Digital Commons Network^™

Against A Deconstitutionalisation Of International Law In Times Of Populism, Pandemic, And War, Anne Peters

Articles

On 24th February 2022, the international landscape changed. The German chancellor called it a ‘Zeitenwende’, an epochal change. Russia invaded its neighbour Ukraine, a state that has struggled with corruption and oligarchy but which might nevertheless be qualified as having a democratic and liberal system of government. Russia thereby violated one of the basic principles of international law, the prohibition on the use of force, and in the course of this unlawful war is committing countless grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law, and commits atrocities amounting maybe even to genocide.

Textualism, Judicial Supremacy, And The Independent State Legislature Theory, Leah M. Litman, Katherine A. Shaw

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This piece offers an extended critique of one aspect of the so-called "independent state legislature" theory. That theory, in brief, holds that the federal Constitution gives state legislatures, and withholds from any other state entity, the power to regulate federal elections. Proponents ground their theory in two provisions of the federal Constitution: Article I's Elections Clause, which provides that "[t]he Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof," and Article H's Presidential Electors Clause, which provides that "[e]ach State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature …

Masculinities And Affective Equality; The Case Of Professional Caring, Niall Hanlon

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Critical studies of men and masculinities [CSMM] aim to advance gender equality by critiquing and deconstructing male hegemony and hegemonic masculinities. Although the implicit value of gender equality is clear in CSMM generally, the conceptualization of equality is frequently vague, implied, and lacks conceptual definition. The problem is compounded in caring masculinities studies which additionally often lack engagement with critical feminist and other socio-political perspectives on caring. These shortcomings hide the complex interrelation of different dimensions to inequality as they intersect with multiple relational identities. Caring practices are also complex having distinct phases that engage different forms of labour within …

Chronic, Mild Hypothermic Environmental Temperature Does Not Ameliorate Cognitive Deficits In An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse., Samuel Mcfadden, Lindsey N Sime, Makayla F. Cox, Caleigh A Findley, Mackenzie R Peck, Kathleen Quinn, Yimin Fang, Andrzej Bartke, Erin R Hascup, Kevin N Hascup

Articles

Metabolic dysfunction increases with age and is a contributing factor to Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. We have previously observed impaired insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in the APP/PS1 model of AD. To improve these parameters, we chronically exposed male and female mice to mild hypothermic environmental temperature (eT), which positively modulates metabolism. Although a hypothermic eT normalized insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance was still impaired in both sexes of AD mice. We observed increased plasma glucagon and BAFF in both sexes, but additional sexually dimorphic mechanisms may explain the impaired glucose homeostasis in AD mice. Hepatic Glut2 was decreased in female …

A Review Of Risk Concepts And Models For Predicting The Risk Of Primary Stroke, Elizabeth Hunter, John D. Kelleher

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Predicting an individual's risk of primary stroke is an important tool that can help to lower the burden of stroke for both the individual and society. There are a number of risk models and risk scores in existence but no review or classification designed to help the reader better understand how models differ and the reasoning behind these differences. In this paper we review the existing literature on primary stroke risk prediction models. From our literature review we identify key similarities and differences in the existing models. We find that models can differ in a number of ways, including the …

Sodium Alginate, Nanoclay And Curcumin Based Food Packaging Material For Intelligent Food Packaging Applications, Kalpani Y. Perera, Máille Hopkins, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

Bionanocomposite food packaging contains materials of biological origin which display high-performance activity when compared to biopolymers and are eco-friendly alternatives to conventional packaging materials. Intelligent packaging monitors the condition of the food or environment surrounding the food and communicates changes to the consumer. This study aimed to develop a bionanocomposite intelligent packaging material by utilising sodium alginate, nanoclay and curcumin. Sodium alginate (2 W/V% SA) film incorporated with 0.3 W/V% curcumin (Cur), glycerol, and nanoclay (NC) in various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 W/V %) was prepared using the solvent casting method. The influences of nanoclay and curcumin on …

