Digital Commons Network^™

Bot Contracts, Deborah R. Gerhardt, David Thaw

Faculty Publications

In this Article, we explain why the transactions commonly known as “smart contracts” are better understood as “bot contracts.” Taking an interdisciplinary approach, we show why the “smart contracts” moniker is misdescriptive in two important ways. First, these transactions are automated, not smart. Second, they do not afford parties many enforcement rights and defenses that one expects from common law contractual relationships. To fully understand these transactions, it is important to appreciate how the term “smart contracts” differs from what the technology delivers.

Our review of the technology explains that these transactions have tremendous practical utility in reducing risk and …

Future Work, Jeffrey M. Hirsch

Faculty Publications

The Industrial Revolution. The Digital Age. These revolutions radi-cally altered the workplace and society. We may be on the cusp of a new era -- one that will rival or even surpass these historical disruptions. Technology such as artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, and cutting-edge monitoring devices are developing at a rapid pace. These technologies have already begun to infiltrate the workplace and will continue to do so at ever increasing speed and breadth.

This Article addresses the impact of these emerging technologies on the workplace of the present and the future. Drawing upon interviews with leading technologists, the Article …

In Defense Of Empiricism In Family Law, Elizabeth S. Scott

Faculty Scholarship

It is fitting to include an essay defending the application of empirical research to family law and policy in a symposium honoring the scholarly career of Peg Brinig, who is probably the leading empiricist working in family law. While such a defense might seem unnecessary, given the expanding role of behavioral, social, and biological research in shaping the regulation of children and families, prominent scholars recently have raised concerns about the trend toward reliance on empirical science in this field. A part of the criticism is directed at the quality of the science itself and at the lack of sophistication …

Building A Law-And-Political-Economy Framework: Beyond The Twentieth-Century Synthesis, Jedediah S. Purdy, David Singh Grewal, Amy Kapczynski, K. Sabeel Rahman

Faculty Scholarship

We live in a time of interrelated crises. Economic inequality and precarity, and crises of democracy, climate change, and more raise significant challenges for legal scholarship and thought. “Neoliberal” premises undergird many fields of law and have helped authorize policies and practices that reaffirm the inequities of the current era. In particular, market efficiency, neutrality, and formal equality have rendered key kinds of power invisible, and generated a skepticism of democratic politics. The result of these presumptions is what we call the “Twentieth-Century Synthesis”: a pervasive view of law that encases “the market” from claims of justice and conceals it …

Decarcerating New York City: Lessons From A Pandemic, Nicole Smith Futrell

Faculty Scholarship

Over the last decade, long before the sweeping impact of COVID-19, the criminal legal system in New York City has been on a halting path toward decarceration. Set against the national backdrop of declining crime rates and a reckoning with the economic, social, and racial costs of mass criminalization and incarceration, elected officials in New York City and State have acknowledged that a shift toward reducing the number of people held in New York City jails is long overdue. Particular attention has been focused on Rikers Island, the notoriously violent, sprawling jail complex, which has been regarded as one of …

A Longitudinal Examination Of The Identity Management Experiences Of Bisexual Employees, David Frank Arena Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Despite research focused on sexual orientation in the workplace is on a rapid incline, many workplace experiences unique to subpopulations within the nested LGB+ community remain poorly understood. One critical, yet understudied, area of examination is the intersection of sexual orientation and gender as it pertains to bisexuality at work. Extant research suggests that bisexual individuals are harshly stereotyped, and may experience work in a way that is distinct from those who identify as gay or lesbian. Given that sexual orientation is a concealable dimension of ones identity, employees must navigate decisions regarding how, when, and to whom they disclose …

Conceptualizing Wakanda High: Informing Critically Conscious Institutions To Impact Black Students' Resilience, Jessica Felicia Henderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Black students in the United States are permanently operating within systemicallyinequitable environments that produce inequitable outcomes. Despite thesecircumstances, they exhibit resilience and overcome challenges to ultimately succeed.This study proposes a Critically Conscious Institution Framework that illustrates theimpact of critically conscious educational institutions on the resilience of Black Students.The framework is meant to inform the educational environments that help Black studentsdeal with the sustained adversity of functioning within anti-Black systems and considernarratives of current and former Black students to explore the various characteristics ofinstitutions on their own resilience capacity. The CCI Framework seeks to support theability of institutions to address the …

Order Fulfillment Errors And Military Aircraft Readiness, Michael Weber, Daniel Steeneck, William Cunningham

Faculty Publications

This paper aims to measure the effect of supply discrepancy reports (SDRs) on military aircraft readiness metrics, including aircraft availability, not mission capable supply (NMCS) hours, cannibalizations and mission-impaired capability awaiting parts (MICAP) hours.

