Digital Commons Network^™

Time Series Analysis For A 1/Tb Memory Function And Comparison With The Lyapunov Exponent Using Volatility Scaling, Paddy Walsh, Jonathan Blackledge

Articles

Being able to provide accurate forecasts on the trending behaviour of time series is important in a range of applications involving the real time evolution of signals, most notable in financial time series analysis but control engineering in general. A critical solution for providing high accuracy forecasts is the filtering operation used to identify the position in time at which a trend occurs subject to a time delay factor that is inherent in the filtering strategy used. The paper explores this strategy and presents some example results that provide a quantitative measure of the accuracy used.

A Techno-Economical Appraisal Of A Pv Domestic Plant On A Irish Dwelling, Roberto Sandano

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A comprehensive study of a domestic PV installation is addressed in this paper. A series of economic results are presented for a domestic installation in Ireland.

High Sensitivity Sol-Gel Silica Coated Optical Fiber Sensor For Detection Of Ammonia In Water, Dejun Liu, Wei Han, Arun Mallik, Jinhui Yuan, Chongxiu Yu, Gerald Farrell, Yuliya Semenova, Qiang Wu

Articles

A high sensitivity ammonia sensor based on a tapered small core singlemode fiber (SCSMF) structure for measurement of ammonia concentration in water is reported. Two tapered SCSMF fiber structures with different waist diameters of 23 µm and 13.5 µm are fabricated by using a customized microheater brushing technique. The silica based material prepared by the sol-gel method is used as a coating applied to the surface of the tapered fiber structures. To investigate the influence of the coating thickness on the sensitivity to ammonia in water, silica coatings with different thicknesses (2-pass and 8-pass coatings) are deposited on the surface …

Private Dollars For Public Litigation: An Introduction, Anthony J. Sebok

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The article argues that litigation investment—where third-party funders provide capital for lawsuits in exchange for a share of potential recoveries—should be extended to public litigation. It contends that the economic rationale for litigation investment applies equally to public entities, such as state Attorneys General, as it does to private litigants. The author highlights the funding gap in public litigation, particularly in large-scale cases against well-resourced defendants, and suggests that litigation investment could address this gap more effectively than contingent fee arrangements with private attorneys.

Editor's Introduction To The Symposium "Macpherson At 100: Reflections On Its Influence", Anthony J. Sebok

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The article introduces a symposium that challenges the conventional narrative of MacPherson v. Buick Motor Co. as a decisive victory over the privity rule. It argues that the case's actual influence is more nuanced, misunderstood, or absent than commonly believed, suggesting that the meaning of landmark decisions is shaped by subsequent interpretation rather than the ruling alone.

State Responsibility To Respect, Protect And Fulfill Human Rights Obligations In Cyberspace, Gabor Rona, Lauren Aarons

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The article argues that international human rights law applies to cyberspace, obligating States to protect individuals' rights online, including privacy, freedom of expression, and assembly. While the legal framework exists, its application remains unsettled, requiring further development to address challenges like balancing security with liberty and regulating non-State actors. The article emphasizes the need for States to adopt a "Golden Rule" approach, prioritizing human rights and security over short-term competitive advantages.

Solar Thermal Systems: Towards A Systematic Characterization Of Building Integration, Laura Aelenei, Mervyn Smyth, Werner Platzer, Brian Norton, David Kennedy, Soteris Kalogirou, Christoph Maurer

Articles

Characterization is defined as the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features. In most solar thermal collecting systems the energy performance characterization is commonly used as the most important criteria by which the system (or component) is represented. Building Integrated Solar Thermal Systems (BISTS) however are typically classified across a range of operating parameters, system features and mounting configurations, and other criteria are similarly important to be considered. Therefore BISTS characterization should also account for the architectural and building physics integration based on structural, functional and aesthetical features. A comprehensive characterization of BISTS is necessary to give designers, installers …

Towards 3d In Vitro Models For The Study Of Cardiovascular Tissues And Disease, Claire M. Brougham, Alan J. Ryan, Carolina D. Garciarena, Steve W. Kerrigan, Fergal J. O'Brien

