Digital Commons Network^™

Hero Or Zero? Meta-Opinion In Terrorist Motivation, Clark Mccauley, Sophia Moskalenko

Psychology Faculty Research and Scholarship

What is the relationship between public opinion and political action? Drawing on cases where shifts in public opinion coincided with changes in the frequency of terrorist attacks, we argue that this connection stems from the normative power of public opinion. This power is evident in the bandwagon effect, where popular opinions tend to gain even more support over time. Governments and corporations signal their belief in this power by attempting to shape public opinion with tools like bots, sockpuppets, and troll farms. Importantly, the impact of public opinion does not depend on its actual distribution, but rather on how …

Review Of Soviet Samizdat: Imagining A New Society, By Ann Komarom, Timothy Harte

Russian Faculty Research and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

What The Earth Remembers: Landscape And Materiality In The Work Of Sally Mann, Mark Bradford, And Tacita Dean, Elliot Krasnopoler

Bryn Mawr College Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation triangulates the complex relationships among materiality, place, and history in works of contemporary landscape. I analyze three case studies: Sally Mann’s photographs of the American South, Mark Bradford’s iconoclastic paintings after the Gettysburg Cyclorama, and Tacita Dean’s film of the Great Salt Lake. I contend that these contemporary works of art are capacious in their temporal and narrative reach, holding multifaceted histories of America, including those of environment, war, oppression, and extraction. A key part of my thesis is that by looking at how these works were made and what they are made of—their materials, places, and processes—we …

Periconceptual Nutrition And The Preimplantation Embryo: Approaches For Intervention And Generational Health, Abigail Klein

Dissertations and Theses

The typical American diet exceeds dietary fat recommendations, contributing to the rising rates of obesity. This negatively impacts fertility, pregnancy and fetal growth, and lifelong offspring health. During pregnancy, this also increases risk of co-morbidities like gestational diabetes. Despite this, lipids are not screened during pregnancy and limited research exists evaluating these co-exposures on offspring health. Our lab used a rat model of maternal high fat (HF) diet with late-gestation diabetes (DM) to demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress incite lifelong cardiometabolic disease risk in offspring. To determine the timing of damage, we hypothesized that maternal overnutrition incites mitochondrial …

Empowering Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care: A Needs Assessment To Improve Transitions To Independent Living, Parker Brady, Amy Six-Means, Julia Durante, Anubha Sood, Philip Day, Nora Gimpel, Jill Mcleigh, Kimberly Stone

Health Status, Outcomes, and Literacy and Healthcare Utilization

We aimed to assess the health literacy (HL) of youth transi- tioning out of foster care and how they interact with health information. The Newest Vital Signs survey was administered online to 26 youth who experi- enced foster care. Seven youth and 15 stakeholders also com- pleted focus groups discussing how youth handle health infor- mation. Results indicate that 42% of youth may have lim- ited HL, which places them at risk for poor health outcomes. Future studies should further characterize this population’s HL and study physician and technology-based interventions to address limited HL.

For questions about this study or …

Development Of Audiovisual Media For Child Marriage Prevention To Improve Knowledge, Perception, And Motivation Among Junior High School Students In Malang Regency, Chabibah Ilmiyah, Windi Chusniah Rachmawati, Sapto -. Adi, Nurnaningsih Herya Ulfah

Preventia: The Indonesian Journal of Public Health

Child marriage is an issue that significantly impacts adolescent well-being and is often attributed to low levels of knowlede, poor perception, and low motivation among adolescents regarding its prevention. This study aimed to develop an audiovisual medium in the form of an animated video as a health promotion tool to prevent child marriage among junior high school students in Malang Recenty. The Research and Development (R&D) method, specfically the the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation), was employed in this study. The results of expert validation indicated that the video medium was categorized as “highly Feasible:, with percentages …

Service Trade Dress: Demystifying The Tertium Quid, Dustin Marlan

Faculty Publications

Trademarks are often brand names or logos. Yet other marks involve the overall appearance of a product or business — a concept called “trade dress.” Courts and scholars have long struggled with how to determine whether trade dress is distinctive enough to function as a legally protectable trademark. In attempting to clarify this murky area, Justice Scalia articulated three types of trade dress in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Brothers, Inc. These include (i) product packaging (e.g., a candy wrapper) and (ii) product design (e.g., an iPhone’s unique shape). The trouble lies in understanding the third category — what …

White Christian Nationalism & Antisemitism: A True Threat, Doron M. Kalir

Law Faculty Articles and Essays

For a short period following World War II, it seemed like the World is aspiring to become a better place. Article I of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights reflected that notion, announcing that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” That was the closest we, as a family of nations, ever came to fulfill the “dream of reason”—a state where we all work together, free from hate and prejudices, towards a common goal: A better world …

