Digital Commons Network^™

Spirituality Activism And Identity As A Site Of Transformation Based On Gloria Anzaldùa’S Vision Of Resistance, Maria Torres Rey

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This paper examines Gloria Anzaldùa’s conceptualization of identity as a dynamic site of resistance and healing within Chicana feminist thought. Through frameworks such as mestiza consciousness, Nepantla and spiritual activism, Anzaldùa challenges Western dualisms and reimagines identity as a fluid and political space shaped by personal and collective experience. Her theories provide a powerful lens for understanding the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and spirituality. This paper also argues that her emphasis on inner transformation risks under-engaging material structures such as capitalism, state violence and environmental degradation. By situating Anzaldùa alongside key Chicana feminist scholars, the paper highlights both the …

Patenting Health: How Intellectual Property Rights Jeopardise Medical Research, Lorenz N. Soukup

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Recent health crises have taught us that proper resource allocation is an important tool in the fight against e.g., pandemics and endemics. This concerns medical care on the one side, but also medical research as a precursor and catalyst for successful implementation of interventions, on the other side. James R. Brown argues that the most effective way to make use of medical research is to make the funding a public affair, removing private stakeholders from the equation. Concretely, he proposes to remove intellectual property rights in medicine as a whole. This paper evaluates his thesis.

Ai Against Copyright Law And Intellectual Property, Nate Oh

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rethinking Coercion: Moving Beyond Moralized Accounts Of Coercion, Lorenz N. Soukup

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Coercion is often portrayed as a vile act, which is inherently immoral. Typical examples include blackmail or receiving an offer at gunpoint. Most contemporary theories centre around this characteristic immorality of coercion. In the following paper I will argue that coercion need not involve an immoral act. I will look at two distinctly different theories of coercion. On the one hand, a moralised account proposed by Jennifer Lackey and on the other hand, an account refraining from moralising coercion brought forward by Scott Anderson. The aim of this paper is not to define coercion but to motivate a shift in …

The New Language: Contractual Interpretation In The Age Of Emojis, Kosi Moneke

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

Since their creation in 1999, emojis have evolved from just playful visual expressions to communicative tools that are increasingly appearing in legal disputes. This paper explores emojis as mediums of legal meaning. It examines how U.S. contract law approaches emojis as evidence of assent, threat, conspiracy, and intent, and how established contractual doctrines have adapted to emojis as tools of expressive communication. Though ambiguous, this paper aims to demonstrate that emojis can be interpreted within existing contractual frameworks.

This paper is structured as follows: it situates emojis as a continuation of contract law's historical engagement with nonverbal assent. It will …

Trans Lives: Human Dignity And Executive Power, Jack Mcroberts

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Recurring Patterns In Democratic Backsliding: The United States, Hungary, And Israel, Leah Brouda

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Utilizing a three-pronged analysis method, this article argues that not only is democratic backsliding – the degrading quality of democratic institutions in a state – on the rise but that it has frequent recurring themes. These themes are consolidation of executive authority, changes in court power and judicial independence, and election manipulation. Utilizing a combination of public opinion research and indexes such as Freedom House and the Global State of Democracy Index (GSDI), these themes emerge as patterns that are both understood and misconstrued by citizens in each country and of the world. The analysis is based on themes in …

Trump Vs. The Fourteenth Amendment, Rye Maccurtain

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

This paper argues that President Trump’s 2025 executive order to end birthright citizenship represents a major break from constitutional tradition and a clear turn toward far-right ideology. The order challenges the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on United States soil and has been upheld for more than a century, including in the Supreme Court case United States v. Wong Kim Ark. Although some conservatives may frame the action as a routine effort to strengthen immigration policy, the order moves beyond traditional conservatism. It departs from the rule of law, rejects long-standing legal precedent, and promotes an exclusionary …

Reshaping Globalization From Within: China’S Vision Through Brics And Beyond, Kyra Friederich

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This paper examines how China reshapes globalization through its engagement in BRICS and its broader strategic vision. I am looking beyond Western-centric interpretations of China’s rise as this analysis centers on China’s historical foreign policy traditions, its controlled integration into global capitalism, and its moral developmental discourse under Xi Jinping. This paper draws on Fairbank’s framework of hierarchical order and frontier defense, alongside contemporary theories of neoliberal adaptation. China’s approach to multilateralism blends market liberalization with strong state authority. Through BRICS, the Belt and Road Initiative, and Xi’s six global initiatives, China positions itself as both a beneficiary and reformer …

The Arc Of Discharging Student Loans: The Evolution Of The Brunner Standard, Nicholas G. Glover Esq

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Institutionalizing (?) The South: The New Development Bank, Kyra Friederich

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

Over the past two decades, the Global South has undergone a significant shift from loose political coordination to more formalized institutional structures. The New Development Bank (NDB) was founded by the BRICS in 2015 and embodies this transition by combining the egalitarian ethos of earlier South-South initiatives such as the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Forum. This paper argues that the NDB represents a distinctive and paradoxical form of Global South institutionalization. It advances principles of equality, sovereignty, and mutual benefit while also adopting bureaucratic and geopolitical practices. Through an analysis of the Bank’s governance design, operational innovations, and evolving development philosophy, …

