Digital Commons Network^™

Tympanostomy Tube Efficiency Study, Reem Ghumrawi, Kristi Weir

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The ventilation of the middle ear, crucial for maintaining optimal ear health, is often impeded by factors such as swelling, inflammation, and mucus in the eustachian tubes, particularly during upper respiratory infections or allergies. This issue, prevalent in children due to their narrow and horizontal eustachian tubes, prompts the insertion of tympanostomy tubes by ENT surgeons to establish an alternative airway for pressure equalization and fluid drainage. Despite the common belief in the effectiveness of these tubes, there is a notable dearth of research validating their optimal functionality. This study aims to address this gap by systematically comparing the efficiency …

Smart Longboard, Ben Rath

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed design project includes a motorized longboard, equipped with a wireless handheld remote to manage the speed of the board. An embedded system mounted underneath the board will gather data from an accelerometer and a GPS sensor. This information is sent through a Bluetooth connection to a compatible smartphone application where it will be displayed. The project also includes a custom battery and charging circuit for the board to ensure that all of the engineering requirements are met. The board will be easy to use and the smartphone application will be able to display ride statistics of the user …

Historicizing Same-Sex Marriage Debate In The Legal Periphery: Savigny, Nakagawa, And The Korean Marriage, Rama Hyeweon Kim

Minnesota Journal of International Law, Vols. 28:2 onward (2019-present)

Global advocates for incorporating same-sex marriage into local family laws often argue for it using universal language of rights and nondiscrimination. They also contrast progressive countries with those that are behind in this respect. This Article resists a thin comparison driven by a universalist impulse and instead engages in an exploration of “local” family law in South Korea. Using the recent Supreme Court decision that extended spousal coverage of national health insurance to same-sex couples as an entry point, this Article offers brief histories of two distinct legal ideas and developments within Korean family law, both involving a deep and …

Shalom: Health, Healing, And Wholeness In Biblical Perspective, Boubakar Sanou

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

Health, healing, and wholeness occupy a central place within the biblical narrative, embodying God’s intent for the flourishing of the entirety of his creation. Grounded in the concept of shalom, Scripture articulates a holistic understanding of wellbeing that encompasses spiritual, physical, emotional, moral, and relational dimensions. These dimensions are interconnected, each influencing and shaping the others. In the context of an increasingly fragmented world, the biblical concept of shalom offers a firm framework for addressing the multifaceted challenges of health, healing, and wholeness. By embracing the holistic vision of health, healing, and wholeness, Christians are called to participate in God’s …

Ecclesiological Meaning In Jesus’ Sabbath Healings, Sven Östring

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ was the full incarnation of his divine identity and mission. However, certain events and situations became windows that allowed his relationship with his Father and his divine mission to be revealed with clarity to those around him. In particular, Jesus saw in the Sabbath a unique and regular opportunity to reveal both his identity and his mission. Likewise, his opponents understood, with almost surprising accuracy and clarity, what he was communicating about himself from his religiously non-conforming actions on Sabbath. However, this was not just a minor ethical scuffle between a well-studied …

The Healing Power Of Forgiveness, Susan Payne

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

“I can never forgive him!” Angry tears rolled down her face as she spat out the words. “He lied about me in court, turned my children against me, and refuses to protect them from physical and sexual abuse! How can I forget these terrible things and excuse his behavior?” I listened as she vented her anger and frustration. Then, after the emotion was spent, I asked if I could share what I have learned about forgiveness, what it is and what it isn’t. Eventually through many tears and prayers, this woman was set free from the bitterness of her situation. …

Is There A Future For The Missiological Study Of Worldview? Part 2, Paulo C. Oliveira

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

In Part 1 of this article, I revisited the foundational intellectual roots of the missiological worldview construct, described the concept, and presented an argument advocating for additional critical engagement in mission circles. In Part 2, the focus will be on probing the anthropological shift moving away from worldview studies, exploring some implications of this shift for missiology, and, finally, addressing—more directly—the question of the future of missiological worldview studies.

Biblical And Theological Principles For A Chaplaincy Ministry, Shelby Davidson

Journal of Adventist Mission Studies

The term chaplaincy does not directly appear in the Bible. However, the principles of chaplaincy are very much present in the Scriptures. Jesus, the greatest chaplain, was present in the Garden of Eden. Later, he incarnated as a human to this fallen world to be with humanity, to go through what human beings go through. A chaplain primarily is present with the people; therefore, a ministry of presence, empathy, giving wise counsel, and many other qualities describe what a chaplain is. This article looks at biblical and theological principles to guide a chaplaincy ministry from Scripture as well as from …

Gender Differences In Achievement, Behavior, And Stem Interest Among Learners Using Minecraft, Maricel A. Esclamado, Ma. Mercedes T. Rodrigo

