Digital Commons Network^™

Evidence-Supported Interventions For Reducing Secondary Stroke Risk In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review, Alyssa M. Edwards, Christopher J. Burant, Shirley M. Moore, Carol Blixen, Maratha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

The study set out to perform a systematic literature review of evidence-based interventions that target the reduction of secondary stroke risk in Africa. The review analyzed longitudinal intervention studies conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on adult participants who had suffered a prior stroke. It encompassed publications and peer-reviewed papers sourced from reputable databases, including PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane, and Web of Science. Three randomized clinical trial (RCT) studies were included with sample sizes ranging from 16 to 400 participants, mean age ranged between 50 and 66 years, with 64.5% male participants. All studies applied multidisciplinary team interventions of enhanced patient follow-up …

Low-Cost, 3d Printed Irradiation System For In Vitro Photodynamic Therapy Experiments, Chris Acquah, Zachary Pabis, Sourav Kanti Seth, Liraz Levi, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Faculty Scholarship

The development of a suitable irradiation setup is essential for in vitro experiments in photodynamic therapy (PDT). While various irradiation systems have been developed for PDT, only a few offer practical and high-quality setups for precise and reproducible results in cell culture experiments. This report introduces a cost-effective illumination setup designed for in vitro photodynamic treatments. The setup consists of a commercially available light-emitting diode (LED) lamp, a cooling unit, and a specially designed 3D-printed enclosure to accommodate a multiwell plate insert. The LED lamp is versatile, supporting various irradiation wavelengths and adjustable illumination fields, ensuring consistent and reliable performance. …

Historic Tensions Involving International Intellectual Property Protection Of Medical Technology With Disastrous Public Health Consequences, Srividhya Ragavan, Swaraj Paul Barooah

Faculty Scholarship

Historic tensions have pervaded the alliance of intellectual property's ill-fated accord with trade. The intersections of the alliance have impacted access to medical technologies resulting in plaguing public health with disastrous consequences in select parts of the globe, the first of which was perhaps most notably seen during the HIV-AIDS crisis at the turn of the century. At this time, WTO’s sacrosanct norms from the accord between trade and intellectual property rights essentially force African countries to choose between international trade sanctions, and saving thousands of lives by allowing exceptions to patent rights. While much has been written about global …

Crypto In Real Estate Finance, R. Wilson Freyermuth, Christopher K. Odinet, Andrea Tosato

Faculty Scholarship

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have ushered in a digital gold rush. But all that glitters is not gold. The latest fad is the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to purchase and finance real estate. Typically, crypto real estate transactions begin with the transfer of title for a residential property into a dedicated business entity, such as a limited liability company. Thereafter, an NFT is ‘minted’ and used to represent the ownership interest in that entity. The real property is then marketed online specifying that, to acquire it, one simply purchases the relevant NFT via a blockchain transfer. Crucially, buyers are expected …

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 …

Citizenship Outside The Courts, Catherine Y. Kim

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Command And Control: Operationalizing The Unitary Executive, Gary S. Lawson

Faculty Scholarship

The concept of the unitary executive is written into the Constitution by virtue of Article II’s vesting of the “executive Power” in the President and not in executive officers created by Congress. Defenders and opponents alike of the “unitary executive” often equate the idea of presidential control of executive action with the power to remove executive personnel. But an unlimitable presidential removal power cannot be derived from the vesting of executive power in the President for the simple reason that it would not actually result in full presidential control of executive action, as the actions of now-fired subordinates would still …

Thirty-Day Mortality Rates Among Young Adult Stroke Patients And Their Characteristics At Kiruddu And Mulago Hospitals In Uganda: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study, Shirley Moore, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Stroke outcomes among young adults in Uganda are unclear. This study therefore determined the clinical characteristics and 30-day outcome among young adults with an acute stroke. In a prospective observational cohort study, 61 young adults with confirmed stroke were followed up for 30 days. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using a study questionnaire. Kaplan–Meier curves, and modified Poisson regression were performed for factors associated with the 30-day mortality outcome. A third of the screened stroke survivors, (61/195) were young adults aged between 18 and 50 years. About two-thirds were male. More than half were diagnosed with ischaemic strokes while …

Brief Of Amicus Curiae Tax Professors In Support Of Respondent In Moore V. United States, Donald B. Tobin, Ellen P. Aprill

