Digital Commons Network^™

Conceptual Gerrymandering In Sffa And Some Thoughts On How It Enables The Case’S Weaponization, David Simson

Buffalo Law Review

This Article makes two main contributions at the intersection of Constitutional Law and critical analyses of race and racial (in)equality. First, and more narrowly, the Article provides an in-depth analysis and critique of the Supreme Court’s most recent affirmative action decision in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard (SFFA), specifically with respect to a crucial aspect of the case that has not been addressed in depth in other scholarship on the decision: how key opinions conceptualize “race” in their reasoning. The Article shows how the SFFA majority opinion and a concurring opinion by Justice Gorsuch incorporate multiple, and inconsistent, understandings …

Presumed Guilt: Epistemic Closure In Pregnancy Prosecutions, M. Eve Hanan

Buffalo Law Review

Criminal law and reproductive justice scholars are calling attention to the increase in prosecutions for pregnancy outcomes in the United States. Trace amounts of controlled substances in newborns are prosecuted as child abuse. Miscarriages are prosecuted as illegal abortions or homicides. This area of criminal law existed side-by-side with Roe v. Wade for late-term pregnancy outcomes. The Dobbs decision has further emboldened these prosecutions by removing the protections of the Due Process Clause from the pre-viability phase of the pregnancy.

Using a case study of a woman who was pressured to plead guilty to manslaughter and sentenced to eight years …

Effects Of Maternal Overnutrition And Metabolic Challenge In Adult Life On The Histological Integrity Of The Liver And Intestinal Epithelium In Rabbits, Lucía Carolina Cano, Erika Navarrete, Pedro Medina, Juan Pablo Ochoa-Romo, Georgina Díaz, Rodrigo Montúfar-Chaveznava, Rosa María Vigueras-Villaseñor, Ivette Caldelas

Artículos científicos

Introduction: Maternal overnutrition during critical stages of embryonic development has been implicated as a major determinant of developmental and metabolic disturbances in offspring. Current data concerning how perinatal exposure to high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets, followed by re-exposure in adulthood (metabolic challenge), affects the metabolic regulation and structural integrity of the liver and small intestine, key organs of the gut–liver axis (GLA), are limited. Methods: Female rabbits were fed either a standard diet (SD) or a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet (HFCD) before mating and during gestation. The offspring on postnatal day 440 were challenged with an HFCD or SD for 30 …

Leveling The Playing Field? Exploring The Moral Ambiguity Of The Private Attorney General Model, Nathan Heastie

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

Johnson & Johnson’s market cap is twice the GDP of Oklahoma. So, when Oklahoma hauled Johnson & Johnson and other behemoth pharmaceutical companies into state court for their participation in the opioid epidemic, Big Pharma’s resources created a David v. Goliath situation. Against all odds, Oklahoma stood toe-to-toe with Big Pharma and brought home more than $650 million in settlement funds.

Oklahoma’s success would be otherwise impossible without the assistance of three private law firms serving the role of “private attorneys general.” The State signed contingency fee arrangements with the firms, transferring the financial burden of litigation from the State …

Representing The Incommunicado Client: Regulating The Attorney-Client Relationship In A Civil Rights Emergency, Michael Kagan

Washington and Lee Law Review Online

When the government obstructs a detainee’s ability to communicate with attorneys, normal rules governing the formation of attorney-client relationships break down. While some work-arounds exist to allow lawyers to bring such cases to court, they have significant limitations and can create problems of their own. The legal profession and the courts should adopt new rules modeled on emergency medicine to facilitate the filing of urgent civil rights claims for clients who are not in a position to consent. In emergency medicine, physicians can presume client consent for certain narrow and urgent purposes. Certain lawyers, in extreme cases, should be able …

Curvilinear Image Segmentation Using Multiscale Variational U-Net, Rebekah Fortes

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Segmentation of curvilinear structures such as water contours, cracks in cement, and vascular networks in biomedical imaging, poses unique challenges due to extreme class imbalance, irregular morphology, low contrast against complex backgrounds, and the need to preserve global connectivity while detecting fine-scale details. We propose a Multiscale Variational U-Net (MSVU-Net) architecture designed specifically to address these challenges. The model integrates multiscale convolutional filters to capture both global context and local detail, while embedding a variational model in the bottleneck layer to enhance structural representation. To mitigate class imbalance and improve fidelity, the network optimizes a hybrid loss function that combines …

Recruitment And Retention Of Adult Learners In The State Of Louisiana: A Look Into The Adult Learner’S Decision-Making Process As A Consumer, Austin T. Rogers

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

With the looming enrollment cliff and several institutions across the state and country already experiencing decreased enrollment, schools across the country have begun adjusting their current practices to maintain steady enrollment in the future. University administration and admissions offices are having to target new student groups in order to offset the traditional student populations they have historically worked with. However, in order for these new student groups to be successful on campus, these schools must also understand the needs of these new student populations. This narrative study aimed to better understand the experiences of adult learners currently enrolled at University …

Private Sand Mining In The Mississippi River: Sediment Budget And Morphology Implications Between Baton Rouge And Belle Chasse, Louisiana, Brett Mcmann

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This analysis examined how private sand mining within the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA and Belle Chasse, LA affected its sand budget from 2004-2012.

