Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between Combined Oral Contraceptive Prescription And Cervical Artery Dissection: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Robert J. Trager, Catherine P. Haering

Faculty Scholarship

Background: To date, research has identified positive associations between combined oral contraceptives (COCs) and adverse vascular events, however, evidence regarding the possible association with cervical artery dissection (CeAD) remains limited. We tested the hypothesis of a positive association between COCs and CeAD within one year following COC initiation compared to matched controls initiating intrauterine devices (IUDs), as measured by risk ratio (RR). Methods: We queried de-identified United States health records data (TriNetX, Inc.) from 2014 to 2024 for females aged 15–50 years without previous cerebrovascular disease or CeAD, creating mutually exclusive cohorts initiating either COCs or IUDs. We used propensity …

Can Chatgpt Implement Finite Element Models For Geotechnical Engineering Applications?, Hyoung Suk Suh

Faculty Scholarship

This study assesses the capability of ChatGPT to generate finite element code for geotechnical engineering applications from a set of prompts. We tested three different initial boundary value problems using a hydro-mechanically coupled formulation for unsaturated soils, including the dissipation of excess pore water pressure through fluid mass diffusion in one-dimensional space, time-dependent differential settlement of a strip footing, and gravity-driven seepage. For each case, initial prompting involved providing ChatGPT with necessary information for finite element implementation, such as balance and constitutive equations, problem geometry, initial and boundary conditions, material properties, and spatiotemporal discretization and solution strategies. Any errors and …

Prediction Of Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease Using Coronary Calcification And Epicardial Adipose Tissue Assessments From Ct Calcium Scoring Scans, Juhwan Lee, Tao Hu, Ammar Hoori, Hao Wu, Justin N. Kim, Robert Gilkeson, Sanjay Rajagopalan, David L. Wilson

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Low-cost/no-cost non-contrast CT calcium scoring (CTCS) exams can provide direct evidence of coronary atherosclerosis. In this study, using features from CTCS images, we developed a novel machine learning model to predict obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), as defined by the coronary artery disease-reporting and data system (CAD-RADS). Methods: This study analyzed 1324 patients from the SCOT-HEART trial who underwent both CTCS and CT angiography. Obstructive CAD was defined as CAD-RADS 4A-5, while CAD-RADS 0–3 were considered non-obstructive CAD. We analyzed clinical, Agatston-score-derived, and epicardial fat-omics features to predict obstructive CAD. The most predictive features were selected using elastic net …

Should Positive Airway Pressure Be Continued Uninterrupted After Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery? A Review Of Current Literature, Jayanth Rajan, John Richter, Daniel Karasik, Claudia I. Cabrera, John Gerka Stuyt, Kenneth Rodriguez, Brian D'Anza, Thomaz Fleury Curado, Sanjeet V. Rangarajan

Faculty Scholarship

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) poses unique challenges to the perioperative management of endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS). Currently, no consensus or guidelines exist on the reintroduction of positive airway pressure (PAP) in these patients. To better clarify the safety of PAP reintroduction after ESBS, the databases Pubmed and Embase were searched in May 2024 for studies on PAP reintroduction after ESBS. Two articles, comprising 15 patients, met the inclusion criteria. All patients resumed PAP the first night after surgery. All patients underwent ESBS for transsphenoidal pituitary resection. Only one patient experienced cerebrospinal fluid leak, and no other complications were reported. …

International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutrition And Weight Cut Strategies For Mixed Martial Arts And Other Combat Sports, Anthony A. Ricci, Cassandra Evans, Charles Stull, Corey A. Peacock, Duncan N. French, Jeffrey R. Stout, David H. Fukuda, Paul La Bounty, Douglas Kalman, Andrew J. Galpin, Jaime Tartar, Sarah Johnson, Richard B. Kreider, Chad Kerksick, Bill I. Campbell, Aaron Jeffery, Chris Algieri, Jose Antonio

Faculty Scholarship

Following an extensive literature review, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) has developed an official position on nutritional and weight cut strategies for combat sports. The type of combat sport, length of the fight camp, and time between weigh-in and competition are factors influencing nutritional and weight cut strategies. The following 16points constitute the Position Statement of the Society; the Research Committee has approved them. 1. Combat sports have differing weight categories, official weigh-in times, and competition frequencies, influencing the nutritional and weight cut strategies for training and competition. 2. As the duration of a combat match increases, >4 …

