Digital Commons Network^™

Garnet & Black Spring 2026, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

Garnet & Black Magazine

No abstract provided.

Targeting Il-1 Signaling In Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa: Improved Survival And Pathogenesis In Rdeb Mouse Model, Rahim Hirani

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a devastating inherited blistering disorder caused by biallelic mutations in COL7A1, resulting in deficiency of type VII collagen (C7) and loss of dermal–epidermal adhesion. Beyond mechanical fragility, RDEB is characterized by chronic inflammation, progressive fibrosis, impaired wound healing, severe pain, and an exceptionally high risk of aggressive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Emerging transcriptomic and cytokine profiling studies have identified interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) as a dominant and temporally upstream inflammatory mediator in RDEB skin. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that IL-1α signaling functions as a key initiator and amplifier of inflammation-driven pathology …

Quality Improvement Project: Implementation Of A Screening Tool For Postpartum Depression, Yaminah Johnson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Postpartum depression (PPD) remains underrecognized in clinical practice, with many cases going undiagnosed due to inconsistent or absent screening processes. At the project site, only 60% of postpartum patients reported that their mental health needs were adequately addressed, highlight-ing a critical gap in care. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement an evidence-based PPD screening tool and evaluate its impact on provider confidence and patient outcomes. Guided by Lewin’s Theory of Planned Change and Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory, the project aimed to improve physician and nursing staff confidence in screening and increase appropriate interventions for patients who …

Using Zines To Explore Oppression And Musical Gatekeeping In Music Therapy, Kendall Joplin

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The purpose of this arts-based study was to investigate music therapists’ personal experiences and thoughts on whether the music therapy profession is engaging in oppressive practices and musical gatekeeping in education, training, and clinical practice. Seven participants engaged in either a focus group or individual interviews to discuss their experiences related to the topic, then created a zine article to artistically explore the topic. All participants’ articles were put together to form one full zine, which was sent to everyone for final comments and feedback. Transcripts from the focus group and interviews, the zine articles, and any comments provided about …

Mediation Analysis Investigating The Mechanisms Of Two School-Based Smoking Prevention Interventions In Adolescents From Northern Ireland And Bogotá, Jennifer M. Murray, Sharon C. Sánchez-Franco, Olga L. Sarmiento, Erik O. Kimbrough, Christopher Tate, Shannon C. Montgomery, Rajnish Kumar, Laura Dunne, Allen Thurston, Aideen Gildea, Abhijit Ramalingam, Erin L. Krupka, Felipe Montes, Huiyu Zhou, Laurence Moore, Linda Bauld, Blanca Llorente, Frank Kee, Ruth F. Hunter

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Reviews have highlighted a lack of evidence on how successful intervention strategies for adolescent smoking prevention can be effectively adapted for low-middle income countries (LMICs). The MECHANISMS study compared behavioral mechanisms between two school-based smoking prevention programs for adolescents in Northern Ireland (NI; a high-income setting) and Bogotá, Colombia (middle-income). ASSIST works via peer education and diffusion. Dead Cool uses conventional classroom pedagogy. Both interventions were previously trialed in the UK and were culturally adapted for Bogotá. We investigated whether changes in smoking/vaping outcomes differed by intervention or setting. Mediation analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized intervention mechanisms. …

How Unh’S Doctor Of Nursing Practice Helped Darius Love ’22g Lead Change In Healthcare, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

The Echo: March 16, 2026, Taylor University

2025-2026 (Volume 113)

No abstract provided.

