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Cheap Apocalypse
No full textCheap Apocalypse is a novel that explores how free-market capitalism has imperiled diverse ecologies and the future(s) of every living species in the pursuit of profit maximization. Narrated by a discarded television floating in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch––an enormous amalgamation of garbage which can be seen from space––this novel will expose human consumer culture alongside the experiences of animals, plants, and other entities (both sentient and not). By re-imagining the humanist binary which has long separated humans from the natural world, Cheap Apocalypse will provide attention to the animate and inanimate alike whose fates are at stake with environmental catastrophe. This approach will foreground multispecies perspectives and agencies across narrative points of view which disrupt conventional narratives of ecological collapse that center human life
Philosophical Sundials: Adorno and the Lyric
No full textThis dissertation consists of two distinct parts. The first investigates the theory of the lyric in the work of Theodor W. Adorno. The second entails an engagement with that theory through a collection of original lyric poems. The three case studies of the critical apparatus track how it is that Adorno’s conception of the lyric serves as a metonymic cipher for his work as a whole, one which reemphasizes and remediates several key concepts in his thinking.
After a brief introduction, the first of these chapters approaches Adorno’s notion of the subject-object dialectic through the lens of his own attempts at writing lyric poetry. The second addresses the metaphysical remainder in Adorno’s materialist philosophy alongside the wartime poetics of Wallace Stevens, paying special attention to Adorno’s famous dictum against poetry after Auschwitz. The third chapter attempts to outline the appearance of a paradoxical “inverse” theology at the heart of Adorno’s thinking by reading it through the lyric of Ingeborg Bachmann.
As a kind of master star map to the constellation herein, both this suite of investigations and the poems that follow pay special attention to figures of thought which aporically survives their own negation, historically, theoretically, and poetically
Relative and Absolute Patentability
No full textIn this Article, we define and interrogate a new typology for patentability rules. In our typology, some such rules are predominantly relative inquiries—meaning that they entail the use of discrete comparators—whereas others are predominantly absolute in that they lack this core comparative methodology. Selected patentability rules blend the characteristics of both relative and absolute inquiries in complex ways.
We leverage our relative/absolute typology in this Article to make two sets of contributions to the literature. First, we use our typology to craft a new descriptive account of the patentability doctrines. We show that the requirements of novelty and nonobviousness are almost exclusively relative measures of patentability, while the requirements of eligible subject matter and utility are almost exclusively absolute measures of patentability. Other requirements—namely the enablement and written description requirements, both inquiries into the adequacy of the patent disclosure—are blended, with the enablement requirement tipping towards the relative and the written description requirement largely absolute. In light of these observations, we argue that the typology is an attractive pedagogical tool for explaining the patentability rules in a new way, in judicial, administrative, academic, and other settings where such explanations are critical.
The second contribution is normative. We assert that our typology offers a new framework within which to address some longstanding patent law debates (such as proposed legislative abrogation of aspects of the jurisprudence of subject matter eligibility), and some new ones (such as the influence of ex parte pre-grant substantive patentability examination on patent quality). Regarding the latter, we float a provocative proposal to reformulate the scope of ex parte examination along the lines of our typology, relieving the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of the burden of examining applications for compliance with the absolute patentability requirements, leaving those requirements for assessment in contested proceedings such as litigation. We also discuss procedural changes that would be necessary to implement such a proposal.
We conclude that the relative/absolute typology affords a new vocabulary for exploring core doctrines in substantive patent law and foundational institutional arrangements in the patent system. It may also extend beyond the doctrinal contexts we explore here
The Hidden Toll of Crowd Control: Rethinking the Use of Kinetic Impact Projectiles in American Policing
No full textThis thesis critically examines the use of Kinetic Impact Projectiles (KIPs) by law enforcement in the United States, highlighting the discrepancy between their intended function as “less-lethal” crowd control tools and the severe injuries and fatalities they frequently cause. Spurred by widespread police violence during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, this study explores the physical, legal, and policy impacts of KIP deployment. Drawing on public health data, legal case outcomes, and international human rights reports, the research identifies significant risks associated with KIPs, including high rates of head and ocular injuries, and a troubling lack of training and regulation. Utilizing the Bardach policy analysis framework, the thesis evaluates four policy alternatives: reclassifying KIPs as less-lethal, requiring officer certification, banning KIPs entirely, and maintaining the status quo. It recommends a combined approach of mandatory training and reclassification to maximize safety, transparency, and cost-effectiveness. This work calls for urgent reform in KIP policy to prevent further harm and restore public trust in law enforcement
Wearable AI, Bystander Notice, and the Question of Privacy Frictions
No full textWith the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) technology and the widespread availability of large language models (“LLMs”), wearable AI devices and designs for new hardware have surged like never before. While wearable AI was traditionally marketed for health and fitness purposes, many of the emerging products are multifunctional. These features can jeopardize the privacy of bystanders in addition to the consumers. Product designers are thus facing a dilemma: ensuring third-party privacy or guaranteeing convenience and a user-friendly design. This Article argues for mandating “privacy frictions” to function as both bystander notice and consent for wearable AI devices with audiovisual features. Privacy frictions are tangible measures that can put the reasonable bystander on notice. While this human-centered privacy design may impact the users’ experience, it ensures a future where privacy continues to be relevant and valued
Cliques or Collaborators: Impressions of Cultural Collaboration in Academic Libraries
Get PDFIn 2016, Absher and Cardenas-Dow wrote that for people of color, collaboration is often “a complex social and cultural negotiation” that acts as “a coping mechanism, a way to meet every day needs, the way we succeed and thrive in an environment that is not always accepting of our viewpoints[i].” Approaching collaboration as library faculty members with an understanding of its complex nature, the authors were delighted when the opportunity to collaborate arose. All women of color, the ease at which we were able to share, create, and flow together naturally offered us all the coping that Absher and Cardenas-Dow mentioned. The impression of our newfound safety net by our white library colleagues was one of less than productive value, resulting in the labeling of us as a ‘clique.’ Almost picking up where Absher and Cardenas-Dow left off, we hope to examine the acts of misunderstanding and offer recommendations on how academic libraries—and many white people who work in them—can reflect on their language, intentions, and approaches to culturally exclusive collaboration. This report will touch on aspects of collaboration across departments, shifting toxic legacy practices, countering weaponized traditions of collaboration, and implementing change as new librarians.
