Digital Commons Network^™

Class Warfare: The Disappearance Of Low-Income Litigants From The Civil Docket, Myriam Gilles

Emory Law Journal

In recent years, much attention has been paid to the startling disparities in income and wealth in contemporary U.S. society. The implications of this wealth gap reverberate across the socio-legal landscape, but nowhere is the gap more glaring than in the civil docket, where litigation¿particularly class actions brought by or on behalf of low-income consumers and employees¿is on the verge of disappearing. The unavailability of class litigation is disproportionately more harmful to low-income groups than any other legal impairment, for a number of reasons. As contemporary judges see fewer civil cases brought by or on behalf of poor people, one …

Newsgathering Takes Flight In Choppy Skies: Legal Obstacles Affecting Journalistic Drone Use, Clay Calvert, Charles D. Tobin, Matthew D. Bunker

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

This Article examines legal challenges confronting journalists who use drones to gather images. Initially, it traces the history of drones and the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to regulate them, as well as new state legislation that aims to restrict drones. This Article then illustrates that a wide array of legal remedies already exist for individuals harmed by journalistic drone usage, and it argues that calls for additional, piecemeal state laws to regulate drones are unnecessary and unduly hinder First Amendment interests in newsgathering and the public’s right to know. Furthermore, this Article asserts that the reasonable-expectation-of-privacy jurisprudence developed in aerial …

Electroosmotic Microfluidic Oligonucleotide Synthesis Reactor, William R. Gaillard

Dissertations

The principle objective of this dissertation is the development of a microfluidic oligonucleotide (oligo) synthesis reactor that sequences oligos with equal quality to commercial synthesizers and with equal waste reduction to previously published microfluidic synthesizers. The microfluidic approach to oligo synthesis increases throughput due to parallelization, provides simplification by integration of multiple functions into one platform, and decreases cost due to miniaturization and waste reduction. Microfluidic oligo synthesizers demonstrate these advantages over industrial synthesizers but have error rates that are too high for commercialization. The microfluidic synthesizer design investigated in this dissertation incorporates several innovations to reduce the error rates …

Predictive Simulation Of Gas Adsorption In Fixed-Beds And Limitations Due To The Ill-Posed Danckwerts Boundary Condition, James Clinton Knox

Dissertations

The 1-D axially dispersed plug flow model is a mathematical model widely used for the simulation of adsorption processes. Lumped mass transfer coefficients such as the Glueckauf linear driving force (LDF) term and the axial dispersion coefficient are generally obtained by fitting simulation results to the experimental breakthrough test data. An approach is introduced where these parameters, along with the only free parameter in the energy balance equations, are individually fit to specific test data that isolates the appropriate physics. It is shown that with this approach this model provides excellent simulation results for the CO2 on zeolite 5A sorbent/sorbate …

Seventh-Day Adventism, Doctrinal Statements, And Unity, Michael W. Campbell

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

"The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of ... three statements of belief and how they contributed to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology. This article will build on the research of others to emphasize the contextual and formative influences surrounding each of these statements. The process of [sic] behind the formation of Adventist statements of belief is instructive by revealing underlying assumptions about unity within the Seventh-day Adventist Church."

Development Of Autonomous Surface Vessels For Hydrographic Survey Applications, Damian Manda

Master's Theses and Capstones

Autonomously navigating surface vessels have a variety of potential applications for ocean mapping. The use of small vessels for coastal mapping is investigated through the development of hardware and software that form a complete system for survey operations. The hardware is selected to minimize cost while providing flexibility for installation on different platforms. MOOS-IvP open-source autonomy software enables independent operation of the vessel and provides for human monitoring. Custom applications allow the sensors and actuators of the hardware platforms to interface with MOOS-IvP.

An autonomy behavior is developed that replicates current human driven survey acquisition, in which the boat plans …

Design And Analysis Of A Long-Endurance Humanitarian Uav, Ali Darwish, Arie Nakhmani

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Section 2: Design & Manufacturing; pp. 56-61

Twenty Years Of Constitutional Democracy: A Preliminary Reflection, Dennis M. Davis

NYLS Law Review

No abstract provided.

