Digital Commons Network^™

First Amendment Defenses To Alien Transportation Crimes, Charquia Wright

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Florida law now prohibits the transportation of undocumented aliens into the state. Briefings characterize these laws as unconstitutionally preempting federal immigration law and federal due process rights. Despite this emphasis on due process, field, and conflict preemption unconstitutionality, few have addressed the First Amendment implications of human smuggling prosecutions of natural and some corporate persons. The Supreme Court’s Free Exercise precedent protects the religious freedoms of natural persons and some corporations. Under state alien transportation laws, these freedoms cease to exist. Because the Supreme Court has extended these religious protections to some corporations, they too are entitled to First Amendment …

Democratic Vibes, Jonathan Gingerich

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Who should decide who gets to say what on online social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube? American legal scholars have often thought that the private owners of these platforms should decide, in part because such an arrangement is thought to serve valuable free speech interests. This standard view has come under pressure with the enactment of statutes like Texas House Bill 20, which forbids certain platforms from “censoring” user content based on viewpoint. Such efforts to regulate the speech policies of online platforms have been challenged for undermining the editorial speech rights of these platforms and allowing the …

No Need To Wait: Congress Has The Power Under Section Five Of The Fourteenth Amendment To Abolish The Death Penalty In The States, Eric M. Freedman

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Reformers currently proposing the abolition of capital punishment by federal legislation have only targeted the federal death penalty. They are aiming too low. Concerns about the roughly 50 prisoners facing execution by the federal government should not cause advocates to ignore the approximately 2,400 on the combined Death Rows of the states. Congress has the authority to abolish the death penalty in the states, and good reason to exercise it.

This Article takes as a given the Supreme Court’s view that the death penalty is not itself unconstitutional.

But under existing law Congress would have no difficulty in compiling a …

Convening For (Climate) Change: The Constitutional Case For A U.S. Climate Assembly, Will Mccabe

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

This Note argues that a national U.S. Citizens’ Assembly for Climate would not violate the non-delegation doctrine which prevents Congress from improperly delegating its constitutional legislative power to another body. A climate assembly could potentially be authorized in several ways; this Note explores that of Congress convening a climate assembly through statute, either as an independent body or as a body under the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency. Part I examines the current state of American climate policy and the political debate surrounding it, putting forward a case for a novel approach, and also examines the concept of climate …

Immoderate Moderation: Chief Justice Roberts's Concurrence In Dobbs, Thomas J. Molony

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

Chief Justice John Roberts attempted to chart a middle way in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. But there are times when you must choose a side. This was one of them.

The Chief Justice has been a consistent proponent of judicial restraint since he joined the United States Supreme Court in 2005. For him, one of the key characteristics of restraint is deciding no more than necessary to resolve a case. In Dobbs, he insisted that the Court did not need to overrule Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in full to uphold Mississippi’s fifteen-week …

Federalism, Rebellion, And The Rule Of Law In Northern Syria And Western Kurdistan: Constitutions Against The Nation-State, Robert Woehrle

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

This Note will be examining the way in which this social contract, the “Social Contract of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria,” and the social order it proposes, “Democratic Confederalism,” represents a significant departure from the constitutional order of ethnic nation-states that arose in the postcolonial, and particularly the post-Ottoman, Middle East.

[...]

This Note then contrasts the “Social Contract of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria” with the Syrian constitutions, first the 1973 Constitution that had been in effect until the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, followed by a brief look at the changes represented by the 2012 …

Immersion Tour For Local Native Alaska Students, Kyle Dennis Vanasse

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Recent initiatives by the Department of Defense directed greater outreach to local Native Alaska students due to lack of representation. To bridge this gap, the "Immersion Tour for Local Native Alaska Students" is an impactful initiative aimed at providing a unique educational experience to underserved students residing in remote areas of Alaska. This project serves as a vital component of Air Force outreach, fostering connections with local communities and inspiring the next generation of leaders. The primary objective of this project is to expose students from remote Alaskan villages, often referred to as "the bush," to opportunities and career paths …

Comparative Research Of Rural Drinking Water Supply In Mongolia And Alaska, Batsuren Ganbat

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

This comparative research project on rural drinking water supply in Mongolia and Alaska aimed to understand the challenges, dynamics, and best practices surrounding water access and utilities in rural communities within these regions. Through meticulous planning and execution, three cities in Mongolia and three cities in Alaska were selected as primary areas of study to capture the nuances and variations inherent in water supply dynamics across diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts. The objectives included investigating rural water supply systems, developing evidence-based recommendations, and fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. A comprehensive literature review provided insights into existing scholarly works relevant to …

Perceived Barriers And Facilitators To Food Security In Ketchikan Alaska, Jessi Teune

