Digital Commons Network^™

Standing And Snitches, Emily Strauss

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

First Amendment Disequilibrium, Christina Koningisor, Lyrissa Lidsky

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court has constructed key parts of First Amendment law around two underlying assumptions. The first is that the press is a powerful actor capable of obtaining government information and checking government power. The second is that the executive branch is bound by various internal and external constraints that limit its ability to keep information secret. Judges and legislators have long assumed that these twin forces—an emboldened press and a constrained executive—maintain a rough balance between the press’s desire to uncover secrets and the executive’s desire to keep information hidden. Landmark First Amendment cases such as the Pentagon Papers …

First Amendment Disequilibrium, Christina Koningisor, Lyrissa Lidsky

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court has constructed key parts of First Amendment law around two underlying assumptions. The first is that the press is a powerful actor capable of obtaining government information and checking government power. The second is that the executive branch is bound by various internal and external constraints that limit its ability to keep information secret. Judges and legislators have long assumed that these twin forces—an emboldened press and a constrained executive—maintain a rough balance between the press’s desire to uncover secrets and the executive’s desire to keep information hidden. Landmark First Amendment cases such as the Pentagon Papers …

“Legally Magic” Words: An Empirical Study Of The Accessibility Of Fifth Amendment Rights, Kate Weisburd, Roseanna Sommers

Faculty Scholarship

Fifth Amendment case law (including Miranda v. Arizona) requires that individuals assert their right to counsel or silence using “explicit,” “clear,” and “unambiguous” statements—or, as some dissenting judges have lamented, using “legally magic” words. Through a survey of 1,718 members of the U.S. public, we investigate what ordinary people believe it takes to assert the right to counsel and the right to silence. We then compare their perceptions against prevailing legal standards governing invocation.

With respect to the right to counsel, the survey results indicate that members of the public have a uniformly lower threshold for invocation than do courts. …

Case Rounds Redefined: Multidisciplinary Perspectives In Reflective Practice, Nira Geevargis

Faculty Scholarship

This article describes the rounds process used in clinic and externship seminars and considers how adjustments to the structure can address different needs or goals. The authors draw on teaching methods found in similar professional education programs to identify options for faculty facilitating rounds. Ultimately, the authors use externship rounds to highlight lawyering skills, including developing curiosity, withholding judgment, and generating options. The authors posit that rounds facilitate deeper self-reflection and foster a sense of community by encouraging law students to work collaboratively to consider lessons learned in fieldwork. The rounds structure overview can be assigned to students before class …

Race And Regulatory Equity, Ming Hsu Chen

Faculty Scholarship

This article contemplates the proper role of regulatory agencies in implementing equity orders. More specifically, what is their role with regard to higher education admissions, in the post-SFFA v. Harvard landscape of racial equity?

Reproducing Inequality: Racial Capitalism And The Cost Of Public Education, Thalia Gonzalez, Paige Joki

Faculty Scholarship

American democracy is marked by an unwavering deployment of racialized economic modalities of fines, fees, and debt aimed at scaffolding hierarchies of white power and prescribing Black people as commodities, not human beings. Over the last two decades, an expanding praxis in the economic justice field has emerged, opposing and disrupting racialized economic logics within a national anti-fine, fee and cost movement. From scholarly discourse to legal interventions and reforms at city- and county-levels, the movement has sought to target interlocking material and ideological forces that comprise racial capitalist geographies across many criminal and civil systems. Despite this significant work, …

Psychic Income & Democratized Investing, Abraham J.B. Cable

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Association Of Covid-19 Coinfection With Increased Mortality Among Patients With Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Bloodstream Infection In The Veterans Health Administration System, Leila S. Hojat, Brigid M. Wilson, Federico Perez, Maria F. Mojica, Mendel E. Singer, Robert A. Bonomo

