Digital Commons Network^™

Anti-Patents, Roy Baharad, Stuart Minor Benjamin, Ehud Gutte

Faculty Scholarship

Conventional wisdom has long perceived the patent and tort systems as separate legal entities, each tasked with a starkly different mission. Patent law rewards novel ideas; tort law deters harmful conduct. Against this backdrop, this Essay uncovers the opposing effects of patent and tort law on innovation, introducing the "injurer-innovator problem." Patent law incentivizes injurers --often uniquely positioned to make technological breakthroughs--by allowing them to profit from licensing their inventions to competitors. Yet tort law, by imposing liability for failures to invest in care, forces injurers to incur the cost of implementing their own innovations. When the cost of self-implementation …

From Pollution To Resource: Advancing Swine Waste Treatment In The Usa, Viney P. Aneja, Ryke Longest, Matias B. Vanotti, Ariel A. Szogi, Gudigopuram B. Reddy

Faculty Scholarship

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have led to environmental challenges, specifically waste management. Swine CAFOs generate large amounts of waste, requiring proper treatment to avoid air and water pollution. Conventional waste management technologies, such as lagoon and spray field systems, do not prevent air and water pollution impacts. Research for the past few decades led to recommendations for waste treatment technologies superior to lagoons and spray fields. Private environmental sustainability initiatives focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the food supply chain have implemented biogas digester projects for capturing methane in covered swine lagoons to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, …

A Codified Liability Regime To Stimulate Greater Investment In Subpatentable Innovation, Jerome H. Reichman, Ana Santos Rutschman

Faculty Scholarship

The global intellectual property system rests on a distinction between exclusive property rights and free competition. Exclusive rights vary in strength and intensity, but the opposite of protection is almost always free competition. Distinctions of intensity are drawn in terms of the length of protection given to different subject matters plus variable lists of exceptions and limitations to exclusive rights. But the bottom line is that, when protection is not available under the existing system, free competition prevails, and vice-versa (i.e., where there is exclusivity, free competition is deferred for a specified period of time).

This Article departs from a …

Mickey, Disney, And The Public Domain: A Ninety-Five-Year Love Triangle, Jennifer Jenkins

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Transdisciplinary Doctoral Training To Address Global Sustainability Challenges, Zoie Taylor Diana, John Virdin, Michelle B. Nowlin, Nishad Jayasundara, Daniel Rittschof

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Sharing Pathogen Sequence Data For Global Scientific Research Under The Nagoya Protocol To The Convention On Biological Diversity, Jerome H. Reichman, Carolina Dos S. Ribeiro, George B. Haringhuizen, Paul F. Uhlir

Faculty Scholarship

The Nagoya Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has threatened to impede access to genetic resources and related data for cross-border scientific research. In principle, every use of genetic resources would require a set of contracts under the CBD, in a “bilateral” regime. The related transaction costs could overwhelm many transnational research undertakings, affecting even public health responses to outbreaks and epidemics. However, the Nagoya Protocol also offers a unique opportunity to resolve this dilemma, despite struggles to define the meaning and coverage of “digital sequence information.” The coverage of genetic sequence data under the CBD remains controversial …

Educating For Shalom In Engineering, Julie Wildschut

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Created in the image of God, humans have a unique purpose within creation. We are given the task of worshipping God (Isa 43:21), sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mat 28:18-20), discovering and developing the potentials of creation (Gen 2:15), struggling and praying for shalom (Isa 1:17), and celebrating instances of God’s coming kingdom (Isa 9:1-7, Col 1:19-20). As Christian engineering educators, we have the additional task of preparing students to become capable engineers and to use those skills in response to God’s call in their lives. We have the blessing of not only teaching the technical aspects of engineering, …

The Application Of Protease In Aquaculture: Prospects For Enhancing The Aquafeed Industry, Shiyou Chen, Sahya Maulu, Jie Wang, Xiaoze Xie, Xiaofang Liang, Hao Wang, Junjun Wang, Min Xue