Student Projects for Graduate Degrees

Ketchikan, Alaska is Alaska's First City and is famously known as the Salmon Capital of the world. Ketchikan is Lingít Aaní, the ancestral land of the Taantʼá Ḵwáan and Saanya Ḵwáan people of Revillagigedo Island.1 Ketchikan Gateway Borough is home to 13,754 residents.2 Being located on an island presents unique challenges to the residents regarding food security. Food that is not harvested or grown locally is shipped via barge from Seattle, WA. Limited published research exists regarding food security in Alaska, and primary research on food security in Ketchikan is nonexistent. The goal of this study is to analyze food …

Characterization Of Platinum On Carbon Nanoparticles Selectively Coated With Titanium Nitride (Tin), Matthew Maramo

Honors Scholar Theses

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are a promising low-carbon technology that still face problems including low durability during their normal operation cycles. At the cathode, the carbon supports of the catalysts may corrode. Atomic layer deposition of titanium nitride is performed on prepared catalyst layer samples. The purpose of the deposition is to create a thin film over the carbon supports to reduce carbon support corrosion and improve the lifespan of the fuel cell. Sheet resistances and contact angles are measured for the samples before and after the deposition, although some samples did not receive the deposition and post-deposition characterization …

Cpeb3 Maintains Developmental Competence Of The Oocyte, Lucie Lamacova, Denisa Jansova, Zongliang Jiang, Michal Dvoran, Daria Aleshkina, Rajan Iyyappan, Anna Jindrova, Heng Yu Fan, Yuxuan Jiao, Andrej Susor

Faculty Publications

Mammalian oocyte development depends on the temporally controlled translation of maternal transcripts, particularly in the coordination of meiotic and early embryonic development when transcription has ceased. The translation of mRNA is regulated by various RNA-binding proteins. We show that the absence of cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein 3 (CPEB3) negatively affects female reproductive fitness. CPEB3-depleted oocytes undergo meiosis normally but experience early embryonic arrest due to a disrupted transcriptome, leading to aberrant protein expression and the subsequent failure of embryonic transcription initiation. We found that CPEB3 stabilizes a subset of mRNAs with a significantly longer 3’UTR that is enriched in its …

Editorial Introduction: Exploring The Frontier Of Policy Theory Research, Geoboo Song, Melissa K. Merry, Saba Siddiki, Gwen Arnold, Aaron Smith-Walter, Holly L. Peterson, Creed Tumlison, Heasun Choi, Briana Huett, Davor Mondom, Christopher Giller, Meerim Seiitova

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Age And Gender On Perceptions On Victims Of Financial Exploitation, Kathleen Hillman

Honors Theses

A report by the Center for Victim Research shows that younger adults are more often victims of general and identity fraud (Irvin-Erickson & Ricks, 2019, p. 9); however, research conducted on financial exploitation focuses heavily on older adults. However, a recent study by Gunderson and colleagues (2021) found that older and younger adults are highly susceptible to financial exploitation. The purpose of the current study is to determine if perceptions of vulnerability to financial exploitation vary by the age of the victim. A sample of undergraduate participants will be recruited from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga through an online …

Implications Of Learning Styles As A Tool On Universal Course Design, Laura Sacchetti

Instructional Design Publications

Creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment for all learners helps ensure the educational benefits can be enjoyed by the largest population possible. The theory of learning styles was developed as a response to the belief that learners respond better to educational stimulus that serves to their unique strengths. Learning styles cater to the strengths of each learner, whereas Universal Course Design accommodates all learners' needs. When used together, this symbiotic relationship can benefit learners in several ways. The implications of learning styles on Universal Course Design should be investigated to best determine its validity and usefulness in the classroom.

Transcendence In Kierkegaard And Barth, Andrew Myrick

Honors Theses

This paper examines the theological intersections and divergences between Karl Barth and Søren Kierkegaard, focusing on their conceptualizations of God's transcendence. Barth, influential in the twentieth century, viewed divine knowledge as accessible only through Jesus Christ's revelation, critiquing any historical or metaphysical bases for such knowledge. He was significantly influenced by Kierkegaard, who emphasized paradox and the "infinite qualitative distinction." This study traces Barth's evolving thoughts on transcendence across his works, including his critiques of Kierkegaard in his later years. While some scholars suggest a shared theological trajectory based on transcendence, this paper argues for nuanced differences, engaging with the …

Effects Of Attractiveness And Relationship Type Of Perceptions Of Adolescent Sexual Grooming, Alexandra Shappley

