Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Lifestyle Intervention Therapy Modulates Global Dna Methylation And Adipogenic Gene Expression In Severely Obese Hypogonadal Men, Siresha Bathina, Virginia Fuenmayor Lopez, Mia Prado, Salina Biene Teo, Dennis T Villareal, Rui Chen, Clifford Qualls, Reina Armamento-Villareal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Previous studies have suggested that lifestyle intervention (LSI) therapies involving diet and exercise can modulate DNA methylation; however, whether this occurs in severely obese hypogonadal men undergoing weight loss from diet and exercise remains unclear.

Methods: In this study, we investigated the effects of weight loss from diet and exercise on global DNA methylation as well as on the mRNA expression of specific demethylation enzymes, DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B—in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and DNA methylation markers in DNA of severely obese hypogonadal men. This is a secondary analysis of samples of severely obese (body …

Label-Free Microfluidic Modulation Spectroscopy Monitors Rna Origami Structure And Stability, Phoebe S Tsoi, Lathan Lucas, Allan Chris M Ferreon, Ewan K S Mcrae, Josephine C Ferreon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

RNA origami enables genetically encoded, single-stranded RNA nanostructures that can self-assemble through co-transcriptional folding and are increasingly deployed as scaffolds for biosensing, synthetic biology, and nanomedicine. A recurring practical bottleneck is scalable, solution-phase readout of whether a designed scaffold has reached its intended base-paired architecture, whether it undergoes slow maturation or kinetic trapping, and how its stability is distributed across motifs. Here, we adapt microfluidic modulation spectroscopy (MMS) as a label-free structural biosensor for RNA folding by exploiting the rich 1760–1600 cm−1 vibrational fingerprints of RNA bases and base pairs. MMS alternates between sample and composition-matched buffer measurements in a …

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 …

Effect Of Forming Angle On Hardness And Thinning Ratio Of Similar And Dissimilar Butt-Welded Joints In Spif, Abbas A. Hussein, Ali H. Al-Helli, Ayad M. Takhakh

Engineering and Technology Journal

The welding of different Aluminum sheets are useful in applications like fan blades, chemical equipment, and naval structures where different regions of a part have different requirements. One of the most famous ways to weld aluminum sheets was friction stir welding method which is difficult to control due to its many variables; so, the novelty of this work is to weld the aluminum sheets by laser technique which distinguishes by speed and ease of implementation and then forming the welded sheets by single point incremental forming Which has not been addressed by any study so far. The aim of …

Experimental And Statistical Optimization Of Engineered Cementitious Composites For Underwater Concrete, Zainab M. Al-Selmi, Basil S. Al-Shathr

Engineering and Technology Journal

The performance of concrete placed in underwater environments is often compromised by washout, reduced workability, and inadequate mechanical properties, while the application of engineered cementitious composites under underwater casting conditions has not yet been systematically investigated. This study addresses this research gap through an experimental and statistical evaluation of engineered cementitious composites for underwater concrete, focusing on the combined effects of anti-washout admixture and polyvinyl alcohol fibers. Six mixtures were tested under submerged conditions with anti-washout admixture dosages ranging from 0.7% to 1.1% and fiber contents between 1.5% and 1.75%. The experimental program evaluated fresh-state properties, including slump flow and …

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 …

Behavior Of Short Reinforced Concrete Columns Subjected To Eccentric Preloading Under Fire Exposure, Mohanad Wisam Mousa, Sarmad Shafeeq Abdulqader, Ahlam Sader Mohammed

Engineering and Technology Journal

This study investigates the fire resistance behavior of square reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to a standard ASTM E119 cellulosic fire while carrying a sustained eccentric axial load. Twelve laboratory-scale RC columns were experimentally tested and classified into two groups based on loading eccentricity: Group A with an eccentricity of 45 mm and Group B with an eccentricity of 90 mm. Ten specimens were exposed to fire at target temperatures of 500°C and 700°C for exposure durations of 60 and 120 minutes, while two columns were tested as unexposed reference specimens. Two post-fire cooling methods were considered, namely gradual air …

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 …

Returning Music To Its Creator, Tim Kappel, Loren Wells

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

This commentary is on Vetter v. Resnik, and this commentary was finalized in December 2025, prior to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s January 12, 2026, decision in favor of Cyril Vetter, holding that songwriters may rely on U.S. copyright law to reclaim their songs worldwide.

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: 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.

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.

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 …

Career Spotlight: Allison Rich, Esq., Ed. D., Allison Rich

Florida Entertainment and Sports Law Review

An interview with Allison Rich. She is the Director of Athletics at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), where she leads a twenty-sport NCAA Division I program with a focus on athletic and academic excellence, student-athlete welfare, and community engagement. Appointed in July 2022, Rich brought nearly three decades of experience in collegiate athletics administration, having held leadership roles at Princeton University, Florida State University, and the NCAA national office. A graduate of Princeton with a B.A. in History, she earned her Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of the …

Revisiting A Service-Learning Component In Aac Coursework: Design, Logistics, And Practical Challenges, Juhi Kidwai, Mohammad Al Rjoob, Maria Claudia Franca, Valerie E. Boyer

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This scholarly teaching manuscript describes the design, implementation, and challenges of integrating a service-learning component into a graduate-level augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) course within a Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) program. The project sought to bridge academic instruction with real-world application while addressing unmet service needs in local schools. The 16-week course was divided into an eight-week didactic phase followed by an eight-week field-based practicum. Graduate students were paired with school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in a rural, midwestern special education cooperative district, to support children using AAC. Implementation included a pre-semester needs assessment, collaborative student–SLP matching, structured orientation, weekly …