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Low-fishmeal and protein-saving diets are two prominent nutritional strategies utilized to address challenges related to the scarcity and sustainability of protein sources in aquaculture. However, these diets have been associated with adverse effects on the growth performance, feed utilization, and disease resistance of aquatic animals. To mitigate these challenges, exogenous protease has been applied to enhance the quality of diets with lower protein contents or fishmeal alternatives, thereby improving the bioavailability of nutritional ingredients. Additionally, protease preparations were also used to enzymatically hydrolyze fishmeal alternatives, thus enhancing their nutritional utilization. The present review aims to consolidate recent research progress on …

Taking Sides? Aspect Has Limited Influence On Soil Environment Or Litter Decomposition In Pan-European Study Of Roadside Verges, A. Amstutz, L. B. Firth, J. I. Spicer, P. De Frenne, L. Gómez-Aparicio, B. J. Graae, S. Kuś, S. Lindmo, A. Orczewska, F. Rodríguez-Sánchez, P. Vangansbeke, T. Vanneste, M. E. Hanley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

In addition to well-known effects on species ecophysiology, phenology, and distributions, climate change is widely predicted to impact essential ecosystem services such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. While temperature and soil moisture are thought to influence litter decomposition, elucidating consistent soil process responses to observed or predicted shifts in climate have proven difficult to evidence. Here we investigated how aspect (i.e., north-south orientation), a natural model for variation in soil temperature, influenced soil physico-chemical conditions and decomposition of two standardised litter types (Green tea and Rooibos teabags) in Pole-facing (PF) and Equator-facing (EF) roadside verges spanning a 3000 km and …

The North–South Divide? Macroalgal Functional Trait Diversity And Redundancy Varies With Intertidal Aspect, Axelle Amstutz, Louise B. Firth, Andy Foggo, John I. Spicer, Mick E. Hanley

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Background and Aims Marine macroalgae (‘seaweeds’) are critical to coastal ecosystem structure and function, but also vulnerable to the many environmental changes associated with anthropogenic climate change (ACC). The local habitat conditions underpinning observed and predicted ACC-driven changes in intertidal macroalgal communities are complex and probably site-specific and operate in addition to more commonly reported regional factors such as sea surface temperatures. Methods We examined how the composition and functional trait expression of macroalgal communities in SW England varied with aspect (i.e. north–south orientation) at four sites with opposing Equator- (EF) and Pole-facing (PF) surfaces. Previous work at these sites …

Bibliography Of Scholarship From 2024, University Of San Diego

Annual Bibliography of USD Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Translation Of: Trembley À Réaumur, Abraham Trembley, Morgan Mclaughlin

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

While examining a jar filled with aquatic plants and animals, Abraham Trembley, a young tutor working for Count William Bentinck in the Netherlands, noticed tiny, green, tube-shaped organisms attached to aquatic plants. Uncertain whether they were plants or animals, he devised a brilliant series of experiments to understand their biology. He observed them contract when disturbed and take steps towards a light, gathering in front of a chevron-shaped opening in a piece of cardboard. Nearly convinced they were animals, he cut one in half expecting to see it die. Instead, it regenerated two perfectly formed bodies from the severed halves. …

Coleoptera Of Brazil: What We Knew Then And What We Know Now. Insights From The Catálogo Taxonômico Da Fauna Do Brasil, Edilson Caron, Marcela L. Monné, Geoffrey Morse, Et Al.

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

In 2000, Cleide Costa published a paper presenting the state of knowledge of the Neotropical Coleopte ra, with a focus on the Brazilian fauna. Twenty-four years later, thanks to the development of the Coleoptera section of the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (CTFB - Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil) through the collaboration of 100 coleopterists from all over the globe, we can build on Costa’s work and present an updated overview of the state of knowledge of the beetles from Brazil. There are currently 35,699 species in 4,958 genera and 116 families known to occur in the country, …

An Overview Of The Brazilian Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): The Most Species-Rich Beetle Family In Brazil, Adelita M. Linzmeier, Luciano De A. Moura, Cibele S. Ribeiro-Costa, Daiara Manfio, Federico Agrain, Maria L. Chamorro, Geoffrey Morse, Renato Regalin, Lukáš Sekerka

