Digital Commons Network^™

At The Nexus Of Antitrust & Consumer Protection, Luke Herrine

Articles

This Essay uses Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act to examine the theoretical and practical relationship between antitrust and consumer protection law. It argues that, since roughly 1980, there has been a hegemonic "neoliberal"framework, one that has in recent years been challenged by an emerging "moral economy" framework. The neoliberal framework conceptualizes antitrust as preventing firms from conspiring to throttle output, with a focus primarily on consumers' interests in low prices, and consumer protection as making consumers informed, rational, and able to switch between competitors with relatively low cost. The moral economy framework conceptualizes both areas of law …

The Public Voice Of The Defender,, Russell M. Gold, Kay L. Levine

Articles

For decades, police and prosecutors have controlled the public narrative about criminal law. The news landscape features salacious stories of violent crimes while ignoring the more mundane but far more prevalent minor cases that clog the court dockets. Defenders, faced with overwhelming caseloads and fear that speaking out may harm their clients, have largely ceded the opportunity to offer a counternarrative based on what they see every day. Defenders tell each other about the overuse of pretrial detention, intensive pressure to plead guilty, overzealous prosecutors, cycles of violence, and rampant constitutional violations-all of which inflict severe harm on defendants and …

The (Tax) Policy Entrepreneur, Mirit Eyal-Cohen

Articles

No abstract provided.

A Tribute To R. Kent Greenawalt: Scholar-Teacher, Teacher-Scholar In Memoriam, Paul Horwitz

Articles

No abstract provided.

Common Law Constitutionalism And The Protean First Amendment, Ronald Jr. Krotoszynski

Articles

No abstract provided.

Enforcing Equity Joyce A. Hughes: A Celebration, Daiquiri J. Steele

Articles

No abstract provided.

Cloud-Native Distributed Genomic Pileup Operations, Marek Wiewiórka, Agnieszka Szmurło, Paweł Stankiewicz, Tomasz Gambin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

MOTIVATION: Pileup analysis is a building block of many bioinformatics pipelines, including variant calling and genotyping. This step tends to become a bottleneck of the entire assay since the straightforward pileup implementations involve processing of all base calls from all alignments sequentially. On the other hand, a distributed version of the algorithm faces the intrinsic challenge of splitting reads-oriented file formats into self-contained partitions to avoid costly data exchange between computational nodes.

RESULTS: Here, we present a scalable, distributed and efficient implementation of a pileup algorithm that is suitable for deploying in cloud computing environments. In particular, we implemented: (i) …

Alveolar Macrophages In Lung Cancer: Opportunities Challenges, Cheng-Yen Chang, Dominique Armstrong, David B Corry, Farrah Kheradmand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are critical components of the innate defense mechanism in the lung. Nestled tightly within the alveoli, AMs, derived from the yolk-sac or bone marrow, can phagocytose foreign particles, defend the host against pathogens, recycle surfactant, and promptly respond to inhaled noxious stimuli. The behavior of AMs is tightly dependent on the environmental cues whereby infection, chronic inflammation, and associated metabolic changes can repolarize their effector functions in the lungs. Several factors within the tumor microenvironment can re-educate AMs, resulting in tumor growth, and reducing immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy in patients treated for non-small cell lung cancer …

A Pragmatic, Multicentre, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Randomised Trial To Assess The Safety, Clinical And Cost-Effectiveness Of Mirtazapine And Carbamazepine In People With Alzheimer’S Disease And Agitated Behaviours: The Hta-Symbad Trial, Sube Banerjee, Nicolas Farina, Catherine Henderson, Juliet High, Susan Stirling, Lee Shepstone, Julia Fountain, Clive Ballard, Peter Bentham, Alistair Burns, Chris Fox, Paul Francis, Robert Howard, Martin Knapp, Iracema Leroi, Gill Livingston, Ramin Nilforooshan, Shirley Nurock, John O’Brien, Annabel Price, Alan J. Thomas, Ann Marie Swart, Tanya Telling, Naji Tabet

