Digital Commons Network^™

America's Founding Theology, Michael Payne

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

Building off of Mark David Hall's thesis that America had a Christian founding, this paper seeks to explore the theology of this Christian founding. While acknowledging that Enlightenment and English Common Law also influenced American founding thought, the paper seeks to look specifically at America's theological outlook. It concludes that American founding theology was overwhelmingly Reformed but with some key influences from the Baptist, Quaker, and even Catholic traditions. These influences can be found in the writings of the founders as well as in America's founding documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The point of the …

Shepherds In The Great War: The Evolution Of The U.S. Army Chaplaincy And The Service Of Malcolm Taylor In World War I, Sydney Gilbert

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

From its beginnings in 1775, the U.S. military chaplaincy has been a vital but often overlooked component of the American military experience. Though the specific duties, expectations, and regulations for U.S. chaplains have evolved over time, the heart of the chaplaincy is rooted in sacrificial service, a ministry of presence, spiritual leadership, and moral guidance. The American entrance into the Great War in 1917 marked a period of exponential growth for the military chaplaincy as it faced unprecedented demand and growing professionalization. To meet the needs of the modern era warfare, a major shift occurred within the chaplaincy as it …

Rome Goes West: The Influence Of Classical Antiquity Upon The American Founding, Rebecca Felton

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

To the American founding generation, the history of classical antiquity—of Rome in particular—not only supplied a common vernacular capable of transcending geographical and social boundaries, but also imparted important lessons regarding statecraft and the destinies of nations. Over the course of the 1760s and 1770s, the founders increasingly regarded America as the inheritor of Roman imperium, politically, culturally, and even religiously. Thus, alongside British constitutionalism, Enlightenment philosophy, and Christian resistance theory, the memory of Rome contributed to the declaration of American independence from Great Britain.

“King George And Broadswords”: An Assessment Of Governor Josiah Martin’S Military Plan In North Carolina, Christopher Dyer

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

In the early morning of February 27, 1776, the cold dark swamp surrounding the Moore’s Creek Bridge in southeast North Carolina came alive with the roar of combat to quickly be replaced with the silence of the dead. In moments, the political, military, and social structure of North Carolina in the early years of the Revolutionary War would be cemented until the Cornwallis-led Southern Campaign of 1780-1781. While considerable research has been expended on the later campaign, the crucial battle at Moore’s Creek set the conditions for the partisan struggle of the later years of the conflict with less concerted …

Chopped And Screwed: How The Soundexchange V. Sirius Xm Decision Remixes Section 114 Of The Copyright Act, Cat Wood

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

In SoundExchange, Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio Inc. (S.D.N.Y. 2025), the court held that SoundExchange—the congressionally designated nonprofit that collects and distributes statutory digital performance royalties under 17 U.S.C. § 114—lacks authority to bring suit to recover alleged underpayments. That ruling creates an enforcement paradox at the center of the section 114 statutory-license ecosystem: SoundExchange is the entity built to receive royalty reports, audit compliance, and distribute payments at scale, yet it cannot directly compel payment through litigation when the system fails. This Note argues that the decision misreads statutory structure by treating SoundExchange as a mere administrative clearinghouse rather …

Truth That Lies: How Literal Falsity Lost The Consumer And How To Restore It, Porter Alexander Tynes, Iii

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

The more deceptive the claim, the safer it becomes. Recent false advertising decisions hold that a categorical marketing promise is not literally false so long as it works for someone—even if it fails for ordinary consumers in ordinary use. Under this logic, technical accuracy immunizes practical deception, and truth is measured by theoretical possibility rather than communicative meaning.

This Note argues that this “truth for some” doctrine represents a sharp break from the Lanham Act’s consumer-protection purpose. Decisions such as BPI Sports v. ThermoLife invert the doctrine of literal falsity, transforming it from the Act’s strongest safeguard into a liability …

Skin In The Game: The Case For Statutorily Excluding Tattoos From Copyright Protection, Emily Gamble

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

The growth of social media, AI-generated imagery, and name, image, and likeness (NIL) licensing has exponentially increased the reproduction of tattoos, yet their status under the Copyright Act remains unsettled. While tattoos arguably satisfy the threshold requirements of Title 17, their fixation on human skin challenges the definition of a "material object" and raises unique conflicts regarding bodily autonomy and publicity rights. Currently, courts address these disputes largely through equitable doctrines like implied license and fair use to avoid public policy failures, resulting in an unpredictable and incoherent legal framework.

