Digital Commons Network^™

Designing Autonomous Drone For Food Delivery In Gazebo/Ros Based Environments, Hrishitva Patel

Computer Science and Engineering Research

There has been a growing global trend towards convenience, speed, and ease in delivery services, and this has been further accelerated by the COVID pandemic. With the everincreasing demand for easily accessible deliveries and expanded delivery service coverage, it has become critical that innovations in this space be developed to further ensure the industry’s smooth operation. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inadequacies became more apparent, emphasizing the need to revolutionize and accelerate the trend in order to meet the increased demand. Drone delivery systems are of particular interest in this context because they can enable faster and …

Incorporating Climate Change In Nepa Reviews: Recommendations For Reform, Michael Burger, Romany M. Webb, Jessica A. Wentz

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

The National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) requires federal agencies to conduct an environmental review prior to moving ahead with any major federal project, plan, or program that could significantly affect the environment. As part of the environmental review, agencies must share information with, and solicit feedback from, the public. The goal is to improve federal decision-making by ensuring that agencies take a hard look at the environmental effects of their actions and fully inform the public about those effects.

In guidance issued in 2016, the Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ”)—the federal body charged with implementing NEPA—identified climate change as a …

Helping New Jersey State Agencies And Departments Align Their Actions With Ghg Reduction Mandates And Environmental Justice Principles, Jennifer Danis, Zoe Makoul

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

This white paper analyzes New Jersey’s implementation gap in both the climate and justice space. Its findings are potentially applicable to the many other states who have set climate and justice goals, without robustly embedding them into their existing legal and administrative landscapes. New Jersey already has GHG reduction targets, a plan, and mapped pathways. While more aggressive tactics and targets may be required to meet evolving scientific knowledge, and cost-effective technology and markets will evolve over time, New Jersey’s climate-alignment tools and pathways are clear. The EMP, the 2020 GWRA 80x50 Report, and EO-274, among other strong state initiatives, …

Facilitators And Barriers Of Reflective Learning In Postgraduate Medical Education: A Narrative Review, Catherine Gathu

Family Medicine, East Africa

Background: Reflection in postgraduate medical education has been found to aid in the development of professional skills, improve clinical expertise, and problem solving with the aim of advancing lifelong learning skills and self-awareness, leading to good medical practice among postgraduate residents. Despite the evidenced benefits, reflection remains underused as a tool for teaching and learning, and few trainee physicians regularly engage in the process. Factors that affect the uptake of reflective learning in residency training have not yet been adequately explored.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to demonstrate the factors that influence the adoption of reflective …

The Quality Of Primary Care Performance In Private Sector Facilities In Nairobi, Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Survey, Gulnaz Mohamoud, Robert Mash

Family Medicine, East Africa

Background: Integrated health services with an emphasis on primary care are needed for effective primary health care and achievement of universal health coverage. The key elements of high quality primary care are first-contact access, continuity, comprehensiveness, coordination, and person-centredness. In Kenya, there is paucity of informa- tion on the performance of these key elements and such information is needed to improve service delivery. Therefore, the study aimed to evaluate the quality of primary care performance in private sector facilities in Nairobi, Kenya.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study using an adapted Primary Care Assessment Tool for the Kenyan context …

Girls On The Map: Mapping For Program Planning And Social Change, Eva Roca

Adolescents and Young People

This guide explores ways in which maps can add depth to the learning process as practitioners design programs for girls. Mapping leads practitioners through a cycle of information collection and analysis. It supports decision-making about where, with whom, and when to work, and how programs can make a real difference in girls’ lives. Programs increasingly recognize the importance of household and community characteristics in shaping girls’ lives, yet it is relatively less common to measure or map community features as part of program planning. Mapping relevant populations of girls and the features of the communities they live in can inform …

Cu And Ni Co-Sputtered Heteroatomic Thin Film For Enhanced Nonenzymatic Glucose Detection, Brianna Barbee, Baleeswaraiah Muchharla, Adetayo Adedeji, Abdennaceur Karoui, Kishor Kumar Sadasivuni, Mizaj Shabil Sha, Aboubakr M. Abdullah4, Gymama Slaughter, Bijandra Kumar

