Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling Actinic Flux And Photolysis Frequencies In Dense Biomass Burning Plumes, Jan-Lukas Tirpitz, Santo Fedele Colosimo, Nathaniel Brockway, Robert Spurr, Matt Christi, Samuel Hall, Kirk Ullmann, Johnathan Hair, Taylor Shingler, Rodney Weber, Jack E. Dibb, Richard Moore, Elizabeth Wiggins, Vijay Natraj, Nicolas Theys, Jochen Stutz

Faculty Publications

Biomass burning (BB) affects air quality and climate by releasing large quantities of gaseous and particulate pollutants into the atmosphere. Photochemical processing during daylight transforms these emissions, influencing their overall environmental impact. Accurately quantifying the photochemical drivers, namely actinic flux and photolysis frequencies, is crucial to constraining this chemistry. However, the complex radiative transfer within BB plumes presents a significant challenge for both direct observations and numerical models.

This study introduces an expanded version of the 1D VLIDORT-QS radiative transfer (RT) model, named VLIDORT for photochemistry (VPC). VPC is designed for photochemical and remote sensing applications, particularly in BB plumes …

Integrating Postnatal Care Into The Redesign Of Group Care Beyond Birth, Ashley Gresh, Astrid Van Damme, Deborah Lynn Billings Phd, Sharon Schindler Rising, Shaimaa Ibrahim, Abiola Ajibola, Ellen Chirwa, Jennyfer Don-Aki, Nastassia Donoho, Manodj Hindori, Nafisa Jiddawi, Emeka Kanebi, Esnath Kapito, Catherine Kay, Tara Kinra, Vlorian Milliqaj, Bolanle Oyeledun, Marlies E.B. Rijnders, Octavia Wiseman, Ghutai Sadeq Yaqubi, Crystal L. Patil

Faculty Publications

Background

Globally, alarmingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity persist. A constellation of health system and social factors contribute to this, including poor quality and barriers to accessing health care, including preventive services. As such, there have been calls for a redesign of maternal and child health (MCH) services. Although group care has primarily been tested in antenatal settings, it offers a promising redesign that optimizes maternal and child health care, survival, and well-being. The purpose of this study was to produce a blueprint of an adapted group care model that integrates postnatal maternal care, well-child care, …

Million-Dollar Mysteries: Recent Complex Patent Cases Lost To Rule 36, Dennis D. Crouch

Faculty Publications

This article examines the Federal Circuit's continued use of Rule 36 summary affirmances to dispose of complex patent cases without written opinions. Through analysis of eight recent Rule 36 cases decided in early 2025, the author demonstrates that sophisticated legal issues involving millions of dollars are being summarily affirmed despite presenting novel and important questions of patent law. The cases discussed involve design patent evidentiary standards, jury trial rights for hybrid legal-equitable claims, analogous art determinations, claim construction, written description requirements, and PTAB procedural issues. The author argues that while the court may be avoiding difficult cases with complex factual …

Joyful Justice, Alexandra Kogl

Faculty Publications

Political Science is not an obviously joyful discipline, and wrestling with injustice in the classroom is not an intuitive way to open the door to joy. But when students and professor alike practice compassion for victims of injustices (such as sexual violence and white supremacy) and for each other, they sometimes find the kind of common ground that allows joy into the room. Treating one another as peers in a community aimed at seeking to understand what justice is and what it feels like, we experience justice as beautiful, shared work that we can practice at a small scale, setting …

Empowering Sustainable Development: Solar Energy For Enhanced Weather Resilience, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

This paper examines the impact of photovoltaic (PV) panels on wind loads in low-rise buildings with gable roofs, emphasizing their potential to promote sustainable energy solutions while improving structural integrity. We hypothesize that PV panels can effectively reduce wind-induced forces on roofing components. Experiments using a 1:7.5 scale model in an open-jet wind facility compared bare roofs to those equipped with PV panels across three configurations. Results show that PV panels can decrease total wind forces on the roof by 45% to 63%, depending on configuration and wind direction. These findings suggest that additional structural reinforcement may not be necessary …

Cross-State Travel For Cancer Care And Implications For Telehealth Reciprocity, Erika L. Moen, Qianfei Wang, Lingbo Liu, Fahui Wang, Anna N.A. Tosteson, Rebecca E. Smith, Lauren Cowan, Tracy Onega

