Digital Commons Network^™

The Sword, The Purse, And The Pen: The Constitutional Conundrum Of Impoundment, William N. Chance

CMC Senior Theses

This Thesis explores the constitutional conundrum of executive impoundment, the practice by which the President of the United States withholds or delays the expenditure of funds appropriated by Congress. Although impoundment has deep historical roots dating back to the Constitution’s Framers, its modern use raises profound questions regarding our separation of powers. This Thesis establishes a functional framework that distinguishes between “routine” impoundments, which promote administrative efficiency, and “policy” impoundments, which may undermine congressional intent. Furthermore, after tracing the development of impoundment from the early Republic through the Nixon Administration and the passage of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, …

Preferences For Enhanced Seasonal Weather And Climate Services Among Maize Farmers In Zimbabwe: A Choice Experiment Analysis, Joseph Manzvera, Kwabena \ Asomanin Anaman, Akwasi Mensah-Bonsu, Alfred Barimah

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Using a discrete choice experiment, this article analyzed maize farmers' stated preferences for seasonal weather forecast attributes in Zimbabwe. Specifically, the study assessed the most preferred attributes of modern seasonal weather forecasts to guide investment priorities. The mixed logit model, which accounts for taste heterogeneity, was employed to analyze the data. The results show that maize farmers place positive utility on downscaling forecasts to the village level, bundling with agronomic advisory information, and a long lead time of 6 months ahead of the onset of the rainy season. Farmers are willing to pay 1.40 United States dollars (US$) for downscaling …

Essential Caretaking For Artists With Disabilities: Exploring The Overlooked Histories Of Hazel Knapp And Grandma Moses, Bryan P. Martin

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the intersection of disability studies and art history, addressing the underrepresentation of disability in scholarship, especially concerning medical sociology and caretaking. Focusing on two early-twentieth-century self-taught American artists, Hazel Knapp (1908–95), who fell into obscurity, and Anna Mary Robertson Moses (1860–1961), best known as Grandma Moses, this is a comparative analysis of how disability influenced their artistic practices and shaped their divergent career outcomes. Knapp was born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurodegenerative disorder, and fell into obscurity due to a lack of support for her condition, but experienced a promising start to her career that included patronage …

A Feasibility Study On Barriers To Access To Solar Photovoltaic Energy: A Survey Study Of Moundou, Chad, Wakiang Emile Latchiba, Sebastian M. Waita, Robert Krueger, Julius Mwakondo Mwabora

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

It is widely acknowledged that energy sources such as the sun are potential providers of clean, limitless, and free energy that could satisfy energy needs now and in the future. This is particularly relevant when only small amounts of energy are necessary, such as in tiny homes or rural areas. For this study, we conducted a feasibility analysis by surveying local authorities and households in Moundou, Chad. The aim was to identify the barriers preventing householdsfrom accessing energy. The key decision-making data in this paper are based on the sample proportion of respondents and the margin of error associated with …

Evaluation Of High-Risk Factors For Maternal Mortality At Specialist Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria, U. B. Danfulani, E. D. Dzarma, A Uduak

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Maternal health disparities in Nigeria are pronounced, with higher maternal mortality rates (42 per 1,000 live births) and poor outcomes driven by education, healthcare access, and cultural factors like polygamy. Hence, the objective of this paper was to evaluate the effect of High-Risk Factors for Maternal Mortality at Specialist Hospital, Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria using appropriate standard procedures with Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Modeling (MCDM) Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Data obtained reveals that Infant mortality is high, with under-five mortality at 120 per 1,000 and neonatal mortality at 2 per 1,000 live births. Healthcare system challenges include limited …

Aviation Cybersecurity And Third-Party Software Service Providers: Do Companies Like Crowdstrike Get A Free Pass To Create Cyber Vulnerabilities?, Claire Konerza

Journal of Air Law and Commerce

Commercial aviation has steadily become the busiest and most efficient means of travel across the world. In order to keep up with the increasing demands of its customers, the industry has undergone numerous digital and technological transformations in recent years. Collision avoidance systems have allowed for more planes in the skies, online ticket reservations have made booking a flight as simple as a few clicks, and in-flight wi-fi allows passengers to engage in both work and leisure at 30,000 feet. Overall, these innovations have increased safety, capacity, and convenience for both airlines and their customers. However, these transformations have also …

Lawyers And Public Service: Duty, Faith, And The 'Good Republican' In The West Wing, Andrew Flavelle Martin

