Digital Commons Network^™

Contracting Correctness: A Rubric For Analyzing Morality Clauses, Patricia S. Abril, Nicholas Greene

Articles

Morality clauses give a contracting party the right to terminate if the other party behaves badly or embarrassingly. A curious product of twentieth-century Hollywood, these contract clauses have traditionally been used to control the antics of entertainers and athletes. The current politically-sensitive historical moment, combined with the internet's ability to broadcast widely and permanently, has put everyone's off-duty speech, conduct, and reputation under the microscope. Media reports detailing people's digital falls from grace abound. For fear of negative association, businesses are more attuned than ever to the extracurricular acts of their agents and associates-and are increasingly binding them to morality …

From Law Reform To Lived Justice: Marriage Equality, Personal Praxis, And Queer Normativity In The United States, Francisco Valdes

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No abstract provided.

Studying The Drug Delivery Kinetics Of A Nanoporous Matrix Using A Mip-Based Thermal Sensing Platform, Christopher J. Pawley, Ariane Perez-Gavilan, Kaelin S. Foley, Sarah Lentink

Articles

The implementation of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) into sensing systems has been demonstrated abundantly over the past few decades. In this article, a novel application for an MIP-based thermal sensing platform is introduced by using the sensor to characterize the drug release kinetics of a nanoporous silver-organic framework. This Ag nanoporous matrix was loaded with acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) which was used as a model drug compound in this study. The drug elution properties were studied by placing the nanoporous matrix in phosphate buffered saline solution for two days and measuring the drug concentration at regular time intervals. To this extent, …

Effects Of Ommt On The Aging Behaviors Of Halogen-Antimony Flame-Retarded Lgfpa6 Composites: Flammability And Thermal Degradation Kinetics, Xiaoling Zuo, Haishuo Song, Huiju Shao, Minh Hang Au, Tao Wei, Jianbing Guo

Articles

After a long-term thermo-oxidative exposure, compared to the long-glass-fiber reinforced polyamide 6 composite containing halogen-antimony flame retardants (FR/LGFPA6), substitution of a certain content of flame retardants with organo-modified montmorillonite (OMMT) was found to positively affect the FR/LGFPA6 composite in some cases (i.e. flammability and thermal degradation kinetics). The aged OMMT/FR/LGFPA6 composite not only was less flammable but also behaved better in the formation of char residues. All the calculated apparent activation energy obtained by the methods of Friedman, Flynn-Wall-Ozawa and Coats- Redfern in a dynamic measurement showed an obvious increase for the OMMT/FR/LGFPA6 composite after aging, a theoretical evidence for …

Precision Control Of Flow Rate In Microfluidic Channels Using Photoresponsive Soft Polymer Actuators, Colm Delaney, Peter Mccluskey, Simon Coleman, Jeffrey Whyte, Nigel Kent, Dermot Diamond

Articles

A novel approach that allows control of flow in microfluidic channels with unsurpassed performance using light is described. Valve structures have been created using photoresponsive hydrogels based on spiropyran-functionalised pNIPAAm hydrogels photopolymerised around pillar structures within the channels. Valve actuation is controlled from outside the fluidic system using externally located LEDs. Highly precise and accurate flow rates can be selected by passing real-time flow rate measurements into a PID algorithm. The optimised algorithm also minimises overshoot of the selected flow rate, eliminates flow rate drift, and improves the system response time. In addition to the dramatic improvements in flow rate …

Taxation, Debt And Relative Prices In The Long Run: The Irish Experience., Vahagn Galstyan, Adnan Velic

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This paper investigates the effects of public debt and distortionary labour taxation on the long-run behaviour of Irish relative non-traded goods prices. We highlight that higher public debt, acting through higher taxes, has an equivocal impact on the relative supply of non-traded goods and, correspondingly, relative prices. Our empirical analysis for Ireland suggests that taxes and public debt play significant roles in the long run, comoving negatively with the relative price of non-tradables. Accordingly, shifts in public debt and taxation bear implications for the country’s international price competitiveness.