Faculty Publications

Importance: Patients often travel for cancer care, yet the extent to which patients cross state lines for cancer care is not well understood. This knowledge can have implications for policies that regulate telehealth access to out-of-state clinicians. Objective: To quantify the extent of cross-state delivery of cancer services to patients with cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed fee-for-service Medicare claims data for beneficiaries (aged ≥66 years) with a diagnosis of breast, colon, lung, or pancreatic cancer between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2020. Analyses were performed between January 1 and July 30, 2024. Exposure: Patient rurality. …

A Numerical Assessment Of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement Efficiency On A River-Dominated Continental Shelf—A Case Study In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Yanda Ou, Z. George Xue, Xinping Hu

Faculty Publications

A robust high-resolution coupled hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model was applied to the northern Gulf of Mexico to assess the efficiency of river- and ocean-sourced ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). Sensitivity tests indicate that the effectiveness of OAE-induced CO2 uptake is primarily influenced by the amount of alkalinity introduced and local wind-driven mixing, with the former determining the overall uptake and the latter affecting short-term variability. Compared to ocean-sourced OAE (direct ocean release), river-sourced OAE (elevated river alkalinity) is more effective and sustainable. River-sourced OAE has higher CO2 uptake efficiency with reduced spatial and temporal uncertainty and greater overall CO2 uptake. For river-sourced OAE, …

What's The Matter With Batna? It's Misleading And Doesn't Help Advance Parties' Important Interests, John Lande

Faculty Publications

Many dispute resolution experts misunderstand the concept of BATNA (the best alternative to a negotiated agreement), believing that it is the most favorable possible outcome if the parties don’t settle. In fact, BATNA isn’t an expected result. It’s a course of action, not the value resulting from the course of action.

Attorneys often make unrealistic predictions of court outcomes because of inherent uncertainty and cognitive biases. Moreover, parties have many intangible interests that aren’t included in estimates of BATNA values.

This article offers suggestions for attorneys and mediators to advance clients’ interests by better understanding and valuing non-settlement outcomes.

Threat Perceptions, Defensive Behaviors, And The Perceived Suicide Prevention Value Of Specific Firearm Storage Practices, Michael D. Anestis, Craig J. Bryan, Anna Belle O. Bryan, Daniel W. Capron

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Secure firearm storage has been proposed as a suicide prevention method within the military; however, secure storage practices are uncommon. Service members may perceive limited value in secure storage as a suicide prevention tool and threat-related factors may influence such perceptions. Method: A nationally representative sample of firearm-owning military service members (n = 719) was recruited between December 3, 2021 and January 4, 2022 to complete a self-report survey by Ipsos using their KnowledgePanel calibration approach to optimize representativeness. Results: Threat sensitivity was associated with less perceived suicide prevention value across all within-home storage practices as well as out-of-home …

Interactive Effects Of Co2, Temperature, And Nitrate Limitation On The Growth And Physiology Of Strain Ccmp 1334 Of The Marine Cyanobacterium Synechococcus (Cyanophyceae), Alyssa K. Sharbaugh, Edward A. Laws

Faculty Publications

The marine cyanobacterium Synecococcus sp. (CCMP 1334) was grown in a continuous culture system on a 12:12 h light:dark cycle at all combinations of low and high pCO2 (400 and 1000 ppmv, respectively), nutrient availability (nitrate-limited and nutrient-replete conditions), and temperatures of 21, 24, 28, 32, and 35°C. The maximum nutrient-replete growth rate was ~1.15 day⁻¹ at 32–35°C. Median nutrient-replete growth rates were higher at 1000 ppmv than at 400 ppmv pCO2 at all temperatures. Carbon:nitrogen ratios were independent of pCO2 at a fixed relative growth rate (i.e., growth rate ÷ nutrient-replete growth rate) but decreased with increasing temperature. …