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection (PA-BSI) and COVID-19 are independently associated with high mortality. We sought to demonstrate the impact of COVID-19 coinfection on patients with PA-BSI. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Veterans Health Administration. Patients: Hospitalized patients with PA-BSI in pre-COVID-19 (January 2009 to December 2019) and COVID-19 (January 2020 to June 2022) periods. Patients in the COVID-19 period were further stratified by the presence or absence of concomitant COVID-19 infection. Methods: We characterized trends in resistance, treatment, and mortality over the study period. Multivariable logistic regression and modified Poisson analyses were used to determine the association between COVID-19 …

The Public Performativity Of Trust, Lynette Hammond Gerido

Faculty Scholarship

Building trust between academic medical centers and certain communities they depend on in the research process is hard, particularly when those communities consist of minoritized or historically marginalized populations. Some believe that engagement activities like the creation of advisory boards, town halls, or a research workforce that looks more like community members will establish or reestablish trust between academic medical centers and racialized communities. However, without systematic approaches to dismantle racism, those well-intended actions become public performativity, and trust building will fail. In this essay, we draw upon foundational ethical principles of trust, distrust, and trust building; apply the concept …

Self-Management Intervention For Reducing Epilepsy Burden Among Adult Ugandans With Epilepsy (Smart-U): Randomised Clinical Trial Protocol, Jennifer B. Levin, Carolyn Still, Christopher J. Burant, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background:Epilepsy is a common chronic brain disorder globally affecting people of all ages, with the majority living in developing countries. The introduction of epilepsy self-management approaches to help people with epilepsy is urgently needed to influence epilepsy-related outcomes. This 2-site randomised controlled trial building on promising preliminary data is intended to explore this further. Methods: A total of 188 adult people with epilepsy (PWE) attending the neurology clinics at Mulago and Mbarara hospitals and consent to participate in the study will be recruited. They will be randomised into intervention versus enhanced treatment control (eTAU) study groups. The intervention group will …

Digital Inclusion For People With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Review Of The Current Legal Models And Doctrinal Concepts, James Hutson, Piper Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Today, a significant part of professional tasks are performed in the digital environment, on digital platforms, in virtual and other meetings. This necessitates a critical reflection of traditional views on the problem of accessible environment and digital accessibility, taking into account the basic universal needs of persons with disabilities.

Methods: A gap between the traditional legal perspective on special working conditions for persons with disabilities and the urgent need of a digital workplace (digital environment) clearly shows lacunas in the understanding of accessibility, which are identified and explored with formal-legal and doctrinal methods. The multifaceted aspects of …

Beyond The Pixelated Mirror: Understanding Avatar Identity And Its Impact On In-Game Advertising And Consumer Behavior, Kyle Coble, Jay Ratican, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the complex dynamics between avatars and in-game advertising, probing how virtual representations influence consumer behavior within digital environments. It delves into the psychological interplay between self-perception and avatar embodiment, suggesting that while younger users may treat avatars as accessories showcasing personal interests, adults tend to opt for idealized selves, affecting their interaction with and responsiveness to virtual marketing. The study contemplates the avatar’s function as both a consumer and influencer in the expanding metaverse, considering the escalating integration of branded items in games. It also highlights potential shifts in consumption patterns as digital and physical realities converge. …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Pre-Hospital Delay Among Acute Stroke Patients At Mulago And Kiruddu National Referral Hospitals, Kampala: A Cross-Sectional Study, Chris Burant, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Despite advancements in acute stroke care, acute stroke patients present late for care resulting in high mortality and poor functional outcomes. This study determined the prevalence of pre-hospital delay and associated factors among adult acute stroke patients in Uganda. Methods: In a hospital based, cross-sectional study, one hundred and forty-three study participants with confirmed acute stroke presenting to the emergency units of Mulago and Kiruddu national referral hospitals were enrolled. Using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, details on sociodemographics, onset of stroke, arrival at the tertiary facility, health system and clinical factors were collected. Descriptive statistics and modified Poisson regression analyses …

Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (Ai) For Early Childhood And Elementary Education: A Case Study Of Perceptions Of Ai Of State Of Missouri Educators, Kathryn Arnone, James Hutson, Karen Woodruff

