Digital Commons Network^™

Sustainability In Practice: A Comparative Case Study Analysis Of The Ecovillage At Ithaca, Earthaven, And Sirius, Jesse Sherry, Alison Ormsby

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Fall 2025 - Volume 35, Number 2

CompassPoint

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Moravian Brethren Religious Thought And Practice On The Development Of Camphill Communities, Robin Jackson

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Death Of A Guru: An Analysis Of The Postcharismatic Phase In The Transcendental Meditation Movement, Lane Atmore

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

How Standards Of Review Under Erisa Impair Mental Health Parity: An Analysis Of Wit V. United Behavioral Health, Hayden K. Hickey

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Disproportionate School Brutality Upon Black Children, Nicole Tuchinda

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Scotus's Summer Of 2022: Obfuscation Of And Disdain For Rationality And The Traditional Personal Liberties Framework, Roy G. Spece Jr.

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents For Volume 112, Issue 1, Kentucky Law Journal

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Avoid The Proxy: It's Time For Congress To Wager On Sports Betting, Andrew Tao

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Evaluation The Awareness Of Using Brushing And Interdental Cleaning Aids Among Dental Students In Najaf City, Iraq, Ali Faisal Madhloom, Firas Bashir Al-Taweel, Mustafa Faris Shubbar, Ali Falah Rfysh

Maaen Journal for Medical Sciences

Background: The consensus is that overall health is significantly impacted by oral health. It is anticipated that dental students will have a strong understanding of oral health. The aim of this preliminary pilot study was to evaluate of the awareness of using tooth brushing and interdental cleaning aids between dental students from 1^st grade to 5^th grade in Najaf city, Iraq.

Methods: A cross-sectional study and questionnaire with 12 questions was based on the use of brushing tongue and interdental cleaning aids were conducted among 1^st grade to 5^th grade dental students in Alkafeel …

From Prompt To Prejudice: Visual Evidence From Ai Image Generation Platforms, Jinu K. Varghese, Padma Rani

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This study examines how AI image generation systems perpetuate digital orientalism through systematic cultural representation patterns that increasingly shape global digital markets and international development discourse. Using visual social semiotics methodology, we conducted comparative analysis of Midjourney and ChatGPT platforms across nine culturally specific prompts examining religious imagery, contemporary social dynamics, and power structures in Indian cultural contexts. Our findings reveal that both platforms consistently reproduce colonial-era representational frameworks despite culturally sensitive prompting and advanced technical capabilities. The analysis identifies three systematic patterns: temporal displacement strategies that acknowledge modernity while containing it within orientalist categories, institutional validation requirements that privilege …

Aging And The Screen: Toxic Commodification Of The Female Body In The Substance (2024), Damlasu Uyug Sengun, Tuncer Mert Aydın, Zeynep Ozdamar Ertekin

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Representations of the aging female body have increased in media, but their presence is still shaped by social norms and market-driven ideals. On the contrary, The Substance (2024), an absurd, postmodern body horror, provides us a provocative critique of contemporary society’s obsession with youth and beauty and the way our culture defines and commodifies aging, especially in relation to women’s bodies and identities. Our review of The Substance incorporates consumer culture theory with Julia Kristeva’s concept of the abject (1982), Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze (1975), and Barbara Creed’s notion of the monstrous-feminine, (1993) to explore the toxic …

Navigating The Open-Loops: Actor Dynamics And Bottlenecks In The Transition Towards Circular Household Waste Supply Chains, Burcin Ozdamar, Aysu Göçer

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Household waste supply chains (HWSCs) in developing countries often suffer from fragmented actor structures, weak coordination, and informal practices that limit their overall performance and circularity potential. Existing studies tend to focus on isolated aspects such as waste types, technologies, or individual actors, without systematically examining the broader network and interdependencies shaping HWSC outcomes. Addressing this gap, this study investigates the key components (e.g. actors and waste processes) and bottleneck points that hinder the structure and functioning of current HWSCs to transform into circular systems. Drawing on industrial network theory, the research analyzes how actor relationships and system configurations influence …

The Server-Side Heartbeat For Power-Optimized Persistent Connection Management, Nazih Almalki, Sumukh Shevde, Fred Quintana, Todd Hansen

