Digital Commons Network^™

Scientific Innovation, Institutionalization, And Moral Dilemmas: From Chemical Warfare In World War I To Ai In Modern Conflict, Kylie Kiefer

Holster Scholar Projects

This research examines the different American perspectives surrounding the morality and future of chemical warfare during and after World War I. Using primary sources collected at the National Archives at College Park, it argues that the Chemical Warfare Service survived not because Americans agreed that poison gas was morally acceptable, but because wartime mobilization created scientific expertise, military facilities, and relationships that made dismantling the service after the war difficult. While opponents emphasized moral and humanitarian concerns, advocates defended chemical warfare through arguments about preparedness, military necessity, and claims that gas was more humane than conventional weapons. The paper also …

Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction To The Fundamentals, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

Welcome to Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals, an open textbook designed for use in corequisite course pairings of developmental writing and introductory technical writing, or indeed in other lower-division college writing courses that focus on building study skills alongside effective workplace and academic writing skills. It offers a no-cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities.

This textbook is organized into units, though its chapters are modular so that instructors can select and assign readings and exercises for their particular classes rather than be tied to a fixed route …

Advanced-Level Writing In The University Classroom And Beyond: Mindful Practices For Technical, Business, And Scientific Communication, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

No abstract provided.

Fabricating The Crime Of Undocumented Presence, Eric S. Fish, Doug Keller

Fordham Law Review

In 2025, the Trump administration’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) declared that it is a federal crime simply to be an undocumented immigrant. Congress has enacted no such crime. Congress has made it a crime for an immigrant to enter the United States in a manner that “eludes examination or inspection.” For nearly 100 years, this “elude” offense has been understood to occur only at the moment an immigrant enters the country. But the Trump administration’s OLC has reinterpreted this crime as a continuing offense. Under this new reading, an immigrant who entered unlawfully eludes examination until the moment of …

What Can States Teach? The Right To Education After Mahmoud, Will Simon

Fordham Law Review

In the summer of 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court set new limits on what public schools could require students to learn. Mahmoud v. Taylor pitted a school district interested in promoting pluralism against religious parents who wished to withdraw their children from classroom instruction that promoted celebration and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. The Court found a violation of those parents’ constitutional right to freely exercise their religion, which both expanded the control parents can exert over their child’s public school education and increased the likelihood of similar claims going forward. As federal courts hear this newly expanded set of First …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of The Roadside Transportation-Related Air Quality (Startraq 2024): Time-Series Analysis, Jaymin Kwon, Yushin Ahn, Steve Chung

Mineta Transportation Institute

Transportation-related air pollution remains a significant environmental and public health challenge in California’s San Joaquin Valley. This report presents a spatio-temporal analysis of roadside transportation-related air quality in Fresno County, California, from 1985 to 2023 with projections from 2024 through 2032. Using historical emissions inventories, projected vehicle miles traveled (VMT), infrastructure data, and land cover analysis, the study examines how transportation activity and urban expansion have influenced air quality across the region over time. Findings reveal that while PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SOₓ, CO, and CO₂ emissions from on-road mobile sources have declined significantly due to regulatory programs and cleaner technologies, …

Impact Of A Video Surgical Tour On Preoperative Anxiety In Joint Arthroplasty Patients, Rose C. Fialkowski, Patricia A. Keresztes

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Preoperative anxiety is a prevalent and clinically significant concern among patients undergoing elective hip and knee arthroplasty, affecting up to 69.4% of surgical patients and contributing to poorer perioperative outcomes, including increased pain, delayed recovery, and decreased patient satisfaction. Despite routine preoperative education, many patients remain unprepared for the surgical experience, particularly due to unfamiliarity with the perioperative environment.

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluates the effectiveness of a virtual surgical center tour in reducing preoperative anxiety among adult patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery at an outpatient orthopedic center in Chicago, Illinois. Guided by Dorothea …

Dipl 6005 Aa Public International Law, Daimeon Shanks-Dumont J.D., Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

International law is a central framework for theorizing the international society of states. This course offers an introduction to public international law as a dynamic and contested topic through a wide array of issues that concern not only states and governments, but also international organizations, non-governmental organizations, international lawyers, and civil societies.

