Digital Commons Network^™

Law's Shifting Circles, Ela A. Leshem

Faculty Scholarship

This Article undermines two myths in American legal history: first, that the law’s circle of moral concern has steadily expanded; and second, that legal protections have always centered on human persons. As to the first, the law contains multiple, shifting circles of moral concern, expanding along some dimensions and contracting along others. As to the second, U.S. law and the English common law on which it was based have long attributed moral status to nonhuman beings and inanimate objects.

The Article shows that U.S. legislators, judges, and advocates have for centuries treated a wide range of entities as deserving of …

Trump V. Cook And The American Rule Of For-Cause Removal, Jane Manners, Lev Menand

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Outside Counsel Guidelines: Power, Ideology, And The Evolution Of The Corporate Bar, Bruce A. Green, Eli Wald

Faculty Scholarship

Outside Counsel Guidelines (“OCGs”), terms of the lawyer–client relationship imposed by corporations, are a significant development in the practice of law by large corporate law firms (“BigLaw”). Among the most controversial OCGs are those that expand on law firms’ fiduciary obligations, thereby restricting their future clientele. The organized bar maintains that rules of professional conduct should restrict lawyers’ acquiescence to these OCGs because they limit clients’ access to legal services and undermine lawyers’ independence without advancing corporate clients’ legitimate interests.

This Article shows why the bar’s effort has (very recently) deservedly failed: corporate clients have a legitimate interest in demanding …

Court Review: Journal Of The American Judges Association, Vol. 62, No. 1, Eve M. Brank, David J. Dreyer, Reba Ann Page, Ana Cienfuegos-Silvera

Court Review: Journal of the American Judges Association

Contents

Creating “Buy-in” for Juvenile Restorative Justice Programs: Lessons from Nebraska’s Community Mediation Centers, Kristen M. Blankley, Lisa M. PytlikZillig, and Ashley M. Votruba

Consensus and Conflict Over Context: Select Criminal Law and Procedure Cases from the Supreme Court’s 2024-25 Term, Eve Brensike Primus and Elena Schultz

In the Shadow of Trauma: Opportunities and Obstacles of Restorative Justice with Young People Who Offend, William R. Wood

Restorative Transitional Justice: The Judicial Role in Colombia’s Peace Tribunal, Gabriel Rojas-Andrade

Editor’s Note: Restorative Justoce: Repairing Harm, Rebuilding Community, Eve Brank

Thoughts from Canada: Restorative Justice Through Prohibition on Arrest, Wayne K. Gorman …

Driving Into The Past: Road Logs And The History And Geology Of The Eastern Sierra Of California, Char Miller

Eastern Sierra History Journal

Road Logs are a pedagogical tool that geologists use on field trips with their students. Dee Trent's 1982 Road Log, which reproduced in this issue of ESHJ, also functions as a cultural artifact; it demonstrates what was known then, and how that scientific knowledge and the human geography of the region has changed over time.

D.D. Trent 1982 Natural History Of Owens Valley/Eastern Sierra: Annotations And Updates, Nicole E. Moore

Eastern Sierra History Journal

Prof. Moore offers some annotations to and updates of D.D. Trent's 1982 Road Log. These revisions are part of the evolution of scientific knowledge and the adaptation of new technologies that enable a deeper understanding of the geology of the Owens Valley and Eastern Sierra. Like Trent, Moore has routinely taken her students up US 395 to explore and assess the region's geological formations.

Chat M.D., Nathan Cortez

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Large language models (LLMs) such as Claude and ChatGPT are the most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems ever created, and they are being used to diagnose and treat patients. But LLMs have been shown to be unreliable, unpredictable, and unsafe on occasion. New AI guidelines recommend hundreds of standards, such as ‘transparency’, ‘trustworthiness’, and ‘safety’. But there is deep uncertainty whether these are sufficient. The literature focuses mostly on which standards best suit AI models, not on how to transmute standards into law. This article does that by considering AI guidelines as a starting point, then evaluating whether existing frameworks …

Higher-Level Questioning In Elementary English Language Arts, Charity Zawatski

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory case study addressed the difficulty with higher-level metacognition and questioning in a primary level elementary English Language Arts. This case study was determined as a need based on underperforming scores from the state assessment in ELA.