Screening And Treatment Of Iron Deficiency Among Heart Failure Patients With Impaired Ejection Fraction: The Impact Of A Pharmacist-Led Protocol, Firas Al Badarin, Feras Bader, Bassam Atallah

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Despite guideline-recommended routine screening and iron deficiency (ID) treatment among heart failure (HF) patients, these practices are often underutilized. Currently, limited data are available on the outcomes of pharmacists' programs to enhance ID screening and management. Accordingly, we sought to describe the frequency and yield of screening for ID and intravenous (IV) iron replacement rates among our cohort of HF patients and examined the impact of implementing a pharmacist-led protocol (PLP) aimed at enhancing these rates. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study involving HF patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <45% at a quaternary care hospital in the Middle East/Gulf region. The PLP was introduced in August 2022. Data on demographics, comorbidities, echocardiographic parameters, laboratory findings (including ID screening and its findings), and rates of treatment with IV iron replacement were analyzed and compared between the pre-implementation group (n = 432, October 2015–February 2020) and the post-implementation group (n = 154, August 2022–January 2023). Results: Before the PLP, 63.2% (n = 273) of eligible patients underwent ID screening, with 80.6% (n = 220) found to have ID. Following the implementation of the PLP, screening rates significantly increased to 86.4% (n = 133) (p = 0.03), with 53.4% (n = 71) diagnosed with ID. The rate of IV iron replacement in ID patients improved from 30.4% (n = 67) in the pre-PLP group to 73% (n = 52) in the post-PLP group (p < 0.001). Multivariable logistic regression identified baseline glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and hemoglobin levels as significant predictors of IV iron replacement in the pre-PLP cohort. Conclusions: Implementing a pharmacist-led protocol was significantly associated with enhancing the screening and treatment of ID in patients with HF and LVEF <45%. This study demonstrates the crucial role of pharmacists in optimizing guideline-directed therapies, which can be replicated in various healthcare settings.

What The Hell Is The Major Questions Doctrine?, Jack M. Beermann

Faculty Scholarship

Anita S. Krishnakumar, What the New Major Questions Doctrine Is Not, 92 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 1117 (2024).

When the sun sets in New York City, it rises in Tokyo. Okay, maybe not exactly, but you get the idea: setting somewhere, rising somewhere else. Now substitute Chevron for N.Y.C. and the Major Questions Doctrine for Tokyo. For the past forty years, administrative law scholars have been arguing over Chevron, and now that the sun has set on that doctrine, it’s time to turn our attention to the new rising sun, the Major Questions Doctrine (“MQD”). The sudden emergence …

The Common Law Of Constitutional Conventions, David E. Pozen

Faculty Scholarship

Professor Jill Lepore’s Jorde Symposium lecture paints a rich portrait of state constitutional conventions as engines of democratization during the 1800s and issues a dire warning about the United States’ ongoing amendment drought. Citing their unfamiliarity, however, Lepore declines to consider federal constitutional conventions as a possible corrective. In this response Essay, I argue: first, that Lepore’s marginalization of Article V’s convention mechanism is in tension with her own historical and normative account; second, that while Lepore’s wariness of conventions is entirely understandable given the state of our politics — and entirely commonplace among progressives — it carries significant risks …

Completing Icwa’S History, Joshua Gupta-Kagan

Faculty Scholarship

When the Supreme Court, in Brackeen v. Haaland, upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) — federal legislation making it harder for child family regulation (a.k.a. child protection) agencies to separate Indigenous children from their parents — it centered Congress’s effort to remedy a long history of unwarranted separations of Indigenous families.

The Other Secret Deals: Uncovering The Power Of Non-Binding International Agreements, Guillermo J. Garcia Sanchez

Faculty Scholarship

In recent decades, the use of traditional international treaties has declined as states increasingly rely on deformalized agreements - non binding arrangements - such as interinstitutional agreements and memoranda of understanding. These agreements allow governments to bypass the complexities of formal treaty-making while addressing shared challenges. This Article, based on four years of research and previously undisclosed agreements, examines a twenty-year database of non-binding agreements between the United States and Mexico. Through this case study, the Article demonstrates how deformalized agreements drive much of the cross-border collaboration, offering a flexible mechanism for government agencies to shape state behavior, coordinate policies, …