Surface Attachment Of Active Antimicrobial Coatings Onto Conventional Plastic Based Laminates And Performance Assessment Of These Materials On The Storage Life Of Vacuum Packaged Beef Sub-Primals, D. Clarke, A. Tyuftin, M. Cruz-Romero, D. Bolton, S. Fanning, S. K. Pankai, Carmen Bueno-Ferrer, Patrick J. Cullen, J. P. Kerry

Articles

Two antimicrobial coatings, namely Sodium octanoate and Auranta FV (a commercial antimicrobial composed of bioflavonoids, citric, malic, lactic, and caprylic acids) were used. These two antimicrobials were surface coated onto the inner polyethylene layer of cold plasma treated polyamide films using beef gelatin as a carrier and coating polymer. This packaging material was then used to vacuum pack beef sub-primal cuts and stored at 4 °C. A control was prepared using the non-coated commercial laminate and the same vacuum packaged sub-primal beef cuts. During storage, microbial and quality assessments were carried out. Sodium octanoate treated packages significantly (p < 0.05) reduced microbial counts for all bacteria tested with an increase of 7 and 14 days, respectively compared to control samples. No significant effect on pH was observed with any treatment. The results suggested that these food grade antimicrobials have the potential to be used in antimicrobial active packaging applications for beef products.

Challenges In Model Development For Meat Composition Using Multipoint Nir Spectroscopy From At‐Line To In‐Line Monitoring, Yash Dixit, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, R. Cama-Moncunill, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

This study evaluates the efficiency of multipoint near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to predict the fat and moisture content of minced beef samples both in at‐line and on‐line modes. Additionally, it aims at identifying the obstacles that can be encountered in the path of performing in‐line monitoring. Near‐infrared (NIR) reflectance spectra of minced beef samples were collected using an NIR spectrophotometer, employing a Fabry‐Perot interferometer. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models based on reference values from proximate analysis yielded calibration coefficients of determination of 0.96 for both fat and moisture. For an independent batch of samples, fat was estimated with a prediction …

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy For Quantification Of Sodium And Potassium In Minced Beef: A Potential Technique For Detecting Beef Kidney Adulteration, Y. Dixit, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, R. Cama-Moncunill, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Beef is a rich source of important minerals, with potassium (K) being the most abundant mineral quantitatively except in cured meats where sodium (Na) from the added salt predominates. This study evaluates the capability of LIBS for quantification of the Na and K contents of minced beef as a potential method of detecting beef kidney adulteration. Additionally, the study aims to demonstrate the ability of LIBS to provide spatial mineral information of minced beef. A LIBS system was employed to collect spectral information of adulterated minced beef samples. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used to obtain reference values for Na …

Work Placement Reflective Assessments And Employability Enhanced Through Highlighting Graduate Attributes, Julie Dunne

Articles

This paper reports on a study which investigated the effect of activities to promote awareness of specific prioritised graduate attributes on the quality of reflection displayed in student work-placement reflective blog assessments. The focus of the paper is on the results from a thematic analysis of reflective writing assisted by NVivo software from a control and research group, using the a priori codes of ‘reflection’ and ‘graduate attributes’, as part of a Participatory Action Research study. The findings show an increase in reflection associated with graduate attributes in the research group compared to the control group. More importantly, there is …

Optimization Of Atmospheric Air Plasma For Degradation Of Organic Dyes In Wastewater, Chaitanya Sarangapani, Yash Dixit, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Carl Sullivan, Paula Bourke, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

This study optimises the degradation of a cocktail of the dyes methyl orange and bromothymol blue by atmospheric air plasma. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to investigate the efficacy of the plasma process parameters on degradation efficiency. A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was employed to optimise the degradation of dyes by air plasma discharge. A second order polynomial equation was proposed to predict process efficiency. It was observed that the predicted values are significant (p < 0.001) with coefficients of determination 0.98, 0.96, 0.98 for dye degradation, pH value and ozone concentration, respectively. The analysis of variance results showed …