This Note argues that judicial improvisation is insufficient to resolve …

Posts, Not Personae: Why Influencer Personae Fall Outside The Doctrine Of Character Copyright, Abbey Brantley

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

Over the past decade, social media has enabled an increasing number of people to pursue influencing as a full-time career on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. To succeed commercially, these creators make repeated stylistic choices that both conform to online trends and project a carefully curated persona. As these personae become profitable, however, they also become susceptible to imitation. This dynamic raises the question whether copyright law, specifically the doctrine of character copyright, can protect influencers from unauthorized copying of their online identities. This Note argues that influencer personae do not and should not qualify for such protection, …

Patents And Technology Evolution: Altering Innovations And Innovators Via Patent Influences, Richard Gruner

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

Technologies improve primarily through evolutionary change not rational optimization. New technologies emerge as attempts to solve practical problems, the technologies are tested in marketplaces to determine if they are superior in cost and function to alternatives, and those that fare well in the testing gain widespread adoption.  Widely adopted technologies, and their problems, form the basis for the next round of technology improvements and evolution.  Through these steps, evolutionary processes lacking rational direction can generate changing technologies matched to the desires and problems of present society.

As they operate to advance diverse technologies, evolutionary processes governing technology change are subject …

Impact Of Phosphorus And Potassium Fertilization On Maintaining Alfalfa-Orchardgrass Swards In Hokkaido, Japan, H Oohara, N Yoshida, K Fukunaga, W G. Colby, M Drake, W F. Wedin, G Kemmler, H R. Uxekull, M Hasegawa

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In spite of the importance of alfalfa for all kinds of livestock, particularly for dairy cattle, the cultivation of alfalfa has not yet expanded in Hokkaido, Japan. A comprehensive research project has been undertaken, based on observations oflong-term'ef­fects of fertilization on longevity and productivity of alfalfa-orchardgrass mixtures. This report is concerned with (1) the dry­matter production of alfalfa and orchardgrass, cultivars of which were introduced from the U.S.A. and (2) the ratio of alfalfa to orchardgrass and uptake of nitrngen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). The research began in 1960 and is continuing with close …

Black Joy And The Mother Connection: An Evaluative Case Study Of A Graduate Book Club, Shandria Hill, Meredith A. Rausch, Megan Buning, Janny Liu, Tyler Gray

Journal of Graduate Education Research

This article reviews an evaluative case study of implementation of a six-session virtual book club on connection, attachment, and Black joy in women who identify as Black and African American. Participants included six women and one group leader, all but one of whom were currently enrolled in a higher education setting. Members read selected chapters from two books--What my mother and I don’t talk about: Fifteen writers break the silence (Filgate, 2019), and You are your best thing: Vulnerability, shame resilience, and the Black experience (Burke & Brown, 2021). We present the qualitative summary of the potential impact of …

Researcher Identity In Non-Conventional Research Settings: An Autoethnography, Irina Berry, Robin Hardin, Hunter B. Porter

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Scholars have emphasized reflexivity as a key practice for addressing potential biases and enhancing the credibility of research. Although reflexivity has been recognized as essential to qualitative rigor, limited attention has been given to its theoretical integration with broader social identity processes, particularly in non-conventional settings. This manuscript extends social identity theory and demonstrates how the insider/outsider model adds additional layer of complexity to the understanding of researcher identity negotiation. In this study, the researcher used an autoethnographic approach to examine the experiences of an able-bodied researcher conducting research in adaptive sport settings and featuring adaptive athletes. Strategies that emerged …

Research To Praxis: Transdisciplinary Skill Development In Graduate Education, Demikia Taylor, Tiffany Drape, Amy Pruden, Todd Schenk, Leigh-Anne Krometis

Journal of Graduate Education Research

This study examines how graduate students' perceptions of transdisciplinary team science evolve as they progress through a graduate training program at a university. Students participated in a series of workshops that built on and reinforced various aspects of training in transdisciplinary team science, including Team Science, Science Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, and International Case Studies in Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring. Students also took accompanying coursework towards a certificate and worked together in collaborative teams in advancing an array of transdisciplinary research projects focused on various dimensions of antibiotic resistance. A qualitative case study approach was taken, systematically examining participants’ reflections following each …

Exploring The Simultaneous Processes Of Academic Job Search And Dissertation For Culturally Diverse Doctoral Candidates In Counselor Education Programs, Galaxina G. Wright, Jasmine Griffith, Jasmine Garrison, Inga Antrobus

Journal of Graduate Education Research

Doctoral candidates face several challenges as they complete their academic journeys, particularly as it relates to the unique balance of applying for faculty positions while completing their dissertations. Though both processes have been explored separately within some educational fields, minimal research exists within the field of counselor education (CE) examining simultaneous experiences, particularly those from historically marginalized populations. Guided by the Career Self-Management (CSM) framework and an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), we explored the perspectives of 11 CE candidates from historically marginalized backgrounds engaged in both processes. We identified five main themes and four subthemes that participants experienced. We discuss …

Self-Esteem Development And Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Bahaa Al Ghraibeh

