Digital Commons Network^™

The Human Dimension Of “Home”, Robert A. Destro

Scholarly Articles

All societies provide a legal framework that protects the pivotal functions of home and family. None provide a clear legal definition of “home”. Nor, this article argues, can they. “Home” is a concept rooted in the lived experience of human persons. In this article, the second in a series, the author employs the “human dimension” [HDIM] concept, initially developed by the U.S. military and later adopted by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as the lens through which one can examine the “human element” of human rights. The framework for this analysis is the “four clusters of value-types” …

Quantifying Modifiable Lifestyle Behaviors And Influences Associated With Preventable Cancers In Selected Rural Counties: A Mixed Method Study, Jecinta Scott

Dissertations and Theses

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States disproportionately affecting rural communities. This dissertation study investigates the involvement of rural communities in lifestyle behaviors associated with increased risk of cancers, the impact of socioeconomic factors, and what influences their behavior and the impact of political party affiliation. The study was conducted using a mixed-method quantitative data analysis enhanced by qualitative interviews. It began with an extensive literature review to identify existing research, and evidence gaps on the topic. Data collection involved retrospective quantitative extraction from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance …

Instaurare Omnia In Christo: The Vision Of Virgil Michel, Henry Widdicombe

Obsculta

The vision of Virgil Michel was of an integration of the liturgy with life—he considered the liturgy to be the ground for social regeneration. This essay will first explore that idea but, following that, will contextualize the quest for integration within the particular sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist—particularly as it concerns participation in and consciousness of those sacraments. To synthesize, the essay will expound the basics of Virgil’s thought on the Mystical Body of Christ. In conclusion, the essay will set out the issue behind the issues that plagues liturgy—what Romano Guardini has proffered as the inability of …

A Sapiential Maxim On Forgiveness In Proverbs 17:9, Mary Jerome Obiorah Ihm

Obsculta

Christian discussion on forgiveness often begins from its theological dimension. This essay argues that an anthropological setting of this inevitable human reality will benefit Christians and non-Christians. We are social beings and we are continually interacting with others in order to sustain our innate social character. Our social circle diminishes if we fail to forgive and avoid our offenders. Proverbs 17:9, which is studied in this paper, persuasively teaches the anthropological reason to forgive others their offences. It is discovered that Christian dialectics on forgiveness is both vertical and horizontal, and the two dimensions are inseparable.

Charitable Giving And Civil Rights: A Defense Of Private Remedial Action, Roger Colinvaux

Scholarly Articles

Private charitable organizations have long enjoyed the freedom to determine their mission and render appropriate charitable assistance, including by taking race, ethnicity, gender, and other traits into account when responding to the harmful effects of past discrimination, a practice this Feature terms “private remedial action.” The legality of this kind of trait-conscious assistance is strongly supported by the early American history of trait-based associations, federal tax law, and core values of free association. However, new legal and political attacks on affirmative action of all types have put charities on the defensive, leading many groups to change their programs and behavior …

Approaches To Advancing Human Rights, Carina Van Vliet, Avidan Cover, Sara Ghebremusse, Brian Gran

Canada-United States Law Journal

A panel discussion on approaches (or lack thereof) by the United States and Canada to advance human rights. Also, whether or not human rights produce wellbeing.

Climate Change And Human Rights, Jean-Francois Hould, Sonya Savage, Kristy Balsanek, Victor Flatt

Canada-United States Law Journal

A panel discussion on addressing climate change and human rights in Canada and the United States.

Peter Hay: An Academic Life In Full, Hans-Eric Rasmussen-Bonne

Emory International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Is It Possible To Draft A Universal Criminal Code?, Paul H. Robinson

American University International Law Review

The world contains hundreds of distinct communities with their own traditions and values. One might assume that, despite the best efforts of international organizations, it would be impossible to draft a criminal code that could operate effectively for all countries. Is that the case? If one tried to construct a universal criminal code, what sorts of challenges and limitations with the effort face?