The research method look at the social phenomenon through inquiry around the rigor in higher-level questioning and the use of hand signals to support connections in learning. The researcher applied a semi-structured interview, an observation checklist, and a random sample of student artifacts as instruments for data collection. The researcher analyzed teachers’ lesson plans for a unit, observed a virtual classroom lesson …

Using Sports Performance Assessment Technologies To Help Narrow Achievement Gaps Of Black Male Adolescent With Other Racial Groups, Patavious R. Sorrell

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory qualitative collective case study explored how sports performance assessment technologies (SPATs) may support the development of self‑regulatory and motivational processes associated with self‑efficacy among Black male adolescent student‑athletes. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model, the study examined the perceptions of eight coach‑teachers in the Southeastern United States who integrated video analysis, data analytics, goal‑setting and tracking applications, wearable devices and gaming platforms, and reflective communication tools into their coaching practices.

Data were analyzed thematically, revealing three major themes: self‑regulation, self‑mastery assessment, and academic transfer. Findings indicated that SPATs were most effective when used as …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Decline In Reading Scores Among Fourth- And Fifth-Grade Students, Brigetta Foules-Sims

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the factors contributing to the decline in reading achievement among fourth- and fifth-grade students in a rural elementary school in a southern state. The study explored teachers’ perceptions of the causes of declining reading performance, the instructional challenges they encounter when addressing reading difficulties, and the resources and supports they believe are necessary to improve student outcomes.

Data were collected through semi structured interviews with eight certified fourth- and fifth-grade teachers. Five themes emerged from the data: (a) increasing academic demands reveal foundational reading gaps, (b) …

Preserving Progress: Why The Dd Network Matters Now More Than Ever, Matt Wappett

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Acknowledgements And Editorial Staff, Mary Ellen Heiner

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Differentiating Tier 1 Reading Instruction Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Support Framework, Ivonne Ciresi

Theses and Dissertations

This generic qualitative dissertation explored elementary teachers’ perceptions and experiences of implementing Tier 1 differentiated reading instruction within a Multi- Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. Establishing effective systems and supports for comprehensive reading instruction in the Tier 1 classroom is a critical component of MTSS. Given the range of structures required, including instructional routines, resources, and ongoing professional development, it is important to understand how teachers navigate the challenges of differentiating reading instruction. The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers implement differentiation during core reading instruction, the challenges they encounter, and the role of professional learning …

Employee Perceptions On The Role Of Job Demands And Burnout On Employee Engagement In Nonprofit Sector: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Tania P. Sierra

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to explore how nonprofit employees perceive the role of job demands and burnout in shaping employee engagement. The study focused on nonprofit organizations in Southern Arizona and used a qualitative descriptive methodology to center employee voice and provide context-rich insights into workplace well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants representing diverse roles and career stages. The study aimed to inform nonprofit leaders and stakeholders about the relational and structural conditions that influence engagement, resilience, and emotional labor in mission-driven environments.

Thematic analysis revealed six interrelated themes, including role multiplicity, time pressure, emotional labor, and …

The Investigating Factors Affecting Teacher Retention In Rural Areas, Lajada Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the factors influencing teacher retention in Mississippi's rural communities. The purpose of this study was to identify the specific variables that contribute to teacher retention in rural areas within Mississippi and to investigate strategies for improving teacher recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction. A mixed-methods research design was utilized, which included quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with teachers, administrators, and education stakeholders in rural Mississippi.

