Digital Commons Network^™

Intouch Week Of March 16, 2026, New York Medical College

InTouch

• Class of 2029 Medical Student Leaders Bring Wellness Into Focus at NYMedTalks
• North Carolina A&T Pre-Health Students Visit NYMC on Northeast Medical School Tour
• New Diagnostic Tool Could Transform Detection of Dangerous Fungus
• NYMC Students, Faculty, and Staff "Paws" for a Moment
• In the Land of Deserts, Health Care Shouldn't Be One; Touro Dental Health Campus in New Mexico
• In the Community: Graduate Student Association Hosts 5K to Benefit Feeding Westchester

Effect Of Al Content On Microstructure, Microhardness And Corrosion Resistance Of Spark Plasma Sintered Ticunisi-Al High Entropy Alloy, Basiru Philip Aramide, Tamba Jamiru, Taoreed Adesola Adegbola, Thomas Ayorinde, Fatai Olufemi Aramide, Abimbola Patricia Idowu Popoola

Engineering and Technology Journal

Aluminum-based high-entropy alloys have been of interest owing to their potential for improved mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. In this research, TiCuNiSi_xAl high-entropy alloys (x = 0.5–1.7 at.%) were synthesized using spark plasma sintering at a temperature of 600 °C and a pressure of 40 MPa to examine the effects of incremental aluminum addition on the densification behavior, microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion resistance in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ solution. With the increase in Al content, there was an acceleration of the transition from porous, weakly bonded microstructures to more compact multiphase microstructures, resulting in an improvement …

Exploring The Interplay Of Plastic Hinge Behavior And Soil-Structure Interaction In Frame Structures: Analytical Study, Mouhammed J. Lafta, Mohammed J. Hamood, Qais A. Hasan, Mohammed Y. Fattah

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper presents a critical synthesis of research on the combined influence of plastic hinge behavior and soil–structure interaction (SSI) on the seismic response of frame structures. Unlike prior reviews that treat these topics separately, the study integrates experimental and numerical evidence to identify how SSI alters hinge formation, drift demand, and energy dissipation, and how hinge modeling assumptions affect soil–foundation response. The reviewed literature (2010–2022) shows a clear growth in publications over time and a dominant reliance on analytical and numerical investigations relative to purely experimental work. A quantitative categorization of the surveyed studies indicates that modeling-focused approaches represent …

Domain-Specific Conversational Recommendation With Lightweight Llms And Knowledge Retrieval: A Case Study In Cryptography, Ahmed M. Ahmed, Ahmed T. Sadiq, Alaa K. Farhan

Engineering and Technology Journal

When choosing a cryptographic block cipher, several factors must be considered, including security, performance, implementation feasibility, and application environment. However, such choices should often be made with professional expertise. The paper shows a domain-specific conversational recommendation system, which consists of a lightweight Large Language Model (Llama 3.2-1B) fine-tuned using Quantized Low-Rank Adaptation (QLoRA) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) based on a structured knowledge base of block-cipher properties. During inference, the user query (with requirements) is embedded using all-MiniLM-L6-v2 and used to retrieve the most relevant cipher entries from a FAISS index, which is built offline by using the structured knowledge base. …

Fulfilling Higher Education’S Responsibility To Students And Democracy In A Challenging Political Environment, Abraham Goldberg, Dena Pastor, Kayla Dixon

International Journal on Responsibility

The American Association of Colleges and Universities and more than 70 higher education organizations have expressed their shared commitment to making civic inquiry and democratic engagement central to undergraduate education. A framework emphasizing the development of skills to address public issues through courses and practical experiences accompanied their prominent call. Yet, campuses currently are facing increases in educational gag orders and institutional policies aimed at limiting discussion of DEI topics and political protests. Although attacks on free speech would seem to conflict with efforts to prepare students for democracy, there has been little scholarly attention on what students know about …

Nashville Versus Hollywood: Bridgeport Music's Existential Threat To Live Music Albums, W. Kirk Wolff

