Digital Commons Network^™

Following The Science: Judicial Review Of Climate Science, Maxine Sugarman

Washington Law Review

Climate change is the greatest existential crisis of our time. Yet, to date, Congress has failed to enact the broad-sweeping policies required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the rate scientists have deemed necessary to avoid devastating consequences for our planet and all those who inhabit it. In the absence of comprehensive legislative action to solve the climate crisis, the executive branch has become more creative in the use of its authorities under bedrock environmental statutes to develop new climate regulations. Environmental advocates, states, and industry groups that oppose such regulations or assert that agencies could accomplish more under existing …

December 1, 2023 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

How Self-Criticism Predicts Momentary Suicidal Ideation Differently For Overcontrolled And Undercontrolled Personality Styles, Ethan Dennis

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and nearly everyone who attempts suicide engages in ideation. Suicidal ideation varies over time and across contexts, indicating the need to untangle the interaction of momentary processes associated with ideation. We predict that people will experience increased ideation in moments of emotional pain when they engage in self-criticism. Moreover, people with differing interpersonal motives, such as that of agency (i.e., valuing competence at tasks deemed important to one’s self-worth) and communion (i.e., valuing the degree of closeness in one’s relationships) may be prompted to self-criticize in moments …

Judicial Diversity In Colorado: Increasing Representation Through Innovation, Monica M. Marquez Honorable, Sumi Lee

Denver Law Review

Research documents that diversity on the bench improves judicial decision-making, improves access to justice, and strengthens the rule of law. However, until 2019, no formal programs to increase judicial diversity existed within the Colorado Judicial Branch. In 2019, Colorado enacted legislation establishing an innovative, full-time judicial diversity outreach program that utilizes data and research to develop pipeline programs and amplify its impact through increased community engagement. Now, five years later, Colorado’s state court bench is more diverse than ever before. This Article discusses the development of the Judicial Diversity Program in Colorado and best practices for other states interested in …

States As Laboratories: Colorado Constitution (Reactants) + Independent State Constitutionalism (Catalyst) = Constitutional Lgbtq+ Protections (Products), Pelecanos

Denver Law Review

This Article began as a research project on the current state of LGBTQ+ rights under the Constitution of the State of Colorado during an internship at the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado. It quickly became an extensive examination of state constitutionalism, Colorado history, and queer theory. Ultimately, this Article imagines how the Colorado Supreme Court might interpret Colorado constitutional provisions to create more protections for LGBTQ+ people.

Passing The Buck: The Perils Of Oklahoma V. Castro-Huerta, Adam Crepelle, Timothy Purdon, Brendan Johnson

Denver Law Review

The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta upended federal Indian law by allowing states to prosecute crimes involving Indians committed in Indian country. Castro-Huerta created a concurrent jurisdiction over Indian country crimes involving non-Indians. While concurrent jurisdiction increases the number of law enforcement agents with jurisdiction, it also creates opportunities for those law enforcement agents to shirk responsibility. Neither state nor federal law enforcement is accountable to tribes, so Castro-Huerta is likely to create a pass the buck mentality among non-Indian law enforcement. Moreover, there is little to indicate expanding state authority over tribes will benefit Indians. In …

Haaland V. Brackeen: The Indian Child Welfare Act, States' Rights, And The Survival Of America's First Peoples And Nations, Andrew B. Reid

Denver Law Review

At the end of its 2023 term, the United States Supreme Court issued a long-awaited decision on the Indian Child Welfare Act, Haaland v. Brackeen. The Court was presented with the direct conflict between three well-established bodies of constitutional law: (1) the right of individuals against racial discrimination, (2) the rights reserved by the states under Tenth Amendment federalism, and (3) federal supremacy over the states in matters concerning Native peoples and nations. These conflicts risk the survival of Native families, communities, and culture as well as the collective rights of Native peoples to their survival as inherently sovereign nations …

Vol. 101, No. 2: Full Issue, Denver Law Review

Denver Law Review

No abstract provided.

Osteoarthritis Disease Severity In The Temporomandibular Joint And The Knee Joint: A Comparative Cadaveric Study, Jessica A Immonen, Jason Ciccotelli, Linh M Nguyen, Lesley Gilmer, Landen Broadhead, Mackenzie Kitchen, Conner Paul, Jeremy James

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the level of disease severity in a pilot cohort of temporomandibular joints (TMJs) and compare them to the pathology findings previously characterized in cadaveric knee joints.