2016 Faculty Accomplishments Reception, University Of Richmond

Faculty Accomplishments Reception Programs

Program for the 2016 Faculty Accomplishments Reception

In Honor of University of Richmond Faculty Contributions to Scholarship, Research and Creative Work, January 2015 - December 2015

February 19, 2016, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Boatwright Memorial Library, Research & Collaborative Study Area, First Floor

Britain's Failed Attempt At Fascism : The British Union Of Fascists, Years 1933-1934, Katherine L. Collier

Honors Theses

This honors thesis examines how and why Sir Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists (BUF) tried to present itself as a viable political entity to mainstream British society in the years 1933- 1934. Though the BUF admired Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Italy and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, this thesis argues that they sought to create their own distinctly British version of these Fascist movements. The BUF promised that Britain would again thrive, but only under strong fascist leadership which would provide an economic restructuring of government and a cohesive society, free from selfish individualism, decadence, and foreigners. The BUF promised to …

A Meta-Architecture Analysis For A Coevolved System-Of-Systems, George Anthony Muller Iv

Masters Theses

"Modern engineered systems are becoming increasingly complex. This is driven in part by an increase in the use of systems-of-systems and network-centric concepts to improve system performance. The growth of systems-of-systems allows stakeholders to achieve improved performance, but also presents new challenges due to increased complexity. These challenges include managing the integration of asynchronously developed systems and assessing SoS performance in uncertain environments.

Many modern systems-of-systems must adapt to operating environment changes to maintain or improve performance. Coevolution is the result of the system and the environment adapting to changes in each other to obtain a performance advantage. The complexity …

The 1994 Rwandan Genocide: The Religion/Genocide Nexus, Sexual Violence, And The Future Of Genocide Studies, Kate E. Temoney

Department of Religion Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In recent genocides and other conflicts—for example, the Sudan, Burma, and now Iraq—sexual violence and religion have received increasing but modest systematic treatment in genocide studies. This essay contributes to the nascent scholarship on the religious and sexual dimensions of genocide by providing a model for investigating the intersections among religion, genocide, and sexual violence. I treat the Rwandan genocide as a case study using secondary and primary sources and proffer the reinforcing typologies of “othering,” justification, and authorization as an investigatory tool. I further nuance the influences of religion on forms of sexual violation by arguing that religion …

You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat: Alternatives To The Un Security Council For Enforcing Nuclear Disarmament And Human Rights, David A. Koplow

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

There is a serious problem with the Security Council. That institution endowed by the United Nations Charter with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security" -- has stood at the apex of the global political, diplomatic, and legal structure for seventy years, responding (more or less) to the full panoply of incessant dangers and provocations. The Charter could not have been crafted or sustained without it, and the Security Council has, at least, assisted in preserving a measure of fundamental world order-in particular, it has helped avoid the cataclysm of a World War III.

But a central …

Effect Of Prior Trauma Exposure On Alpha Amplitude, Heart Rate, And Self-Reported Negative Affect, Gina L. Denoble

All Master's Theses

This study was conducted to investigate whether the number of traumatic events an individual has previously experienced influences that individual’s physiological and psychological reactions when exposed to a negative affective stimulus followed by a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention. Twenty-eight participants were placed into intact quasi-experimental groups based on their scores on the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ). The negative affective stimulus consisted of a series of photos bearing negative affective valence. The photos were selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), and paralleled the areas of trauma exposure evaluated by the TLEQ. All participants were exposed to the …

Synthesis, ($E)$/($Z)$-Isomerization, And Dna Binding, Antibacterial, And Antifungal Activities Of Novel Oximes And $O$-Substituted Oxime Ethers, Hati̇ce Başpinar Küçük, Ayşe Sergüzel Yusufoğlu, Leyla Açik, Betül Aydin, Leyla Arslan

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

A series of novel positional oximes (2a-2d), $O$-methyl oxime ethers (3a-3d), and $O$-benzyl oxime ethers (4a-4d) were synthesized in high yields starting from their corresponding methyl 3-, 4-, 6-, and 13-keto tetradecanoates. The synthesized compounds were characterized by $^{1}$H NMR, $^{13}$C NMR, FT-IR, mass, and elemental analyses for their structures and $(E)$/$(Z)$ isomerizations. Their DNA binding abilities were investigated in vitro by agarose gel electrophoresis. The antibacterial and antifungal activities were tested also in vitro against eleven bacterial strains and three fungal strains. The relationship between the structure and the mentioned biological activities was discussed. Compound 2a showed good antibacterial …

