Digital Commons Network^™

Welfare States And Imprisonment Rates: Revisiting The Study Of Public Assistance And Punishment In The United States, Stefan Ivanov

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In the past fifty years, the United States has seen significant changes in both the criminal legal system and the welfare state. The incarceration rate surged by 475% from 1972 to 2007, driven by state-level decisions about criminal legal policy and disproportionately affecting Black Americans. Simultaneously, welfare programs became less generous, especially for those deemed “undeserving.” A long line of social science scholarship emphasizes that these two major social institutions—the welfare state and the carceral state—must be considered as complementary and alternative methods of managing marginalized groups. Quantitative research often confirms these claims, finding a durable inverse relationship between welfare …

Officers’ Perceptions Of Body-Worn Cameras: An Exploratory Study Of Small Police Departments In Upstate New York, Stefan A. Dela Riva

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The aim of this exploratory study is to examine how police officers perceive the impact of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on their use of discretion when communicating with members of the public. In this context, “discretion” refers to an officer’s authority to make independent judgments while enforcing the law; deciding whether to issue a warning, make an arrest, or resolve an incident informally when legality permits. To understand officers’ opinions, a cross-sectional, quantitative online survey was distributed to various police departments and sheriff’s offices in upstate New York. Participants completed a series of Likert-style survey items addressing their general views on …

Explaining Mass Shooting Motivations: A Case Survey Analysis Of Us Mass Shootings (2006-2024), Isaiah H. Harris

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Research on the motivations behind mass shootings remains inconclusive as these events often lack a singular or explicit cause. The motivations of mass shooters are complex, shaped by the interplay of psychological, social, and ideological factors. While some attacks are clearly driven by extremist beliefs, others appear to stem from less defined forces such as depravity or sadistic intent. Existing typologies, such as Langman’s (2009) analysis of school shooters, offer valuable insight but are limited in scope. This study expands upon previous research by examining U.S. mass shootings from 2006 to 2024 to determine whether such events are more frequently …

A Study Of Regulatory Compliance In U.S. Nursing Homes, Patrick Schumacher

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The federal government is responsible for ensuring that nursing homes comply with regulations designed to protect residents from abuse, neglect, and substandard care. To this end, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) partners with states to conduct onsite inspections of nursing homes, during which regulators may identify violations. The agency can take one or more actions in response to violations, including imposing civil money penalties (fines), appointing a state monitor, or mandating remedial education for staff. Despite this regulatory framework, the quality of care in nursing homes remains poor, with many facilities failing to protect the well-being of …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …

A Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence Regulation: Implications For Singapore, Cheng Kit Kit Pang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In relation to artificial intelligence (“AI”) regulation, Singapore presently adopts a wait-and-see approach, refraining from implementing any hard regulation before 2026. This article is directed at making recommendations for Singapore’s future AI hard regulation and conducts a comparative analysis of the hard AI regulation in the EU, the People’s Republic of China (“China”) and South Korea. This article draws lessons specifically from Asian jurisdictions with similar socio-legal and commercial considerations. In particular, China and South Korea are at the forefront, actively pushing for hard regulation. Key takeaways include the potential drivers for a shift towards hard regulation, the scope and …

Principals And The Careless Erosion Of Employment Standards In The Context Of School Autonomy And Marketisation: A Case Study Of School Support Staff, Brad Gobby, Jill Blackmore, Scott Eacott, Amanda Keddie, Katrina Macdonald, Richard Niesche, Jane Wilkinson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Devolved governance, school autonomy and marketisation impact the employment practices of schools and the working conditions of teachers. However, the employment-related effects on school services staff are under-researched. This study draws on data from interviews with staff at one public high school to analyse school services staff experience of school autonomy and the employment practices of principals in the context of competitive education markets. This case study illustrates how a principal's management of employment and labour relations in a school experiencing declining enrolments and reduced resources impacted the labour and working conditions of school services staff. We argue that the …

Does Performance Change Budgets? Punctuated Equilibrium, Performance, And The Budget For Juvenile Justice In An American State, Elaine Yi Lu, Robert Hines, Katherine Willoughby

Publications and Research

How performance informs budgeting and budgets is contentious and unclear. Applying punctuated equilibrium theory, this research seeks to understand if performance information once placed on the media and macropolitical agendas can lead to long term budgetary shifts. This research highlights how the accumulation of performance information punctuated the funding scheme and created a new equilibrium over time.

