Digital Commons Network^™

Trauma-Informed Care (Tic) In Dental Settings, Kristi M. Soileau, Angeline Lee

New Orleans Dental Association News

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach that recognizes the impact of trauma on patients, considering trauma to better utilize methods for more effective patient care. This approach contains the following ten implementation domains that serve as a guide in organizational change:

1. Governance and Leadership
2. Policy
3. Physical Environment
4. Engagement and Involvement
5. Cross-sector Collaboration
6. Screening, Assessment, and Treatment Services
7. Training and Workforce Development
8. Progress Monitoring and Quality Assurance
9. Financing
10. Evaluation

Implementing TIC will ensure that patients feel safe and autonomous in dental clinics, which results in increased trust between patient and provider, reduced patient anxiety during office visits, and therefore better oral …

Noda News April 2026

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Producing Oral Medicines In Lettuce To Fight Chronic Diseases, Carlos E. Balmaceda, Megha Goyal, Anubhav Pal

Create@State

Chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, require patients’ commitment to their treatment, which can be challenging over time. Edible plants could help address this challenge by acting as living factories that produce a range of drugs, including medicinal proteins. Patients could eat the plants because their cells have a sturdy outer layer that protects and helps deliver the medicine. Lettuce is an example of a common vegetable that can serve this purpose. The main goal of this project is to develop a medicinal protein production and oral delivery system using lettuce plants. We will build a small version of …

Virginia Board Of Dentistry Emergency Regulations- Why, What And Where? Why Do We Need Regulations? What Are The New Regulations? Where Do We Go From Here?, A. Omar Abubaker Dmd, Phd

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Scorpions In Brazilian Caves And Other Subterranean Habitats, Jonas E. Gallão, Bruno D, Lenhare, Misael Oliveira-Neto, Maria E. Bichuette

Euscorpius

Arachnids have successfully colonized subterranean environments. Compared to spiders, harvestmen, and pseudoscorpions, scorpions have a moderate number of subterranean species, including troglophiles and troglobites. Among the four families and 184 species and three subspecies of scorpions found in Brazil, three families and at least 33 species and one subspecies have been documented in subterranean habitats. This study presents a faunistic list of scorpion occurrences in caves and other types of subterranean habitats in Brazil, along with distribution maps and an attempt to classify species based on their use of and dependence on subterranean environments.

Synthesis And Preliminary Bioactivity Of Small-Molecule Inhibitors Of Arp2/3 Complex, Georgia White-House, Jorie Wogmon

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

Results of summer 2025 research project on developing small-molecule inhibitors of Arp2/3 complex.

Hunting, Craftsmanship, And Migration: The Ethnobiology Of The Raute Nomads Of Nepal, Ramesh Prasad Adhikary

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study explores the ethnobiology of the Raute nomads in Nepal, a dwindling hunter-gatherer group facing threats from modernisation, deforestation, and sedentarisation policies. Despite growing ethnobiological research on indigenous knowledge, there remains a scholarly gap in integrated analyses of how nomadic practices like hunting, craftsmanship, and migration interlink to promote sustainability, particularly in South Asian contexts. Drawing on six weeks of ethnographic fieldwork with a single Raute community (n=15 key informants via purposive sampling for interviews; 3 focus groups of 6-8 participants via convenience sampling), this research employs participant observation, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions to address this gap. …

The Tortoise, Alexa Gail Colinco

Quill & Scope

For my grandfather, Dr. Joel R. Colinco (1928-2017). The first physician in his family. A man who provided free medical care to all and who continues to do so through the Colinco Medical Mission Outreach. The 2009 Senior Poet Laureate of South Carolina. A deacon and choir director in the Philippines. A painter, tennis player, fisherman, crossword addict, gardener, and so much more. Eternally honored to be guided by his legacy and ethics. (Pang, we'll play Scrabble again in heaven, and I promise I'll spell neighbor correctly this time.)

Gci-300: Low-Shear Inertial-Magnetophoretic Blood Conditioning Envelope For Extracorporeal Therapy (Cern-Ohl-P), Michael Victor Caldwell Mr.

