Digital Commons Network^™

The Evolution And Future Of Microservices Architecture With Ai-Driven Enhancements, Jill Willard, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Microservices architecture has revolutionized software development by enabling the decomposition of monolithic applications into smaller, more manageable services. While this shift has reduced risks and enhanced system resiliency, the increasing complexity of managing numerous microservices presents new challenges. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, there is a growing need to explore how autonomous AI agents can optimize microservices architectures, particularly in terms of communication and workflow orchestration. The purpose of this study is to investigate how AI agents can autonomously interact and manage microservices, reducing human intervention and enhancing system efficiency. The key research question guiding this investigation relates …

A Review Of Optical Flow Velocimetry In Fluid Mechanics, Gauresh Raj Jassal, Bryan E. Schmidt

Faculty Scholarship

Optical flow methods have been developed over the past two decades for application to particle image velocimetry (PIV) images with the goal of acquiring higher resolution measurements of the velocity field than conventional cross-correlation (CC)-based techniques. Numerous optical flow velocimetry (OFV) algorithms have been devised to solve the ill-posed optical flow problem, with various physics-inspired strategies to tailor them to fluid flows. While OFV can be applied to continuous scalar fields, it has demonstrated the most success on images of tracer particles, i.e. traditional planar PIV images. Compared to state-of-the-art CC algorithms, OFV methods have demonstrated an order of magnitude …

Applicable And Generalizable Machine Learning For Intelligent Welding In Automotive Manufacturing, Peng Edward Wang, Xijia Zhao

Faculty Scholarship

This review paper examines the application and challenges of machine learning (ML) in intelligent welding processes within the automotive industry, focusing on resistance spot welding (RSW) and laser welding. RSW is predominant in body-in-white assembly, while laser welding is critical for electric vehicle battery packs due to its precision and compatibility with dissimilar materials. The paper categorizes ML applications into three key areas: sensing, in-process decision-making, and post-process optimization. It reviews supervised learning models for defect detection and weld quality prediction, unsupervised learning for feature extraction and data clustering, and emerging generalizable ML approaches like transfer learning and federated learning …

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 …

Decriminalization Matters: Lgbtq Transnational Litigation Networks And Movement Lawyering In The Global South, Ayodeji Kamau Perrin

Faculty Scholarship

In the last decade, a distinct sociolegal phenomenon has been sweeping across the Global South—the judicial decriminalization of same-sex sexual conduct. On the other hand, progress on LGBTQ rights has occurred in parallel to transnational countermobilization and backlash against LGBTQ rights. Yet, neither the phenomenon of judicial decriminalization nor the countermobilization and backlash to decriminalization has attracted the attention that these phenomena deserve from doctrinal legal scholars, comparative and international law scholars, or legal mobilization scholars.

In this paper, I help to remedy this oversight by making three contributions to legal mobilization scholarship and to international law and relations scholarship. …

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 …

Sovereignty, Sins, And The Reassertion Of Primary Taxing Rights By The United States, Michael J. Graetz

Faculty Scholarship

In this report, Graetz argues that the United States must reassert its primary taxing rights over income long conceded to other countries, especially income from intellectual property created in the United States, and he explains some changes necessary to make that happen.

Black English For Lawyers: A Primer, L. Alexander Walker Iii

Faculty Scholarship

Lawyers do not know as much about Black English as they should, and people’s freedom hangs in the balance. Differences between language varieties in sounds and grammar can change and have changed the outcome of cases: “He at work” and “He be at work” mean two completely different things. To reduce misinterpretation and therefore wrongful outcomes, this Article provides a primer on the sounds, words, grammar, and social context of Black English targeted directly at legal practitioners. It begins by explaining key concepts in linguistics and making the case for why lawyers must foreground accurate description over normative prescription when …

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 …

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 …

Community Integration Of People With Disabilities A Quarter Century After Olmstead V. L.C., Michael Ashley Stein, Benjamin Barsky, Lisa I. Iezzoni

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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 …

Pushing Boundaries, Paula A. Monopoli

Faculty Scholarship

This essay was originally published in Balkinization as part of an online symposium and it is reprinted with permission. The essay engages with Julie Suk's book, After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do About It. It suggests that feminist legal scholars have been considering their intellectual options in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In After Misogyny, Professor Suk offers a conceptual path forward in a post-Dobbs world. Suk’s trenchant analysis of the failure of law to render substantive gender equality and her …

Guardianship And Its Alternatives: A Handbook On Maryland Law, Joan O'Sullivan, Ellen A. Callegary, Rebecca Hall, James F. Silver