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Popular culture reveals much about the perceived role of lawyers in contemporary life. In this article, I draw lessons from the portrayal of lawyers in Aaron Sorkin's classic television series, The West Wing. As a drama centred around a Democratic presidential administration, Republicans often provide the foil. From time to time, however, the show lionizes what might be termed ‘the good Republican’. That ‘good Republican’ is most often a practicing lawyer whose desire to serve is grounded in duty or faith. In this essay, I use a trio of these characters to explore the role of lawyers in public service. …

Interest-Holder Priorities For Health Surveillance Of People Incarcerated In Canada: A Qualitative Study, Jessica Gaber, Njideka Sanya, Alice Cavanagh, Savage Bear, Sara Howdle, Iridian M. Grenada, Michelle Howard, Adelina Iftene, Fiona G. Kouyoumdjian

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Objectives: As a core function of public health, health surveillance for people who are incarcerated could address gaps in knowledge regarding their health status. The views of people who could use these data and who are included in health surveillance data should inform health surveillance. In this study, we aimed to identify the priorities of interest-holders for health surveillance of people incarcerated in Canadian correctional facilities.

Study design: We conducted an overall qualitative descriptive study with an embedded reflexive thematic analysis and a qualitative content analysis.

Methods: We conducted virtual or phone-based focus groups and interviews with people across Canada, …

The Differential Expands: Ataxia From Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration, Dominic Thomas, Md, Amy Dechet

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Introduction: Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration is a rare cause of cerebellar ataxia with a poor prognosis for neurologic recovery. The management of symptoms is dependent primarily upon timely diag nosis and treatment of the underlying neoplasm. Herein, we present the diagnostic and treatment course of a patient with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration. Case: A 72-year-old woman with a past medical history of left mastectomy for high grade ER/PR negative Her2 positive invasive ductal carcinoma presented with progressively worsening dysarthria and ataxia over two months. A metabolic work up by her primary care physician was unrevealing. Breast MRI did not show recurrence of …

A Reflection-Spectroscopy Measured Skin Carotenoid Score Strongly Correlates With Plasma Concentrations Of All Major Dietary Carotenoid Species Except For Lycopene, Qiang Wu, Cheryl Webb Cherry, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Melissa N Laska, Neal Craft, Nancy E Moran

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Skin carotenoids can be measured non-invasively using spectroscopy methods to provide a biomarker of total dietary carotenoid and carotenoid-rich fruit and vegetable intake. However, the degree to which skin carotenoid biomarkers reflect intakes of specific carotenoids must be determined for specific devices. Previously, findings were mixed regarding the correlation between reflection spectroscopy (RS)-assessed skin carotenoids and individual plasma carotenoid concentrations. The current study expands on prior analyses to examine the cross-sectional associations between adult RS-assessed skin carotenoids and individual carotenoid species intakes and plasma concentrations, controlling for potential covariates. We hypothesized that RS-assessed skin carotenoid scores would strongly correlate with …

Fingerprints Of Injustice: The Truth Behind Artificial Intelligence And Algorithmic-Driven Evidence,, Aubrey Butler

Chapman Law Review

Artificial intelligence (AI) has steadily grown in prominence, reaching into nearly every aspect of daily life, and the legal system is not immune from its influence. As various forms of machine evidence have been admitted in court, there has been an accompanying rise in concerns from researchers, judges, and defense attorneys as to the trustworthiness and reliability of this new category of evidence.

Though AI and machine evidence takes various forms, this Note focuses on some of the most prominent programs being used in courtrooms today, namely the probabilistic genotyping software TrueAllele and the recidivism rate prediction software COMPAS. The …

Is This Cultural Property Law?: The Emerging Norm Of Voluntary Repatriations, Erin L. Thompson

Chapman Law Review

As the public’s awareness of the histories of theft and smuggling that brought many cultural artifacts from their communities of origin to American collections has grown, attitudes toward the ethics of retaining these artifacts has also shifted. This presentation will first consider challenges posed by existing legal remedies available for source countries who seek to reclaim their heritage and then discuss the emerging practice of voluntary repatriations, which occur when the current owner of an artifact returns it to a source country or community even though legal authorities would likely not compel its surrender.

A Scoping Review Of The Social Determinants Of Pediatric And Adolescent Obesity, Deepali K Ernest, Elizabeth A Onugha, Bipin Singh, Shreela V Sharma, Jayna M Dave

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Social determinants of health (SDOH) play a large role in pediatric and adolescent metabolic health worldwide.

Objective: The study is aimed at exploring key SDOH related to childhood obesity, worldwide.