Monthly SDR, NMCS, aircraft cannibalizations and MICAP data from 2009 to 2018 are analyzed using linear regression and independent samples t-tests to examine whether discrepant shipments negatively impact aircraft readiness.

Sleep Duration Is Associated With Vitamin D Deficiency In Older Women Living In Macao, China: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study, Xiaoying Liu, Liang Ke, Jacky Ho, Myriam Abboud, Elias Mpofu, Tara C. Brennan-Speranza, Rebecca S. Mason, Kaye E. Brock

All Works

© 2020 Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Chinese women are known to have both a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) /l). Associations between sleep duration and circulating 25OHD have recently been reported but, to our knowledge, these associations have not been studied in older Chinese populations. We thus investigated whether sleep duration was associated with vitamin D status in …

Computer Aided Autism Diagnosis Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Yaser A. Elnakieb, Mohamed T. Ali, Ahmed Soliman, Ali H. Mahmoud, Ahmed M. Shalaby, Norah Saleh Alghamdi, Mohammed Ghazal, Ashraf Khalil, Andrew Switala, Robert S. Keynton, Gregory Neal Barnes, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

© 2013 IEEE. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), commonly known as autism, is a lifelong developmental disorder associated with a broad range of symptoms including difficulties in social interaction, communication skills, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. In autism spectrum disorder, numerous studies suggest abnormal development of neural networks that manifest itself as abnormalities of brain shape, functionality, and/ or connectivity. The aim of this work is to present our automated computer aided diagnostic (CAD) system for accurate identification of autism spectrum disorder based on the connectivity of the white matter (WM) tracts. To achieve this goal, two levels of analysis are …

Contre-/Counter-, Bernard E. Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

Examines the “counter-” move in Balibar’s thought, analysing it not in the Kantian or Hegelian sense of a synthesis that resolves an antinomic opposition (not the least of which, because the particle “contre-” functions differently than the particle “anti-”), but rather as an original counterpoint that itself becomes so powerful as to liberate itself from the oppositional relationship and transform itself into a free-standing concept, intervention, or even mode of governmentality. It is not an opposition that leads to a synthesis, but instead to a stage of “perfection” that (1) merely indexes its former counter-partner, and (2) becomes a fully …

The Proportionality Rule And Mental Health Harm In War, Sarah Knuckey, Alex Moorehead, Audrey Mccalley, Adam Brown

Faculty Scholarship

The foundational international humanitarian law rule of proportionality — that parties to an armed conflict may not attack where civilian harm would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage — is normally interpreted to encompass civilian physical injuries only. Attacks may cause significant mental harms also, yet current interpretations of the law lag behind science in understanding and recognizing these kinds of harms. This article analyzes legal, public health, psychology, and neuroscience research to assess the extent to which mental health harms should and could be taken into account in proportionality assessments.

Conceptualizing Legal Childhood In The Twenty-First Century, Clare Huntington, Elizabeth S. Scott

Faculty Scholarship

The law governing children is complex, sometimes appearing almost incoherent. The relatively simple framework established in the Progressive Era, in which parents had primary authority over children, subject to limited state oversight, has broken down over the past few decades. Lawmakers started granting children some adult rights and privileges, raising questions about their traditional status as vulnerable, dependent, and legally incompetent beings. As children emerged as legal persons, children’s rights advocates challenged the rationale for parental authority, contending that robust parental rights often harm children. And a wave of punitive reforms in response to juvenile crime in the 1990s undermined …

The End Of Antitrust History Revisited, Lina M. Khan

Faculty Scholarship

This Review engages Tim Wu’s book, The Curse of Bigness, to explain the significance of the current rupture in antitrust and to situate it within a broader intellectual trajectory. Debates over the foundational purpose of antitrust are not new, and examining how this latest clash fits alongside previous contestations is essential for understanding what has yielded the current contestability and assessing the competing visions.

Part I of this Review summarizes Wu’s chief contributions in his recent work, focusing on three tenets that form the basis of the book. Part II offers an analytic breakdown of the overhaul in antitrust …

Harassment, Workplace Culture, And The Power And Limits Of Law, Suzanne B. Goldberg

Faculty Scholarship

This article asks why it remains so difficult for employers to prevent and respond effectively to harassment, especially sexual harassment, and identifies promising points for legal intervention. It is sobering to consider social-science evidence of the myriad barriers to reporting sexual harassment – from the individual-level and interpersonal to those rooted in society at large. Most of these are out of reach for an employer but workplace culture stands out as a significant arena where employers have influence on whether harassment and other discriminatory behaviors are likely to thrive. Yet employers typically make choices in this area with attention to …

Short And Distort, Joshua Mitts

Faculty Scholarship

Pseudonymous attacks on public companies are followed by stock price declines and sharp reversals. These patterns are likely driven by manipulative stock options trading by pseudonymous authors. Among 1,720 pseudonymous attacks on mid- and large-cap firms from 2010 to 2017, I identify over $20.1 billion in mispricing. Reputation theory suggests these reversals persist because pseudonymity allows manipulators to switch identities without accountability.

