Digital Commons Network^™

Investigation Of Rare Earth Element Binding To A Surface-Bound Affinity Peptide Derived From Ef-Hand Loop I Of Lanmodulin, Geeta Verma, Jacob D. Hostert, Alex A. Summerville, Christine E. Duval, Julie N. Renner

Faculty Scholarship

Bioinspired strategies have been given extensive attention for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from waste streams because of their high selectivity, regeneration potential, and sustainability as well as low cost. Lanmodulin protein is an emerging biotechnology that is highly selective for REE binding. Mimicking lanmodulin with shorter peptides is advantageous because they are simpler and potentially easier to manipulate and optimize. Lanmodulin-derived peptides have been found to bind REEs, but their properties have not been explored when immobilized on solid substrates, which is required for many advanced separation technologies. Here, two peptides, LanM1 and scrambled LanM1, are designed …

Association Of Semaglutide With Reduced Incidence And Relapse Of Cannabis Use Disorder In Real-World Populations: A Retrospective Cohort Study, William Wang, Nathan A. Berger, Pamela B. Davis, David C. Kaelber, Rong Xu

Faculty Scholarship

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug in the United States with more than 45 million users of whom one-third suffer from a cannabis use disorder (CUD). Despite its high prevalence, there are currently no FDA-approved medications for CUD. Patients treated with semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) approved for treating type 2 diabetes (T2D) and for weight management have reported reduced desire to drink and smoke. Preclinical studies have shown that semaglutide decreased nicotine and alcohol consumption. Preclinical and preliminary clinical evidence of semaglutide’s potential beneficial effects on various substance use disorders led us to evaluate if …

Multispecies Comparative Prostate Anatomy By Imaging: Implications For Experimental Models Of Prostatic Disease, Felipe M. Berg, Eduardo T.O. Correia, Eric C. Abenojar, James P. Basilion, Agata A. Exner, Leonardo K. Bittencourt

Faculty Scholarship

Background: There is an increasing interest in using preclinical models for development and assessment of medical devices and imaging techniques for prostatic disease care. Still, a comprehensive assessment of the prostate's radiological anatomy in primary preclinical models such as dogs, rabbits, and mice utilizing human anatomy as a reference point remains necessary with no optimal model for each purpose being clearly defined in the literature. Therefore, this study compares the anatomical characteristics of different animal models to the human prostatic gland from the imaging perspective. Methods: We imaged five Beagle laboratory dogs, five New Zealand White rabbits, and five mice, …

Rapid Measurement Of Hemoglobin-Oxygen Dissociation By Leveraging Bohr Effect And Soret Band Bathochromic Shift, Zoe Sekyonda, Ran An, Utku Goreke, Yuncheng Man, Karamoja Monchamp, Allison Bode, Qiaochu Zhang, Ozan Akkus, Umut A. Gurkan

Faculty Scholarship

Oxygen (O2) binds to hemoglobin (Hb) in the lungs and is then released (dissociated) in the tissues. The Bohr effect is a physiological mechanism that governs the affinity of Hb for O2 based on pH, where a lower pH results in a lower Hb-O2 affinity and higher Hb-O2 dissociation. Hb-O2 affinity and dissociation are crucial for maintaining aerobic metabolism in cells and tissues. Despite its vital role in human physiology, Hb-O2 dissociation measurement is underutilized in basic research and in clinical laboratories, primarily due to the technical complexity and limited throughput of existing methods. We present a rapid Hb-O2 dissociation …

A Mechanochemical Approach To Recycle Thermosets Containing Carbonate And Thiourethane Linkages, Rasoul Rahimzadeh, Yazhe Han, Ica Manas-Zloczower

