Digital Commons Network^™

Offline Model-Based Optimization Comprehensive Review

Defensive Publications Series

Offline optimization is a fundamental challenge in science and engineering, where the goal is to optimize black-box functions using only offline datasets. This setting is particularly relevant when querying the objective function is prohibitively expensive or infeasible, with applications spanning protein engineering, material discovery, neural architecture search, and beyond. The main difficulty lies in accurately estimating the objective landscape beyond the available data, where extrapolations are fraught with significant epistemic uncertainty. This uncertainty can lead to objective hacking (reward hacking)—exploiting model inaccuracies in unseen regions—or other spurious optimizations that yield misleadingly high performance estimates outside the training distribution. Recent advances …

The Tax Redistribution Gap, Eric Baudry

Fellow, Adjunct, Lecturer, and Research Scholar Works

The tax revenue gap—the difference between how much the IRS collects in tax revenue and how much it should collect based on the text of the Internal Revenue Code—is both well-defined and well-studied. But raising revenue is just one purpose of taxation; the tax code also operates to redistribute wealth. Drawing from the tax revenue gap and redistribution literatures, this article coins a parallel concept, the tax redistribution gap, to map the extent to which the tax system falls short of its redistributive goals.

Introducing a tax redistribution gap measure challenges background assumptions in current tax discourse: first, it would …

Motion For Leave And Brief Of Amici Curiae 1129 Law Students And 51 Law Student Organizations In Support Of Plaintiff's Motion For Summary Judgment, Jordan Merson, Spencer J. Pahlke

Student Amicus Briefs

Amici are 1129 law students and 51 law student organizations from law schools across the United States. They are diverse geographically, economically, socially, and politically. They study law for different reasons. They will go on to represent a wide range of clients and causes. Yet amici are united in one fundamental respect. They have dedicated themselves to the idea that we are a society governed by laws, not by raw power. They recognize that the executive order attacks their chosen profession. It attacks the values that cause law practice to be meaningful in American life. Amici ask this Court to …

The Role Of The U.S. In South Korean Democratization: A Contemporary Analysis, Michael Garifales

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The United States has faced significant criticism on its role in South Korea’s democratization due to its involvement with both democratic movements and authoritarian regimes. What was the official role that the U.S. played in South Korean democratization, and what are the perceptions of this policy today? This paper explores the role of the U.S. in different periods of South Korea's democratization, including modernization and student/social movements as case studies. It analyzes a range of academic journals and books to assess the merit of different perspectives on U.S. involvement. Furthermore, the paper applies primary sources, such as newspapers and news …

An Empirical Evaluation Of Communication Technologies And Quality Of Delivery Measurement In Networked Microgrids, Ruairí De Fréin, Yasin Emir Kutlu

Articles

Networked microgrids (NMG) are gaining popularity as an example of smartgrids (SG), where power networks are integrated with communication technologies. Communication technologies enable NMGs to be monitored and controlled via communication networks. However, ensuring that communication networks in NMGs satisfy quality of delivery (QoD) metrics such as the round trip time (RTT) of NMG control data is necessary. This paper addresses the communication network types and communication technologies used in NMGs. We present various NMG deployments to demonstrate real-life applicability in different contexts. We develop a real-time NMG testbed using real hardware such as Cisco 4331 Integrated Services Routers (ISR). …

Andre Howerton V. Visa

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Bobby Williamson V. Brian Bolton

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Gerard Bornemann, Iii V. Atlantic County Department Of Public Safety

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

The Mic Drop: The Urgent Call For Scotus To Settle The Discord On Right Of Publicity Preemption And The Split That Never Was, Roselyn P. Castillo

University of Miami Business Law Review

The Roberts Court and . . . 50 Cent? Surely, no one predicted this duo, but sooner rather than later, it may be reflected in casebooks across the nation. In 2020, the Second Circuit joined what has been referred to as a growing circuit split over the tension between state law right of publicity claims and federal copyright preemption. Aligning with the Eighth and Ninth Circuits, the Second Circuit held that a state law right of publicity claim was preempted. Conversely, the Third, Fifth, and Seventh Circuits have held that copyright law does not preempt state law right of publicity …