DESIGN: Thirty-one intact TMJs from 17 cadaveric donors were harvested and arthritic lesioning seen in the knee joint was investigated on the condyle and the fossa of the TMJ. Prevalence of gross alterations was equated and disease severity was determined for sex- and age-based donor pools using a validated, osteoarthritis (OA) disease severity scale (DSS). Knee joint DSS scores were also compared to the TMJ …

Predicting In-Hospital Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Using Administrative Data And Machine Learning, Theyab Alhwiti, Summer Aldrugh, Fadel M. Megahed

School of Business

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is the gold standard treatment for patients with symptomatic aortic stenosis. The utility of existing risk prediction tools for in-hospital mortality post-TAVR is limited due to two major factors: (a) the predictive accuracy of these tools is insufficient when only preoperative variables are incorporated, and (b) their efficacy is also compromised when solely postoperative variables are employed, subsequently constraining their application in preoperative decision support. This study examined whether statistical/machine learning models trained with solely preoperative information encoded in the administrative National Inpatient Sample database could accurately predict in-hospital outcomes (death/survival) post-TAVR. Fifteen popular binary …

Anxiety Severity And Prescription Medication Utilization In First-Time Medical Marijuana Users, Karen L. Dugosh, Megan M. Short, Paulina Syracuse, Thomas R. Mccalmont, Michelle R. Lent

PCOM Scholarly Works

Background

Anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are qualifying psychiatric conditions for medical marijuana (MM) treatment in Pennsylvania. This study examined baseline prevalence and changes in prescription anxiety medication use three months following MM treatment initiation among individuals with these qualifying conditions.

Methods

The study sample was comprised of 108 adults with anxiety or PTSD as a referring condition; they were enrolled in a longitudinal study evaluating biopsychosocial outcomes in new MM patients. Consenting participants completed an assessment battery at baseline and Month 3 (n = 94, 87 % follow-up rate) that included a measure of anxiety severity and …

A Holistic Approach To Leadership Development And Self-Efficacy For Frontline Managers, Alberta Green

Dissertations

According to Clifton and Harter (2019), managers determine an organization’s success. Specifically, managers determine 70% of worker engagement. Researchers (Bandura, 1997; Dwyer, 2019) have associated self-efficacy with leadership strengths. As such, frontline managers (FLMs) need holistic leadership development (HLD) training in the four leadership domains—analytic, conceptual, emotional, and spiritual—to improve their competencies and bolster their self-efficacy (Clifton & Harter, 2019; Ward, 2018). Integrative leadership development models that prioritize organizational resources through holistic leadership development offer a modern approach to addressing FLMs’ leadership skill development and self-efficacy (Guidi et al., 2018). According to Bandura (1997), self-efficacy is how individuals evaluate their …

2023-December-01-Why I Teach- Dr. Sharon Bigger, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

This episode features Dr. Sharon Bigger, Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing. Dr. Bigger is a career hospice nurse and former medical interpreter who uses the lessons she has learned with her patients and her research to inspire our undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and in their research endeavors. 

2023-December-01-The Borchuck Plaza Fountain, University Marketing And Communication, East Tennessee State University

ETSU News

Explore the rich history of ETSU's Borchuck Plaza. Learn more about the inspiring story of the trailblazing African American students, including Mr. George Nichols, who integrated the university and whose names are inscribed on the plaza wall -- and about plans for a new fountain to be dedicated in honor of their enduring legacy at ETSU. Mr. Nichols was also one of the first Black members of ETSU's storied ROTC program. 

The Future Of Anti-Poverty Legislation, Andrew Hammond, Ariel Jurow Kleiman, Gabriel Scheffler

Articles

The era of big-government COVID relief is over. The initial pandemic relief legislation, followed by two years of Democratic control in Washington, seemed to herald the expansion and modernization of the U.S. safety net. But sustained reform proved elusive. Now that this window of opportunity has closed, it's time to step back and take stock. For those who focus on anti-poverty programs, one question persists: The next time there is such an opportunity to strengthen anti-poverty programs through legislation, how should federal law change?