After the Second World War, public international law was re-envisioned with a promise to protect the sovereignty and integrity of vulnerable states against aggression, guarantee the self-determination of peoples, and to work towards fulfilling universal human rights in an interconnected world. However, the new global order maintained a …

Dipl 6180 Na Comparative Foreign Policy, Ann Marie Murphy Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course examines leading theoretical approaches to the study of foreign policy and their application to a variety of states and issue areas.  The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the key concepts necessary to address the fundamental question of foreign policy analysis: how do states define and pursue their national interests in international affairs?   During the semester, we will explore some of the key debates in foreign policy analysis.  Do differences in the characteristics of states (large versus small, democratic versus authoritarian, industrialized versus developing) lead to differences in their foreign policies?  Or …

Dipl 6276 Global Health Governance, Yanzhong Huang Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Public health challenges — pandemic influenza, HIV and AIDS, COVID-19, obesity, neglected diseases, tobacco use, climate change, and underperforming health systems — increasingly shape and are shaped by the political, economic, and social dimensions of globalization. At the same time, international rules that fall outside the traditional health sphere, such as those governing intellectual property, trade, and greenhouse gas emissions, can have profound consequences for human health. Strong national health systems remain essential, but the reach of health threats and the capacity to respond often extend beyond any single state and beyond the health sector itself. Translating development goals into …

Dipl 6000 Na/Wb Introduction To International Relations Theory And Diplomacy, Brian Muzas Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course introduces students to the major theoretical traditions of international relations and diplomacy, with particular attention to how these theories help us understand contemporary challenges including cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, technological disruption, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia. We will begin with a critical investigation of the competing assumptions and concepts that form the heart of various theoretical approaches to the study of world politics. As a class we will grapple with the key actors, processes, and variables highlighted by each theory, and assess their relative strengths and weaknesses in explaining both traditional interstate relations …

Dipl 4185 Aa Foreign Policies Of Post-Soviet States, Margarita M. Balmaceda Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Russia’s full scale war on Ukraine presents key challenges to the international community. It is impossible to approach these challenges without a broader view of the sources of foreign policy in the former Soviet area. This course will survey the main issues in the history of Soviet relations with the foreign world, as well as the new foreign policies of Russia, the other Soviet successor states, and (to a lesser extent) the East and Central European states. The first part of the course explores topics such as longstanding sources of Russian and Soviet policies pre-dating 1917, the tensions between the …

Open Access Publishing @ Bates College, Krystie Wilfong

ILS Scholarship

This presentation was given at Bates College during Open Access Week 2026.

Have you been interested in publishing Open Access (OA) but shocked at the publisher fees? Fear not, you have other options including having your Article Processing Charges covered by the library -or- depositing your work in our institutional repository, SCARAB.

Looking for a place to make other teaching materials Openly available? The repository isn't just for articles! From posters to podcasts, one-sheets to Open textbooks, there is a lot to explore in SCARAB.

In this session you will learn:

• What Open Access publishing options you have at Bates …

Volume 110, Number 1 (2026)

Judicature

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Patterns Of Social Isolation And Loneliness Among Older Adults In Singapore, Yi Wen Tan, Le Ha Linh Phan, Emi Loh, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu

ROSA Research Briefs

As Singapore rapidly transitions into a super-aged society (Lau, 2024), social isolation and loneliness have become growing concerns among academics, policymakers, and social service professionals alike (A. Chan et al., 2023; Fang & Tan, 2023; Shafeeq, 2025). News reports in 2025 highlight an increase in helpline calls from older adults seeking help for their loneliness and emotional distress (Shafeeq, 2025). The prevalence of socially isolated elderly living alone is projected to increase fourfold between 2020 and 2060 (Ng et al., 2020), highlighting the urgency and relevance of addressing this social issue.

Unlocking The Potential Of A Superaged Singapore, Yi Wen Tan, Emi Loh, Wensi Lim, Kaung Htet Tun Salai

ROSA Research Briefs

As Singapore enters a new era of longevity, our focus must shift from preparing for longer lives to unlocking their full potential as a societal advantage. This means going beyond adding years to life to ensuring that those years are lived in good health, with meaningful connections and a sense of purpose. Building a longevity-ready society will require communities and institutions alike to adapt, innovate, and create environments where older adults can continue to contribute and participate fully in society. Through research and collaboration, ROSA is committed to advancing knowledge and developing solutions that help Singapore realise the opportunities of …

General Education Subcommittee Minutes October 1, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

Call to Order

Approval of Minutes - September 3, 2026

Course Approvals/Removals/Syllabi Approvals

New Business

Adjourn: 9:30 a.m.

Educational Policies Committee Minutes October 1, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 3, 2026
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Center for Civic Excellence
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Educational Policies Committee Agenda October 1, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 3, 2026
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Center for Civic Excellence
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes October 1, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 3, 2026 
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 2:58 pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda October 1, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 3, 2026
• R401 - Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

¡Somos Más! The Latino Vote And The Strength Of Democracy In Massachusetts, Phillip Granberry, Rafael M. Pérez Medina, Carlos Muñoz-Cadilla, Fabián Torres-Ardila, Karla Corres

Gastón Institute Publications

This report identifies important characteristics of Latinos, including their age, citizenship, registration, and turnout. Because data on Latino voters in Massachusetts are limited, the report highlights opportunities for future qualitative research to understand Latino voters' motivations. The first of several reports on this research will soon follow, examining the ecosystem of Latino-serving civic organizations and the grassroots efforts that support Latino voter turnout.