Exploring New Chemical Entities From Traditional Medicine: Docking, Synthesis And Specific Bioactivities, Chinni Yalamanchili

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Traditional medical systems contributed significantly to medicine with a number of their phytochemicals found to possess good biological properties. Recently, Dr. Youyou Tu was awarded the Nobel Prize (2015) for her discovery/isolation of Artemisinin from the TCM plant Artemisia annua. Our first aim is to identify active phytochemicals against botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A), and diabetes from Ayurveda and TCM, respectively, by using in silico, in vitro and in vivo approaches. In our second aim, we wanted to enantioselectively synthesize scalable quantities of phytoestrogenic isoflavans such as equol and sativan. The following three chapters summarize results of the three research goals. …

Regulation 2.0: The Marriage Of New Governance And "Lex Informatica", Abbey Stemler

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Throughout history, disruptive technologies have transformed industry and signaled the destruction or creation of regulatory structures. When crafting regulations, governments often utilize Regulation 1.0 approaches, characterized by top-down design standards that dictate exactly how the regulated must act in order to prevent market failures. Regulation 1.0 increases barriers to entry and decreases the room for business experimentation. Regulation 2.0, by contrast, is a theoretical approach for regulating companies that rely on platform-mediated networks. It marries New Governance theory and the concept of lex informatica. This marriage allows for the collaborative creation of design standards that are then enforced through mediating …

Jewel, Purse, Trash: Reckoning And Reputation In Othello, Laura Kolb

Publications and Research

This article offers an analysis of Shakespeare’s Othello alongside arithmetic textbooks for merchants and soldiers. It argues that Othello dramatizes a problem that also haunts the pages of these math books: the problem of calculating the value of persons in a society where new forms of commercial credit were unsettling traditional notions of worth grounded in status, military prowess and sexual purity. Othello’s loss of faith in his wife and the disintegration of his sense of self both depend on Iago’s manipulation of two competing models of reputation: one based on martial valor and sexual purity (reputation as honor) and …

The Two Witnesses Of Revelation 11:1-13: Arguments, Issues Of Interpretation, And A Way Forward, Ian R. Brown

Dissertations

The narrative of Rev 11:1-13 involves two prophet-witnesses. The question of the identity of the two witnesses of Rev 11:1-13 has been answered in a variety of ways. In the history of exegetical investigation, they have been seen as two actual people, a symbol for a larger group, or even a symbol for inanimate objects. Clearly, some proposals seem more plausible than others do; however, the debate remains open. Indeed, the possibility exists that a stronger case could be made for a previous proposal or that a new one could be found that is more agreeable to scholars of Revelation. …

The Effect Of Level Of Democracy In Importing States On Global Arms Transfers, Including A Case Study On France, Cody R. Bradford

Honors Theses

Cody R. Bradford: The Effects of Level of Democracy in Importing States on Global Anns Transfers, including a Case Study on France (Under the direction of Michèle Alexandre)

Freedom Of Conscience In War Time: World War I And The Limits Of Civil Liberties, Laura M. Weinrib

Emory Law Journal

This Article examines the relationship between expressive freedom and freedom of conscience as the modern First Amendment took shape. It focuses on efforts by the American Union Against Militarism and National Civil Liberties Bureau¿the organizational precursors to the ACLU¿to secure exemptions from military service for conscientious objectors whose opposition to American involvement in the First World War stemmed from socialist or radical labor convictions rather than religious scruples. Although such men asserted secular, ethical objections to war, advocates strained to expand the First Amendment¿s Free Exercise Clause to encompass them. Concurrently, they sought to import a generalized theory of freedom …

U.S. Energy Sector Cybersecurity: Hands-Off Approach Or Effective Partnership?, T. M. Ballou, Joseph A. Allen, Kyle Francis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Recent reporting has identified significant threats to the U.S. energy’s critical infrastructure from nation states and other groups through cyberspace. Efforts to improve the security and resilience of U.S. energy infrastructure relies upon voluntary partnerships between the U.S. Government and public and private energy infrastructure owners. This paper examines ideal Public-Private Partnership (PPP) characteristics and compares them to an actual PPP in the U.S. The results identify strengths of and challenges to efforts to secure U.S. energy infrastructure. The research was conducted through a combination of literature reviews and interviews with a sample of U.S-government and private-energy infrastructure representatives.

