Digital Commons Network^™

Antitrust Worker Protections: Rejecting Multi-Market Balancing As A Justification For Anticompetitive Harms To Workers, Laura Alexander, Steven C. Salop

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Anticompetitive conduct toward upstream trading partners may have the effect of benefiting downstream consumers even as the conduct harms the firms’ workers or suppliers. Defendants may attempt to justify their upstream conduct—and may rely on the ancillary restraints doctrine in doing so—on the grounds that the restraints create efficiencies benefitting ` purchasers, rather than focusing solely on the impact of the restraint on the workers or suppliers in the upstream market. Such balancing of harms against out-of-market benefits achieved by a different group should be rejected by antitrust doctrine generally, and specifically in the case of harms to workers. This …

Recent Developments In Mandatory Arbitration Warfare: Winners And Losers (So Far) In Mass Arbitration, J. Maria Glover

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Mass arbitration has sent shock waves through the civil justice system and unnerved the defense bar. To see how quickly and dramatically this phenomenon has entered both the civil justice landscape and the public discourse, one need look no further than the January 2023 filings of hundreds of individual arbitration demands by former Twitter employees against Elon Musk, along with threats to file hundreds more—threats that were announced, no doubt intentionally, on Twitter itself. Plaintiffs are increasingly more aware of mass arbitration as a tool in their arsenal, and defendants are, perhaps for the first time in decades of mandatory …

Building Services Engineering January/February 2023

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Sensing Translocating Polymers Via Induced Magnetic Fields, Şahi̇n Büyükdağli

Turkish Journal of Physics

The requirement to boost the resolution of nanopore-based biosequencing devices necessitates the integration of novel biosensing techniques with reduced sensitivity to background noise. In this article, we probe the signatures of translocating polymers in magnetic fields induced by ionic currents through membrane nanopores. Within the framework of a previously introduced charge transport theory, we evaluate the magnetic field signals generated by voltage- and pressure-driven DNA translocation events in monovalent salt solutions. Our formalism reveals that in voltage-driven transport, the translocating polymer suppresses the induced magnetic field via the steric blockage of the ion current through the midpore. In the case …

Gold Thin-Film Based Narrow-Band Perfect Absorbers For Near-Ir Frequencies, Serap Aksu

Turkish Journal of Physics

Perfect absorbers have received significant attention due to their tunable and extraordinary absorptive behaviour of light at selected wavelenghts. Such absorption can be achieved by the means of nanostructured materials with various types of flexibility. Despite these advantages nanofabrication is a challenging process. In this study, we manufacture and characterize a gold thin-film based ultra narrow-band perfects absorber that does not require nanostructures for full absorption of the incident light. Perfect absorption is based on Fabry-Perot interference created using a metal-insulator-metal triple layer. The fabrication involves precise deposition of a gold film (35 nm) and silicon nitride dielectric film (110-170 …

Discovering Mhealth Users’ Privacy And Security Concerns Through Social Media Mining, Mitchell Damion, Omar El-Gayar

Research & Publications

No abstract provided.

Mining Health Informatics Job Advertisements: Insights For Higher Education Programs And Job Seekers, Ahmed Elnoshokaty, Mohammad Al-Ramahi, Omar El-Gayar, Tareq Nasralah, Abdullah Hamdi Saleh Wahbeh

Research & Publications

This paper used web scraping and data mining to analyze 831 health informatics job advertisements on indeed.com. Results showed that 87% of jobs explicitly required a college degree in a related field, 41% of jobs preferred a graduate degree, while 29% preferred or required professional certification. The analysis showed that preferred skills were analytics problem solving, communication skills, oral communication, interpersonal skills, project management, statistics, and critical thinking. The analysis also showed that college degrees, certifications, and the above-mentioned skill set are in high demand for working in the field of health informatics, especially in states with large populations and …

Is Artificial Intelligence Attractive? An Empirical Study On User’S Intention To Use Ai-Enabled Applications, Omar F. El-Gayar, Gary Yu Zhao, Cindy Zhiling Tu

Research & Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and image recognition, are being incorporated into a wide variety of applications. These AI-enabled applications (AI apps) promise to reshape people's lives. However, despite the proliferation of AI-related research, very little research has focused on how AI apps' unique characteristics affect an individual's adoption behavior. This study examines factors influencing an individual's intention to use AI apps with a proposed research model based on the Task Technology Fit (TTF) as the underlying theoretical framework. The research model is empirically evaluated using the survey data and SEM method. …