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we analyze how male and female learners differ in their in-game behaviors, knowledge assessment outcomes, and STEM interest using the What-If Hypothetical Implementations using Minecraft (WHIMC). We also investigate how male and female learners’ self-reported levels of frustration and boredom relate to these outcomes. We examine in-game data, out-of-game assessment data, self-reported frustration and boredom, and results of the STEM interest questionnaire (SIQ) from 175 Grade 8 learners from a school in the Philippines. We found that male learners tend to explore more than female learners. Both genders learn more through more exploration, making more observations, and …

Predicting Graduate University Admission In Azerbaijan Using Multiple Regression, Günel Alasgarova

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Each year, Azerbaijani universities strive to attract the best candidates for graduate degrees within the academic hierarchy. Since 2005, one-third of undergraduates have been applying for master’s programs. The admission decisions primarily depend on the State Examination Center exam scores. This quantitative research mainly discusses the predictors of graduate university admission based on numerous factors using multiple linear regression. This study statistically measured four independent variables to predict university graduate admission scores in 2021 (GAS21). Significant differences were found between the average graduate admission scores of 2021 and those of 2020 (GAS20) and the percentage of students who scored >86%. …

A New Day For Environmental Justice At The U.S. Epa, Clifford J. Villa

University of Memphis Law Review

No abstract provided.

Essentially Expendable: The Failure Of Preemptive Agency Space To Protect Farmworkers From Dangerous Pesticides, Laurie Jamile Beyranevand

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Residents Welcome: Marijuana Regulation And The Dormant Commerce Clause, Kennedy Dickson

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Regulating Entities, Not Activities: Reforming The Environmental Permit Raj, Andrew P. Morriss, Roger E. Meiners

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Trap For Local Governments: Legislative Exactions After Sheetz V. County Of El Dorado, Andrew Klemm

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Empirical Study Of The Relationship Between Automation And Aircrew Accident Performance In High Performance Aircraft Operating In The U.S. Naval Shipboard, Richard Matthew Gensley

Dissertations

The research described in this dissertation was an empirical study of cockpit automation and aircrew accident performance in high performance aircraft. The data set consisted of 3,249 accident records released by the U.S. Naval Safety Center and publicly available information for high performance aircraft based aboard U.S. aircraft carriers between the years of 1980 and 2013. Five conclusions resulted from this study. The first result was a demonstration that through statistical analysis, it is possible to assess if different aircraft over a prolonged period of time have been exposed to a common operating environment. The second result was that while …

Exploring The Impact Of Ionizing Radiation On Security And Reliability In Modern Semiconductor Memories, Umeshwarnath Surendranathan

Dissertations

Radiation effects in semiconductor devices have gained great traction in recent years due to an exponential growth in space exploration. The harsh conditions of space, devoid of the atmosphere and Earth's magnetic field, pose considerable challenges to electronic systems due to ionizing radiation exposure. While radiation-hardened (rad-hard) components are continually under development, they often lag several technology generations compared to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts. Notably, rad-hard memories, particularly in terms of capacity (megabytes vs. terabytes) and cost, fall short compared to regular COTS memories. This underscores the compelling need to evaluate the radiation tolerance of COTS memories. This dissertation focuses …

A Large-Sample X-Ray Absorption Line Analysis In Search Of The Missing Baryons In The Hot Whim, David Spence

Dissertations

A well known problem in astrophysics that has seen a significant amount of investigation in recent years is the ”missing baryons problem”, in which up to 40% of baryons have been reported missing at low redshifts [62]. Predictions show that these remaining baryons are likely residing within the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM). The process of finding these baryons involves searching for absorption line systems in the WHIM, and using column densities of those absorbing ions to calculate the cosmological density of the medium. Several wide scale FUV studies (e.g. [21]) have been completed to work towards solving this problem, but …

Adaptive Discrete Time Sliding Mode Control For N-Th Order Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles With Unknown Parameters, Joshua Hill

Dissertations

Small aerial systems, such as nature-inspired flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FWMAV), operate in uncertain and dynamic environments that are subject to unknown disturbances, e.g., wind gusts. With the proliferation of inexpensive system components, extensive research has been dedicated to improving the operation of these FWMAVS, both in civilian and military applications. Given dynamic environments and variations in individual components, sliding mode control has become an increasingly applied control method for FWMAV. Its robustness proves invaluable to ensure stability in the presence of uncertain system parameters and environmental disturbances. This dissertation presents three discrete-time sliding mode control (DSMC) methods and applies …

When Justice Destroys Cement Monsters, Abigail Fleming, Photini Kamvisseli Suarez

University of Memphis Law Review

Dusty, toxic “cement monsters”⎯cement plants⎯have plagued Black communities in the United States for decades. Spewing air pollutants while contributing to greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions, cement plants cause detrimental long-term health and environmental effects, making it impossible for Black communities to breathe. In the face of the global climate crisis, Black communities are demanding a radical shift. This Article explores the impacts of cement production on Black communities, barriers to change, and potential avenues for change. First, it provides an overview of the process of cement production in cement plants, highlighting how pollution is produced and the specific pollutants of concern. …

Tools Do Not Create: Human Authorship In The Use Of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Michael D. Murray

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

Artistic tools, from brushes to complex algorithms, don’t create art; human artists do. The advent of generative AI tools like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion has blurred this understanding, causing observers to believe these tools are the authors of the artworks they produce, even so far as to imagine that the artworks are “created” by the AI in the copyright sense of the word. Not so.