Defensive Publications Series

Maintaining persistent connections between a server and a client device can be resource-intensive for the client. The client-initiated heartbeat signals, used to prevent connection timeouts by network intermediaries, can lead to increased power consumption and data usage on battery-powered devices, for example, a smartphone, smart watch, or wearable device. A technique is described for a server-side connection management system where the server, rather than the client, can initiate a periodic heartbeat signal to the client to help keep the connection active. The system may also incorporate state-aware logic, allowing the server to receive signals indicating the client's power state, such …

How Can Smart Resilience Cities Provide Sdgs? An Integrative Framework Regarding Climate Change Mitigation, Asmaa M. Hassan, Manar A. Kotb

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Urbanization and climate change influence public health and wellbeing, which presents challenges facing architects and urban planners towards providing sustainable and resilient cities. In this context, smart city concept has been adopted to contribute to mitigating such influence. This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis within the previous scope. Then an integrative framework for climate change mitigation towards resilient smart cities based on SDGs is accomplished. The results indicate that further efforts are needed to develop “smart tools”, “urban economy”, and “carbon footprint. In addition, the proposed framework provides a significant paradigm shift towards mitigation of climate change impacts, …

Comparative Analysis Of Tuberculosis Treatment Costs: Drug-Resistant Vs. Drug-Sensitive Cases In Vietnam, Thi-Kim-Thang Dao, Dao Dinh, Mai-Hien Chuc, Hai-Anh Ha

Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University

This study analyses the economic and clinical implications of treating pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), focusing on direct treatment costs and patient outcomes at Da Nang Hospital for Lung Diseases in Vietnam. Data were collected from 448 inpatient TB cases throughout 2022, encompassing both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant forms of TB. Analysis revealed that drug-resistant TB patients incur significantly higher treatment costs compared to those with drug-sensitive TB, with costs escalating further among older adults and patients with multiple comorbid conditions. Specifically, treatment for drug-resistant TB averaged $463.84 per patient, significantly surpassing the $217.09 average for drug-sensitive cases, indicating the economic burden posed …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome And Hypertension: A Case-Control Study, Ayat Salim Khaleel, Abeer Gheaid Yousif Al-Fatlawi, Wasan Ghazi Aboud Al-Safee

Al-Ameed Journal for Medical Research and Health Sciences

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder affecting reproductive-aged women. It has been associated with metabolic disturbances that may increase the risk of hypertension. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCOS and hypertension, with a particular focus on anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) as a potential biomarker. Methods: A case-control involving women aged 15-45 years (mean of age 28.666±6.837) years, divided into two groups n=45 (mean of age 31.689 ± 6.842) used as controls and n=45 patients (mean of age 24.644 ± 5.390), The serum LH, FSH, insulin, prolactin, and testosterone were measured …

Gastric Adenocarcinoma With Enteroblastic Differentiation Presenting As Lung Nodules: A Diagnostic Dilemma, Jain Evani, Yadav Devvrat, Sainatham Chiranjeevi, Kc Manisha, Jain Anirudh, Jindal Vishal

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background: Gastric Adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation (GAED) is a rare subtype of AFP-producing gastric cancers characterized by a tubulo-papillary pattern resembling fetal gastrointestinal epithelium. It expresses at least one of the following enteroblastic markers (EMs): glypican-3 (GPC3), spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4), and α-fetoprotein (AFP). Case Report: A 78-year-old man with a history of chronic dry cough was found to have multiple fluorodeoxyglucose avid lung nodules with CDX-2 positivity on immunohistochemistry (IHC). Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Caris GPSai were inconclusive. Endoscopy revealed a fungating mass at the gastroesophageal junction. Histology revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma with mucinous features. IHC was positive …

A Rare Case Of Spondylodiscitis Due To Actinotignum Schaalii In A Patient With Crohn’S Disease, Austin Tiesenga, Thomas R. , Birris, William Schreiner, David Malaka, Michael S. Wang

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

We report a case of a 55-year-old male with a history of Crohn’s Disease who presented for acute on chronic worsening back pain. He was found to have spondylodiscitis with adjacent myositis secondary to an uncommon urinary tract infection pathogen, Actinotignum schaalii. He underwent an interventional radiology disc biopsy and open surgical biopsy with culture. He was successfully treated with a six-week course of IV daptomycin and ceftriaxone.