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The field of tissue engineering is developing biomimetic biomaterial scaffolds which are showing increasing therapeutic potential for the repair of cardiovascular tissues. However, a major opportunity exists to use them as 3D in vitro models for the study of cardiovascular tissues and disease in addition to drug development and testing. These in vitro models can span the gap between 2D culture and in vivo testing thus reducing cost, time and the ethical burden of current approaches. This review outlines the progress to date and requirements for the development of ideal in vitro 3D models for blood vessels, heart valves and …

Oxygen Mass Transport In Stented Coronary Arteries, Eoin Murphy, Adrian S. Dunne, David Martin, Fergal Boyle

Articles

Oxygen deficiency, known as hypoxia, in arterial walls has been linked to increased intimal hyperplasia, which is the main adverse biological process causing in-stent restenosis. Stent implantation has significant effects on the oxygen transport into the arterial wall. Elucidating these effects is critical to optimizing future stent designs. In this study the most advanced oxygen transport model developed to date was assessed in two test cases and used to compare three coronary stent designs. Additionally, the predicted results from four simplified blood oxygen transport models are compared in the two test cases. The advanced model showed good agreement with experimental …

Equi-Biaxial Fatigue Testing Of Epm Utilising Bubble Inflation, Mark Johnson, Niall Murphy, Ray Ekins, John Hanley, Stephen Jerrams

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This paper describes an equi-biaxial tension fatigue test system which utilises the bubble inflation method to subject elastomers to equi-biaxial fatigue loading between user-defined limits of pressure, volume, stretch ratio or stress. The test system integrates a hydraulic inflation system, a high speed vision system and a control system. The high-speed vision system allows the stretch ratio and stress acting on the test specimen to be evaluated in real-time during testing. This in turn allows either stretch ratio or stress to be used as a direct control limit. In this research, constant maximum engineering stress control tests have been carried …

Computational Tracking Of Shear-Mediated Platelet Interactions With Von Willebrand Factor, Adam Ralph, Martin Somers, Jonathan Cowman, Bruno Voisin, Emma Hogan, Hannah Dunne, Eimear Dunne, Barry Byrne, Nigel Kent, Antonio J. Ricco, Dermot Kenny, Simon Wong

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The imaging of shear-mediated dynamic platelet behavior interacting with surface-immobilized von Willebrand factor (vWF) has tremendous potential in characterizing changes in platelet function for clinical diagnostics purposes. However, the imaging output, a series of images representing platelets adhering and rolling on the surface, poses unique, non-trivial challenges for software algorithms that reconstruct the positional trajectories of platelets. We report on an algorithm that tracks platelets using the output of such flow run experiments, taking into account common artifacts encountered by previously-published methods, and we derive seven key metrics of platelet dynamics that can be used to characterize platelet function. Extensive …

Self-Powered Microfluidic Device For Rapid Assay Of Antiplatelet Drugs, Bincy Jose, Peter Mccluskey, Niamh Gilmartin, Martin Somers, Dermot Kenny, Antonio J. Ricco, Nigel Kent, Lourdes Basabe-Desmonts

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We report the development of a microfluidic device for the rapid assay in whole blood of platelet-protein interactions indicative of the efficacy of antiplatelet drugs—e.g., aspirin and Plavix, two of the world’s most widely used drugs—in cardiovascular patients. Because platelet adhesion to surface-confined protein matrices is modulated by fluid shear rates at the blood/protein interface, and because such binding is a better indicator of platelet function than platelet self-aggregation, we designed, fabricated, and characterized the performance of a family of disposable, self-powered microfluidic chips with well-defined flow and interfacial shear rates suitable for small blood volumes (≤ 200 µL). We …

Justice Scalia, The 2016 Presidential Election, And The Future Of Church-State Relations, Marci A. Hamilton

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No abstract provided.

Utilising A Loop Structure To Allow A Microfiber Coupler With Larger Taper Diameters To Be Used For Sensing, Fangfang Wei, Gerald Farrell, Qiang Wu, Yuliya Semenova

Articles

This paper examines a technique that utilizes a Sagnac loop with a microfiber coupler (MFC) as a coupler which allows the MFC to operate effectively as a sensor but with larger than normal tapered fiber diameters. The proposed structure is found to be suitable for temperature and refractive index (RI) sensing. It is shown that a variation in the surrounding of the MFC RI results in a shift of the output spectrum, while a temperature variation leads to changes in the intensity of the interference dips. A decrease in the waist diameter of the MFC results in an increase in …