Biodegradable Active Bio-Nanocomposite Film For The Enhanced Shelf Life Of Tomatoes, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarna Jaiswal

Articles

The increased environmental pollution has led to finding sustainable solutions for non-renewable plastic-based food packaging materials. Thus, the use of biomaterial-based packaging material has become an immense trend. This work aims at developing an antimicrobial biodegradable chitosanalginate bio-nano composite film with TiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) for food packaging applications. The film was developed by a solution casting method. The chemical, mechanical, thermal, barrier, antimicrobial, and biodegradable properties of the packaging films were evaluated. Packaging studies were performed for 15 days for cherry tomatoes. The designed packaging material had enhanced the mechanical properties with a significantly (p < 0.05) higher tensile strength of 15.76 folds and 2 fold higher elongation at break. The UV barrier properties increased by 88.6%, while the film transparency decreased by 87.23%. Molecular interaction of N-H covalent bonds was observed between alginate and chitosan together with TiO2 NPs. The developed bio-nano composite film showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, and L. monocytogene with a log reduction of 7.08, 7.28, 6.04 & 6.02 log CFU/ml respectively at 24 hours incubation period. The film was completely biodegraded and a weight loss of 89.06% was observed in bio-nanocomposite film during the 3 months. Shelf-life estimation of cherry tomato using developed packaging films showed an increase in the shelf-life up to 8 days with stable pH, total soluble solids, and weight with no bacterial growth when packaged with prepared film. Owing to their improved mechanical, UV barrier, antibacterial, and biodegradability, the prepared active bio-nano composite packaging films could be considered a potential candidate for fruit packaging.

Open-Source Clinical Machine Learning Models: Critical Appraisal Of Feasibility, Advantages, And Challenges, Keerthi B. Harish, W. Nicholson Price Ii, Yindalon Aphinyanaphongs

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Machine learning applications promise to augment clinical capabilities and at least 64 models have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. These tools are developed, shared, and used in an environment in which regulations and market forces remain immature. An important consideration when evaluating this environment is the introduction of open-source solutions in which innovations are freely shared; such solutions have long been a facet of digital culture. We discuss the feasibility and implications of open-source machine learning in a health care infrastructure built upon proprietary information. The decreased cost of development as compared to drugs and …

Inclusion And Belonging In Irish Higher Education For Black And Minority Ethnic Students, Fionnuala Darby

Articles

Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as an analytical prism, this study interrogates the sense of belonging and inclusion experienced by Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students on one higher education campus in Ireland. The most important story told within the study is as simple as it is complicated. The simple part is that the BME students felt that the campus was inclusive and that they experienced a sense of belonging. The complicated part is that the findings are premised in a normative assumption of whiteness as evidenced by numerous and incremental moments of exclusion in the daily experience of microaggressions, …

A Qualitative Exploration Of The Motivations And Expectations Of Lecturers Who Sign-Up To Participate In An Emotional Intelligence Coaching Programme, Eoghan Guiry, Aiden Carthy

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Research has emphasised the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in the work of higher education staff. However, little is about the motivations and expectations of lecturers who decide to participate in EI coaching programmes. As part of a larger study pertaining to the efficacy of EI coaching for Irish higher education lecturers, qualitative data was collected by way of a questionnaire that contained two open-ended questions from all participants who signed up for coaching (N = 40). The findings indicate that the primary motivations for participants to sign-up for coaching were personal development and a desire to support research activities. …

An Evidence Review Of Behavioural Economics In The Justice Sector, Brian Barry, Lucia Morales, Aiden Carthy

Articles

Behavioural economics combines elements of economics and psychology to better understand how and why people behave the way they do in the real world. While behavioural economics originally sought to better understand economic decision-making, it has since grown in scope and application, and it is increasingly used by governments, government departments and other organisations to shape and implement public policies in a range of policy areas. This Review considers the application of behavioural economics theories and concepts (commonly referred to as behavioural insights) to the justice sector in a range of areas of justice policy in different jurisdictions. Areas of …

The Improvised Implementation Of Executive Agreements, Kathleen Claussen

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Implementation is at the core of lawmaking in our divided government. A rich literature covers the waterfront with respect to agencies' implementation of legislative mandates, and another equally robust line of scholarship considers Congress's implementation of treaties. Missing from those discussions, however, is another area of implementation central to U. S. foreign relations: the implementation of transnational regulatory agreements.