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

The Sixth Circuit’s decision in Bridgeport Music, Inc. v. Dimension Films, which eliminated the de minimis exception for sound recording copyrights, has transformed copyright law into a potential weapon for suppressing artistic expression. By adopting a rigid per se infringement standard, the decision empowers bad actors to exploit copyright law against live music recordings, a uniquely vulnerable and culturally significant medium. Under this standard, even the inadvertent inclusion of an imperceptible sound fragment in a live recording—such as a stray copyrighted ringtone or background music at a festival—constitutes actionable infringement, creating significant legal risks for artists and producers. While …

From Mods To Multiplayer: Strategies For Protecting The Video Game Industry From Section 230 Reform, Sophia Simeoni

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 has long shielded online platforms from liability for the actions of their users. As calls for its repeal or reform grow louder across the political spectrum, debate has largely centered on social media; however, the video game industry—a significant yet often-overlooked stakeholder in this discourse—also depends heavily on Section 230 protections. From multiplayer servers to online platforms such as Steam, Twitch, and Discord, this Note examines the crucial role Section 230 plays in sustaining the video game ecosystem. It argues that repealing or significantly reforming Section 230 without accounting for the …

Private Equity Investment In College Athletics: The New Frontier, Christopher Ruckdeschel

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

This Note discusses the funding crunch that universities are facing and why private equity capital can be the answer. The House v. NCAA settlement has introduced a $20.5 million yearly expense that universities must pay in order to compete for top-level talent in revenue-generating sports such as college football and basketball. However, declining enrollment and unequal TV rights distributions have left some universities scrambling to figure out how to stay competitive in this new revenue-sharing era. Enter private equity. This Note explains how universities can tap private equity investment to fund revenue-sharing obligations instead of slashing operating budgets and cutting …

Career Spotlight: Jenna Harris, Esq., Jenna Harris

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

An interview with Jenna Harris. She is an accomplished attorney who specializes in the entertainment, fashion, music, media, and arts industries. With extensive experience in handling complex business disputes, Jenna provides integral legal counsel to her clients on transactional matters and federal and state court litigation involving copyright, trademark, branding, and contract issues. Jenna has represented and counseled clients on a wide range of disputes, including corporate and entertainment litigation, intellectual property enforcement, licensing, brand development, and First Amendment matters. As dedicated as she is to her clients, Jenna makes time to give back to her community through outreach and …

Career Spotlight: Simon Pulman, Esq., Simon Pulman

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

An interview with Simon Pulman. He is a leading entertainment law attorney, specializing in transactions and finance in the media and entertainment, film, TV, and podcast industries. Simon has extensive experience in commercial business affairs and sophisticated rights transactions for television, film, podcasting, and interactive clients. He often assists clients in negotiating complex development, production, financing, and licensing deals. Simon frequently represents high-profile clients, including Netflix, Amazon, Apple, NBC, and Peacock. On behalf of both rightsholders and acquiring parties, Simon has negotiated substantial deals for the adaptation of books, articles, video games, podcasts, and more.

New Flames, Old Irons: A Striking Analysis Of Florida's Gaming Compact With The Seminole Tribe, Zen Rizzuto-Flancbaum

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

This Comment analyzes Florida’s gaming compact (the Compact) with the Seminole Tribe, focusing on the legality of allowing online sports betting under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The Compact permits the Seminole Tribe to offer statewide online sports betting by “deeming” all bets placed in Florida as occurring on tribal lands, where the Seminole betting servers are located. This Comment argues that such an interpretation stretches the plain meaning of “Indian lands” in IGRA, which traditionally refers to physical land within reservations. Notably, the Ninth Circuit and the D.C. Circuit have seemingly contradictory opinions on this issue. This Comment …

The Fair Use Doctrine In Contemporary Journalism, Carly Ryan

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

Although section 107 of the Copyright Act specifies that “news reporting” is one of the uses of a copyrighted work that may be fair, the current application of the fair use doctrine poses unique difficulties for journalism defendants. This Article argues for several changes in fair use analysis to make the doctrine flexible for journalism defendants. This Article also argues that these changes are necessary to keep the Copyright Act in balance with the First Amendment.