Blunting The “Tools At Hand”: Recent Developments In Delaware Books-And-Records Demand Law, Daniel Meyer

University of Miami Business Law Review

In recent years, and despite their heeding the guidance of Delaware courts, stockholders’ use of the statutory books-and-records investigation mechanism under Delaware Code Title 8, Section 220 (“Section 220”) has been much maligned, with commentators blaming Section 220 actions for straining judicial resources and causing companies unnecessary costs and burdens. Moreover, Delaware’s legislature and courts have taken steps to curb stockholders’ inspection rights, blunting a crucial tool needed to develop allegations in meritorious cases so that stockholders can bring cases that survive motions to dismiss and continue into plenary discovery.

Instead of blindly accepting a narrative regarding a Section 220 …

America’S Criminal Justice System Interaction, Housing Opportunities, And Job Sustainability: Perceptions From Residents Of The Greater New Haven Area, Sarah Gaudreau

Honors Theses

This study explored the perceived relationship between criminal justice system (CJS) involvement and housing and employment outcomes among residents of the Greater New Haven area. Prior research has demonstrated that individuals with criminal records or histories of incarceration often face significant obstacles when attempting to secure stable housing or employment. Through qualitative analysis of survey responses from 47 participants, this study highlights how increased contact with the justice system is perceived to negatively impact job sustainability and housing opportunities, while limited or no contact appears to serve as a form of privilege. Using an inductive coding method, recurring themes were …

Brief Of Civil Procedure Professors Suzette Malveaux, Alan Trammell, Alexi Pfeffer-Gillett, And Doug Rendleman As Amici Curiae In Support Of Respondents: Trump V. Casa, Trump V. Washington & Trump V. New Jersey, Suzette M. Malveaux, Alan Trammell, Alexi Pfeffer-Gillett, Doug Rendleman

Scholarly Articles

Nationwide injunctions are constitutional. Their core feature—courts’ power to render decisions that directly benefit nonparties—is consistent with traditional equitable practices. Accordingly, the Article III “judicial power” comprehends such remedies. Nationwide injunctions also comport with Article III’s case-or-controversy requirement, including constitutional standing.

Broad remedies are sometimes necessary, especially when government actors willfully disregard people’s rights, and the usual tools of aggregate litigation (such as class actions) are not practically available to vindicate those rights. Moreover, courts can readily navigate prudential concerns about nationwide injunctions, from fears of judge shopping to prematurely freezing the law. Courts remain attuned to these concerns, and …

If You Can’T Beat Hemp, Join Hemp: A Policy Argument For A Federal Regulatory Framework Encompassing Intoxicating Hemp Derivatives And Marijuana And Why Re-Scheduling Marijuana Isn’T The Answer, Frances Alaina Rodriguez

University of Miami Business Law Review

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) legalized industrial hemp and its downstream uses by removing hemp from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Its enactment led to the explosion of a multi-billion dollar intoxicating hemp derivatives (IHD) market. This boom, combined with growing state–level marijuana legalization, presents a unique opportunity for comprehensive federal cannabis reform.

This Note argues that the traditional pathways for marijuana legalization—rescheduling through the Controlled Substances Act or state-by-state legislation—are inadequate given the emergence of a federally legal but largely unregulated IHD industry. Instead, this Note proposes a unified federal …

Steering Minutes 04/29/2025, Steering Committee

Steering Committee

No abstract provided.