Analyzing Cognitive Workload Through Eye-Related Measurements: A Meta-Analysis, Melissa Patricia Coral

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Understanding cognitive workload has become a vital topic for researchers in developing future systems. Existing research has investigated the use of physiological measurements of the eye with cognitive workload, though a quantitative synthesis has yet to be performed. A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effects of cognitive workload on eye-related measurements. The objective of this meta-analysis is not to determine a difference between the levels of workload, but to identify reliable measurements. Measurements through blinks, saccades, pupils, and fixations were examined. Twenty-two studies, contributing to a total of sixty entries, met the appropriate inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. Findings …

Playbook, Jason Edward Harrington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From 2007 to 2013 I worked for the Transportation Security Administration. It was a Kafkaesque experience, rife with bureaucratic absurdity. This memoir is a chronicle of that experience, from the days leading up to my initial application, to the days following my letter of resignation. It is also the story of a man dealing with personal demons, and struggling to find his way through the morass of modern society.

Reinvigorating Innovation: Lessons Learned From The Wright Brothers, Steven L. Schooner, Nathaniel E. Castellano

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The Department of Defense (DOD) increasingly recognizes that it must do more to spur innovation to maintain its technological superiority. This article suggests that DOD’s leadership make time for David McCullough’s recent biography, The Wright Brothers, as an aviation anecdote chock full of fundamental lessons that DOD must embrace to succeed.

Among other things, this article encourages DoD to consider - in light of the Wright Brothers' experiences and successes - experimenting with prizes and contests; looking outside the inner circle (including conventional contractors and sources of R&D) for new ideas; appreciating that bigger isn’t always better; recognizing that prototyping …

Using Case-Based Reasoning For Simulation Modeling In Healthcare, Khaled Alshareef

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The healthcare system is always defined as a complex system. At its core, it is a system composed of people and processes and requires performance of different tasks and duties. This complexity means that the healthcare system has many stakeholders with different interests, resulting in the emergence of many problems such as increasing healthcare costs, limited resources and low utilization, limited facilities and workforce, and poor quality of services. The use of simulation techniques to aid in solving healthcare problems is not new, but it has increased in recent years. This application faces many challenges, including a lack of real …

Prisons For Profit: Neoliberal Rationality's Transformation Of America's Prisons, Kelsey Clark

Senior Independent Study Theses

This project examines the dramatic changes in the American prison system that resulted from privatization and deregulation. Using Wendy Brown’s conceptualization of neoliberal rationality, this study focuses on the important neoliberal transformation that resulted in a dramatic increase in privatization of prisons. This transformation has affected more than the institutions themselves, as some argue that even individual rationality has been transformed by neoliberalism. The purpose of this study is to analyze the transformation of American prisons from publicly run to privately operated. The analysis includes how this has affected American prisons and the rationalities of those who advocate on behalf …

A Phenomenological Study Of East African Refugee Mothers' Experiences Of Trauma And How It Affects Parenting, Binh Hoa Pham

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

There is a growing population of refugees around the world. Refugees experience a multitude of stressors—war trauma, chaotic and unsettling displacement(s), and resettlement stressors. African and Middle Eastern refugees are the fastest growing refugee population. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (2014) report estimates that by the end of 2014, there will be 59.5 million displaced people around the world. Refugee women and children are disproportionately victims of war and civil conflict. Research on the experience of refugee women and children is minimal in refugee studies, specifically how refugee mothers’ experiences of war affect parenting. The …

Protecting Cultural Heritage As A Means For International Peace, Security And Stability, Mark V. Vlasic, Helga Turku

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Cultural aggression has become a strategy to obtain an advantage during war. In a deliberate and methodical pattern extremists have not only damaged and destroyed historical sites in Iraq and Syria, but they have also looted antiquities to raise money for their terrorist activities. In addition to degrading the victims' identities, such acts decrease the wealth of knowledge of the world as a whole. By examining various treaties and case law on cultural property, this Article highlights the importance of holding these perpetrators accountable. Furthermore, the protection of cultural property in war zones should be an element in the whole …

Work And The Legal Person In Thomas More's Utopia, Andreea D. Boboc

University of the Pacific Law Review

No abstract provided.