mental health (SDMH) framework to retirement, conceptualizing it as a complex psychosocial transition involving identity change, shifts in purpose and meaning, relational adjustment, and emotional variability. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship, the manuscript examines how socioeconomic status, race and ethnicity, gendered work histories, caregiving responsibilities, health status, and access to benefits influence both the ability to retire and the experience of retirement itself. Particular attention is …

Assessing The Scope Of Knowledge And Decision-Making Patterns Regarding Healthy Eating During Pregnancy In Pregnant Female Adults In Southern California, Raegan Soffel

Loma Linda University Research Reports

While recognizing the link between prenatal nutrition and maternal-fetal health, this investigator-initiated study seeks to identify pregnant women's understanding of prenatal nutrition guidelines and the influences on their dietary choices. Thirty-eight eligible women completed an online, anonymous surveying assessing the scope of knowledge and decision-making patterns of healthy eating during pregnancy. The average knowledge score among the participants was 6.05/14. There was no significant difference in the knowledge scores among pregnancy periods or among total number of pregnancies. Perceptions of nutrition guidance in prenatal care, factors influencing eating behaviors, and primary sources of nutrition information were explored. The findings may …

Comparing Perceived Ideal Protein Intake In Plant-Based Versus Meat-Based Diet Consumers, Gysel Avendano, Saya Iwanaga

Loma Linda University Research Reports

High-protein diets have gained significant popularity in both social media and public discussion and more recently, a significant rise in protein consumption has been observed. Existing research has reported differences in actual protein intake across dietary patterns, with animal-based diets generally associated with higher total protein intake compared to plant-based diets. This growing focus on protein raises important questions about perceived ideal protein intake and the factors that shape it.

The primary objective is to compare perceived ideal protein intake among Southern California adults consuming meat-based versus plant-based diets. Additionally, we explored the influence of protein-related knowledge, beliefs, values, information …

Concerted Proton Transfer In Homogeneous And Heterogeneous Cyclic Hydrogen-Bonded Clusters Of H2o, Hf, And Hcl, Max R. Tucker, Yuan Xue, Nathan R. Speake, Eden Nickolson, Jeremy M. Carr, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This work examines various homogeneous and heterogeneous clusters of hydrogen-bonded (HF)x(H₂O)y(HCl)z complexes, where x + y + z = 3 or 4. For each unique cyclic structure associated with the xyz permutations, the geometries of the reactant, product, and transition state (TS) for concerted proton transfer (CPT) were fully optimized using second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) with a mixed basis set consisting of cc-pVTZ for H atoms and aug-cc-pVTZ for O, Cl, and F atoms (denoted haTZ). Harmonic vibrational frequencies were also computed at the same level of theory to verify the nature of the stationary points. Intrinsic …

Smart Cities Beyond Methodological Cityism: Foregrounding Developmentalism, Scalar Flexing And The Rebranding Of The 'Urban', Prerona Das, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

In this paper we show that in Southeast Asia, smart city development has become a type of digital urban transformation that is not targeted towards any particular territorial formation or settlement. Instead, development-oriented states in the region leverage the smart city rhetoric as a nationwide branding strategy to leapfrog development stages. Such smart city policies are infused with a scalar logic – which we call ‘scalar flexing’ – that captures the enmeshing of local and national scales, causing local scale smart city initiatives to be stretched across wide-ranging, national-scale urban transformation agendas. We examine the nationwide 100 smart cities policies …

How Do You Fix Knowledge In Place? Digital Nomads And Infrastructural Stickiness, Emma Grimley, Prerona Das, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Remote work has become increasingly accessible due to the growing acceptance of remote work arrangements following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some state actors, especially in countries which face a shortage of digital talent and have reputations as leisure-tourism destinations, have begun considering the opportunities for digital transformation or workforce upskilling that highly skilled remote workers may offer. This paper develops the case of remote workers in Thailand to argue that infrastructural stickiness is a critical determinant for effective knowledge transfer to occur. By infrastructural stickiness we refer to the regulatory and socio-material infrastructures that both attract and retain international remote workers …

Multidimensional Analysis Of Human Outdoor Comfort: Integrating Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions (Jitais) In Urban Digital Twins, Binyu Lei, Pengyuan Liu, Kunihiko Fujiwara, Mario Frei, Clayton Miller, Xuan Yun Chua, Filip Biljecki

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

How can bidirectional information exchange be enhanced in urban digital twins, and support human-centric data and processes? Their key characteristic is the nearly real-time exchange of information, allowing adjustments to physical environments based on simulations and analytics within virtual models. Yet, achieving such interaction remains challenging, particularly regarding device deployment and infrastructure development. Embracing the concept of humans as sensors, this work develops a two-way framework based on the emerging concept of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs), exploring how urban digital twins can play a role in understanding and enhancing human comfort outdoors. Human comfort outdoors is inherently spatio-temporal and personalised, …

An Ex-Post Analysis Framework For Assessing The Effectiveness And Driving Factors Of Green Building Certification Adoption: A Case Study Of Singapore, Hao Gu, Xiaoyu Jin, Fu Xiao, Maomao Hu, Clayton Miller

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Cities worldwide are adopting green building certification policies to meet sustainability and decarbonization targets in the building sector. However, the effectiveness of green certifications remains contested due to the difficulty of decomposing multiple influencing factors on building energy consumption. This study proposes an econometrics-based ex-post analysis framework to assess the effectiveness of green building certification policies in energy savings and identify driving factors by decomposing multiple influential factors. The proposed framework incorporates time-fixed effect models to examine factors driving the adoption of green building certifications, and causality analysis to quantify the effectiveness. Applying the framework to analyze a panel dataset …

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence In Microfinance In The Global South: Regulatory Insights Into Ai-Based Credit Underwriting, Ruth Plato-Shinar

Fordham International Law Journal

Microfinance has emerged as a key financial inclusion tool aimed at underserved populations, mainly in the Global South. However, it continues to face persistent structural challenges, particularly high operational costs, limited scalability, and mixed outcomes in poverty alleviation. Against this backdrop, this Article explores the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into microfinance in the Global South, focusing on the use of machine learning for data-driven credit underwriting, which presents both a transformative opportunity and a profound regulatory challenge.

AI promises to enhance efficiency, accuracy, scalability, and financial inclusion, particularly through the use of alternative, non-financial data. At the same time, …

Due Diligence In Global Supply Chains: The Troubled Journey Of The Eu Legislation And The Global Perspective, Fabrizio Cafaggi, Federico Pistelli

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Encryption And Globalization 15 Years Later: End-To-End Encryption And The Third Round Of The "Going Dark" Debate, Peter Swire, Kenesa Ahmad, Michael Specter

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Considering Humanity: How The Martens Clause Implies A Legal Obligation To Conduct Risk Analysis In Decisions Regarding The Actual Or Threatened Use Of Nuclear Weapons, Emily Jones

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.