The Blue Economy Comes To Green Creek, Ursula Ramsey

South Carolina Journal of International Law and Business

Oceans, touted as the “next great economic frontier,” are projected to contribute three trillion dollars to the global economy. Beyond their economic potential, oceans provide a host of environmental benefits: oceans supply over half of the planet’s oxygen and contain nearly all of the Earth’s water and biosphere. Especially because the high seas represent one of the few remaining global commons, oceans present a governance challenge. Meeting this challenge is the concept of the blue economy, a form of governance that combines environmental stewardship, economic development, and social equity. This article, in discussing Mulvihill v. South Carolina Department of Health …

Understanding Food Insecurity Among International Students At Ohio University, Kyle Butler, Joshua Osondu

Sustainable Living Hub Reports and Publications

Recently, food insecurity has emerged as a concern among the student body of Ohio University (OHIO), particularly among its international graduate students. This survey study was undertaken to provide data to inform OHIO’s response to food insecurity among its international graduate students.

Ἁδριανὸς Ἀνέθηκε: A Dedication By Hadrian In Arcadia, Anna Kouremenos, Frank Daubner

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Balancing Innovation And Attention: A Review Of Digital Distraction, Self-Regulation, And Technology Policy In Modern Classrooms, Kayla R. Schlichting

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review examines how digital technology influences student attention, engagement, and self-regulated learning in 1:1 classrooms. Across 30 studies, technology is deemed neither inherently harmful nor helpful; rather, its impact depends on how technology is used and the instructional design the educator employs. Digital distractions, such as smartphones, multitasking, and peer interruptions decrease focus and negatively impact academic performance. However, strategies such as goal setting, structured note-taking, reflection, and feedback loops help students develop greater self-regulation and manage their engagement. Overall, this review emphasizes the need for clear and consistent expectations, well-designed technological lessons, and intentional instruction, especially as …

Nature-Based Learning In Visual Arts Education, Ava D. Raisanen

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This literature review and application thesis examines the concerns related to nature-deficit, specifically screen usage, student disengagement, and mental health issues. This review examines how nature-based educational approaches can enhance mental health, improve academic performance, and connect to various topics, including Indigenous culture and interdisciplinary art approaches that integrate multiple subjects. The lesson plans provided in the application are rooted in culturally relevant, nature-based approaches for students in grades K-12, including an Indigenous-inspired lesson for elementary, middle, and high school art.

Nais. Convergencia Entre El Diseño Gráfico Y El Diseño De Moda: Tipografías Y Tatuajes (2025), Alba Morán Diez

Grado en Diseño de Moda

Cuando se habla de convergencia, se hace referencia a el proceso de dos conceptos de acercarse a un punto común. Esto implica una relación entre dos disciplinas que pueden coexistir o estar unidas de manera profunda. Dentro del arte hay muchas ramas que comparten ciertos aspectos comúnes aunque su enfoque y propósito sea distinto, el diseño gráfico y la moda suelen influirse mutuamente aunque ambos sectores son opuestos.

El diseño gráfico se entiende como un arte que transmite ideas de forma visual a través de imágenes, símbolos... Se centran en lo gráfico trabajando con imágenes, composiciones, colores y tipografías para …

Bs Biological Science, Eeob 2025-26, Arkansas State University - Jonesboro

Bachelor of Science and Education

Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology

Unraveling The Ties That Bind: How Dobbs And Loper Bright Might Reconfigure American Party Politics, Gregory A. Elinson

College of Law Faculty Publications

What happens to partisan politics when long-standing doctrinal equilibria are upended? In search of answers, this essay engages in an extended comparison of two recent landmark Supreme Court rulings: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade, and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, which overruled Chevron USA v. Natural Resources Defense Council.

It begins with the observation that opposition to abortion and judicial deference on the right, and support for abortion and judicial deference on the left, helped unite the major party coalitions, forging durable alliances among elected officials, organized interests, donors, activists, …

Beyond Agency Authority: Regulating Sulfur Hexafluoride Under An Enhanced Title Ii Framework Of The Clean Air Act, Matthew Gawley

Fordham Environmental Law Review

This paper explores the critical need for robust Congressional action to regulate sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential more than 20,000 times greater than carbon dioxide. Recent Supreme Court decisions––in West Virginia v. EPA and Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo––to restrict EPA authority and end the Chevron doctrine have curtailed federal environmental agencies’ regulatory authority, shifting the responsibility for addressing major environmental challenges back to Congress. Despite being addressed under Title I of the Clean Air Act (CAA) through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), current SF6 regulations prove grossly inadequate. The utilities industry––the largest …

