Digital Commons Network^™

Carbon Pricing Initiatives In Western North America: Blueprint For Global Climate Change Policy, Nancy Shurtz

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

In the absence of effective international and federal initiatives to combat the impacts of global climate change, many state, local and regional jurisdictions are passing or proposing measures to curb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The province of British Columbia, Canada, as well as the cities of San Francisco, California and Boulder, Colorado have carbon taxes in place, and similar actions have been proposed in the Oregon and Washington state legislatures. The state of California and the province of Québec have linked together in a joint cap-and-trade system. This Article will examine the fundaments of carbon taxation, including identification of the …

The Dirty Effects Of Clean Energy Technology: Supportive Regulations To Promote Recycling Of Lithium Ion Vehicle Batteries, Liz Harland

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

The discovery of potential environmental, geo-political, and human health concerns from the production and disposal of millions of Li-ion batteries each year demands stronger government policies to encourage recovery, recycling and reuse of Li-ion battery materials. The increasing demand for lithium will potentially shift the resource curse experienced by oil-rich countries to lithium-rich countries in South America, such as Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Part II of this Comment provides an overview of the negative impacts associated with the mining, production, and disposal of Li-ion batteries. It examines the environmental and human health effects of mining lithium on surrounding communities, and …

Watershed-Based Water Governance: Role Of Actors In Santa Cruz Watershed, Laguna, Philippines, Maria Helen F. Dayo, Agnes C. Rola, Myra E. David, Miriam R. Nguyen, Juan M. Pulhin, Ida M.L. Siason

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

Water governance at the micro watershed scale has not been popularly studied. However, as population increases and urbanization sets in, water conflicts may arise due to increased competition in use. This paper examines the various water governance roles of state and non-state actors within the watershed. While users make decisions and take actions that define the processes by which water is accessed and controlled, discussion and analysis of the interactions of key actor groups: households, farmers, enterprise, and local government were framed from the understanding of resources, mechanisms of access, and outcome. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews with …

Farmers’ Perception On The Health And Environmental Benefits Of Organic Rice Production In The Philippines: Implications For Further Policy Research, Guinevere T. Madlangbayan, Agnes C. Rola

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

Conventional rice production with the use of chemicals was found to have negative externalities both to the farmers’ health and the farming environment. Organic agriculture technologies were developed to minimize such impacts. This paper explores the empirical support of the health and environmental benefits of organic agriculture by generating data from a survey of rice farmers and focus group discussions in rice farming communities. The respondents came from rice farming areas in the country where early adoptors of the organic rice farming system were located. The results of the analysis suggest that farmers fail to recognize the relationship between the …

Persistence Of Poverty Among The Badjaos Of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, Armm, Philippines, Kuraiza Usman, Rowena Dt. Baconguis

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

The study sought to understand the persistence of poverty among the Badjao people in Tawi-Tawi, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Philippines. Considered the poorest in their communities, Badjaos are Sea Gypsies of Sulu and Celebes seas who are scattered in different coastal areas in Mindanao. Specifically, the study aimed to determine the educational background, psychological outlook, economic, nutrition and health conditions, political and social capabilities, and access to government services of the Badjaos. These factors are referred to as conditions that facilitate or hinder mobility in society. Thus, their absence can further bind people in a state of poverty …

Rabies-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Dog Owners From Three Barangays In Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, Samuel Brando H. Piamonte, Christian Paul P. De La Cruz

Journal of Public Affairs and Development

Rabies continues to be a health concern in the Philippines. In 2015, only 10 municipalities and one province were added to the list of rabies-free zones in the country, making a total of 35 rabies-free areas since 2008. This study was carried out to build a community-based study on rabies in three selected barangays (villages) in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Specifically, it aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices on rabies among dog owners. Through snowball sampling, 418 dog owners from the three barangays were identified and interviewed. Descriptive measures were carried out to attain the objectives of the …

The Third Player-Illegal Combatant, Emanual Gross

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article will examine the current status of the international law of war with respect to terrorist organizations and their operatives. The central argument of this article is that international humanitarian law is unable to cope with the reality of international terrorism. The basic definitions of "combatant" and "civilian" are not suitable within the context of the age of terrorism. In the past, combatants were presumed to be either a member of a state, or in the alternative, freedom fighters expressing an idea of resistance against a colonial occupation. Terrorist organizations and their members are not freedom fighters, but rather, …