This research uses mixed methods to study the impact of performance on Florida’s (USA) Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) over a 20-year period. First, we conduct a media review of 400 randomly sampled newspaper articles to characterize the media discourse around the DJJ …

The Towering Inferno: Art, Policy, And Legacy, Charles R. Jennings

Publications and Research

The Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies, leveraging the expertise of its faculty, staff, Advisory Board and colleagues, has consistently programmed activities focused on high-rise fire safety. The upcoming 50^th anniversary of the film The Towering Inferno was an inspiration.

We decided this would be more lighthearted and less purely technical than many of our events. We wanted to consider both the film, and use it to reflect on the state of fire safety in tall buildings in New York City.

Of course it does not escape us that the topic of fire safety is a serious one, …

Talking About Suffering In The Intensive Care Unit, Brent M Kious, Judith B Vick, Peter A Ubel, Olivia Sutton, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Christopher E Cox, Deepshikha Ashana

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Some have hypothesized that talk about suffering can be used by clinicians to motivate difficult decisions, especially to argue for reducing treatment at the end of life. We examined how talk about suffering is related to decision-making for critically ill patients, by evaluating transcripts of conversations between clinicians and patients' families.

Methods: We conducted a secondary qualitative content analysis of audio-recorded family meetings from a multicenter trial conducted in the adult intensive care units of five hospitals from 2012-2017 to look at how the term "suffering" and its variants were used. A coding guide was developed by consensus-oriented discussion …

Investigative Genetic Genealogy Practices Warranting Policy Attention: Results Of A Modified Policy Delphi, Christi J Guerrini, Louiza Kalokairinou, Jill O Robinson, Whitney Bash Brooks, Stephanie M Fullerton, Sara Huston, Jacklyn Dahlquist, Diana Madden, Norah Crossnohere, Nicola Campoamor, John F P Bridges, Amy L Mcguire

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

A technique known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) was first introduced to criminal investigations in 2018, and it has since been used by U.S. law enforcement to help identify hundreds of criminal perpetrators and unidentified human remains. As expertise in IGG grows, policymakers have shown interest in regulating it. To help inform these efforts and to promote coherence in IGG governance as it expands, we recruited experts representing a spectrum of IGG-relevant professions and perspectives to identify and prioritize IGG practices for policy attention and to develop policy options for addressing them. In two rounds of a modified policy Delphi, …

Moving Beyond Simplistic Research Design In Health Professions Education: What A One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design Will Not Prove, S Beth Bierer, Gary Beck Dallaghan, Nicole J Borges, Sam Brondfield, Cha Chi Fung, Kathryn N Huggett, Cayla R Teal, Satid Thammasitboon, Colleen Y Colbert

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: Educational research presents unique study design challenges. Novice researchers in health professions education (HPE) frequently misuse the one-group pretest-posttest design, highlighting the need for improved training in research design. This workshop aimed to enhance understanding of research design among novice HPE researchers, specifically addressing the inherent limitations of the one-group pretest-posttest design and offering alternative approaches.

Methods: Experienced HPE researchers developed this workshop to address common misunderstandings of research design. Leaders from the AAMC Medical Education, Scholarship, Research, and Evaluation section facilitated 60-75-minute workshops conducted at the four 2024 regional meetings hosted by the AAMC Group on Educational Affairs …

Survivorship From Pediatric And Adult Brain Tumors: The 2024 Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium Meeting Report, Scott L Coven, Roberta Mckean-Cowdin, Michael E Scheurer, Kimberly J Johnson, Luc Bauchet, Carol Kruchko, Ching C Lau, Quinn T Ostrom, John Villano, Yan Yuan, Friederike Erdmann

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

The Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium (BTEC) is an international organization with membership of individuals from the scientific community with interests related to brain tumor epidemiology, including surveillance, classification, methodology, etiology, and factors associated with morbidity and survival. The 2024 annual BTEC meeting entitled “Survivorship from Pediatric and Adult Brain Tumors” was held in Mainz, Germany, USA, on May 15–17, 2024. The meeting gathered scientists from Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America and included 4 keynote sessions focusing on brain tumor survivorship across the age spectrum. The meeting included 3 abstract sessions, which also included scientific talks around brain …