Maritime Piracy Risk Index For Ship Safety, Sang-Lok Yoo, Cho-Young Jung

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the development and implementation of a piracy risk index, crucial for enhancing maritime security and safeguarding the global shipping industry. By integrating both qualitative and quantitative assessments, the research offers a nuanced understanding of piracy risks across various maritime regions. The qualitative assessment incorporates the terrorism index and arms trafficking index, which are averaged and scaled to reflect the underlying socio-political factors influencing piracy. The quantitative assessment utilizes the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) to dynamically capture the frequency and severity of piracy incidents over time. The findings reveal significant regional variations in …

A Silence After Slaughter-House: Nineteenth-Century State Constitutional Substantive Rights, Liberties, And Privileges, Charles W. "Rocky" Rhodes

Faculty Publications

In rejecting federal constitutional challenges to the Louisiana legislature’s exclusive butchering grant in the Slaughter-House Cases, the United States Supreme Court opined that it was the states’ obligation to protect fundamental privileges, such as rights to acquire and possess property, engage in trade and commerce, and pursue happiness, subject only to those restraints necessary for the public good. But the states met this charge with silence. State courts across the nation consistently parroted Slaughter-House’s reasoning, even while occasionally acknowledging the decision did not bind their interpretation of state constitutional provisions guaranteeing fundamental rights, liberties, privileges, and immunities. Although two states …

Evergreening's Empirical Chasm, Erika Lietzan

Faculty Publications

For more than two decades, policymakers have been told that pharmaceutical innovators companies engage in a practice that is called, disparagingly, “evergreening.” The basic idea is that companies introduce new versions of their drugs that have later expiring patents or regulatory exclusivity. This way, the claim goes, the companies effectively block generic entry for years or decades longer than Congress intended and than is socially desirable. Initially these claims were supported by poorly researched anecdotes. In the last decade, some scholars and advocacy organizations have published papers that purport to provide empirical support for the “evergreening” accusation. But these empirical …

Exploring Motivation In Visual Arts: Middle School Art Teachers' Perspectives, Eva V. Coker

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore pedagogical strategies and curriculum (media and art projects) that 6th through 8th grade middle school art teachers use to motivate students to participate in the visual arts. Specifically, it examined the instructional strategies, media choices, and art projects that teachers perceived as inspirational and motivational for middle school students. This qualitative study included data from 17 middle school art teachers, collected through interviews, video-recorded nonverbal communication cues, and teacher-submitted artifacts. The findings revealed a range of instructional strategies, media and curricular practices, and flow and affective experiences that teachers believed supported student …

Exploring Approaches To Address Racial Discrimination, Stigma, And Provider Communication In Sickle Cell Disease Pain Management Through Interprofessional Education And Collaboration, Ronisha Edwards-Elliott

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents research across three publishable manuscripts that investigate why structural and systemic racism persist among patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) seeking pain management, and how interprofessional collaboration and education can help reduce disparities through shared learning, accountability, and standardized care (Chapters Two through Four). A scoping review identifies current interventions and strategies aimed at sharing the pain experiences and feelings of being unheard by SCD patients (Chapter Two). Findings of the scoping review revealed that although interventions and strategies exist and have been tested, the lack of implementation or buy-in from healthcare professionals has allowed racial discrimination …

Comprehensive Characterization Of Chronic Midazolam Exposure On Neonates And Long-Term Neurodevelopment, Nghi M. Nguyen, Pranavi Athota, Adrian Flores, Andrew Trease, Daniel Meyer, Vamsi K. Singu, Chandan Krishnamoorthy, Victoria L. Schaal, Reeyan Bhakat, Kunal Sualy, Sathish Kumar Natarajan, Kelly L. Stauch, Sowmya V. Yelamanchili, Gurudutt Pendyala