Defensive Publications Series

Abstract: Disclosed is a bioadaptive extracorporeal hemofluidic envelope (GCI-300 platform) that conditions blood via low-shear, multi-pass flow using staged inertial enrichment, geometry-enforced rheological self-limiting, and near-wall magnetophoretic biasing. The device unifies three subsystems—inertial rheology envelope, enrichment corridor, and magnetophoretic guidance zone—within a compliant, pulsatile loop that maintains shear rates below 150 s⁻¹, bounded residence times, and hemocompatibility targets (e.g., plasma free Hb <20 mg/dL rise, βᵢ ≥0.85 bioinvisibility metric). Blood enters via impedance-matched inlet, undergoes Dean-flow near-wall enrichment in curved microchannels (50 µm height, 250–500 µm width, 1.5–4 mm radius), experiences distributed low-field magnetic bias without bulk trapping, and recirculates a fraction for cumulative gentle conditioning before reintegration. Gas-equilibrium membranes ensure pO₂/pCO₂ stability. Prototype geometry and bench protocol enable lab validation of enrichment vs. hemolysis, platelet activation, and complement effects per ISO 10993-4. Platform derivatives target cytokine bias, CTC/exosome handling, sepsis, and trauma support by swapping biasing matrices (magnetic, acoustic, affinity). All designs released under CERN-OHL-P for open development.

A bioadaptive extracorporeal hemofluidic envelope that conditions blood via low‑shear, multi‑pass flow using staged inertial enrichment,

The Influence Of Fermentation Duration And Secondary Fermentation Conditions On The Bioactive Compound Profile Of Kombucha, Jordan Vereen

Honors Theses

Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea produced using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) and has gained widespread popularity due to its proposed health benefits. Kombucha has been studied to understand these advantages in cardiovascular support, improved metabolism, increased antioxidant effects, enhanced antimicrobial properties, and even potentially slowing the progression of certain diseases. Despite its increasing popularity, the way in which the specific bioactive compounds responsible for these effects and the fermentation conditions that influence their production remain unclear. The present study, conducted in collaboration with Dr. Budner, focuses on quantifying bioactive compounds in kombucha to better understand …

The Decision Of The Inter-American Court Of Human Rights In The Case Of Angulo Losada V. Bolivia: A Catalyst For The Rights Of Girls And Victims Of Sexual Violence, Brisa De Angulo, Rosa Celorio, Bárbara Jiménez-Santiago, Rosemarie Hidalgo, Carolina Perez

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued its judgment in the case of Angulo Losada v. Boliviaon November 18, 2022, finding that the country of Bolivia violated the human rights of a victim of sexual violence by failing to thoroughly and promptly investigate, prosecute, and sanction a case of incestuous sexual violence against an adolescent girl by an older male relative. The Court advanced an enhanced due diligence standard, establishing that an intersectional gender and child-rights perspective needs to guide the judicial processing of cases of sexual violence against children and adolescents. The Court set critical legal standards for …

Tools Of Genocide: Forced Assimilation In Canada, Dr. Pamela Palmater, Zoë Craig-Sparrow

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

Since colonization, the core objective of Canada’s Indian policy was to “get rid of the Indian problem”. To accomplish this, Canada has engaged in the forced assimilation of Indians (First Nations), with targeted and disproportionate impacts on First Nations women and girls resulting in grave human rights violations. Drawing on international human rights laws and standards (such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples); numerous inquiries and commissions (Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and …

Ecuador Medical Immersion Trip Exposes Students To Cross-Cultural Health Care, Elisabeth Watson

College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

A week in Ecuador pushed students to look past biological symptoms and see how culture defines healing.

Role Of Kif4a In The Fxa-Induced Phenotypic Modulation Of Pleural Mesothelial Cells, Sudishna Khanal

Biotechnology Theses

Pleural injuries can disrupt the organization of the pleural surface, leading to pleural remodeling and fibrosis (PF), characterized by the proliferation of myofibroblasts expressing alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and the deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, primarily due to the mesenchymal transition of pleural mesothelial cells (PMCs) (MesoMT). It is well established that various external stimuli, such as TGF-β, thrombin, and factor Xa (FXa), induce MesoMT. Our laboratory found that myocardin, a transcriptional co-activator, was dramatically up-regulated during MesoMT, and that gene silencing of myocardin (MyoCD) diminished MesoMT. RNA sequencing data showed that FXa activated a set of genes not upregulated …

Cultural Identity In Transition: A Comparative Study Of Self-Defining Memories And Personality In American And Russian-American Students, Sebastian Parilov

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

This study examined cultural differences in Self-Defining Memories (SDMs) and personality traits among American and Russian-American college students. Participants included 39 college students (19 Russian-American and 20 American) aged 18-24 who completed the Self-Defining Memory Task and the Big Five Inventory to test for Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism. Memories were coded for overall themes, agency versus communion, and redemption versus contamination narratives. Results showed no significant differences between groups on overall Big Five personality traits. However, there were many differences in the two groups' memories. Russian-American participants reported significantly more positive and fewer negative self-defining memories than American …

Financing A Cooler Future: Sustainable Finance And Environmental Justice In The Bronx, Akhila M. Dissanayake

