Digital Commons Network^™

The First Thing We Do Is Kill All The Lawsuits, Kenneth S. Klein

Faculty Scholarship

As insurance premiums spike across the Nation, insurers are (yet again) pointing the finger at lawyers and lawsuits as an explanation. This Article offers new and important data on whether, in fact, currently there is a crisis of litigation in the United States. Neither the assertion of a litigation crisis, nor legislatures adopting systemic reform in response to the perception of one, is anything new. For almost two hundred years, there have been recurring cycles of complaints about lawyers, lawsuits, and their impact on society. Yet each time independent researchers have looked at the assertion, they have found the data …

Exploring Factors Influencing Posttraumatic Growth Among Nurses: A Path Analysis, Shinhi Han, Hee Sun Kang, Koun Eum, Kathleen Karsten, Faith Armstrong

Publications and Research

Introduction: Persistent exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic has subjected frontline nurses to heightened levels of collective traumatic syndromes, including stress, burnout, and emotional distress. Resilience and self-compassion may serve as protective factors in mitigating stress and burnout stemming from the pandemic. Moreover, these factors may contribute to posttraumatic growth (PTG), which has been recognized as a potential outcome for nurses caring for patients. This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to PTG among registered nurses, with perceived stress, burnout, resilience, and self-compassion.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational survey used convenience sampling with 228 registered nurses from New York. Data were …

Panel Ii: Disinformation, Deepfakes, And The Law, Rachel Freedman Lyngaas, Michael Cass-Antony

Canada-United States Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Restoration Plan For A Seasonal Wetland In Fortuna, Ca, Samuel Webb, Jack Mccann, Cody Swabash, Bryan Randolph

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

This paper outlines the initial phase of planning for a seasonal wetland restoration on private property in Fortuna CA. It includes a site description, general background information, the methods we used to create our 30% plan, and a discussion of challenges and possible next steps of the project. Our plan consists of a revegetation plan that has the goals of the landowner and environment in mind, and includes our methods for planning revegetation in a seasonal wetland, our design, as well as suggestions for additional restoration design elements.

Restoring Riparian Health And Cultural Resources Along School Creek, A Baduwa’T Tributary, At Blue Lake Rancheria, Humboldt County, Ca, Karlie G. Hall, Fern W. Mcbride, Natalie R. Christenson, Olivia C. Brock, Emily A. King

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

Riparian corridors are essential components of the landscape, supporting healthy streams and surrounding habitats by stabilizing banks, retaining water, and regulating stream temperatures. Indigenous peoples have stewarded these environments since time immemorial, cultivating deep relationships with the land and its culturally significant plants. Their continued ability to practice, transmit, and sustain this knowledge is vital not only for maintaining Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) but also for fostering resilient and healthy ecosystems. The purpose of this project was to revegetate a riparian area of School Creek with culturally significant plants. School Creek is a tributary in the Baduwa’t watershed at Blue …

27th Asc Of Icsm Abstracts

Journal of the Hong Kong College of Cardiology

No abstract provided.

I’M All The Fishes In The Sea: Creating An Animal Care Ethic From Spinoza’S Ethics, Denicia Finney

Theses & ETDs

Although Spinoza encourages us to understand Nature, and our place as parts in it, he felt inclined to say that the lower animals have nothing in common with our nature, and so ‘we have every right against them that they have against us’. Is he ultimately justified in making this claim? I believe that Spinoza's ethic, and the end that ensues from it would actually warrant fair consideration of the lower animals. I demonstrate this through the separation of the eternal essence and the particular essence which each individual is composed of. Insofar as humankind acts according to the universal …

Evaluating The Effects Of Coastal Development On Sea Turtle Nesting Success Rates In Southwest Florida, Lydia Ubry

Theses & ETDs

The barrier islands of Sarasota County are one of the highest-density nesting areas for Caretta caretta (loggerhead sea turtle) and Chelonia mydas (green sea turtle) in Florida and the greater Gulf of Mexico region. Additionally, these islands (Lido Key, Siesta Key, Casey Key, and Manasota Key) are all highly developed with varying types of dominant structures on each key. This study aims to examine the different types of development on these islands over time (1974-2023) in conjunction with marine turtle nesting success rates. Findings include a higher number of nesting turtles overall, despite a great increase in development since the …

Keynote Address For The 2025 University Of The Pacific Law Review Symposium: The Crime Victims' Rights Movement: Historical Foundations, Modern Ascendancy, And Future Aspirations, Paul Cassell

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

This article, which serves as the keynote address for the 2025 University of Pacific Law Review Symposium, explores the past, present, and future of America's crime victims' rights movement-one of the most successful social movements in modern history.