Endemic Corruption In The People's Republic Of China, Emily Tran

San Diego International Law Journal

Since taking office in 2013, President Xi Jinping has emphasized the importance of enforcing his campaign against corruption. The number of bribery convictions issued in recent years and the possibility of receiving the death penalty for serious corruption-related crimes underscores the seriousness with which the CPC considers corruption. The penalties for bribery are harsh compared to most other countries and serve as a strong method of deterrence. Part II of this Article discusses the PRC's anti-corruption laws in the individual and commercial contexts and note the inherent problems in the CPC's enforcement efforts. Part III will discuss the impact of …

The Evolution Of China’S Legislation On Reproduction, Du Yifang

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article discusses how Chinas policy on reproduction developed from one that encouraged population growth to the very restrictive one-child policy. Part I discusses the factors underlying the establishment of the reproduction system after 1949. Part II analyzes the transition of national olicy and legislation over the period from 1980 to 2001 from encouraging to controlling childbirth. Part III discusses, in detail, the development and implementation of the one-child policy, and Part IV discusses the effects of this development. Finally, Part V explains the 2016 amendment to the Population and Family Planning Law in China, which abandoned the one-child policy.

Gone But Not Forgotten: Recognizing The Right To Be Forgotten In The U.S. To Lessen The Impacts Of Data Breaches, Ashley Stenning

San Diego International Law Journal

This Comment will explore the right to be forgotten, how it is recognized in the European Union, and the trend toward the existence of such a right in the United States. Additionally, this comment will discuss how the right to be forgotten could lessen the impact data breaches have on individuals through the lens of the Ashley Madison hack. Lastly, this comment will discuss how, if the United States narrowed the scope of the European Union’s concept of the right to be forgotten to fit into the United States’ view of privacy and the First Amendment, the impact of data …

Bitter Biopharmaceuticals: Biologic Counterfeiting And Supply Chain Concerns, Jennifer Abma

San Diego International Law Journal

Pharmaceutical counterfeiting is a growing area of public safety and national security concern. Biological medications are a growing portion of counterfeit medicines due to the high cost and opportunities for profit from these innovative drugs. Biologics are a unique target for counterfeiters in international commerce presentingunique hazards over traditional, more stable, pills. This Article explores the international biopharmaceutical supply chain and the regulatory weaknesses that compromise public health.

Meritocracy Voting: Measuring The Unmeasurable, Peter C. B. Phillips

Research Collection School Of Economics

Learned societies commonly carry out selection processes to add new fellows to an existing fellowship. Criteria vary across societies but are typically based on subjective judgments concerning the merit of individuals who are nominated for fellowships. These subjective assessments may be made by existing fellows as they vote in elections to determine the new fellows or they may be decided by a selection committee of fellows and officers of the society who determine merit after reviewing nominations and written assessments. Human judgment inevitably plays a central role in these determinations and, notwithstanding its limitations, is usually regarded as being a …

Promoting Mental Health And Preventing Mental Illness In General Practice, Kurt C. Stange

Faculty Scholarship

This paper calls for the routine integration of mental health promotion and prevention into UK General Practice in order to reduce the burden of mental and physical disorders and the ensuing pressure on General Practice. The proposals & the resulting document (https://ethicscharity. files.wordpress.com/2015/09/rcgp_keymsg_150925_v5.pdf) arise from an expert ‘Think Tank’ convened by the London Journal of Primary Care, Educational Trust for Health Improvement through Cognitive Strategies (ETHICS Foundation) and the Royal College of General Practitioners. It makes 12 recommendations for General Practice: (1) Mental health promotion and prevention are too important to wait. (2) Work with your community to map risk …

Voluntary Wheel Running Improves Recovery From Muscle Disuse In Mice, Matthew J. Brooks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The reloading of atrophied muscles from weightlessness or disuse results in injury and prolonged recovery. Satellite cells, or muscle stem cells, have a key role in facilitating injury-induced muscle repair but have not been shown to be required in muscle remodeling following atrophy. However, it has been less clear if low-impact exercise, such as voluntary wheel running, could provide a sufficient stimulus to enhance muscle recovery from atrophy through satellite cell activation. This study aimed to determine if voluntary wheel running improved recovery from muscle disuse following hindlimb suspension unloading (HSU), and if the recovery was associated with exercise-induced satellite …

Legal Capacity For All: Including Older Persons In The Shift From Adult Guardianship To Supported Decision-Making, Rebekah Diller

Articles

For the last several decades, guardianship has been the subject of continual calls for reform, often spurred by revelations of guardian malfeasance and other abuses in the system. Recent developments in international human rights law pose a more fundamental challenge to the institution. Under Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), governments may not deprive individuals of their “legal capacity”—or right to make decisions and have those decisions recognized as legally binding—on the grounds of disability. In the wake of the CRPD, the concept of supported decision-making has gained growing acceptance as …

