Digital Commons Network^™

Neuroplasticity And Creativity: Transformative Potential Of Fibre Arts For Growth And Well-Being, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the transformative potential of fibre arts—such as quilting, weaving, and embroidery—as tools for personal growth, neuroplasticity, and well-being. Drawing on neuroscience and psychology, it demonstrates how engaging with fibre arts stimulates brain regions associated with problem-solving, sensory integration, and adaptability, fostering neural growth and enhancing cognitive flexibility. Fibre arts, through their inherent challenges and opportunities for play, provide a perfect medium for stepping beyond familiar boundaries, cultivating resilience, and reducing stress. This interplay of creativity and tactile engagement is particularly effective due to the historical undervaluation of fibre arts, which makes them novel and accessible mediums that …

Beyond Pathology: Inclusive Mentorship, Accommodations, And Policy Reforms For Autistic Women In The Medical Profession, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article addresses the unique challenges faced by autistic women in the medical profession, particularly in navigating traditional medical frameworks that often marginalize neurodiverse individuals. Drawing from a targeted literature review, this paper highlights the importance of adapting medical curricula, establishing mentorship programs, and reforming policies to foster inclusivity. Autistic women in medicine encounter barriers such as a lack of mentorship tailored to their needs, inadequate accommodations, and systemic bias rooted in the pathologization of autism. The article synthesizes current research to provide evidence-based recommendations that address these barriers. Specific examples of successful mentorship programs demonstrate the critical role of …

The Algorithm Of Fear: Unpacking Prejudice Against Ai And The Mistrust Of Technology, James Hutson, Daniel Plate

Faculty Scholarship

The mistrust of AI seen in the media, industry and education reflects deep-seated cultural anxieties, often comparable to societal prejudices like racism and sexism. Throughout history, literature and media have portrayed machines as antagonists, amplifying fears of technological obsolescence and identity loss. Despite the recent remarkable advancements in AI—particularly in creative and decision-making capacities—human resistance to its adoption persists, rooted in a combination of technophobia, algorithm aversion, and cultural narratives of dystopia. This review investigates the origins of this prejudice, focusing on the parallels between current attitudes toward AI and historical resistance to new technologies. Drawing on examples from popular …

Common Questions And Misconceptions About Energy Drinks: What Does The Scientific Evidence Really Show?, Jose Antonio, Brandi Antonio, Shawn M. Arent, Darren G. Candow, Guillermo Escalante, Cassandra Evans, Scott Forbes, David Fukuda, Maureen Gibbons, Patrick Harty, Andrew R. Jagim, Douglas S. Kalman, Chad Kerksick, Jennifer A. Kurtz, Joseph Lillis, Lonnie Lowery, Gianna F. Mastrofini, Scotty Mills, Michael Nelson, Flavia Pereira, Justin Roberts, Michael Sagner, Jeffrey Stout, Jaime Tartar, Adam Wells

Faculty Scholarship

Energy drinks are a commonly consumed beverage, and studies suggest a possible performance-enhancing effect. A Google Scholar search using the keywords “energy drinks” and “exercise” yields numerous results, underscoring the voluminous research on this topic. However, there are questions regarding the effectiveness and safety of energy drinks. These questions include, but are not limited to: (1) What are the main active ingredients in energy drinks? (2) Do energy drinks assist in weight management? (3) Do energy drinks enhance aerobic performance? (4) Do energy drinks enhance athletic speed? (5) Do energy drinks improve reaction time? (6) Do energy drinks enhance lean …

Shaping Preferences With Pigouvian Taxes, Gary M. Lucas Jr.

Faculty Scholarship

A Pigouvian tax is a tax that is imposed to correct an externality, which arises when a person engages in behavior that harms others without their consent. Pigouvian taxes are popular among academics—with prominent economists and legal scholars arguing for their imposition on myriad goods and activities that harm third parties, like carbon emissions and alcohol. Policymakers have recently been receptive to at least some of these arguments as evidenced by taxes imposed on or proposed for a variety of externality-generating goods, including guns, plastic bags, and sugary drinks.