Records assembled indicated that private mining removed an annual average of 2.8 million cubic yards of sand. A HEC-RAS one-dimensional sediment transport model was utilized to assess this practice. Three scenarios were simulated: a baseline without mining, conditions reflecting documented mining rates, and a hypothetical case with excessive extraction.

Results suggest that private mining constituted approximately 26 percent of the total sand deficit between Baton Rouge and Belle Chasse. Mining appeared to cause localized changes …

Examining The Relationship Between Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (Ocb) And Student Achievement In K-12 High Poverty Schools, Trayvonia S. Duhe

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative correlational study examined the relationship between teacher OCB and student achievement in high-poverty public and charter schools in Louisiana, where 71% of students are economically disadvantaged. 96 ELA and math teachers participated, completing the Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale alongside their classroom-level LEAP 2025 results. Guided by Social Exchange Theory, the study also explored the association between OCB and teachers’ perceptions of organizational justice. Findings indicated that teachers reported moderate engagement in OCB; however, the relationship between OCB and student achievement was weak, positive, and non-significant. This suggests that while teachers consistently engage in discretionary behaviors that support school …

Resistance Through Policy: Documenting Lgbtq+ Advocacy In Public Education, Rhys Mitchell Fryar

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines how educational policies related to LGBTQ+ students are constructed, interpreted, and implemented across federal, state, and district-levels. It asks whether institutional intent reflects authentic commitment to equity or functions as symbolic compliance in politically contested environments. Using Portland Public Schools (PPS) as a case study, the analysis situates the district within Oregon’s affirming policy landscape and the Trump administration’s restrictive federal mandates. PPS has adopted policies, such as Administrative Directive 4.30.061 AD (2023b) and the Gender Identity Support Guide (2023a), to support queer and gender-expansive students; however, it faces a federal investigation (U.S. Department of Education, 2025b, …

Toward An Anthropological Ecocriticism, Grant Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental storytelling has increasingly reckoned with concepts and assumptions about (N/a)ture inherited from the Western intellectual tradition. The late 2010s and early 2020s in particular have seen an explosion of fiction that interrogates the limits of these past ideas. Relatedly, ecocriticism of this period has entered a self-reflexive mode that has sought to deal with its own limitations while offering insights that may prove generative for a more general audience of environmentally minded readers. This project adds to ongoing ecocritical discourse by tracing a series of implicit affinities between the broad traditions of anthropology and environmental fiction through their shared …

A Space Propulsion Concept Based On Inertial Confinement: Exploring Nuclear Fusion Utilizing Polywell Geometry, Preeti Nair

Theses and Dissertations

Nuclear fusion propulsion represents a promising solution for future interplanetarymissions due to its high energy density and potential for continuous power generation. However, existing fusion propulsion systems face significant limitations, particularly in achieving stable plasma confinement. The Polywell concept, introduced by physicist Robert Bussard in 1985, offers advantages through its compact, polyhedral geometry that is wellsuited for spacecraft applications where mass and volume constraints are critical. Despite these advantages, Polywell designs have encountered stability challenges in maintaining the electric potential well over time. Plasma instabilities induced by magnetic fields disrupt containment and reduce fusion efficiency, limiting overall performance and scalability …

Female Politicians And Corruption In Rural India, Somdeep Chatterjee, Shiv Hastawala, Elisa Taveras

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

This paper leverages random assignment of female quotas for leadership positions on Indian village councils to assess its causal effect on corruption. Since the mid-1990s, India has mandated that at least one third of village council chief positions be randomly reserved for women. Using data from the Rural Economic and Demographic Survey (REDS) 2006, we find that an additional term reserved for a female head as opposed to just a single one reduces both the occurrence and bribe amounts paid to the local government by households. This reduction is also observed in bribes paid to other local officials suggesting downstream …

The Wisdom Of The Lexicon Crowds: Leveraging On Decades Of Lexicon-Based Sentiment Analysis For Improved Results, Chelsey H. Hill, Jorge E. Fresneda, Murugan Anandarajan