Embracing Unpredictability, Stella Huang

Theses

This paper explores the theory and practice of combining unpredictability in life with reverse thinking in modern jewelry design. Traditional jewelry design is often based on fixed aesthetics and strict craftsmanship. This study uses three concepts of jewelry design and clothing wear that break the conventions - a silver mask worn on the face, a skirt worn above the head and not touching the human body, and jewelry made of gallium that melts at human body temperature - as cases to analyze how to express the artistic concepts of "change" and "breaking boundaries" by breaking traditional rules and using material …

The Public Interest Legal Foundation V. Secretary Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Ronaldo Lopez De Leon V. Attorney General United States Of America

2025 Decisions

Agency

Fuel Of The Future: Toward Biodiesel Synthesis With Metal-Organic Frameworks, Loïc La-Branche

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses

In the face of mounting climate and energy crises, the employment of eco-friendly resources is critical. The green initiative for fuels demands a renewable, economic resource with minimal carbon footprint and toxicity. Biodiesel, sourced from the transesterification of natural oils and alcohols, has gained attention as a sustainable alternative to petroleum with appreciably lower carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial biodiesel production, however, is limited by the need for using homogenous catalysts which require, anhydrous and pure feedstocks, constituting more than 70% of manufacturing expenses. Nonetheless, the use of metal-organic frameworks, porous crystalline materials composed of a three-dimensional network of …

Dialogic Foundations Of The “4-Trans” Framework: Towards A Comprehensive And Dynamic Understanding Of Multilingual Teacher Education, David Martinez-Prieto, Sandra I. Musanti, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

In this article, we develop the “4-trans” framework by reflecting on the way current multilingual teacher preparation scholarship has addressed translanguaging, transnationalism, transculturality, and transdisciplinarity either in compartmentalized or integrative manners. While current literature has addressed some “trans” intersections, we propose the enunciation of the “4-trans” as permeable and complementary principles in multilingual education that can serve to better examine the experiences and challenges of multilingual pre-service teachers. To amalgamate the “4-trans” to examine the development of multilingual pre-service teachers, this article describes the construction of a multidimensional framework based on a dialogic conception of social …

Organic Anion Lithium Ionic Cocrystal Compounds And Compositions, Michael John Zaworotko, Naga Duggirala, Adam John Smith, Roland Douglas Shytle

USF Patents

A cocrystal having the formula LiX·aM, or a solvate or hydrate thereof, wherein X is a conjugate base of an organic acid, M is a neutral organic molecule, and a is from 0.5 to 4, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such cocrystals, cocrystal solvates, or cocrystal hydrates, and methods of preparing such cocrystals, cocrystal solvates, or cocrystal hydrates, and such pharmaceutical compositions.

400 W 59th St Partners Llc V. Wyse

All Decisions

In this nonpayment case, the tenant challenged the landlord's claims based on ERAP acceptance, lack of a valid lease for a gap period, laches, and estoppel. The court held that the ERAP payment created a one-year statutory bar beginning October 2024 and that the absence of a lease from June 2022 to December 2024 voided rent claims for those months. It credited the laches defense for pre-petition arrears (Dec 2020–Feb 2021) but rejected estoppel, finding no misleading conduct by landlord. The court awarded the landlord a final judgment for $16,370.27 and a separate money judgment of $7,015.83. Practitioners should note …

Brazilia Leasing L.P. V. Watts

All Decisions

The court dismissed a licensee holdover petition after a fact-finding hearing to determine whether the petitioner had knowledge that the respondent lacked mailbox access. The respondent testified that she had informed the petitioner's personnel of her lack of mailbox access in December 2023, and this testimony was unchallenged. The court found the respondent's testimony credible, and since the petitioner had knowledge of the lack of mailbox access at the time of service, the court ruled the service was improper. The petition was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Practice Note: Ensure service complies with jurisdictional requirements, especially when a tenant has …

Humanity, Monstrosity And Uniquity: A Stirnerian Theory Of Art-Horror, Moldwarp Delgado

Philosophy Honors Papers

This thesis explores the connections between Max Stirner's philosophy, particularly his concept of personalist egoism, and the genre of horror in cultural production, analyzing themes of humanity, monstrosity, and societal roles within art-horror narratives.