On Minimizing Risk And Harm In The Use Of Psychedelics, Jules Evans, Marc Aixalà, Brian T Anderson, William Brennan, Rebecka Bremler, Joost J Breeksema, Lisa Burback, Abigail E Calder, Robin L Carhart-Harris, Katherine Cheung, Neşe Devenot, Ingmar Gorman, Jakub Greń, Peter S Hendricks, Brian Holoyda, Edward Jacobs, Joy Krecké, Daniel J Kruger, David Luke, Tomislav Majić, Amy L Mcguire, Nicky J Mehtani, David S Mathai, Kristin Nash, Tehseen Noorani, Roman Palitsky, Oliver C Robinson, Otto Simonsson, Elin Stahre, Michiel Van Elk, David B Yaden

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Objective: This article outlines recommendations from 30 psychedelic researchers on how to create a better psychedelic safety net.

Methods: A survey of 30 psychedelic researchers asked them to identify key critical research gaps around psychedelic harm and safety.

Results: The critical research gaps identified by the authors included defining the main types of psychedelic harm, the predictors of those harms, and the most effective way to treat those harms. They also call for better support for those experiencing post-psychedelic difficulties, including better online information, peer support groups, affordable therapy, and psychiatric consultation and medication. Finally, the authors call for better …

Reframing Stigma In Tourette Syndrome: An Updated Scoping Review, Kelly Pring, Melina Malli, Brandy W Hardy, Stephen R Rapp, Eric A Storch, Jonathan W Mink, Jaclyn M Martindale

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Persistent tic disorders (PTD) such as Tourette's syndrome (TS) are common childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorders. Stigmatization of individuals with these disorders remains an ongoing problem. The purpose of this scoping review is to serve as an updated review of the research regarding stigmatization in youth with PTD since the publication of the original systematic review about this topic in 2016. The electronic databases Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched. Of the 4751 initial articles screened after removing duplications, 47 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies were examined under the social-ecological stigmatization model, which helps categorize stigmatization …

Patient-Centric Federated Learning: Automating Meaningful Consent To Health Data Sharing With Smart Contracts, Kristin M Kostick-Quenet, Marcelo Corrales Compagnucci, Mateo Aboy, Timo Minssen

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Federated Learning (FL) promises to enhance data-driven health research by enabling collaborative machine learning across distributed datasets without direct data exchange. However, current FL implementations primarily reflect the data-sharing interests of institutional controllers rather than those of individual patients whose data are at stake. Existing consent mechanisms-like broad consent under HIPAA or explicit consent under the GDPR-fail to provide patients with control over how their data is used. This article explores the integration of smart contracts (SCs) into FL as a mechanism for automating, enforcing, and documenting consent in data transactions. SCs, encoded in decentralized ledger technologies, can ensure that …

When Families Bridge The Research-Clinical Divide: An Exploration Of Values Regarding Cascade Screening In Genomic Research, Katherine E Bonini, Lauren R Desrosiers-Battu, Ann Katherine M Foreman, Nuriye N Sahin-Hodoglugil, Mary A Majumder, Candice R Finnila, Stephanie A Kraft, Laura M Amendola, Eimear E Kenny, Stephanie M Fullerton, Sara L Ackerman, Benjamin S Wilfond, Amy L Mcguire, Hadley Stevens Smith

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Purpose: Genetic results are important for both patients and their biological relatives. However, cascade screening (CS) uptake is low, especially when testing occurs through research programs and not clinical care. Ethical guidance is needed for CS implementation when individuals receive clinical genetic results through research.

Methods: We conducted focus groups with 3 groups of individuals in the Clinical Sequencing Evidence-Generating Research Consortium: clinicians, patient representatives, and scholars of the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomics. We used inductive thematic and comparative analyses to analyze data within and across the groups.

Results: All participants (n = 27) agreed that …

Deep Brain Stimulation For Childhood Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Mental Health Clinician Views On Candidacy Factors, Ilona Cenolli, Tiffany A Campbell, Natalie Dorfman, Meghan Hurley, Jared N Smith, Kristin Kostick-Quenet, Eric A Storch, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is approved under a humanitarian device exemption to manage treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (TR-OCD) in adults. It is possible that DBS may be trialed or used clinically off-label in children and adolescents with TR-OCD in the future. DBS is already used to manage treatment-resistant childhood dystonia. Evidence suggests it is a safe and effective intervention for certain types of dystonia. Important questions remain unanswered about the use of DBS in children and adolescents with TR-OCD, including whether mental health clinicians would refer pediatric patients for DBS, and who would be a good candidate for DBS.