The Expanding And Contracting Definition Of A 'Particular Social Group' Since Acosta, Nicholas Danko

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Combating Human Rights Abuses In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Karan Kuppa-Apte

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

This article focuses on human rights abuses stemming from the mining industry of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the country's eastern region. It argues that the United States (US), European Union (EU), and China should strive to uphold human rights in DRC because of their significant global presence and involvement in the country's mining industry. It begins with an overview of the conflict, including its historical origins, relevant actors, and current status quo. It continues by describing two unsuccessful strategies that have been tried to protect human rights. It concludes with a recommendation to the US, EU, and …

Silenced Voices: An Exploration Of Religious Oppression And Human Rights Violation In Post-Revolutionary Iran, Isabella Caradonna

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Conflating Disease, Morality, And Sex: Regulating Military Fitness In The War Years, Hanna Ranis

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

The United States military worried about the impact of venereal diseases on the ability of soldiers to fight in both World War 1 and 2. The war years thus resulted in an increase in regulations that sought to curb the spread of venereal diseases. Much of this regulatory shift has focused on how police targeted women who were suspected of spreading venereal diseases to American soldiers. Women were profiled as promiscuous and possible sex workers, with the lines between the two categories becoming increasingly blurred. Policing was viewed as a public health regulatory mechanism that needed to be carried out …

The Flexibility Of The Constitution: Civil War-Era Actions And Their Reenactments, Leah Brouda

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Bates College Journal Of Political Studies: Volume Ii, Issue 1, Fall 2025, Bates Initiative For Government Studies

Bates College Journal of Political Studies

No abstract provided.

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review: Volume Ii, Issue I, Fall 2025, Bates College Law Society

Bates College Undergraduate Law Review

No abstract provided.

Incorrect Administration Of The Rabies Vaccine Leading To An Unusual Case Of Acute Bursitis And Tendonitis Of The Rotator Cuff, Chelsea Lee, Jina Nmn Park, Alberto Giardini

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) is an uncommon but increasingly recognized complication resulting from improper intramuscular injection technique. SIRVA occurs when a vaccine is administered too high or too deep into the deltoid muscle, leading to inflammation of the shoulder structures such as the rotator cuff and subacromial bursa. While most reported cases involve influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, SIRVA following rabies vaccination is rare. This case highlights a 46-year-old female who developed acute rotator cuff tendinitis and bursitis after a malplaced rabies vaccine injection. Early recognition and intervention, including corticosteroid injection and physical therapy, led to significant symptom …

Integrating Peer Specialists In Primary Care: Narrative Review With Illustrative Examples, And Pragmatic Recommendations To Support Implementation, Emily M. Johnson, Christina Shook, Kimberly Barrie, Kyle Possemato

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Behavioral health peer support specialists, peers, are health care system employees with lived experience of mental health or substance use concerns who are trained and hired to support others with behavioral health concerns in behavioral health clinics and medical settings. Peer-delivered services have a long history and research consistently demonstrates evidence of varied benefits for a wide range of patients. Peers are increasingly being hired to work within primary care settings to support the needs of primary care patients with behavioral health concerns and enhance the interdisciplinary nature of integrated primary care teams. However, integration of peers into this new …

Process For The Preparation Of Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents And Its Intermediates, Msn Laboratories Private Limited, R&D Center; Srinivasan Thirumalai Rajan; Sagyam Rajeshwar Reddy; Velishala Praveen And Vadlakonda Srikanth.

Defensive Publications Series

The present application relates to a process for the preparation of 2,2',2''-(1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triyl)triacetic acid represented by the following structural formula-3.

Formula-3.

Present disclosure also describes a novel crystalline form of Calteridol calcium and its process for the preparation.

Constrained Response Generation For Conversational Generative Ai Agents, Łukasz Bieniasz-Krzywiec, Kyle Boone, Ryan Carl Yao Yu

Defensive Publications Series

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) agents in various applications can be affected by the underlying models exhibiting hallucinations and/or vulnerability to prompt injection attacks. In customer-facing applications, such as taking orders for quick service restaurants (QSR) or drive-through restaurants, model hallucinations can create a risk of brand damage and/or bad publicity. This disclosure describes techniques that constrain the output of generative AI agents using deterministic control to reduce off-topic or inappropriate responses in structured conversational contexts such as order-taking in a quick service restaurant. A deterministic control module includes a state machine whose states are the current context. …

Ai-Assisted Meeting Lifecycle Management For Enhanced Productivity, Anton Volkov, Lindsay Moore, Kimberly Ha, Dom Ekeledo, Juan Angustia, Felix Mejia, Sara Olson, Joy Barlow, Awaneesh Verma, Avery Fisher, Adam Karnas, Ravi Mruthyunjaya, Rabia Murtza, Kristin Moore, Kelly Dern, Yury Pinsky, Ryan Fedyk, Arvid Callas