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Modern Cemented Furlong Hemiarthroplasty: Are Dislocations Rates Better?, C. U. Menakaya, M. Shah, H. Ingoe, R. Malhotra, A. Mannan, T. Boddice, V. Allgar, S. Gopal, A. Mohsen, N. Muthukumar

Peninsula Medical School

Background Dislocation following hip hemiarthroplasty is a major complication with increased mortality and morbidity. Data looking at dislocation following contemporary bipolar stems are lacking in literature. Methods Retrospective review of our prospective national hip fracture database over a two-year period. Group 1 comprised of consecutive patients receiving bipolar Furlong prosthesis (N222) while Group 2 was made up of a historical cohort (uncemented; N254). Clinical and radiological records were reviewed to determine dislocation rates, causes and associative factors of dislocations. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results Following 476 hemiarthroplasties performed during the study period, 12 (2.5%) dislocations were reported (eight in …

Adding Web-Based Support To Exercise Referral Schemes Improves Symptoms Of Depression In People With Elevated Depressive Symptoms: A Secondary Analysis Of The E-Coacher Randomised Controlled Trial, Jeffrey Lambert, Adrian Taylor, Adam Streeter, Colin Greaves, Wendy M. Ingram, Sarah Dean, Kate Jolly, Nanette Mutrie, Lisa Price, John Campbell

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Exercise referral schemes (ERS) reduce depression but the additional effect on mental health from web-based behavioural support is unknown. The e-coachER trial reported no effect of augmenting usual ERS with theory-driven web-based behavioural support on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at 12 months for patients with chronic physical and mental health conditions. The present study reports the effects of the e-coachER intervention on depression, anxiety and MVPA only among participants with elevated depressive symptoms and investigates whether these were mediated by changes in MVPA and hypothesised cognitive and behavioural processes. Methods: Of the original 450 adults recruited into …

Motivational Support Intervention To Reduce Smoking And Increase Physical Activity In Smokers Not Ready To Quit: The Tars Rct, Adrian H. Taylor, Tom P. Thompson, Adam Streeter, Jade Chynoweth, Tristan Snowsill, Wendy Ingram, Michael Ussher, Paul Aveyard, Rachael L. Murray, Tess Harris, Colin Green, Jane Horrell, Lynne Callaghan, Colin J. Greaves, Lisa Price, Lucy Cartwright, Jonny Wilks, S Campbell, Dan Preece, Siobhan Creanor

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Intersections Of Disproportion: A Critical Quantitative Examination Of Dis/Ability And Gender In Black Students’ School Discipline Outcomes, Ceema Samimi, Noah Jefferson, Shelby Flanagan, Yolanda Anyon

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This study uses critical race quantitative intersectionality to examine the impacts of gender and dis/ability type on Black students’ school discipline outcomes. We use multilevel logistic regression models to analyze data from a large urban school district, considering the intersectional impact of gender and dis/ability type on school discipline outcomes among Black students (suspension, restorative justice, referral to law enforcement). We found that Black students identified as male, labeled with emotional dis/abilities, or identified as having ADHD were more likely to experience school discipline consequences than those who were not. These findings suggest that gender and dis/ability status are significant …

Restorative Practices And Exclusionary School Discipline: An Integrative Review, Ceema Samimi, Tyler M. Han, Amy Navvab, Jennifer A. Sedivy, Yolanda Anyon

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This study used integrative review methodology to synthesize research on the relationship between school-based restorative practices and exclusionary discipline outcomes in the United States. Exclusionary discipline outcomes were defined as out-of-school suspensions, expulsions, and referrals to law enforcement. A literature search produced 5,764 publications, and 11 studies were included in the final sample. Peacemaking circles were the most common restorative practice implemented, and secondary analysis of school records was the most common method utilized. Findings indicated that restorative practices are associated with reduced suspension rates, which suggest that school-based restorative practices are a promising approach to reducing exclusionary discipline outcomes.