By conducting a mixed-methods research design incorporating quantitative and qualitative interviews, the study sought to collect comprehensive data from teachers, administrators, and education stakeholders in rural Mississippi. The study explored key factors such …

The Lived Experiences Of Hispanic Women In The Workforce: The Journey To Leadership And Leadership Styles, Ileana Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Hispanic women in leadership positions within the United States workforce. Grounded in Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the study examined how Hispanic women interpreted the challenges and opportunities associated with their intersecting identities as both Hispanic and female leaders. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight Hispanic women currently serving in leadership roles across diverse industries.

Findings revealed that participants encountered persistent systemic barriers, including underrepresentation, intersectional discrimination, limited access to mentorship and leadership networks, and pressures to conform to dominant workplace norms through code-switching. These challenges were cumulative and embedded within …

Impact Of Single-Gender Education On Academic Performance, Stacey Wilcher

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the performance of middle school students Grades 6–8 in single-gender versus coeducational schools in a large urban district in the southeastern United States. It evaluates whether single-gender education leads to better academic outcomes and higher engagement, offering important insights for educational leaders and policymakers.

The study utilized Social Cognitive Theory and gender segregation theory through a mixed-methods approach, collecting quantitative data from standardized assessments (2021-2025) like the GMAS and MAP. Statistical analyses, including t-tests and ANOVA, were used to assess academic performance. Qualitative data from interviews and focus groups explored classroom engagement and teaching practices.

Participants included …

Educación Financiera Y Adquisición De Vivienda En Adultos Mayores: Desafíos Y Estrategias En El Condado De Dade, Florida, José Rafael Torres Arocha

Theses and Dissertations

Esta disertación examinó la influencia de la educación financiera y legal en la adquisición y mantenimiento de vivienda en adultos mayores de 55 años en el Condado de Dade, Florida. El estudio surgió ante el incremento sostenido de los costos de vivienda, la limitada asequibilidad habitacional y la persistente brecha de conocimiento financiero y legal que afecta a esta población, condicionando su capacidad para tomar decisiones informadas.

Se adoptó un enfoque cualitativo mediante un estudio de caso instrumental, que permitió comprender en profundidad las experiencias vividas de cinco participantes que habían atravesado recientemente procesos de adquisición de vivienda. La recolección …

Teacher Perceptions Of Social-Emotional And Behavioral Factors That Impede Preschool Adjustment, Allease J. Glamore

Theses and Dissertations

Children with behavioral and social-emotional challenges struggle to adjust to the preschool environment which places increased demands on preschool teachers to implement effective strategies. The purpose of the study was to assess teachers’ perceptions regarding social-emotional and behavioral factors implicated for successful preschool adjustment. The theoretical framework guiding this study is grounded in the integration of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, social-emotional learning theory, and behavior theory. A case study design was used to examine the perceptions and use of social-emotional and behavior interventions and supports by four early childhood teachers across two programs.

Data were collected using qualitative in-depth one-on-one …

Mixed-Methods Study Of High School Teachers’ Perceived Training, Self-Efficacy, And Assessment Competencies In Online Courses, Chantell Radford

Theses and Dissertations

The problem in this study was that, in a large urban school district in South Florida, the online high school teachers’ training, self-efficacy, and assessment competencies in courses required enhancement. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of high school teachers on their training, self-efficacy, and assessment competency in online courses.

Twenty high school online teachers participated in the study. Recruitment occurred through a link posted on Facebook and LinkedIn. The design (sequential explanatory mixed-methods design) aligned with the five research questions. Two instruments (survey and questionnaire) were used to collect data. Quantitative data analyis occurred with …

Report 17—Revisions To The Articles Of Organization And Procedure Of The Commission On Stratigraphic Nomenclature Of The Americas, Lynn T. Dafoe, Robert B. Macnaughton, Marie-Perre Aubry, Carlton E. Brett, James R. Lehane, Fernando Núñez-Useche, Randall C. Orndorff, Frank Brunton, Lucy E. Edwards, Richard H. Fluegeman, Howard Harper, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Norman P. Lasca, B. H. Tew