How Do People Maintain Consensual Non-Monogamy? An International Development And Validation Of The Multiple Relationships Maintenance Scale, Justin K. Mogilski, Geoffrey F. Miller, Peter K. Jonason, Katarzyna Grunt-Mejer, Jaroslava Varella Valentova, Rhonda Balzarini, David L. Rodrigues, Elisabeth Sheff, Laith Al-Shawaf, Zsófia Csajbók, Andrew G. Thomas, Tamas David-Barrett, Cezar Giosan, Daniel J. Kruger, David J. Ley, Justin J. Lehmiller, Heath A. Schechinger, Amy C. Moors, Stefano Ciaffoni, Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair, Stephen Whyte, Zuzana Štěrbová, Klára Bártová, Ryan G. Witherspoon, Magdalena Żemojtel-Piotrowska, Pavol Prokop, Virgil Zeigler-Hill, David P. Schmitt, Adil S. Saribay, Magdalena Lipnicka, Ivana Goláňová, Ezra Hampikian, William Costello, Limor Gottlieb, Cory J. Cascalheira, Michelle A. Larva

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Maintaining multiple intimate relationships entails some risks and complications beyond exclusive pair bonding (i.e., monogamy). Consensual non-monogamy (CNM; e.g., polyamory, swinging, or open relationships) allegedly reduces these risks and complications, but no one has tried to comprehensively document typical CNM risk management practices, nor analyzed the relationship outcomes of those who use these practices. We developed the Multiple Relationships Maintenance Scale (MRMS) to examine how engagement in common CNM practices predicts relationship quality among people with one or more partners. In Study 1, a community sample of people with CNM experience (N = 429) nominated the best practices for …

Impact Of Urban Roadway Work Zones On Road Users And Other Stakeholders, Lyndsey Renee Harris

Lyles School of Civil Engineering Graduate Student Reports

As urban populations continue to rise at an unprecedented rate, the need for highly maintained infrastructure in cities -- buildings, utilities, and transportation networks -- has become increasingly critical. An urban work zone refers to a designated area within a city where roadway construction, maintenance, or rehabilitation activities are taking place. These zones are typically characterized by high traffic volumes, complex roadway networks, and proximity to residential, institutional, and commercial land uses. Urban work zones often involve lane closures, detours, reduced speed limits, and temporary traffic control measures to ensure safety for road workers and road users. Due to the …

Are You Listening?, Hanna H. Eyre

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the interconnection between music, religion, and a feminist lens in the form of a sixteen-song Christian album. The content of the music broaches topics specific to women’s issues including family dynamics, maternal mortality, and invisible labor while also covering more broad topics of repentance, developing a more nuanced relationship with the Savior, recognizing divinity in ourselves and others, and our Heavenly Mother. This paper includes the groundwork research and experiences that led me to write this album, the methods I took to write, record, and produce the album, and an analysis of how the music changed, and …

Beyond The Flames: A Comparative Analysis Of Wildfire Preparedness And Relief In California, Ej Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Wildfires in California have devastated homes and communities, with the 2024–2025 Los Angeles fires ranking among the deadliest in state history, killing 31 people and burning more than 37,000 acres across densely populated neighborhoods. In response to these fires, fire services, municipal governments, and nongovernmental organizations coordinated immediate relief efforts across multiple jurisdictions. This research uses a multiple-case study approach to examine the Eaton, Palisades, Line, and Bridge fires to identify practices that supported life safety and response effectiveness, as well as challenges that constrained response operations. Findings indicate that when environmental conditions exceeded suppression capacity, response outcomes within responder …

Improved Efficiencies With Virtual Wound Nurse Consults: An Evidence-Based Practice, Quality Improvement Project, Brooke M. Mock Contreras

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Abstract

Background: Completing wound care consultations using digital technology is an uncommon practice in the acute care setting. Evidence suggests that virtual wound care consultations may decrease consultation completion times and improve departmental efficiency; however, evidence specific to the acute care setting remains limited.

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based practice, quality improvement project was to evaluate the feasibility and impact of implementing virtual wound care consultation in the acute care setting to improve departmental efficiency. Efficiency was measured by calculating the total time elapsed between the consultation order and consultation completion.

