Digital Commons Network^™

December 18 Roundtable Update, Jeffrey M. Wice, Piper Benedict, Marissa Zanfardino, Peter Friedrichs

Elections, Census & Redistricting Updates

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Using Ecc Layer On The Flexural Performance Of Rc Beams Previously Strengthened With Eb Cfrp Laminates, Mohamed Emara, Ayman El-Zohairy, Mahmoud Fekry, Mohamed Husain

Faculty Publications

This paper studies the efficiency of applying an engineered cementitious composite (ECC) layer to the tensile surface of (RC) beams that were previously strengthened using externally bonded (EB) carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. One control and ten strengthened RC beams were produced and tested utilizing a four-point loading regime. For strengthened beams, two beams were kept strengthened using only CFRP, and additional ECC layers were added to the rest of the strengthened beams. The CFRP width and overlap length and position were among the test factors. Experimental results revealed that strengthening RC beams with CFRP laminates enhanced both the stiffness …

Post-Translational Modifications Of Cyclophilin D Fine-Tune Its Conformational Dynamics And Activity: Implications For Its Mitochondrial Function, Jacques Kumutima, Xin-Qiu Joe Yao, Donald Hamelberg

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Mitochondria are the powerhouse of a cell, whose disruption due to mitochondrial pore opening can cause cell death, leading to necrosis and many other diseases. The peptidyl-prolyl cis–trans isomerase cyclophilin D (CypD) is a key player in the regulation of the mitochondrial pore. The activity of CypD can be modulated by the post-translational modification (PTM). However, the detailed mechanism of this functional modulation is not well understood. Here, we investigate the catalytic mechanism of unmodified and modified CypD by calculating the reaction free energy profiles and characterizing the function-related conformational dynamics using molecular dynamics simulations and associated analyses. Our results …

Freeze-Frames And Blanket Bans: The Unconstitutionality Of Prisons’ Denial Of Gender Confirmation Surgery To Transgender Inmates, Aranda Stathers

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

It is long established that the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against imposing cruel and unusual punishments requires prisons to adequately address their inmates’ medical needs. Inmates identifying with the LGBTQ+ community are not exempt from this constitutional mandate. Trans inmates with gender dysphoria require specific treatment, including, but not limited to, gender confirmation surgery. While courts acknowledge that prisons owe a duty to provide some transition-related care, the extent of that duty remains contested. With no guidance from Congress or the Supreme Court, the constitutionality of prisons’ denial of gender confirmation surgery is in the hands of the circuit courts, which …

Meaningless Dna: Moore’S Inadequate Protection Of Genetic Material, Natalie Alexander

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Moore v. Regents of the University of California represents the seminal case regarding the protection of genetic material. In this case, the California Supreme Court held that patients do not retain property rights in their excised genetic material; instead, informed consent laws serve as genetic material’s only protection. Many states have accepted the Moore court’s decision not to extend property rights to genetic material, and most states choose to protect genetic material through informed consent alone. Moore and informed consent do not adequately protect genetic material, creating unjust results in which “donors” of genetic material have little to no recourse …

Navigating Beyond The Lodestar: Borrowing The Federal Sentencing Guidelines To Provide Fee-Shifting Predictability, Matthew Ahn

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

The lodestar has been the dominant calculation method for fee-shifting awards for nearly 40 years. But the lodestar has numerous persistent issues: it leads to extra litigation and judicial effort, it results in highly variable fee awards, and it incentivizes plaintiffs’ attorneys to bill extravagantly and reject settlement. This Article argues that these issues with the lodestar, along with many others, result from a mismatch between the lodestar and the purpose of the underlying fee-shifting statutes, which is to encourage attorneys to bring suits that would not normally be economically viable. Encouraging attorneys to do so requires the fee awards …

Scanning Iphones To Save Children: Apple’S On-Device Hashing Algorithm Should Survive A Fourth Amendment Challenge, Timothy Gernand