When Anti-Fraud Laws Become A Barrier To Computer Science Research, Madelyne Xiao, Andrew Sellars, Sarah Scheffler

Faculty Scholarship

Computer science research sometimes brushes with the law, from red-team exercises that probe the boundaries of authentication mechanisms, to AI research processing copyrighted material, to platform research measuring the behavior of algorithms and users. U.S.-based computer security research is no stranger to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in a relationship that is still evolving through case law, research practices, changing policies, and legislation

Amid the landscape computer scientists, lawyers, and policymakers have learned to navigate, anti-fraud laws are a surprisingly under-examined challenge for computer science research. Fraud brings separate issues that …

Thc Meets Gnh: Considering Cannabis Policy In Bhutan Through A Gross National Happiness Lens, Jay D. Wexler, Sonam Tshering

Faculty Scholarship

The legal status of cannabis remains a contentious issue globally, with countries adopting divergent approaches to the drug, ranging from strict prohibition to full legalization. In Bhutan, a nation deeply rooted in the holistic philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH), cannabis is currently classified as a controlled substance under domestic drug laws. This paper explores the question of whether Bhutan should change its laws regarding cannabis by analyzing decriminalization’s potential impact on Bhutan’s unique justice system, considering GNH principles and the prevalence of wild cannabis growth in the nation. The research will focus on whether Bhutan’s current approach to cannabis …

Tradeoffs In The Energetic Value Of Neuromodulation In A Closed-Loop Neuromechanical System, Zhuojun Yu, Peter J. Thomas, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

Rhythmic motor behaviors controlled by neuromechanical systems, consisting of central neural circuitry, biomechanics, and sensory feedback, show efficiency in energy expenditure. The biomechanical elements (e.g., muscles) are modulated by peripheral neuromodulation which may improve their strength and speed properties. However, there are relatively few studies on neuromodulatory control of muscle function and metabolic mechanical efficiency in neuromechanical systems. To investigate the role of neuromodulation on the system's mechanical efficiency, we consider a neuromuscular model of motor patterns for feeding in the marine mollusk Aplysia californica. By incorporating muscle energetics and neuromodulatory effects into the model, we demonstrate tradeoffs in the …

Hierarchical Analysis Of Us Electric Vehicle Subsidies For Carbon Emission Mitigation, Boman Su, Kang Shen, Chris Yuan

Faculty Scholarship

Electric vehicle (EV) adoptions are promoted with subsidies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ground transportation. In this paper, a hierarchical analysis is presented on the potential of greenhouse gas emission mitigation via the electric vehicle subsidy policy at state level in the US, through research of environmental and economic fundamentals of electric vehicle operations, energy consumptions, battery degradation and service life. It has been found that restructuring the federal subsidies to promote EV adoption can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the US. The reduction costs of greenhouse gas emissions vary between $1167.44/ton in Vermont to $6880.13/ton in Wyoming. …

A Comprehensive Quality Improvement Program To Improve Intubation Performance In Critical Care Transport, Andrew P. Reimer

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Advanced airway management is a primary skill critical care transport teams provide. There are several measures of performance for airway management that can be tracked and improved through quality improvement initiatives. The purpose of this project was to improve first-pass intubation success rates and the associated Definitive Airway Sans Hypoxia/Hypotension on First Attempt (DASH-1A) metric—definitive airway without hypoxia or hypotension. Methods: A multiyear quality improvement initiative was undertaken. Best practices from the literature were identified and implemented through the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Model for Improvement using a plan-do-study-act cycle approach. Improvement cycles included airway training in a cadaver …

The Association Between County-Level Social Determinants Of Health And Cardio-Kidney-Metabolic Disease Attributed All-Cause Mortality In The Us: A Cross Sectional Analysis, Antoinette Cotton, Pedro Rvo Salerno, Salil V. Deo, Ian Neeland, Sanjay Rajagopalan, Sadeer G. Al-Kindi, Yakov E. Elgudin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: The American Heart Association recently defined cardio-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome as the intersection between metabolic, renal, and cardiovascular disease. Understanding the contemporary estimates of CKM related mortality in the US is essential for developing targeted public interventions. Methods: We analyzed state-level and county-level CKM-associated all-cause mortality data (2010-2019) from the CDC Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER). Median and interquartile (IQR) age-adjusted mortality rates (aaMR) per 100,000 were reported and linked with a multi-component metric for social deprivation: the Social Deprivation Index (SDI: range 0 - 100) grouped as: I: 0 – 25, II: 26 – 50, III: 51 …

