Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Spatial And Temporal Distribution Of Microplastics Within The Sediment Of Plymouth Sound, Keira N. Lintin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The pollution of microplastics in the marine environment is a growing issue that impacts us globally. These invasive particles have been discovered in all regions of the world, including human body tissue. It is well understood that microplastics settle within seafloor sediment and hotspots are found close to human activity. However, the way microplastics are distributed both spatially and temporally in urban marine environments, and why this might be, is little known. Using the ‘primary analytical process’, a study was conducted in Plymouth Sound, United Kingdom, to assess how microplastics were distributed within the sediment here. General sediment samples and …

Fostering Academic Literacy And Unveiling Student Excellence In Stem (Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics) Research At The University Of Plymouth, Uk, Jason B. Truscott

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Six years ago, when I stepped into the role of Editor for this journal, I couldn't have foreseen the incredible wealth of talent nestled within the student cohort at the University of Plymouth (Truscott, 2018). The journey through their undergraduate research endeavours has been truly remarkable, a testament not just to their inherent abilities but also to the exceptional guidance provided by their research project supervisors and external sponsors. Each passing year unfolds as a unique odyssey through the diverse realms of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), all thanks to the steadfast commitment of these students to inquiry within …

Bat Activity And Diversity In Plymouth’S Green Spaces: Implications For Future Conservation And Management, Ellie Hawcutt

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Urbanisation and human population growth is a threat to biodiversity at a global scale. Bats in urban green areas are becoming increasingly acknowledged within the literature as we begin to understand their importance as useful bioindicators. Bat activity and diversity was examined through passive acoustic monitoring of four sites in Plymouth (UK) during October 2022 (Central Park, Ham Wood, Radford Lake, Saltram Park). This was completed to compare sites with differing percentages of habitats, and make implications for the future management of urban green spaces to benefit bats. Basic habitat surveys of each site were undertaken, estimating the percentage of …

Testing The Potential Use Of Uk Wetland Plant Species In Paludiculture Using Examples From The Somerset Levels, Olivia Bentley

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The trade-off between economic benefits and environmental sustainability results in the unsustainable use of wetlands through conversion to agricultural land. As a result, causing peat degradation, reducing the ecosystem’s capacity to provide ecosystem services. Paludiculture, the concept of cultivating wetland plant species in rewetted conditions that can be converted and utilised commercially, presents an opportunity to harmonise economic stability and environmental protection. However, most research into paludiculture has been conducted in continental Europe; there is a knowledge gap regarding paludiculture in the UK. In this research, seven UK wetland plant species were harvested from the Somerset Levels, a low-lying wetland …

The Role Of Colony Morphology And Substratum Inclination On The Distribution Of Eunicella Verrucosa On Shallow Reefs, Luke Thompson

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Eunicella verrucosa plays an important role in shallow reefs, where they produce a complex 'sheet tree' morphology that supports a variety of benthic-dwelling organisms. E. verrucosa is considered 'vulnerable' by the IUCN Red List, which validates the importance of understanding the biotic and abiotic factors influencing the species morphology and survival. This study analyses how horizontal and vertical slope inclinations influence colony morphology. A population of 115 E. verrucosa colonies were observed at Plymouth's inner breakwater fort at 8–13.8m in depth. The influence of inclination on morphology was investigated by observing colony height, encrusting branch diameter and branch complexity for …

Impact Of Marine Heatwaves On The Physiological Health Of Two Fucoid Species, Lily Burnet

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Marine Heatwaves (MHWs) are periods of high-water temperature that have become an increasingly significant threat to marine ecosystem biodiversity in recent decades with rising anthropogenic carbon driving greater severity of MHW events. The two intertidal fucoid species, Fucus serratus and Fucus vesiculosus, are keystone primary producers supporting an extensive biodiverse community of associated flora and fauna. As intertidal species, fucoids are adapted to cope with high atmospheric temperatures during exposure at low tide, however, are prone to changes in abundance, distribution, and life cycles during MHW events. Changes to fucoid communities resulting in reduced primary production and habitat biomass will …

Diversity, Abundance, And Distribution Of Ground Invertebrates In Lower Sharpham Farm, Valeria Zavala Quiroga