The Relationship Between Plasma Osmolarity And Feed Efficiency In Beef Cattle And Effect Of Feeding Cows Medicated Feed Through Mineral Containing Altosidrtm Igr On The Growth Of Beef Calves, Taylor Diane Harrison

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Dietary cation-anion modification in cattle has effects on productivity through various means. Alterations of dietary cation-anion balances has been shown to affect plasma osmolarity. Plasma osmolarity is directly related to renal function and metabolism in all animals. In a feeding operation with a single diet fed to a similar population of animals, plasma osmolarity should fall within a somewhat normal range (approximately 270-310 mOsm). However, subtle, yet very distinguishable differences will exist between animals. In theory, variances in osmolarity may reflect differences in metabolism and as such, efficiency of feed utilization. Many researchers believe that utilizing residual feed intake (RFI) …

Feeding Soy Protein Isolate Andor Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids On The Spleen-Liver Axis In A Female Rat Model Of Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease With Liver Steatosis, Lauren Gibson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT Feeding Soy Protein Isolate and/or Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Spleen-Liver Axis in a Female Rat Model of Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease with Liver Steatosis Lauren Brooke Gibson Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is a congenital hepatorenal fibrocystic syndrome with a mortality rate of 30% during the first year of life. The most common extra-renal manifestation of ARPKD is liver disease with a greater rate in females due to their higher estrogen levels. Abnormal spleen enlargement (splenomegaly) has been found to occur in 60% of ARPKD patients. In the absence of effective medications to treat the …

Qualitatively Assessing Background Factors Of Criminal Captive-Takers, Erin E. Grinnan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Captive-taking is an inclusive category of criminal behavior that encompasses kidnapping, hostage situations, and certain acts of terrorism within both domestic and international contexts. To date, the existing research examining the individuals that commit captive-taking events and their backgrounds has been minimal. Gaining a deeper understanding of these individuals and their backgrounds may better prepare the individuals that are charged with intervening in captive-taking events including law enforcement, military personnel, and psychologists who assist in negotiation procedures.;This dissertation is drawn from a pilot study consisting of interviews with seven, incarcerated individuals convicted of captive-taking. The purpose of this dissertation was …

Life Satisfaction Moderates The Associations Between Motives And Excessive Social Networking Site Usage, Jin-Liang Wang, James Gaskin, Hai-Zhen Wang, Dong Liu

Faculty Publications

It has been suggested that excessive social networking sites (SNS) users might use SNS as a method of coping with their life problems and that psychosocial well-being variables might interact with users’ motives for using SNS in predicting problematic SNS use. The present research explores whether the association between motives (i.e. self-expression and passing time) and excessive SNS usage is moderated by the user’s life satisfaction. A total of 996 college students were recruited from two colleges in Chongqing China. The participants were divided into excessive and nonexcessive SNS usage groups based on their mean score from the excessive SNS …

Real-Time Hand Tremor Detection Via Mouse Cursor Movements For Improved Human-Computer Interactions: An Exploratory Study, Parker A. Williams, Jeffrey L. Jenkins, Joseph S. Valacich

Faculty Publications

Millions of people experience hand-tremors—rhythmic oscillation of the fingers, hands, or arm that cause shaking in the hand. People who experience hand tremors often experience difficulty in human computer interactions. For example, when browsing a website, people with hand tremors may have difficulty navigating or clicking on links in the website. With sever hand tremors, effective computing is difficult without assistance. Past research has developed interventions that can be automatically deployed by a website to make it more accessible to people with hand tremors. We build on this research by creating a methodology to unobtrusively detect hand tremors, allowing these …

Bee Natural History, Diversity, And Management In West Virginia, Matthew Mckinney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The value of bees as providers of pollination, an incredibly important ecosystem service, is well understood. Since the detection of colony collapse disorder, the concern over the health of both managed and naturally occurring bee populations has been in the limelight, sometimes being discussed nearly as much in popular media as it is in scientific research. While an ideal situation may be the complete recovery of Apis mellifera populations, the causes of colony losses are not fully understood. Therefore, we must also consider our alternative options such as managing areas to better support natural bees and utilizing alternative managed species, …

Motive Taxonomic And Sex Considerations Of Murder-Suicide, Matthew R. Mcnally

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using data obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), the present study examines two emerging topics in the field of murder-suicide research. The majority of murder-suicide perpetrators are male, so female perpetrators are rarely studied. First, the current study uses the largest known sample of female murder-suicide perpetrators to explore murder-suicide differences by sex. Second, motives from the recently-proposed perversion of virtue theory of murder-suicide are operationalized with input from the theory developer and analyzed. The perversion of virtue theory is compared to the predominant murder-suicide motive typology to evaluate whether …

