Digital Commons Network^™

Biobased Construction From Agricultural Crops: Paper 1 - A State Of Play Of Commercial Solutions In Europe, Patrick Daly, Paula G. Barril

Articles

In response to environmental concerns and the global warming issue in particular there is a growing drive to decarbonise the building sector and transition it to more circular practices.

Biobased construction materials, products and systems are an important low carbon and circular strategy as they can enable low to negative carbon construction and have strong circularity advantages notably being able to enter the bio cycle, using renewable, low to zero toxic resources and provide a range of other performance benefits, including moisture and vapour regulation.

This novel research presents a unique state of play on the commercial application of biobased …

Inclusive Counterfactual Generation: Leveraging Llms In Identifying Online Hate, M. Atif Qureshi, Arjumand Younus, Simon Caton

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Counterfactually augmented data has recently been proposed as a successful solution for socially situated NLP tasks such as hate speech detection. The chief component within the existing counterfactual data augmentation pipeline, however, involves manually flipping labels and making minimal content edits to training data. In a hate speech context, these forms of editing have been shown to still retain offensive hate speech content. Inspired by the recent success of large language models (LLMs), especially the development of ChatGPT, which have demonstrated improved language comprehension abilities, we propose an inclusivity-oriented approach to automatically generate counterfactually augmented data using LLMs. We show …

Explainable Ai For 6g Use Cases: Technical Aspects And Research Challenges, Shen Wang, M. Atif Qureshi, Luis Miralles-Pechu{\'A}N, Thien Huynh-The, Thippa Reddy Gadekallu, Madhusanka Liyanage

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Around 2020, 5G began its commercialization journey, and discussions about the next-generation networks (such as 6G) emerged. Researchers predict that 6G networks will have higher bandwidth, coverage, reliability, energy efficiency, and lower latency, and will be an integrated “human-centric” network system powered by artificial intelligence (AI). This 6G network will lead to many real-time automated decisions, ranging from network resource allocation to collision avoidance for self-driving cars. However, there is a risk of losing control over decision-making due to the high-speed, data-intensive AI decision-making that may go beyond designers’ and users’ comprehension. To mitigate this risk, explainable AI (XAI) methods …

Shareholder Primacy Versus Shareholder Accountability, William Wilson Bratton

Articles

When corporations inflict injuries in the course of business, shareholders wielding environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") principles can, and now sometimes do, intervene to correct the matter. In the emerging fact pattern, corporate social accountability expands out of its historic collectivized frame to become an internal subject matter-a corporate governance topic. As a result, shareholder accountability surfaces as a policy question for the first time. The Big Three index fund managers, BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, responded to the accountability question with ESG activism. In so doing, they defected against corporate legal theory's central tenet, shareholder primacy. Shareholder primacy builds …

Two-Dimensional Dual Jets—A Comprehensive Review Of Experimental And Numerical Analyses, Paula J. Murphy, Sajad Alimohammadi, Séamus M. O'Shaughnessy

Articles

A dual jet system, comprising a wall jet flowing tangential to a solid wall and a parallel offset jet, possesses a unique flow field that has proven advantageous in many industrial applications. Despite this, investigations of dual jets are severely underrepresented in the published literature, meaning their flow and heat transfer characteristics are yet to be fully understood. Many published studies dedicated to the characterization of dual jet flows are entirely numerical in nature, and significant discrepancies exist among the reported findings. This can be attributed to the distinct lack of experimental data related to dual jet flows, which has …

Gdpr Compliance Via Software Evolution: Weaving Security Controls In Software Design, Vanessa Ayala-Rivera, A. Omar Portillo-Dominguez, Liliana Pasquale

Articles

Software should comply with international privacy laws, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, implementing appropriate technical controls is often an error-prone and time-consuming process. This is partly due to the limited knowledge of software engineers about privacy and security. This paper proposes SoCo, a semi-automated approach to support organizations in achieving software compliance with the GDPR data protection principles. To do so, SoCo supports engineers in identifying and integrating appropriate technical controls in sequence diagrams during the design phase. SoCo includes a technique to assist engineers to identify data processing activities in software applications modeled as sequence diagrams …