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

When Apple announced it would combat the growth of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platform by scanning all its users’ devices without their consent, many of its loyal customers felt betrayed. With tech companies such as Google and Facebook arranging their business models around selling their customers’ personal information, Apple customers saw the company’s focus on privacy as a refreshing alternative. However, as Apple itself privately acknowledged, this emphasis on privacy had led to it becoming a haven for CSAM. Despite the reputational damage it would incur with its customers, Apple resolved to confront CSAM on its platform …

How Not To Be A Federal Criminal: A Review Of Mike Chase’S How To Become A Federal Criminal And The Case For Inclusion Of His Illustrated Handbook In American Law Schools, Zachary Stendig

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

No abstract provided.

Dangerous And Unusual: How An Expanding National Firearms Act Will Spell Its Own Demise, Oliver Krawczyk

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

The National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) is the strictest federal gun control law currently in effect. It criminalizes the mere possession and transfer of specifically enumerated categories of firearms deemed to be especially dangerous and unusual, such as machine guns and silencers. Commensurate with this viewpoint, the NFA imposes on violators harsh felony penalties, from lengthy prison sentences to six-figure fines. However, the NFA permits lawful civilian ownership of these firearms under a taxation and registration scheme administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In its 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller decision, the United …

Amplifying Their Voices: Equity And Assistive Technology For Children With Disabilities, Rosemary Queenan

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Assistive technology devices are crucial to the educational development of children who suffer from hearing loss. For some hearing-impaired children, access to hearing aids is vital to their ability to acquire language, develop speech, and socialize. Yet many hard of hearing children are unable to acquire hearing aids because most insurance policies do not cover them. Access to assistive technology devices for hard of hearing individuals has been the subject of long-standing controversy. The law recognizes the benefits of assistive technology devices and includes them within the scope of services school districts may be required to provide in order to …

The Inter-Play Of Teacher Agency And Student Agency In Enhancing Graduate Employability: A Study Of The International Career-Oriented Programs In Vietnam, Thi Duc Phung

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Although the Vietnamese government has launched numerous initiatives to develop employability for students, half of its university graduates are unable to find jobs in their area of specialization. In order to address this issue, the Vietnamese higher education sector has introduced international career-oriented programs (ICOPs) to position the quality of Vietnamese graduates on par with international standards. This research focuses on three ICOPs to explore the interaction between teacher and student agency in enhancing graduate employability. This research draws on Bourdieu's concepts of field, capital, and habitus to investigate how academics and students perceive and exercise their individual agency. The …

Nuclear S6k1 Enhances Oncogenic Wnt Signaling By Inducing Wnt/Β-Catenin Transcriptional Complex Formation, Min Gyu Lee, Hwamok Oh, Jong Woo Park, Jueng Soo You, Jeung-Whan Han

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), a key downstream effector of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), regulates diverse functions, such as cell proliferation, cell growth, and protein synthesis. Because S6K1 was previously known to be localized in the cytoplasm, its function has been mainly studied in the cytoplasm. However, the nuclear localization and function of S6K1 have recently been elucidated and other nuclear functions are expected to exist but remain elusive. Here, we show a novel nuclear role of S6K1 in regulating the expression of the Wnt target genes. Upon activation of the Wnt signaling, S6K1 translocated from the …

Feminine Body Between Appropriation And Tyranny In Sulaiman Al- Shatti’S Novel "Silence Extends", “Semiotic Reading”, Khitam Othman Al-Khouli

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Arts مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للآداب

This paper addresses the phenomena of appropriation and tyranny in the face of the feminine body in the novel "Extending Silence" by the Kuwaiti novelist Sulaiman al- Shatti. It depends on the analytical method that includes the following elements: the connotation of the title, the authoritarian woman, the oppressed woman, and the semiotics of the body. It discusses the key phenomena that surface the novel. As regards the connotation of the title, it is an efficacious element that shows up the theme of silence that extends throughout the novel and becomes a dominant element in the space of the narrative …