Extragalactic Magnetar Giant Flare Grb 231115a: Insights From Fermi /Gbm Observations, Aaron C. Trigg, Rachael Stewart, Alex Van Kooten, Eric Burns, Matthew G. Baring, Dmitry D. Frederiks, Daniela Huppenkothen, Brendan O-Connor, Oliver J. Roberts, Zorawar Wadiasingh, George Younes, Narayana Bhat, Michael S. Briggs, Malte Busmann, Adam Goldstein, Daniel Gruen, Lei Hu, Chryssa Kouveliotou, Michela Negro, Antonella Palmese, Arno Riffeser, Lorenzo Scotton, Dmitry S. Svinkin, Peter Veres, Raphael Zöller

Faculty Publications

Magnetar giant flares (MGFs) are the extremely short, energetic transients originating from highly magnetized neutron stars. When observed in nearby galaxies, these rare events are nearly indistinguishable from cosmological short gamma-ray bursts. We present the analysis of GRB 231115A, a candidate extragalactic MGF observed by Fermi/GBM and localized by INTEGRAL to the starburst galaxy M82. This burst exhibits distinctive temporal and spectral characteristics, including a short duration and a high peak energy, consistent with known MGFs. Time-resolved analysis reveals rapid spectral evolution and a clear correlation between luminosity and spectral hardness, providing robust evidence of relativistic outflows. Archival Chandra data …

Post-Term Births As A Risk Factor For Small For Gestational Age Births And Infant Mortality In Brazil, Mexico, And Palestinian Refugees: An Analysis Of Electronic Birth Records, Zeina Jamaluddine, Lorena Suarez Idueta, Enny S. Paixao, Julia M. Pescarini, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Miho Sato, Akihiro Seita, Luis A. Martinez-Juarez, Mauricio L. Barreto, Eric O. Ohuma, Louise T. Day, Oona M.R. Campbell, Hannah Blencowe

Faculty Publications

Background:

Post-term pregnancy, defined as reaching or exceeding 42 + 0 weeks of gestation, is known to be associated with unfavourable birth outcomes. High-income countries have responded to this risk by widely adopting labour induction protocols in late-term, but many low- and middle-income countries have not. However, understanding underlying mechanisms linking post-term births to adverse newborn and infant outcomes remains limited.

Objective:

To investigate the (a) prevalence of post-term, (b) the risk factors associated with post-term (c) the association between post-term births and the risk of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates and of infant mortality in middle-income settings.

Methods:

We used existing …

Earliest Ancient Maya Salt Production In Southern Belize: Excavations At Jay-Yi Nah, Heather Mckillop, E. Cory Sills

Faculty Publications

Salt works along the Yucatan coasts of Mexico and Belize provide a record of salt production for inland trade during the height of Late Classic Maya civilisation (AD 550-800). At the Paynes Creek Salt Works in Belize, production focused on the creation of salt cakes by boiling brine in pots supported over fires in dedicated salt kitchens. Underwater excavations at the Early Classic (AD 250-550) site of Jay-yi Nah now indicate there was a longer and evolving tradition of salt making in the area, one that initially employed large, incurved bowls to meet local or down-the-line trade needs before inland …

Using Teacher Prompts To Increase Leadership Skills In Preschool Children, Cynthia F. Dicarlo, Margaret Mary Sulentic Dowell, Michelle Fazio-Brunson, Sarah W. Gauthreaux

Faculty Publications

Background: Early childhood leadership leads to positive outcomes for young children, including social competence. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the leadership behavior exhibited by three preschool aged children and to determine if teacher prompting could increase the frequency of leadership behaviors exhibited by preschool children. Methods: A single case research design was utilized; specifically, we employed a multiple baseline design across preschool children to measure child leadership behaviors and teacher prompting. Results: Baseline observations revealed that children engaged in Parten’s original 1933 framework of both directing and following, reciprocally directing or sharing leadership, and directing …

Counseling Students’ Perceptions Of Support During The Covid-19 Crisis: A Qualitative Study., Breahannah Hilarie, Galaxina G. Wright, Lea H., Laurie O. Campbell

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the counseling programs in clinical instruction, mentorship, and student’s perception of the university. The qualitative data presented in this paper identifies eight counseling students’ beliefs of support during their time in counseling program during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews. An interpretive phenomenological analysis resulted in four themes: including higher education response, personal resources, emotions in crisis, and transitions in crisis.