Defensive Publications Series

Meeting productivity is often hindered by attendees being unprepared, a lack of clear objectives, and difficulty in tracking discussions and outcomes. This leads to inefficient use of time and a loss of valuable information, as post-meeting actions and decisions are frequently unclear or forgotten. The problem extends beyond video conferences to phone and in-person meetings, which often lack any formal support structure. This disclosure describes a system that uses artificial intelligence to manage the entire meeting lifecycle. The system provides pre-meeting briefings with contextual information, offers real-time in-meeting assistance for note-taking and agenda management, and generates post-meeting summaries with actionable …

Cross-Probe Virtual Element Synthesis For Ultrasound Imaging, Diane Manthey, Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

This invention describes a system and method for synthesizing virtual ultrasound elements by combining physical elements from two separate probes

Adaptive Placement Of Augmented Reality User Interface Elements Using Reinforcement Learning, Dongeek Shin

Defensive Publications Series

Conventional augmented reality (AR) systems often struggle to accurately and contextually place user interface (UI) elements, leading to a non-immersive or intrusive user experience. This disclosure presents a method for personalized UI placement in AR through reinforcement learning. The technique utilizes an agent trained with deep reinforcement learning to determine the optimal position and orientation of virtual UI elements. Input features, including environmental depth maps, eye-tracking data, and application context, are processed to inform placement decisions. The agent learns from both implicit user interactions, like gaze aversion or physical interference, and explicit user corrections. This process allows the UI placement …

Cross-Device Eye-Tracking Calibration Via Reference Model Remapping, Mar Gonzalez Franco, Eric Jordan Gonzalez, Lucy Abramyan, Karan Ahuja, Prasanthi Gurumurthy, Khushman Jayantilal Patel

Defensive Publications Series

Eye-tracking calibration models are often specific to a particular device’s sensor geometry, requiring extensive data collection and retraining when camera or LED positions are altered in new hardware. This process is resource-intensive and hinders the portability of models across different devices. A method is disclosed for adapting a comprehensive eye-tracking model from a reference device to a new device with a different sensor layout. By collecting a minimal set of new calibration points on the target device, a transformation matrix is generated. This matrix remaps the existing reference model to the new geometry. The primary purpose of this technique is …

Visual Cue For Item Value Discrepancy In An Augmented Reality Environment, Nick Dugal

Defensive Publications Series

Wearable devices, such as augmented reality (AR) devices and smart glasses, lack an intuitive, non-disruptive mechanism for informing a user about suboptimal pricing for a viewed item. This disclosure describes a method for displaying a dynamic visual cue, such as a stylized line, proximate to an item’s displayed price. The properties of this cue, including color, thickness, or animation, can be modified to convey the magnitude of the value discrepancy. User interaction with the cue can reveal detailed comparison pricing sourced from various databases. This price-matching information can also be transferred to a secondary device. The primary purpose is to …

Automated Spatial Localization Of Iot Devices Via Visual Detection And Network-Initiated Feedback, Michael Christopher Yu

Defensive Publications Series

Manually registering the spatial positions of numerous Internet of Things (IoT) devices within an Extended Reality (XR) environment is a cumbersome process for users. This lack of automated spatial mapping limits the ability to perform context-aware interactions with these devices. The disclosed method addresses this by using an XR device’s vision and depth sensors to first detect a potential IoT device and estimate its 3D position. The XR device then sends a network-based request to candidate devices, instructing them to provide a confirmation signal, such as illuminating an LED. When the XR device’s camera detects this signal, the device's identity …

Design-Time Preview System For Blended User Interfaces On Transparent Displays, Adhithya Ramakumar, Louis Benedict Pullen-Freilich

Defensive Publications Series

Designing user interfaces for transparent additive displays presents a challenge in which graphical blend modes alter specified UI colors based on the real-world background, creating a mismatch between the design intent and the final user experience. This limitation forces a slow, iterative workflow of deploying to a physical device to verify visual appearance. A method is disclosed for generating an accurate design-time preview of such UIs directly within a development environment. The technique renders the complete UI to an offscreen buffer and then composites the UI against a representative background using a graphics layer with a specified blend mode. This …

Predicting User Interaction Intent For Adaptive Ui Highlighting In Extended Reality Environments, Tushar Chugh, Aditya Shrikant Mone, Karthik Kumara

Defensive Publications Series

In extended reality (XR) environments, persistent highlighting of user interface (UI) elements based on gaze can distract users during non-interactive tasks, such as reading. Conversely, a complete lack of highlighting can reduce interaction precision and increase the risk of accidentally activating critical controls. The disclosed technology is a method for adaptive gaze highlighting that dynamically controls the visibility of these visual cues. The method utilizes a model to analyze multimodal inputs, such as gaze patterns, gestural cues, and application context, to predict a user’s intent to interact. A necessity score is calculated based on the UI element’s characteristics and the …