Faculty Scholarship

Over the past decades, various industries shifted from traditional materials such as glass and metals to thermoset polymers due to their excellent chemical resistance, thermal stability, reduced weight, and affordability. However, at the end of their life cycle, these highly crosslinked polymers end up as environmental pollutants due to their non-recyclability. To tackle this issue, researchers are exploring vitrimer-type polymers with recyclable qualities, supporting a circular economy and sustainable management of thermoset wastes. This study investigates a new promising method of recycling two commonly used thermosets in commercial applications, poly allyl diglycol carbonate (PADC) and poly thiourethane (PTU), via a …

When And Why Ecological Systems Respond To The Rate Rather Than The Magnitude Of Environmental Changes, Karen C. Abbott

Faculty Scholarship

Ecologists and conservation biologists have become quite familiar with the concept of tipping points: abrupt changes in an ecosystem's state that occur after a period of relative stasis. Most of the familiar ecological examples of tipping points occur either because a once-stable state has lost stability, or the system has been subjected to a particularly large perturbation and transitions to an alternative stable state, distinct from the pre-perturbed state. A different class of tipping points, known as rate-induced tipping (or r-tipping) points, are likely present in many ecological communities but remain little known in the field. Rate-induced tipping occurs when …

Depletion Of Complement Factor 3 Delays The Neuroinflammatory Response To Intracortical Microelectrodes, Sydney S. Song, Lindsey N. Druschel, Jacob H. Conard, Jaime J. Wang, Niveda M. Kasthuri, E. Ricky Chan, Jeffrey R. Capadona

Faculty Scholarship

The neuroinflammatory response to intracortical microelectrodes (IMEs) used with brain-machine interfacing (BMI) applications is regarded as the primary contributor to poor chronic performance. Recent developments in high-plex gene expression technologies have allowed for an evolution in the investigation of individual proteins or genes to be able to identify specific pathways of upregulated genes that may contribute to the neuroinflammatory response. Several key pathways that are upregulated following IME implantation are involved with the complement system. The complement system is part of the innate immune system involved in recognizing and eliminating pathogens – a significant contributor to the foreign body response …

Smart Cities And Aging Well: Exploring The Links Between Technological Models And Social Models For Promoting Daily Social Interaction For Geriatric Care, Jocelyne Kiss, Lindenwood University

Faculty Scholarship

The aging global population requires a new social model to meet the growing social, economic, and physical needs of seniors. Western social models need to be reconsidered in light of examples that support communal ways of living, which are sustainable through smart city design for more supportive geriatric care systems. To address the complex problems of geriatric care in this growing aging population with specific needs related to increased lifespan and limited financial resources, the use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), should be considered. As retirement ages rise and funds for …

A General Materials Data Science Framework For Quantitative 2d Analysis Of Particle Growth From Image Sequences, Sameera Nalin Venkat, Thomas G. Ciardi, Mingjian Lu, Preston C. Deleo, Jube Augustino, Adam Goodman, Jayvic Cristian Jimenez, Anirban Mondal, Frank Ernst, Yinghui Wu, Roger H. French, Laura S. Bruckman

Faculty Scholarship

Phase transformations are a challenging problem in materials science, which lead to changes in properties and may impact performance of material systems in various applications. We introduce a general framework for the analysis of particle growth kinetics by utilizing concepts from machine learning and graph theory. As a model system, we use image sequences of atomic force microscopy showing the crystallization of an amorphous fluoroelastomer film. To identify crystalline particles in an amorphous matrix and track the temporal evolution of the particle dispersion, we have developed quantitative methods of 2D analysis. 700 image sequences were analyzed using a neural network …

Government Counterspeech, Jamal Greene

Faculty Scholarship

We are awash in lies. Misinformation has always been with us, but the endemicity of social media and the depth of political polarization in the United States and elsewhere has enabled falsehoods to be amplified, monetized, microtargeted, and spread around the world at unprecedented speed and scale. The consequences for democracy, public health, and social harmony are emergent and grave.