Methods: Primary research articles from PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases published between 2013 and 2023, had a study population of 0-19-year-olds, and examined the association between WHO-defined SDOH and childhood obesity were included. Non-English papers and those outside WHO-defined SDOHs were excluded. Two reviewers independently performed a blinded screening of titles and abstracts, followed by a full-text assessment of selected articles.

Results: Of the 703 initial articles, 22 duplicates …

Mapping Epidermal And Dermal Cellular Senescence In Human Skin Aging, Grace T Yu, Clarisse Ganier, David B Allison, Tamara Tchkonia, Sundeep Khosla, James L Kirkland, Magnus D Lynch, Saranya P Wyles

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics enable unprecedented insight into cellular and molecular pathways implicated in human skin aging and regeneration. Senescent cells are individual cells that are irreversibly cell cycle arrested and can accumulate across the human lifespan due to cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic stressors. With an atlas of single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, epidermal and dermal senescence and its effects were investigated, with a focus on melanocytes and fibroblasts. Photoaging due to ultraviolet light exposure was associated with higher burdens of senescent cells, a sign of biological aging, compared to chronological aging. A skin-specific cellular senescence gene set, termed …

Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite And T3 Profiles Of Orphaned Elephants Differ From Non-Orphaned Elephants In Zambia, Daniella E Chusyd, Janine L Brown, Steve Paris, Nicole Boisseau, Webster Mwaanga, Moses Kasongo, Lisa Olivier, Stephanie L Dickinson, Bailey Ortyl, Tessa Steiniche, Steven N Austad, David B Allison, Michael D Wasserman

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Elephants provide valuable insight into how early-life adverse events (ELAEs) associate with animal health and welfare because they can live to advanced ages, display extensive cognitive and memory capabilities, and rely heavily on social bonds. Although it is known that African savanna elephants that experienced ELAEs, such as being orphaned due to human activities, have altered behavioral outcomes, little is known regarding the physiological consequences associated with those stressors.

Methods: We compared fecal glucocorticoid (fGCM) and thyroid (fT3) metabolites as well as body condition scores (BCS) in rescued and rehabilitated orphaned (early-dry season: n = 20; late-dry season: n …

Food-Related Behaviors Of Rural (Asaase Kooko) And Peri-Urban (Kaadjanor) Households In Ghana, Prince Kwabena Osei, Megan A Mccrory, Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Edward Sazonov, Mingui Sun, Wenyan Jia, Tom Baranowski, Gary Frost, Benny Lo, Alex Kojo Anderson

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: "Food-related behaviors" range widely and include food acquisition, storage, cooking, meal sharing, eating practices, among others. Food-related behaviors can influence nutritional status and health outcomes, and likely vary between rural and peri-urban households; however, there is limited documentation on such differences.

Objective: To assess food-related behaviors of rural and peri-urban households in Ghana to inform the design and implementation of a field study to validate passive wearable camera technologies for dietary assessment.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional qualitative study in rural (Asaase Kokoo) and peri-urban (Kaadjanor) communities, Ghana. Forty key informants (20 rural and 20 peri-urban) were interviewed about …

Regulatory B Cells, The Key Regulator To Induce Immune Tolerance In Organ Transplantation, Jinfeng Liao, Yixin Yang, Jisong Li, Zheng Liu, Siyuan Song, Yu Zeng, Yi Wang

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

In solid organ transplantation, especially renal transplantation, for the induction of immune tolerance, accumulating evidence has revealed that Regulatory B cells (Breg) play a crucial role in stimulating immune tolerance, alleviating immune responses, and improving graft survival. We describe the heterogeneous nature of Bregs, focusing on their defining surface markers and regulatory functions. Meanwhile, the major cytokine secretion function and the correlation between Breg and Treg or other immune checkpoints to balance the immune responses are addressed. Furthermore, we summarized the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways or costimulatory stimuli for the differentiation from naïve B cells. More importantly, we summarized the …

General Kernel Machine Methods For Multi-Omics Integration And Genome-Wide Association Testing With Related Individuals, Amarise Little, Ni Zhao, Anna Mikhaylova, Angela Zhang, Wodan Ling, Florian Thibord, Andrew D Johnson, Laura M Raffield, Joanne E Curran, John Blangero, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Huichun Xu, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Kenneth M Rice, Ming-Huei Chen, Alexander Reiner, Charles Kooperberg, Thao Vu, Lifang Hou, Myriam Fornage, Ruth J F Loos, Eimear Kenny, Rasika Mathias, Lewis Becker, Albert V Smith, Eric Boerwinkle, Bing Yu, Timothy Thornton, Michael C Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Integrating multi-omics data may help researchers understand the genetic underpinnings of complex traits and diseases. However, the best ways to integrate multi-omics data and use them to address pressing scientific questions remain a challenge. One important and topical problem is how to assess the aggregate effect of multiple genomic data types (e.g. genotypes and gene expression levels) on a phenotype, particularly while accommodating routine issues, such as having related subjects' data in analyses. In this paper, we extend an existing composite kernel machine regression model to integrate two multi-omics data types, while accommodating for general correlation structures amongst outcomes. Due …