Objectives: …

Ethical, Legal, And Social Issues In Metaverse-Enabled Healthcare, Kristin M Kostick-Quenet, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Metaverse is heralded by some as the next iteration of the internet. It offers three-dimensional, immersive virtual spaces, where users, represented as avatars, can synchronously work, play, interact, and transact. Initially developed within the realm of massive multiplayer online role-playing games, the metaverse now extends into sectors such as music, entertainment, retail, real estate, and, more recently, healthcare. Users engage in the metaverse using augmented reality or virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets that interoperate with other sensory devices to integrate biofeedback and multimodal data streams.1 In this article, the authors offer a conceptual synthesis and anticipatory policy analysis grounded in …

Major Trends In Oral Historiography In Mainland Tanzania, 1960s To The Present: A Review Of Published Sources, Albertus K. Onyiego

Zamani: A Journal of African Historical Studies

This article examines the role of oral methodology in reconstructing historical knowledge in Mainland Tanzania over the last six decades. Although greater attention is paid to the period from the 1960s onwards, efforts have been made to illuminate on the use of oral methodology in the period before. The article is organised into four temporal sections, each representing a distinct phase of oral methodology. The first section explores the role of oral methodology before independence. It will be noticed that the gradual use of oral sources in the writing of history in Mainland Tanzania started way back during German and …

A Conceptual Framework To Assess The Health, Socioeconomic And Environmental Burden Of Chronic Kidney Disease, Charlotte Johnston-Webber, Isaac Bencomo-Bermudez, George Wharton, Robin Van Kessel, Salvatore Barone, Francisco Brotons Muntó, Steven Chadban, Juan Jose Garcia Sanchez, Janwillem Kocks, Kyra Obolensky, Petra Sandow, Neil Skolnik, Ming-Hui Zhao, Alexei Volaco, David Wheeler, Alistair Mcguire, Elias Mossialos

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health challenge that affects patients, caregivers, healthcare systems, the environment and national economies. Despite its far-reaching impact, there is no framework to systematically evaluate national CKD prevention and management programmes or evaluate the societal burden of disease. This paper has two objectives: first, to introduce a comprehensive framework to assess national programmes, which recognises gaps and weaknesses and identifies feasible policy interventions to reduce overall CKD burden; second, to present some key challenges and success stories in delivering CKD services delivered in eight different country settings. A literature review informed an initial version …

Equal For Whom?: An Analysis Of Multicultural Policies In Norway And The Us Through The Lens Of Immigrant Unemployment, Jodie Boisvert

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

Norway and the United States boast diverse and equal societies. Both have attempted to implement multicultural policies to facilitate immigrants' integration into the host society. Engaging with the theories of racism, xenophobia, and multiculturalism, this paper analyzes the immigrant unemployment outcomes from Norway and the United States from 2015-2020 to identify patterns and anticipate causal relationships from these patterns. Standardized data from both countries show that immigrants from Global South countries have far worse employment outcomes than immigrants from Global North countries. The xenophobic and racist histories of both countries could explain this. This paper analyzes the multicultural policies of …

A Review Of Education Policies And Their Impact On Gang Participation For Youth, Sarah Sanders

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Youth have suffered from gang violence in schools and neighborhoods at different rates per the Concentric Zone Model and the Strain theory. Gang violence is a concern for Little Rock, Arkansas. This study will follow the Concentric Zone Model and the Strain theory for data collection and evaluate the extent of gang violence linked to education in response to Zero-Tolerance policies for the Little Rock School District (LRSD) and Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD), showing a holistic explanation of crime. This study will review secondary data from LRSD, PCSSD, and local law enforcement agencies to cross-reference reports of concerns …

Health Equity Innovation In Precision Medicine: Data Stewardship And Agency To Expand Representation In Clinicogenomics, Patrick J Silva, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, Reid Powell, Junaid Husain, Scott Grossman, Adam Hansen, Jennifer Hinkel, Rafael Rosengarten, Marcia G Ory, Kenneth S Ramos