Controlling Brochothrix Thermosphacta As A Spoilage Risk Using In Package Atmospheric Cold Plasma, Apurva Patange, Daniela Boehm, Carmen Bueno-Ferrer, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Brochothrix thermosphacta is a predominant spoilage microorganism in meat and its control in processing environments is important to maintain meat product quality. Atmospheric cold plasma is of interest for control of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in foods. This study ascertained the potential of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) for control of B. thermosphacta in response to key parameters such as treatment time, voltage level, interactions with media composition and post treatment storage conditions. Challenge populations were evaluated as suspensions in PBS, as biofilms in meat model medium and surface attached on raw lamb chops under MAP.

ACP treatment …

Risk Registers: Structuring Data Collection To Develop Risk Intelligence, Maria Chiara Leva, Nora Balfe, B. Mcaleer, M. Rock

Articles

This paper presents the results of the development and implementation of a company-wide risk register, based on a clear set of data structures. A case study from an electricity generation company is presented and the process followed is described. The results of the case study indicated areas where the concept of risk registers could be extended to make better use of existing data and to support continuous improvement of risk management. Six key areas are discussed (1) aggregation of risks across the business, (2) supporting controls over mitigation measures, (3) improved estimation of event likelihood, (4) integrating with critical asset …

Quantification Of Trace Metals In Infant Formula Premixes Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Yash Dixit, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Infant formula is a human milk substitute generally based upon fortified cow milk components. In order to mimic the composition of breast milk, trace elements such as copper, iron and zinc are usually added in a single operation using a premix. The correct addition of premixes must be verified to ensure that the target levels in infant formulae are achieved. In this study, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system was assessed as a fast validation tool for trace element premixes. LIBS is a promising emission spectroscopic technique for elemental analysis, which offers real-time analyses, little to no sample preparation and …

Quantification Of Copper Content With Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy As A Potential Indicator Of Offal Adulteration In Beef, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Yash Dixit, David Geulen, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an emerging technique in the field of food analysis which provides various advantages such as minimal sample preparation, chemical free, rapid detection, provision of spatial information and portability. In this study, LIBS was employed for quantitative analysis of copper content in minced beef samples spiked with beef liver over three independent batches. Copper content was determined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy (GFAAS) in order to obtain reference values for modelling. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was performed to build a calibration and validation model. A calibration model with a high Rcv2 of 0.85 …

A Rational Design Of A Selective Inhibitor For Kv1.1 Channels Prevalent In Demyelinated Nerves That Improves Their Impaired Axonal Conduction, Ahmed Al-Sabi, Declan Daly, Patrick Hoefer, Gemma K. Kinsella, Charles Metais, Mark Pickering, Caroline Herron, Seshu Kumar Kaza, Kieran Nolan, J. Oliver Dolly

Articles

K+ channels containing Kv1.1 α subunits, which become prevalent at internodes in demyelinated axons, may underlie their dysfunctional conduction akin to muscle weakness in multiple sclerosis. Small inhibitors were sought with selectivity for the culpable hyper-polarizing K+ currents. Modeling of interactions with the extracellular pore in a Kv1.1-deduced structure identified diaryldi(2-pyrrolyl)methane as a suitable scaffold with optimized alkyl ammonium side chains. The resultant synthesized candidate [2,2′-((5,5′(di-p-topyldiaryldi(2-pyrrolyl)methane)bis(2,2′carbonyl)bis(azanediyl)) diethaneamine·2HCl] (8) selectively blocked Kv1.1 channels (IC50 ≈ 15 μM) recombinantly expressed in mammalian cells, induced a positive shift in the voltage dependency of K+ current activation, and slowed its kinetics. It …

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs) For Food Analysis: A Review, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Yash Dixit, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Background Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an atomic emission spectroscopic technique which uses a focused pulsed laser beam to generate plasma from the material. The plasma contains atoms, ions and free electrons which emit electromagnetic radiation as the plasma cools down. The emitted light is resolved by a spectrometer to form a spectrum. Recently, LIBS has become an emerging analytical technique for characterisation and identification of materials; its multi-elemental analysis, fast response, remote sensing, little to no sample preparation, low running cost and ease of use make LIBS a promising technique for the food sector.