This Article suggests the answer to that question lies in lessons from recent experience, including, but …

An Examination Of The Utilization Of Programming For Female Delinquency Prevention In Jamaica, Regan R. Reid

All Dissertations

Little to no academic inquiry has examined interventions targeting girls involved in the justice system in Jamaica. This qualitative study asked: (1) How do girls in conflict with the law in Jamaica experience victimization? (2) How does the justice system respond to girl offenders who have also been victims? (3) What are the needs of girls in conflict with the law in Jamaica? (4) What programs exist specifically for girls in conflict with the law? (5) How effective have existing programs been for girls in conflict with the law, and do outcomes vary across education levels and settings (i.e., rural …

The Santa Ana Youth Media Project: Ypar And Media Advocacy, Jorge F. Rodriguez

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The Santa Ana Youth Media Project (SAYMP) was born during the summer of 2019 and grew from a need, expressed by youth, for more critical media literacy that could further amplify and focus on narratives that reflect how youth navigate their personal, cultural-social, and economic environments. Our media projects consist of intentional participative research and journalistic designs that document stories using tools such as narrative inquiry, Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) and video/media production to visually capture the narratives of youth and community within the city of Santa Ana and its larger Orange County context. Our goal is to develop …

Crispr-Cas Enabled Dna Nanotechnology For Advanced Pathogen Detection, Mahera J. Kachwala

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The ever-growing list of carcinogens, toxicants, pathogens, and other disease-causing agents necessitates the development of new and improved mechanisms of disease detection. A better understanding of events leading up to the diseased state and early diagnosis is imperative for the timely management and targeted treatment of diseases affecting the biological world. Recent achievements in DNA nanotechnology have led to the prominence of DNA-based technologies for multiplexed biological sensing, high-throughput analysis, and improved diagnostics. Typical methods of disease detection employ complex multi-step procedures and advanced equipment, which significantly reduces their accessibility while elevating their cost. DNA functionalized sensing systems that examine …

Enhanced Market Timing: Long Short-Term Memory Neural Network For Optimal Entry And Exit In Stock Market, Jerome Chinua Hall

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This thesis investigates applying a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Neural Network for forecasting optimal times to enter and exit the stock market. Given the inherent imbalance in the dataset, where most days are not opportune for market actions, and the challenge of predicting such infrequent occurrences, we will employ a five-day window before and after the identified optimal market entry or exit time. A prediction is considered correct if it is within this five-day interval. The model was trained on historical S&P 500 data, using features such as exponential and simple moving averages of the closing price, the ten-day percentage …

Overexpression Of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (Pai-1) In Human Kidney Cells, Khadija Rafiqi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The research focuses on two key objectives: Mapping renal epithelial cells' response to PAI-1 overexpression and investigating the potential activation of signaling kinases in this context. Utilizing Proteome profiler kits and western blot analysis, the aim is to unravel the underlying mechanisms and signaling pathways involved. By exploring these complexities, the thesis aims to advance our understanding of kidney inflammation and its potential contribution to targeted therapeutic approaches in the future.

Associations Between Maternal Alcohol Consumption During Pregnancy And Selected Musculoskeletal Birth Defects Among Offspring In The National Birth Defects Prevention Study, Sarah Fisher

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is known to be associated with poor pregnancy outcomes, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. However, evidence for associations between alcohol consumption during pregnancy and some major structural birth defects among offspring is conflicting or inconclusive. This dissertation used data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), a multi-site, population-based case-control study, to examine associations between maternal alcohol consumption and risk of three major musculoskeletal birth defects: gastroschisis, omphalocele, and craniosynostosis. Our analyses built upon previous analyses of these associations using NBDPS data, including larger sample sizes and more robust analytic methods to explore issues …

Deserving Care: How Older Chinese Immigrants Seek Support, Xuemei Cao

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Older immigrants make up an increasingly larger share of the overall aging population in the United States. This demographic shift brings challenges to existing systems of elder care provision and calls for an in-depth understanding of aging immigrants’ diverse needs. As immigrants grow older, they need to get support from families, non-kin persons, and formal services to manage various challenges. However, their sense of entitlement to receive care from each source has changed because of the readapted intergenerational reciprocity at home, shifting contexts of interactions and norms of reciprocity with non-kin persons in the community, and the interrupted obligations between …

Effects Of Aerobic Exercise On Rage And Lrp1 In Stz And Hfd Models Of Diabetes: Relationship With Cognitive Function And Aβ Clearance, Corey Joseph Frank