Faculty Scholarship

Petitioners in Moore v. United States have argued to the Supreme Court that the word “incomes” in the Sixteenth Amendment authorizes only the taxation of “realized” income. Thus, they assert, a repatriation tax (referred to as MRT) in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is invalid because it taxes unrealized gains. While other briefs in the case explain that, as properly understood, the tax at issue taxes only realized gains, this brief counters the petitioners’ Sixteenth Amendment argument. It explains that economists, accountants, and lawyers in the early twentieth century all defined income in broad terms, embracing the definition of …

Fibrinogen; A Predictor Of Injury Severity And Mortality Among Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study, Michael Devereaux, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Studies show that fibrinogen concentrations <2 g/L in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with increased mortality. However, little is known regarding fibrinogen levels and TBI severity as well as mortality in sub-Saharan Africa despite shouldering a high burden of TBI. We therefore set out to determine whether fibrinogen levels are associated with TBI severity and outcome. To determine the sensitivity and specificity of fibrinogen levels and the association with severity and mortality among TBI patients at Mulago Hospital. We prospectively enrolled 213 patients with TBI aged between 13 and 60 years of age and presenting within 24 hours of injury. Patients with preexisting coagulopathy, concurrent use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet agents, preexisting hepatic insufficiency, diabetes mellitus and who were pregnant were excluded. Fibrinogen levels were determined using the Clauss fibrinogen assay. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the association between fibrinogen level and 7-day outcomes. Majority of the patients were male (88.7%) and nearly half were aged 30 or less (48.8%). Fibrinogen levels <2 g/L were observed in 35.1% of the study participants. The average time spent in the study was 3.7 ± 2.4 days. The sensitivity and specificity using fibrinogen <2 g/L was 56.5% and 72.9% respectively. Fibrinogen levels predict TBI severity with an AUC = 0.656 (95% CI 0.58-0.73: P = .000) Fibrinogen levels <2 g/L (hypofibrinogenemia) were independently associated with severe TBI. (Adjusted odds ratio 2.87 CI, 1.34-6.14: P = .007). Levels above 4.5 g/L were also independently associated with injury severity (adjusted odds ratio 2.89, CI 1.12-7.48: P < .05) Fibrinogen levels more than 4.5 g/L were independently associated with mortality (OR 4.5, CI; 1.47-13.61, P < .05). The fibrinogen level is a useful tool in predicting severity including mortality of TBI. Fibrinogen levels may be used as an additional tool to screen TBI patients for injury severity especially among patients with Glasgow coma scale scores of <14.

Blood Pressure Variability And Early Neurological Outcomes In Acute And Subacute Stroke In Southwestern Uganda, Shirley M. Moore, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Greater blood pressure variability has detrimental effects on clinical outcome after a stroke; its effects are controversial and have not been evaluated in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: We conducted a prospective study of patients with CT head confirmed ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes admitted to a tertiary hospital within 7 days of onset of unilateral neurological deficits. Blood pressure variability indices, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) of systolic and diastolic blood pressure between day 0 and day 7, were calculated with a subsequent modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score on day 14 post-stroke. Linear regression was performed to …

Exploring Low-Income, Black Fathers' Strengths And Barriers To Positive Change Using Qualitative Methods, Katie N. Russell, Ashley Withrow, Laura A. Voith, Carmen Vernon, Hyunjune Lee, Sherise Mckinney

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: The goal was to explore low-income, Black fathers' personal strengths and barriers to engaged fatherhood, healthy relationships, and economic stability. Background: Fatherhood programs often rely on case management and education to promote positive fathering, healthy relationships, and economic stability. However, methods should be tailored to fit the strengths and needs of participating fathers. Low-income, Black fathers face additional challenges related to systemic discrimination and structural violence that can hinder their success. To effectively serve this group, research is required to understand their relevant strengths and barriers. Methods: Semistructured focus groups explored fathers' personal strengths and barriers specific to the …

Phase Shift Between Joint Rotation And Actuation Reflects Dominant Forces And Predicts Muscle Activation Patterns, R. D. Quinn, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

During behavior, the work done by actuators on the body can be resisted by the body's inertia, elastic forces, gravity, or viscosity. The dominant forces that resist actuation have major consequences on the control of that behavior. In the literature, features and actuation of locomotion, for example, have been successfully predicted by nondimensional numbers (e.g. Froude number and Reynolds number) that generally express the ratio between two of these forces (gravitational, inertial, elastic, and viscous). However, animals of different sizes or motions at different speeds may not share the same dominant forces within a behavior, making ratios of just two …