Misinformation presents one of the most vexing challenges for content moderation on social media (and off it, such as on cable news) for myriad reasons. Because misinformation can be difficult or controversial to define, policing it risks chilling core political …

New York City Relaxing Environmental Review Rules For Housing Construction, Michael B. Gerrard

Faculty Scholarship

Faced with a severe housing shortage, New York City is exempting the construction of much new housing from the environmental review processes and taking many other steps to encourage such construction throughout the city. Several of these moves will also help the transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Black Girls Youth Participatory Action Research & Pedagogies, Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, Venus E. Evans-Winters

Faculty Scholarship

More than a decade ago, as a group of anti-racist and feminist researchers, including one of the authors, set out to survey the landscape of the schooling experiences of Black girls, we encountered a pronounced knowledge desert that threatened research-informed policy interventions that served to protect Black girls. Most research at the time focused on the educational experiences of male, female, or Black students. There was hardly any readily available data on the school-based outcomes of Black girls as a specific group of students with a unique set of experiences. In Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, Overpoliced, & Underprotected (Crenshaw, …

(How) Can Litigation Advance Multiracial Democracy?, Olatunde C.A. Johnson

Faculty Scholarship

Can rights litigation meaningfully advance social change in this moment? Many progressive or social justice legal scholars, lawyers, and advocates would argue “no.” Constitutional decisions issued by the U.S. Supreme Court thwart the aims of progressive social movements. Further, contemporary social movements often decenter courts as a primary domain of social change. In addition, a new wave of legal commentary urges progressives to de-emphasize courts and constitutionalism, not simply tactically but as a matter of democratic survival.

This Essay considers the continuing role of rights litigation, using the litigation over race-conscious affirmative action as an illustration. Courts are a key …

False Conscience: Sustainability And Smart Evolution—Between Law And Power, Ugo Mattei

Faculty Scholarship

The contribution describes the legal phenomenon as a playing field characterized by a progressive regression of the law, understood as a sovereign will from top to bottom, both in the vision of formalist legal positivisms in continental Europe and in realist terms, in the United States. Soft law represents the main strategy to subordinate the law to the interests of the economy, elasticizing environmental law, making it favorable to the market, reducing ecology to the simplistic metric of CO2 emissions. The consequence is a retreat of the statist vertical normativity of law which is not replaced by a de facto …

Investigation Of Flow Boiling Critical Heat Flux And Heat Transfer Within A Horizontally Oriented Channel With One-Sided Heating At Three Levels Of Subcooled Inlet, Chinmay Shingote, Cho Ning Huang, Chirag Kharangate

Faculty Scholarship

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact heater orientation and inlet conditions on heat transfer mechanisms during flow boiling, inside horizontally oriented rectangular channel using PF-5060. The experimental setup allows both upward and downward-facing single-sided heating configurations. Various inlet mass flux are examined, along with different levels of inlet subcooling. The impact of gravity is studied using flow visualization. During downward facing heating, vapor accumulates along the copper heater wall due to buoyancy effects resulting in notably low CHF and heat transfer values. In contrast, with upward facing heating, buoyancy assists in extraction of vapor from the …

Using Imaging Modalities To Predict Nanoparticle Distribution And Treatment Efficacy In Solid Tumors: The Growing Role Of Ultrasound, Michaela B. Cooley, Dana Wegierak, Agata A. Exner

Faculty Scholarship

Nanomedicine in oncology has not had the success in clinical impact that was anticipated in the early stages of the field's development. Ideally, nanomedicines selectively accumulate in tumor tissue and reduce systemic side effects compared to traditional chemotherapeutics. However, this has been more successful in preclinical animal models than in humans. The causes of this failure to translate may be related to the intra- and inter-patient heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment. Predicting whether a patient will respond positively to treatment prior to its initiation, through evaluation of characteristics like nanoparticle extravasation and retention potential in the tumor, may be a …

Dci Submission To The European Commission (Ec) On Generative Artificial Intelligence, Stephen Dnes, Lee Fleming, Keith N. Hylton, Bowman Heiden, Juliana Oliveira Domingues, Lola Montero Santos, Nicolas Petit, Jason Potts, Asta Pundziene

Faculty Scholarship

The DCI welcomes the opportunity to submit comments on the EC’s consultation on competition and generative artificial intelligence (hereafter, “GenAI”).1 The two main messages of the DCI submission are the following: • The technological and economic properties of GenAI do not support a case of tipping in which one firm takes the entire market; • The financial and regulatory context of GenAI could fuel ‘winner takes all or most’ dynamics in GenAI markets. These points are set out in more detail in the paragraphs below.