Archives of Assessment Psychology

Self-esteem is a fundamental psychological construct that develops across the lifespan and influences academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning. Research consistently links healthy self-esteem with positive developmental outcomes, including improved educational achievement, stronger interpersonal relationships, and better mental health. At the same time, emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are associated with persistent emotional, behavioral, academic, and social difficulties that can interfere with healthy self-development. This paper reviews the developmental trajectory of self-esteem from early childhood through adulthood and examines how the experiences commonly associated with EBD may negatively affect that trajectory. The review discusses how children begin forming self-esteem at …

Phase‑Aligned Predictive Audio Modulation Utilizing Biomechanical Telemetry And Asymmetric Compute, Nikita Agarwal

Defensive Publications Series

Current physiological audio‑feedback systems may rely on reactive media adjustments (e.g., track skipping, uniform time‑stretching), which can disrupt user immersion or introduce acoustic phase distortion. This publication describes a predictive audio modulation system that dynamically isolates and modulates individual instrumentation layers within an active audio track. The system utilizes a machine learning model to anticipate pacing deviations based on cardiovascular exertion and topographical data. To improve synchronization, the system phase‑locks audio transients to biomechanical footstrikes using an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Further, the system employs an asymmetric computing architecture to dynamically balance computational loads between a primary wearable device and …

Becds V2.0 — Bilateral Ear‑Canal Closed‑Loop Dementia Support System, Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure describes a non‑invasive, ear‑based neuromodulation system for dementia support. It uses bilateral ear‑canal devices to:

• Sense autonomic state (heart rate, HRV surrogate, temperature, motion).

• Capture ambient sound (TV, conversation, music).

• Deliver gentle electrical and acoustic stimulation in a closed loop to support arousal stability, calm, and engagement.

It is intended as a supportive system, not a cure or neuron‑regrowth therapy.

Cognitive Fabric Os (Cfos), Johny Manuel-Devadoss, Jayden Jack Johnson

Defensive Publications Series

Modern infrastructure orchestration is approaching a fundamental architectural limit. Most existing systems—whether container orchestrators, HPC schedulers, cloud control planes, or GPU resource managers—still operate using largely reactive models. They rely on predefined resource declarations, queue-driven scheduling, and short-term optimization logic to manage increasingly complex environments.

That model worked well when infrastructure was relatively predictable. It does not hold up in the era of hyperscale AI training, sovereign compute requirements, globally distributed inference systems, autonomous scientific computing, and energy-constrained data centers. Infrastructure today is no longer static. It is dynamic, geographically fragmented, thermally sensitive, economically constrained, and continuously changing in real …

Adaptive Communication Interface With Vocal Identity Persistence, Purvam Pujari

Defensive Publications Series

The User Experience Challenge: During real-time audio calls, severe background noise or strict social constraints often force the sender to abandon live speech. Currently, users must either endure broken, unintelligible audio or abruptly terminate synchronous calls—destroying conversational flow and stripping away the sender's personal vocal presence from the receiver.

The Technical Solution: This disclosure introduces an on-device AI voice bridge to preserve the sender's uninterrupted vocal presence. The system continuously monitors the call's audio quality at the sender's terminal using multidimensional acoustic measurements. The interface executes a graceful handover to a synthesized stream when environmental noise …

Anti-Theft Protection Enabling Secure Mode On Optical Pluggable Modules, Emanuele Giacometti, Gilberto Loprieno

Defensive Publications Series

Proposed herein is a comprehensive anti-theft mechanism for optical pluggable modules used in network equipment. The solution introduces a "Secure Mode" that binds each optical pluggable module to specific network equipment using cryptographic authentication and encryption techniques. Key exchange methods, secure channel establishment, and authenticated command protocols are used to ensure that stolen modules cannot be reused or resold, unless proper credentials are provided or the module is securely reset by authorized personnel. Several implementation options are presented, addressing a range of hardware capabilities, all aiming to protect customers' hardware investments and network integrity.

Method, System, And Computer Program Product For Difficulty-Driven Temporal Adaptation Of Direct Preference Optimization, Ziwei Wu, Rashidul Islam, Yiwei Cai

Defensive Publications Series

Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for difficulty-driven, temporal adaption of direct preference optimization of a large language machine learning model. An example method includes receiving pairs of responses associated with text prompts, determining a probability margin score for a pair of responses, computing a measure of semantic similarity associated with the pair of responses, computing a difficulty score for the pair of responses based on the probability margin score, computing a time-dependent temperature parameter for the pair of responses based on a minimum time-dependent temperature parameter, a maximum time-dependent temperature parameter, a time parameter associated with training …

Dual-Axis Scoring For Automated Synthesis Of Operational Architectures, Hariprasad Rengarajan, Rahul Jindal