Bioelectrics Publications

In this work, we report a wafer-scale and chemical-free fabrication of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) heteroatomic Cu–Ni thin films using RF magnetron sputtering technique for non-enzymatic glucose sensing application. The as-prepared wafer-scale Cu–Ni thin films exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward glucose oxidation with a 1.86 μM detection limit in the range of 0.01 mM to 20 mM range. The Cu–Ni film shows 1.3- and 5.4-times higher glucose oxidation activity in comparison to the Cu and Ni electrodes, respectively. The improved electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of the bimetallic catalyst and high density of grain boundaries. The …

Flow Characteristics Through Granular Soil Influenced By Saline Water Intrusion: A Laboratory Investigation, Sudip Basack, Ghritartha Goswami, Hadi Khabbaz, M Karakouzian

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The coastal geoenvironment initiates saline water intrusion into the freshwater aquifers, producing a geohydraulic problem. Such intrusion not only contaminates the fresh groundwater resources, making them unsuitable for human use, but also alters the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer materials, which affects the coastal groundwater flow, influencing the water resources planning and management. Past investigations reveal that the groundwater flow can be linear or nonlinear depending upon the hydraulic gradient. Thus, the coefficients of nonlinear hydraulic conductivities are affected by saltwater intrusion. The present study focuses on an in-depth laboratory investigation into the influence of saltwater submergence on the nonlinear …

Corruption In Uganda, Jared Saxton

Ballard Brief

Corruption in Uganda accounts for ½ of government expenditure and mainly benefits the rich and well connected. Due to weak and unspecific laws, corruption is often not enforced in the nation. Additionally, when there are adequate laws in place, enforcement agencies often benefit from corruption and are therefore unmotivated to take action against it. Cultural factors mean that corruption is socially acceptable in many cases and is common throughout the nation. Foreign aid props up corrupt government expenditure because funding comes from an external source, and thus, the government feels less accountable to its citizens. Corruption results in poor service …

Inadequate Wash Infrastructure Among Rural Populations In The Pacific Islands, Olivia Wallgreen

Ballard Brief

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) are key aspects for development that allows families to five clean and healthy lives. However. many regions of the world. including the Pacific Islands Region. do not have proper facilities and funding to build or maintain WASH infrastructure. especially in rural areas. About 45% of rural Pacific Islanders lack access to adequate sanitation and 13% lack access to basic drinking water. Natural disasters. climate change, insufficient government action. and difficult geographic features make developing WASH infrastructure challenging. Inadequate WASH infrastructure increases the prevalence of disease and negatively affects the ecosystems of the islands. While these …

Inadequate Maternal Health Care For Women In The United States, Rebecca Stull Zundel

Ballard Brief

Although insufficient maternal health care has seen improvements in most developed countries, it is still a rising issue in the United States. This insufficiency may partly be due to the accessibility barriers that both rural and urban women face in reaching adequate care. Additionally, the expenses of maternal care or gender discrimination within medical establishments may dissuade women from seeking the care that they need. Women who receive inadequate care are at a higher risk for maternal mortality, the death of their unborn or newly born infant, and having a low-birth weight child, which comes with many issues of its …

Mission Statement

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Essential Overlapping Functions Of Crk And Crkl In Glioblastoma And Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma Cells, Neka Large, Taeju Park

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

Background: The expression levels of CT10 regulator of kinase (Crk) and Crk-like (CrkL) are elevated in many human cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). GBM and DIPG are both highly aggressive brain tumors derived from glial cells. Elevation of Crk and CrkL contributes to poor prognosis, and they have been proposed as therapeutic targets for GBM. We recently demonstrated that Crk and CrkL play essential overlapping roles in GBM cell migration. Here we have investigated if Crk and CrkL play similar roles in GBM and DIPG cells.

Methods: We induced gene knockdown of Crk, CrkL, or …

The Sars-Cov-2 E Protein Induces Pro-Inflammatory Tlr Signaling, Lung Injury And Alveolar Remodeling In The Neonatal Lung, Heather Menden, Wei Yu, Sherry M. Mabry, Aparna Venkatraman, Venkatesh Sampath

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

Background: The delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is reported to cause severe acute lung injury (ALI) in neonates. Neonates with COVID-19 can exhibit a hyper-inflammatory response with vascular injury. The mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins induce ALI in neonates is unclear. Emerging data suggest that the envelope (E protein) of the SARS-CoV-2 activates Toll Like Receptor (TLR)-mediated immune hyperactivation and cytokine storm. We tested the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 E protein can induce TLR-mediated inflammation and ALI in a neonatal mouse model of ALI we developed.