Biology: Faculty Scholarship

The leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) are one of the most species-rich family of herbivorous beetles with about 45,000 species worldwide. Based on the contributions of chrysomelidologists to the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna - CTFB, the family comprises 6,079 species in 562 genera of which 951 species are endemic to Brazil, standing out as the most diverse, representing 4.8% of the Brazilian fauna and 17.1% of the beetle species. Chrysomelidae has twelve subfamilies with nine reported to Brazil: Galerucinae, the richest with 1,916 species in 202 genera, followed by Cassidinae, Eumolpinae, Cryptocephalinae, Chrysomelinae, Bruchinae, Criocerinae, Lamprosomatinae and Sagrinae - this …

Shifting The Focus From Species To Individuals In Invasion Biology: Individual Differences In Jumping Behaviour, Aaron Jessop, Miguel Barbosa, Michael Morrissey

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Dispersal is critical to population persistence, colonization and connectivity which are all critical components of invasive success. While individual propensity to disperse varies within populations, the underlying mechanisms promoting individual dispersal remain unclear. Collectively, dispersal is influenced by the environment and individual phenotype. Here we investigated individual dispersal propensity in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and related individual variation in dispersal behaviour to phenotype and social/environmental conditions. Namely, we addressed the effect of sex ratio (social/environmental factor) on the tendency for individuals to disperse across physical barriers via jumping behaviour. Jumping is vital for the dispersal of many aquatic species …

Emigration Of Post-Spawned Twaite Shad Alosa Fallax, An Anadromous And Iteroparous Fish, In A Highly Fragmented River, Mark I.A. Yeldham, J. Robert Britton, Charles Crundwell, Peter Davies, Jamie R. Dodd, Andrew D. Nunn, Randolph Velterop, Jonathan D. Bolland

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Anthropogenic barriers are widely known to negatively impact the spawning migrations of anadromous fishes, by delaying or preventing passage upstream. Although the impacts of barriers on emigrating post-spawned adults are less well studied, they could potentially impact the fitness and subsequent return rates of iteroparous species. In this study, passive acoustic telemetry was used to track the emigrations of 53 twaite shad Alosa fallax in the River Severn basin in their first spawning migration a year after being tagged, giving insights into their emigration movements and the impacts of anthropogenic weirs on these movements. A. fallax began their emigrations after …

Transgressive Gene Expression And Expression Plasticity Under Thermal Stress In A Stable Hybrid Zone, Lindsey C. Schwartz, Vanessa L. González, Ellen E. Strong, Manuela Truebano, Thomas J. Hilbish

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Interspecific hybridization can lead to myriad outcomes, including transgressive phenotypes in which the hybrids are more fit than either parent species. Such hybrids may display important traits in the context of climate change, able to respond to novel environmental conditions not previously experienced by the parent populations. While this has been evaluated in an agricultural context, the role of transgressive hybrids under changing conditions in the wild remains largely unexplored; this is especially true regarding transgressive gene expression. Using the blue mussel species complex (genus Mytilus) as a model system, we investigated the effects of hybridization on temperature induced gene …

Do I Sound Anxious? Emotional Arousal Is Linked To Changes In Vocalisations In Domestic Chicks (Gallus Gallus Dom.), Sarah A. Collins, Katherine Herborn, Kenneth J. Sufka, Lucy Asher, Ben Brilot

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

A major goal in animal welfare science is the development of methods that quantify or ‘read-out’ current affective states in freely behaving animals. In mammalian models, changes in acoustic parameters within vocalisations have been linked to differences in emotional arousal, although there are very few studies showing changes in vocalisations that act as indicators of valence (positive or negative affect). Currently, there are very few studies on vocal indicators of emotion in birds. To determine the link between acoustic parameters within vocalisations and emotion in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus dom.), we used a well-validated paradigm that purports to elicit two …

From Riverbank To The Sea: An Initial Assessment Of Plastic Pollution Along The Ciliwung River, Indonesia, Muhammad Reza Cordova, Max R. Kelly, Muhammad Hafizt, Singgih Prasetyo Adi Wibowo, Yaya Ihya Ulumuddin, Triyoni Purbonegoro, Deny Yogaswara, Muhammad Taufik Kaisupy, Riyana Subandi, Sofia Yuniar Sani, Richard C. Thompson, Susan Jobling

