Digital Commons Network^™

Mainers Support Ice Reforms, Oppose Trump's Handling Of Immigration 2/25/2026, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

A majority of Maine residents support proposed reforms banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from entering schools or churches, covering their faces, or making arrests without a judicial warrant. A slim majority feel that ICE has made the country less safe and Mainers continue to disapprove of President Trump's handling of immigration. Nevertheless, nearly two-thirds of Mainers think illegal immigration is a very or somewhat serious problem in the U.S. and half feel it is very or somewhat serious in Maine. Support for Trump's overall job performance has increased since December and Trump's handling of immigration is cited most …

The Role Of Corporate Managers In Improving Profit Performance Of Commercial Banks In Kosovo, Flutura Beka Kamberaj

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The profitability of commercial banks is a key indicator of financial system stability and economic growth, albeit Kosovo’s banking sector continues to face challenges from nonperforming loans, regulatory constraints, and limited innovation. Corporate managers at Kosovo’s commercial banks are reporting low profit performance despite overall sector stability. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore how corporate managers contribute to improving profit performance in Kosovo’s commercial banks. The resource-based view and corporate governance theory provided the theoretical foundation. The participants comprised 20 corporate managers at commercial banks in Kosovo. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and public documents. …

Factors Influencing Productivity And Production System Optimization For Deep Coalbed Methane In The Daning-Jixian Block, Ordos Basin, Zhao Haifeng, Jia Zhaojie, Chen Mengqi, Yang Ziyi, Wang Bin, Lin Hongliang, Yang Yanfeng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs are characterized by ultra-low porosity, ultra-low permeability, and super saturation, rendering it impractical to copy the productivity models of shallow coalbed methane and shale gas. Furthermore, the production performance of deep CBM varies significantly across different well sections. However, the impacts of different factors on the productivity of deep CBM remain poorly understood. This study conducted a numerical simulation analysis of the productivity of deep CBM in the Daning-Jixian block along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin based on the geological characteristics of the block, aiming to explore the impacts of various key …

Seepage Dynamics And Damage Characteristics Of Shaft Lining Concrete Under Hydraulic Coupling, Xue Weipei, Zhou Yaya, Cheng Hua, Yao Zhishu, Rong Chuanxin, Wang Zhongjian, Wu Hao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Concrete serves as a lining material for support structures used in vertical shafts in coal mines, and its seepage performance and mechanical characteristics play a crucial role in ensuring structural safety. Furthermore, shaft lining concrete is placed under the groundwater level, subjected to a stress environment significantly different from that of surface concrete.Methods To investigate the impacts of groundwater seepage on the performance of shaft lining concrete under triaxial stress conditions, hydraulic coupling tests were conducted using a servo pressure testing machine equipped with a seepage apparatus, yielding data on permeability, elastic volumetric strain, crack volumetric strain, and …

Evolutionary Mechanisms And Control Strategies For Surrounding Rock Stability Of Inclined Shafts Under Groundwater Seepage, Zhang Cun, Zhao Xiangyu, Chen Yanhong, Ren Zhaopeng, Wu Runze

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The western coal mining area has emerged as China’s primary coal production base. In this area, multiple ten-million-ton-scale coal mines are constructed using inclined shafts. Since inclined shafts run through multiple aquifers, many of them are subjected to shaft wall rupture and water inrushes to varying degrees.Methods This study aims to determine the impacts of groundwater seepage on the surrounding rock stability of inclined shafts. Using field survey, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulation, this study investigated the shaft wall stability of the main inclined shaft in water-rich sections in the Xiaojihan Coal Mine.Results and Conclusions Theoretical analysis …

Moral Boundaries: How Sacred Values And Cultural Tightness Influence Entrepreneurial Action, Paul Sanchez-Ruiz, Ileana Maldonado-Bautista, Peter G. Klein, Joseph Vaughn

Management Faculty Publications

This study examines how religiously grounded sacred values and cultural tightness shape entrepreneurial action. Scholarship on religious entrepreneurship often emphasizes how practices connected to believed superhuman powers motivate and support entrepreneurial processes and outcomes. We highlight a complementary perspective by theorizing that sacred values work as moral commitments rooted in religious practices that limit the action individuals view as acceptable under uncertainty. We further argue that the influence of sacred values depends on the cultural contexts in which entrepreneurial action is embedded. Using multilevel data from more than 14,000 individuals across 11 countries, we find that sacred values are negatively …

Determination Of Cortisol Concentrations Using Different Biomarkers In Dairy Goats During Pregnancy, Fatma Mi̇ra Güven, Erkan Pehli̇van