This Article examines how federal agencies have harnessed far-reaching discretion from Congress on whether and how to implement thousands of international agreements. Agencies regularly implement agreements by relying on a self-developed menu of options, much like they do in the domestic …

Due Process Alignment In Mass Restructurings, Sergio J. Campos, Samir D. Parikh

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Mass tort defendants have recently begun exiting multidistrict litigation by filing for bankruptcy. This new strategy ushers defendants into a far more hospitable forum that offers accelerated resolution of all state and federal claims held by both current and future victims.

Bankruptcy's structural, procedural, and substantive benefits also provide defendants with unique optionality. Bankruptcy's resolution promise is alluring, but the process relies on a very large assumption: that future victims can be compelled to relinquish property rights in their cause of action against the corporate defendant and others without consent or notice. Bankruptcy builds an entire resolution structure on the …

Eight Steps To Facilitating More Equitable Education In Undergraduate Sciences, Gintarė Lübeck, Michael K. Seery, Barry J. Ryan

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Pedagogical practices can influence students’ confidence and ability beliefs and affect their ambition to persevere in science. Given the continuing need to diversify science and retain students in scientific programmes, science education must be tailored to cater to the needs of varied student groups. Since early experience in university programmes can be decisive in determining students’ further academic and professional choices, pedagogies employed in undergraduate science courses can be particularly influential in supporting science careers. Undergraduate science instructors are therefore encouraged to consider their approaches to teaching and learning from a variety of perspectives that could help empower students from …

Advances In 3d Culture Systems For Therapeutic Discovery And Development In Brain Cancer, Janith Wanigasekara, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke, Brijesh Tiwari, James F. Curtin

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This review focuses on recent advances in 3D culture systems that promise more accurate therapeutic models of the glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor microenvironment (TME), such as the unique anatomical, cellular, and molecular features evident in human GBM. The key components of a GBM TME are outlined, including microbiomes, vasculature, extracellular matrix (ECM), infiltrating parenchymal and peripheral immune cells and molecules, and chemical gradients. 3D culture systems are evaluated against 2D culture systems and in vivo animal models. The main 3D culture techniques available are compared, with an emphasis on identifying key gaps in knowledge for the development of suitable platforms …

Cognitive Effort Avoidance In Veterans With Suicide Attempt Histories, James M. Bjork, Chelsea S. Rooney, Lisa K. Straub, David M. N. Garavito, Andrew Westbrook

Articles

Suicide attempts (SA) are increasing in the United States, especially in veterans. Discovering individual cognitive features of the subset of suicide ideators who attempt suicide is critical. Cognitive theories attribute SA to facile schema-based negative interpretations of environmental events. Over-general autobiographical memory and facile solutions in problem solving tasks in SA survivors suggest that aversion to expending cognitive effort may be a neurobehavioral marker of SA risk. In veterans receiving care for mood disorder, we compared cognitive effort discounting and evidence-gathering in a beads task between veterans with (SAHx+; n = 26) versus without (SAHx-; n = 22) a history …

Monitoring Activities Of Daily Living For Maintaining Independent Living In Dementia, Jonathan Turner, Ciaran Nugent, Damon Berry, Dympna O'Sullivan, Michael Wilson, Julie Doyle

Articles

Our ability to live independent meaningful lives depends on our ability to perform various activities and to maintain our cognitive functions. Maintaining independent living is important for persons with dementia, it increases selfworth and allows to remain independent and in their own homes for longer. We describe the activities established as being important for the maintenance of independent living, and methods for monitoring these activities using technology.