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Most forms of clinical research examine a very minute cross section of the patient journey. Much of the knowledge and evidence base driving current genomic medicine practice entails blind spots arising from underrepresentation and lack of research participation in clinicogenomic databases. The flaws are perpetuated in AI models and clinical practice guidelines that reflect the lack of diversity in data being used. Participation in clinical research and biobanks is impeded in many populations due to a variety of factors that include knowledge, trust, healthcare access, administrative barriers, and technology gaps. A recent symposium brought industry, clinical, and research participants in …

Ad Hominem Arguments In Zimbabwean Political Discourse: An Analysis Of Political Argumentation, Jack Mutsvairo, Mawande Dlali

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The article investigates the motivation behind the prevalent use of the subtypes of ad hominem (personal attacks) arguments in Zimbabwe political discourse in the build-up to the 2023 harmonised council, parliamentary and presidential elections. This qualitative case study research looks at the use of ad hominem arguments by Zimbabwean politicians. Using analytical tools and concepts from informal logic and pragma-dialectical argumentation theories, this article focuses on identifying, analysing, and evaluating ad hominem arguments used in Zimbabwean political discourse, particularly in parliamentary debates and broadcast interviews. Data were purposively sampled and gathered from Hansard records, and a television interview transcript. It …

The Lived Experiences Of Poverty Among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups In A Rights-Based Anti-Poverty Programme In Jharkhand India, Monimala Sengupta

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

This research explores poverty and social exclusion among Primitive Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India using T. H. Marshall's concept of social citizenship. With evidence showing a disproportionate burden of poverty in the Global South, indigenous groups are even overrepresented among the poor. India, home to one of the largest Indigenous populations, accounts for 70% of South Asia's impoverished, but the specific nature of poverty within these communities remain poorly understood.

Over the past two decades, India's national response to poverty has shifted towards rights-based, inclusive policies targeting marginalised communities such as Dalits, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes, historically subjected to …

Seasonal Pollen Increases Traffic Fatalities In The United States, Monica Deza

Population Health Research Brief Series

Traffic fatalities are the among the leading causes of death in the United States. Motor vehicle crash death rates have declined overall in the U.S. in recent decades, but there is substantial variation in rates across the country. Due to climate change, exposure to pollen has increased in various parts of the U.S. The antihistamine response triggered by pollen can result in poor physical and cognitive symptoms, thus impacting an individual’s ability to drive and increasing the risk of motor vehicle fatalities. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the National Allergy Bureau (NAB) Pollen and …

Philanthropy Under Uncertainty: Muslim Religious Giving During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Osman Umarji, Rafeel Wasif, Shariq Siddiqui, Zeeshan Noor

Public Administration Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study investigates the demographic, religious, and psychological correlates of charitable giving during times of uncertainty. We employ structural equation modeling to understand the mechanisms that underlie faith-based philanthropy amongst Muslims. For this purpose, we analyzed Muslim American philanthropy during the month of Ramadan in 2020, a month traditionally associated with increased religiosity and philanthropy. Utilizing a sample of 1,722 Muslims in the United States and Canada, uncertainty intolerance was associated with financial anxiety (B = .26), which in turn was related to donating less money (B = -.06). Financial anxiety was also associated with subjective financial well-being (B =.-.22), …

Master Of Social Work Portfolio, Madison L. Good

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio highlights my growth and development as a social work student which I am hopeful and committed to continuing as I transition into a new social work professional. The five elements of advanced integrated practice will be presented followed by the competency that relates to each element. Within each competency, I will explore the dimensions of practice that include how I expanded my knowledge, skills, and values while forming and demonstrating cognitive and affective processes throughout my time in the program.

Imagining The Future Of Records Management: An Analysis Of The Srikandi In Indonesia Through Documentation Studies, Suprayitno Suprayitno, Rahmi Rahmi, Zulfatun Sofiyani

Proceedings from the Document Academy

The SRIKANDI application, a cornerstone of Indonesia's digital records management initiative, embodies the nation's commitment to modernizing governance through electronic systems. This study employs Niels Windfeld Lund’s Complementary Documentation Analysis Model to dissect SRIKANDI'S evolution (diachronic analysis) and its current state (synchronic analysis), offering a comprehensive understanding of its role in Indonesia's e-government landscape. Diachronically, SRIKANDI'S development reflects a strategic shift from fragmented, standalone applications towards a unified, interoperable platform, as mandated by Presidential Regulation No. 95 of 2018. This transition aims to streamline government processes, reduce redundancy, and enhance budget efficiency. Synchronically, SRIKANDI is evaluated as a digital platform …