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Pregnancy is considered one of the most physiologically stressful periods in mammals. In the present study, serum and hair cortisol concentrations were measured in nine female Akkeçi goats, including five primiparous (1.5 years old) and four multiparous (3.5 years old), to evaluate chronic stress during pregnancy. Hair samples were collected in October, November, and December following the introduction of bucks to the herd and within the first 12 h postpartum (corresponding to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 7th sampling times). Hair samples were not collected in January, February, or March (the 4th, 5th, and 6th sampling times) due to insufficient …

Effects Of Zinc-Reinforced Clinoptilolite On Hematological Parameters, Igg Levels, And Enzyme Histochemistry In Fattening Lambs, İhsan Kisadere, Muhi̇tti̇n Zengi̇n, Özkan Demi̇rbaş, Mehmet Faruk Aydin

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The study aimed to determine the effects of zinc-reinforced clinoptilolite supplementation to the diet on selected hematological parameters, serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations, and enzyme histochemical characteristics in fattening lambs. For this purpose, 40 healthy male lambs were randomly allocated into five equal groups: control (C; n = 8), natural clinoptilolite (NC; n = 8), zinc (ZN; n = 8), natural clinoptilolite plus zinc (NCZN; n = 8), and zinc-reinforced clinoptilolite (ZNRC; n = 8). All animals were housed in individual pens, and the supplementation period continued for 42 days. Blood samples were collected before the trial (day 0) and …

Stitching Up Industry Issues: Arbitration Can Offer Customized Solutions To Fashion Intellectual Property Disputes, Catherine Meng

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This comment proposes alternative dispute resolution (ADR), specifically arbitration, as a more effective mechanism for resolving fashion copyright disputes. The fashion industry has historically received limited protection for designs—primarily trademark and patent law—resulting in widespread copying and difficulty enforcing claims. In the 2017 case Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., the Supreme Court added copyright to the patchwork of protections. However, that protection is available only for aesthetic elements, not functional ones. The difficulty in distinguishing these components, along with the challenges of enforcing claims across borders and between parties with unequal bargaining power, as in Hian v. Louis …

An Alternative Sacrifice: Religious Arbitration Agreements In Ministerial Employment Contracts, Grace E. Brandt

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

After decades of development in lower courts, the Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the ministerial exception in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. E.E.O.C. (2012) and provided additional guidance in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru (2020). The precise contours of the exception remain uncertain, but the doctrine—grounded in the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment—effectively bars civil courts from reviewing claims against religious institutions that implicate ministerial employment decisions. Thus, ministers are unable to pursue redress for legitimate harms that occur within the scope of their religious employment, even if unrelated to religious doctrine. This …

Off The Gridiron Conflict: Why The Nfl Should Use Mediation To Resolve Internal Disputes, Bryan Weitzman

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

The National Football League (NFL) is a multibillion-dollar enterprise built on a sport that fundamentally depends on communication, cooperation, and collaboration. Yet the league resolves nearly all internal disputes through adversarial arbitration mechanisms embedded in the NFL Constitution and the NFL/NFL Players Association Collective Bargaining Agreement. This comment argues that the NFL’s exclusive reliance on arbitration is conceptually inconsistent with the values that the sport instills and structurally prejudicial to players, coaches, and employees—particularly where the Commissioner retains final arbitral authority. An examination of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) principles and case studies demonstrates how the NFL’s current internal dispute resolution …

The Regulatory Framework For Crowdsourced Online Dispute Resolution: Revisiting The Dispute Resolution Triangle, Yun Zhao, Zhiming Xiao

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Crowdsourced Online Dispute Resolution (CODR) constitutes a transformative approach to digital-era disputes, fundamentally reconceptualizing dispute resolution through distributed participant networks rather than merely digitizing traditional alternative dispute resolution. Anchored in Katsh and Rifkin’s dispute resolution triangle (trust, convenience, expertise) and Perritt’s co-regulatory governance model, this paper analyzes CODR’s evolution from early systems such as iCourthouse to contemporary implementations. Case studies of eBay Community Court (contractual self-regulation prioritizing convenience) and Xianyu Small Court (state-aligned hybrid governance optimizing expertise through algorithmic juror specialization) demonstrate how platforms operationalize these theoretical frameworks. The legal analysis examines jurisdictional fragmentation and enforcement challenges, revealing how regulatory …

Hiding Elephants In Mouseholes: Judicial (Mis)Application Of The Federal Arbitration Act To Attorney-Client Arbitration Agreements, Gregory L. Smith

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

This article criticizes cases and commentary that assume, without argument, that the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and its decidedly pro-arbitration jurisprudence apply to determine the enforceability of private attorney-client arbitration agreements, thus preempting state bar rules governing disclosures that lawyers must otherwise provide to clients when proposing private, binding arbitration in place of bar-sponsored arbitration regimes. The author argues that applying the FAA and its jurisprudence to attorney-client arbitration agreements raises significant constitutional issues regarding the states’ recognized authority to regulate the legal profession—an issue that courts and commentators have simply ignored.