The conventional economic rationale for Pigouvian taxes assumes that they affect …

Section 1: Defining Arbitration And Addressing Structural Bias, Nancy A. Welsh

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court’s jurisprudence pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) has successfully encouraged the use of arbitration to resolve disputes of all types, including those arising out of contracts of adhesion. Meanwhile, with one very limited exception, neither Congress nor the Supreme Court has done anything to assure those bound by adhesive contracts that the required arbitration process will be fair, impartial, and consistent with due process principles. The FAA does not even include a definition of arbitration to guide arbitration providers and individual arbitrators. This chapter proposes the addition of a definition of arbitration to the FAA to …

Reshaping Intellectual Property Scholarship From Within, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

Written for the Symposium collecting papers from the Race + IP 23 Conference, this article explores intellectual property scholarship that has been either overlooked or marginalized. Because scholars of color are often outsiders looking in, the article identifies opportunities to reshape intellectual property scholarship from within. Even though the focus of this article was chosen with readers of this Symposium in mind, its insights will be relevant to all scholars.

This article begins by calling on scholars to develop a deeper appreciation of the intrinsic motivations of authors and inventors. It then discusses the oft-overlooked inequalities of creativity and innovation …

Reframing A Data Sharing Mechanism For The Riparian Nations Of Helmand River Basin: Theory Of Planned Behavior Is Revisited, Najibullah Loodin, Gabriel Eckstein, Vijay P. Singh, Rosario Sanchez

Faculty Scholarship

Data and information exchange plays a crucial role in fostering water cooperation between the riparian nations of a shared watercourse. Taking an integrated approach combining Discourse Analysis and Document Analysis, this research aims at elucidating the challenges and the potential opportunities of data and information exchange on the Helmand River, a drought-stricken river basin shared between upstream Afghanistan and downstream Iran. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we offer nuanced perspectives on the data exchange model developed by Wehn. We argue that there are other underlying and essential elements that hinder the meaningful engagement of the riparian nations …

Psychological Distress Among Family Caregivers Of Persons With Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias In Uganda, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) present growing global health challenges, especially in aging populations, such as Uganda. In Uganda, familial caregiving, predominantly undertaken by female relatives, is the primary form of support provided to patients with ADRD. Cultural stigma around dementia and limited access to support services amplify caregivers' challenges. This study examined psychological distress, depression, and quality of life (QoL) among family caregivers of patients with ADRD in Wakiso District, Uganda. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 90 caregivers from three sub-counties in Wakiso, selected through purposive sampling to capture diverse experiences. Participants included caregivers aged 18 years …

Regulating Social Media Through Family Law, Katharine B. Silbaugh, Adi Caplan-Bricker

Faculty Scholarship

Social media afflicts minors with depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, addiction, suicidality, and eating disorders. States are legislating at a breakneck pace to protect children. Courts strike down every attempt to intervene on First Amendment grounds. This Article clears a path through this stalemate by leveraging two underappreciated frameworks: the latent regulatory power of parental authority arising out of family law, and a hidden family law within First Amendment jurisprudence. These two projects yield novel insights. First, the recent cases offer a dangerous understanding of the First Amendment, one that should not survive the family law reasoning we provide. First Amendment jurisprudence …

Administration Patterns Of Magnesium Sulphate For Women With Preeclampsia And Immediate Newborn Outcomes In Kawempe National Referral Hospital-Uganda: A Cohort Study, Christopher J. Burant, Shirley Moore, Carol Blixen, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Preeclampsia is the second leading cause of maternal death in Uganda. WHO recommends using magnesium sulphate (MgSO4) to prevent and treat preeclampsia with severe features (PEC) and eclampsia. MgSO4 is used to prevent eclampsia and treat women who experience an eclamptic convulsion to avoid severe maternal/infant illnesses and death. We set out to assess MgSO4 administration patterns in women with PEC or eclampsia and the immediate newborn outcomes of neonates. Methods: This was an analytical observational cohort study at Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Uganda. Two hundred ten pregnant mothers with PEC or eclampsia were recruited in the study …

Opening Brief For Plaintiff-Appellant, Roe V. Marshall University Board Of Governors, Ryan M. Donovan, J. Zak Ritchie, Madeline H. Meth, Gregory Bowe, Erin Hunter, Sarah Monahan

Faculty Scholarship

Issues Presented:

Title IX prohibits schools from responding with deliberate indifference to student-on-student sexual harassment that interferes with, or threatens to interfere with, a victim’s education. It also prohibits schools from retaliating against students who engage in Title IX protected activity, such as reporting an assault. Here, another Marshall student sexually assaulted Roe at an offcampus residence near Marshall’s campus. Roe reported the assault and other instances of student-on-student relationship abuse. In the assault’s aftermath, Roe missed classes and limited her time on campus because she was afraid of encountering her assailant. Her grades suffered. Marshall did not address the …

Juror Privacy Via Anonymity, Jayne S. Ressler

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Early Use Of Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics In Bipolar Disorder Type I: An Expert Consensus, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are not routinely offered to patients living with bipolar disorder type I (BP-I), despite widespread evidence that supports their benefits over oral antipsychotics, particularly in early disease. Methods: A round-table meeting of psychiatrists convened to discuss barriers and opportunities and provide consensus recommendations around the early use of LAIs for BP-I. Results: LAIs are rarely prescribed to treat BP-I unless a patient has severe symptoms, sub-optimal adherence to oral antipsychotics, or has experienced multiple relapses. Beyond country-specific accessibility issues (e.g., healthcare infrastructure and availability/approval status), primary barriers to the effective use of LAIs were identified …

Seeing The Whole Together Through Relational Mapping: A Method For Engaging In Complex Systems Change, John Paul Stephens

Faculty Scholarship

Complex global challenges cut across organizational and sectoral boundaries, increasing calls for holistic responses. Seeing the whole across diverse stakeholders is challenging for participants in complex systems, yet doing so is essential for engaging effectively in systems change. A promising new method known as relational mapping, based on relational coordination theory, has been used to facilitate complex systems change. Here, we propose that relational mapping can be applied to help participants (1) see the whole in relation to the parts, (2) share their explicit and tacit knowledge, (3) engage in dialogue across distinct perspectives supported by the map as a …

Psychological And Social Well-Being Of Bony Fishes In Zoos And Aquariums (Ii), Ronald G. Oldfield

Faculty Scholarship

Research on the behaviour of animals in zoos has been conducted for decades, and observations have provided information that has improved the psychological and social well-being of animals. However, research on fishes in zoos and aquariums seems to be lacking. Here, we assess the current state of research on fishes in zoos and aquariums by surveying the peer-reviewed literature. Our assessment differs from previous surveys in that we examine the taxonomic classes Chondrichthyes (sharks and rays) and Osteichthyes (bony fishes) separately. Our survey finds that bony fishes have been drastically underrepresented in zoo journals, more drastically than chondrichthyans, revealing an …

Introduction: Giving Room To Embodied Relationships, Jeremy D. Bendik-Keymer

Faculty Scholarship

The special issue Z(a)dziwienie ciałem—to Wonder (to Wander) in Corporeal Relationships aims to contribute modestly and imaginatively to the recent wave of work around wonder. In some respects, too, it continues the short seminar “Discussing Wonder” published in Studia Philosophica Wratislaviensia vol. XV, no. 2 (2020). In the ancient Greek philosophical tradition, wonder helped philosophers make sense of the nature of their own inquiries and their striving for knowledge. This is the context in which Plato and Aristotle first discussed wonder (thaumadzein). The concept was reprised in a similar framework when Descartes and Spinoza laid foundations for modern philosophy, and …

Stirred By Your Presence, Jeremy D. Bendik-Keymer

Faculty Scholarship

Traces of you reach me through my senses. But without wondering in your presence, I cannot see you. For beings of sense and meaning such as ourselves, being stirred by another’s presence opens wondering. The implications of such claims are striking for what perception involves, for being in touch with another, and for good relationships. The paper proceeds as a series of “strobes,” from an ancient Greek word for whirling. Turning quickly about, words enact being stirred into won-dering, interspersed with visual glimpses, a photographic series. Building on recent work by the author, the paper draws on Jean-Luc Marion’s phenomenology; …

Proceedings Of The 2022 “Lifestyle Intervention For Epilepsy (Life)” Symposium Hosted By Cleveland Clinic, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Lifestyle interventions are strategies used to self-manage medical conditions, such as epilepsy, and often complement traditional pharmacologic and surgical therapies. The need for integrating evidence-based lifestyle interventions into mainstream medicine for the treatment of epilepsy is evident given that despite the availability of a multitude of treatments with medications and surgical techniques, a significant proportion of patients have refractory seizures, and even those who are seizure-free report significant adverse effects with current treatments. Although the evidence base for complementary medicine is less robust than it is for traditional forms of medicine, the evidence to date suggests that several forms of …

A Sex Comparison Of The Physical And Physiological Demands Of United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, Bridget A. Mcfadden, Harry P. Cintineo, Alexa J. Chandler, Gianna F, Mastrofini, Caroline Vicenty, Patrick Peterson, Mita Lovalekar, Bradley Nindl, Shawn M. Arent

Faculty Scholarship

PURPOSE: to monitor USMC recruits throughout training to comparatively assess workload, sleep, stress, and performance responses in men and women.