Mining Mobile Application Reviews To Inform The Design Of Anonymous Live Counseling Applications, Cherie Noteboom, Kalee Crandall, Kodey S. Crandall, Matt North

Research & Publications

Mental health issues among American youth continue to increase. Technology integration and acceptance represent modern opportunities to provide more access to licensed professionals. School counselors are mental health experts in schools uniquely positioned to provide social and emotional support to students. However, not all students have access to a school counselor or another mental health professional. In 2018, Utah developed the SafeUT app to increase services provided by school counselors and licensed clinicians to students in the state. This free mobile app provides confidential, real-time crisis intervention through an anonymous live chat and confidential tip program. Although the number of …

The Applications Of Artificial Intelligence In Managing Project Processes And Targets: A Systematic Analysis, Cherie Noteboom, Martinson Ofori, Zixing Shen

Research & Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the defining technology of the 21st century and has far-reaching impacts on project management (PM). This study assesses the applications of AI in managing project processes and targets through a systematic analysis of publications from 2017 to 2021. The analysis has revealed interesting insights, trends, gaps, and issues. This study informs the researchers and practitioners of the status of AI applications in the management of project processes and targets. It helps stimulate research efforts that can lead to more advances in applying AI to augment PM practices.

Power-Aware Fog Supported Iot Network For Healthcare Infrastructure Using Swarm Intelligence-Based Algorithms, Hafiz Munsab Ali, Syed Ahmad Chan Bukhari, Tahir Hameed, Jun Liu, Alain Bertrand Bomgni

Research & Publications

Healthcare services become increasingly technology dependent every passing day such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Fog Computing, 5th generation (5G) and beyond communications, etc. They enable the processing and exchange of huge volumes of healthcare data whose integrity and real-time delivery are critical for healthcare services. Optimal power consumption in such essential healthcare infrastructure is critical for the well-being of patients and crucial to reduce the operational cost of healthcare facilities. In this paper, a Fog node has been introduced in an IoT healthcare infrastructure with power consumption as a key deciding factor. This work proposed a mathematical formulation …

The Well-Being Of A University: The Relationship Between Gratitude And Organizational Commitment On Faculty Members' Intention To Stay, Brenda Merkel, Kristi Bockorny, Amber Henderson, Aaron Scholl

Research & Publications

Retaining good employees can be difficult , and no organization is immune. This study investigated the relationship between gratitude and organizational commitment to determine if they can predict the intention to stay among university faculty. Specifically, this study analyzed gratitude, a construct that has not been researched much in the workplace. There was a significant relationship between gratitude on organizational commitment. Gratitude and organizational commitment were important predictors of intention to stay. Gratitude was supported as a moderator between organizational commitment and intention to stay. Organizations should incorporate posititve reinforcements to express gratitude to increase organizational commitment and intent to …

Annual Report 2022-2023, Office Of Community Engagement

News, Magazines and Reports

Letter from Annie Johnson, Director, and Arlete Perez Paez, Assistant Director:

As we celebrate the beginning of summer, we pause to reflect on the changes, successes, and collaborations of this past academic year.

In January, we welcomed Francis Origanti as the interim Vice President for the Mission Integration department and are assisting with the search of Executive Director for the department as well. Additionally, Arlete Perez Paez was promoted to Assistant Director; the office also will be hiring a fulltime Coordinator for Community Partnerships in time for start of the new academic year.

We are also excited to share that …

Thei Student Applied Research Presentations Sarp 2023, Research Office Thei

THEi Student Applied Research Presentations (SARP)

No abstract provided.

Exploring New Horizons: Surgical Robots Supported By Artificial Intelligence, Aish Hussein, Mohamed Elsayed Sallam, Mohamed Yehia Ahmed Abdalla

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Artificial intelligence-assisted surgical robots combine the agility and accuracy of robotic systems with the cutting-edge capabilities of AI technology. These advanced surgical robots are made to help surgeons carry out difficult surgical procedures more precisely and effectively. Surgical robots with AI algorithms built in can analyse enormous volumes of patient data, make choices in real-time, and adjust to changing circumstances. The surgical process and patient safety could both be considerably improved by this technology. Several important advantages of surgical robots powered by AI include Enhanced Accuracy Surgical robots can make extremely precise motions with little error because of the capabilities …

Making Sense Of Big (Kinematic) Data: A Comprehensive Analysis Of Movement Parameters In A Diverse Population, Naomi Wilma Nunis

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine how kinematic, big data can be evaluated using computational, comprehensive analysis of movement parameters in a diverse population.