Foreign-Born Latinos In Massachusetts: Economic Lifeline, Policy Crossroads, Phillip Granberry, Rafael M. Pérez Medina, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected demographic, economic, educational, and social indicators of foreign-born Latinos in Massachusetts. In 2024, there were 467,751 foreign-born Latinos in Massachusetts. Of this population, 64.8% are noncitizens, and FOREIGN-BORN LATINOS IN MASSACHUSETTS: Economic Lifeline, Policy Crossroads The Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy 175,000 have an irregular immigration status. The state has a greater share of foreign-born residents (18.8%) than the United States as a whole (14.8%), and the same trend occurs for Latinos, as Massachusetts Latinos are 40.7% foreign-born, while the country’s Latinos are 33.9% foreign-born. At the …

A Deep-Learning Based Biomarker Of Systemic Cellular Senescence Burden To Predict Mortality And Health Outcomes, Shangshu Zhao, Chia-Ling Kuo, Eric J Lenze, Julie L Wetherell, Laura Haynes, Perla El-Ahmad, Richard Fortinsky, George Kuchel, Trevor Harris, Breno S Diniz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The accumulation of senescent cells is a recognized hallmark of biological aging and is associated with the onset of multiple chronic medical conditions. Senescent cells exhibit a distinct secretory profile, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which can propagate cellular senescence to neighboring and distant tissues. Measuring SASP factors in blood serves as a practical proxy for cellular senescence burden and may help track disease states and intervention outcomes. We developed and validated a composite SASP Score by integrating large-scale population proteomics data with a semi-supervised deep learning framework. The analytical workflow included: (1) selection of biologically curated SASP …

Japanese "Picture Brides" And The Anti-Asian Immigration Discourse In The U.S. Media 1907-1924, Lex G. Coniglio

Student Honors Theses

In 1907, the U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt finalized the Gentlemen’s Agreement. This informal arrangement, made in part due to the continued American dissent against Japanese immigration during the early twentieth century, was designed to limit the number of Japanese migrant workers in the United States. In Roosevelt’s words, the only Japanese nationals that would be allowed for U.S. entry would be “students, travelers, business men and the like.”1 But, as it would be discovered, there were “loopholes” to this Agreement. The family members of Japanese immigrants already in the U.S. were allowed access into the country. Thus, single, Japanese men, …

Another Look Into The ~950-Year-Old Glass Mountain Rhyolite Tephra: New Insights Into Volume, Eruption Column Height, And Geochemistry, Bodhi Merrill

IdeaFest 2026

This study examines the ~950-year-old Glass Mountain rhyolite tephra at Medicine Lake Volcano (MLV) in northeastern California. I use field observations and mapping of the dispersal of erupted material to estimate the total volume of tephra erupted, the maximum height of the eruption column during the explosive phase, and how the eruption evolved over time in terms of mass flux, vent erosion, and magma supply. In addition, I use the petrologic and geochemical properties of samples to offer insights into the pre-eruptive storage conditions of the erupting magmas. MLV is designated as a "high-threat volcano" by the USGS highlighting the …

Outreach For The Western Snowy Plover, Nicoli Burdeinii, Midalia Garcia, Neshwa Rabie, Lily Field

IdeaFest 2026

No abstract provided.

Designing Stories, Building Community: My Work With Black Humboldt, Nauselle Gleglaud

IdeaFest 2026

No abstract provided.

Arcata Elementary School, Kaya Murillo

IdeaFest 2026

No abstract provided.

Bio 252/254: Genetics Fall 2026, Brian White

OER Textbooks

Bio 252/254 Genetics Fall 2026

This work was created by UMass Boston Professor Brian White using the support and funding from the OER Faculty Incentive Grant Program. This book is also available on LibreTexts, and can be viewed at this link: https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/University_of_Massachusetts_Boston/Bio_252_254%3A_Genetics

Table of Contents:

• Front Matter (opens in new tab)
• 1: SPOC I - DNA and Chromosome Structure (opens in new tab)
• 2: SPOC II- Genomes (opens in new tab)
• 3: SPOC III - Mitosis and Meiosis (opens in new tab)
• 4: SPOC IV - DNA Replication (opens in new tab)
• 5: SPOC V - Transcription and mRNA Processing …