Advancing College Food Security: Priority Research Gaps, Matthew J. Landry, Emily Heying, Zubaida Qamar, Rebecca L. Hagedorn-Hatfield, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Cara L. Cuite, Victoria A. Zigmont, Kendra Oonorasak, Susan Chen

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Despite over a decade of both quantitative and qualitative studies, food insecurity among United States college/university students remains a pervasive problem within higher education. The purpose of this perspective piece was to highlight research gaps in the area of college food insecurity and provide rationale for the research community to focus on these gaps going forward. A group of food insecurity researchers from a variety of higher education institutions across the United States identified five thematic areas of research gaps: screening and estimates of food insecurity; longitudinal changes in food insecurity; impact of food insecurity on broader health and academic …

Beta Cortical Oscillatory Activities And Their Relationship To Postural Control In A Standing Balance Demanding Test: Influence Of Aging, Yang Hu, Steven J. Petruzzello, Manuel E. Hernandez

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Age-related changes in the cortical control of standing balance may provide a modifiable mechanism underlying falls in older adults. Thus, this study examined the cortical response to sensory and mechanical perturbations in older adults while standing and examined the relationship between cortical activation and postural control. Methods: A cohort of community dwelling young (18–30 years, N = 10) and older adults (65–85 years, N = 11) performed the sensory organization test (SOT), motor control test (MCT), and adaptation test (ADT) while high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and center of pressure (COP) data were recorded in this cross-sectional study. Linear mixed models …

Investigating The Factor Structure And Measurement Invariance Of The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (Ede-Q) In A Community Sample Of Gender Minority Adults From The United States, Jason M. Nagata, Emilio J. Compte, F. Hunter Mcguire, Tiffany A. Brown, Jason M. Lavender, Stuart B. Murray, Matthew R. Capriotti, Annesa Flentje, Micah E. Lubensky, Mitchell R. Lunn, Juno Obedin-Maliver

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objective: The Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is one of the most widely used self-report assessments of eating disorder symptoms. However, evidence indicates potential problems with its original factor structure and associated psychometric properties in a variety of populations, including gender minority populations. The aim of the current investigation was to explore several previously published EDE-Q factor structures and to examine internal consistency and measurement invariance of the best-fitting EDE-Q model in a large community sample of gender minority adults. Methods: Data were drawn from 1567 adults (337 transgender men, 180 transgender women, and 1050 gender-expansive individuals) who participated in The …

Low-Density Star Cluster Formation: Discovery Of A Young Faint Fuzzy On The Outskirts Of The Low-Mass Spiral Galaxy Ngc 247, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Søren S. Larsen, Alexa Villaume, Jeffrey L. Carlin, Joachim Janz, David J. Sand, Jay Strader, Jean P. Brodie, Sukanya Chakrabarti, Chloe M. Cheng, Denija Crnojević, Duncan A. Forbes, Christopher T. Garling, Jonathan R. Hargis, Ananthan Karunakaran, Ignacio Martín-Navarro, Knut A.G. Olsen, Nicole Rider, Bitha Salimkumar, For Full Author List, See Comments Below

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The classical globular clusters found in all galaxy types have half-light radii of rh ~2-4 pc, which have been tied to formation in the dense cores of giant molecular clouds. Some old star clusters have larger sizes, and it is unclear if these represent a fundamentally different mode of low-density star cluster formation. We report the discovery of a rare, young 'faint fuzzy' star cluster, NGC 247-SC1, on the outskirts of the low-mass spiral galaxy NGC 247 in the nearby Sculptor group, and measure its radial velocity using Keck spectroscopy. We use Hubble Space Telescope imaging to measure the cluster …

Can Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Alter Cognition Chronically? A Limbic-Cenc Multicenter Study, William C Walker, Maya E O'Neil, Zhining Ou, Terri K Pogoda, Heather G Belanger, Randall S Scheibel, Angela P Presson, Shannon R Miles, Elisabeth A Wilde, David F Tate, Maya Troyanskaya, Mary Jo Pugh, Amy Jak, David X Cifu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: While outcome from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is generally favorable, concern remains over potential negative long-term effects, including impaired cognition. This study examined the link between cognitive performance and remote mTBIs within the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC) multicenter, observational study of Veterans and service members (SMs) with combat exposure.