Honors Theses

Child sexual grooming is a prevalent issue within the United States, especially with the rise of the internet and social media (Shakeshaft, 2004; Finkelhor et al., 2000; Winters et al., 2017). There has been less research done on adolescent sexual grooming; however, researchers have found that perceptions of adolescent sexual grooming vary depending on the gender and age of the offender and victim (Russel & Gyrus, 2022; Sahl & Keene, 2012). Researchers have found that people perceive a sexual grooming relationship as inflicting more harm if the perpetrator is a man (Hernandez et al., 2019), particularly an older man (Russel …

Investigation Of Pra For Rapid Part Replacement, John Lazenby

Honors Theses

As the electronics industry transitions to using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices of increasingly smaller technologies, radiation effects analysis becomes more significant in mission planning. In this work a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) program, RadSTATS, is used in the analysis of various COTS memories in a radiation environment. The probabilities that the bits in memory will be flipped due to single event upset (SEU) rates are calculated for each memory, volatile and non-volatile. The unavailability of bits was discovered to increase with increasing storage capacity. Methods of error detection and correction (EDAC) between the same manufacturer were seen to decrease at unavailability …

Understanding The Perspectives And Attitudes Of 12-Step Participants Towards Medication-Assisted Treatment, Christopher Scott

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The effects of living with a substance use disorder (SUD) are vast. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has grown increasingly popular as a recovery tool among substance users but does not align with the popular 12-step model, which demands complete abstinence from narcotics and mind-altering substances. Objective: The primary aim of this phenomenology study was to explore the perspectives and attitudes towards MAT among 12-step participants. The secondary aim was to compare the responses of treatment and non-treatment professionals. Methods: This study used non-probability sampling methods to recruit participants who reported regular participation in a 12-step program. Semi-structured …

Fatty Acid Concentrations In Preterm Infants Fed The Exclusive Human Milk Diet: A Prospective Cohort Study, Lindsay F Holzapfel, Jana P Unger, Pam Gordon, Heeju Yang, Joanne E Cluette-Brown, Laura A Gollins, Amy B Hair, Camilia R Martin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: Quantify blood fatty acids and growth outcomes in preterm infants fed the exclusive human milk diet.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 30 infants 24-34 weeks gestation and ≤1250 g fed the exclusive human milk diet. Blood fatty acids were quantified at two time points. Comparisons were made using two-sample t-tests and Wilcoxon rank sum.

RESULTS: Donor human milk-fed (n = 12) compared to mother's own milk-fed infants (n = 18) from birth to after 28 days of life, had an increased interval change of linoleic to docosahexaenoic acid ratio (5.5 vs. -1.1 mole percent ratio, p = 0.034). …

Imagined Intergroup Contact As A Mechanism To Change Beliefs About Gender, Samantha Oyler

Honors Theses

Gordon Allport first proposed the Intergroup Contact Theory in 1954. According to his theory, contact between ingroup and outgroup members, under certain conditions, would lead to positive effects, specifically the reduction of prejudice. Since then, this theory has been expanded to include members of other majority/minority groups. Research suggests intergroup contact has positive effects for reduction of anti-trans prejudice. To date, the focus has largely been on the mechanisms driving changes in attitudes and intentions towards trans individuals through intergroup contact interventions. It is unclear whether this intervention might also promote the acquisition of more nuanced sociocultural understanding about gender, …

Investigating Thin Filament Assembly In C. Elegans Muscles, Angela Russ

Honors Theses

All striated muscles are composed of small units called sarcomeres [1]. Within each sarcomere, there are thin filaments composed of actin and thick filaments composed of myosin. The thin filaments extend from either end of the thick filament towards the middle of the sarcomere. The lengths of thin filaments are correlated to muscle contraction and force production [1], but it is currently unknown what regulates their lengths. Prior hypotheses based on vertebrate models have focused on a nebulin ruler model [2]. However, nebulin is not present within invertebrate muscles, and this has led to a major gap in the field’s …

The Tripartite Influence Model Of Body Image And Disordered Eating Among Female Athletes: Testing An Expanded Model, Emma Nyrup Tonsberg

Honors Theses

The aim of the study was to investigate how different sources of sociocultural pressure (family, media, peers) described in the Tripartite Influence Model, and additions of teammate- and coach pressures, were associated with thinness-and muscularity internalization and appearance comparisons among athletes. Subsequently, these potential mechanisms were explored as predictors of disordered eating among athletes. Analyses included 71 female athletes. Athletes were recruited through a student subject pool recruitment portal, as well as with local and regional flyers and emails. Participants completed a series of self-report measures in Qualtrics. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was utilized to test the hypotheses. Partial support …

Civil Disobedience Of Social Workers In Hospice, Jamie Leigh Roper

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Essays On Economic Effects Of The Monetary Union Of The West African Monetary Zone, Collins Kelechukwu Anosike