Historically, crime victims played a central role in criminal justice processes through private prosecutions-i.e., the ability of victims to initiate or participate in criminal prosecutions. Today, while private prosecutions have been largely supplanted by public prosecutions, the victims' rights movement has successfully restored the victims' voice in criminal processes. The movement has reformed contemporary American criminal justice so that criminal processes now …

Navigating Barriers: Challenges And Strategies For Adopting Artificial Intelligence In Qualitative Research In Low-Income African Contexts, Kahabi Isangula

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Introduction:

 AI is transforming qualitative research. It enhances efficiency, accuracy, and depth in studies. Technologies like machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and large language models (LLMs) simplify tasks like transcription, coding, and thematic analysis. However, in low-income African settings, there are barriers to AI adoption. These include ethical concerns, infrastructure limitations, financial constraints, and technical skill gaps. Issues around data privacy and the dehumanization of research also add challenges.

Methods: 

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities of AI in qualitative research in low-income African contexts. It uses a descriptive approach, reviewing literature and personal experiences from rural …

Artificial Intelligence And Illicit Drugs: A World Of Possibilities, Ralph A. Weisheit

Faculty Publications - Criminal Justice Sciences

Large scale drug production and distribution organizations (DTOs) are businesses. As such they face many of the same challenges faced by legal businesses, such as the creation of new drugs, supply chain issues, and identifying new markets. The legal business world is finding creative ways to meet those challenges utilizing artificial intelligence (AI). This discussion uses a horizon scan methodology to suggest how current and anticipated applications of AI in the legal business world might be adapted by large-scale illicit drug trafficking organizations. The focus in this discussion is on its potential application for the largest organizations that control the …

Cartography Between Ptolemaic Accuracy And Scope For Communication: The ‘Genoese World Map’ Dated 1457, Gerda Brunnlechner

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Pilgrimage And Play: The Intersection Of Pilgrimage Objects And Toys In Later Medieval London, Eliot Benbow

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

What’S Cooking? How To Understand A Miniature Penis In A Pan, Jan Huyghe, Ann Marie Rasmussen

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Miniature Sword Badges: Towards A Reclassification, Jennifer Lee

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

The Advent Of The Astrolabe In St. Gallen And Notker Teutonicus’ Cosmographic Globe (C. 1015), Jost Schmid-Lanter

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Conquest In The Bayeux Embroidery, Rachel Dressler

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

The Dunwich Camel: An Early Tudor Badge From Suffolk, Matthew J. Champion

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

A Controversial Conservation Project: The Restoration Of The Langton Vault In Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire, England, Nicholas Riall

Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Toxic Fandoms: Why Women Feel Threatened In Nerd Culture, Aida Velez

Emerging Writers

In this paper I research how misogyny is experienced throughout nerd culture by looking over formally researched studies as well as examining personal experiences. I viewed how misogyny takes place varying from condescending questions to sexual harassment at conventions. Additionally I look into how unrealistic stereotypes in nerd media affect the treatment of women in these environments.

The Cost Of A Playing Surface: Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass, Tyler Whitaker

Emerging Writers

The debate between whether artificial grass or natural grass is better has recently gained popularity among sports advocates and athletes. The immediate explanation for this surge of popularity can be indicated by the increased concerns regarding environmental conservation, health concerns, and growing costs. Previous research has shown that the choice between the two surfaces often depends on specific needs and preferences, each having their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Natural grass is often portrayed as being the safest option when it comes to playing because of its longevity in use and other factors. This has contributed to the overall discussion …

Examining Purkinje Cell Modulation Of The Vor: An Optogenetic Study, Ben Davis, D Garcia, B Haack, J Lewis, J Jackson, C Worthington, Trace Stay

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is coordinated eye movement to maintain a stable gaze during head rotation. This reflex can be adapted in behavioral training by using repeated head movements and shifting visual stimuli.

Previous research (Kimpo et al., 2014) implicates cerebellar output as critical to VOR adaptation, but it is unclear whether Purkinje cell (PC) output paired with a vestibular or visual stimulus is sufficient for driving reflex adaptation.