Consumer Law For Gen Z Law Students, Neil Sobol

Faculty Scholarship

Whether they are consumers, representing consumers, or advising clients dealing with consumers, law school graduates will inevitably confront numerous consumer law issues. Moreover, most students entering law school are members of Generation Z and face a new wave of consumer laws arising from the 2007–2009 recession and the rapid growth of new technologies. Clickwrap agreements, email spoofing, cybercrimes, cryptocurrencies, fintech, identity theft, online disparagement, data privacy, artificial intelligence, robocalling, and autonomous vehicles are among the evolving topics in modern consumer law. Despite the growth in consumer law concerns, many law students have limited access to consumer law options, with almost …

Structuralism In Differential Equations, Colin Mclarty

Faculty Scholarship

Structuralism in philosophy of mathematics has largely focused on arithmetic, algebra, and basic analysis. Some have doubted whether distinctively structural working methods have any impact in other fields such as differential equations. We show narrowly construed structuralism as offered by Benacerraf has no practical role in differential equations. But Dedekind’s approach to the continuum already did not fit that narrow sense, and little of mathematics today does. We draw on one calculus textbook, one celebrated analysis textbook, and a monograph on the Navier–Stokes equation to show structural methods like Dedekind’s have long been central to differential equations, and have philosophically …

Stem Cell And Neural Progenitor Cell Therapy For Neurogenic Bladder—Where Are We In 2023?, Ilaha Isali, Thomas R. Wong, Adonis Hijaz

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: This review aims to consolidate the currently available literature regarding the treatment of neurogenic bladder (NGB) with stem cells or neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Recent Findings: Several promising studies published in the past 5 years suggest therapeutic potential of stem cells in treating NGB. In vitro models of NGB have demonstrated the efficacy of stem cells from varying sources to induce nerve regeneration while simultaneously improving bladder function parameters. Additionally, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were found to inhibit fibrosis through the TGF-β1 signaling pathway while their effects were potentiated by elevated levels of BDNF or SDF-1. Among …

A General Materials Data Science Framework For Quantitative 2d Analysis Of Particle Growth From Image Sequences, Sameera Nalin Venkat, Thomas G. Ciardi, Mingjian Lu, Preston C. Deleo, Jube Augustino, Adam Goodman, Jayvic Cristian Jimenez, Anirban Mondal [email protected], Frank Ernst, Yinghui Wu, Roger H. French, Laura S. Bruckman

Faculty Scholarship

Phase transformations are a challenging problem in materials science, which lead to changes in properties and may impact performance of material systems in various applications. We introduce a general framework for the analysis of particle growth kinetics by utilizing concepts from machine learning and graph theory. As a model system, we use image sequences of atomic force microscopy showing the crystallization of an amorphous fluoroelastomer film. To identify crystalline particles in an amorphous matrix and track the temporal evolution of the particle dispersion, we have developed quantitative methods of 2D analysis. 700 image sequences were analyzed using a neural network …

Effects Of Micromachining On Anti-Oxidant Elution From A Mechanically-Adaptive Polymer, Natalie N. Mueller, Youjoung Kim, Mali Ya Mungu Ocoko, Peter Dernelle, Ishani Kale, Simran Patwa, Anna Clarissa Hermoso, Deeksha Chirra, Jeffrey R. Capadona, Allison E. Hess-Dunning