Scope and approach The present …

Facilitating Smart Haccp Strategies With Process Analytical Technology, Fintan Moran, Carl Sullivan, Kevin Keener, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

The critical feature to any food management system, be it safety or quality focused, is timely and accurate product and process data. The HACCP framework is one of a systematic preventive approach that addresses hazards as a means of prevention rather than finished product inspection. The PAT initiative is a framework which also aims to change product assurance from end-product testing to preventive control through timely measurements of critical product and process parameters. The continued emergence of sensitive yet affordable sensors capable of direct measurement of biological, chemical and physical risks associated with foods during production, processing or over their …

The Application Of Carbon Monoxide In Meat Packaging Needs To Be Re-Evaluated Within The Eu: An Overview, Lauren Anne Van Rooyen, Paul Allen, David I. O'Connor

Articles

Carbon monoxide (CO) has many value-added benefits in meat packaging due to its colour stabilising effects and enhancement of meat quality attributes. The regulation of CO within meat packaging varies worldwide and remains a topical and controversial issue. CO is prohibited in the EU for use in meat packaging mainly due to fears it may mask spoilage therefore misleading consumers. The issue of consumer acceptance of CO was not considered. This article reviews the most pertinent literature to assess if the problems associated with the prohibition have been addressed. Applying CO pretreatments prior to vacuum packaging enhances colour while allowing …

Longer-Term Impact Of Highand Low Temperature On Mortality: An International Study To Clarify Length Of Mortality Displacement, Ben Armstrong, Michelle Bell, Micheline De Sousa Zanotti Stagliorio Coelho, Yue Liang Leon Guo, Yuming Guo, Patrick J. Goodman, Masahiro Hashizume, Yasushi Honda, Ho Kim, Eric Lavigne, Paola Michelozzi, Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva, Joel Schwartz, Matteo Scortichini, Francesco Sera, Aurelio Tobias, Shilu Tong, Chang Fu Wu, Antonella Zanobetti, Ariana Zeka, Antonio Gasparrini

Articles

In many places, daily mortality has been shown to increase after days with particularly high or low temperatures, but such daily time-series studies cannot identify whether such increases reflect substantial life shortening or short-term displacement of deaths (harvesting).

Subjective Usability, Mental Workload Assessments And Their Impact On Objective Human Performance, Luca Longo

Articles

Self-reporting procedures and inspection methods have been largely employed in the fields of interaction and web-design for assessing the usability of interfaces. However, there seems to be a propensity to ignore features related to end-users or the context of application during the usability assessment procedure. This research proposes the adoption of the construct of mental workload as an additional aid to inform interaction and web-design. A user-study has been performed in the context of human-web interaction. The main objective was to explore the relationship between the perception of usability of the interfaces of three popular web-sites and the mental workload …

A Conceptual Framework For A Software Development Process Based On Computational Thinking, Catherine Higgins, Ciaran O'Leary, Orla Hanratty, Fredrick Mtenzi

Articles

A software development process is a mechanism for problem solving to help software developers plan, design and structure the development of software to solve a problem. Without a process to guide the structured evolution of a solution, it is extremely likely that at least some aspect of the resulting software will be omitted or incorrectly implemented. Even though the importance of utilising a software process for solving problems is accepted in the business and academic communities, it is a topic that is addressed very lightly (if at all) in most freshman undergraduate computing courses with most courses focussing on programming …