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of anthropogenic debris on the riverbanks of the Ciliwung River, covering upstream to downstream areas. The mean of debris found in each measurement was 32.79 ± 15.38 items/m² with a weight of 106.00 ± 50.23 g/m². Plastic debris accounted for over 50 % of all litter items identified and represents 55 % by weight, signifying a significantly high prevalence compared to global studies examining litter along riverbanks. The majority of the plastics found originated from Single-use applications and were predominantly made from Styrofoam. This investigation demonstrated the importance of actions …

Victim Of Changes? Marine Macroalgae In A Changing World, Mick E. Hanley, Louise B. Firth, Andy Foggo

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Background Marine macroalgae (‘seaweeds’) are a diverse and globally distributed group of photosynthetic organisms that together generate considerable primary productivity, provide an array of different habitats for other organisms, and contribute many important ecosystem functions and services. As a result of continued anthropogenic stress on marine systems, many macroalgal species and habitats face an uncertain future, risking their vital contribution to global productivity and ecosystem service provision. Scope After briefly considering the remarkable taxonomy and ecological distribution of marine macroalgae, we review how the threats posed by a combination of anthropogenically induced stressors affect seaweed species and communities. From there …

Invasive Macroalgae In Native Seagrass Beds: Vectors Of Spread And Impacts, Louise Firth, Andy Foggo, Thomas Watts, Antony Knights, Stacey Deamicis

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Background and AimsWorldwide, invasive species are spreading through marine systems at an unprecedented rate with both positive and negative consequences for ecosystems and the biological functioning of organisms. Human activities from shipping to habitat damage and modification are known vectors of spread, although biological interactions including epibiosis are increasingly recognized as potentially important to introduction into susceptible habitats.MethodsWe assessed a novel mechanism of spread – limpets as transporters of an invasive alga, Sargassum muticum, into beds of the seagrass Zostera marina – and the physiological impact of its invasion. The association of S. muticum with three limpet species and other …

Detection Of Invasive Bartonella Infections With Next-Generation Sequencing Of Microbial Cell-Free Dna, Fernando H Centeno, Ahmed M Hamdi, Todd M Lasco, Mayar Al Mohajer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report 9 patients with invasive Bartonella infections, including 5 with endocarditis, who were diagnosed with microbial cell-free DNA next-generation sequencing and Bartonella serology studies. Diagnosis with plasma mcfDNA NGS enabled a faster clinical and laboratory diagnosis in 8 patients. Prompt diagnosis impacted antibiotic management in all 9 patients.

A Transcriptomic Biomarker Predicting Linezolid-Associated Neuropathy During Treatment Of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis, Nika Zielinski, Dragos Baiceanu, Antonela Dragomir, Jan Heyckendorf, Elmira Ibraim, Niklas Köhler, Christoph Leschczyk, Cristina Popa, Andrea Rachow, Jens Sachsenweger, Patricia Sanchez Carballo, Dagmar Schaub, Hajo Zeeb, Begna Tulu, Andrew R Dinardo, Christoph Lange, Maja Reimann

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Neuropathic adverse events occur frequently in linezolid-containing regimens, some of which remain irreversible after drug discontinuation.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify and validate a host RNA-based biomarker that can predict linezolid-associated neuropathy before multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) treatment initiation and to identify genes and pathways that are associated with linezolid-associated neuropathy.

METHODS: Adult patients initiating MDR/RR-TB treatment including linezolid were prospectively enrolled in 3 independent cohorts in Germany. Clinical data and whole blood RNA for transcriptomic analysis were collected. The primary outcome was linezolid-associated optic and/or peripheral neuropathy. A random forest algorithm was used for biomarker identification. The biomarker was …

Loss Of The Scavenger Receptor Marco Results In Uncontrolled Vomocytosis Of Fungi From Macrophages, Chinaemerem U. Onyishi, Yusun Jeon, Gyorgy Fejer, Subhankar Mukhopadhyay, Siamon Gordon, Robin C. May

School of Biomedical Sciences

Vomocytosis, also known as nonlytic exocytosis, is a process whereby fully phagocytosed microbes are expelled from phagocytes without discernible damage to either the phagocyte or microbe. Although this phenomenon was first described in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans in 2006, to date, mechanistic studies have been hampered by an inability to reliably stimulate or inhibit vomocytosis. Here we present the fortuitous discovery that macrophages lacking the scavenger receptor MAcrophage Receptor with COllagenous domain (MARCO), exhibit near-total vomocytosis of internalised cryptococci within a few hours of infection. Marco^−/− macrophages also showed elevated vomocytosis of a yeast-locked C. albicans strain, …