Defensive Publications Series

Some workflow automation systems may evaluate tasks based on a single dimension of logical feasibility, which may not account for human-centric factors and can potentially lead to suboptimal automation strategies. A system may utilize a dual-axis scoring engine to analyze discrete operational tasks along both a cognitive complexity axis and a relational sensitivity axis. Based on a resulting two-dimensional score, each task can be mapped to an execution authority protocol that suggests an appropriate level of automation. An algorithmic synthesis module may then restructure the operational process by applying a library of execution patterns, such as parallelizing independent tasks. This …

Method To Support Distributed And Modular Non-Access Stratum (Nas) Architecture For Improving Network Scalability And Resiliency, Ravi Shekhar, Dishant Parikh

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described for a distributed and modular Non-Access Stratum (NAS) architecture in which NAS processing is offloaded from an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) to one or more NAS agents. The NAS agents enable direct communication between network functions and user equipment, reducing dependence on the AMF for signaling and scaling. This architecture improves scalability, resiliency, and signaling efficiency, lowers latency, and helps avoid centralized bottlenecks and single points of failure in next-generation networks.

Understanding Teacher Perceptions Of Arts Integration In A Midsized U.S. Caribbean Territory School District, Jeuné Bernice Provost

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Pilot Study On The Use Of Reminder Packaging In Improving Adherence And Blood Pressure Control Among Hypertensive Patients In The Uganda Heart Institute., Grace Among, Grace Nakate

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Hypertension is a major global public health challenge that is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Poor medication adherence means the management of hypertension remains unsatisfactory. Non-intentional forgetfulness accounts for around 49.6% of medication non-adherence. Reminder packaging is a measure that has been experimented with in developed countries and has shown improved medication adherence, although limited data exist on its effectiveness in developing countries with resource constraints. Therefore, piloting its use in improving medication adherence and blood pressure control among hypertensive patients in Uganda Heart Institute to ascertain its effectiveness in developing countries like Uganda is paramount. …

Poor Compliance With Private Nursing And Midwifery Practice Guidelines In Urban Settings In Uganda, Dan Muramuzi, Edson Atwine, Barbara Okiror, Mercy Muwema, Christine Nimwesiga, Laban Muteebwa

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Optimal compliance with private practice guidelines is one of the core components of quality improvement in nursing and midwifery professions. Private nursing and midwifery practice guidelines in Uganda were introduced in 2019. However, little has been documented about compliance with these guidelines, despite playing a crucial role in ensuring safe nursing and midwifery practice and maintenance of professional standards.  We assessed the compliance with private nursing and midwifery practice guidelines of Uganda (2019) and explored barriers to optimal compliance with these guidelines in private health facilities licensed by the Uganda Nursing and Midwifery Council (UNMC) in Kampala Metropolitan …

Feeding Mechanics And Digestive Physiology Of Map Turtles, Michael Christopher Fulbright

Doctoral Dissertations

The objective of this research was to relate the form of the map turtle feeding apparatus to its function and digestive physiology. Female map turtles (Genus Graptemys) exhibit pronounced differences in their head shapes and prey bases in the wild. I measured voluntary bite force in megacephalic Pearl River map turtles (G. pearlensis) and microcephalic Sabine map turtles (G. sabinensis) along with a suite of morphological characteristics. I found that many morphological characteristics are good predictors of bite performance in both megacephalic and microcephalic map turtles, and that the commonly used metric of head width noted in other studies of …

Clarence Owens V. Robertson Anschutz Schneid Crane & Partners Pllc

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Take Me To The Museum: Exploring The Use Of Art Kits For Families In The Art Museum, Amanda Marriott Elton

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the use of participatory art kits as a strategy for transforming family engagement within the art museum setting. Drawing on theories of experiential learning from John Dewey and participatory art practices rooted in the Fluxus art movement, my research positions art kits as tools that invite active, social, and embodied learning. Using a design-based research methodology, this study investigates how families interact with art kits within gallery spaces and how these tools influence and encourage conversation, artistic behaviors and relational dynamics. Data were collected through observation, family feedback and iterative kit redesign. Findings suggest that art kits …

Accepts: Advancing Communication Competence And Equitable Practices When Training Students, Imani Smith, Jamie Mayer, Tertia Jeppson

Honors Capstones

This project aims to collaboratively create an online, interactive experiential learning program to enhance students’ communication skills when engaging with adults who have cognitive-communication disabilities (CCD). Effective communication is vital for patient-centered care, yet training often lacks contributions from those with lived experience. Using a community-based participatory research framework, this pilot study centers on a needs assessment through focus groups  involving adults with CCD (n=4-8 participants). Initial pilot work will involve structured discussions to examine views on communication barriers and strategies. Data will be analyzed qualitatively to identify main themes that guide program development. Early findings are expected to emphasize …