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Invertebrates constitute the largest group of animals on Earth and represent the bulk of biodiversity. They are responsible for numerous essential ecosystems services and are at the centre of many terrestrial food webs. Due to habitat loss from land use change and conversion to intensive agriculture, they are experiencing a substantial decline in biodiversity, hence conservation approaches such as rewilding have been sought. There are limited studies of invertebrate biodiversity in rewilding projects, therefore the aim of this study is to investigate the diversity and abundance of ground invertebrates at Lower Sharpham Farm and the influences of vegetation structure in …

An Investigation Into How Tree Characteristics And Species Composition Associated With Veteran And Ancient Trees Influences Invertebrate Species, Brandon Clapp

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Veteran and ancient trees have distinctive characteristics that act as microhabitats: such as tree cavities and deadwood. These trees and their microhabitats are keystone features for specialised communities of invertebrates, fungi, and epiphytes. However, due to limited species data, there are still uncertainties around the relative importance of veteran and ancient trees and their associated microhabitats on these invertebrate species. This investigation aims to assess how the tree characteristics of veteran and ancient trees affect the species richness and composition of the three taxa (i) invertebrates, (ii) fungi, and (iii) epiphytes. Epiphytes, fungi, and invertebrates on the tree trunk were …

Why Are Some Beaches More Conducive To Surfing? Bathymetric Effects On Nearshore Waves At Croyde, Jonathan Bailey

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Good surfing waves require high peel angles, allowing surfers to ride the face of the wave. However, these waves are not present at every beach, leading to some having better surfing conditions than others. The production of high-quality surfing waves requires preliminary transformations such as refraction, to occur on the nearshore wave field. Mead and Black (2001), previously assessed how various bathymetric combinations, or components, affected the wave field at world-class surfing breaks. More recently, many articles have been published as a result of advancements made in numerical wave modelling, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of the impact these components have …

The Different Factors Affecting Chiroptera Emergences With A Focus On Pipistrellus Pipistrellus And Pipistrellus Pygmaeus, Hannah Mccabe

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Chiroptera (bats) are important within different ecosystems and biomes due to the different ecosystem services that they provide. The services that they provide to the United Kingdom include organic agricultural pest control and worldwide bats provide pollination and seed dispersal. The rationale for this study is to understand emergence preferences based on natural and anthropogenic factors such as building structure, habitats, and time. Bat roosts are species specific, with urban exploiter species relying on urban habitats such as Pipistrellus pipistrellus and urban-adapter species such as Nyctalus noctule relying on natural roosts. A range of surveys sites were studied across, Hampshire …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Population Of Barbel In The River Teme, Ava Keeling, Paula Oben

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The focus of this project is on the population of barbel (Barbus barbus) living in the River Teme, over a number of years with the objective of examining the fish population size specifically investigating any temporal trend in fish population numbers and, if found, with the further aim of examining any covariates that may be causing the trend. In order to answer these questions, two datasets were investigated and rigorously analysed in order to ascertain whether stocks of barbel are in decline and, if so, to further examine which covariates could be contributing to their depletion. A number of statistical …

A Statistical Analysis Of The Population Of Barbel In The River Teme

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The focus of this project is on the population of barbel (Barbus barbus) living in the River Teme, over a number of years with the objective of examining the fish population size specifically investigating any temporal trend in fish population numbers and, if found, with the further aim of examining any covariates that may be causing the trend. In order to answer these questions, two datasets were investigated and rigorously analysed in order to ascertain whether stocks of barbel are in decline and, if so, to further examine which covariates could be contributing to their depletion. A number of statistical …

Embedding Patient Input In Outcome Measures For Long‐Term Disease‐Modifying Parkinson Disease Trials, C Gonzalez‐Robles, Michèle Bartlett, Matthew Burnell, Caroline S. Clarke, Shlomi Haar, Michele T. Hu, Brook Huxford, Ashwani Jha, Michael Lawton, Alastair Noyce, Paola Piccini, Kuhan Pushparatnam, Lynn Rochester, Carroll Siu, Wamelen D Van, Ch Williams‐Gray, Marie Louise Zeissler, Henrik Zetterberg, Camille B. Carroll, Thomas Foltynie, Rimona S. Weil, Anette Schrag