Objectives: 1) To investigate the pathogenicity of E protein in causing neonatal ALI and alveolar …

Development Of Whole-Genome Crispr-Cas9 Screens To Discover Novel Immunotherapy Targets In Pediatric Leukaemia, Jacqelyn Nemechek, Kealan Schroeder, Jennifer Pace, Bradley C. Stockard, John C. Means, Scott T. Younger, John M. Perry

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

Treatment of pediatric leukaemia often involves the use of high doses of anthracyclines, which results in severe side-effects including cardiotoxicity and the development of secondary cancers. Based on previous studies showing that anthracyclines such as doxorubicin (DXR) can target therapy-resistant leukemia stem cells (LSCs) at low, generally non-toxic doses, we repurposed DXR as a targeted inhibitor rather than a broadly cytotoxic chemotherapy. In contrast to typical clinical usage, low-dose DXR treatment reduces expression of multiple immune checkpoint (IC) inhibitors, which exposes LSCs to elimination by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. In the laboratory, anthracyclines can also stimulate immunogenic cell stress/death (ICD). Unlike …

Budesonide Embedded Sodium Alginate Thin Films For Controlled Release To The Esophagus, Norah Almahbub, Jacob Vandervaart, Rachel Chevalier

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic inflammatory disease affecting children at an increasing rate leading to poor weight gain, vomiting, esophageal strictures and increased health care burden from repeated endoscopies. Oral budesonide is the only drug commercially available for treatment, but adverse effects and compliance limit its utility.

We seek to design a microscale, low-aspect ratio, biodegradable, dispersible form of budesonide with controlled release. Our first step is to fabricate thin films utilizing common mucoadhesive polymers (chitosan and sodium alginate) embedded with budesonide. Here we report on the release characteristics of these thin films.

METHODS: Budesonide is suspended in …

Pediatric Covid-19 Involving Complicated Sinusitis With Intracranial Extension And Lemierre’S Syndrome: A Case Report, Rohit Nallani, Srivats Narayanan, Meghan Tracy, Jill M. Arganbright

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

Introduction: Pediatric COVID-19 has been associated with various complications including chronic respiratory disease and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). Otolaryngologic symptoms are common and include sore throat, nasal congestion, and taste/smell disturbances; few cases of complicated sinusitis have been reported. We present a patient with recent COVID-19 who developed complicated sinusitis with intracranial extension and Lemierre’s syndrome.

Case Description: A 16-year-old female presented to the Emergency department with history of COVID-19 diagnosis 17 days prior. She reported worsening symptoms including headache, visual changes, and neck stiffness. Initial concerns for MIS-C prompted admission to the PICU. Exam showed left proptosis, Cranial nerve …

Characteristics Of Hospitalized Children Associated With Restraint Use At A Free-Standing Children’S Hospital, Adrienne Deporre, Vincent S. Staggs, Ingrid Larson, Ashley Daly, Cy Nadler

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

Introduction:Hospitalized children are at risk for agitation and behavioral dysregulation, which may escalate to unsafe behaviors. If less restrictive de-escalation strategies fail to mitigate serious safety risks to self or others, mechanical restraints may be used on a limited basis. Restraint use, however, is problematic due to associated negative child mental health outcomes and injury risk. Pediatric studies of restraint use outside of dedicated psychiatric facilities are lacking. Specifically, clinical and demographic features associated with restraint use are poorly described. A broader understanding of restraint use among hospitalized children can guide alternative strategies for management and restraint mitigation efforts. …

The Cellular Dynamics Of Early And Transitional Human Breast Milk, Cas Lemaster, Stephen Pierce, Eric S. Geanes, Santosh Khanal, Staci Elliott, Allison Scott, Daniel A. Louiselle, Rebecca Mclennan, William E. Truog, Devika Maulik, Tamorah Lewis, Tomi Pastinen, Todd Bradley

Research at Children's Mercy Month 2022

Breast milk (BM) is a complex fluid containing factors essential for infant nutrition and immunity. Breastfeeding has been shown to be protective against infections and other immune-mediated diseases during the lacation period and beyond in later childhood. This suggests that BM also imprints the neonatal immune system and influences long-term health. BM also contains populations of maternal-derived cells. Which factors in BM that are important for neonatal health and how they change during lactation have not been well-defined. In this study, we used a single-cell transcriptomic approach to identify and define cell types of early and transitional milk. We collected …

Volcano Infrasound: Progress And Future Directions, Jacob F. Anderson, Jeffrey B. Johnson

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Over the past two decades (2000–2020), volcano infrasound (acoustic waves with frequencies less than 20 Hz propagating in the atmosphere) has evolved from an area of academic research to a useful monitoring tool. As a result, infrasound is routinely used by volcano observatories around the world to detect, locate, and characterize volcanic activity. It is particularly useful in confirming subaerial activity and monitoring remote eruptions, and it has shown promise in forecasting paroxysmal activity at open-vent systems. Fundamental research on volcano infrasound is providing substantial new insights on eruption dynamics and volcanic processes and will continue to do so over …

May 2022 Library News, University Libraries

Library News

No abstract provided.