Micromixing Strategies For Efficient Mixing Processes: A Comprehensive Review, Delara Soltani, Tim Persoons, Sajad Alimohammadi

Articles

The demand for rapid, high-quality, and controlled mixing at the microscale has led to the development of various types of micromixers. Micromixers are commonly categorised as active, or passive based on whether they utilise external energy to enhance mixing. Passive micromixers utilise a complex geometry to enhance the diffusion coefficient at lower Reynolds numbers and induce chaotic advection at higher Reynolds numbers for effectively mixing fluids without external energy. Active micromixers, on the other hand, achieve precise, fast, and controllable mixing by employing external energy sources such as pressure, electric, magnetic, or acoustic fields. Some active methods such as magnetic …

Generation, Characterisation And Identification Of Bioactive Peptides From Mesopelagic Fish Protein Hydrolysates Using In Silico And In Vitro Approaches, Maria Hayes, Azza Naik, Leticia Mora, Bruno Iñarra, Jone Ibarruri, Carlos Bald, Thibault Cariou, David Reid, Michael Gallagher, Ragnhild Dragøy, Jorge Galino, Alba Deyà, Sissel Albrektsen, Lars Thoresen, Runar G. Solstad

Articles

This study generated bioactive hydrolysates using the enzyme Alcalase and autolysis from mesopelagic fish, including Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale. Generated hydrolysates were investigated for their bioactivities using in vitro bioassays, and bioactive peptides were identified using mass spectrometry in active hydrolysates with cyclooxygenase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and antioxidant activities. In silico analysis was employed to rank identified peptide sequences in terms of overall bioactivity using programmes including Peptide Ranker, PrepAIP, Umami-MRNN and AntiDMPpred. Seven peptides predicted to have anti-inflammatory, anti-type 2 diabetes or Umami potential using in silico strategies were chemically synthesised, and their anti-inflammatory activities were confirmed using …

Tailwiz: Empowering Domain Experts With Easy-To-Use, Task-Specific Natural Language Processing Models, Austin Peters, Tim Daj, Jonah Gelbach, David Freeman, Daniel Khang

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Experts outside the field of machine learning (ML) are interested in using ML techniques to analyze their textual data, but they are inhibited by a lack of convenient natural language processing (NLP) tools. To address this issue, we present tailwiz, an easy-to-use Python tool, powered by supervised fine-tuning of NLP models. tailwiz caters to domain experts by abstracting away technical ML knowledge and running conveniently on personal computers, the preferred mode of computation among domain experts. We show that tailwiz outperforms domain experts’ current textual analysis techniques on a majority of real-world tasks, up to a 384.8% F1 increase (46.18% …

The Role (And Limits) Of Developmental Neuroscience In Determining Adolescents’ Autonomy Rights: The Case For Reproductive And Voting Rights, Emily Buss, Julie Maslowsky, Laura Wray-Lake

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No abstract provided.

The Bottini Saga: Why Housing Shortages Are Endemic In California, Richard Epstein

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No abstract provided.

Real-World Prior Art, Jonathan Masur, Lisa Ouellette

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No abstract provided.

The Magnet School Wars And The Future Of Colorblindness, Sonja Starr

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The Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down the use of race-based classifications in university admissions reflects its growing commitment to the concept of “colorblindness,” which has implications well beyond education. In anticipation, many schools and other actors are already moving toward alternative, facially race-neutral strategies for promoting diversity and reducing racial disparity. But what will happen when those policies too are challenged because they have race-related motives? Will courts soon find all race-conscious policymaking unlawful based on its ends? This is the next stage of the legal battle over colorblindness, and it is already underway.