An Active Biodegradable Layer-By-Layer Film Based On Chitosan-Alginate-Tio2 For The Enhanced Shelf Life Of Tomatoes, Kalpani Y. Perera, Shubham Sharma, Brendan Duffy, Shiviani Pathania, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarma Jaiswal

Articles

This work aims at developing biodegradable active chitosan-alginate layer-by-layer bio-nanocomposite film with TiO₂NPs using the solvent casting method followed by CaCl₂ crosslinking for food packaging applications. The developed films enhanced the tensile strength and elongation at break by 14.76 and 2 folds (p < 0.05) respectively. The UV barrier properties of CH-SA-0.3%TiO₂ film increased by 88.6%, while the film transparency decreased by 87.23%. All films showed antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens E. coli, S. aureus, S. typhi, and L. monocytogene. The film with 0.1%TiO₂ showed the complete killing of gram-positive bacteria. The CH-SA-0.1%TiO₂ film was completely biodegraded during the …

Democracy Harms And The First Amendment, Deborah Pearlstein

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The First Amendment tolerates—has long tolerated—the regulation of certain kinds of false speech. Indeed, regulable lies are not limited to traditionally less-protected categories of speech like defamation and commercial deception. They include an array of other established speech regulations, administered by government institutions every day, from criminal laws barring perjury and other lies to government officials, to disciplinary measures by elected bodies sanctioning members for false or otherwise objectionable speech. Yet while it is easy to identify the kinds of lies that existing doctrinal categories make regulable for the personal, physical, or reputational harms they inflict on individuals¸ it has …

Co-Op Care - The Case For Co-Operative Care In Ireland, Gerard Doyle

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No abstract provided.

Employment Trajectories And Mental Health-Related Disability In Belgium, Sudipa Sarkar, Rebeka Balogh, Sylvie Gadeyne, Johanna Jonsson Et Al.

Articles

An individual’s quality of employment over time has been highlighted as a potential determinant of mental health. With mental ill-health greatly contributing to work incapacities and disabilities in Belgium, the present study aims to explore whether mental health, as indicated by registered mental health-related disability, is structured along the lines of employment quality, whereby employment quality is assessed over time as part of individuals’ labour market trajectories.

The Continued Problem Of Url Decay: An Updated Analysis Of Health Care Management Journal Citations, Susan M. Howell, Amber T. Burtis

Articles

Objective: This study updates a 2009 study which examined uniform resource locator (URL) decay in health care management journals and seeks to determine whether continued URL availability relates to publication date, resource type, or top-level domain. The authors also provide an analysis of differences in findings between the two study periods.

Methods: The authors collected the URLs of web-based cited references in articles published in five health care management source journals from 2016 to 2018. The URLs were checked to see if they were still active and then analyzed to determine if continued availability was related to publication date, resource …

A Second Look For Children Sentenced To Die In Prison, Kathryn E. Miller

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Scholars have championed “second look” statutes as a decarceral tool. Second look statutes allow certain incarcerated people to seek resentencing after having served a portion of their sentences. This Essay weighs the advantages and disadvantages of these statutes as applied to children sentenced to die in prison and argues that focusing on this small, discrete group may be a digestible entry point for more conservative states who fear widespread resentencing. Moreover, because early data indicates that children convicted of homicide and released as adults have very low recidivism rates, second look beneficiaries are likely to pose little threat to public …

Reducing Prejudice Through Law: Evidence From Experimental Psychology, Sara Emily Burke, Roseanna Sommers

Articles

Can antidiscrimination law effect changes in public attitudes toward minority groups? Could learning, for instance, that employment discrimination against people with clinical depression is legally prohibited cause members of the public to be more accepting toward people with mental health conditions? In this Article, we report the results of a series of experiments that test the effect of inducing the belief that discrimination against a given group is legal (versus illegal) on interpersonal attitudes toward members of that group. We find that learning that discrimination is unlawful does not simply lead people to believe that an employer is more likely …