Dispute Review Boards And The Construction Industry: The Song Remains The Same—Or Does It?, Daniel Mcmillan

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Dispute Review Boards (DRBs) are a unique form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) used on large and complex construction projects across the country. Although largely ignored by legal scholars, DRBs have been highly successful in resolving costly, time-consuming disputes involving hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of projects since their advent in 1975. DRBs are a hybrid form of ADR that combine facilitative and evaluative as well as coercive and non-coercive features of more common forms of ADR. But what actually makes DRBs so effective at dispute avoidance and resolution? This article analyzes: (i) the attributes that make DRBs an …

Impact Of A Formal Presurgical Curriculum On Early Resident Cataract Outcomes, Shirley Z. Wu, Sumit Sharma, Justin C. Muste, George Markakis, Michael Millstein, Sheldon Oberfeld, Allen Roth, Jack Shao, Thomas L. Steinemann, Elisa Bala, Sunil K. Srivastava, Priya Shukla, Jeffrey Chu, Xinyu Gu, Delaney Ryan, Daniel F. Martin, Jeffrey M. Goshe

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Presurgical training during ophthalmology residency is crucial for a successful transition to cataract surgery in the operating room. Growing evidence suggests that residents benefit more from supervised hands-on learning than from independent practice. The supervised presurgical curriculum approach for early resident cataract surgical training has not been widely studied, especially with regard to the steepest part of the learning curve.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of a formal presurgical wet lab curriculum on early resident cataract complication rates, operative time, and patient visual outcomes.

Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, resident primary cataract cases before and …

Program Director Perspectives On Global Ophthalmology Fellowships, Ashlie A. Bernhisel, John A. Musser Vi, Gena M. Damento, Grant M. Welk, Jacquelyn A. O’Banion, Kieran S. O’Brien, Jeff H. Pettey, Suzanne S. Gilbert

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Eight Global Ophthalmology (GO) fellowship programs are available in the United States, and more than 30 U.S. GO fellows are now alumni. There are no standardized learning objectives for these programs, and fellows’ experiences vary widely between institutions.

Purpose: To survey GO fellowship program directors in the United States to elucidate differences in learning objectives, duration of time abroad, funding sources, and other differences between GO fellowships.

Methods: All program directors at all institutions with current GO fellowship programs in the United States were sent a 25-question questionnaire via email from October through December 2022. The …

Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Current Ophthalmic Surgical Volume In Los Angeles, Pooja Nikki Bisarya, Jason Strawbridge, Justin Hanson, Irena Tsui, Joann Giaconi

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Background: Increased outsourcing of ophthalmology surgeries has negative consequences for patients, who lose continuity of care, and for ophthalmology trainees, who experience reduced surgical volume.

Purpose: To examine the utilization and outsourcing of ophthalmic surgeries at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs (VA) before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on implications for surgical training and patient outcomes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted within the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles (GLA) Healthcare System, specifically at clinical sites staffed by ophthalmology residents. All ophthalmology patients sent for surgery from these sites were included. …

Pers Dan Hak Azasi Manusia Di Indonesia, Wikrama I. Abidin

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Studi Kebutuhan Hukum, Bantuan Hukum Struktural Dan Penegakan Hak-Hak Azasi Manusia, Drs. Mulyana W. Kusumah

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Komisi Hak-Hak Azasi Manusia Selandia Baru, J.C. Clad

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Hak-Hak Azasi Manusiasuatu Tinjauan Ringkas Dari Segi Hukum Islam, M. Tahir Azhary, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Hak-Hak Azasi Manusia Menurut Pernyataan Umum Pbb Ataukah Kewajiban Azasi Manusia Berdasarkan Pancasila ?, Bismar Siregar, S.H.