Suicidal Ideation And Death By Suicide As A Result Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Spanish-Speaking Countries: Systematic Review, Nicolás Valle-Palomino, Mirtha Mercedes Fernández-Mantilla, Danae De Talledo-Sebedón, Olinda Victoria Guzmán-González, Vanessa Haydee Carguachinchay-Huanca, Alfonso Alejandro Sosa-Lizama, Brunella Orlandini-Valle, Óscar Manuel Vela-Miranda

Faculty Scholarship

Suicidal behaviors and constructs are putting at risk the accomplishment of Objective 3 of Agenda 2030 for sustainable development in Spanish-speaking countries. The current study’s principal objective is to explain the presence of suicidal ideation and deaths by suicide as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spanish-speaking countries based on a review of the scientific literature. The PRISMA model was used as the main method while considering the criteria of periodicity, language, typology, and country in order to choose the 28 articles that were analyzed from the following three databases: SCOPUS, Web of Science, and ProQuest Coronavirus Research Database. …

Neurodiversity & Placemaking In Exhibition Design, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

of the place of art and culture in society, museums claim to have something for everyone. But, in reality, contemporary exhibition design is for a small percentage of the neurotypical population. Many visitors, especially the 10 to 15 percent of the global population who are neurodiverse, find contemporary exhibitions discomforting – from how subjects and themes are displayed, to the lack of inclusive design in environments. To ensure the exhibition-development process results in an experience that is safe, comfortable, and relevant for a neurodiverse audience, specific placemaking considerations need to be deliberately incorporated.

Borges's Most Problematic Translator, Wes Henricksen

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Race, Solidarity, And Commerce: Work Law As Privatized Public Law, Shirley Lin

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Vaccine Development, The China Dilemma, And International Regulatory Challenges, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the role played by China in the development of international regulatory standards at the intersection of intellectual prop- erty, international trade, and public health. It begins by briefly discussing the role China has played in the global health arena during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article then highlights the difficulty in determining how best to engage with the country in the development of new international regula- tory standards. It shows that the preferred method of engagement will likely depend on one’s perspective on China’s potential contributions and hin- drances: a perspective that focuses on global competition—in the economic, …

A Crazy Quilt: Infanticide In The United States, Susan Ayres

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter builds on previous research to present a sampling of cases in the US, primarily in the twenty-first century, in order to show the harshness and disparity in criminal charges, defences and sentences. The broad term ‘infanticide’ is used for child-murder cases, and the more specific term ‘neonaticide’ is used for the killing of a child in the first 24 hours after birth. This chapter also describes the more recent use of genetic genealogy to solve cold cases of neonaticide. It concludes by considering how the absence of an infanticide offence and expanded defences results in an incoherent, unjust …

Originalism After Dobbs, Bruen, And Kennedy: The Role Of History And Tradition, Randy E. Barnett, Lawrence B. Solum

Faculty Scholarship

In three recent cases, the constitutional concepts of history and tradition have played important roles in the reasoning of the Supreme Court. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization relied on history and tradition to overrule Roe v. Wade. New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen articulated a history and tradition test for the validity of laws regulating the right to bear arms recognized by the Second Amendment. Kennedy v. Bremerton School District looked to history and tradition in formulating the test for the consistency of state action with the Establishment Clause.

These cases raise important questions about …

An Ally Can Connect Tort Theory To International And Comparative Law, Anita Bernstein

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Beyong Brackeen: Active Efforts Towards Antiracist Child Welfare Policy, Andrea Martin

Faculty Scholarship

Due to structural racism, legal protections afforded to families of children in the foster care system have been significantly eroded and continue to be challenged. The latest attempt to dismantle child welfare protections for a historically marginalized group was a prolonged attack on the Indian Child Welfare Act. Motivated in part by the racist belief that they are unfairly disadvantaged in adopting American Indian children, American Indian adversaries reached the pinnacle of their incessant attack on the law’s constitutionality and its heightened requirements. Fortunately, in Haaland v. Brackeen, the United States Supreme Court upheld the law’s important protections for …

(Re)Criminalizing Abortion: Returning To The Political With Stories, George J. Annas

Faculty Scholarship

Abortion stories have always played a powerful role in advancing women’s rights. In the abortion sphere particularly, the personal is political. Following the Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion politics, and abortion storytelling, take on an even deeper political role in challenging the bloodless judicial language of Dobbs with the lived experience of women.