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

Several revisions to the Articles of Organization and Procedure for the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature have been adopted following the 75th, 79th, and 80th annual meetings of the Commission in 2020, 2024 and 2025, respectively. Of these, the most substantial change was revision of Article III regarding membership composition of the Commission and the addition of new member organizations from Central and South America and the Caribbean region. As a result, the Commission also voted to change its name to be more inclusive of the expanding membership, with approval of the name: Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature of the …

Inverse Problem In The Large Momentum Effective Theory Framework, Herve Dutrieux, Joe Karpie, Christopher J. Monahan, Kostas Orginos, Anatoly Radyushkin, David Richards, Savvas Zafeiropoulos

Physics Faculty Publications

One proposal to compute parton distributions from first principles is the large momentum effective theory (LaMET), which requires the Fourier transform of matrix elements computed nonperturbatively. Lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) provides calculations of these matrix elements over a finite range of Fourier harmonics that are often noisy or unreliable in the largest computed harmonics. It has been suggested that enforcing an exponential decay of the missing harmonics helps alleviate this issue. Using nonperturbative data, we show that the uncertainty introduced by this inverse problem in a realistic setup remains significant without very restrictive assumptions, and that the importance of the …

Reaching The Intrinsic Performance Limits Of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors Up To 0.1 Mm Wide, Kristen M. Parzuchowski, Eli Mueller, Bakhrom G. Oripov, Benedikt Hampel, Ravin A. Chowdhury, Sahil R. Patel, Daniel Kuznesof, Emma K. Batson, Ryan Morgenstern, Robert H. Hadfield, Varun B. Verma, Matthew D. Shaw, Jason P. Allmaras, Martina J. Stevens, Alex Gurevich, Adam N. Mccaughan

Physics Faculty Publications

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors combine high detection efficiency, low noise, and excellent timing resolution, making them a leading platform for photon-counting applications. However, despite decades of materials and fabrication research, detector performance has never been shown to match theoretical performance expectations. Here, we demonstrate in situ tuning of a detector from its typical, suboptimal operation, to a regime limited only by material quality, allowing the device to reach its intrinsic performance limit. Our approach is based on current-biased superconducting “rails” placed on either side of the detector that redistribute current across its width to achieve peak performance. This technique reduces …

Real-Time Neck Posture Classification Using A Lightweight Wearable Imu Pendant, Muntaser Syed, Alfred Sjöqvist, Noah Sedlik, Tsing Liu

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Student Publications

Poor neck posture during prolonged device use contributes to musculoskeletal disorders affecting millions worldwide. Existing posture monitoring solutions rely on camera-based systems or complex multi-sensor arrays, limiting their practicality for continuous daily use. We present a lightweight, chest-worn pendant using a single 6-axis IMU (accelerometer and gyroscope) for real-time classification of seven neck posture states: neutral, mild flexion, moderate flexion, severe flexion, extension, lateral tilt, and lying. Our approach employs an ensemble architecture combining bidirectional LSTM, Transformer encoder, and 1D-CNN models with learnable fusion weights. To address limited training data, we apply aggressive data augmentation (30x multiplication) including noise injection, …

Dystop: Dynamic Staleness Control And Topology Construction For Asynchronous Decentralized Federated Learning, Yizhou Shi, Qianpiao Ma, Yan Xu, Junlong Zhou, Ming Hu, Yunming Liao

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Federated Learning (FL) has emerged as a potential distributed learning paradigm that enables model training on edge devices (i.e., workers) while preserving data privacy. However, its reliance on a centralized server leads to limited scalability. Decentralized federated learning (DFL) eliminates the dependency on a centralized server by enabling peer-to-peer model exchange. Existing DFL mechanisms mainly employ synchronous communication, which may result in training inefficiencies under heterogeneous and dynamic edge environments. Although a few recent asynchronous DFL (ADFL) mechanisms have been proposed to address these issues, they typically yield stale model aggregation and frequent model transmission, leading to degraded training performance …