Methods: Guided by the Model for Improvement and …

Ifnγ-Induced Antigen Loss In Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cell Therapy, Miao Cao, Jasmine Alvarez, Ramkrishna Mitra, Michael Xu, Trevor R. Baybutt, Zhengyang Sun, Oluwatobiloba Taylor, Allison Doermann, Ross E Staudt, Scott A. Waldman, Adam E. Snook

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: FDA-approved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cell therapies (CARTs) have revolutionized the treatment of blood cancers. Yet none have been successful for "solid" tumors, such as colorectal cancer (CRC), the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths. Guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) has emerged as a clinical-stage target for CART and bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) therapies in CRC. IFNγ has been canonically recognized as beneficial for the effector functions of T cells by enhancing antigen processing and HLA presentation and is essential for CART targeting of solid malignancies by inducing adhesion molecule expression for synapse stabilization.

METHODS: Using

RESULTS: We identified …

Anti-Diabetic Medication Adherence Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes In Eastern Uganda: Prevalence, Associated Factors, Barriers, Facilitators, And Strategies For Improvement: A Mixed-Methods Study, Brenda Lalam, Lucy Ezatiru, John Michael Okusa, Safina Akello, Ronald Opito, Patrick Lubogo, Simon Eleku, Shamim Nabidda, Samuel Kabwigu, Samuel Okello

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background:  Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common type of endocrine disorder among adults, accounting for 90%-95% of diabetes mellitus globally. In Uganda, non-adherence to anti-diabetic medication remains high at 38.1%. This results in complications like diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperglycemia and microvascular complications.

Objective:  To determine the prevalence of adherence to anti-diabetic medication, its associated factors, and to explore barriers, facilitators, and strategies for improving adherence among adults with T2DM attending the diabetic clinic at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital (SRRH).

Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, consisting of a cross-sectional quantitative study followed by a descriptive qualitative …

The Prospects Of Car T-Cell Therapies In Changing The Therapeutic Algorithm Of Neurologic Autoimmunities, Marinos C. Dalakas

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

T cells, genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T), successfully used in hemato-oncologic malignancies, are showing promising and sustained benefits in refractory autoimmune neurological diseases, including Myasthenia Gravis, stiff-person syndrome, neuromyelitis optica, myositis, autoimmune neuropathies, and multiple sclerosis. Several reported patients with a steadily progressive disease and evolving disability unresponsive to available therapies, including rituximab and new biologics, after 2-3 months of treatment with CARs targeting CD19-positive, antibody-secreting, long-lived plasma cells, and plasmablasts exhibit impressive, long-lasting, and drug-free clinical improvements with the potential for immune reset shifting immunity to a healthy state without the need for continuing more …

Innovating For Access: Ai-Enhanced Triage & Intake For Legal Services Organizations, Heidi Behnke

Duke Center on Law & Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) offers opportunities to meaningfully narrow the access to justice gap by improving the ability of Legal Services Organizations (LSOs) to connect individuals with pro se resources and more effectively connect with individuals who could not otherwise advocate for themselves. Some LSO early adopters have already developed or are in the process of developing such tools. Others are unsure where or how to start.

The results of semi-structured interviews of LSO staff, technology vendors, and leaders/experts in fall 2025 provide information that may assist LSOs in responsibly integrating AI-tools into their triage and intake systems. This paper includes …

Holographic Photopolymerizable Glass: Enhancing Exposure Sensitivity By Tailoring Photoinitiating Systems Based On Bodipy Dyes, Tatsiana Mikulchyk, Aimee Sheehan, Metodej Dvoracek, Izabela Naydenova, Mikhail Filatov

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The photoinitiating system (PIS) is a key component of holographic materials which needs to be carefully selected and optimized to achieve efficient photopolymerization and, as a result, highly efficient holographic structures. Recently, boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes have been introduced as a new class of photosensitizers for holographic materials, including photopolymerizable glass, which is characterized by excellent environmental stability. Here, we present a study of the holographic recording capability of the photopolymerizable glass, where PIS was optimized using two approaches: 1) adding a second co-initiator, diphenyl iodonium hexafluorophosphate (DPIHFP) and 2) exploring a range of BODIPY structures, such as anthracene- and …