The Longer-Term Impact Of Civil Justice Reform: A 10-Year Retrospective On Utah Civil Discovery Reform, Paula Hannaford-Agor, Miriam Hamilton

Faculty Publications

In 2021, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) obtained grant funding from State Justice Institute to undertake a retrospective study of the Utah civil justice reforms. The new study replicated some of the analyses from the 2015 study to compare case characteristics and outcomes against the post-implementation data extracted for the 2015 study. In addition to examining the impact on case characteristics and outcomes, an objective of the new study was to examine the impact of the Rule 26 revisions on practitioner behavior, which is less easily captured in case filings. To do so, NCSC convened a project advisory …

The Built Environment And Place Attachment: Insights From Japanese Cities, Juiling Li, Mohammed Javad Koohsari, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Ryo Tanimoto, Reo Watanabe, Tomoki Nakaya, Yufeng Luo, Jing Zhao, Akitomo Yasunaga, Koichiro Oka, Tomoya Hanibuchi

Faculty Publications

Objective

Methods

Results

Association Of Racial Residential Segregation And Other Social Determinants Of Health With Hiv Late Presentation, Fanghui Shi, Jiajia Zhang Ph.D., Shujie Chen, Xueying Yang Ph.D., Zhenlong Li, Sharon Weissman, Bankole Olatosi Ph.D., Xiaoming Li Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Understanding social determinants of HIV late presentation with advanced disease (LPWA) beyond individual-level factors could help decrease LPWA and improve population-level HIV outcomes. This study aimed to examine county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) with HIV late presentation. We aggregated datasets for analysis by linking statewide HIV diagnosis data from the South Carolina (SC) Enhanced HIV/AIDS Reporting System and multiple social contextual datasets (e.g., the American Community Survey). All adult (18 years and older) people with HIV diagnosed from 2014 to 2019 in SC were included. Linear mixed models with forward selection were employed to explore the association of county-level …

Childhood Sexual Trauma, Substance Use, And Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Older Adults Living With Hiv: A Mediational Analysis, Monique J. Brown, Josie Zhang, Prince Nii Ossah Addo, Amandeep Kaur, Daniel Amoatika, Elizabeth L. Crouch Ph.D., Steven A. Cohen

Faculty Publications

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is linked to substance use and lower antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. However, studies examining the mediational role of substance use between CSA and ART adherence are lacking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the potential mediational role of substance use between CSA and ART adherence among older adults living with HIV (OALH) (n = 91). Mediation analyses assessed the direct and indirect relationships between CSA, substance use, and ART adherence. Statistically significant differences existed in substance use by gender (male vs. female: 12.3 vs. 9.97) and ART adherence by race (Black vs. …

A Plea For Private International Law (Conflict Of Laws), Michael S. Green

Faculty Publications

In this essay, author Michael S. Green discusses private international law and its importance in a law school's curriculum. After a brief summary of the history of private international law, the essay traces the disappearance of private international law courses in American law schools and proposes reasons as to why this trend may be occurring. The essay closes with reasons why it is a mistake to remove private international law from course offerings and requests that law schools reintroduce the topic.

Irrigation And Society In The Upper Río Grande Basin, U.S.A: A Heritage Of Mutualism, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

The acequias of the upper Río Grande are more than just irrigation canals. They also allocate and manage water for the community of landowners in the system. After four centuries of use, the acequias persist into modern times with their founding principles intact: self-government, local autonomy, internal rules for operating procedures, and a strong sense of mutualismo or communal responsibility. They have endured since Spanish colonial settlement and have maintained continuity of a water culture surviving political-administrative changes under three sovereigns, Spain (1598-1821), Mexico (1821-1848), and the United States (1848-Present). Despite stressors of climate variability, demographic changes, urbanization, and economic …

Who Owns The Heat? Navigating Pennsylvania's Geothermal Property Rights, Todd S. Aagaard, Rachel S. Winfield

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of Carolyn Sharp, Jeremiah 26-52. (Kohlhammer: Stuttgart, Germany, 2021), Oliver Glanz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Pilot Study: Initial Investigation Suggests Differences In Emt-Associated Gene Expression In Breast Tumor Regions, Kylie L. King, Hamed Abdollahi, Zoe Dinkel, Alannah Akins, Homayoun Valafar, Heather Dunn

