Digital Commons Network^™

Review Of Treatment Of Hepatitis C Among Persons Who Are Housing Insecure And Use Substances, Kate Kelley

Faculty Scholarship

With the advent of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA), reduction of hepatitis C infection (HCV) has become a public health priority. The World Health Organization’s goal of global elimination of HCV by 2030 has brought to light the challenges in treating certain populations. This review examines the burden of HCV infection on unhoused individuals and people who use substances in the United States in the last five years, and presents best practices in patient care and treatment.

Recent Findings On The Effectiveness Of Peer Support For Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, James J. Werner, Kelsey Ufholz, Prashant Yamajala

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: To review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from 2021–2023 that reported the effects of peer support interventions on outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Recent Findings: Literature searches yielded 137 articles and nine RCTs were ultimately reviewed. The reviewed trials involved in-person support groups, peer coach/mentor support, cultural peer support by community health workers, peer support during shared medical appointments (SMAs) including virtual reality-based SMAs, telehealth-facilitated programs, and telephone peer support. Most interventions combined two or more peer support strategies. Peer support was associated with significant decreases in HbA1c in 6 of the 9 reviewed …

Development Of An International Standard Set Of Outcomes And Measurement Methods For Routine Practice For Infants, Children, And Adolescents With Epilepsy: The International Consortium For Health Outcomes Measurement Consensus Recommendations, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

At present, there is no internationally accepted set of core outcomes or measurement methods for epilepsy clinical practice. The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) convened an international working group of experts in epilepsy, people with epilepsy, and their representatives to develop minimum sets of standardized outcomes and outcome measurement methods for clinical practice. Using modified Delphi consensus methods with consecutive rounds of online voting over 12 months, a core set of outcomes and corresponding measurement tool packages to capture the outcomes were identified for infants, children, and adolescents with epilepsy. Consensus methods identified 20 core outcomes. In addition …

Violence Exposure And Trauma Screener For Youth (Vetsy), Daniel Joseph Flannery, Ivette Noriega, Mark Singer, Jeff Kretschmar

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Youth exposed to violence are at serious risk for physical, emotional, behavioral, and mental distress. Reliable and prompt detection is necessary to mitigate the psychological consequences of youth violence exposure and trauma. Objective: To describe the initial creation of the VETSY screener and its construct validity and potential use. Methods: From 2014 through 2022 we surveyed 20,532 at-risk youth aged 8–18 years from a diverse metropolitan community participating in the Defending Childhood Initiative (DCI). Youth completed a 17-item self-report screener. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to determine the reliability and variable grouping for this brief screener. Violence …

Development Of An International Standard Set Of Outcomes And Measurement Methods For Routine Practice For Adults With Epilepsy: The International Consortium For Health Outcomes Measurement Consensus Recommendations, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

At present, there is no internationally accepted set of core outcomes or measurement methods for epilepsy clinical practice. Therefore, the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) convened an international working group of experts in epilepsy, people with epilepsy and their representatives to develop minimum sets of standardized outcomes and outcomes measurement methods for clinical practice that support patient–clinician decision-making and quality improvement. Consensus methods identified 20 core outcomes. Measurement tools were recommended based on their evidence of strong clinical measurement properties, feasibility, and cross-cultural applicability. The essential outcomes included many non-seizure outcomes: anxiety, depression, suicidality, memory and attention, sleep …

Sexual Function After Gender Affirming Surgery, Alicia R. Castellanos, Rachel Pope

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: Sexual function and satisfaction in the transgender community is a nascent field with a paucity of data due to the fast paced nature of improving upon surgical technique and variety of patient experiences. The authors aim to review the current literature for areas of success as well as areas of improvement in order to better the sexual health of the transgender community. Recent Findings: Gender dysphoria is a feeling of distress experienced by those whose gender assigned at birth is not in line with their gender identity. While social transition to the desired gender can suffice for …

Improved Motor Skills In Autistic Children After Three Weeks Of Neurologic Music Therapy Via Telehealth: A Pilot Study, Nicole M. Richard Williams, Corene Hurt-Thaut, Jessica Brian, Luc Tremblay, Marija Pranjic, Jessica Teich, Melissa Tan, Julia Kowaleski, Michael Thaut

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Many autistic children experience motor skill deficits which can impact other areas of functioning, and research on therapeutic interventions for motor skills in autism is in a preliminary stage. Music-based therapies have been used extensively to address motor skills in non-autistic populations. Though a handful of studies exist on the effects of music-based therapies for movement in autistic children, none have investigated the possibility of administering sessions via telehealth. This mixed-methods pilot study investigated whether nine Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)^® sessions via telehealth would improve motor and attention skills in autistic children.