The U.S. Copyright Office recently issued guidance on the copyrightability of works produced using generative AI tools. The Office has accepted the narrative that AI tools perform the steps of authorship, conceiving of the …

Immunological And Molecular Investigation Of Non-Helicobacter Pylori Gastritis Within Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Zahraa Maad Abdul-Sahib, Najah Ali Mohammad, Abdul Razzaq Nema

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Medical Sciences

Gastritis is one of the most common diseases in the digestive system, especially in patients with low immunity, including diabetic mellitus. Diabetic Mellitus considered one of an endocrine gland disease characterized by elevated blood sugar because of a defect in the regulation of sugar in the body. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between Non-Helicobacter pylori gastritis with type 2 diabetic mellitus (N-Hp G.T2DM), by interleukin IL-10 and IL-18. This study included 37(41.1%) N-Hp G.T2DM, 23 (25.6%) gastritis (G) only and 30 (33.3%) healthy participants. Biomarkers for T2DM and G (FBS, …

Big Tech Becomes Psychic: The End Of Personal Autonomy, Zachary Williams

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

Individual choice is being threatened. Private companies already held the ability to nudge consumer choices with targeted advertising. Now, with the rise in data collection and the innovation of technology and machine learning, companies are beginning to garner the ability to entirely manipulate them. Major companies can create a psychographic profile of any user using copious amounts of data collected and stored in what is essentially a library of information on each user. With access to personal or sensitive data from multiple digital markets, the profile could not only correctly identify not only a user’s likes and dislikes, but even …

Artificial Intelligence In The Courtroom: Forensic Machines, Expert Witnesses, And The Confrontation Clause, Ian Maddox

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

From traditional methods like ballistics and fingerprinting, to the probabilistic genotyping models of the twenty-first century, the forensic laboratory has evolved into a cutting-edge area of scientific exploration. This rapid growth in forensic technologies will not stop here. Considering recent developments in artificial intelligence (“AI”), future forensic tools will likely become increasingly sophisticated. To be sure, AI-enabled forensic tools are far from theoretical; AI applications in the forensic sciences have already emerged in practice. Machine learning-enabled acoustic gunshot detectors, facial recognition software, and a variety of pattern recognition learning models are already disrupting law enforcement operations across the country. Soon, …

Legal Implications Of Remote Exam Proctoring: Extending Federal Law To Protect Student Privacy, Addie Griffey

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Do Students Leave Their Constitutional Rights At The (Charter) Schoolhouse Gates?: Charter Schools’ Collision Course With A Restrictive State Action Doctrine, Michael O’Donnell

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

The New Nepa? – A Case Study In Congressional Frustration, Victor Flatt

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cracking Causation: The Need For A Workable Link Between The Anti-Kickback Statute And False Claims Act, Andrew Mcgirty

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Reconciling With The State: A Narrative Inquiry Into The Perspectives Of Reconciliation Of Wrongfully Convicted Persons In Southern Nigeria, Chinyere Erica Chisom

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Wrongfully convicted persons in Nigeria experience numerous harms and losses from their wrongful convictions and face various challenges after their exoneration and release from prison. These adverse effects occur on multiple levels of the wrongfully convicted persons’ relationships and impact these relationships in profound ways. Although legal remedies exist to deal with the aftermath of wrongful convictions in Nigeria, they are grossly inadequate. Reconciliation, an innovative, holistic, and restorative measure, is required to address the impact of these devastating experiences and repair the affected relationships. Grounded in the social contract, human needs, and restorative justice theories, this study employed a …

Effects Of Mindfulness Training On Prosocial Responses In Intergroup Relations: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial, Denise Yiran Zheng

Theses and Dissertations

Based on social identity theory and intergroup emotions theory, individuals feel for and act toward others based on their group-based social identities. Recent research shows that mindfulness can enhance prosocial responses toward others across group divides. The current research examined the effects of mindfulness training on prosocial behavior in intergroup relations where such behavior is difficult (e.g., with marginalized or devalued social groups). The study also examined potential mechanisms, namely state empathic concern and appraisal, that may explain how mindfulness increases prosocial behavior toward outgroups. This study compared the effects of a 2-week mindfulness training to a matched coping training …