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society have received a great deal of attention in the past five years since the first Stanford AI100 report. AI already globally impacts individuals in critical and personal ways, and many industries will continue to experience disruptions as the full algorithmic effects are understood. However, with regard to education, adopting in disciplines remains limited largely to Computer Science and Information Technology in postsecondary education. Recent advances with technology are especially promising for their potential to create and scale personalized learning for students, to optimize strategies for learning outcomes, and to increase access to …

After Ftx: Can The Original Bitcoin Use Case Be Saved?, Mark Burge

Faculty Scholarship

Bitcoin and the other cryptocurrencies spawned by the innovation of blockchain programming have exploded in prominence, both in gains of massive market value and in dramatic market losses, the latter most notably seen in connection with the failure of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange in November 2022. After years of investment and speculation, however, something crucial has faded: the original use case for Bitcoin as a system of payment. Can cryptocurrency-as-a-payment-system be saved, or are day traders and speculators the actual cryptocurrency future? This article suggests that cryptocurrency has been hobbled by a lack of foundational commercial and consumer-protection law that …

The Futures Of Law, Lawyers, And Law Schools: A Dialogue Authors, Sameer M. Ashar, Benjamin H. Barton, Michael J. Madison, Rachel F. Moran

Faculty Scholarship

On April 19 and 20, 2023, Professors Bernard Hibbitts and Richard Weisberg convened a conference at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law titled “Disarmed, Distracted, Disconnected, and Distressed: Modern Legal Education and the Unmaking of American Lawyers.” Four speakers concluded the event with a spirited conversation about themes expressed during the proceedings. Distilling a lively two days, they asked: what are the most critical challenges now facing United States legal education and, by extension, lawyers and the communities they serve? Their agreements and disagreements were striking, so much so that Professors Hibbitts and Weisberg invited those four to extend …

Reporte Final Del Estudio Del "Proyecto De Reintegración Mexicana", Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez, Sonia Hernandez, Luz E. Herrera, Angela D. Morrison, Huyen Pham, Nancy Plankey-Videla

Faculty Scholarship

El fenómeno de los mexicanos que estan regresando a México después de una estadía prolongada en Estados Unidos es cada vez más importante. Aunque las estimaciones para el período de 2014 a 2019 muestran que más mexicanos han migrado a Estados Unidos de los que se fueron, la migración neta todavía está muy por debajo del pico de migración neta de 1995 a 2000. En el período de 2014-2019, la migración neta de mexicanos a Estados Unidos era de tan solo 160,000 versus 2.3 millones durante el periodo de 1995 a 2000. Entre 2005 y 2014, Estados Unidos experimentó una …

Crushing The Contents Of Valbenazine Capsules For Potential Addition To Soft Foods Or Administration Via Gastrostomy Tube, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose: One-capsule, once-daily valbenazine is approved for tardive dyskinesia and under evaluation for chorea associated with Huntington's disease, conditions in which patients often experience dysphagia. In vitro studies were conducted to assess the suitability of crushing the contents of valbenazine capsules (40 and 80 mg) for mixing with soft foods or liquids or administration via a gastrostomy tube (G-tube). Methods: In study 1, the dissolution of whole valbenazine capsules and crushed capsule contents were measured serially for 1 hour. In study 2, valbenazine recovery was evaluated after crushed contents were mixed with soft foods, buffer solutions (pH range, 1.2–6.8), and …

Use Of Ai To Recreate And Repatriate Lost, Destroyed Or Stolen Paintings: The 1785 Parisian Salon Case Study, Charles E. O'Brien, James Hutson, Trent Olsen, Jay Ratican