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis examines the ways in which sustainable finance and green marketing might be used as instruments to address climate injustice, using the Bronx as a case study of a neighborhood that is disproportionately impacted by the urban heat island effect. The research intends to demonstrate how creative financial mechanisms and successful messaging tactics may promote more equitable adaptation to climate change in urban contexts by fusing ideas from environmental history, economics, and communications. The concept of environmental justice is presented in Chapter 1, which also describes how the Bronx's demographic groupings are disproportionately affected by climate change, including excessive …

The Legacy Of Lead: Lead Exposure's Harmful Effects And Its Concentration In Poc Communities, Layla Sophronia Barber

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis examines the disproportionate burden of lead exposure carried by low income, POC communities. The systemic nature of this problem is a symptom of a longstanding legacy of environmental injustice in the United States. Decades of federal neglect are reflected in the higher statistics of lead exposure and poisoning in predominantly black communities. While it is understood that lead exposure poses a serious threat to physical health and early cognitive development, there is a discouraging lack of urgency to remove the toxin from non-wealthy communities. The material covered by this thesis aims to identify and correct the discriminatory social …

A System That Runs On Beef: The Effects Of Modern Cattle Farming On The Environment, Sean E. Fitzgerald

Student Theses 2015-Present

Abstract

This paper discusses the economic, ethical, and environmental impacts of modern cattle ranching in the United States, as well as e4orts taken to mitigate environmental damage as a result of agriculture. With the world population on the rise, and society becoming more disconnected from their food than ever, is important to understand the history of how modern-day agriculture came to be as it is, and how we can combat some of the unique challenges it poses. Chapter 1 covers the current problems in modern day cattle farming, as well as the ecology of cattle, both behavioral and biological, and …

Expanding “We The People”: Constitutional Language And Gender (In)Equality In The United States, France, Germany, And Sweden, Sophia Elaine Ward

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

While the U.S. Constitution opens with the inclusive promise of representing “We the People,” it remains silent on gender equality. That silence leaves gender-based rights dependent on judicial interpretation rather than constitutional command, producing uneven, unstable protections that shift with changing courts and political regimes. Although the U.S. Supreme Court addresses sex discrimination through the Equal Protection Clause, its jurisprudence relies on a formal equality framework that fails to confront structural and systemic gender inequality and offers no durable constitutional guarantee.

This Note argues that the U.S. can no longer rely on judicial interpretation alone to secure gender equality. Instead, …

True North: Full Issue Download

Quill & Scope

Silence is embedded into the life of medical students. Silence pierces the air when you are standing in the back of a patient room observing the conversation, feet aching, wondering if your presence is unnecessary and overwhelming for the patient. We are transient members of the healthcare team. We contribute to patient medical records with out notes and bedside conversations, yet we lack power in the system---the authority to sign orders, be responsible to true coordination of care, the autonomy that residents wield to make healthcare decisions.

It is easy to lose your sense of self in this silence. We …

Lithium Extraction In Chile, Estrella Pallares Medina

Student Theses 2015-Present

This article examines the environmental, political, and economic dimensions of lithium mining in Chile's Atacama Desert, a critical site within South America's "Lithium Triangle." Chapter 1 utilizes both quantitative and qualitative data to introduce the environmental problems of water shortage, ecosystem stress, and biodiversity loss associated with lithium mining, presented within the framework of the ecosystem services approach. This approach categorizes the impacts into four categories: supporting, regulating, provisioning, and cultural, which affect both human and ecological well-being. Chapter 2 applies the academic field of political ecology to analyze how corporate accountability, government policy, and governance shape environmental performance and …

A Sturdy Future: Mangrove Restoration Against Climate Extremes, Gabriella Marie Siasoco

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the impacts of climate change on natural disasters and examines how rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean can mitigate those effects. Rising ocean and atmospheric temperatures contribute to higher sea levels and more severe hurricanes and tropical storms, characterized by increased frequency, duration, and intensity in peak winds, storm surges, and rainfall. Mangrove ecosystems act as vital buffers against coastal disturbances such as tsunamis and extreme storms, while contributing to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. Additionally, they improve water quality by filtering nutrients, preventing eutrophication. Despite their ecological and economic value, mangroves in …

Bio 340 Final Project: Effects Of Zoning On Fish Density Along The Great Barrier Reef, Mary Lamoriello

Biology Student Scholarship

Mary Lamoriello - Environmental Biology '27

Over the years, there have been many marine parks and restricted fishing zones established along the Great Barrier Reef to maintain biodiversity and coral health. The goal of these zones is to create an ”undisturbed” area, where species can flourish. Many different species reside in this reef and play important ecological roles. Parrotfish help maintain coral health by grazing on algae, and the presence of carnivores often indicate a diverse and healthy ecosystem. This project aims to examine the differences in species distribution between zones along the Magnetic Island, by looking at carnivorous and …