Bullous Myringitis In An Adult With Chronic Noise Exposure, Oluchi Ndulue, Faisal Elali, Sahibjot Sandhu, Michal Preis, Michael Marcelin

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Bullous Myringitis (BM) is an acute painful infection in which vesicles or bullae form on the tympanic membrane. It is rare in adults and could be present with acute otitis media (AOM) if the middle ear is involved. This case report details a 55-year-old male with a history of recurrent childhood ear infections, chronic military noise exposure, smoking, and Crohn’s disease presenting with severe right ear pain, hearing loss, and fever. Examination revealed signs of AOM with perforations in the tympanic membrane and purulent drainage. Initial management included antibiotics and analgesics, but symptoms progressed, requiring further investigation. Imaging showed complete …

A Unique Metastatic Spread Of Lung Adenocarcinoma To The Stomach: A Case Report And Literature Review., Aniqa Faraz, Ammad Naeem, Hafiz Muhammad Aslam

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths and commonly spreads to the brain, bones, liver, and adrenal glands. Gastric metastases from lung cancer are uncommon and can occur in melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer. Most patients show no symptoms at presentation; however, metastasis from lung cancer portends a poor prognosis. This case report highlights a rare instance of lung cancer metastasizing to the stomach in a 60-year-old female that was detected incidentally on a PET scan. The scan showed two new stomach masses with increased FDG uptake and contrast enhancement. The patient had chemoimmunotherapy after receiving palliative …

Two Cases Of Intramyocardial Dissecting Hematoma Diagnosed By Echocardiography, Jianbo Wu, Fei Bian, Xijun Zhu, Xin Du, Tao Hao, Qian Liu

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Intramyocardial dissecting hematoma (IDH), a rare complication of myocardial infarction, was investigated through two unique clinical cases in this study. We demonstrate echocardiography's pivotal role in emergency diagnostics by detailing its critical contribution to rapid identification. Furthermore, we propose a hypothesis regarding the anatomical subtypes of IDH, potentially offering new perspectives and insights into this rare cardiac condition.

Utilization Of Antiviral Treatment For Hospitalized Patients With Mild-To-Moderate Covid-19 At High Risk For Disease Progression, Michael P. Iannetti, Katie Barnes, Stephen Varga, Suzanne Kemper, Elaine Davis Mattox

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Clinicians frequently encounter patients in the hospital with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk for disease progression. Antiviral drugs reduce the rate of progression to severe COVID-19 when given to these patients within 5-7 days of symptom onset. To look at the utilization of antiviral medications in hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, a detailed chart review was conducted of 500 randomly selected patients from the Charleston Area Medical Center COVID-19 Registry. We identified 124 patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who were eligible for antiviral treatment. Only 41 of the 124 patients (33.1%) received antiviral treatment. Providers listed mild symptoms as …

Psychological Impact Of Pulmonary Embolism: A Narrative Review., Farooq Hyder, Hina Pervaiz, Fnu Karishma, Daya Kumari, Poonam Kumari, Ali Karim, Hari Vishal Nenwani, Allah Warayo, Kishor Kumari, Muhammad Salman, Abida Parveen, Mubeena Javid, Raveena Bai Bansari

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially life-threatening thromboembolic condition that demands urgent medical attention. While significant strides have been made in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of PE, its long-term psychological consequences remain underexplored. Survivors often face considerable emotional and psychological challenges that can impair recovery and reduce quality of life. This narrative review aims to explore the psychological impact of PE, including common mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and health-related fears. It also examines contributing factors such as persistent physical symptoms, anticoagulation therapy, social and occupational disruptions, and gaps in mental health …

Iron Deficiency—Challenging To Diagnose: A Retrospective Chart Review Of Referrals To Classical Hematology Clinic, Arianna S Moss, Melissa Thomas, Spencer Gibson, Ray Quy, Eva Zhao, Angelina Wang, Ben P Debeusscher, Zahra Pakbaz