Faculty Scholarship

This study investigates the efficacy of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of artwork restoration, focusing on lost, stolen, or destroyed artworks. Employing a dual approach that combines traditional manual restoration techniques with advanced generative AI tools, the research centers on a case study of the 1785 Parisian Salon. It specifically examines the reconstitution of Antoine François Callet's painting, Achilles Dragging the Body of Hector, unveiled alongside Jacques-Louis David's Oath of the Horatii. The study utilizes Easy Diffusion and Stable Diffusion 2.1 technologies for inpainting and colorization processes. These AI tools are employed in concert with manual restoration practices to …

Essence As Algorithm: Public Perceptions Of Ai-Powered Avatars Of Real People, James Hutson, Jay Ratican, Colleen Biri

Faculty Scholarship

This paper investigates the intersection of generative AI, Large Language Models (LLM), and robotics. Exemplified by systems like ChatGPT and technological marvels such as Ameca the Robot, the combination of technologies will allow humans to transcend the limitations of death. Through digital necromancy, a practice encompassing the technological resurrection of deceased individuals, the ability to not only passively see recordings of loved ones but to interact with them is made possible, leading to ethical and psychological considerations. Therefore, examining these trends extends into the motives underlying engagement with both incorporeal and corporeal reproductions of individuals, with reasons ranging from memory …

Brief Of Amici Curiae Privacy And First Amendment Law Professors In Support Of Defendant-Appellant And Reversal, G. S. Hans, Hannah Bloch-Wehba, Danielle K. Citron, Julie E. Cohen, Mary Anne Franks, Woodrow Hartzog, Margot E. Kaminski, Gregory P. Magarian, Frank Pasquale, Neil Richards, Daniel J. Solove

Faculty Scholarship

STATEMENT OF INTEREST: Amici curiae are law professors and scholars of data privacy, constitutional law, and the First Amendment. Amici write to provide the court with scholarly expertise on the complexities of data privacy law and its intersection with the First Amendment. Amici have collectively written scores of academic articles and multiple books on data privacy, technology, the First Amendment, and constitutional challenges to state and federal privacy regulation.

Amici submit this brief pursuant to Fed. Rule App. P. 29(a) and do not repeat arguments made by the parties. No party’s counsel authored this brief, or any part of …

Metaresearch, Psychology, And Law: A Case Study On Implicit Bias, Jason Chin, Alexander Holcombe, Kathryn Zeiler, Patrick Forscher, Ann Guo

Faculty Scholarship

When can scientific findings from experimental psychology be confidently applied to legal issues? And when applications have clear limits, do legal commentators readily acknowledge them? To address these questions, we survey recent findings from an emerging field of research on research (i.e., metaresearch). We find that many aspects of experimental psychology’s research and reporting practices threaten the validity and generalizability of legally relevant research findings, including those relied on by courts and policy-setting bodies. As a case study, we appraise the empirical claims relied on by commentators claiming that implicit bias deeply affects legal proceedings and practices, and that training …

Preliminary Content And Construct Validity Of A New Model To Differentiate Research Skills From Evidence‐Based Practice Skills: Core, Evidence Application, Research (Cear) Model, Raeanne Jordan, Rosanna P. Watowicz, Catherine Phillips, Rita Obeid, Rosa K. Hand

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Research is the scientific basis for the profession of dietetics, as it must be located and applied in evidence‐based practice (EBP). EBP is often presented as a foundational skill for research. CEAR – Core, Evidence Application, Research – is a newly proposed model that separates Research and Evidence Application skills into distinct domains, jointly supported by a set of Core skills, thus acknowledging that education and advancement in one domain neither requires nor precipitates education and advancement in the other. The goal was to investigate the content and construct validity of the new CEAR Model. Methods: A cross‐sectional online …

Limitations And Possibilities Of Digital Restoration Techniques Using Generative Ai Tools: Reconstituting Antoine François Callet’S Achilles Dragging Hector’S Body Past The Walls Of Troy, Charles O'Brien, James Hutson, Trent Olsen, Jay Ratican