The Significance Of Asthma In Dentistry, William J. Maloney

Bulletin of the Ninth District Dental Association

Dentists and members of the dental staff must be aware of the many possible medical emergencies which may arise during dental treatment. Asthma is one such condition and, as such, all dental professionals must be familiar with its triggers, recognize the signs and symptoms of an asthma attack, know what to do when an asthma attack occurs, and be familiar with strategies to mitigate the likelihood and severity of an asthma attack. Dentists must also be aware that asthmatics have an increased incidence of dental erosion, caries, periodontal disease and decreased salivary flow.

Message From The Ada President: A Year Of Building Our Cathedral - Together, Brett Kessler

Bulletin of the Ninth District Dental Association

A message from ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., reflecting on the 2025 year at the ADA.

A Dream Come True, Stuart Segelnick Dds, Ms

The New York State Dental Journal

There are many facets of a well-made journal. Producing an exceptional publication such as The NYSDJ takes a lot of time, effort and commitment by its staff: Editor Chester Gary, Managing Editor Mary Stoll, Advertising and Sponsorship Manager Jeanne DeGuire and Art Director Ed Stevens, as well as its contributors and Editorial Review Board members. Dr. Gary has done an amazing job these past eight years at the helm, writing award-winning editorials and working tirelessly to help bring ADA Commons, our indexing platform, to fruition. He has also been an inspiration and trusted advisor to me, as were past editors …

The Open Apex Challenge: A Case Series, Joseph C. Stern D.D.S.

The New York State Dental Journal

Aim: To describe different endodontic techniques for managing immature necrotic teeth. Managing immature necrotic teeth has always posed challenges because of the unpredictable nature of treating roots with wide open apices that lack an apical stop. Traditionally, treatment involved placement of long-term calcium hydroxide, which was often tedious and required multiple visits. Compliance was frequently an issue, especially since many patients in this category are children and as a result, many teeth were lost due to infection or fracture. Recently, with the introduction of more biocompatible materials, a shorter treatment approach has been advocated using calcium silicate materials, such as …

Bridging The Dental Care Gap: Addressing Oral Health Disparities In New York State Nursing Homes, Apeksha Phulgirkar B.D.S., Pgcert, M.P.H., Stacy Mcilduff Cfre

The New York State Dental Journal

Oral health is a critical component of overall wellbeing, yet disparities in access to dental care disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, particularly elderly residents in nursing homes. Poor oral hygiene is linked to systemic health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cognitive decline. Despite federal regulations mandating oral health assessments in nursing homes, many facilities lack adequate resources, and care often falls to undertrained staff. This study assesses the availability of onsite dental care services in New York State’s nursing homes and the role of mobile dental clinics in bridging the access gap, especially in rural and underserved areas. A …

Pathological Changes In Soft Tissues Associated With Radiographically Normal Impacted Teeth: A Critical Update And Meta-Analysis, Adesh S. Manchanda M.D.S., Ramandeep S. Narang M.D.S., Komaldeep Kaur Sandhu B.D.S

The New York State Dental Journal

The purpose of the study was to conduct a retrospective analysis of histopathological diagnosis of all pericoronal tissues associated with impacted teeth and to correlate it with a hypothetical classification of pericoronal follicular space to improve our clinical management of treating impacted teeth. Materials and Method. The study was carried out in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Dental Sciences, Amritsar. Data revealed that during a 12-year period, 1,268 patients reported with a pericoronal follicular space associated with the crown of an unerupted tooth, which was subsequently submitted for histopathological evaluation. Panoramic …

Naïve Bayes Based Android Adaptive User Authenticationprototype For Young Internet Of Medical Things Users, Prudence Munyaradzi Mavhemwa Mavhemwa, Marco Zennaro, Philibert Nsengiyumva, Frederic Nzanywayingoma