Professional Development Impact On Quality Interactions In Home-Based Early Childhood Settings, Theresa Peplinski

Graduate Teacher Education

Recent literature was examined to explore the relationship between professional development and quality interactions in home-based early childhood settings. Home-based child care was identified as a setting preferred by parents (Melvin et al., 2022). However, the educators in these settings often worked alone, worked long hours, and were less likely to have a degree than educators in other early childhood settings (Durden et al., 2016). The understanding of what constituted quality in these under-recognized settings was more challenging to quantify and less studied than quality in other early education settings (Han et al., 2021). A thorough literature review was conducted, …

Energy Dissipation In A Sand Damper Under Cyclic Loading, Ehab Sabi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Various seismic and wind engineering designs and retrofit strategies have been in development to meet structures' proper and safe operation during earthquake and wind excitation. One such method is the addition of fluid and particle dampers, such as sand dampers, in an effort to reduce excessive and dangerous displacements of structures. The present study implements the discrete element method (DEM) to assess the performance of a pressurized sand damper (PSD) and characterize the dissipated energy under cyclic loading. The idea of a PSD is to exploit the increase in shearing resistance of sand under external pressure and the associated ability …

Development Of A Muc1 Cancer Immunotherapy Using Complement Targeted Liposomes And Organoplatinum (Iv) Complex As An Effective Anticancer Drug, Ameneh Arabi

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The development of therapeutic and preventive cancer vaccines has been on the rise in the past decade. Extensive tumor antigen libraries supply researchers with a wide variety of targets for developing cancer vaccines. Cancer vaccines aim to induce tumor regression, eradicate tumors and establish lasting antitumor memory, while avoiding adverse reactions. However, achieving this goal is hampered by the challenges of finding tumor antigens to incite an effective immune response and creating an efficient delivery system to deliver the antigen to target cells. In this thesis, we discuss how to integrate Toll Like Receptor (TLR) agonists with a MUC1 cancer …

Exploring The Evolution Of Fishes At High Latitudes, Anna S. Rix

Biological Sciences

Fish species found in high latitude waters are especially vulnerable to climatic changes due to their inability to regulate body temperature and long evolution in cold, oxygen-rich aquatic environments. Antarctic notothenioid fishes have evolved to thrive in an extremely stable, cold, oxygen-rich environment. Likewise, lake trout live in a cold, oxygen-rich environment, but commonly experience a wider range of temperatures than notothenioids. Millions of years of evolution in the cold have shaped the genetics of these fishes, but the effects on their biology remain largely unexplored. This dissertation seeks to learn from the past evolution of these two evolutionarily distant …

Architects Of Abundance: Indigenous Regenerative Food And Land Management Systems And The Excavation Of Hidden History, Lyla June Johnston

Indigenous Studies

Pre-Columbian and contemporary Indigenous Nations of North and South America (hereafter referred to as Turtle Island and Abya Yala) have managed ecosystems extensively to produce prolific and predictable food systems for themselves and non-humans, whom they often view as relatives. The elements of earth, water, fire, and air are explored to analyze Indigenous soil management, Indigenous aquaculture, Indigenous pyrogenic land management, and Indigenous oral histories, respectively. First, a review of four Indigenous societies and their soil management techniques revealed that none of these systems require outside fertilizer or irrigation to sustain ecocentric food systems on millennial scales. Second, a comparative …

Processes In The Percolation Zone In Southwest Greenland: Challenges In Modeling Surface Energy Balance And Melt, And The Role Of Topography In The Formation Of Ice Slabs, Federico Covi

Geosciences

Increased surface melt in the percolation zone of Greenland causes significant changes in the firn structure, directly affecting the surface mass balance of the ice sheet and the amount and timing of meltwater runoff. Thick impermeable layers, referred to as ice slabs, are preventing melt water percolation and refreezing in the firn favoring lateral movement of water and direct runoff to the oceans. The objective of this dissertation is to enhance the understanding of these processes by modeling the surface energy balance and resulting melt, and investigating the spatial and temporal changes in firn surface properties and associated water movement …