Firearm Contagion: A New Look At History, Rachel Martin, Michael R. Ulrich

Faculty Scholarship

Gun violence is widely considered a serious public health problem in the United States, but less understood is what this means, if anything, for evolving Second Amendment doctrine. In New York Pistol & Rifle Association, Inc. v. Bruen, the Supreme Court held that laws infringing Second Amendment rights can only be sustained if the government can point to sufficient historical analogues. Yet, what qualifies as sufficiently similar, a suitable number of jurisdictions, or the most important historical eras all remain unclear. Under Bruen, lower courts across the country have struck down gun laws at an alarming pace, while …

The Immorality Of Originalism, Jack M. Beermann

Faculty Scholarship

The central claim of this essay is that in interpreting the U.S. Constitution, it is immoral to choose original intent over social welfare, broadly conceived. Once this argument is laid out and defended on its own terms, I support the central claim with a variety of arguments, including the defective process pursuant to which the Constitution was enacted, the deeply flawed substantive content of the Constitution, the incongruity of fidelity to the views of a generation of revolutionaries, the current virtual imperviousness of the Constitution to amendment, the failure of the Constitution to resolve fundamental questions concerning the allocation of …

Using Multiple Lenses To See An Invisible Group, Kathleen J. Farkas, Jaroslaw Richard Romaniuk

Faculty Scholarship

Social work in Poland and in the United States shares the values of human dignity and self-determination, but there are often value conflicts in terms of how various groups experience social roles and social expectations. This paper explores the use of multiple lenses to understand the past and current conditions for LGBT+ people in Poland. An international, university-level collaboration uses a framework of “invisible groups” to highlight the needs of those who are on the margins of society and whose human and individual rights are suppressed. The article reviews the results of a recently published on-line survey of LGBT+ populations …

Modified Newtonian Dynamics As An Alternative To The Planet Nine Hypothesis, Harsh Mathur

Faculty Scholarship

A new class of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) that lie beyond Neptune with semimajor axes greater than 250 astronomical units show orbital anomalies that have been interpreted as evidence for an undiscovered ninth planet. We show that a modified gravity theory known as modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) provides an alternative explanation for the anomalies using the well-established secular approximation. We predict that the major axes of the orbits will be aligned with the direction toward the Galactic center and that the orbits cluster in phase space, in agreement with observations of KBOs from the new class. Thus, MOND, which can …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality Role-Playing In Debating Repatriation Of Artworks In Active Learning Art History Classes, James Hutson, Trent Olsen

Faculty Scholarship

This paper addresses the pressing issue of repatriation debates for artworks, heightened by notable instances like the return of the Benin Bronzes and discussions around the Elgin Marbles. Given the challenges in conducting effective classroom debates on such sensitive topics due to the pandemic, generational shifts in learning preferences, and increased student anxiety, this study identifies a gap in the integration of active learning strategies in a virtual setting. The primary aim of this research is to examine the efficacy of virtual reality role-playing games (VR-RPGs) in enhancing student engagement, immersion, presence, and learning outcomes within a virtual learning environment …

Perceptions And Barriers To Adopting Artificial Intelligence In K-12 Education: A Survey Of Educators In Fifty States, Karen Woodruff, James Hutson, Kathryn Arnone

Faculty Scholarship

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making significant strides in the field of education, offering new opportunities for personalized learning and access to education for a more diverse population. Despite this potential, the adoption of AI in K-12 education is limited, and educators’ express hesitancy towards its integration due to perceived technological barriers and misconceptions. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of K-12 educators in all 50 states of the USA towards AI, policies, training, and resources related to technology and AI, their comfort with technology, willingness to adopt new technologies for classroom instruction, and needs assessment for …

Movement On Removal: An Emerging Consensus On The First Congress, Jed Shugerman

Faculty Scholarship

What did the “Decision of 1789” decide about presidential removal power, if anything? It turns out that an emerging consensus of scholars agrees that there was not much consensus in the First Congress.

Two more questions follow: Is the “unitary executive theory” based on originalism, and if so, is originalism a reliable method of interpretation based on historical evidence?

The unitary executive theory posits that a president has exclusive and “indefeasible” executive powers (i.e., powers beyond congressional and judicial checks and balances). This panel was an opportunity for unitary executive theorists and their critics to debate recent historical research questioning …