Bio 340 Final Project: Rural Population Structure And Food Production Interact To Shape Global Undernourishment, Ava Ripanti

Biology Student Scholarship

Ava Ripanti - Environmental Biology '27

Undernourishment remains a major global public health challenge, reflecting the proportion of a population lacking sufficient dietary energy intake. While food availability is central to food security, undernourishment is also shaped by structural and socioeconomic factors such as population distribution and access to resources. Although rural populations are closely tied to agriculture, they often experience higher food insecurity due to limited infrastructure, market access, and healthcare. Prior research emphasizes that broader determinants, particularly inequality and development, are stronger predictors of undernourishment than agricultural output alone, that food insecurity exists in both rural and urban …

Bio 340 Final Project: Effects Of Light Pollution On Bat Activity, Cael Schneider

Biology Student Scholarship

Cael Schneider - Environmental Biology ‘28

Artificial light at night (light pollution) is an increasing consequence of urbanization and can disrupt nocturnal wildlife. Bats are especially susceptible, as they rely on dark skies for navigation, predator avoidance, and foraging. The effects of artificial light may vary among species due to differences in foraging strategies, habitat use, and light tolerance.  Previous research has documented negative effects of artificial light on bat foraging, roosting, breeding, and hibernation. However, some species, such as red bats, may forage near artificial lights where insects are abundant. Species including the big brown bat, hoary bat, and …

Bio 340 Final Project: A Comparative Analysis Of German And French Energy Policy, Adam Garies

Biology Student Scholarship

Adam Garies - Environmental Biology ‘28

European energy systems have undergone rapid transformation over the past two decades, with countries adopting different strategies to reduce carbon emissions. This divergence is particularly evident between Germany and France. Following the Fukushima disaster in 2011, Germany accelerated its nuclear phase-out, while France has declared its commitment to nuclear energy. Nuclear energy however, is an important step towards reducing carbon emissions. Excluding nuclear energy from energy plans will lead to a rise in reliance on potent fossil fuels like coal and natural gas, resulting in greater carbon emissions, even with an emphasis on expanding …

Differentiation In The Arts: Choice-Based Learning To Increase Engagement, Katie Caskey

Art 895 Research Papers

There are many ways in which an art educator teaches. However, some struggle to get students to be engaged with the subject matter or materials. Choice-based project learning can facilitate engagement by allowing students to choose the subject matter or medium in order to become more involved with the learning process. This Arts-Based Research study, using narrative inquiry and visual arts, explores the effects choice-based learning has on the outcome of a project and overall engagement within the learning experience. Students will be given choices throughout the project, essentially making it their own while also meeting the requirements of the …

Integrating Music And Visual Art: The Impact Of Using A Cross-Disciplinary Approach On Creativity And Engagement, Zoe E. August

Art 895 Research Papers

This study explores the integration of music into the visual art classroom and its impact on student creativity and engagement by encouraging emotional expression and multisensory exploration. The purpose of this research is to examine how access to music during instructional time can have a positive impact on student engagement and creativity. This study may also provide evidence to support the revision of school policies that prohibit student headphone use in the classroom during the academic day. Using a Mixed-Methods Case Study with an Arts-Based Qualitative Inquiry, this research examines how students respond emotionally and creatively when music is intentionally …

Bacteriophage Therapy For Klebsiella Pneumoniae: Phage Screening And Efficacy Assessment In Macrophages/Neutrophils And Mouse Model, Mounika Duggineni

Biotechnology Theses

Klebsiella pneumoniae causes infections such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections, necessitating alternative therapies. As an emerging MDR pathogen, evaluating newer therapeutic strategies is essential. This study utilized bacteriophages and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains kindly provided by Dr. John, who previously isolated and characterized broad-host-range bacteriophages from hospital wastewater targeting diverse clinical K. pneumoniae isolates. Among fifteen lytic bacteriophages identified across multiple genera, bacteriophage #418 was selected and purified using ultrafiltration, yielding higher functional titers than PEG-based methods. In vitro assays showed Bacteriophage #418 nearly killed bacteria after 2 hours of co-incubation. Ex vivo studies using healthy donors human macrophages …

Conscientiousness And Collegiate Athletes: An Item Response Theory Analysis, Tyler Hall

College Honors Program

The purpose of this study is to examine how the facets (Kitchenham, L. et al., 2019) and aspects (Roberts et al., 2005) of conscientiousness influence collegiate athletes and how this understanding can be applied to the development of athletes and coaches. Like everyone else, student-athletes face daily stressors that can hinder their performance both in the classroom and on the field. Personality traits play a significant role in an individual's ability to manage these stressors (Lopes Dos Santos, M., 2020). This study examined conscientiousness, one of the Big Five Personality Traits defined by McCrae and Costa (1986), which is characterized …