Control And Inverse Problems For The Wave Equation On Metric Graphs, Yuanyuan Zhao

Mathematics and Statistics

This thesis focuses on control and inverse problems for the wave equation on finite metric graphs. The first part deals with the control problem for the wave equation on tree graphs. We propose new constructive algorithms for solving initial boundary value problems on general graphs and boundary control problems on tree graphs. We demonstrate that the wave equation on a tree is exactly controllable if and only if controls are applied at all or all but one of the boundary vertices. We find the minimal controllability time and prove that our result is optimal in the general case. The second …

Sled Dogs As Gifts. An Ethnography Of Dog Exchanges Among Kennels In Alaska., Allison K. Cruz

Anthropology

This thesis investigates the social relationships that develop through the circulation of sled dogs among Alaskan kennels. It is based on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork at racing events, in sled dog kennels, as well as semi-structured interviews around Fairbanks. The research is informed by anthropological literature on kinship, personhood, and gift-giving economies. It examines how sled dogs are acquired and exchanged in Alaska and offers a novel perspective on the value of dog bloodlines and the relationships that unite breeders, mushers and sled dogs. The main argument is that Alaskan sled dogs are exchanged as gifts (rather than commodities) with the …

Exploring The North American Arctic Benthos: Community Structure And Oil Degradation Potential Of Sediment Bacteria And Archaea, Alexis M. Walker

Marine Biology

The Chukchi and Beaufort seas benthic habitats are home to a multitude of ecologically and commercially important organisms that are subject to ongoing environmental changes, including the impacts of climate change and increased exposure to contaminants. Benthic bacteria and archaea can be considered biogeochemical engineers. They play a major role in organic matter (OM) degradation and nutrient cycling and their community structure can reflect changes in environmental conditions such as OM composition and quantity, nutrient availability, redox conditions, and natural/anthropogenic contaminants (e.g. petroleum hydrocarbons). Yet, sediment microbial communities have rarely been examined in these marginal seas of North American Arctic. …

Ela High School Teacher Beliefs About Academic Language Learning, Wendy Aro

Doctorate in Education

The enrollment of English learners (ELs) in K-12 schools in the United States continues to surpass all other student groups reshaping U.S. public schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). Research suggests while learning English, ELs fall behind academically, which can determine how long an EL remains in an English learner program (Wixom, 2014). Educators and leaders are faced with the challenges associated with EL education including professional development, retaining EL specialized teachers, and designing, implementing, and evaluating EL service models. Other challenges include ensuring EL access to grade-level content standards while simultaneously developing the language of the subject area. …

Void-Semiconductor Gaas Photonic Crystal Surface-Emitting Lasers By Epitaxial Regrowth And Single-Epitaxy Methods, Kevin James Reilly

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Monolithic semiconductor lasers including edge-emitting lasers (EELs) and vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) fail to realize simultaneous achievement of both high-power high-quality beams due to intrinsic limitations of their resonant cavity. Photonic crystal surface emitting lasers (PCSELs) address these structural limitations through employment of a two-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) cavity that creates feedback at a single wavelength for laterally scalable devices. This function of the PC allows PCSELs to power scale with area while maintaining single-mode emission required for diffraction-limited beams. In this way, PCSELs fulfill an industry demand for high-power high-quality lasing from a single chip.