METHODS: 278 recruits (M = 180 & W = 98; Age = 19 ± 2y) were monitored and tested. Workload, sleep, and stress assessments occurred at weeks 2, 7/8, and 11 of training. Workload (energy expenditure per kg body mass [EE], distance [DIS], steps) and sleep (continuity & duration) were tracked over 72-hour periods using wearable accelerometry and heart rate devices. Stress was determined through salivary cortisol. Performance testing (vertical jump [CMJ] and isometric mid-thigh pull [IMTP]), occurred …

Shifting Toward Boilerplate Regulation, Wayne R. Barnes

Faculty Scholarship

Consumer assent to standard form contracts has been creating cognitive dissonance among contracts scholars for a century. Businesses impose standard forms on consumers, who never read the terms. But consumers would not understand them if they did. And they don’t have the bargaining power to change them anyway—the terms are famously “take it or leave it.” Contracting is ideally theorized as an act of voluntary, knowing consent to all the terms agreed to. The dissonance is that consumers, although ostensibly signaling their assent to the boilerplate by signing (or clicking, or tapping their phone screen), do not in fact know …

Neurological Foundations And Technological Interventions For Dyslexia: Advancements And Challenges, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Dyslexia, a complex neurological condition affecting reading and language processing, is intricately tied to variations in brain structure and function. This article explores the neurological underpinnings of dyslexia, emphasizing phonological, visual, and attention-related impairments. Furthermore, the analysis highlights various types of dyslexia—phonological, surface, rapid automatized naming, and visual—while addressing their neurological correlations. It also investigates the relationship between dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions, such as autism and ADHD, focusing on the neurological overlap and differences. To mitigate the challenges associated with dyslexia, advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and eye-tracking are discussed for their diagnostic and intervention potential. These …

Commercial Boilerplate: A Review And Research Agenda, Robert E. Scott, Stephen J. Choi, Mitu Gulati

Faculty Scholarship

Boilerplate contracts have long fascinated legal scholars. But the focus has been largely on consumer contracts, with the debate centered on the question of whether take-it-or-leave-it mass-produced forms imposed on consumers by large corporations should be treated as contracts or as a problem in regulation. By contrast, commercial boilerplate — the standard forms used in transactions for corporate or sovereign bonds or merger agreements — has traditionally received little attention. The assumption has been that form contracts among sophisticated parties may differ in form but not in substance from bespoke contracts between business entities. Yet a growing body of scholarship …

Common Measures Of Vaccination Intention Generate Substantially Different Estimates That Can Reduce Predictive Validity, Jessica Fishman, K. Aleks Schaefer, Daniel Scheitrum, Christopher Robertson, Dolores Albarracin

Faculty Scholarship

Surveys often estimate vaccination intentions using dichotomous ("Yes"/"No") or trichotomous ("Yes," "Unsure," "No") response options presented in different orders. Do survey results depend on these variations? This controlled experiment randomized participants to dichotomous or trichotomous measures of vaccine intentions (with “Yes” and “No” options presented in different orders). Intentions were measured separately for COVID-19, its booster, and influenza vaccines. Among a sample of U.S. adults (N = 4,764), estimates of vaccine intention varied as much as 37.5 ± 17.4 percentage points as a function of the dichotomous or trichotomous response set. Among participants who had not received the COVID-19 vaccine, …

Reply Brief For Plaintiff-Appellant Rocky Freeman, Madeline H. Meth

Faculty Scholarship

Because the Probation Office “dropped the ball,” JA199, false information remained in Rocky Freeman’s pre-sentence report for years. The Bureau of Prisons knew or should have known that it was relying on an inaccurate PSR. Yet, it failed to take any action to obtain correct information until Freeman discovered that BOP had been treating him as if he were a contract killer who had murdered two victims—effectively punishing him for acquitted conduct contrary to a court order. Instead of designating Freeman to the lowest-security-level facility for which he was qualified within 500 miles of his family, the United States sent …