Spontaneous Helix Formation In Non-Chiral Bent-Core Liquid Crystals With Fast Linear Electro-Optic Effect, Sithara P. Sreenilayam, Yuri Panarin, Jagdish K. Vij, Vitaly P. Panov, Anne Lehmann, Marco Poppe, Marko Prehm, Carsten Tschierske Carsten Tschierske

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Liquid crystals (LCs) represent one of the foundations of modern communication and photonic technologies. Present display technologies are based mainly on nematic LCs, which suffer from limited response time for use in active colour sequential displays and limited image grey scale. Herein we report the first observation of a spontaneously formed helix in a polar tilted smectic LC phase (SmC phase) of achiral bent-core (BC) molecules with the axis of helix lying parallel to the layer normal and a pitch much shorter than the optical wavelength. This new phase shows fast (∼30 μs) grey-scale switching due to the deformation of …

Potassium Intake, Bioavailability, Hypertension, And Glucose Control, Michael S. Stone, Lisa Martyn, Connie M. Weaver

Articles

Potassium is an essential nutrient. It is the most abundant cation in intracellular fluid where it plays a key role in maintaining cell function. The gradient of potassium across the cell membrane determines cellular membrane potential, which is maintained in large part by the ubiquitous ion channel the sodium-potassium (Na+-K+) ATPase pump. Approximately 90% of potassium consumed (60-100 mEq) is lost in the urine, with the other 10% excreted in the stool, and a very small amount lost in sweat. Little is known about the bioavailability of potassium, especially from dietary sources. Less is understood on how bioavailability may affect …

Relationship Between Fasting Plasma Glucose Levels And Maternal Food Group And Macronutrient Intakes In Pregnancy, Laura Mullaney, Aisling Brennan, Shona Cawley, Amy C. O'Higgins, Daniel Mccartney, Michael J. Turner

Articles

Aim Increased maternal body mass index (BMI) has been consistently associated with elevated blood glucose levels during pregnancy. Studies to date investigating the relationship between maternal blood glucose levels and dietary intake have shown mixed results. We investigated the association between maternal fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels and food group and macronutrient intakes in the first trimester of pregnancy, after adjustment for maternal bodyweight.

Methods Women were recruited after sonographic confirmation of an ongoing singleton pregnancy in the first trimester. Dietary information was collected using the validated Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire. Maternal height and weight were measured and BMI calculated. …

Use Of A Web-Based Dietary Assessment Tool In Early Pregnancy, Laura Mullaney, Amy C. O'Higgins, Shona Cawley, R. Kennedy, Daniel Mccartney, M.J. Turner

Articles

Background Maternal diet is critical to fetal development and lifelong health outcomes. In this context, dietary quality indices in pregnancy should be explicitly underpinned by data correlating food intake patterns with nutrient intakes known to be important for gestation.

Aims Our aim was to assess the correlation between dietary quality scores derived from a novel online dietary assessment tool (DAT) and nutrient intake data derived from the previously validated Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire (WFFQ).

Methods 524 women completed the validated semiquantitive WFFQ and online DAT questionnaire in their first trimester. Spearman correlation and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to test associations …

Detection Of Yersinia Enterocolitica Serotype O:9 In The Faeces Of Cattle With False Positive Reactions In Serological Tests For Brucellosis In Ireland, Don O'Grady, Kevin Kenny, Seamus Power, John Egan, Fergus Ryan

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Intestinal infection by Yersinia enterocolitica serotype O:9 (YeO9) in cattle has been linked to false positive serological reactivity (FPSR) in diagnostic tests for brucellosis. Although eradicated in Ireland, brucellosis monitoring still identifies seropositive animals, usually one or two (termed singletons) per herd, which are classed as FPSR. To investigate a link between FPSR and YeO9, faeces and blood were collected from singleton FPSR cattle, and from companion animals, in eight selected herds with more than one FPSR animal, for YeO9 culture and Brucella serology. YeO9 was isolated from 76/474 (16%) FPSR singletons in 309 herds, but not from any of …

The Microenvironment Of Visceral Adipose Tissue And Liver Alter Natural Killer Cell Viability And Function, Melissa J. Conroy, Vivienne Fitzgerald, Suzanne Doyle, Shauna Channon, Zivile Useckaite, Niamh Gilmartin, Cliona O'Farrelly, Narayanasamy Ravi, John V. Reynolds, Joanne Lysaght