Free Speech And Anti-Democratic Violence, Andy J. Carr

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

The resurgence of far-right extremist groups—like “sovereign” militias, white supremacists, and avowedly fascist gangs—has exposed the First Amendment’s vulnerabilities to the “leaderless resistance” model of extremist organizing. This model, first popularized by white supremacist Louis Beam, specifically aims to insulate extremist leaders from liability when their followers engage in violence. It does so through fragmented structures and coded messages: Leaders use indirect references in speaking to disparate followers, without specificity (of targets) or immediacy (of corresponding violence), as required, e.g., for “incitement” under Brandenburg v. Ohio.

This Article makes three contributions. First, it articulates this “gap” with precision, drawing …

Faking It: A Proposed Solution To Counter Nonconsensual Pornographic Deepfakes, Rena Song

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

2024 Louise A. Halper Award Winner for Best Student Note.

Deepfakes have become popular due to their user-friendly nature and accessibility, allowing anyone to create one by installing deepfake software programs on their phones or laptops. Deepfake software programs allow creators to create hyper-realistic multimedia featuring anyone whose image they can find. Some industries have drawn positive uses from deepfakes; however, deepfakes also create harms that can have detrimental effects on people’s mental health, employment, and reputation. Women and children, including those without a large online presence, have become the target for nonconsensual pornographic deepfakes. Congress has yet to pass …

Refereeing Nil Athlete Agents: Examining Equitable And Protective Measures For Ncaa Student-Athletes In A Post-Alston Environment, Katherine A. Berman

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

This Note examines the challenges posed by the lack of regulation surrounding athlete agents involved in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals across the United States and their impact on collegiate student-athletes. Despite efforts from the NCAA and higher education institutions for federal NIL legislation and guidance, many proposed solutions face significant obstacles, including conflicts with state laws and partisan divisions. This Note traces the commercialization of student-athletes through the history of the NCAA, reviews key NIL cases, and analyzes current state and federal legislation focused on athlete representation. This Note also explores the emergence of NIL service providers, including …

The Grass Is Not Always Greener: How The Legalization Of Recreational Cannabis Across The United States Is At Odds With Incarceration And Continued Punishment, Marc Sendra

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

Whether you call it Mary Jane, skunky funky, green, ganja, reefer, or just plain-old cannabis, this special green plant doused in purple and orange accents has become a popular topic of discussion within the legal community and American culture. Cannabis has been held in “high” regard for its scientific advances in the medical industry, alongside its recreational usage, enjoyed by laughs and giggles, munchies, and plenty of water, leading to a wave of medical and recreational legalization.

Incentives for legalization come at the onset of promising medical research, economic growth motives, and social justice, reflecting upon a comprehensive approach that …

Aadej Comm 11 4 2025

AADEJ - The Communicator

The Communicator is the official journal of the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists (AADEJ), an organization founded in 1931 serving individuals and publications across the dental field, including state dental associations, component societies, specialty groups, alumni publications, student publications, allied professional organizations, and commercial publications.

AADEJ's mission is to promote the advancement of all phases of dental journalism and dental literature. Guided by its vision of "Elevating Dental Journalism and Communications," AADEJ advances ethical journalism by promoting responsible editorial practices, setting high professional standards, and providing education and services that foster the professional development of its members.

The …

Amendment: Literary And Art Journal (2025)

Amendment, 2004-

Amendment is a VCU student-produced progressive literature and art journal that provides a platform for students to promote equality, tolerance, and social progression through artistic expression.

Introduction To Social Work, April Diaz

All Open Educational Resources

This is a collection of instructor-created slide decks and videos and links to free course materials curated for SOCW 260: Introduction to Social Work. This course introduces students to the profession of social work and its role in supporting individuals, families, and communities. Emphasizing collaboration across systems like healthcare, education, and justice, students will explore how social workers promote well-being and access to resources. Open to all majors, the course highlights the relevance of social work values and skills in a wide range of careers and everyday life.

The Design Of A Bioinspired Impact Mitigation System Towards The Prevention Of Brain Injuries, Bryce H. Reimer

Master’s Theses

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), including concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), remain a major concern across contact sports, military operations, and transportation. Despite advancements in protective equipment, current strategies often fall short in preventing the mechanical conditions that contribute to long-term neurological damage. This thesis presents the design and validation of a bioinspired impact mitigation system modeled after bighorn sheep horn structures, which have evolved to endure high-energy collisions without apparent brain injury.