Pilot Investigation Into The Use Of An Anthropomorphic Breast Sonography Phantom As A Training And Assessment Tool, Jacinta Browne, Louise Cannon, Ronan Mcdermott, Max Ryan, Andrew Fagan

Articles

A device for the training and quantitative assessment of the competency of trainee radiologists in the technically challenging area of breast sonography was developed and evaluated. Currently, suitable commercially available devices are lacking, and there is a growing realization that the reliance on direct exposure to patients for learning may not represent best practice from either the trainees' or patients' perspective. Three devices (PI, PII and PIII) were designed to produce very realistic sonographic images of breast morphology with a range of embedded pathologies. The pilot evaluation used a case study research design to evaluate the role of the anthropomorphic …

Sital Kalantry: Women's Human Rights And Migration: Sex-Selective Abortion Laws In The United States And India, Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum

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No abstract provided.

How Strange The Change From Major To Minor, Peter Goodrich

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No abstract provided.

Functionality Screens, Christopher Buccafusco, Mark A. Lemley

Articles

Among intellectual property (IP) doctrines, only utility patents should protect function. Utility patents offer strong rights that place constraints on competition, but they only arise when inventors can demonstrate substantial novelty after a costly examination. Copyrights, trademarks, and design patents are much easier to obtain than utility patents, and they often last much longer. Accordingly, to prevent claimants from obtaining “backdoor patents,” the other IP doctrines must screen out functionality. As yet, however, courts and scholars have paid little systematic attention to the ways in which these functionality screens operate across and within IP law.We have four tasks in this …

Fingerprints And Miscarriages Of Justice: "Other" Types Of Error And A Post-Conviction Right To Database Searching, Simon A. Cole, Barry Scheck

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The article examines the role of fingerprint evidence in wrongful convictions and exonerations, focusing on errors beyond erroneous individualizations, such as missed exclusions and inconclusive results. It introduces a framework for categorizing fingerprint errors and advocates for increased access to post-conviction Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) searches to reduce miscarriages of justice. The authors argue that while DNA database searching is widely recognized as a tool for exonerations, fingerprint database searching remains underutilized despite its potential to uncover innocence. They propose expanding legal access to fingerprint evidence to align with the principles of truth, justice, and science.

Lost In Transplantation: The Supreme Court's Post-Prudence Jurisprudence, Adam N. Steinman

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This essay is an invited response to Fred Smiths Vanderbilt Law Review article Undemocratic Restraint Smith critiques an important trend in the Supreme Courts decisions on standing the transformation of concepts that had been viewed as judiciallycreated prudential limits on a partys standing to sue into concepts grounded in positive law such as federal statutes or the Constitution This essay uses two Supreme Court decisions which coincidentally came down weeks after Smiths article was published to highlight some questions and concerns regarding two areas of standing doctrine that Smith examines One subject of doctrinal transplantation has been the zone of …

The Cost Of Inexperience, Mirit Eyal-Cohen

Articles

Free market entry is vital in preventing concentration of market power and eliminating large deadweight losses Yet in recent years studies show that newcomers are less successful than existing firms that have diversifies their products in the market What might explain this phenomenonThis Article unveils a regulatory catch 22 It reveals that although a regulation may be efficient in correcting a certain market failure its distributional effects may create another It exposes the degree to which "economies of experience" in regulation create significant disadvantages to newcomers and provide substantial advantages to oldtimers Being wellversed in their marketplace oldtimers possess knowledge …

Europe's Moral Margin: Parental Aspirations And The European Court Of Human Rights, Clare Ryan

Articles

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) balances along two axes: individual right vs. government interest and national vs. supranational judgment. The Court calibrates the level of deference it affords States through the margin of appreciation, a doctrine designed to vary how strictly the supranational court will scrutinize national decisions. This Article challenges the way in which the Court deploys margin of appreciation in order to defer to "sensitive moral and ethical" decisions taken by domestic institutions. I call this deference the "moral margin." Although the European Convention on Human Rights explicitly authorizes the Court to take "protection of morals" …