Obesity And Suicide Behavior In Young Latina Adults Of Mexican Heritage: The Mediating Influences Of Sleep Problems, Health Problems, And Dissatisfaction With Personal Appearance, Joseph D. Hovey, Liza Talavera-Garza, Glenn Gray, Isabella A. Cruz, Nadeen Salhadar, Monica E. Ochoa

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Although research findings have indicated that obesity is associated with suicide behavior, especially in females, scant research has examined mediators in this relationship. Moreover, although suicides have increased in young Latina adults in the United States, no published studies have examined obesity and suicide risk in young Latina adults. The present study thus examined the relationship of obesity to suicide behavior in young Latina adults and assessed sleep problems, health problems, and dissatisfaction with personal appearance as possible mediators. Participants were 401 female students of Mexican heritage from South Texas who completed the National College Health Assessment II, from which …

Ephemerality As Stigma In Algorithmic Contexts: Moderation And User-Driven Deletion Of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Content On Tiktok, Valerie Vera Lookingbill, Ehsan Mohammadi Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Social media increasingly serves as important spaces for mental health information seeking and peer support, especially for individuals facing barriers to traditional care. Although nonsuicidal self-injury is frequently discussed on social media, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence the visibility of this discourse. We analyzed 973 videos related to nonsuicidal self-injury on TikTok to examine the prevalence and characteristics of posts that become unavailable (i.e., ephemeral) over time, whether due to user deletion or platform removal. Videos that used addiction-related language, included trigger warnings, or depicted scars were significantly associated with ephemerality. These findings highlight how anticipated …

Robot Wingman: Using Ai To Assess An Employment Termination, Henry H. Perritt Jr.

Nebraska Law Review

Four major generative AI engines—DeepSeek, Claude, ChatGPT, and Grok—are useful legal analysis tools for employment law practitioners. This Article presents the results of an experiment in which a transcript of a hypothetical client interview involving potential disability discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims was submitted to each AI system. The accompanying prompts requested identification and assessment of viable legal theories. The experiment demonstrates that contemporary generative AI performs sophisticated legal analysis comparable to experienced associates, correctly identifying major employment law claims including ADA violations, Title VII discrimination, OSHA retaliation, FMLA interference, and workers’ compensation retaliation. All four engines successfully spotted …

Sticky Science In Court, H. A. Spitzer

Nebraska Law Review

Litigation routinely employs scientific evidence to aid judicial fact-finding and decision-making. This is especially important in areas like family law, where legal standards—such as the best interests of the child—often depend in part on scientific findings. Yet the legal system’s gatekeeping doctrines (Frye, Daubert, and Federal Rule of Evidence 702) apply primarily to expert testimony, leaving other pathways through which scientific evidence reaches courts largely unchecked. These other pathways include citations in briefs and opinions to non-peer-reviewed or non-scientific sources such as law reviews, treatises, and self-published materials, which often become outdated and are not well positioned …

Let Them All Grow: Protecting Nebraska's Intersex Youth From Medical Intervention, Jori Peters

Nebraska Law Review

The Nebraska Legislature passed the Let Them Grow Act on May 22, 2023, which prohibits minors from receiving gender-affirming care in Nebraska. This Note argues that the Act violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it exempts intersex children—those born with ambiguous sex characteristics—from protections against unnecessary, irreversible, and nonconsensual medical procedures, while the Act protects those born with clearly male and female sex characteristics. This Note clarifies the distinction between the issues faced by intersex individuals and transgender individuals, and highlights the psychological and physical harms of early sex assignment surgeries. Further, this Note outlines the …

Carson V. Makin: Ending The Status-Use Distinction And Building A Foundation For The Emergence Of Catholic Charter Schools, Tyler Lyon

Nebraska Law Review

Over the course of its history, the United States has wrestled with a wide variety of issues that have tested the tension between the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment. One such issue involves the extent to which religious schools can access public funds, which was addressed by the proposal of the Blaine Amendment on a national scale in 1875. The Blaine Amendment was intended to prevent religious groups from accessing public funds, and although it did not pass on a national level, it was adopted by many states.