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The “wisdom of the crowd” (WoC) refers to the notion that collective human knowledge is capable of outperforming even individual expert knowledge. This study investigates the application of this phenomenon to lexicon-based sentiment analysis of text data. Lexicons are frequently used to classify the sentiment of text data, particularly in the absence of sentiment class label information. We propose leveraging some of the most popular, publicly-available lexicons created in the last half century to improve sentiment analysis performance. Specifically, this research argues that the collective information provided by the thirteen lexicons included in the crowd constitutes a WoC situation that …

Ohio University Faculty Senate Minutes December 1, 2025, Angela Brock

Faculty Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Phylogenomics Of African Labeo (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) Emphasizing Central African Species, Tobit L.D. Liyandja, Brian T. Smith, S. Elizabeth Alter, Brian L. Sidlauskas, Melanie L.J. Stiassny

Biology, Agriculture and Chemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Labeo constitutes the largest genus within the cyprinid tribe Labeonini with over 110 recognized species in Africa and Asia. The clade comprises a major component of the herbivore/detritivore guild with considerable socio-economic importance to artisanal and commercial fisheries. A pan-African distribution and wide variety of habitat occupancy make the group a model to investigate diversification patterns, eco-phenotypic variation, and biogeographical events underpinning their radiation at a continental scale. However, previous attempts to elucidate Labeo systematics using either molecular or morphological data have failed to produce congruent and robust results, and much taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion remains. Here we present the …

Clark Memorandum: Fall 2025, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Our Constitutional Anchor
• Divine Law
• The Courage of Our Convictions
• Our Call to Action

Building Focus: Using Relaxation Music To Support Students With Autism In The Classroom, Whitney Drewrey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the use of audio sensory input, specifically, relaxation music, as a strategy to reduce off-task behavior in elementary students with autism within the general education classroom. The aim was to minimize distractions and teacher redirections, thereby promoting a more inclusive and productive learning environment for all students. Guided by the principles of improvement science, the research employed a single-case design with three elementary students diagnosed with autism. Data were collected through momentary time sampling and mood inventories during independent classwork periods.

The central research question guiding this study was: What effect does relaxation music have on the …

“For Whom The Bell Tolls”?* Is The Corporate Transparency Act Dead, And If Not, What Is Its Impact On Corporate Governance?, Kellen Ware

UC Law Business Journal

The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA” or “the Act”) was enacted by Congress in 2021 to combat illicit financial activity through mandated beneficial ownership disclosure. While the current administration has opted not to enforce the CTA’s reporting requirements on domestic entities, the law remains in effect, and its future is uncertain amid ongoing constitutional litigation.

This Note argues that the CTA should be repealed, and state legislatures should refrain from mirroring the Act. The CTA creates undue burdens that threaten effective and efficient corporate governance in small businesses and many non-profits. This Note traces the contentious history of the CTA and …

Alaska Native Disparities In Alaska Jails And Prisons. An Exploratory Study And Descriptive Analysis, Brad A. Myrstol, Cheryl Jones, Rus'sel Sampson, Bri Moffat

AJiC Reports

This report presents an exploratory study of racial disparities in Alaska’s correctional system, combining a review of national research with an analysis of Alaska Department of Corrections (ADOC) booking data.

Dialogue And Storytelling To Bridge The Civil-Military Gap On Campus—And Beyond: Resources And Recommendations, Corri Zoli, Linda Euto

The Lender Center for Social Justice

This brief presents key applied insights from innovative approaches to bridge the gap on college campuses between student veterans and nonveterans. The brief provides a model for using dialogue and storytelling as powerful pedagogical and research tools to share insights with students and the broader public about public national service, the distinctive contributions of U.S. military service members, and the transition needs of military students in higher education.

A Study On Deepsea Fish Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Poojitha Priyadarshini Madari

Master's Theses

This study investigates automated deep-learning methodologies for two primary tasks, firstly fish and its habitat classification and deep-sea fish detection using the DeepFish dataset. A pretrained ResNet-50 model attained a validation accuracy of 82.8% for multi-class habitat classification, demonstrating robust performance in most habitats based on 6,517 images, although exhibiting lower recall for visually similar or underrepresented classes. A binary ResNet-50 classifier achieved 99.8% accuracy in distinguishing fish from. no-fish images using approximately 40,000 images. The YOLOv5s model, trained on 4,505 images containing 15,463 bounding-box annotations, achieved a mean average precision ([email protected]) of 98.2% All models were trained on the …

Examining The Relationship Between Cultural Competency And Teacher Preparation For Ethnic Studies: The Role Of Unconscious Bias, La Taschya Renee Harris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between cultural competency and teacher preparedness for Ethnic Studies, and seeks to understand whether unconscious bias influences that relationship. California’s Assembly Bill 101 mandates that all high school seniors take Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement. Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest school district in California, the second largest in the U.S., and the fifth most segregated school district in the nation. With 44% of White high school teachers in Los Angeles Unified School District situated in the north region and a significantly less presence throughout the other three regions, the question of …