Decentralized Telemedicine Framework For A Smart Healthcare Ecosystem, Ahed Abugabah, Nishara Nizamuddin, Ahmad Ali Alzubi

All Works

The healthcare sector is one of the most rapidly growing sectors globally. With the ever-growing technology, patient care, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation, there is an increased need for healthcare sectors to collaborate with all stakeholders – both within the healthcare ecosystem and in concurring industries. In recent times, telemedicine has proven to provide high quality, affordable, and predominantly adapted healthcare services. However, telemedicine suffers from several risks in implementation, such as data breach, restricted access across medical fraternity, incorrect diagnosis and prescription, fraud, and abuse. In this work, introduce blockchain-based framework that would unlock the future of the healthcare …

Definition And Characteristics Of Behavioral Medicine, And Main Tasks And Goals Of The International Society Of Behavioral Medicine—An International Delphi Study, Joost Dekker, Marie Amitami, Anne H. Berman, Helen Brown, Bryan Cleal, Maria João Figueiras, Lila J. Finney Rutten, Egil A. Fors, Konstadina Griva, Jing Gu, Chris Keyworth, Maria Kleinstäuber, Claas Lahmann, Joseph T.F. Lau, Bernd Leplow, Li Li, Hanna Malmberg Gavelin, Ricarda Mewes, Phoenix K.H. Mo, Barbara Mullan, Frank J. Penedo, Judith Prins, Teresa Rodríguez Rodríguez, Sharon A. Simpson, Adrienne Stauder, Martti T. Tuomisto, Deborah Jones Weiss, Urs M. Nater

All Works

© 2020, The Author(s). Background: In the past decades, behavioral medicine has attained global recognition. Due to its global reach, a critical need has emerged to consider whether the original definition of behavioral medicine is still valid, comprehensive, and inclusive, and to reconsider the main tasks and goals of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM), as the umbrella organization in the field. The purpose of the present study was to (i) update the definition and scope of behavioral medicine and its defining characteristics; and (ii) develop a proposal on ISBM’s main tasks and goals. Method: Our study used the …

Defining Digital Addiction: Key Features From The Literature, Mohamed Basel Almourad, John Mcalaney, Tiffany Skinner, Megan Pleva, Raian Ali

All Works

© 2020 by authors. Within recent years there has been increasing societal concern around the compulsive and excessive use of digital and Internet-enabled devices, such as the use of social media or online video gaming, and associated psychological and physical harms. However, problematic use or addictive behaviours are not yet included as diagnosable mental health issues in any major diagnostic system in Western countries and the conceptualisations of the phenomena are still inconsistent. To address this issue, the present study reviewed the current conceptualisations of digital addiction used within the research literature and identified common features of the definition of …

Been There, Done That: Quasi-Experimental Evidence About How, Why, And For Who, A Previous Visit Might Increase Stopover Destination Loyalty, Steven Pike, Filareti Kotsi, Frank Mathmann, Di Wang

All Works

© 2020, © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Despite stopovers being a part of long-haul air travel since commercial flights commenced over 80 years ago, the first published research on the phenomenon did not appear until 2016. Also, even though destination image has been the most researched construct in the destination marketing literature, no studies had measured perceptions of a destination in the context of a stopover until 2018. This study makes a contribution to this emerging research field by reporting how a quasi-experimental design found previous visitation enhances destination image and destination loyalty in …

Emotion-Related Socialization In The Classroom: Considering The Roles Of Teachers And Peers, Carlos Valiente, Jodi Swanson, Dawn Delay, Ashley M. Fraser, Julia H. Parker

Faculty Publications

The goal of this paper was to apply aspects of the heuristic model advanced by Eisenberg, Cumberland, and Spinrad (1998)to the study of socialization that takes place in preschool and elementary school classrooms. Investigating socialization in this context is important given the number of hours students spend in school, the emotional nature of social interactions that take place involving teachers and students, and the emotions students often experience in the context of academic work. Guided by Eisenberg and colleagues’(1998) call to consider complex socialization pathways, we focus our discussion on ways teachers, peers, and the classroom context can shape students’ …