Neighborhood Social Processes And Adolescents' Depressive Symptoms: The Intervening Role Of Neighborhood Self-Efficacy, Kristen A. Berg

Faculty Scholarship

Via observational data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods collected between 1994 and 2001, this study examined the degree to which neighborhood disorder, collective efficacy, and youth-centered institutional resources are directly associated with adolescents' depressive symptoms across time, and the mediating role of adolescents'neighborhood self-efficacy. Latent variable structural equation models were estimated among an unweighted representative sample of 1448 adolescents (59% male, mean age 15.19), across 79 neighborhoods in Chicago, to examine the direct effects of neighborhood disorder, collective efficacy, and availability of youth-centered resources at baseline (measured at timepoint 1; reported by an independent sample of …

A Comparison Of Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy In Transmission Scanning Electron Microscopy With Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, Jennifer Carter, Tugce Karakulak, Jeffrey Pigott

Faculty Scholarship

The objective of this work was to explore the capabilities of a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) equipped with a transmission scanning electron detector (TSEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to identify nanoscale chemical heterogeneities in a gas atomization reaction synthesis (GARS) steel sample. The results of this analysis were compared to the same study conducted with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with EDS mapping. TSEM-EDS was performed using the standard spectral analysis approach, i.e., pixel-by-pixel identification of elements from the spectra, and a new principal component analysis approach to detect regions of similar spectra before identifying elemental …

Alpha Synuclein And Inflammaging, Geneviève L. Putnam, Robert W. Maitta

Faculty Scholarship

The α-synuclein protein is an established molecule in Lewy body pathology, especially Parkinson's disease (PD). While the pathological role of α-synuclein (α-syn) in PD has been well described, novel evidence may suggest that α-syn interacts with inflammasomes in response to aging. As age is an inevitable physiological state and is also considered the greatest risk factor for PD, this calls for investigation into how α-syn, aging, and PD could be linked. There is a growing amount of data regarding α-syn normal function in the body that includes involvement in cellular transport such as protein complexes assembly, vesicular trafficking, neurotransmitter release, …

A Comparison Of Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy In Transmission Scanning Electron Microscopy With Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, Jennifer L.W. Carter, Tugce Karakulak Uz, Jeffrey S. Pigott

Faculty Scholarship

The objective of this work was to explore the capabilities of a field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) equipped with a transmission scanning electron detector (TSEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to identify nanoscale chemical heterogeneities in a gas atomization reaction synthesis (GARS) steel sample. The results of this analysis were compared to the same study conducted with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with EDS mapping. TSEM-EDS was performed using the standard spectral analysis approach, i.e., pixel-by-pixel identification of elements from the spectra, and a new principal component analysis approach to detect regions of similar spectra before identifying elemental …

Perceptions And Practices Of Imaging Personnel And Physicians Regarding The Use Of Brain Mri For Dementia Diagnosis In Uganda, Stephen E. Jones, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction Diagnosing dementia remains challenging in low-income settings due to limited diagnostic options and the absence of definitive biomarkers. The use of brain MRI in the diagnosis of dementia is infrequent in Uganda, and even when it is used, subtle findings like mild regional atrophy are often overlooked, despite being crucial for imaging diagnosis. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and practices of imaging personnel and physicians regarding the use of brain MRI as a diagnostic approach for dementia in Uganda. Methods This was an exploratory qualitative study involving radiologists, technologists, senior house officers and …

Alzheimer’S Disease: Relationship Of Cognition And Behavior To Neurochemistry, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by loss of cells and synapses in specific neural systems. The development of more effective therapies will depend on understanding the relationships between this pathology and the cognitive and behavioral impairments. In this review, focusing primarily on work in our laboratory, we will examine both classic and neuropeptide neurotransmitter systems and will discuss conceptual and methodological problems in relating clinical and biological measures.