METHODS

Retrospective data was collected, cleaned, and reviewed for further analysis of biomechanical movement in an active population using 3D collinear resistance loads. The active sample of the population involved in the study ranged from age 7 to 82 years old and respectively identified as active in 13 different sports. Moreover, a series of exercises were conducted by each participant across multiple sessions. Exercises were measured and recorded based on 6 distinct biometric …

Enhancing The Half-Life Of Interleukin 2 By Conjugation To The Transthyretin Ligand, Tlhe And Enhancing The Efficacy Of Peptides That Inhibit Covid 19 Viral Entry, Arjun D. Patel

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The central dogma of biology states that genetic information describes the flow ofinformation from DNA to RNA and then finally resting in proteins. The fundamental aspect that underlies all aspects of life is the expression and modification of proteins. One can even argue that there is no life without proteins. As such, many human diseases are either directly or indirectly related to dysfunction of proteins and can potentially be solved through protein therapeutics. Consequently, scientists have begun to harness the diversity of proteins to treat the diseases which plague man in the form of protein therapeutics such as clotting factors, …

The History Of Religious Hiring At American Catholic Law Schools, John M. Breen, Lee J. Strang

Touro Law Review

A mission-driven institution requires personnel who are competent for the realization of the mission. The following article examines the practice of Catholic law schools hiring Catholics as law professors throughout the over 150-year history of Catholic legal education in the United States. This history shows that Catholic law schools alternately sought to hire Catholics as law professors or to hire individuals without regard to their religious affiliation as these schools’ self-understanding of mission changed over time.

The Legacy Of Brown V. Board Of Education: Achieving Student Body Diversity In All Levels Of Education, Nancy L. Zisk

Touro Law Review

This Article addresses the legal standard by which school admissions programs may be judged and validated as school districts struggle to achieve student body diversity. As the Supreme Court recognized in its seminal decision, Brown v. Board of Education, education “is the very foundation of good citizenship.” Twenty years after that case was decided, Thurgood Marshall, who had argued that separate was not equal in the Brown case, observed as a Justice of the Court that “unless our children begin to learn together, there is little hope that our people will ever learn to live together.” Because achieving student body …

Is There A Fundamental Right To Privacy When An Educational Institution Requires A Student To Disclose Proof Of His Or Her Vaccination Status?, Mary D. Fatscher

Touro Law Review

In 2020, the coronavirus disease (“COVID-19”) dominated the world. Although the public has progressively become more informed about the disease and how to safeguard itself, challenges persist as there is still much unknown. Aside from wearing masks, social distancing, and despite its undetermined consequences, the COVID-19 vaccination has emerged as a primary solution to substantially reducing the incidence and severity of the virus in our country. Many COVID-19 vaccine mandates were initiated once three pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies including Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”).

A Named Inventor Of A Patent Should Be Expanded To Include Artificial Intelligence, Min Li

Touro Law Review

Why should patent inventors be limited to only natural persons under the current United States patent law? In fact, the present US patent law should be expanded to allow an Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) to be a named inventor of a patent. This would incentivize patent owners to use AI to produce more inventions that would benefit the public. There is no negative impact to expand the current US patent law. Many scholars, law professors, and practitioners believe that the patent law (or intellectual property law in general) is outdated due to the massive growth of modern technology. This Note argues …

Localization Of People In Gnss-Denied Environments Using Neural-Inertial Prediction And Kalman Filter Correction, Lauren N. Cash

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis presents a method based on neural networks and Kalman filters for estimating the position of a person carrying a mobile device (i.e., cell phone or tablet) that can communicate with static UWB sensors or is carried in an environment with known landmark positions. This device is used to collect and share inertial measurement unit (IMU) information — which includes data from sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers — and UWB and landmark information. The collected data, in combination with other necessary initial condition information, is input into a pre-trained deep neural network (DNN) which predicts the movement …

Gut-Lung Axis Of The Microbiome Alterations After Ultrafine Particles And Ozone Inhalation, Md Habibul Hasan Mazumder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Air pollution poses a significant threat to public health. It is a mixture of particulate matter, gaseous substances, and other secondary substances. Despite epidemiological research indicating the interactive effects of various components of air pollution, existing studies and regulatory limits often focus on single-exposure scenarios. The emerging understanding of the microbiome’s role in regulating immune response, metabolism, and pathophysiology of various diseases points towards interactions between environmental exposures and microbial dysbiosis. In this dissertation, mice were exposed to relevant deposited doses of carbon black (CB) and ozone (O3), and lung inflammation as well as the lung-gut axis of the microbiome …