Methods: Five autistic children between five …

Preferences, Risk Neutrality And Risk-Sensitive Mdps, James Alexander, Matthew J. Sobel

Faculty Scholarship

A binary preference relation on a real vector space satisfying four (natural) axioms is shown to induce a utility function composed of a linear function to the reals and a weakly monotonic function. The key axiom is decomposition, and the utility function can be taken to be linear if and only if this axiom’s converse is also satisfied. Important consequences follow for risk-sensitive discounted Markov decision processes, decision trees, and the discounted utility model in economics. Since the four axioms imply that preferences correspond to discounting, the four axioms without the converse imply that preferences are consistent with discounting without …

The Efficacy Of Telemental Health Interventions For Mood Disorders Pre-Covid-19: A Narrative Review, Alyssa M. Edwards, Jordan C. Petitt, Martha Sajatovic, Sanjana Kumar, Jennifer B. Levin

Faculty Scholarship

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant surge in the utilization of telemental health (TMH) services. This narrative review aimed to investigate the efficacy of TMH for serious mood disorders prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. A search across databases was conducted for randomized controlled trials focusing on TMH interventions for mood disorders, encompassing major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). Study and patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes were extracted. From a pool of 2611 papers initially identified, 17 met the inclusion criteria: 14 focused on MDD, while 4 addressed BD. Among these, 6 papers directly compared TMH …

Simulacra And Historical Fidelity In Digital Recreation Of Lost Cultural Heritage: Reconstituting Period Materialities For The Period Eye, Trent Olsen, James Hutson, Charles O'Brien, Jeremiah Ratican

Faculty Scholarship

The advancement of digital technologies in art history has opened avenues for reconstructing lost or damaged cultural heritage, a need highlighted by the deteriorated state of many artworks from the 1785 Salon. Grounded in the concept of the “Period Eye” by art historian Michael Baxandall, which emphasizes understanding artworks within their original historical and cultural contexts, this study proposes a subfield focused on Reconstituting Period Materialities for the Period Eye. This methodology bridges comprehensive historical research with generative visual artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, facilitating the creation and immersive virtual reality viewing of artworks. Beyond mere visual replication, the approach aims …

Advancing Sentiment Analysis Through Emotionally-Agnostic Text Mining In Large Language Models (Llms), Jay Ratican, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The conventional methodology for sentiment analysis within large language models (LLMs) has predominantly drawn upon human emotional frameworks, incorporating physiological cues that are inherently absent in text-only communication. This research proposes a paradigm shift towards an emotionallyagnostic approach to sentiment analysis in LLMs, which concentrates on purely textual expressions of sentiment, circumventing the confounding effects of human physiological responses. The aim is to refine sentiment analysis algorithms to discern and generate emotionally congruent responses strictly from text-based cues. This study presents a comprehensive framework for an emotionally-agnostic sentiment analysis model that systematically excludes physiological indicators whilst maintaining the analytical depth …

Resonant Perceptions: Exploring Autistic Aesthetics Through Embodied Cognition, James Hutson, Piper Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Inmate Assistance Programs: Toward A Less Punitive And More Effective Criminal Justice System, Erkmen G. Aslim, Yijia Lu, Murat C. Mungan

Faculty Scholarship

High recidivism rates in the United States are a well-known and disturbing problem. In this article, we explain how this problem can be mitigated in a cost-effective manner through reforms that make greater use of humane methods that help inmates rather than using more punitive measures.

We focus on Inmate Assistance Programs (IAPs) adopted by many states. Some of these programs provide inmates with valuable skill sets to utilize upon their release while others are geared towards treating mental health and substance use disorder problems. IAPs are likely to reduce recidivism by lowering ex-convicts’ need to resort to crime for …

Ethical Imperatives And Challenges: Review Of The Use Of Machine Learning For Predictive Analytics In Higher Education, Emily Barnes, James Hutson, Karriem Perry

Faculty Scholarship

The escalating integration of machine learning (ML) in higher education necessitates a critical examination of its ethical implications. This article conducts a comprehensive review of the application of ML for predictive analytics within higher education institutions (HEIs), emphasizing the technology's potential to enhance student outcomes and operational efficiency. The study identifies significant ethical concerns, such as data privacy, informed consent, transparency, and accountability, that arise from the use of ML. Through a detailed analysis of current practices, this review underscores the need for HEIs to develop robust ethical frameworks and technological infrastructures to navigate these challenges effectively. The findings reveal …

Optimizing Adult Learner Success: Applying Random Forest Classifier In Higher Education Predictive Analytics, Emily Barnes, James Hutson, Karriem Perry

Faculty Scholarship

This study examines the application of the Random Forest Classifier (RF) model in predicting academic success among adult learners in higher education. It focuses on evaluating the model's effectiveness using key statistical measures like accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score across a comprehensive dataset from 2013–14 to 2021–22, which includes variables such as age, ethnicity, gender, Pell Grant eligibility, and academic performance metrics. The research highlights the RF model's capability to handle large datasets with varying data types and demonstrates its superiority over traditional regression models in predictive accuracy. Through an iterative process, the study refines the RF model to …