Using biomimetic principles, the research integrates experimental and computational methods to evaluate how horn-like geometries reduce impact-induced accelerations. A custom drop tower was built to test dynamic …

Techniques & Technologies To Support Sustainable Education In The Academic Sphere: Pedagogy 5.0, Ivaylo Peev, Todor Todorov, Lucía Morales, Lia Pop

Books

The Second book of reports and papers is a result of the collaborative work of the European Common Laboratory for Pedagogical Action-Research and Student-Centred Learning (ELaRA), guided by Technological Education for Smart Development, Sustainability and Transdisciplinarity (TESST to Guide the European Research Institute), members, and would not have been possible without the kind support provided by the European University of Technology.The co-organisers' team from the Technical University of Sofia (Bulgaria), Technological University Dublin (Ireland), the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), represented by book editors – Dr Ivaylo Peev, Todor Todorov, …

Pwatem: An Anthology Of Literature And Art (2025)

Pwatem (Poictesme), 2006-

Pwatem is an anthology of literature and art from undergraduate students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Pwatem publishes poetry, prose and art of all kinds from talented undergraduate students of all majors.

Ryan Rivera '25-Tim Yarboro '75, Ryan Rivera, Tim Yarboro

Alumni Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

The U.N. Global Plastics Treaty: How Narrative Shapes Global Environmental Policy, Ruth Jebe, Susan Park

North Carolina Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

No Way Home: Poland And Lithuania’S Asylum Violations In The Belarus Border Crisis, Julia Kaluta

North Carolina Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

State Travel Burdens For Out-Of-State Abortion Care In The Wake Of The Dobbs Decision, Kelsey D. Titus

Integrative Learning Experience (ILE) Theses

This project examines abortion-related travel burdens as a critical public health policy problem, using the Multiple Streams Framework to link lived experience, health inequities, and policy responses across levels of governance. Anchored in the problem and policy streams, the analysis treats post-Dobbs interstate travel for abortion as a population-level determinant of health that amplifies existing social and structural inequities.

The project employs a qualitative thematic policy analysis drawing on two data sources: a key informant semi-structured interview with a reproductive justice leader and a targeted review of contemporary opinion and commentary articles from leading public health and health policy outlets. …

Front Matter, University Of Michigan Law School

Michigan Technology Law Review

Front matter for Volume 31, Issue 2 of the Michigan Technology Law Review.

Social Data's Role In Law And Political Economy, Salome Viljoen

Book Chapters

Over the past several years, the digital economy has been a notable uptick in interest from scholars across areas of law. This should come as no surprise. The digital economy encompasses some of the largest companies in the world, whose business models pioneer and spread new strategies to concentrate private power across the political economy more broadly. Digital companies have transformed commercial and social life, and they raise problems of concentrated private power. They are also charged with a slew of downstream disruptions resulting from collective pursuit of that power: global, social, and interpersonal forms of dislocation, oppression, impoverishment, alienation, …

River City Fashion (2025)

River City Fashion, 2024-

From the VCU Student Media Center: "The online-only, student-run fashion and style website reports local events but also details style trends while uncovering local design talent."

Shame And Shame Resilience Among Students In An Alternative Suspension Program, James Alvin Rader Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study investigated the impact of an alternative suspension academic recovery program on shame and shame resilience among academically suspended college students. Grounded in shame resilience theory, the study examined changes in shame, specifically avoidance behavior, negative self-perception, and overall feelings of shame, and in shame resilience, including critical awareness, recognition of shame, the ability to verbalize shame, help-seeking behaviors, and total shame resilience. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-program surveys using the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-4 (TOSCA-4) and a researcher-developed Shame Resilience Scale. Qualitative data were then gathered through postintervention focus groups to …

When Osteoporosis Masks Multiple Myeloma: A Diagnostic Pitfall, Neil Maithel, Rabia Mahfooz, Easlie Chen, Ali Asghar, Aftab Mahmood

Gulf Coast Division GME Research Day 2025

No abstract provided.

Middle School Students’ Perceptions Of Social And Emotional Learning, Janelle Butler

Curriculum and Instruction (Ed.D.) Dissertations

This mixed methodology study analyzed the perceptions of middle school students at a rural middle school in the Southeast United States, as they experience social and emotional learning lessons. Data was explored through the lens of the subgroups of gender, grade level, and ethnicity in order to fully conceptualize the unique perspective of Black students. Through convenience sampling study participants were recruited from individuals who were currently participating in social and emotional learning lessons at the research site resulting in a total of 66 participants. Six case representatives were selected from those that participated in the survey for follow-up semi-structured …

Missing & Murdered Indigenous People, Victoria Giordano

Student Works

No abstract provided.

A Lesson To Learn: Transgender Students Face Discriminatory School Policies In Texas, Randy Terhune

Student Works

No abstract provided.