Single Field Of View Calibration Through Estimating Three Mutually Orthogonal Vanishing Points For Spatial Data Collection In Traffic Scenes, Sourav Dutta

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Accurately extracting the three mutually orthogonal vanishing points plays a vital role in the field of view calibration for many surveillance-based traffic applications. However, the paucity of parallel lines along the dominant directions in many traffic scenes engenders the inapplicability of the current methods for a successful calibration. This research proposed a novel vanishing point estimating method for traffic scenes. This method capitalizes on both the road scene and moving vehicles for the determination of the dominant directions of the real-world coordinate frame. It also exploits distinctive edgelets for the direct identification of vanishing point candidates. Both lab and field …

Exploiting The Advantages And Overcoming The Challenges Of The Cable In A Tethered Drone System, Rogerio Rodrigues Lima

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation proposes solutions for motion planning, localization, and landing of tethered drones using only tether variables. A tether-based multi-model localization framework for tethered drones is proposed. This framework comprises three independent localization strategies based on a different model. The first strategy uses simple trigonometric relations assuming that the tether is taut; the second method relies on a set of catenary equations for the slack tether case; the third estimator is a neural network-based predictor that can cover different tether shapes. Multi-layer perceptron networks previously trained with a dataset comprised of the tether variables (i.e., length, tether angles on the …

Spiking Neural Network That Maps From Generalized Coordinates To Cartesian Coordinates, Chloe K. Guie

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this thesis, I look to understand how insects compute task-level quantities by integrating range-fractionated sensory signals to create a sparse-spatial coding of Cartesian positions. I created biologically plausible 2-D and 3-D models of one species of the stick insect (Carausius morosus) leg and encoded the foot position through a spiking neural network. This model used spiking afferents from three angles of an insect leg which are integrated by one non-spiking interneuron. This model contains many dendritic compartments and one somatic compartment that encode the foot’s position relative to the body. The Functional Subnetwork Approach (FSA) was used …

Blowdown Wastewater Co-Treatment With Produced Water For Resource Recovery: Moving Towards Zero Liquid Discharge And Sustainable Waste Management, Mohammad Hafez Ahmed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cooling of low-pressure steam and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process at coal-fired powerplants often require large quantities of freshwater and can generate waste streams from the blowdown (BD) operations. Treating these wastewaters for reuse can offset the freshwater demand, which is beneficial especially in semiarid and arid regions. However, the traditional treatment (i.e., chemical softening and evaporation) of cooling BD water (BDW) is chemical- and energy-intensive and adds to the overall costs of water management for powerplants. Furthermore, the updated Effluent Limitation Guidelines and Standards for powerplants set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) …

Organizational Characteristics As Predictors Of Hospital Accreditation, Rebecca B. Graystone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Hospital accreditation has had wide and longstanding acceptance as a key quality tool to drive efficient, effective healthcare. Researchers have more recently questioned factors commonly related with accreditation achievement given accreditation’s general association to better patient care, risk management, and cost reduction. Even less information was known about predictors of accreditation failure, which could be addressed by hospital administrators in advance of seeking application. Accordingly, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine if hospital structures and processes were predictors of accreditation failure. The research questions explored hospital size, ownership status, geographic location, hospital leadership, empowerment, practice, and …

Quantifying The Impacts Of Genetically Engineered Crops And Deep Soil C Cycling On The Sustainability Of Bioenergy Crop Production, Zoe Pagliaro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bioenergy can help mitigate climate change by providing a carbon-neutral fuel source. However, multiple challenges exist to achieving carbon neutrality including converting lignocellulosic materials to fuel and enhancing soil C sequestration during the growth of the feedstocks. To address these challenges, there have been recent efforts to genetically modify feedstocks to produce more energy dense oils that increase fuel conversion efficiency and to cultivate deep-rooted perennial feedstocks that can enhance soil C storage. However, the C consequences and efficacy of these solutions remain largely uncertain.

To examine the C consequences of enhancing oil content of bioenergy feedstocks, I examined the …

Increasing Self-Awareness In Nursing, Adrienne Irene Abbot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing self-awareness is essential for nurses to develop relationships with co-workers and patients. In the local organization, the practice problem for this doctoral project is a perceived low level of self-awareness in nursing. This Doctor of Nursing project aimed to determine if an educational intervention focused on self-awareness and the benefit of self-awareness increased knowledge among nurses working on a medical-surgical unit. A comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed evidence provided evidence to support this project. A total of 26 individuals (N = 26) participated in the educational intervention. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the participants (n = 23) were female, and …