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The role of NK cells in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and liver inflammation in obesity is not fully understood. This study investigated the frequency, cytokine expression, chemokine receptor, and cytotoxicity receptor profile of NK cells in the blood, omentum, and liver of patients with the obesity-associated cancer, oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). The effect of chronically inflamed tissue microenvironments on NK cell viability and function was also examined. We identified significantly lower NK cell frequencies in the liver of OAC patients compared with healthy controls and within the omentum and liver of OAC patients compared with blood, whereas IL-10-producing populations were significantly …

Fructose Acute Effects On Glucose, Insulin, And Triglyceride After A Solid Meal Compared With Sucralose And Sucrose In A Randomized Crossover Study, Clare Gallagher, J.B. Keogh, Eva Pedersen, Peter M. Clifton

Articles

Fructose, which is a sweetener with a low glycemic index, has been shown to elevate postprandial triglyceride compared with glucose. There are limited data on the effect of fructose in a solid mixed meal containing starch and protein.We determined the effects of sucrose, fructose, and sucralose on triglyceride, glucose, and insulin in an acute study in healthy, overweight, and obese individuals.The study had a randomized crossover design. Twenty-seven participants with a mean age of 44 y and a mean body mass index (in kg/m(2)) of 26 completed the study. Fructose (52 g), sucrose (65 g), and sucralose (0.1 g) were …

Investigating Alaskan Methane And Carbon Dioxide Fluxes Using Measurements From The Carve Tower, Anna Karion, Colm Sweeney Colm Sweeney, John B. Miller John B. Miller, Arlyn E. Andrews, Roisin Commane, Steven Dinardo, John M. Henderson, Jacob Lindaas, John C. Lin, Kristina Luus, Tim Newberger, Pieter Tans Pieter Tans, Steven C. Wofsy, Sonja Wolter, Charles E. Miller

Articles

Northern high-latitude carbon sources and sinks, including those resulting from degrading permafrost, are thought to be sensitive to the rapidly warming climate. Because the near-surface atmosphere integrates surface fluxes over large ( ∼ 500–1000 km) scales, atmospheric monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) mole fractions in the daytime mixed layer is a promising method for detecting change in the carbon cycle throughout boreal Alaska. Here we use CO2 and CH4 measurements from a NOAA tower 17 km north of Fairbanks, AK, established as part of NASA's Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE), to investigate regional fluxes of …

Parallel Profiles Of Inflammatory And Effector Memory T Cells In Visceral Fat And Liver Of Obesity-Associated Cancer Patients, Melissa Conroy, Karen Galvin, Suzanne Doyle, Maria Kavanagh, Ann-Marie Mongan, Aoife Cannon, Gillian Moore, John Reynolds, Joanne Lysaght

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In the midst of a worsening obesity epidemic, the incidence of obesity-associated morbidities, including cancer, diabetes, cardiac and liver disease is increasing. Insights into mechanisms underlying pathological obesity-associated inflammation are lacking. Both the omentum, the principal component of visceral fat, and liver of obese individuals are sites of excessive inflammation, but to date the T cell profiles of both compartments have not been assessed or compared in a patient cohort with obesity-associated disease. We have previously identified that omentum is enriched with inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and T cells. Here, we compared the inflammatory profile of T cells in the omentum …

Methodologies And Considerations For Bladder Cancer Detection With Raman Based Urine Cytology, Laura T. Kerr, Thérése M. Lynn, Ivor M. Cullen, Padraig J. Daly, Nigam Shah, Shirley O'Dea, Alison Malkin, Bryan M. Hennelly

Articles

Bladder cancer has the highest recurrence rate of any cancer. The American Urological Association recommends cystoscopic surveillance every 3–6 months for 3 years, and at least once a year thereafter, particularly for high-risk patients; however, cystoscopy is invasive, expensive, and is not without insignificant morbidity for the patient. Urine cytology is often used as an adjunct to cystoscopy; however, it has a low sensitivity in detecting low grade bladder cancers. Recent studies have investigated the application of Raman micro-spectroscopy for the detection of bladder cancer via urine cytology, and it has been demonstrated to significantly improve the diagnostic sensitivity of …

Integration Of New Biological And Physical Retrospective Dosimetry Methods Into Eu Emergency Response Plans – Joint Reneb And Eurados Inter-Laboratory Comparisons, Elizabeth Ainsbury, Christophe Badie, Stephen Barnard, Aidan Meade

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RENEB, 'Realising the European Network of Biodosimetry and Physical Retrospective Dosimetry,' is a network for research and emergency response mutual assistance in biodosimetry within the EU. Within this extremely active network, a number of new dosimetry methods have recently been proposed or developed. There is a requirement to test and/or validate these candidate techniques and inter-comparison exercises are a well-established method for such validation.