How Are You Doing… Really? A Review Of Whole Person Health Assessments, Kurt C. Stange

Faculty Scholarship

Policy Points A redirection of measurement in health care from a narrow focus on diseases and care processes towards assessing whole person health, as perceived by the person themself, may provide a galvanizing view of how health care can best meet the needs of people and help patients feel heard, seen, and understood by their care team. This review identifies key tensions to navigate as well as four overarching categories of whole person health for consideration in developing an instrument optimized for clinical practice. The categories (body and mind, relationships, living environment and finances, and engagement in daily life) include …

Building Toward Population Reserve And A Critical Positive Psychiatry, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Cariprazine On Outcomes In Older-Aged And Younger-Aged Patients With Bipolar I Disorder: A Post-Hoc Analysis, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Objectives: To evaluate cariprazine in adults with older- and younger-age bipolar I disorder (OABD-I and YABD-I) and compare treatment effects between them. Design and setting: Pooled post-hoc analysis of studies in depressive or acute manic/mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder. Participants: 475/1383 patients (34.3%) in 3 depression trials and 238/1037 patients (23.0%) in 3 manic/mixed trials were OABD-I. Interventions: Depression: placebo, cariprazine 1.5 mg/day, 3.0 mg/day, pooled 1.5-3.0 mg/day. Manic/mixed: placebo, cariprazine 3.0-6.0 mg/day, and 9.0-12.0 mg/day. Measurements: Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Results: In bipolar I …

Interference With The Democratic Process As Public Nuisance, Richard C. Boldt, Donald G. Gifford

Faculty Scholarship

This Article argues that the tort of public nuisance provides a vehicle for holding accountable those engaged in antidemocratic conduct. Recent history suggests that neither the criminal justice system nor Constitutional checks and balances are always up to the task. Following the 2020 election, some supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol to prevent the counting of the electoral votes, tampered with election machines, and intimidated election workers and voters. Depending on the results of the 2024 election, criminal charges against Trump and some of his followers may be dismissed. The Senate failed to convict the President on articles of …

Who Teaches Consumer Law?, Jeff Sovern

Faculty Scholarship

This paper reports on a survey of 31 law professors teaching consumer protection law conducted in connection with the Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice at the UC Berkeley School of Law and the Center for Consumer Law at the University of Houston Law Center’s 2024 Teaching Consumer Law Conference. Surveys posed at previous editions of the Teaching Consumer Law Conference focused largely on what topics are covered in consumer law courses. The 2024 iteration of the survey instead explored responding professors’ goals in consumer law courses and experiences with and views on consumer law matters. Among the findings: …

Shaping Strategy In The Digital Age: The Impact Of Consumer Electronic Word Of Mouth On Firm Strategic Emphasis, Brandon Holle, Hang T. Nguyen, Hieu V. Phan

Faculty Scholarship

This research explores how consumer electronic word of mouth (eWOM) influences a firm’s strategic emphasis, focusing on the distinct effects of positive and negative eWOM on value appropriation (e.g., advertising) versus value creation (e.g., R&D). Analyzing over 33 million social media posts covering 39 corporate brands from 2010 to 2020, the authors find that positive consumer eWOM influences firms to prioritize a strategic emphasis on value appropriation, while negative consumer eWOM is associated with a strategic emphasis on value creation. These effects are moderated by product category, market competition, and industry instability. Firms in hedonic categories have attenuated responses to …

An Organizational Theory Of Corporate Law, Emilie Aguirre, Julie Yen, Julie Battilana

Faculty Scholarship

Corporate law is in a moment of vibrant and contentious discussions about potential reforms. As firms exit Delaware, passive investment predominates, private equity expands, and public markets decline, corporate law faces a growing set of challenges that threaten its stability and efficacy. At the same time, the world faces pressing crises, including climate change, social and economic inequalities, and threats to democracy, though corporate law scholars typically consider these crises to be outside corporate law’s remit.

In this Article, we argue that to understand and address the multidimensional crises that face both corporate law and society, we must address shortcomings …

Molecular Diagnostic Patenting After Mayo V. Prometheus: An Empirical Analysis, Colleen V. Chien, Jenna Clark, Arti K. Rai

Faculty Scholarship

Since the United States Supreme Court's 2012 decision in Mayo v. Prometheus announced a new legal test for patent-eligible subject matter, policymakers, and scholars have vigorously debated the decision's impact on molecular diagnostics innovation. Molecular diagnostics serve as the cornerstone of personalized medicine and its promise of treatments with fewer side effects and better outcomes for patients. This article contributes to the presently thin evidence base on the impact of Mayo by using data on patent applications, examinations, and grants from 2010 to 2019 to comprehensively trace the effects of the test and subsequent related developments. Using descriptive data as …