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The number of individuals with diabetes worldwide has quadrupled since 1980, making diabetes the 4th most common cause of death from non-communicable disease. Since 1975, the number of individuals classified as obese has tripled to 650 million adults, or 13% of the global population (World Health Organization, 2018). Obesity rates in the United States are three times the global average, with 39.8% of adults having a body-mass index of 30 or greater (Hales, 2017). At the same time, in the United States, AD is the sixth most common cause of death, with 5.8 million currently diagnosed, a number that may …

Bookending The Germ Cell To Maternal Transition: Dynamics Of Gene Regulation In Drosophila Oogenesis, Kahini Sarkar

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Throughout the process of oogenesis, spanning from flies to humans, germ cells undergo a remarkable transformation, transitioning from a mitotic to a meiotic cell cycle. This intricate journey involves highly specialized cellular processes and culminates in the establishment of a maternal contribution, which plays a crucial role in promoting proper embryogenesis. Despite the significance of these transitions, their regulatory mechanisms have remained largely elusive, until now.

Exploring Intersectional Differences In Employment And Desistance, Rachel Novick

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Employment is critically important to the re-entry process for most recordholders, as a standard condition of their community supervision agreement, as a turning point, and as a way to solidify new prosocial identities in the desistance process. However, seeking and maintaining gainful employment is easier for some recordholders than others. Prior research suggests that applicant race and gender impacts employment opportunities and outcomes. It is also the case that desistance may look different based on the race and gender of the recordholder. Thus, it may be the case that the relationship between desistance and employment varies for recordholders of different …

Cyber Insurance As An Effective Cyber Risk Management Strategy For Local Government Resiliency: The Case Of Municipalities In New York State, Elisabeth V. Dubois

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In an era of escalating cyber risks, municipal governments grapple with mounting challenges stemming from their increasing reliance on IT systems and limited resources. This dissertation presents a novel exploration into the uncharted realm of cyber insurance adoption within municipalities, aimed at enhancing their cyber resiliency by exploring to what extent municipalities utilize cyber insurance to manage their cyber risks and what effect this has had on their cyber resiliency. With a focus on New York State, a dynamic backdrop offering diverse municipalities, notable cyber incidents, robust security regulations, and economic influence, this study delves deep into the extent to …

Exploring The Molecular Landscape Of Hepatitis C Virus: Insights Into Viral Replication And Host Interactions, Deniece Brown

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) remains a pressing global health concern, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Gaining a thorough understanding of the virus's life cycle is pivotal for devising effective treatment strategies. This thesis takes a deep dive into the various stages of HCV's lifecycle, encompassing viral entry, replication, assembly, and release. By unraveling the intricacies of these processes, researchers can pinpoint potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

The Effect Of Autonomic Nervous System Functioning And Childhood Maltreatment On Empathy In Early Adulthood, Edward Charles Merritt

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Childhood maltreatment has a well-established link to both physical and psychological detriments later in life. Specifically, maltreatment has been found to be associated with changes in physiological functioning and increased aggressive behavior. Despite the well understood link with aggressive behavior, few studies have focused on the effects childhood maltreatment has on empathetic and prosocial behavior. Experienced adversity is theorized to increase one’s tendencies to adopt perspective and to feel a sense of responsibility for another’s welfare (Lim & DeSento, 2016). This study aims to examine how baseline autonomic functioning of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system moderate the relationship between …

Toward A Seed Commons: Practicing Commons For Future Economies, Caitlin Corleen Denny

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT In this thesis, commons theory is utilized to critically assess the impact of the expanding consolidation of the global seed industry on the seed's status as a common resource. Various understandings of the commons are considered and contradictions and recent insights into the significance of relational dynamics in commons governance are acknowledged. I argue that our daily interactions are instrumental in reconstructing the commons and act as transitional ways of relating that can guide us toward future economies. I use instances of cooperation in the Capital Region, as well as existing seed commons at both local and global scales, …

Immigration Stress & Maternal Sensitivity In Mexican American Mothers: The Role Of Parasympathetic Activity & Cultural Resiliency Factors, Annabelle Armah

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The immigration process is associated with a host of cultural stressors that may impact family and parental wellbeing. The present study examined whether immigration stress was related to reduced maternal sensitivity, and whether lower PNS activity would account for their associations. A secondary aim was to test the buffering effect of cultural resiliency factors (i.e., familism values, cultural orientation) on maternal PNS activity. Data were drawn from a longitudinal study of Mexican American mothers (N = 322; M age = 27 years). Contrary to hypotheses, higher immigration stress was significantly associated with higher maternal resting RSA (B = 0.15, SE …