Career Spotlight: Jeff Bacon, Jeff Bacon

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

An interview with Jeff Bacon, J.D. He is the Commissioner of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN), a role he assumed in 2023 after nearly two decades with the Mid-American Conference (MAC). At the MAC, Bacon held various leadership positions, including Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing football operations, championship events, external relations, and strategic planning.

Professionalizing Esports, Becky Harris, Tavis Sartin

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

As millions of dollars, euros, yen, and won continue to pour into the esports industry, esports has not been spared from the same challenges facing traditional competitive sports. While traditional sports leagues had the space to develop over decades, esports, by contrast, have enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity and swift adoption by gamers and fans alike. The accelerated acceptance and adoption of esports means that the esports industry has been experiencing “growing pains” much like traditional sports leagues—as well as other issues endemic to esports—at a much earlier stage. Addressing these issues necessitates an unbiased and candid examination of …

Online Recruitment For Interview Participants Impacted By The Criminal Legal System, Sarah Lageson, Carolina R. Caliman, Elsa Chen, Ericka Adams

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"As technology has altered communication, qualitative criminologists have turned to digital spaces for a cost-effective approach to recruit participants who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. This paper analyzes the limits and benefits of online recruitment, detailing our experience recruiting 93 interviewees online for a qualitative study of criminal record expungement. We compare three approaches: social media advertisements, Amazon’s crowdsourced MTurk platform, and the opt-in survey platform Prolific, and analyze the financial and labor costs associated with each. We detail our experience individually screening 685 interested participants to obtain 86 qualitative interviews suitable for analysis. Our experience shows …

To Protect And To Serve? A Phenomenological Exploration Of Interactions Between Black Transgender Women And Law Enforcement In The Midwest, Anthony Banks, Kelli E. Canada, Erin L. Robinson, Mansoo Yu, Lynn Mie Itagaki

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Current research indicates transgender women of color are experiencing what is being referred to as an “epidemic of violence.” Law enforcement personnel are in a unique position to mitigate this violence among transgender women of color, however past research shows that law enforcement may in some instances perpetuate already existing violence with this population instead of preventing and intervening in these situations. This study aimed to add to the limited research by using an intersectional theoretical framework to better understand these interactions. Research questions were answered using a phenomenological research design. Data from 36 semi-structured interviews with Black transgender women …

Aging On Parole: A Thematic Analysis Of The Parole Officer’S Perspective, Angela Murolo

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"A growing proportion of people leaving prison are over 50 years old and will live at least temporarily under the supervision of a parole officer. While recidivism rates are lower for older people, there are physical, mental, and societal challenges that accompany advancing age that make successful reentry and reintegration a challenging experience compared to their younger counterparts. This presents novel challenges for parole officers who are tasked with supervising and counseling elderly people on parole. Surveys containing closed and open-ended questions were administered to N=25 parole officers to understand the differences in working with, counseling, and supervising older and …

Unveiling The Patent Landscape Of Biologic Drugs, Michael D. Frakes, Melissa F. Wasserman

Northwestern University Law Review

It is undeniable that the escalating price of biopharmaceuticals is a critical issue, as high prices limit patients’ access to life-saving medications and strain our healthcare system. Biologics, or large-molecule drugs, which are revolutionizing modern healthcare, are significantly contributing to the escalating cost of prescription drugs. While biologic drugs represent only 2% of all U.S. prescriptions, they comprise close to 50% of net drug spending.