The first wave of this …

Grid Reliability In The Electric Era, Joshua Macey, Hannah Wiseman, Shelley Welton

Articles

The United States has delegated the responsibility of keeping the lights on to a self-regulatory organization called the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Although NERC is a crucial example of industry-led governance—and regulates in an area that is central to our economy and basic human survival—this unusual institution has received scant attention from policymakers and scholars. Such attention is overdue. To decarbonize its economy, the United States must enter a new “electric era,” transitioning many sectors to run on electricity while also transforming the electricity system itself to run largely on clean but intermittent renewable resources. These new resources …

On The Genealogy Of Intimate Digital Harm, Aziz Huq

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No abstract provided.

The North Of Ireland During The Interregnum: A Gramcian Analysis Of Power And Crisis, Chris Ó'Rálaigh

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The North of Ireland was induced in to existence over a century ago, yet the polity lacked societal-wide legitimacy. The outbreak of conflict in 1968 signalled the beginning of an interregnal period in which the old order was substantially challenged. Whilst the Good Friday Agreement was idealised as an end to this interregnum, Brexit has re-opened the battle for politico-ideological supremacy. This paper traces the contours of the hegemony-seeking strategies of the various political actors from 1968-present and assesses whether we are in the crucial and final phase of the organic crisis of the North of Ireland.

Advances In Nanomaterials And Colorimetric Detection Of Arsenic In Water: Review And Future Perspectives, Abhijnan Bhat, Furong Tian, Baljit Singh

Articles

Arsenic, existing in various chemical forms such as arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)), demands serious attention in water and environmental contexts due to its significant health risks. It is classified as “carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and is listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the top 10 chemicals posing major public health concerns. This widespread contamination results in millions of people globally being exposed to dangerous levels of arsenic, making it a top priority for the WHO. Chronic arsenic toxicity, known as arsenicosis, presents with specific skin lesions like …

Light And Dark Mode: A Comparison Between Android And Ios App Ui Modes And Interviews With App Designers And Developers, Sarah Andrew, Chelsea Bishop, Garreth W. Tigwell

Articles

Mobile app light and dark modes offer improved usability within different contexts (e.g., dark mode for easier night reading). Yet, little research has investigated the prevalence of light and dark modes across platforms, the intricacies of UI color changes, and challenges in the design and development process. Our investigation focused on comparing light and dark mode designs. We carried out a manual inspection of 120 popular Android and iOS apps to find that only 55\% (Android) and 48\% (iOS) of the apps included any modes. We also found significant variability in how many UI elements changed between modes. We interviewed …

Stakeholder Engagement, Brett H. Mcdonnell

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No abstract provided.

Chevron On The Eve Of Loper Bright, Nicholas Bednar

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Chevron is dead. What does this mean for judicial review of agency interpretations of statutes in the lower courts? Perhaps not much. Using new data of circuit court decisions from 2012 and 2022, this Essay examines how lower courts changed their decision-making as the Supreme Court became more skeptical of Chevron deference. This Essay finds that---contrary to the assertion of some justices---circuit courts had not stopped applying Chevron in the lead up to Loper Bright. Moreover, courts agreed with agency interpretations of statutes at similar rates in both 2012 and 2022. Nevertheless, the data shows that the Supreme Court's …

The Seven Essential Law School Simulation Courses, Mitch Zamoff

Articles

As we mark the ten-year anniversary of the American Bar Association’s six-credit experiential learning requirement and the launch of the NextGen bar exam, it is critical for U.S. law schools to conduct rigorous assessments of their experiential education curricula. While most law schools now offer students meaningful opportunities to develop lawyering skills in clinics and field placements, there is much less consistency in their simulation course offerings. Simulation courses are a critical component of experiential legal education. While students in clinics and field placements gain valuable, realistic experience addressing the issues presented by their actual clients, those issues may sometimes …

Supporting Educators To Stimulate Engineering Students' Lifelong Learning Competencies & Personal Development Process, Lynn Van Den Broeck, Rani Dujardin, Sofie Craps, Una Beagon, Aimee Byrne, Caitriona Depaor, Johanna Naukkarinen