Method: Baseline data of the participants passing all cognitive performance validity tests (n = 1,310) were used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis. Using multivariable regression models that adjusted for covariates, including age and estimated preexposure intellectual function, positive mTBI history …

Awareness Of Social Care Needs In People With Epilepsy And Intellectual Disability, A. Gabrielsson, S. Tromans, H. Newman, P. Triantafyllopoulou, A. Hassiotis, P. Bassett, L. Watkins, I. Sawhney, M. Cooper, L. Griffiths, A. Pullen, A. Roy, H. Angus-Leppan, Rh Thomas, M. Kinney, P. Tittensor, R. Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Nearly a quarter of people with intellectual disability (ID) have epilepsy with large numbers experiencing drug-resistant epilepsy, and premature mortality. To mitigate epilepsy risks the environment and social care needs, particularly in professional care settings, need to be met. Purpose: To compare professional care groups as regards their subjective confidence and perceived responsibility when managing the need of people with ID and epilepsy. Method: A multi-agency expert panel developed a questionnaire with embedded case vignettes with quantitative and qualitative elements to understand training and confidence in the health and social determinants of people with ID and epilepsy. The cross-sectional …

Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross‐Sectional Analysis From The Ms‐Stat2 Randomized Controlled Trial, Thomas Williams, Nevin John, Alberto Calvi, Alessia Bianchi, Floriana De Angelis, Anisha Doshi, Sarah Wright, Madiha Shatila, Marios C. Yiannakas, Fatima Chowdhury, Jon Stutters, Antonio Ricciardi, Ferran Prados, David Macmanus, Marie Braisher, James Blackstone, Olga Ciccarelli, Cam Gandini Wheeler‐Kingshott, Frederik Barkhof, Jeremy Chataway, Jeremy Hobart

Peninsula Medical School

Background and purpose.There is increasing evidence that cardiovascular risk (CVR) contributes to disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). CVR is particularly prevalent in secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and can be quantified through validated composite CVR scores. The aim was to examine the cross‐sectional relationships between excess modifiable CVR, whole and regional brain atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging, and disability in patients with SPMS. Methods. Participants had SPMS, and data were collected at enrolment into the MS‐STAT2 trial. Composite CVR scores were calculated using the QRISK3 software. Prematurely achieved CVR due to modifiable risk factors was expressed as QRISK3 premature CVR, …

Mortality Difference From Klebsiella Aerogenes Vs Enterobacter Cloacae Bloodstream Infections, Andrew Chou, Richard Sucgang, Richard J Hamill, Lynn Zechiedrich, Barbara W Trautner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Members of the order Enterobacterales, including Escherichia coli , Klebsiella species and Enterobacter species, are important pathogens in healthcare-associated infections. Higher mortality has been reported from infections due to Klebsiella pneumoniae than from E. coli , but prior studies comparing Enterobacter aerogenes (recently renamed Klebsiella aerogenes ) bacteraemia and Enterobacter cloacae complex bacteraemia have yielded conflicting results regarding whether clinical outcomes differ. We found bacteraemia with K. aerogenes was independently associated with greater risk of 30-day mortality than bacteraemia with Enterobacter cloacae complex.

Demographics Of Skin Cancer Knowledge Among Middle And High Schoolers In Texas, Dina H Zamil, Shangyi Fu, Zahra Majd, Emily Powell, Jenna H Zamil, Zeena Y Nawas, Ida F Orengo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents, an age group that can reduce sun exposure early, may benefit from school-based skin cancer education programs. Literature regarding the demographics of melanoma knowledge is sparse.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to evaluate melanoma knowledge among students in Texas viewing John Wayne Cancer Foundation Block the Blaze (JWCFBTB) presentations and identify group differences with regard to sociodemographic factors.