Policymakers have proposed a series of interventions to decrease drug prices that target the patent practices of pharmaceutical firms. Yet due to differences in law, we have a robust source of patenting information for small-molecule …

Stacking Moves: How Digital Platforms Sequence Value Creation, Jonathan M. Dickson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how large digital platform firms evolve by adding new platform types over time. Using the four-type framework developed by Bryce, Dyer, and Van Alstyne—transaction, connection, innovation, and collaboration—I trace the platform histories of seven firms: Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Tencent, and Alibaba. For each firm, I classify every qualifying platform event as a base platform, a stacking move (a new interaction that draws on an existing platform's users or architecture), or a standalone platform (a new platform that operates independently). Across seventy-plus events, four findings emerge:

1. Firms stack new platform types in predictable sequences shaped by …

Engineering 50 Years From Today: A Purdue Engineering Community Perspective, Arvind Raman

Purdue University Press Books

Since opening its doors in 1874, Purdue University’s College of Engineering and its graduates have been at the forefront of technological breakthroughs and are now poised to lead the next generation of engineers in the United States and around the globe. Featuring more than twenty-five essays from former Boilermakers, Engineering 50 Years From Today both celebrates the program’s 150th anniversary and looks ahead, exploring what the field of engineering might look like half a century from now. Leading luminaries from Purdue’s engineering community, including prominent university professors as well as innovators working in the private sector, reveal how technologies related …

The Bankruptcy Revolving Door, Belisa Pang

Northwestern University Law Review

The American consumer bankruptcy system is a costly regime with profound societal implications. Between 2008 and 2023, consumers filed 13.8 million bankruptcy cases across the ninety-four federal bankruptcy districts in the United States, generating over $4 billion in court filing fees alone. When accounting for attorney fees, trustee expenses, creditor costs, and broader economic externalities—such as increased interest rates borne by other consumers—the total financial impact easily reaches tens of billions, if not hundreds of billions, of dollars.

Against that backdrop, this study uncovers a startling phenomenon: nearly 46% of the consumers who filed bankruptcy in 2023 were repeat filers, …

Negligent Hiring: Recidivism And Employment With A Criminal Record, Benjamin Pyle

Northwestern University Law Review

This Article tackles a difficult legal and policy challenge— reducing the impact of criminal records on job applicants’ chances in a manner that does not spur more discrimination—by looking at how another area of law, tort liability, impacts employers’ decision-making. It uses theoretical and empirical methods to study the most common reason employers report being reluctant to hire workers with a criminal record: legal liability generated by the tort of negligent hiring. While the purpose of the tort is ostensibly to protect and make whole those harmed when an employee misbehaves in a foreseeable manner, I show that, in practice, …

Medical Detection Dogs: A Visual Exploration Of Canine Olfactory Anatomy & Volatile Organic Compounds As Applied To Non-Invasive Biomedical Detection, Kirsten Santiago

Theses

Medical detection dogs provide a non-invasive early method of disease and medical alert detection that is underrepresented in the medical visualization sector. The domesticated dog, or Canis familiaris, is known for its loving nature and has become an important member of many households, but they are also incredibly intelligent with a capacity for specialized training. Dogs have a specialized olfactory system, allowing them to detect scents with high acuity (Guest & Otto, 20). Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are molecular substances associated with metabolic processes that are often a result or byproduct of certain diseases and can be influenced by …

Turning Point: Usa, 2020 Election Denialism And Its Consequences, Zack George

University Honors Theses

Current President of the United States, Donald Trump interrupted the peaceful transfer for power for the first time in 250 years. In the typical study of the events surrounding this interruption, much focus is made on the events of the January 6th Capitol Riot. Firstly, this thesis examines the 2 months in the leadup to the 2020 election and how the Trump administration acquired and attempted to execute their plans to commit a self-coup, keeping the administration in power in the face of the election victory and transition to the Presidency of election-winner, Joe Biden. Secondarily, it will contextualize and …

Investigating Efl Learners' Attitude Toward Emergency Remote Teaching: A Probe Into Learning Strategies, And Reading Achievement, Ihsan Dinnar Mohammad, Dariush Nejadansari, Zargham Ghabanchi