Impact Of Body Mass Index And Vo2 Max On Symptoms, Physical Activity, And Physical Function In A Multinational Sample Of People With Hiv, Christine Horvat Davey, Deepesh Duwadi

Faculty Scholarship

People with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk for metabolic disorders affecting body mass index (BMI), chronic symptoms, and impaired physical function and capacity. Although physical activity improves health and well-being, PWH often do not meet activity recommendations necessary to achieve these benefits. Despite the known impact of symptoms, physical activity, and physical function on health, little is known about the relationships and interactions between these variables and BMI and maximum oxygen consumption during exercise (VO2 max) in a multinational population of PWH. We examined the relationship of BMI with PROMIS-29 measures, physical activity, strength, flexibility, and VO2 max in …

Clinical Correlates Of Perceived Stigma Among People Living With Epilepsy Enrolled In A Self-Management Clinical Trial, Martha Sajatovic, Martha Sajatovic, Jessica Black, Jacqueline Krehel-Montgomery, Grace Mcdermott, Joy Yala, Richard Barigye, Clara Adeniyi, Farren Briggs

Faculty Scholarship

Background and Purpose: Stigma is a pervasive barrier for people living with epilepsy (PLWE) and can have substantial negative effects. This study evaluated clinical correlates of perceived stigma in a research sample of PLWE considered to be at high risk due to frequent seizures or other negative health events. Methods: Analyses were derived from baseline data from an ongoing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing an epilepsy self-management approach. Standardized measures assessed socio-demographics, perceived epilepsy stigma, epilepsy-related self-efficacy, epilepsy self-management competency, health literacy, depressive symptom severity, functional status, social support and epilepsy-related quality of …

A 6-Month, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial Of Customized Adherence Enhancement Versus A Bipolar-Specific Educational Control In Poorly Adherent Adolescents And Young Adults Living With Bipolar Disorder, Jennifer B. Levin, Molly Mcvoy, Joy Yala, Jessica Black, Carla Conroy, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Few studies have addressed medication adherence in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with bipolar disorder (BD). This 6-month prospective randomized-controlled trial (RCT) tested customized adherence enhancement for adolescents and young adults (CAE-AYA), a behavioral intervention for AYAs versus enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). Methods: Inclusion criteria were AYAs age 13–21 with BD type I or II with suboptimal adherence defined as missing ≥20% of medications. Assessments were conducted at Screening, Baseline, and weeks 8, 12 and 24. Primary outcome was past 7 day self-reported Tablets Routine Questionnaire (TRQ) validated by electronic pillbox monitoring (SimpleMed). Symptom measures included the Hamilton …

Neurovascular Shifts, Sensory Sensitivity, And Pmdd In Autistic Women: Exploring Blood Flow Redirection, Mood Dysregulation, And Pain Tolerance During Menstruation, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the relationship between Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), neurovascular dynamics, and sensory sensitivities in autistic women during menstruation. The redirection of blood flow to the uterus during the menstrual cycle has been found to exacerbate cerebral perfusion deficits in neurodivergent individuals, particularly in the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC), which contributes to the mood dysregulation and emotional instability characteristic of PMDD. Autistic women, who often exhibit heightened sensory sensitivities, experience intensified discomfort during menstruation, as sensory overload and altered pain perception compound the emotional challenges of PMDD. These findings emphasize the need for neurodivergent-friendly menstrual products that mitigate both physical …

Navigating Life: Neuroscience And Inclusive Design In Wayfinding Systems, Stephanie Jost, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Wayfinding, as conceptualized by Lynch, has transformed from traditional navigation methods reliant on visual cues and landmarks to modern systems that integrate digital technologies and neuroscience. This study addresses the need for accessible and consistent wayfinding systems that accommodate diverse user abilities, particularly in complex environments such as public transit, hospitals, and large institutions. Current systems often lack coordination, clear signage, and comprehensive coverage, leading to navigation challenges. Through a multi-method approach, including literature review and case study analysis, this research evaluates best practices for inclusive wayfinding. Key findings emphasize the importance of consistent visual design, strategic sign placement, and …