Peninsula Medical School

Background Clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies in PD require valid and responsive primary outcome measures that are relevant to patients. Objectives The objective is to select a patient-centered primary outcome measure for disease-modification trials over three or more years. Methods Experts in Parkinson's disease (PD), statistics, and health economics and patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) representatives reviewed and discussed potential outcome measures. A larger PPIE group provided input on their key considerations for such an endpoint. Feasibility, clinimetric properties, and relevance to patients were assessed and synthesized. Results Although initial considerations favored the Movement Disorder Society-sponsored revision of …

Covid-19 Response In An Alternative America: Legal Tools That The Us Government Failed To Invoke, Neil Davey

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Winning The Imitation Game: Setting Safety Expectations For Automated Vehicles, William H. Widen, Philip Koopman

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Safety And Efficacy Of Ixoberogene Soroparvovec In Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration In The United States (Optic): A Prospective, Two-Year, Multicentre Phase 1 Study, Arshad M. Khanani, David S. Boyer, Charles C. Wykoff, Carl D. Regillo, Brandon G. Busbee, Dante Pieramici, Carl J. Danzig, Brian C. Joondeph, James C. Major, Adam Turpcu, Szilárd Kiss

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Background

Gene therapy, successfully used in rare, monogenetic disorders, may prove to be a durable management approach for common, polygenetic conditions, including neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Repeated injections, oftentimes monthly, and possibly for decades, of vascular endothelial growth factor antagonists (anti-VEGF), is the standard for nAMD. We hypothesised that an in-office, intravitreal administration of ixoberogene soroparvovec (ixo-vec, formerly ADVM-022), a single-dose gene therapy encoding for the proven anti-VEGF protein, aflibercept, would transform retinal cells to continually produce aflibercept to minimise treatment burden in nAMD.

Methods

In this two-year, open-label, prospective, multicentre phase 1 study, patients with nAMD responding to …

The Function Of Ask1 In Sepsis And Stress-Induced Disorders, John Kostyak, Steven Mckenzie, Ulhas Naik

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a serine-threonine kinase that is ubiquitously expressed in nucleated cells and is responsible for the activation of multiple mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) to regulate cell stress. Activation of ASK1 via cellular stress leads to activation of downstream signaling components, activation of transcription factors, and proinflammatory cytokine production. ASK1 is also expressed in anucleate platelets and is a key player in platelet activation as it is important for signaling. Interestingly, the mechanism of ASK1 activation is cell type-dependent. In this review we will explore how ASK1 regulates a variety of cellular processes from innate immune …

Modified First Amended Chapter 11 Plan

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

55 Perry Place Llc V. Wolfgang Ban

All Decisions

The case involves a nonpayment proceeding initiated by the landlord against the tenant. The tenant, represented by Manhattan Legal Services (MLS) under the Universal Access to Counsel (UAC) program, moved to amend the answer and conduct discovery regarding defenses and a counterclaim of unlawful deregulation fraudulent overcharge. The landlord sought to disqualify MLS, alleging the tenant's ineligibility for free legal services due to income levels. However, the court found the landlord lacked standing to challenge MLS's qualification, as no implied right of action was demonstrated. This decision underscores the legislative intent behind the UAC program and the limitations on landlord …

Adjuvant Pluronic F68 Is Compatible With A Plant Root-Colonizing Probiotic, Pseudomonas Chlororaphis O6, Amanda R. Streeter, Anthony Cartwright, Mohammad Zargaran, Anagha Wankhade, Anne J. Anderson, David W. Britt

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Plant probiotic bacteria are being increasingly used to maximize both the productivity and quality of field crops. Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6) is a plant root colonizer with probiotic activities. This bacterium produces an array of metabolites, including a group of phenazines that are functional in plant protection. The paper reports responses of PcO6 to a nonionic triblock copolymer surfactant, Pluronic F68. This Pluronic exhibits membrane "healing" activity and improves cryopreservation recovery in eukaryotic cells. The product is FDA-approved and is applied as an adjuvant in formulations used in agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology. Growth of PcO6 on …