Early PCSELs were fabricated …

Spatial Single-Cell Identification Of Cell Layers Within Mouse Brain Using A Novel Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Technology, Radha Swaminathan

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Spatially resolved transcriptomics technologies investigate gene expression in the context of a tissue. While imaging-based technologies enable gene expression quantification at a single-cell level, only two NGS-based technologies are currently capable of single-cell resolution. Both Stereo-seq and Seq-Scope involve two rounds of sequencing: one to sequence the location of spatial barcodes and the other to obtain sequence of cDNA. Thus, the objective of the research study is to develop a technology that can capture transcripts from every cell of a tissue without the need for two rounds of sequencing. To this end, a capture surface or barcoded array (similar to …

Spatio-Temporal Variation Of Some Physico-Chemical Parameters Of Water In Lower Seybouse River (Northeastern Algeria), Adem Fraga, Amel Ketif, Karima Sifi, Aziz Laifa

Journal of Bioresource Management

Oued Seybouse is one of the most important rivers in Algeria. It runs for about 240 km, flows through sevenwilayas (Guelma, Annaba, Souk Ahras, El Tarf, Oum El Bouaghi, Constantine and Skikda) and 68 municipalities, 30 of which are fully included in its basin, and only partially for the others. OuedSeybouse’s water is exposed to multiple sources of pollution, as it directly receives industrial and urban discharges throughout its course. Also agriculture, which is intensively practiced in the lower valley of Seybouse, contributes to the pollution of this watercourse. In this context, we set out to assess the physical-chemical quality …

Nineteenth-Century Bread Ovens Of The Blackwater Valley In County Waterford, Richard Tobin

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

The emphasis placed on the baking of traditional soda-bread in a Bastable oven on the open hearth has created a charming image of spartan self-sufficiency throughout rural Ireland in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But shop-bought bread, produced in small-scale commercial ovens located in villages and towns, was a common item of both rural and urban diet throughout the nineteenth century. This paper explores both the means of production and the possible scale of production in a cluster of villages in the Blackwater valley in the west of county Waterford. An important implication may be that the traditional soda-bread …

Patterns Of Consumption At The Uk’S First “Alcohol-Free Off-Licence”: Who Engaged With No- And Low-Alcohol Drinks And Why?, Claire G. Davey

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

No- and low-alcohol beverages are currently experiencing high sales growth in the UK, but academic research regarding the production, regulation, marketing and consumption of these drinks remains limited. This article presents research findings from ethnographic customer observations and semi-structured staff interviews at Club Soda’s temporary “alcohol-free off-licence” in London – the UK’s first shop that sold exclusively no- and low-alcohol drinks. I analyse the demographics of who came to the off-licence, and how and why they engaged with no- and low-alcohol drinks. Findings suggest that relatively equal numbers of non-drinkers and current drinkers were customers of the off-licence, but there …

Symposium: The Future Of Reproductive Rights: Perilous Private Enforcement Strategies: From Posses And Citizen's Arrest To Texas Heartbeat Statutes, Jennifer A. Brobst

ConLawNOW

The utility of state private enforcement statutes restricting abortion in Texas and other states is worthy of close scrutiny. Placing private enforcement in historical context aids in understanding when it may be a sustainable strategy. First, the strategy of involving the populace in the enforcement of legislative mandates has a long history in the United States. Self-help is a necessity where law enforcement is not equipped to prevent and respond to every call for assistance. Citizen’s arrest, posse comitatus, and mandatory reporting of misconduct by citizens, including professional misconduct, all involve private action for the common good in state and …

Morphological And Anatomical Characterization Of Cymbopogon Citratus (Dc.) Stapf Cultivated In Egypt, Yasmine F. Madi, Meselhy R. Meselhy, El-Sayeda A. El-Kashoury, Mouchira A. Choucry

Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University

Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf (family Poaceae) is a tropical lemon-scented perennial grass commonly used, fresh or dried, in food and herbal teas. This study revealed that C. citratus different organs are characterized by histological features distinctive to family Poaceae. Characteristic oil cells stained pink with Schiff′s reagent were noticed particularly in the leaf and culm. Scattered closed-type vascular bundles are observed in different organs. Graminaceous stomata and phytolith are restricted to the leaf blade, leaf sheath, and culm. C. citratus leaf is featured by its remarkable epidermal structure formed of long and short cells, bulliform cells, bundle sheath cells, as …