Experimentations With Mindfulness And Gratitude Practice In My Legal Writing Classroom, Amanda K. Stephen

Articles

Three years ago, I attended my first Western Regional Legal Writing Conference at Santa Clara University School of Law. I was brand new to teaching legal writing, only about a month into my first year of classes, and I was inspired by the creativity and focus on student learning that seemed to drive my new colleagues.

One presentation stood out to me: “Making Mindfulness a Part of the Legal Writing Curriculum: ‘If a Lawyer Isn’t Happy, What’s the Point?’” by Professors Katherine Brem and Lauren Simpson at the University of Houston Law Center. The presenters demonstrated how they start their …

Appendix To "The Amazing Carrie Menkel-Meadow And What Wins When Passions Collide", Lela P. Love

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No abstract provided.

Carrie Menkel-Meadow: Dispute Resolution In A Feminist Voice, Andrea K. Schneider

Articles

The presence of women in the law has changed the law’s substance, practice, and process. Carrie Menkel-Meadow, whose scholarship centers on this theme, is one such revolutionary woman.

Professor Menkel-Meadow, who I am proud to call my colleague, co-author, and friend (hereinafter referred to as Carrie), began her career in 1977 with a series of simple questions that sparked a breathtaking body of work. Carrie probed the depth of male domination in the realm of law and wondered what changes female representation might engender. In particular, she focused her inquiry on the value orientation each respective gender might bring to …

Minding The Gap: Computing Ethics And The Political Economy Of Big Tech, Ioannis Stavrakakis, Damian Gordon, Paul John Gibson, Dympna O'Sullivan, Anna Becevel

Articles

In 1988 Michael Mahoney wrote that “[w]hat is truly revolutionary about the computer will become clear only when computing acquires a proper history, one that ties it to other technologies and thus uncovers the precedents that make its innovations significant” (Mahoney, 1988). Today, over thirty years after this quote was written, we are living right in the middle of the information age and computing technology is constantly transforming modern living in revolutionary ways and in such a high degree that is giving rise to many ethical considerations, dilemmas, and social disruption. To explore the myriad of issues associated with the …

“Be A Pattern For The World”: The Development Of A Dark Patterns Detection Tool To Prevent Online User Loss, Jordan Donnelly, Alan Dowley, Yunpeng Liu, Yufei Su, Quanwei Sun, Lan Zeng, Andrea Curley, Damian Gordon, Paul Kelly, Dympna O'Sullivan, Anna Becevel

Articles

Dark Patterns are designed to trick users into sharing more information or spending more money than they had intended to do, by configuring online interactions to confuse or add pressure to the users. They are highly varied in their form, and are therefore difficult to classify and detect. Therefore, this research is designed to develop a framework for the automated detection of potential instances of web-based dark patterns, and from there to develop a software tool that will provide a highly useful defensive tool that helps detect and highlight these patterns.

Bio-Based Food Packaging Material For Intelligent Food Packaging Applications For Chicken Fillets, Kalpani Y. Perera, Amit K. Jaiswal, Swarma Jaiswal, Shubham Sharma

Articles

Bionanocomposite packaging is made up of bio- based materials that have high performance activity and are ecologically sustainable alternatives to packaging made of synthetic polymers. Intelligent packaging retains track of the state of the food and the environment in which it is stored, and communicates relevant changes to the consumer through visualization or other methods. The aim of this study was to develop a bionanocomposite intelligent packaging material by utilising sodium alginate, gelatin, nanoclay and curcumin. Sodium alginate, gelatin film incorporated with Curcumin (Cur), and Nanoclay (NC) in various concentrations (0% W/V, 0.5% W/V, 1% W/V and 1. 5% W/V) …