Faculty Scholarship

Intracortical microelectrodes (IMEs) can be used to restore motor and sensory function as a part of brain–computer interfaces in individuals with neuromusculoskeletal disorders. However, the neuroinflammatory response to IMEs can result in their premature failure, leading to reduced therapeutic efficacy. Mechanically-adaptive, resveratrol-eluting (MARE) neural probes target two mechanisms believed to contribute to the neuroinflammatory response by reducing the mechanical mismatch between the brain tissue and device, as well as locally delivering an antioxidant therapeutic. To create the mechanically-adaptive substrate, a dispersion, casting, and evaporation method is used, followed by a microfabrication process to integrate functional recording electrodes on the material. …

In Vivo Characterization Of Intracortical Probes With Focused Ion Beam-Etched Nanopatterned Topographies, Jonathan L. Duncan, Jaime J. Wang, Gabriele Glusauskas, Yue Gao, George F. Hoeferlin, Allison E. Hess-Dunning, Jeffrey R. Capadona

Faculty Scholarship

(1) Background: Intracortical microelectrodes (IMEs) are an important part of interfacing with the central nervous system (CNS) and recording neural signals. However, recording electrodes have shown a characteristic steady decline in recording performance owing to chronic neuroinflammation. The topography of implanted devices has been explored to mimic the nanoscale three-dimensional architecture of the extracellular matrix. Our previous work used histology to study the implant sites of non-recording probes and showed that a nanoscale topography at the probe surface mitigated the neuroinflammatory response compared to probes with smooth surfaces. Here, we hypothesized that the improvement in the neuroinflammatory response for probes …

Integrating Multiscale Geospatial Analysis For Monitoring Crop Growth, Nutrient Distribution, And Hydrological Dynamics In Large-Scale Agricultural Systems, Olatunde D. Akanbi, Deepa C. Bhuvanagiri, Erika I. Barcelos, Arafath Nihar, Brian Gonzalez Hernandez, Jeffrey M. Yarus, Roger H. French

Faculty Scholarship

Monitoring crop growth, soil conditions, and hydrological dynamics are imperative for sustainable agriculture and reduced environmental impacts. This interdisciplinary study integrates remote sensing, digital soil mapping, and hydrological data to elucidate intricate connections between these factors in the state of Ohio, USA. Advanced spatiotemporal analysis techniques were applied to key datasets, including the MODIS sensor satellite imagery, USDA crop data, soil datasets, Aster GDEM, and USGS stream gauge measurements. Vegetation indices derived from MODIS characterized crop-specific phenology and productivity patterns. Exploratory spatial data analysis show relationships of vegetation dynamics and soil properties, uncovering links between plant vigor, edaphic fertility, and …

Integrating Multiscale Geospatial Analysis For Monitoring Crop Growth, Nutrient Distribution, And Hydrological Dynamics In Large-Scale Agricultural Systems, Olatunde D. Akanbi, Deepa C. Bhuvanagiri, Erika I. Barcelos, Arafath Nihar, Brian Gonzalez Hernandez, Jeffrey M. Yarus, Roger H. French

Faculty Scholarship

Monitoring crop growth, soil conditions, and hydrological dynamics are imperative for sustainable agriculture and reduced environmental impacts. This interdisciplinary study integrates remote sensing, digital soil mapping, and hydrological data to elucidate intricate connections between these factors in the state of Ohio, USA. Advanced spatiotemporal analysis techniques were applied to key datasets, including the MODIS sensor satellite imagery, USDA crop data, soil datasets, Aster GDEM, and USGS stream gauge measurements. Vegetation indices derived from MODIS characterized crop-specific phenology and productivity patterns. Exploratory spatial data analysis show relationships of vegetation dynamics and soil properties, uncovering links between plant vigor, edaphic fertility, and …

Using Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Networks To Estimate Fleet-Wide Photovoltaic Performance Degradation Patterns, Yangxin Fan, Raymond Wieser, Xuanji Yu, Yinghui Wu, Laura S. Bruckman, Roger H. French