Self-Reported Determinants Of Covid-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among Persons With And Without Autoimmune Disease, Jenny D. Gong, Maya Mattar, Donald D. Anthony, Adam T. Perzynski, Nora G. Singer

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Patients with autoimmune disease (AD) are at increased risk for complications from COVID-19 infection, so, optimizing vaccine utilization in this population is of particular importance. We compared COVID-19 vaccination perspectives among persons with and without AD. Methods: 471 patients in the MetroHealth System and Cleveland Veteran Affairs Medical Center completed a 38-item questionnaire between August 2021 and February 2022. This survey containing questions regarding COVID-19 vaccine perceptions and demographics was administered both to unvaccinated individuals and individuals who delayed vaccination for at least 2 months. Multivariable ordinary least squares regression models were created to assess factors associated with vaccination …

Bridging The Digital Divide: Innovative Uses Of Qr Codes And Nfc In The Artistic Realm, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

In the rapidly evolving digital age, artists and creatives are increasingly leveraging QR codes and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies to redefine the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. This article explores the diverse and inventive applications of QR codes and NFC in art installations, augmented reality experiences, interactive storytelling, performance art, and marketing campaigns. By incorporating these technologies, artists may create interactive, immersive, and personalized experiences which engage audiences in novel ways. Additionally, the article delves into the technological advancements enabling these innovative applications, including location-based personalization, machine learning, augmented reality, and the seamless interactions facilitated by NFC …

A Synergistic Approach To Outreach And Teaching: Combining Service Learning At The College Level With A Summer Hands-On Outreach Program In Chemical And Biomolecular Engineering For High School Girls, Geeta Verma, Sogol Asaei, Jacob D. Hostert, Rebecca Ahn, Julie N. Renner

Faculty Scholarship

A synergetic approach to combine service learning at the university level with a high school outreach program is described. A holistic view is presented by discussing the importance of outreach and service learning, survey results, and outcomes. Overall, it was found that the unique program increased the self-efficacy (belief about one’s abilities) of students ranging from high school to graduate level, and positively impacted the social responsibility attitudes of university student participants.

Teaching "Is This Case Rightly Decided?", Steven Arrigg Koh

Faculty Scholarship

“Is this case rightly decided?” From the first week of law school, every law student must grapple with this classroom question. This Essay argues that this vital question is problematically under-specified, creating imprecision in thinking about law. This Essay thus advocates that law professors should present students with a three-part framework: whether a case is rightly decided legally, morally, or sociologically.

Additionally, this Essay argues that disaggregating the question exposes deeper deficiencies in legal education. Many law professors do not provide students with serious grounding to engage in rigorous thinking about the relationship between law, morality, and justice, not to …

A Critical Review Of Sociological Research On Sexual Pleasure, Hannah Regan

Faculty Scholarship

Sociologists of sexuality often invoke the theme of pleasure, but it is not always clear what scholars believe the implications and importance of pleasure are. To this end, this paper reviews the existing literature on sexual pleasure, specifically within the field of sociology, to demonstrate what questions about sexual pleasure are (and are not) currently being asked. Through a systematic literature review, I demonstrate that scholars often lack a justification for why pleasure is important. I also connect themes between the kind of questions being asked about pleasure and the justifications attached to these studies, relating to risk mitigation, relationship …

Validity, Reliability, And Fairness Evidence For The Jd-Next Exam, Steven Holtzman, Jonathan Steinberg, Jonathan Weeks, Christopher Robertson, Jessica Findley, David M. Klieger

Faculty Scholarship

At a time when institutions of higher education are exploring alternatives to traditional admissions testing, institutions are also seeking to better support students and prepare them for academic success. Under such an engaged model, one may seek to measure not just the accumulated knowledge and skills that students would bring to a new academic program but also their ability to grow and learn through the academic program. To help prepare students for law school before they matriculate, the JD-Next is a fully online, noncredit, 7- to 10-week course to train potential juris doctor students in case reading and analysis skills. …

Conceptual Competence In Psychiatric Training: Building A Culture Of Conceptual Inquiry, Awais Aftab

Faculty Scholarship

Building a culture of conceptual inquiry in psychiatric training requires the development of conceptual competence: the ability to identify and examine assumptions that constitute the philosophical foundations of clinical care and scientific investigation in psychiatry. In this article, we argue for the importance of such competence and illustrate approaches to instilling it through examples drawn from our collective experiences as psychiatric educators.