Designing Playful Systems, Michael Straeubig

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Play is a common, yet elusive phenomenon. Many definitions of play and explanations for its existence have been brought forward in various disciplines such as psychology, anthropology, ethology and in the humanities. As an activity apparently serving no other purpose than itself, play can be simply considered a pleasant pastime. Yet its equation with fun has been challenged by artists and scholars alike. Being in a playful state does not warrant extrinsic motivation or being conscious of an external purpose. However, play creates meaning, and scientists are pursuing functional explanations for it. These conflicting observations are contributing to the ambiguity …

Creative Caprice: Intrinsic Interest; States Of Consciousness; Emotion & Practice-Led Phenomenological Inquiry, Steven A Evans

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This research project is a practice-led investigation of how strong emotion influences my creative actions. Through the development and articulation of a methodology for facilitating creative activity, the project considers how these emotions determine which intrinsic interests compel me to create works of art and design. Fundamental to the development of the methodology was the formulation of a comprehensive walking method designed to engage the body, awaken the mind and, through the designation of markers, establish consistently accessible mental/physical spaces wherein creative thinking can be fostered. Given the current interest in the role that walking can play in facilitating creative …

Interrogating Self-Representation At The Intersection Of Visual Arts And Neuroscience, Nicole Ottiger

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This practice-based PhD thesis offers a deep exploration of representing the self, through the critical examination of three examples of my experimental studies; titled Video Ergo Sum (2010-11), From Perception of Art to Art Making (2010-11) and Feeling of a Presence (2015), and artworks produced in connection; Visual Space has No Owner (2015), Shooting Stars (2015-17) and What constitutes the Self (2018). The written thesis includes an appendix, which details other experiments and artworks that were part of the process. This research is on one side informed by my experiences as an artist-in-lab in the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience (LNCO), …

Syncretic Narrative: Method For Navigation Of Power And Resistance In War And Conflict, Diane Derr

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This research is developed out of an observed phenomenon of narrative formation in the Arab Spring. Narrative, informed by and reliant upon communication models and technologies, enables us to navigate, negotiate, and elicit meaning both from and within complexity of information. As a primary model of communication during the Arab Spring, the networked model of communication facilitated a dynamic interface between the citizen witness and institutional journalism within the networked bounds of space and time. This research investigates the operation of the citizen witness in the networked bounds of space and time, grounded in a syncretically generated geopolitical place of …

Vibrating Existence: Early Cinema And Cognitive Creativity, Guy Edmonds

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis collects together technical, historical and neurological evidence to examine how our perceptual and cognitive experience of cinema has changed diachronically and especially as a result of the transition from analogue to digital cinema projection. The slow arrival but sudden dominance of digital projection technology has provided a historic opportunity of renewed interest in the means by which cinema is created. This research attends to a particular aspect of the experience of cinema which has failed to survive the industry-wide changeover: the seemingly advantageous deletion of the shutter and its attendant flicker from the cinematic dispositif – the ‘flicks’ …

The Optimisation Of Cultivation Conditions For Basil (Ocimum Sp. L) Production In Multi-Tier Hydroponics And The Role Of Light Quality In The Enhancement Of Growth And Quality, Mohammed Aldarkazali

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Basil (Ocimum sp. L.) is considered an important herb in Herbalism, Agronomy, Ethnobotany, Gastronomy, and Bromatology. Increases in population have led to an increase in the demands for food including Basil and thus there is an increased need to optimise its growing conditions in order to produce acceptable plants for the consumers. This optimization includes growing Basil in indoor farming situations. Basil contains essential oils which impart many of its herbal and culinary properties and whilst the chemical composition of the essential oil of Basil varied but commonly contains, Estragole, Linalool, Eugenol, E Cinnamate and Eucalyptol. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) …

Trade Agreements And The Risks For The Nursing Workforce, Nursing Practice And Public Health: A Scoping Review, D Kidgell, D Hills, D Griffiths, R Endacott

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

A Large Population-Based Study Of The Mental Health And Wellbeing Of Children And Young People In The North Of England, Barry Wright, Megan Garside, Victoria Allgar, Rachel Hodkinson, Helen Thorpe

Peninsula Medical School

Background: There has been a recent reported rise in prevalence of mental health problems among children in the United Kingdom, alongside increased referrals into specialist services. There is a need for up-to-date information regarding changing trends of young people’s mental health to allow for improved understanding and service planning. Objectives: This article aims to provide an overview of the current mental health and well-being of years 8, 9 and 11 secondary school–aged pupils from two large regions in the North of England. Method: This was a cohort cross-sectional study. Measures including the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire, the EQ-5D-Y, social media …

Book Review: Microeconomics: A Critical Companion By Ben Fine, R Sheaff

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.