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The increasing use of the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) in healthcare highlights privacy and security concerns surroundingsensitive health data. This research focuses on enhancing the security and usability of IoMT for young users through arobust, adaptive continuous authentication model using physiological biometrics on Android devices and heart rate data fromsmartwatches. By integrating user behavior, environmental context, and health conditions, the model dynamically determinesrisk, trust, and authorization decisions. Machine learning techniques analyse data related to devices, networks, locations, anduser habits while considering demographics like age and medical conditions to assign suitable authenticators. The model balancesaccuracy and usability, favouring correct positive …

Cleancity Iot: A Vehicle-Mounted Platform For Real-Time Urban Air-Quality Monitoring And Forecasting In Resource-Constrained African Cities, Eric Nizeyimana, Damien Hanyurwimfura, Gabriel Uwanyirigira, Bonaventure Karikumutima, Jimmy Nsenga, Irene Niyonambaza Mihigo

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Urban air pollution is a growing public-health challenge in African cities, yet traditional monitoring stations are sparse and expensive. The paper presents CleanCity IoT, a deployed, low-cost, vehicle-mounted air-quality platform that combines IoT sensors, GSM connectivity, cloud aggregation, and machine learning to produce near-real-time exposure maps and 2- hour forecasts for multiple pollutants. Each device integrates lowcost sensors for PM2.5, PM10, NO₂, O₃, SO₂, and CO₂, alongside temperature and humidity. Measurements are geotagged and transmitted over mobile networks form vehicles to a cloud backend, where data are validated, stored, and visualized through a user-friendly dashboard that also issues automated alerts …

Modelling And Optimization Of Microgrid With Combined Genetic Algorithm And Model Predictive Control Of Pv/Wind/Fc/Battery Energy Systems, Maklewa Agoundedemba, Chang Ki Kim, Hyun-Goo Kim, Raphael Nyenge, Nicholas Musila

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Microgrid systems with hybrid renewable energy resources, such as PV, wind, have been widely used with storage devices to supply power to certain load demands. However, technical issues and fewer benefits can occur due to their intermittent nature and the high investment costs associated. So, an accurate model, sizing, and management approach are required to maximize the operational benefits of the microgrid with battery energy storage systems and fuel cells. This study used the combined genetic algorithm (GA) and model predictive control (MPC) to size and optimize the hybrid renewable energy PV/Wind/FC/Battery subject to certain constraints on the power flow …

A Machine Learning Approach To Lithology Classification In Mining Using Measurement While Drilling And Exploration Data, Gbétoglo Charles Komadja, Erik Westman, Aditya Rana, Anye Vitalis

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Accurate lithology classification is essential as variations in rock formations can significantly impact the cost and efficiency of mineral exploration and mining. Initial exploration maps provide insights into subsurface formations, though typically collected at widely spaced intervals. This study examines the use of early exploration data and Measurement While Drilling (MWD) data for lithology prediction through machine learning. The research specifically evaluates the benefit of incorporating spatial coordinates with MWD parameters to enhance classification accuracy, using support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and extra gradient boosting (XGBoost) classifiers with tenfold cross-validation. The models were trained on 235,501 data points …

Synthesizing Knowledge About Tree Diversity, Density, And Distribution In The Savanna Woodlands Of Sudan, Ahmed M.M. Hasoba, Ahmed A.H. Siddig, Kornel Czimber, Ali Omer, Nasradeen A.H. Gadallah, Mohamed M.A. Adam, Audrey Barker Plotkin

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Savanna ecosystems comprise a complex and diverse biome, marked by the balanced cohabitation of trees and shrubs alongside a rich assembly of herbaceous flora, particularly grasses. In Sudan, savanna ecosystems provide invaluable services that sustain the livelihoods of millions of people. Here, we synthesized the existing knowledge about tree density, diversity, and distribution in the savanna woodlands of Sudan to assess tree diversity, evaluate tree conservation status on the basis of tree abundance and distribution according to IUCN guidelines, and map tree diversity and density in savanna woodlands. The research process started with an extensive search for relevant literature across …

Wolbanking77: Wolof Banking Speech Intent Classification Dataset, Abdou Karim Kandji, Frédéric Precioso, Cheikh Ba, Samba Ndiaye, Augustin Ndione

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Intent classification models have made a significant progress in recent years. However, previous studies primarily focus on high-resource language datasets, which results in a gap for low-resource languages and for regions with high rates of illiteracy, where languages are more spoken than read or written. This is the case in Senegal, for example, where Wolof is spoken by around 90% of the population, while the national illiteracy rate remains at of 42%. Wolof is actually spoken by more than 10 million people in West African region. To address these limitations, we introduce the Wolof Banking Speech Intent Classification Dataset (WolBanking77), …