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The experience of Iraqi university students with Covid-19 emergency remote learning – a situation compounded by political instability, substandard internet infrastructure, and scarce technological resources – remains a relatively underexplored area of academic study. To address this gap, the current study aimed to explore Iraqi EFL learners' attitude toward emergency remote teaching (ERT). Moreover, it sought to examine the relationship between learners' attitudes towards ERT and their reading achievement. Moreover, the researcher tried to find out the relationship between participants' reading achievement and learning strategies. Accordingly, 100 students from two leading universities in Iraq were investigated by focusing on their …

The Sequence Of The Creation Of The Universe And The Rest Between Jewish Thought And The Interpreters Of The Imamiyyah (Al-Tibyan And Al-Mizan As A Model), Haider Abbas Kadhim, Khalid Ahmed Hussein

Alustath Journal for Human and Social Sciences

The Torah talks about the creation of the universe in the Book of Genesis, as this book tells the sequence of this creation, and that it was completed in six earthly days consisting of morning and evening, so according to the order of the Torah, the earth, light, darkness, and water were created, then the sky was created when he placed a skin between waters and waters, then the waters gathered under the skin that was called the sky, so the land was formed and the grass and herbs grew, then the sun, moon, and stars were created above the …

Advancements In Extracellular Vesicle Research, Lucia R. Languino

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The AAEV (American Association of Extracellular Vesicles) Annual Meeting at the John P. McGovern Commons in Houston, TX convened over 300 leading re- searchers, clinicians, and industry experts from around the world to advance the rapidly evolving field of extracellular vesicle (EV) science. EVs, nanoscale lipid- bound particles released by all prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, have emerged as crucial mediators of intercellular communication, trans- porting proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids that influence a wide spectrum of physiological and pathological processes. Their involvement in immune modulation, tissue regeneration, cancer progression, metabolic regulation, and other complex biological functions positions EVs as promising …

Knee Arthroscopy Versus Magnetic Resonance Imaging In The Diagnosis Of Acl Injury – A Comparative Study, Hussein Habeeb Mhawesh, Ayoub Yosif Hamdan, Ahmed Khalaf Hamad, Alseddiq Oday Latof

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Accurate diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is critical for selecting appropriate treatment strategies and preventing long-term knee dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool, while arthroscopy remains the gold standard. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of MRI against arthroscopic findings in ACL injuries and to assess its current performance in clinical settings for the years 2024–2025. Methods: A total of 40 patients (31 males, 77%; 9 females, 23%) aged 20–50 years (median age 35 years) who presented with suspected ACL injury were enrolled. All patients underwent MRI …

Prevalence Of Sensory Neural Hearing Loss In A Sample Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In Erbil City, Hazha Othman Kanabi, Karwan Hawez Sulaiman Dzayii

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Globally, the prevalence of T2DM has risen dramatically, becoming a significant public health concern due to its various complications. The diabetic patients may have a higher prevalence of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) compared to the non-diabetic population. Objectives: This study aimed to identify the prevalence of SNHL among diabetic patients in clinical settings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study with a comparative group was designed for the current healthy and type II diabetic patients. The study was conducted at Galiawa Diabetes Center and Rzgary Teaching Hospital in Erbil city (October 2024 - October …

Stromal Vascular Fraction And Plasma-Jet: A Synergistic Approach To Enhance Acne Scar Treatment Outcomes, Pary Mohammed Ali, Jalal Hamasalih Fattah

Hilla University College Journal For Medical Science

Background: Acne scars represent a significant dermatological concern, manifesting as marks and indentations on the skin surface following severe or prolonged acne. Both Plasma-Jet and Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) have been used in a synergistic approach to treat moderate to very severe types of acne scars. Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining SVF and Plasma-Jet in the management of acne scars. Materials and Methods: This prospective single-arm clinical trial was conducted from September 2024 to September 2025 at Rizgary Teaching Hospital and Zheen International Hospital in Erbil, Iraq. Twenty patients aged …