Pivotal Trial Of A Deep-Learning-Based Retinal Biomarker (Reti-Cvd) In The Prediction Of Cardiovascular Disease: Data From Cmerc-Hi, Chan Joo Lee, Tyler Hyungtaek Rim, Hyun Goo Kang, Joseph Keunhong Yi, Geunyoung Lee, Marco Yu, Soo-Hyun Park, Jin-Taek Hwang, Yih-Chung Tham, Tien Yin Wong, Ching-Yu Cheng, Dong Wook Kim, Sung Soo Kim, Sungha Park

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Objective: The potential of using retinal images as a biomarker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has gained significant attention, but regulatory approval of such artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms is lacking. In this regulated pivotal trial, we validated the efficacy of Reti-CVD, an AI-Software as a Medical Device (AI-SaMD), that utilizes retinal images to stratify CVD risk.

Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, we used data from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center-High Risk (CMERC-HI) Cohort. Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) trend across the 3-tier CVD risk groups (low-, moderate-, and high-risk) …

Will Trump Be On The Ballot?, Richard Sherwin

Other Publications

No abstract provided.

Regulating The Revolution: A Legal Roadmap To Optimizing Ai In Healthcare, Fazal Khan

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Who’S Suing You?, David Mcgowan

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Crawling To The Cure: The Monopolization Of The Breast Cancer Drug Market, Kira Le

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Artificial Intelligence And The Administrative State: Regulating The Government Use Of Decision-Making Technology, Gordon Unzen

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Autocrine Igf-Ii-Associated Cancers: From A Rare Paraneoplastic Event To A Hallmark In Malignancy, Pierluigi Scalia, Ignazio R. Marino, Salvatore Asero, Giuseppe Pandini, Adda Grimberg, Wafik S. El-Deiry, Stephen J. Williams

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

The paraneoplastic syndrome referred in the literature as non-islet-cell tumor hypoglycemia (NICTH) and extra-pancreatic tumor hypoglycemia (EPTH) was first reported almost a century ago, and the role of cancer-secreted IGF-II in causing this blood glucose-lowering condition has been widely established. The landscape emerging in the last few decades, based on molecular and cellular findings, supports a broader role for IGF-II in cancer biology beyond its involvement in the paraneoplastic syndrome. In particular, a few key findings are constantly observed during tumorigenesis, (a) a relative and absolute increase in fetal insulin receptor isoform (IR^A) content, with (b) an increase …

This Land Is Our Land: Tree Planting And Environmental Construction On The Nebraska Prairie, Megan Sue Launchbaugh

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

In 1895 the Nebraska Legislature passed a bill officially adopting the nickname the “Tree Planter’s State” on account of the founding of Arbor Day, the Timber Culture Act of 1873, and the “millions of trees planted by early settlers as windbreaks, woodlots, and orchards.” Since that time, Arbor Day and the Timber Culture Act have been the subject of countless historical studies, while the subject of settler tree planting remains largely unexplored. This thesis seeks to begin establishing a place for the stories, experiences, and legacy of settler tree planting within the regional narrative by examining the cultural, physical, and …

“Storm Of Insanity”: The Chaotic Nature Of Relief Work And Financial Compensation Following The Johnstown Flood Of 1889, Carly N. Marze

History Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork dam ruptured, and the resulting wall of water pummeled through the small town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, killing over 2,000 people. The cause was negligence by the dam’s proprietors at the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club. As bodies lay scattered throughout the Conemaugh Valley and Johnstown sat nearly twenty-feet deep in mud and debris, two questions arose: What relief work should be done to restore Johnstown? And how should this relief be financed? Lack of resources and the urgency of the work created a chaotic atmosphere in which constantly shifting procedures and disputes …

Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Computational Thinking: Enactment In Elementary Classrooms, Victoria Macann, Aman Yadav

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Technology has increasingly permeated many aspects of everyday life and this evolution raises the need for individuals to understand how the digital world works and what opportunities and risks it brings (Nouri, Zhang, Mannila & Norén, 2019). For this to be an experience for everyone, we need to rethink how we integrate computational thinking (CT) and provide teachers with tools to center their students’ identities, experiences, and cultures in the classroom. In this paper, we present two case studies of primary (elementary) teachers from a full primary (student ages 5–13) semi-rural school in the North Island of New Zealand that …