Faculty Scholarship

Accurate estimation of photovoltaic (PV) system performance is crucial for determining its feasibility as a power generation technology and financial asset. PV-based energy solutions offer a viable alternative to traditional energy resources due to their superior Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). A significant challenge in assessing the LCOE of PV systems lies in understanding the Performance Loss Rate (PLR) for large fleets of PV systems. Estimating the PLR of PV systems becomes increasingly important in the rapidly growing PV industry. Precise PLR estimation benefits PV users by providing real-time monitoring of PV module performance, while explainable PLR estimation assists PV …

Using Spatio-Temporal Graph Neural Networks To Estimate Fleet-Wide Photovoltaic Performance Degradation Patterns, Yangxin Fan, Raymond Wieser, Xuanji Yu, Yinghui Wu, Laura S. Bruckman, Roger H. French

Faculty Scholarship

Accurate estimation of photovoltaic (PV) system performance is crucial for determining its feasibility as a power generation technology and financial asset. PV-based energy solutions offer a viable alternative to traditional energy resources due to their superior Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). A significant challenge in assessing the LCOE of PV systems lies in understanding the Performance Loss Rate (PLR) for large fleets of PV systems. Estimating the PLR of PV systems becomes increasingly important in the rapidly growing PV industry. Precise PLR estimation benefits PV users by providing real-time monitoring of PV module performance, while explainable PLR estimation assists PV …

Real-Time Assessment Of Rodent Engagement Using Aruco Markers: A Scalable And Accessible Approach For Scoring Behavior In A Nose-Poking Go/No-Go Task, Jeffrey R. Capadona

Faculty Scholarship

In the field of behavioral neuroscience, the classification and scoring of animal behavior play pivotal roles in the quantification and interpretation of complex behaviors displayed by animals. Traditional methods have relied on video examination by investigators, which is labor-intensive and susceptible to bias. To address these challenges, research efforts have focused on computational methods and image-processing algorithms for automated behavioral classification. Two primary approaches have emerged: marker-and markerless-based tracking systems. In this study, we showcase the utility of “Augmented Reality University of Cordoba” (ArUco) markers as a marker-based tracking approach for assessing rat engagement during a nose-poking go/no-go behavioral task. …

Composition-Property Relationships Of Choline Based Eutectic Solvents: Impact Of The Hydrogen Bond Donor And Co2 Saturation, Ruth Dikki, Vaishali Khokhar, Muhammad Zeeshan, Oguz Kagan Coskun, Burcu Gurkan

Faculty Scholarship

Eutectic solvents are tunable for targeted applications through the functional groups in their hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donor (HBD) components, as well as the HBA : HBD composition ratio. This study examines the properties of choline-based eutectics containing imidazole, phenol, pyrrole-2-carbonitrile, and 1,2,4-triazole HBAs, and ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, and ethanolamine HBDs. The viscosity, conductivity, degree of hydrogen bonding, thermal stability, and solvatochromic properties are examined as a function of HBA, HBD, and the composition. These studies revealed a predominant dependence of physical properties on the HBD and determined that the strong hydrogen bonding in phenol and …

Intracellular Neural Control Of An Active Feeding Structure In Aplysia Using A Carbon Fiber Electrode Array, Yu Huan, Benjamin N. Tibbetts, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

Background: To study neural control of behavior, intracellular recording and stimulation of many neurons in freely moving animals would be ideal. However, current technologies limit the number of neurons that can be monitored and manipulated. A new technology has become available for intracellular recording and stimulation which we demonstrate in the tractable nervous system of Aplysia. New method: Carbon fiber electrode arrays (whose tips are coated with platinum-iridium) were used with an in vitro feeding preparation to intracellularly record from and to control the activity of multiple neurons during feeding movements. Results: In an in vitro feeding preparation, the carbon …