Jurnal Hukum & Pembangunan

Abstract

Microbiome-Responsive Hydrogels: From Biological Cues To Smart Biomaterials, Rajesh Vadlapatla, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Ajoy Koomer, Judy Weng, Matthew Ernest Ghilarducci, Alai Qudus, Keykavous Parang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Stimuli-responsive hydrogels (SRHs) are smart polymeric materials that undergo reversible physicochemical changes in response to abiotic cues and externally applied fields, enabling applications in drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue engineering. However, they exhibit limited biological specificity and do not adequately reflect the dynamic, disease-relevant complexity of native tissue microenvironments. Microbe-colonized tissues display distinctive biochemical features driven, shaped by microbial metabolism, including localized pH gradients, short-chain fatty acid production, secretion of quorum-sensing molecules, biofilm formation, and expression of specialized enzymes. These endogenous, spatiotemporally regulated signals are closely linked to host physiology and pathology but remain underutilized in hydrogel …

West Side Marquis Llc V. Maldonado

All Decisions

The Appellate Division reversed the Appellate Term, granting the tenant's cross-motion for summary judgment and dismissing the landlord's holdover petition. The landlord failed to timely offer a renewal lease to a successor tenant until after the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) was enacted. The court held that the HSTPA applies, requiring the landlord to offer the renewal lease on the same terms and conditions as the predecessor's prior lease, including the preferential rent. The landlord could not leverage its own delay to avoid the HSTPA's provisions, as the tenant was entitled to a renewal lease prior to the …

Uas Path Planning With Dynamic Rerouting Using A Space-Time Graph, Kimoy Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

UAS systems have emerged as multifaceted technologies with applications across a wide range of sectors. Their ability to access areas that are difficult or unsafe for manned systems has made them invaluable tools in various domains. As a result, UAS have transformed numerous industries, including infrastructure inspection, delivery and logistics, military and defense, as well as precision agriculture and environmental monitoring.

The advancement in UAS technology is fundamentally reliant upon ongoing research efforts in the specialized area of UAS path planning. Optimal flight planning is essential for a UAV to effectively execute its mission’s task safely, effectively, and in congruence …

Optimizing Gamma Radiation Shielding Of Low Bismuth Borate Glass Via Antimony Addition: Optical And Physical Insights, Shaimaa Hafez, Elsayed Salama, Wesam Omar

Basic Science Engineering

This study reports the fabrication and characterization of novel bismuth borate-based glass systems doped with varying concentrations of antimony oxide (Sb₂O₃) for gamma radiation shielding applications. Using the melt-quenching method, the glass systems [0] with x = 0, 1, 3, and 5 mol% were prepared. Density measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy were employed to analyze the structural, physical, and optical properties systematically. The results show that increasing Sb₂O₃ content raises the glass density, refractive index, and oxygen packing density, while reducing the molar volume and optical band gap. These changes contribute to forming a …

[Excerpt From] Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities For Nurses To Protect Health In A Changing Climate, Susan B. Hassmiller

Sigma Publications: Book Excerpts

Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate offers nurses a clear, evidence-based road map for responding to one of the most significant public health challenges of our time. Written as a practical and nonpolitical guide, the book translates the latest science into actionable strategies, helping nurses understand and address the ways climate-driven events affect the health of the public. Authors Sue Hassmiller and Katie Huffling—together with distinguished experts across nursing and environmental health—provide concrete recommendations for strengthening climate resilience, implementing effective clinical and community interventions, advancing sustainability within healthcare systems, and advocating for …

Secondary Syphilis Case Report: Septic Arthritis And Tendinopathy, Phil Kulpinski

Advocate GME

No abstract provided.

Only Americans Left Behind: Iran’S Illegal Use Of Hostages As Political Pawns To Advance Their Foreign Policy, Ava Namazi

San Diego International Law Journal

The Islamic Republic of Iran has emerged as one of the most prominent contemporary practitioners of hostage diplomacy—a strategy rooted in the 1979 Hostage Crisis and sustained through recurring detentions of foreign nationals on fabricated security charges. The government uses innocent foreign nationals as political pawns to coerce Western states, including the United States, to release frozen Iranian assets held abroad. This Comment situates Iran’s use of hostage diplomacy within its post-revolutionary foreign policy, examining how the collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty contributed to this tactic. Additionally, this Comment will analyze the current international legal frameworks governing hostage diplomacy and …

An International Human Rights-Based Approach To Reducing Maternal Mortality And Enhancing Safe Motherhood In Africa, John Mukum Mbaku

San Diego International Law Journal

In 2015, the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) noted that almost fifteen years after the global community had agreed to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which provided an important framework for economic and human development, significant progress has been made in several areas. However, the UNGA explained that many developing countries have not been able to achieve the MDGs, especially those goals related to maternal and reproductive health. Although the global maternal mortality rate has declined significantly, only 50% of pregnant women in developing countries receive the recommended minimum of four antenatal care visits. Additionally, complications suffered during pregnancy and childbirth …