Teaching Through Disruption: Trauma-Informed, Community-Engaged Learning In A Graduate Csd Course, Teresa L. Boggs

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This article explores how a graduate course in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) was rapidly redesigned in response to a natural disaster to integrate trauma-informed and community-engaged learning. Following Hurricane Helene’s impact on Appalachian communities, a standard literature review assignment was transformed into a collaborative project where students created low-cost, developmentally appropriate language-learning kits for young children affected by the storm. Grounded in adult learning theory, trauma-responsive pedagogy, and high-impact educational practices, the revised course structure enabled students to apply clinical knowledge in real time while supporting families in crisis. Outcomes included increased student engagement, empathy, and professional competency. The …

A Brief Case Report About Mentored Self-Reflection In A Communication Disorders Survey Course, Paul W. Cascella

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

This report describes and analyzes a 4 ½ hour experiential learning module for entry-level undergraduates majoring in communication sciences and disorders. The module emphasizes the importance of self-reflection to future audiologists and speech-language pathologists. It illustrates the curriculum planning process (i.e., content and self-rating tools) and introduces a mentored forum grounded in personalized and constructivist learning to foster three outcomes; foundational knowledge, caring, and the human dimension (Fink, 2021; 2001). As a result, students stated they learned about why self-reflection matters and how their own dispositions could be aligned with the professions’ expectations. Students found the activities engaging, interesting, and …

Sheikh Ḥilu: A Crusader Structure And Additional Remains From The Iron Age And Late Ottoman Period, Yoav Arbel, ‘Abed A-Salam Sa‘Id

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

Excavations at the site of Sheikh Ḥilu in Ḥadera revealed the remains of a possible manor house or farm dating from the Crusader period. The partially exposed two-phase complex is a rare example of a settlement from this period in the Sharon plain. Careful planning and relatively high construction quality attest to its significance; however, apart from its solid architecture, there is no evidence of fortification. The site underwent a non-violent abandonment at the end of the Crusader period, after which it was temporarily settled by squatters. In the late Ottoman period and the early twentieth century, this was the …

Intergenerational Hypertension Transmission Before And After South Africa's Democratic Transition, Winfred A. Avogo

Faculty Publications – Sociology and Anthropology

Background: Apartheid's structural violence produced profound cardiovascular inequalities among Black South Africans through processes that accelerate biological aging ("weathering") and transmit health disadvantage across successive generations. Whether South Africa's 1994 political transition interrupted this intergenerational transmission remains unknown. This study tests whether parent-to-offspring hypertension transmission weakened among cohorts born after apartheid's end, using the 1994 transition as a natural experiment. Methods: This study analyzed 30,438 parent-offspring dyads from five waves (2008–2017) of South Africa's National Income Dynamics Study, representing 11,655 unique offspring aged 18 years and older. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure ≥140/90mmHg or use of antihypertensive medication. Logistic …

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 …

Fragmented Responses: Variability In Law Enforcement And Prosecutorial Approaches To Sexual Assault Cases, Veronica Gonzalez

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Sexual assault (SA) remains a pervasive issue in the United States, marked by low reporting rates, inconsistent investigations, and limited convictions. In response, researchers and practitioners have promoted a range of best practices aimed at improving law enforcement and prosecutorial responses. This qualitative study draws on interviews with 13 law enforcement agencies and 12 prosecutors' offices to explore how recommended practices—such as victim advocacy, specialized units, interagency collaboration, and case reviews—are interpreted and operationalized in the field. Findings reveal substantial variability, shaped not only by resource availability but also by leadership priorities, organizational culture, and the ambiguity of guidance documents. …

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 …

"This Is Not A Scam!": Assessment Of An Awareness Raising Program Tackling Older Adults' Scam Victimization In A Multi-Method Study, Katalin Parti, Pamela Teaster, Susanna Rinehart, Charles Dye

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Interactive theatre has long been used to educate and empower communities and prevent crime across all age groups. Although older populations are disproportionately victimized through fraudulent online schemes, effective educational interventions, like interactive theatre, have not been utilized to increase crime awareness. This paper describes an explorational research project, analyzing the results of a theatre-based fraud awareness program aimed towards educating victims and their communities about scams targeting older people. The study employs a mixed-method research design to examine program impact. In applying multifaceted tools of data collection, such as survey, participant observation, and follow-up interviews, the research team identified …

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 …

Charisma As A Branch Outcome: A Structural Account Of Constraint-Driven Correction, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

Communication across cognitive layers requires translation. Agents operating under strong layer foregrounding interpret other-layer signals by converting them into their own layer's representational format. In Empathic-modulation-foregrounded (EF) processing, translation terminates once a socially interpretable result is achieved. In Core-foregrounded (CF) processing, translation preserves structural constraints, and processing continues when those constraints are not satisfied. Extreme CF cognition produces two distinct types of mismatch: incoming signals from the Modulation layer fail to satisfy Core constraints, and Core-generated outputs are structurally distorted when interpreted through EF processing. Both mismatches trigger correction attempts. Because the surrounding social environment operates through Modulation-layer communication, correction …

Power Approximations With Non-Normal Data In Generalized Linear Mixed Models In R Using Steep Priors On Variance Components, Carlie Prinster, John Stevens

Mathematics and Statistics Student Research and Class Projects

ENAR Spring 2026 Conference presentation on Power Approximations with Non-Normal Data in Generalized Linear Mixed Models in R Using Steep Priors on Variance Components