Faculty Scholarship

Digital restoration offers new avenues for conserving historical artworks, yet presents unique challenges. This research delves into the balance between traditional restoration methods and the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, using Antoine François Callet’s portrayal of Achilles Dragging Hector’s Body Past the Walls of Troy as a case study. The application of Easy Diffusion and Stable Diffusion 2.1 technologies provides insights into AI-driven restoration methods such as inpainting and colorization. Results indicate that while AI can streamline the restoration process, repeated inpainting can compromise the painting’s color quality and detailed features. Furthermore, the AI approach occasionally introduces unintended …

Healthaichain: Improving Security And Safety Using Blockchain Technology Applications In Ai-Based Healthcare Systems, Naresh Kshetri, James Hutson, Revathy G

Faculty Scholarship

Blockchain as a digital ledger for keeping records of digital transactions and other information, it is secure and decentralized technology. The globally growing number of digital population every day possesses a significant threat to online data including the medical and patients’ data. After bitcoin, blockchain technology has emerged into a general-purpose technology with applications in medical industries and healthcare. Blockchain can promote highly configurable openness while retaining the highest security standards for critical data of medical patients. Referred to as distributed record keeping for healthcare systems which makes digital assets unalterable and transparent via a cryptographic hash and decentralized network. …

Digitizing The Cultural Capital: Harnessing Digital Humanities For Heritage Preservation In Bujumbura, Burundi, James Hutson, Pace Ellsworth, Matt Ellsworth, Jean Bosco Ntungirimana

Faculty Scholarship

In an era where the erosion of cultural heritage is increasingly prevalent, there exists a critical imperative to explore and implement innovative methods for the preservation and revitalization of cultural identities, as exemplified by the urgent situation in Bujumbura, Burundi. Central to this study is the exploration of innovative digital methodologies for archiving a wide spectrum of cultural artifacts, including both notable and everyday heritage elements, in Bujumbura. Traditional approaches to biographical and historical profiling have predominantly focused on official records and significant events, often neglecting the richness of personal experiences and everyday interactions that substantially shape cultural identities. To …

Individuality And The Collective In Ai Agents: Explorations Of Shared Consciousness And Digital Homunculi In The Metaverse For Cultural Heritage, James Hutson, Jay Ratican

Faculty Scholarship

The confluence of extended reality (XR) technologies, including augmented and virtual reality, with large language models (LLM) marks a significant advancement in the field of digital humanities, opening uncharted avenues for the representation of cultural heritage within the burgeoning metaverse. This paper undertakes an examination of the potentialities and intricacies of such a convergence, focusing particularly on the creation of digital homunculi or changelings. These virtual beings, remarkable for their sentience and individuality, are also part of a collective consciousness, a notion explored through a thematic comparison in science fiction with the Borg and the Changelings in the Star Trek …

Risk, Responsibility, Resilience, Respect: Covid-19 And The Protection Of Health Care Workers, William M. Sage, Victoria L. Tiase

Faculty Scholarship

Medicine and nursing have long professional traditions of altruism and self-sacrifice, including undertaking not only extreme stress but also personal risk in service of patient care. With exceptions for natural disasters, humanitarian missions, and military service, however, recent concerns about professional “burnout” often have had more to do with mismanagement, exploitation, and generational or technological change than with core clinical circumstances. The COVID-19 pandemic changed that – bringing front and center the close connections between the well-being of health care workers and the well-being of the patients they serve. This chapter begins with the COVID-19 experience of health care workers …

Maternal Exposure To Ssris Or Snris And The Risk Of Congenital Abnormalities In Offspring: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Weiyi Huang, Robin Page, Theresa Morris, Susan Ayres, Alva Ferdinand, Samiran Sinha

Faculty Scholarship

Background

The association of maternal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) with the risk of system-specific congenital malformations in offspring remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine this association and the risk difference between these two types of inhibitors.

Methods

A literature search was performed from January 2000 to May 2023 using PubMed and Web of Science databases. Cohort and case-control studies that assess the association of maternal exposure to SSRIs or SNRIs with the risk of congenital abnormalities were eligible for the study.

Results

Twenty-one cohort studies and seven case-control …