However, some recent United States Supreme Court cases …

Ai Dependency Vs. Doctoral Identity: How Generative Ai Is Challenging The Development Of Independent Scholarly Thinking In Doctoral Students, Valerie A. Storey

All Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has altered the conditions under which doctoral students learn, research, and develop as scholars. Although doctoral student use of GenAI has accelerated rapidly, institutional frameworks for responsible and developmentally appropriate use have not kept pace. This paper examines a central paradox in doctoral education: the same tools that enhance research productivity may also weaken intellectual independence when used without guidance. Using a critical review methodology, the study synthesizes 47 sources on doctoral education, GenAI use, policy, and epistemic development. Three interconnected dimensions of risk emerged from the analysis: critical thinking …

Lanthorn, Vol. 60, No. 13, March 16, 2026, Grand Valley State University

Volume 60, August 4, 2025 – current

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

An Exploration Into Network Analyses Of Motor Behavior, Brain-Computer Interface Control, Arousal States, And An Ischemic Lesion Model, Shashank Anand

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Network-level modelling of neural function incorporates activity in specific brain regions along with a measure of the interactions between these regions (“connectivity”). Connectivity can be assessed through several means, for example through tractography (structural connectivity) or correlated temporal evolution of neural activity (functional connectivity). These analyses have provided valuable insight into several aspects of brain function, such as top-down control, memory, and navigation. This work focuses on studying neural activity within and between several brain regions across different brain states: namely, during motor actions, sensory perception, brain-computer interface engagement, task-free fluctuations in arousal state, and ischemic injury. High gamma (70-170 …

Development Of Addie-Based Transformative Learning Technology Textbooks Oriented Towards Stylistic Analysis Of Novels For Pbsi Students: Testing Validity, Practicality, And Effectiveness, Ariesty Fujiastuti, Denik Wirawati

Bahasa dan Seni: Jurnal Bahasa, Sastra, Seni, dan Pengajarannya

The rapid advancement of digital technology over the past decade has significantly reshaped the higher education landscape, requiring students to develop critical, reflective, and adaptive thinking skills aligned with transformative learning principles. Despite this shift, the implementation of technology-supported transformative learning remains constrained by the limited availability of instructional resources that systematically integrate cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of learning transformation. Addressing this gap, this study aimed to develop a Transformative Learning Technology textbook grounded in the ADDIE instructional design model and oriented toward stylistic analysis of novels. The textbook was designed to serve as a systematic, relevant, and practical …

Shu World Review- March 16th 2026, Diplolab, Seton Hall University

SHU World Review

No abstract provided.

Vision-Language System Using Open-Source Llms For Consent And Instruction Gestures In Medical Interpreter Robots, Thanh Tung Ngo, Emma Murphy, Robert J. Ross

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Effective communication is vital in healthcare, especially across language barriers, where non-verbal cues and gestures are critical. This paper presents a privacy-preserving vision-language framework for medical interpreter robots that detects specific speech acts (consent and instruction) and generates corresponding robotic gestures. Built on locally deployed open-source models, the system utilizes a Large Language Model (LLM) with few-shot prompting for intent detection. We also introduce a novel dataset of clinical conversations annotated for speech acts and paired with gesture clips. Our identification module achieved 0.90 accuracy, 0.93 weighted precision, and a 0.91 weighted F1-Score. Our approach significantly improves computational efficiency and, …

Measured Results In Georgia's Kenny A. Foster Care Class Action: A Framework For Assessing The Strategic Effectiveness Of Institutional Reform Litigation, Melissa D. Carter, Christopher G. Hempfling

Child and Family Law Journal

No abstract provided.