‘The More Empowered I Feel, The More Vulnerable I Become’: Exploring The Entanglements Of Human Rights Education (Hre), Legal Discourses And Notions Of Agency And Vulnerability Amongst Human Rights Educators In Colombia, Claudia Blandon

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

In the 21st century, notions of human rights are symbols of dignity, freedom, and equality (UNDHR, 1948) and equated with notions of empowerment. Simultaneously, in an epoch of recurrent waves of displacement, international instruments of protection are failing to safeguard displaced people and those who provide sanctuary. By the end of 2022, 104 million people had been forcibly displaced globally because of conflict and human rights violations (UNHCR, 2023). Against this global backdrop, empowering women through human rights education and legal discourses has become a priority, (Bajaj et al., 2017, Altinova et al., 2019). With a firm conviction that the …

How Does Living In A Rural Location Affect Experiences Of Acquired Vision Impairment?, Rebecca Woods

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This research explores the lived experiences of adults with acquired sight loss who live in rural areas in Southwest England. There is a scarcity of published academic research with this group. Vision impaired people who live in rural locations are therefore unrecognised sources of vision impairment rehabilitation knowledge. The research is conducted in an interpretivist paradigm. The research is guided by phenomenological understanding, rooted in Merleau-Ponty’s concepts of perception, the centrality of tool-use, and human embodiment. Attention is centred on the process of adapting to sight loss in a domestic setting, placing this research in an experiential, community-based educational context. …

Short- And Midterm Outcomes Of Off- And On-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass In Patients With A Mean Age Of 65 Or More: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jake Trotman, Toluwalase Eboka, Neil Smart, Nicola King

School of Biomedical Sciences

Background. Advancing age is a nonmodifiable risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. Furthermore, patients >65 years old are considered at high risk for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were any differences in clinical outcomes for patients with a mean age ≥65 undergoing CABG on or off pump. Methods. Systematic searches were conducted in EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). The key search terms used were "cardiopulmonary bypass"OR "On pump"AND "off pump"OR "beating heart"AND "coronary artery bypass grafting"OR "CABG"AND "age."This was …

Editorial: Bacteriocins And Other Ribosomally Synthesised And Post-Translationally Modified Peptides (Ripps) As Modulators Of The Microbiome, Harsh Mathur, Des Field, Caitriona Guinane, Maire Begley, Mathew Upton, Hilario C. Mantovani, Paul D. Cotter

School of Biomedical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Gut Pathobiont Enrichment Observed In A Population Predisposed To Dementia, Type 2 Diabetics Of Mexican Descent Living In South Texas, Lisa M Matz, Nisarg S Shah, Laura Porterfield, Olivia M Stuyck, Michael D Jochum, Rakez Kayed, Giulio Taglialatela, Randall J Urban, Shelly A Buffington

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common forerunner of neurodegeneration and accompanying dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease (AD), yet the mechanisms underlying this comorbidity remain unresolved. Individuals of Mexican descent living in South Texas have increased prevalence of comorbid T2D and early onset AD, despite low incidence of the APOE-ε4 risk variant among the population and an absence of a similar predisposition among relatives residing in Mexico - suggesting a role for environmental factors in coincident T2D and AD susceptibility. We therefore sought to test if differences in gut community structure could be observed in this population prior to any AD …

Optimisation Of Classification Methods To Differentiate Morphologically-Similar Pollen Grains From Ft-Ir Spectra, Laura Scoble, Simon J. Ussher, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Lauren Ansell, Matthew Craven, Ralph M. Fyfe

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

A growing body of research is demonstrating the potential of Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to identify and differentiate morphologically similar pollen taxa. The Poaceae (grass) family is a large and complex with morphologically similar pollen grains. It is not possible to use traditional light microscopy to differentiate Poaceae species, or genus, based on pollen morphological characteristics. This research presents a study of five species from the Poaceae family found across a wide variety of different moorland vegetation communities, to test the extent to which FT-IR microspectroscopy can be used to separate and identify these species and develop statistical approaches for …