Effects Of Pristine And Nitrogen-Doped Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes On Human Lung Epithelial And Fibroblast Cells, Amy Mihalchik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) were first described by Iijima in 1991 as "needle-like tubes" made up of concentric sheets of graphene lattice composed of hexagonal carbon units. MWCNT have been reported to be extremely strong, light-weight, and durable, thus making them a highly valued nanomaterial commercially. In order to improve their electrical conductivity and dispersibility for industrial and biomedical uses, materials scientists began functionalizing CNT in the mid-1990s. One type of functionalized MWCNT, nitrogen doped-MWCNT (ND-MWCNT), have nitrogen directly incorporated into the carbon lattice, disrupting sp2 bonding and decreasing the crystallinity of MWCNT. Nitrogen-doping significantly increases the brittleness, chemical reactivity, …

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Various Modalities To Improve Arterial Stiffness, Corey Moore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an increase in cardiovascular (CV) mortality, partially due to arterial stiffening, which can be measured non-invasively via pulse wave velocity (PWV). Arterial stiffness is a clinically relevant CV marker of mortality, an increase in PWV by only 1 SD is associated with an increased CV risk of 15%. Land based aerobic exercise, both chronic and acute, has previously been identified as an effective method for improving arterial health. Unfortunately, land based aerobic exercise is not feasible for all populations, therefore a more effective treatment modality must be elucidated. Aquatic exercise has previously been shown …

Endothelial Cells Expressing Endothelial And Mesenchymal Cell Gene Products In Lung Tissue From Patients With Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease., Fabian A. Mendoza, Sonsoles Piera-Velazquez, John L. Farber, Carol Feghali-Bostwick, Sergio A. Jimenez

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether lung endothelial cells (ECs) from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc)-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) express mesenchymal cell-specific proteins and gene transcripts, indicative of the occurrence of endothelial-to-mesenchymal phenotypic transition (EndoMT).

METHODS: Lung tissue from 6 patients with SSc-associated pulmonary fibrosis was examined by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Confocal laser microscopy was utilized to assess the simultaneous expression of EC and myofibroblast molecular markers. CD31+CD102+ ECs were isolated from the lung tissue of 2 patients with SSc-associated ILD and 2 normal control subjects, and the expression of EC and mesenchymal cell markers and other relevant genes was analyzed …

Bridging The Technology Gap In Health Care: Developing A Model To Better Help Those Who Help Others, Guy Hembroff, Marcos A Matos

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Over recent years, there has been a significant increase of integrated computing devices and systems within the healthcare sector, including computerized machines which can see deep within the human body to detect illnesses previously missed, help engage the patient, provide enhanced education, and access medical data not readily accessible before. However, as new technologies, medications, treatments, and procedures are being developed rapidly, clinicians are expected to incorporate this new information into their daily practices, apply this knowledge to their patients, track each patient’s individual health status and background, while communicating quickly with patients, hospitals, and other providers. Additionally, clinicians are …

Reaction Kinetics Of Hydroxyl Radical With Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Precursors, Juddha Thapa

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The incomplete combustion of fuels inside of an internal combustion engines generates unwanted byproducts such as soot. Because of health and environmental concerns, soot formation has been a very active area of research in combustion chemistry. However, the mechanism of formation of soot is still not well understood. It has been proposed that the soot formation is initiated by the reaction of small free radicals with abundant hydrocarbon fuel molecules producing aromatic ring structures at high temperatures. These aromatic ring structures further react to form polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are stable at the high temperatures of combustion environments. These …

Distal Determinants Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, Amna Umer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the world. West Virginia (WV) has one of the highest prevalence of CVD in the United States. The first two studies examined the association between perinatal risk factors (birth weight (BTW) and breastfeeding) and subsequent childhood and maternal CVD risk factors 11 years post-partum. The purpose of the third study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the evidence regarding the relationship between childhood obesity and adult CVD risk factors.;Method: We used longitudinally linked data from three cross-sectional datasets in WV for the first …

Utah Air Quality: Pm 2.5, Randy Martin, Roger Coulombe, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

Particulate matter two-point-five (PM_2.5) is a tiny suspended particle of air pollution that can penetrate deeply into our lungs and potentially enter the bloodstream. The 2.5 unit means that the particles are smaller than 2.5 micrometers (a micrometer is one millionth of a meter). In Cache Valley and along the Wasatch Front, these tiny particles form and accumulate to unhealthy levels when air is trapped in the bottom of the valley during cold winter days.

Benefits Of Exercise On Mind Function, Cindy Nelson, Shannon Cromwell

All Current Publications

Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to improve overall health. This fact sheet discusses exercise and the brain, exercise and cognition, exercise and stress, and effective strategies for boosting physical and mental health.