Deputized To Discriminate: The Dangerous Revival Of Ice “Task Force” Agreements, Yuwen Huyan

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights and Social Justice (ERSJ) Blog

Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, first implemented in 1996, authorizes local and state law enforcement agencies to enter into formal agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”).  These agreements, known as Memoranda of Agreements (“MOAs”), deputize selected officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement functions.  There are two enforcement models: the jail enforcement model, in which officers identify individuals for ICE after an arrest, and the more controversial task force model, which allows officers to initiate immigration enforcement in the field—during traffic stops, patrols, or other community interactions. Once trained and certified by ICE, local officers …

Media Quiteracy: Why Digital Disconnection Belongs In The Media Literacy Curriculum, Katie Day Good

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In this essay, we introduce media quiteracy, which we use to conceptualize and describe the valuable learning that can happen through the refusal to take up new media or the act of pausing or ceasing its use. We see media quiteracy as an active and generative approach to learning and argue for its inclusion in the media literacy curriculum. We trace the history of critical engagement with technologies within education and then articulate what media quiteracy can look like in practice. We surface and discuss three potential obstacles to teaching media quiteracy, which include the ways in which it problematizes …

Redefining Legal Education: Class Focuses On Leadership Via Service, Marisa C. Atkinson

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Imagine a law school class where no cases were briefed, no oral arguments made – but instead, empathy was gained and service given through a variety of methods including leadership theory, alternative textbooks, notable guest lecturers and community service.

Immune Cells And Arrhythmias, Joshua A Keefe, Jian Wang, Jiangping Song, Li Ni, Xander H T Wehrens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cardiac arrhythmias are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that resident and infiltrating cardiac immune cells play direct, mechanistic roles in arrhythmia onset and progression. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary and expert commentary on the role of each immune cell subtype in the pathogenesis of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias.

Overcoming Barriers To Human Papillomavirus Vaccination In Guangdong Province, China, Shuaijing Zhang, Shiqi Li, Jingtai Ma, Guiyuan Ji, Zhifeng Li, Siyi Chen, Fenglin Zhang, Xingfen Yang, Jianpeng Xiao, Rong Cao, Chenggang Wu, Wei Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains a critical public health challenge in China, particularly in Guangdong Province, where HPV-52, 16, and 58 genotypes predominate, and male infection rates exceed 40%. Despite the successful implementation of a government-funded school-based program that has achieved 88% HPV vaccine coverage among adolescent girls, several persistent barriers, including genotype mismatch (the free HPV vaccine covers < 50% of high-risk local strains), regional disparities (80% vs. 60% for first-dose coverage), and exclusion of males, thwart progress toward herd immunity. Financial sustainability risks pose an even more significant threat to the expansion of HPV vaccination programs, especially in Guangdong province where annual expenditures exceed CNY 200 million. This review delves into Guangdong's pioneering efforts and proposes practical solutions: accelerating domestic multivalent HPV vaccine development, adopting gender-neutral vaccination policies, and leveraging mobile clinics for remote populations. These strategies not only provide a roadmap for China but also serve as valuable insight for other LMICs striving to overcome HPV-related inequalities.

Language And The Law: The Nature Of Law And Statutory Interpretation, Caleb W. Noble

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is twofold. First, it will demonstrate that law is both letter and spirit and that the letter and spirit should be balanced in interpretation. This thesis also seeks to define the spirit and letter of the law and their various components. The spirit is the metaphysical essence that embodies law and is made of intent, purpose, principle, and natural law. The letter is the substance of law and is made of promulgated commands, text, and language. Therefore, as law is both letter and spirit, these two must be balanced in interpretation. The nature of interpretation …

The Central Role Of Endothelial Cells In Various Contexts Of Neuroinflammation, Joseph M. Kagan

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses

This paper aims to summarize the key differences in neuroinflammation across various contexts beyond neurodegenerative diseases, specifically senescence, diet, infection, cancer treatments, and psychostimulant usage. While each of these conditions presents unique inflammatory characteristics, they share core mechanistic themes, particularly the disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). BBB dysfunction serves as a crucial regulatory point, influenced by endothelial cells (ECs) within the neurovascular unit (NVU). ECs play an essential role in neuroinflammation through pathways involving tight junction (TJ) proteins and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which mediate BBB integrity and permeability. Additionally, ECs interact with various cellular components and signaling pathways, further …