Articles

This paper explores the possibilities to develop students' lifelong learning (LLL) competencies via supporting their personal development process (PDP) in engineering education. Despite the recognized importance of LLL, its embedment in learning outcomes remains limited. A survey revealed that both engineering students and educators value LLL competencies, but perceive them to be taught and evaluated only to a limited extent. This paper introduces a PDP model to support educators in fostering students' LLL competencies. The model, developed through literature review and educators' input, includes (1) a matrix with various interventions, such as e-portfolios, reflective writing, and student-centred teaching, categorised by …

Reconciling Riverside Bayview Homes, Sackett, And County Of Maui, Stephen Johnson

Articles

Near the end of the 2022 term, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Sackett v. EPA. The case has been described as "the most important Clean Water Act case the Court has ever decided, and ... probably ... one of the most impactful environmental decisions in the Court's history."  For the fourth time, the Court interpreted the meaning of the term "navigable waters" in the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Sackett Court narrowed the interpretation of the term in a manner that critics claim will eliminate federal protection for more than 50% of the wetlands in the United …

Feedback Loops: Feedback Machines, Patrick Barry

Articles

Yes, AI raises serious concerns about bias, privacy, copyright infringement, environmental sustainability, and a whole bunch of other important topics. But if you are looking for a positive use case - and a new way to approach professional development - try asking chatgpt or some other AI chatbot for feedback, especially on something you've written.

Founder Worship, Effective Altruism, And Corporate Governance, Jennifer S. Fan, Xuan-Thao Nguyen

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Founders are the heart of any startup. Oftentimes, they are given considerable latitude in managing a company, particularly if they are hailed as a visionary founder in a pathbreaking new industry. Additionally, it is assumed that underpinning their actions is the desire to do good. Unfortunately, sometimes this leads to what we term founder worship where the promise of the founder and the innovation may lead to perverse outcomes because too much control is ceded to the founder and there is a lack (or sometimes complete absence of) corporate governance. When unlimited control is coupled with "do gooderism," which in …

Constraining Constitution-Making, Adam Chilton, Cristián Eyzaguirre, David Landau, Mila Versteeg

Articles

Whether constitution-making should be constrained has long been debated, but little is known about whether it is possible. We make several contributions to this question. We start by providing a typology of three types of constraints on constitution- making: Substantive, Procedural, and Institutional. We next develop a positive theory of when these constraints are likely to influence drafters’ behavior. We then use a mixed-methods approach to explore these ideas in the context of Chile’s constitutional reform process. In a survey experiment conducted in Chile before citizens voted on the draft constitution, we find that most respondents supported constraints in the …

Layered Constitutionalism, Payvand Ahdout, Bridget Fahey

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No abstract provided.

Secrecy By Stipulation, Nora Freeman, David Freeman, Jonah Gelbach, Austin Peters, Aaron Schaffer-Neitz

Articles

GM Ignition Switch. Dalkon Shield. Oxycontin. For decades, protective orders—court orders that require parties to maintain the confidentiality of information unearthed during discovery—have hid deadly defects and pervasive abuse from the public, perpetuating unnecessary harm.

But how worrisome are these protective orders, really? Under Rule 26(c)’s plain language, protective orders are to be granted only upon a showing of “good cause.” Doesn’t that adequately cabin the orders’ entry? Prominent judges and scholars have long insisted it does, and that, under Rule 26(c), the day-to-day grant of protective orders is careful, not cavalier. Critics disagree. They charge that parties frequently agree …

Imputing Unreported Hate Crimes Using Google Search Data, Aziz Huq, Dhammika Dharmapala

Articles

U.S. law requires the Attorney General to collect data on hate crime victimization from states and municipalities, but states and localities are under no obligation to cooperate by gathering or sharing information. Data production hence varies considerably across jurisdictions. This paper addresses the ensuing “missing data” problem by imputing unreported hate crimes using Google search rates for a racial epithet. It uses two alternative benchmarks for which jurisdictions more effectively collect hate crime data: all states that were not part of the erstwhile Confederacy, and those states with statutory provisions relating to hate crime reporting. We regress rates of racially-motivated …

Free Speech On The Internet: The Crisis Of Epistemic Authority, Brian Leiter

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No abstract provided.