Purified Zero-Shot Sketch-Based Image Retrieval, Yang Zhou, Jingru Yang, Jin Wang, Kaixiang Huang, Guodong Lu, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Sketches, as a new solution in multimedia systems that can replace natural language, are characterized by sparse visual cues such as simple strokes that differ significantly from natural images containing complex elements such as background, foreground, and texture. This misalignment poses substantial challenges for zero-shot sketch-based image retrieval (ZS-SBIR). Prior approaches match sketches to full images and tend to overlook redundant elements in natural images, leading to model distraction and semantic ambiguity. To address this issue, we introduce a distraction-agnostic framework, purified cross-domain matching (PuXIM), which operates on a straightforward principle: masking and matching. We devise a visual-cross-linguistic (VxL) sampler …

“Well Done, My Good And Faithful Servant”: Ai-Generated Religious Imagery, White Evangelical U.S. American Christian Nationalism, And Political Martyrdom, Miriam Wolff

Faculty Publications - Communications

Following the 2025 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, social media platforms became saturated with AI-generated religious imagery framing him as a Christian martyr. This article examines how generative AI intensifies the production of sacred political meaning within white evangelical U.S. American Christian nationalist discourse. Focusing on Senator Ted Cruz's X post depicting Jesus embracing Kirk alongside the caption “Well done, My good and faithful servant,” this study employs rhetorical-iconographic analysis informed by visual rhetoric, iconography, and political theology. The analysis demonstrates how the post mobilizes familiar Christian visual conventions, scriptural language, and algorithmic circulation to frame Kirk's death as …

Higher Order Affordances For Serve Reception In Volleyball, Danilo G. Arruda, Bethany Freeman, Jeffrey B. Wagman, Thomas A. Stoffregen

Faculty Publications – Psychology

Using a head-mounted virtual reality system, we investigated the ability of skilled volleyball players to perceive virtual volleyball serves, and to use such information to control their actions in receiving serves. We compared shorter and taller groups of competitive players, and we varied the height of incoming serves. In two experiments, we found that, with very rare exceptions, participants used either an overhead or underhand technique to receive serves. Technique selection was reliably related to serve height, such that the overhead technique was used for higher serves and the underhand technique for lower serves. In Experiment 1, participants were free …

Hybridization Of Genetic Algorithm, Principal Component Analysis And Deep-Learning For Networks Intrusion Detection Systems, Mostafa A. R. Eltokhy, Hend M. A. Mahmoud, Mohammad Sammany

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

With cyber-attacks on the rise, the demand for precise and efficient Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) is more critical than ever. Traditional machine learning methods struggle with high false alarm and poor detection rates. IDS are crucial for creating secure digital environments by classifying and responding to network intrusions. However, the large volume of inputs for classification often leads to reduced accuracy and misclassification errors. To address this problem, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to optimize the number of classifier inputs, enhancing simplicity without compromising accuracy. A significant challenge in PCA for feature selection lies in determining the best cutoff …

Prediction Of Phytocompounds For Environmental Sustainability: A Framework Using Computational Tools, Ankita Halder, Sayoni Dam, Sisir Nandi, Asmita Samadder

Trends in advanced sciences and technology

In response to the abruptly elevated environmental impact caused by the usage of chemical-based synthetic compounds in agricultural fields and pharmaceutical pollution, phytocompound-based products have become the choice of use for their ability to foster environmental sustainability. The potential of new phyto-based compounds has been explored in agriculture, phytoremediation, etc. Computer-based in silico prediction through ADMETlab 2.0, SwissADME, and Way2Drug software secured an important role in screening of these phyto-based compounds in terms of lethal concentration (LC₅₀FM, LC₅₀DM), Bioconcentration Factors, IGC50, and role in the TOX21 pathway ahead of their environmental exposure. These aforementioned softwares also …