[i] Absher and Cardenas-Dow, “Collaborative Librarianship: A Minority Opinion” in Collaborative Librarianship Vol. 8: Iss. 4, Article 3. (2016): 162
Participant 03 – Tumbuka, Chichewa, English, Japanese, Chiyao, and Kyangonde
Get PDFAn interview with Nebert Kamoto, a multilingual graduate student at the University of Denver, about the benefits and challenges of multilingualism in education as part of Professor Kamila Kinyon\u27s Multilingual DU study
Evaluating Trauma-Informed Design in a Mental Health Setting: A Community-Based Research Case Study
Get PDFThis case study utilized a community-based research framework to explore how the Trauma-Informed Design framework can be implemented in a mental health setting. This study focused on the site of Empower Therapy Practice, a private mental health practice in the Denver Metro Area, to engage clients and staff to participate in advisory boards and inform the interior design of a new office space. To explore the application of Trauma-Informed Design, participants engaged in a variety of research activities, including an evaluative questionnaire, Photovoice, and focus group. Advisory board members identified various aspects of Trauma-Informed Design which meaningfully translate to therapeutic spaces, while also providing an alternative, simplified framework that more accurately represents the interior design needs associated with a mental health setting. These findings demonstrate the importance of exploring the application of trauma-informed frameworks across settings and utilizing community-based research principles to tailor the framework to the needs of a specific community and setting
Design and Development of a Deep-Learning-Based Autonomous Metal Detector
No full textA metal detector that minimizes human exposure to a hazard area is described. The metal detector is designed for integration with a robot platform, such that the operator’s time in the hazard area can be reduced. Existing metal detectors require human oversight within the hazard area for all operations. Phase 1 of the present research comprises an initial proof of concept. The detector is a static apparatus, and the target is manipulated by the operator. A neural network identifies and classifies targets. In phase 2 the detector is a physical arm which manipulates the detector over a static target. The neural network is capable of determining whether the detector passed over a target in a preceding time-frame. Phase 3 includes more specific target identification including identifying the position of targets and improves the arm construction. The novel research enables a robot system that may operate a safe standoff distance from the operator, capable of detecting, classifying, and locating targets
Dysfunction of Polyamine Metabolism in Down Syndrome Related to Cellular Senescence and β-Amyloid Production
Get PDFPolyamines (PA) are ubiquitous in cells and highly involved in several important cellular functions and thus the dysregulation of their biosynthetic pathway is potentially associated with the progression of age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s’ disease (AD). Though there is research describing how PA content changes in organisms as they age or in those experiencing rapid aging from increased rates of senescence, as in Down syndrome (DS), it is not clear how this connection occurs and whether modulating this pathway may reveal downstream effects on related disease progression. This study examines how the modulation of the PA biosynthetic pathway by inhibition of the rate-limiting enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) by α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) affects the expression of Alzheimer’s and senescence-related biomarkers and PA biosynthesis in human fibroblasts. Proteomics and metabolomics were employed to compare data from human fibroblasts and brain tissues of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. Also, the regulation of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters and how DFMO will be described in differentiated mouse hippocampal cell cultures. ODC inhibition was found to significantly affect related metabolic pathways, demonstrating polyamine’s regulatory role and alternative routes for Ornithine metabolism. In DS, the triplication of amyloid precursor protein (APP) contributes to AD amyloidogenesis and DFMO treatment reduced its expression in fibroblasts. In addition, DFMO treatment was capable of increasing cell viability and reducing senescence markers, challenging previous notions on PAs necessity for preventing buildup of senescence. Finally, we found that DFMO rescued several GABAergic synapse proteins while describing their dysregulation in AD/DS brain tissue. The complete data supports PA modulation as a factor in expression of disease-associated proteins that can be rescued by inhibition at the start. Further research could explore additional PA regulation strategies that are associated with AD and senescence that, combined with DFMO, may offer potential therapeutic methods for the progression of age-related diseases linked to PAs dysregulation