Doing Less With More: Why The Fourth Circuit Missed Its Chance To Raise The Floor Of Mental Health Care For Detained Persons, Joshua Philip Elmets

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Managing The Police Emergency, Adam A. Davidson

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

Can Bioethics Guide Governance In Public Health Emergencies? Lessons From The Pandemic, John Conley, Arlene Davis

North Carolina Journal of Law & Technology

No abstract provided.

Deficiencies Within Guatemalan Criminal Justice Institutions When Detecting And Prosecuting Sextortion Crimes, Julia A. Bolotovsky

Student Theses

Sextortion is a form of corruption involving sexual exploitation, in which requests for monetary bribes are replaced by requests for sexual acts. Within Latin America, this crime is especially pertinent in Guatemala. Therefore, this study aims to identify which factors contribute to the occurrence of sextortion within Guatemala, while also analyzing the larger realm of violence against women. Based on semi-structured interviews with local experts and civil society activists, this study argues that sextortion is enabled by deficiencies within Guatemalan criminal justice institutions when detecting and prosecuting this crime. In order to effectively counter sextortion, more emphasis needs to be …

Food Insecurity During Covid-19 In Nyc: Inefficiencies Of Governmental Responses, Jannet Musleh

Student Theses

Due to its status as a liberal welfare state, the United States has largely relied on charities to provide food assistance to its citizens. This reliance on charity became a particular issue in the context of COVID-19 as the charities were unable to efficiently feed food insecure households. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue of food insecurity within New York City and shown the cracks within the food emergency distribution network. There is limited research on food insecurity nested in welfare state theory that scrutinizes the failures of government. The overall aim of this paper is to explore the …

Strict Prime-Intersective Polynomials For A Fixed Prime Number, Rob Rexler Baello

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In this thesis, we examine intersective polynomials, which are polynomials with integer coefficients that have a root modulo any positive integer greater than 1. For any prime number p, a p-intersective polynomial is a polynomial with integer coefficients which has a root in Zp. We define a special type of p-intersective polynomial called strict p-intersective polynomial that can be factored as the product of a p-intersective polynomial and an irreducible polynomial mod p. The main results include methods of construction of strict p-intersective polynomials for certain prime numbers p and enumeration of such polynomials of certain degrees.

Chapter 1 gives …

Square Pegs And Round Holes: Differentiated Instruction And The Law Classroom, Karen J. Sneddon

Articles

As the academic semester begins, law students enter the classroom with sharpened pencils and charged laptops. Law professors enter the classroom with prepared notes and tabbed casebooks. But how will law professors ensure that the learning of each individual student is supported? Students do not take one path to law school. From English majors to engineering majors, students enter law school immediately upon graduating from college or years after graduation with various professional experiences. Despite criticism that legal education is resistant to change and over-relies on the Socratic Method, law school educators know that learning is not a one-size-fits-all experience. …

Integrating Pharmacists In Hfref Outpatient Care To Improve Use Of Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy, Roy Robertson Md, Mindy Flanagan Phd, Kris Howard Pharmd, Elizabeth Meisberger Pharmd, Emily Keltner Bs, Ma, Lovekirat Singh Ms, Carly Daley Phd, Shauna Wagner Bsn, Rn, Tammy Toscos Phd, Michael Mirro Md, Facc, Fhrs, Faha

Health Services and Informatics Research

Background: Guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) is the cornerstone of reducing mortality and morbidity in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF); however, uniform prescribing remains low. There is potential for multidisciplinary care teams, including pharmacists, to improve GDMT use in outpatient care for patients with HFrEF. Investigation is needed to understand the impact of pharmacists in outpatient HFrEF care on GDMT prescribing.

Objectives: To examine the impact of integrating a pharmacist into an outpatient cardiology setting on GDMT prescription rates during HFrEF-related clinic visits.

Methods: This retrospective chart review study examined cardiology clinic visits (HF clinic, “general …