We hypothesize that PC output is sufficient for driving gain up behavioral VOR adaptation when paired with peak ipsiversive head movement in mice. Stimuli include a rotating vestibular environment or visual …

Population Monitoring Of Packera Castoreus, Autumn Gudmundsen, Madison Huie, Steve Flinders, Loreen Allphin

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2025

Packera castoreus is a rare flowering plant, endemic to high elevations in the Belknap volcanic substrates of the Tushar Mountains of Utah (fig.1 & 2).

• The species has been classified as high priority for monitoring and conservation by the Utah Native Plant Society.1

There have been conservation concerns for rare alpine species recently due to increased threats, primarily:

• Grazing from large ungulates (mountain goats, deer, & elk)2
• Human impacts (especially hiking)1
• Climate change1

To better understand the impacts of these various threats on P. castoreus, we monitored populations from 2018-2022 and assessed plant morphology, community composition, and population …

Providing Public Access To Government Information In University Depository Libraries: An Evaluation Of Public Service Values Within Small To Medium-Sized Public Institutions, Heather R. Getsay

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) was established by Congress to ensure public access to government information through America’s libraries. Administered by the United States Government Publishing Office, this federal program has existed for more than 150 years to “provide free, ready, and permanent public access to federal government information,” according to its mission. Comprised of libraries of various types, academic libraries constitute the majority of FDLP participants. Library professionals maintain awareness of and compliance with FDLP requirements, which include the legal obligation to make government publications available for free use by the public. Recent modernization efforts for the program …

“Made For Me”: Stories Of Discovery Among Autistic Students Traveling Abroad, Cherie A. Fishbaugh

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

This qualitative, narrative analysis shares the stories of triumph and challenges recalled by autistic college students who participated in customized, short-term, faculty-led, study abroad trips, and their recommendations for future inclusive trips. This study included eight undergraduate, autistic participants ranging in ages from 19-24. Participants completed an in-person or virtual 60-minute structured interview, that focused on recalling stories of triumph and challenges they had experienced when they were studying abroad. Utilizing Critical Disability Theory, these interviews provided the exploration of stories that revealed themes of discovering me, “Made for Me,” and recommendations for future inclusive trips. Key findings included the …

Snacks, Subscriptions, And The State: Analyzing Japan’S Nation Brand Through Bokksu Snack Boxes, Alexandra K. Scott

2025 Claremont Colleges Library Undergraduate Research Award

Nation branding, or the strategic depiction of a nation to influence the perceptions of international stakeholders and the general population, has become a principal means of increasing soft power in today’s globalized world. Food has long held a place in the nation branding literature, and new food distribution methods allow products to reach audiences in ways once thought impossible. Subscription snack boxes, by delivering snacks from a country on a recurring basis, metaphorically bring the nation to the consumer and foster a narrative of that country in the recipient's mind. One country, Japan, has experienced a noticeable boom in its …

Salary Report, 2025 March, Eastern Michigan University

EMU Salary Reports

No abstract provided.

Military Forensic Archaeology: The Process And Recovery Of U.S. Missing-In-Action (Mia) Service Personnel, William Belcher, Luann Wandsnider, Ella N. Axelrod, Finn Kennison, Alicia Lawson

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

The United States (U.S.) Department of Defense's (DoD) Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) is the largest skeletal identification laboratory in the world and receives several hundred cases per year for identification related to Missing-in- Action (MIA) U.S. service members. While there are various sources for these accessions, by far the largest source is through unilateral or bilateral (done in cooperation with another governmental entity or nongovernmental organization) as well as public-private partnership excavations. While the DPAA-style military forensic archaeology follows archaeological principles and recording standards, the work is goal-oriented, evidence/trace-driven, and time-constrained— a common occurrence with cultural resource management sites …

Who Do We Think We Are? Human Rights In A Time Of Ecological Change, Usha Natarajan

Loyola University Chicago International Law Review

This article explores the relationship between international human rights law and the environment. It begins with asking “who do we think we are” to understand the forms of subjecthood and subjectivity produced by human rights. It argues that human rights normalize a series of false conceptions about our collective self that have detrimental social and ecological consequences. The article next examines the question of “where we think we are”, probing the ontological rift between humans as subjects of rights and “the environment” as the repository of resources with which to satisfy human entitlements. The article challenges human rights as a …

Race The Librarian: Crafting Interactive Activities For Library Instruction, Toni E. Pilcher, Karin Patrick

Loex Conference Proceedings 2025

No abstract provided.