Navigating The Maze: The Role Of Pre-Enrollment Socio-Cultural And Institutional Factors In Higher Education In The Age Of Ai, Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the complex interplay between pre-enrollment socio-cultural and institutional factors and their impact on the higher education landscape. It challenges traditional metrics of academic achievement, presenting a nuanced perspective on student success that emphasizes the importance of socio-economic backgrounds, cultural capital, and K-12 education quality. The analysis extends to the significant role of institutional attributes in shaping student readiness and decision-making processes. The study advocates for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven assessments by higher education institutions to cater to the diverse needs of the student body, promoting an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Anchored in an extensive …

Rethinking Plagiarism In The Era Of Generative Ai, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, has precipitated a paradigm shift in the realms of academic writing, plagiarism, and intellectual property. This article explores the evolving landscape of English composition courses, traditionally designed to develop critical thinking through writing. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the academic sphere, it necessitates a reevaluation of originality in writing, the purpose of learning research and writing, and the frameworks governing intellectual property (IP) and plagiarism. The paper commences with a statistical analysis contrasting the actual use of LLMs in academic dishonesty with educator …

A New Canvas Of Learning: Enhancing Formal Analysis Skills In Ap Art History Through Ai-Generated Islamic Art, Krista Carpino, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This study explores the use of AI art generators to enhance formal analysis skills in AP Art History students, with a focus on Islamic Art and Architecture. Students, often entering the course with high academic achievements, find the unique challenge of articulating detailed visual descriptions of artworks. The study’s approach involves using AI image-generation websites, like wepik.com, where students create AI images resembling Islamic artworks studied in class. This method aims to refine their descriptive skills, focusing on visual evidence rather than relying on identifying details. The choice of Islamic Art, markedly different from other historical periods covered in the …

The Promise And Perils Of Tech Whistleblowing, Hannah Bloch-Wehba

Faculty Scholarship

Whistleblowers and leakers wield significant influence in technology law and policy. On topics ranging from cybersecurity to free speech, tech whistleblowers spur congressional hearings, motivate the introduction of legislation, and animate critical press coverage of tech firms. But while scholars and policymakers have long called for transparency and accountability in the tech sector, they have overlooked the significance of individual disclosures by industry insiders—workers, employees, and volunteers—who leak information that firms would prefer to keep private.

This Article offers an account of the rise and influence of tech whistleblowing. Radical information asymmetries pervade tech law and policy. Firms exercise near-complete …

Congress's Untapped Authority To Certify U Visas, Elora Mukherjee, Fatma Marouf, Sabrineh Ardalan

Faculty Scholarship

A crucial path to legal status for immigrant victims of crimes is the U visa, which Congress established with strong bipartisan support to protect victims of particular crimes who are helpful to law enforcement. Because the U visa was intended to encourage reporting of crimes, the application requires a certification form to be completed by a federal, state, or local authority that is investigating or prosecuting the alleged offense. Arbitrary and inconsistent certification decisions by state and local authorities make it especially important to identify relevant federal authorities that can serve as certifying authorities for U visas. This Piece argues …

The Judicial Method In Copyright, Shyamkrishna Balganesh

Faculty Scholarship

This Essay, delivered as the 2023 Brace lecture, examines the role of the real unsung heroes of the modern U.S. copyright system: the federal judiciary. For the longest time, discussions of copyright policy and reform in the U.S. have altogether neglected the role that courts are meant to play in working copyright’s substantive and procedural rules. These discussions have instead assumed a norm of passivity from courts, who are presumed to either engage in a mechanical application of the statute’s text to decide disputes or instead make the law incrementally in common law style. In this Essay, I argue that …

Clinical And Sociodemographic Characteristics As Predictors For Quality Of Life In Transmasculine And Transfeminine Individuals Receiving Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy, Saloni U. Lad, Jacob Sinopoli, Britt Conroy, Adam T. Perzynski, Juan P. Del Rincon

Faculty Scholarship

Healthcare systems and providers have increasingly acknowledged the role and impact of social determinants in overall health. However, gender-diverse individuals face persistent health disparities due to their identities. There is limited research on the impact of clinical and sociodemographic characteristics on mood and quality of life (QoL) for transgender (TG) individuals. Our study aims to understand and better elucidate social and clinical characteristics of transmasculine (TM) and transfeminine (TF) individuals and their impact on quality of life and depressive symptoms. In this cross-sectional study, 298 TF and TM individuals on gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) were surveyed about their demographic characteristics …

The Will To Chaos And Disorder: The Behemoth As A Model Of Political Economy, Bernard E. Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

The history of political economy is tormented by beasts. The most famous is the Leviathan, the giant serpentine monster that figures in Hobbes’s masterpiece of modern political theory. Robert Fredona and Sophus Reinert spotlight another sea monster, the Kraken, that giant octopus or squid with a particular morphology (i.e., its tentacles) that so fittingly describes the grip of multinational corporations, stateless financial capital, social media, and tech giants today. But there are still other monsters in the bestiary of political economy. In this essay, I highlight the Behemoth, a land monster that captures another critical dimension of political economy: the …