Faculty Publications

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype and disproportionately affects African American women. The development of breast cancer is highly associated with interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), and recent research suggests that cellular components of the ECM vary between racial groups. This pilot study aimed to evaluate gene expression in TNBC samples from patients who identified as African American and Caucasian using traditional statistical methods and emerging Machine Learning (ML) approaches. ML enables the analysis of complex datasets and the extraction of useful information from small datasets. We selected four regions of interest …

Predicting Individual Long-Term Prognosis Of Spatial Neglect Based On Acute Stroke Patient Data, Lisa Röhrig, Daniel Wiesen, Dongyun Li, Chris Rorden, Hans-Otto Karnath

Faculty Publications

One of the most pressing questions after a stroke is whether an individual patient will recover in the long term. Previous studies demonstrated that spatial neglect—a common cognitive deficit after right hemispheric stroke—is a strong predictor for poor performance on a wide range of everyday tasks and for resistance to rehabilitation. The possibility of predicting long-term prognosis of spatial neglect is therefore of great relevance. The aim of the present study was to test the prognostic value of different imaging and non-imaging features from right hemispheric stroke patients: individual demographics (age, sex), initial neglect severity and acute lesion information (size, …

Population Variability Across Geographical Ranges: Perspectives And Challenges, Cleber Ten Caten, Tad Dallas

Faculty Publications

Populations fluctuate over time and across geographical space, and understanding how different factors contribute to population variability is a central goal in population ecology. There is a particular interest in identifying trends of population variability within geographical ranges as population densities of species can fluctuate substantially across geographical space. A common assumption is that populations vary more near species geographical range edges because of unsuitable environments and higher vulnerability to environmental variability in these areas. However, empirical data rarely support this expectation, suggesting that population variability is not related to its position within species geographical ranges. We propose that performance …

Perceived Healthiness Of Sugary Drinks And Related Social Norms Among Adults In Five Countries: Evidence From The International Food Policy Study, Virginie Drolet-Labelle

Faculty Publications

Background

A better understanding of correlates of sugary drink consumption is essential to inform public health interventions. This study examined differences in perceived healthiness of sugary drinks and related social norms between countries, over time, and sociodemographic groups and associations with sugary drink intake.

Methods

This study used annual cross-sectional data from the International Food Policy Study from 2018 to 2021 in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico. Analyses examined perceived healthiness of eight beverage types and two types of perceived social norms (descriptive, injunctive) that discourage sugary drink consumption. The 24-item Beverage Frequency Questionnaire was …

Amplifying Women’S Voices In Menopause Research: The Importance Of Inclusive Perspectives, Camille Cronin, Sarah B. Donevant Phd, Rn, Ccrn, Kerri-Ann Hughes, Marja Kaunonen, Jette Marcussen, Rhonda Wilson

Faculty Publications

Menopause, a significant life transition for half the global population, intersects biological, cultural and social dimensions. Despite its universal occurrence, menopause research has historically been dominated by biomedical perspectives, often neglecting women's voices and diverse experiences. This article highlights the importance of including women's perspectives in menopause research to ensure relevance, accuracy and equity. It explores cultural variations in menopause experiences, the impact of socioeconomic status and the often-overlooked emotional and psychological dimensions. This article advocates for participatory approaches, emphasising that women's involvement enhances research design, implementation and policy development. Evidence-based interventions that are tailored to the individual can better …

The World Comes To Andrews, Meredith Jones Gray

Faculty Publications

Excerpt from "Forward in Faith".

The Design And Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Of A Pembrolizumab Single-Chain Variable Fragment, Landon E. Ebbert, Tyler J. Free, Mehran Soltani, Bradley Charles Bundy

Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Cancer is a leading cause of death. However, recently developed immunotherapies have shown significant promise to improve cancer treatment outcomes and survival rates. Pembrolizumab, a cancer immunotherapy drug, enables a strong T-cell response specifically targeting cancer cells to improve patient outcomes in more than 16 types of cancer. The increasing demand for pembrolizumab, the highest selling drug in 2023, increases global dependence on drug production, which can be vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. Methods: Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is a rapid in vitro protein production method that could provide the production of an immunotherapy drug in an emergency and …