Dissertations

It is now reasonably undebatable that monetary and fiscal policies have real effects on monetary union in WAMZ. What seems to prevent the meeting of convergence criteria that was set by the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ), a counterpart of the European Monetary Union (EMU)has been explored. Consequently, this study examines the economic effect of monetary union in the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ). This research examines the economic convergence criteria and obstacles to achieving them for the six West African economies of Nigeria, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierraleone, Ghana, and Liberia. The study examines the exchange and inflation rates convergence …

An Attentionless Account Of The Attentional Blink, Matthew Stephen Junker

Dissertations

Theories of the attentional blink (AB) – a deficit in responding to the second of two temporally proximal stimuli (within 500 ms; Raymond et al., 1992) – generally explain the deficit as resulting from either the dynamics in top-down and bottom-up attentional process, or limitations in the capacity of the hypothesized attentional process. Extensive basic research has been conducted on the neural correlates of top-down and bottom-up attention as well as on the capacity limitations of attention; however, rather than leading to a single definition, the variety and complexity of results has led several taxonomies which differ systematically with the …

Association Of Maternal Body Mass Index And Maternal Morbidity And Mortality, Mara J Dinsmoor, Lynda G Ugwu, Jennifer L Bailit, Uma M Reddy, Ronald J Wapner, Michael W Varner, John M Thorp, Steve N Caritis, Mona Prasad, Alan T N Tita, George R Saade, Yoram Sorokin, Dwight J Rouse, Sean C Blackwell, Jorge E Tolosa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: This study aimed to assess the association of maternal body mass index (BMI) with a composite of severe maternal outcomes.

Study design: Secondary analysis of a cohort of deliveries on randomly selected days at 25 hospitals from 2008 to 2011. Data on comorbid conditions, intrapartum events, and postpartum course were collected. The reference group (REF, BMI: 18.5-29.9kg/m2), obese (OB; BMI: 30-39.9kg/m2), morbidly obese (MO; BMI: 40-49.9kg/m2), and super morbidly obese (SMO; BMI ≥ 50kg/m2) women were compared. The composite of severe maternal outcomes was defined as death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ventilator use, deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolus (DVT/PE), …

“No One Likes A Mad Woman:” A Modern Reclamation Of Solitude In The Domestic Space Through Women With Invisible Disabilities In A Post-Lockdown World, Marley Ashton Bickley

All Theses

This project weaves together critical and creative writing to highlight personal narratives from women with mental illnesses and invisible disabilities. Through a historical recognition of the "madwoman" who is framed as hysterical to be a scapegoat for patriarchal control, I examine societal attempts to immobilize women’s rights to free will and agency from the nineteenth century until today. My analysis of "madwomen" in domestic space takes up fiction writing such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre where women are forced into confinement against their will. In a flipped-script narrative, I reexamine how domestic space …

Transcriptomic Profile Of Armillaria Root Rot Fungi Affecting The U.S. Stone Fruit Industry, Jared Weaver

All Theses

Armillaria Root Rot (ARR) is a significant replant disease threatening the future of the United States stone fruit industry. Economic loss in South Carolina peach orchards is estimated to be $8M annually due to approximately 3-4% of annual tree deaths caused by ARR on replant sites. Management solutions are insufficient and can at best extend the life of the orchards on replant sites. The only solution to solving the ARR problem, apart from abandoning the replant site for peach production, is planting orchards on ARR-resistant rootstock. Significant progress has been made towards providing growers with genetically resistant rootstock, however, for …

Residents’ Perceptions Of Use On Community Interface Areas At Protected Areas’ Boundaries: A Comparison Between Users And Non-Users, Louis Santiago Brevan

All Theses

Over the past fifty years, Protected Area (PA) management has gradually transitioned from the traditional top-down approach toward a more collaborative and participatory management model, which integrates the needs and perspectives of local communities. This quantitative study used a questionnaire to assess the perceived constraints of visitation, the attitudes toward tourism development, and the level of involvement in decision-making among community members residing near a community interface area on a PA’s boundaries. Structural constraints were the most prominent barrier to visiting (i.e., the poor state of the road and facilities). Residents indicated strong support towards tourism development and nearly half …

Quantifying Hurricane Effects On Housing: Evaluating Damage, Loss, And Shelter Demands Using Historical And Simulated Storm Tracks, Adish Deep Shakya

All Theses

This research introduces an advanced framework which employs parametric wind field models for peak wind speeds, and building fragility curves, loss functions, and demographic data to estimate for estimating housing damage and loss. The uninhabitable units immediate displaced households, short-term and long-term shelter need households are determined. with a particular focus on those eligible for FEMA assistance. The framework's validity is reinforced by a high correlation in the analysis of recent hurricane events between estimated numbers of displaced households and actual FEMA aid recipients, where FEMA aids about 20-60% of the predicted long-term displaced households. A novel application of the …