A Novel Anthropomorphic Flow Phantom For The Quantitative Evaluation Of Prostate Dce-Mri Acquisition Techniques, Silvin Knight, Jacinta Browne, James Meaney, David Smith, Andrew Fagan

Articles

A novel anthropomorphic flow phantom device has been developed which can be used for quantitatively assessing the ability of MRI scanners to accurately measure signal / concentration time-intensity curves (CTCs) associated with dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI. Modelling of the complex pharmacokinetics of contrast agents as they perfuse through the tumour capillary network has shown great promise for cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring. However, clinical adoption has been hindered by methodological problems, resulting in a lack of consensus regarding the most appropriate acquisition and modelling methodology to use and a consequent wide discrepancy in published data. A heretofore overlooked source of …

Controllable Growth Of Vertically Aligned Graphene On C-Face Sic, Yu Liu, Lianlian Chen, Donovan Hilliard, Qing-Song Huang, Fang Liu, Mao Wang, Roman Böttger, René Hübner, Alpha T. N’Diaye, Elke Arenholz Elke Arenholz, Viton Heera Viton Heera, Wolfgang Skorupa Wolfgang Skorupa, Shengqiang Zhou

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We investigated how to control the growth of vertically aligned graphene on C-face SiC by varying the processing conditions. It is found that, the growth rate scales with the annealing temperature and the graphene height is proportional to the annealing time. Temperature gradient and crystalline quality of the SiC substrates influence their vaporization. The partial vapor pressure is crucial as it can interfere with further vaporization. A growth mechanism is proposed in terms of physical vapor transport. The monolayer character of vertically aligned graphene is verified by Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. With the processed samples, d0 magnetism is realized …

Investigation Of A Scalable Barrel Atmospheric Plasma Reactor For The Treatment Of Polymer Particles, Hisham Abourayana, Vladimir Milosavljevic, Peter Dobbyn, Patrick J. Cullen, Denis Dowling

Articles

This study reports on the performance of a scalable barrel atmospheric plasma system for the treatment of polymer particles. A novel feature of the barrel system design is the use of a biased electrode, which also acts as the roller for the glass barrel. The plasma is generated using either helium or helium / oxygen gas mixtures. The reactor was used to activate 20 g batches of silicone, polypropylene (PP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles, each with diameters in the range 3 to 5 mm. The effect of plasma treatment time and gas flow rate on …

Screening For Peripheral Arterial Disease And Carotid Artery Disease In Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, C. Gray, Patrick J. Goodman, Paul Cullen, Stephen Badger, Kevin O'Malley, Martin K. O'Donohoe, Ciarán O. Mcdonnell

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Screening for concomitant atherosclerotic disease is important in cardiovascular risk reduction. This study assessed the prevalence of carotid artery disease (CAD) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with known abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). All patients with AAA attending the vascular laboratory between the January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2009, were eligible for a carotid ultrasound and measurement of ankle brachial indices. A total of 389 (305 males) patients were identified on the AAA surveillance program with a mean (±standard deviation) age of 76 (±8) years. The mean age of the males was 75.4 (±7.8) years, and the mean …

Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Increases Aortic Arterial Stiffness When Compared To Open Repair Of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, C. Gray, Patrick J. Goodman, Stephen Badger, M. Kevin O'Malley, Martin K. O'Donohoe, Ciarán O. Mcdonnell

Articles

Objectives: The initial survival advantage seen with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) over open repair does not persist in the long term. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a measure of arterial stiffness, and increased PWV is an independent risk factor for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This prospective comparative pilot study examined the effect of implantation of an aortic graft on PWV in patients undergoing open or endovascular aortic aneurysm repair. Patients and Methods: Thirty-four patients (15 open and 19 EVAR) were recruited. Patient demographics were similar in both the groups. Pulse wave velocity was calculated for all patients …