Journal Articles: Anesthesiology

Approximately 1 in 10 U.S. newborns are born preterm (< 37 weeks of gestation), facing risks of low birth weight, respiratory and birth deficits often requiring surgery, mechanical ventilation, and prolonged sedation. Such long-term exposure to sedatives in these babies can potentially pose neurodevelopmental risks and can further impact changes later in life. The present study focused on midazolam (MDZ), a benzodiazepine class drug commonly used as sedative in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Using a robust preclinical rodent model mimicking chronic MDZ exposure, we did a comprehensive characterization on the phenotypic, molecular, biochemical, and behavioral outcomes in these exposed neonates across key developmental milestones. Our findings indicate that long-term MDZ exposure during the neonatal period negatively affects physical attributes in early childhood. While adult bodyweights between control and MDZ-exposed rats remain comparable, the MDZ rats exhibit accelerated and robust weight gain, potentially indicating a predisposition for binge eating behavior. Additionally, dopamine release in MDZ-exposed rats is markedly reduced in adulthood. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors in the brain during adulthood suggest a shift in development due to early MDZ exposure. Further, trends of heightened anxiety-like behavior and reduced social interaction during early adolescence compared to other stages were observed. Collectively, our study provides a comprehensive assessment of how long-term MDZ exposure during neonatal stages impacts outcomes throughout life, laying the foundation for understanding mechanisms that contribute to neurodevelopmental complications associated with long-term MDZ use in neonates.

Area Of Effect The History And Effects Of Linguistic Choices Made In The Final Fantasy Franchise, Camille Mcdermott

Theses and Dissertations

The Final Fantasy franchise, a seminal role-playing game (RPG) series, has captivated a global audience since its inception in 1987. This thesis, titled "Area of Effect: The History and Effects of Linguistic Choices Made in the Final Fantasy Franchise," explores the intricate use of language that has shaped the series' identity and influenced its worldwide fanbase. The linguistic landscape of Final Fantasy is as diverse and dynamic as its fantastical worlds, evolving from simple text boxes to fully voiced narratives. This study examines the historical context and evolving linguistic choices throughout the series, highlighting how these decisions enrich the gaming …

The Rise Of Israeli Far-Right Politics: A Queer Feminist Analysis, Sa'ed Atshan, K. Galor

Peace & Conflict Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Condition Of Age-0 Burbot In Relation To Diet, Cian Verbridge

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Burbot are becoming more and more popular for angling and aquaculture. However, populations have been declining across the world. Very little information is available about their early life and their interactions in the ecosystem due to challenges in sampling. Condition estimates and diet metrics were used to better understand the status of burbot in Lake Bemidji. Using backpack electrofishing, 45 young of the year burbot were collected. The lengths ranged from 86 to 146 mm and the wet weights ranged from 4.29 to 24.36 g. The stomach contents were removed and stored in ethanol for later analysis. The burbot were …

Modeling Wild Rice Bed Health: A Dual Metric Approach For Bed Strength And Invasive Impact, Seth Sisneros-Martinez

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Wild rice (mannoomin; Zizania palustris) is an aquatic grain that grows in slow-moving rivers and shallow bays throughout northern Minnesota. In Headquarters Bay on Leech Lake, wild rice has served as a cultural staple for Indigenous communities for centuries. However, its population has declined in recent years due to multiple environmental issues. One potential contributor is Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum; EWM), an invasive species that forms dense mats capable of outcompeting native aquatic vegetation, including wild rice. EWM was first recorded on the southern shoreline of Leech Lake in 2005 and has since become widespread. This study …

A Rare Case Of Brucellosis Relapse, Rabia Mahfooz, Grant Patterson, Annmary Behanan, Babivigasan Gunasegaran

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Lady Macbeth's Maternity And Morality, Lauren Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the ways in which adaptations of Lady Macbeth from the seventeenth century to modern day have functioned to vilify or redeem Lady Macbeth based on her connection with her maternity as well as on the contextual, cultural, and political opinions surrounding both a woman’s place in society and the importance of maternity. This thesis examines William D’Avenant’s 1674 stage adaptation of Macbeth, Han Tae-Sook’s 1998 stage adaptation Lady Macbeth, and Lisa Klein’s 2009 novel adaptation Lady Macbeth’s Daughter to capture a range of cultures and the evolution of the character.