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is the leading nutritional deficiency and a major public health concern globally. Although anemia is the most widely known consequence of ID, ID is also an underrecognized cause of white blood cell and platelet count abnormalities.The primary objective of the current study is to assess physicians’ abilities to diagnose ID. Methods: This study is a retrospective chart review of 862 adults (mean age +/- SD of 52.5 ± 18.4, 447 female) seen by a classical hematologist at an academic center. Data analysis included specialty type of referring provider, referral reason, and the diagnosis made by the …

Quality Of Life Changes Post-Pci With Contrast-Induced Nephropathy, Uzair Nisar Malik, Kashif Iltaf, Maria Mohamed Ahmed Babiker, Prem Chand, Rakesh Kumar, Areesha Qureshi, Aajay Kumar, Muhammad Hassan Bari, Ali Karim, Sameet Kumar, Fnu Shweta, Fnu Rumela, Fnu Payal, Abida Parveen

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) on quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Pakistan. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 5,325 patients who underwent PCI, divided into CIN (n = 1,250) and non-CIN (n = 4,075) groups. Demographics, clinical characteristics, and procedural details were recorded. QoL was assessed using a standardized questionnaire before and after PCI, covering physical functioning, pain, mobility, anxiety/depression, and overall health. Statistical analyses compared QoL scores between groups and identified predictors of change. Results: Patients who developed CIN exhibited a significant decline …

Jchimp 15th Anniversary Issue: Peer Review, Authorship And Scholarly Activity, Surendra Marur, Lucien J Cardinal, Gillian Junker

Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives

JCHIMP's Editor-in-Chief and a Member of the Board review the value of peer review and its compliance with ACGME rules, touch upon the cost of publications and potential sources for publication funding and acknowledges the contributions of authors and peer reviewers to the success of JCHIMP in 2024.

Mmp-7 Expression And Rs11225307 Polymorphism In Breast Cancer And Fibroadenoma: A Molecular Study In Basrah, Iraq, Heba Jassam, Wijdan Nazar Ibraheim, Mazin Hawwaz Abdulridha, Rafid Adil Abood, Karam B. Nanjem

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Breast cancer (BC) progression relies heavily on extracellular matrix degradation, mediated in part by matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7). While overexpression of MMP-7 has been implicated in multiple cancers, data from Middle Eastern populations remain limited.

This study examined MMP-7 gene expression and polymorphism patterns, with emphasis on rs11225307, in breast cancer versus benign fibroadenoma (FA) tissues among women in Basrah, Iraq. Thirty-seven BC and twenty-three FA patients were enrolled. MMP-7 mRNA expression was quantified using qRT-PCR and normalized to β-actin, while polymorphisms were analyzed through Sanger sequencing of eight SNPs and allele-specific PCR for rs11225307. Statistical significance was set at …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Highly Stable Fisetin Encapsulated In Lecithin-Chitosan-Savie Nanoparticles, Hart Monyatovsky, Travis Anderson, Jay Nadeau

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Senolytic drugs, of the class of polyphenolic flavonoids, have attracted attention for a wide variety of medical applications for which they may be delivered topically, orally, and/or intravenously. However, due to their hydrophobicity and sensitivity to light and oxygen, they have been proven difficult to package and deliver. Here we report a synthesis method for encapsulated fisetin using lecithin-chitosan ionic gelation with a recently reported surfactant that is an alternative to polyethylene glycol (PEG)-containing compounds. Called “Savie” for a contraction of its components, sarcosine-Vitamin E, this surfactant allows for production of sub-100 nm nanoparticles that are bench stable for at …

Population Structure Analysis Of Four Basal Higher-Attines Using Bioinformatic Approaches, Gabriel Mcdanield

Biology Theses

Metapopulations within the family Formicidae are unique among other animals due to the large colonies they build, and the mating strategies required to fertilize a specialized reproductive caste that will often produce young for the life of the colony. One group of ants, the fungus-gardeners (tribe Attini). The population structure of North American non-leafcutting, fungus-gardening ants has been understudied, especially in the southwest of the United States. Additionally, not much is known about their dispersal biology, so the dynamics of dispersal of these species and how they affect population structure is likewise not well known. To shed light on the …