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

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 …

The Savings Mirage, Sara Sternberg Greene

Faculty Scholarship

In the past, we did not worry much about elderly poverty because retirement was short for most Americans – a brief jaunt of post-work life was soon met with death. But with the 100-year life becoming a reality for more Americans, an elderly poverty crisis looms. The American dream of abundant retirement savings remains elusive for many, particularly low-wage workers. While government initiatives emphasize individual responsibility and financial education as a way toward retirement success, the reality is that governmental policies are barriers, including asset limitations that prevent those who receive public benefits from saving. This chapter urges reform in …

Poor In Practical Capacity: How Environmental Alienation Is Really A Deficit Of Political Know-How, Jeremy Bendik-Keymer

Faculty Scholarship

“Alienation from nature” is a popular notion in Western environmental culture. Influential Anglophone critical theorist Steven Vogel claims that it makes no sense, unlike alienation from our productive capacity to dwell on Earth, called “alienation from the environment.” His criticism is accurate, but his view isn’t. The normative sets appropriate production and consists of social processes of arriving at norms. Politics is foremost among these processes, and it is fundamentally know-how. Given these assumptions, poor practical capacity ends up being the heart of “environmental alienation” – alienation from the built environment. Look at large-scale, anthropogenic, environmental change: a deficit of …

Sailing Stormy Waters: Leadership And Advocacy In Uncertain Times, Janine Galeski

Faculty Scholarship

In times of uncertainty and rapid change, health care leaders face unique challenges. This article explores best practices for leadership and advocacy in healthcare across five spheres of leadership influence: personal, interpersonal, organization, community, and society. Leaders can reduce the adverse effects of uncertainty by operating within the intersection of evidence-based practice, legal compliance, and ethical decision-making. This article explores practical applications and real-world examples in all 5 spheres of leadership influence.

Design Problems, Mark P. Mckenna, Jessica Silbey

Faculty Scholarship

This Essay draws on our empirical research into designers and their work to investigate the limits of intellectual property law for achieving its goal of progress in the design context. We focus on two related aspects of our research and also address a pressing doctrinal question in design patent law. The two research questions we discuss are: (1) How do designers conceive of and solve design problems through innovative design practice?; and (2) How do designers incorporate human values of coherence, inclusivity, and sustainability in their process, imbuing their practice with a kind of politics? The related doctrinal question concerns …

(Non)Police Brutality, Shawn E. Fields

Faculty Scholarship

Local governments increasingly rely on unarmed, nonpolice experts to provide public safety services. In response to demands to reduce police violence, many municipalities have empowered paramedics, mental health counselors, social workers, and homeless outreach personnel, to triage health and safety issues without police involvement. Pilot programs reallocating police funds to these alternate responders appear to reduce arrest rates and rates of police violence. But they have not eliminated acts of violence committed by these nonpolice actors themselves. Shocking stories of paramedics chemically sedating motionless patients to death, social workers assaulting clients, and homelessness response units brutally dispersing unhoused persons after …

Lone Stars Lessons, Amy F. Kimpel

Faculty Scholarship

This Article provides the first comprehensive empirical account of Operation Lone Star (OLS), Texas Governor Abbott’s immigration enforcement initiative at the southern border. Though OLS consists of several components, including border wall construction and the busing of migrants to “blue” states, the machinery of OLS is primarily designed to apprehend recent migrants and prosecute them for violations of Texas state criminal law. The most common OLS prosecutions are for misdemeanor criminal trespass after migrants are arrested on private ranch lands near the border. As many criminal justice reforms aim to shrink the scale and scope of the criminal legal system, …

Deep And Continuous Palliative Sedation Without Artificial Nutrition And Hydration: An International Review, Richard Liu, Thaddeus Pope, April Xiaoyi Xu

Faculty Scholarship

Deep and continuous palliative sedation combined with withholding or withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration (collectively termed “PSs̄ANH”) is a medical process regularly used in end-of-life care as a means of alleviating suffering. But PSs̄ANH is often not governed by a clear legal framework. To shed light on different approaches to regulating PSs̄ANH, this Article conducts a comparative analysis of the PSs̄ANH legality across twelve jurisdictions.

To facilitate understanding of this broad issue, we subdivided PSs̄ANH into three categories:

(1) PSs̄ANH will not hasten death (“Type 1 PSs̄ANH”),
(2) PSs̄ANH might, but is not certain to, hasten death (“Type 2 …