Hyperspectral Indicators And Characterization Of Glyphosate-Induced Stress In Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium Album L.), Mario Andrés Soto Valencia

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Hyperspectral sensing enables detection of herbicide stress in weeds, but practical use requires strategies for redundancy control, rating variability management, and evaluator bias mitigation. This thesis evaluates common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) under glyphosate exposure, aiming to identify key wavelengths, construct vegetation indices, and improve injury modeling. Greenhouse experiments used dimensionality reduction methods (principal component analysis, Relief F, Bayesian discriminant analysis) to isolate 34 unique wavelengths from about 3,200 bands. Calibration data were collected 14 days after treatment (DAT) to support wavelength selection and model development, while data from 27 DAT were used for independent validation. Class comparisons across six statistically …

Educational Freedom In The United States: Democracy, Pandemic Learning, And Family Choices, Daion Lamont Daniels

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationships among educational freedom, democratic outcomes, and family choice in the United States. Through three complementary studies, it examines how school choice interacts with civic education, student achievement, and parental behavior. Together, these studies provide a comprehensive view of how educational freedom is reshaping American schooling. The first study investigates whether private schooling supports or undermines democratic values. Using survey data from students in both private and public schools, it finds that private school students demonstrate stronger knowledge of American government and greater support for democratic norms. These results suggest that private schools may play a …

Institutional Sustainability In Ai Governance: Comparing Paths In The Eu, Japan, And Taiwan, Kuan-Wei Chen

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This article explores the concept of institutional sustainability in AI governance by comparing the approaches in the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. It begins by arguing that the relationship between AI and sustainability extends beyond environmental concerns, encompassing the sustainability of governance institutions themselves. The article posits that institutional sustainability, referring to the capacity of governance frameworks to remain effective over time, is essential in the context of rapidly evolving and future-oriented AI governance. The analysis proceeds by examining the EU’s strategy of normative anchoring through legal codification, Japan’s agile governance model based on collaboration and coordination, and Taiwan’s digital …

Opioids And Oblivion: Corporate Bankruptcy And The Erosion Of Accountability In Big Pharma, Ying Yuan

Washington Law Review

In June 2024, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma that nonconsensual releases for nondebtors are unconstitutional. The decision marked a key development in mass tort litigation involving Purdue Pharma, the company at the center of the opioid crisis. The Sackler family sought to use Purdue’s bankruptcy proceedings to shield themselves from liability, but the Court’s ruling invalidated the use of nondebtor releases to protect third parties from claims without the full consent of affected parties. While the ruling strengthens creditor protections, it creates uncertainty regarding how mass tort bankruptcies can efficiently compensate victims, particularly in …

Self-Determination Through Children's Rights: Resisting The Paradoxical Pretext Of Parents' Rights Legislation, Jeremiah Chin

Washington Law Review

Washington state law balances the interests of parents and the state in education, healthcare, and the general wellbeing of children. Despite the fact that children are at the center of emerging controversies, children’s rights are rarely discussed in state legislation debating the obligations and relationships between the state of Washington and parents. In education, for example, RCW 28A.605.005 finds “[p]arents are the primary stakeholders in their children’s upbringing.” While this may be true relative to the state, it overlooks the fact that children are the primary actors, agents, and rights bearers in their own personhood. This Article therefore considers ongoing …

From The Bench To The Feed: Conflict Between Public Official Accounts And The First Amendment, Betty Yu

Washington Law Review

Imagine one day waking up, opening Facebook, and discovering that the official White House account blocked you because you left a comment expressing a viewpoint. In this case, your First Amendment right to free speech would most likely be violated. However, what happens if your local official blocks you or deletes your comments? Are your First Amendment rights violated? Well, it depends.

Historically, public officials have used public forums such as town halls to meet with citizens and answer questions. However, as social media platforms like X and Facebook have become increasingly crucial tools for communication, the distinction between personal …

Genodermatosis Among The Southwestern Saudi Population: The Pattern And The Need For A Premarital Genetic Screening Protocol, Hamad A. Alfahaad

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To characterize the clinical and genetic spectrum of genodermatoses in Southwestern Saudi Arabia, the present study examines the impact of consanguinity on this particular population, and proposes a tailored premarital genetic screening protocol. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of 32 patients diagnosed with genodermatoses during the study period at a tertiary hospital (King Khalid Hospital, Najran) were included. Genetic screening was performed for patients with suspected genodermatoses based on clinical findings, using whole-exome sequencing (WES), specifically employing next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. Clinical and genetic analysis data were extracted from medical records. Results: Among 32 patients diagnosed with genodermatoses, …