METHODS: Before JWCFBTB presentations delivered in Houston and Dallas by health professions students, a pre-presentation melanoma knowledge quiz was distributed. This survey was adapted from a 2000 study evaluating melanoma knowledge in middle and high schoolers in Houston and Dallas. Respondents …

Development Of A Peripheral Blood Transcriptomic Gene Signature To Predict Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Alvaro Moreira, Miriam Tovar, Alisha M Smith, Grace C Lee, Justin A Meunier, Zoya Cheema, Axel Moreira, Caitlyn Winter, Shamimunisa B Mustafa, Steven Seidner, Tina Findley, Joe G N Garcia, Bernard Thébaud, Przemko Kwinta, Sunil K Ahuja

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is the most common lung disease of extreme prematurity, yet mechanisms that associate with or identify neonates with increased susceptibility for BPD are largely unknown. Combining artificial intelligence with gene expression data is a novel approach that may assist in better understanding mechanisms underpinning chronic lung disease and in stratifying patients at greater risk for BPD. The objective of this study is to develop an early peripheral blood transcriptomic signature that can predict preterm neonates at risk for developing BPD. Secondary analysis of whole blood microarray data from 97 very low birth weight neonates on day of …

Sentiment Analysis Of Tweets For Hate Speech Detection Using Binary Classification Algorithms And Bert, Manveer Kaur

Computer Science

In the modern world, social media wields a lot of power. Twitter, particularly, has provided people a platform to express their opinions about everything under the sun from mundane everyday life to politics, race, religion etc. It has often come under scrutiny for unabashed propagation of hate speech. This project employs natural language processing techniques on a corpus of tweets to detect hate speech. A total of 3538 unique tokens are identified that appear only in tweets classified as hate speech. With the help of data visualization techniques like word clouds and frequency distribution plots, it became evident that the …

Chatting With Confidence: A Review On The Impact Of User Interface, Trust, And User Experience In Chatbots, And A Proposal Of A Redesigned Prototype, Arin Tamimi

Computer Science

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, trust has become a critical issue in ensuring that AI systems are reliable, ethical, and beneficial to society. This paper explores the role of user experience (UX) in shaping users' trust in chat AI. Chat AI has become increasingly popular as a communication tool, but users often struggle with trusting the technology. The paper examines how different design elements, such as conversational style, interface, and feedback mechanisms, affect users' perception of trust in chat AI by analyzing previous literature written in this area. Research demonstrates that UX plays a …

Enhancing Restaurant Dining Experience: Design And Evaluation Of A Mobile App For Personalized Menu Item Selection In Restaurants, Kimia Tuz Zaman

Computer Science

Picking the right food item from a restaurant menu can be challenging for people, specially for those who are unfamiliar with local cuisine and those with specific dietary requirements. Existing menus often lack essential information, making it difficult for diners to make quick and confident decisions. In this paper, we propose a mobile app that offers a user-friendly interface to allows users rank menu items based on their preferences and concerns. Using personalized ranking algorithms, the app analyzes the ingredients and nutritional content of menu items, providing users with valuable information to make informed choices. Preliminary tests suggest that the …

Evaluation Of Convolutional Neural Networks Against Deepfakes Using Transfer Learning, Siddharth Krishan

Computer Science

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate ResNets, DenseNet, Inception and VGG, against deepfake images, to answer the question: How effectively these Convolutional Neural Network can distinguish between deepfake images and real images. The dataset was acquired from FaceForensics++ and CelebA datasets for manipulated and unmanipulated images respectively. A custom script using Python and OpenCV was applied to create the final dataset for modelling. Transfer learning is a technique of applying the learned features by a network to a similar approach. It is employed to save time and resources in training, as it does not require a large …

Editorial: Hemostasis In Ecmo And Vad, Volume Ii, Jun Teruya, Jean M Connors, Barbara Zieger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Symptoms, Physical Activity, And Biomarkers In Children At The End Of Leukemia Maintenance Therapy, Mary C Hooke, Derek L Salisbury, Michelle A Mathiason, Alicia S Kunin-Batson, Audrey Blommer, Jessica Hutter, Pauline Mitby, Ida Moore, Susan Whitman, Olga Taylor, Michael E Scheurer, Marilyn J Hockenberry

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Symptoms in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) change over the trajectory of treatment but little is known about their symptoms as treatment ends. Physical activity may help decrease symptom distress and is vital for ongoing development. The role of biomarkers in symptom science is emerging. The purpose of the study was to explore relationships between self-report of symptoms and physical activity, actigraphy measures, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers.

Methods: Participants were children who were ages 3 to 18 years at the time of ALL diagnosis and were now in the last 12-week cycle of ALL maintenance. Self-reports of …