Digital Commons Network^™

Climate Change And Sustainability Literacy: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Attitudes To Climate Education In Secondary Schools, Alison Anderson

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Climate change and sustainability are inherently socio-political issues and education plays a key role in mobilising action on climate change and environment. This study builds on interdisciplinary work on youth and climate change education including science communication, environmental education, environmental psychology, and sociology. It reports on novel mixed-methods research on attitudes to climate change and sustainability education in secondary schools in the UK. The study was undertaken in conjunction with the British Science Association (BSA) Future Forums. Drawing on the findings of a national cross-sectional survey of young people aged 14-18 (n= 1000) and two follow up in-depth workshops (n= …

International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 399 Preliminary Report: Building Blocks Of Life, Atlantis Massif, Andrew M. Mccaig, S.Q. Lang, Peter Blum, Expedition 399 Scientists, Andrew Parsons

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Flow Regimes In Bubble Columns With And Without Internals: A Review, Ayat N. Mahmood, Amer A. Abdulrahman, Laith S. Sabri, Abbas J. Sultan, Hasan Shakir Majdi, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hydrodynamics characterization in terms of flow regime behavior is a crucial task to enhance the design of bubble column reactors and scaling up related methodologies. This review presents recent studies on the typical flow regimes established in bubble columns. Some effort is also provided to introduce relevant definitions pertaining to this field, namely, that of "void fraction" and related (local, chordal, cross-sectional and volumetric) variants. Experimental studies involving different parameters that affect design and operating conditions are also discussed in detail. In the second part of the review, the attention is shifted to cases with internals of various types (perforated …

Injectable Dendrimer Hydrogel Delivers Melphalan In Both Conjugated And Free Forms For Retinoblastoma, Remy C. Cooper, Juan Wang, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report the successful synthesis of an injectable dendrimer hydrogel (DH) carrying melphalan, a clinical drug for retinoblastoma treatment, in both conjugated and free forms. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation 5 (G5) is surface-modified with an acid-sensitive acetal-dibenzocyclooctyne linker and then undergoes azide-alkyne cycloaddition with melphalan-PEG-N3 conjugate to form G5-acetal-melphalan. During the DH gelation between G5-acetal-melphalan and PEG-diacrylate, free melphalan is added, resulting in a hydrogel (G5-acetal-melphalan-DH/melphalan) that carries the drug in both conjugated and free forms. Melphalan is slowly released from G5-acetal-melphalan-DH/melphalan, with the conjugated melphalan released more quickly at pH 5.3 due to acid-triggered acetal bond cleavage. The formulation's …

Development Of A Deep Neural Network And Empirical Model For Predicting Local Gas Holdup Profiles In Bubble Columns, Sebastián Uribe, Ahmed Alalou, Mario E. Cordero, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Estimating local gas holdup profiles in bubble columns is key for their performance evaluation and optimization, as well as for design and scale-up tasks. Up to the current day, there are important limitations in the accuracy and range of applicability of the available models in literature. Two alternatives for the prediction of such local fields can be found in the application of empirical models and the development of deep neural networks (DNN). The main drawback preventing the application of these techniques in previous years was the availability of a large enough databank of local gas holdup experimental measurements. Advances over …

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. To this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. A dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middling. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …

Fit-For-Purpose Heavy-Duty Fishing Equipment Designed To Safely Retrieve A Damaged Wireline Cable From An Active, Sour Gas Well Located Offshore, M. N. Amri, R. Macaulay, S. Aboelnaga, A. Abouganem, M. Al Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wireline operations play a crucial role in the oil and gas industry, facilitating essential tasks like well maintenance, data collection, and intervention. These operations involve deploying substantial downhole tools and large cables into the wellbore, but this endeavor is not without its challenges. Particularly, when a wireline cable breaks downhole, it poses significant risks. Unplanned wireline breakages result in demanding heavy-duty fishing operations when they occur in challenging offshore environments and unfavorable downhole conditions. in this work, strategic planning and execution were applied in a complex e-line cable recovery in a live, sour gas well without the need for well …

Integrated Downhole-Measurement-Enabled Coiled Tubing And Mechanical Wireline Recovery Of E-Line Cable In A Live, Sour Gas Well, C. Villagrana, A. Abouganem, A. M. Afsal, M. Al-Dahhan, J. Delaune, W. R. Tapia, M. Amri

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study details a complex wire recovery operation in a live well that involved transitioning from coiled tubing (CT) to mechanical wireline (MWL), in both slickline [MA1] or braided line, to retrieve the wire in good condition and later hand it over to an electrical wireline (e-line) unit to spool it onto a drum. the operation was carried out on a live, sour gas well, demanding a unique setup and emphasizing safety. Two successful recovery operations removed a significant amount of e-line left in the well plus the upper section of the e-line bottomhole assembly (BHA) while safely pushing the …

Atmospheric Deposition Of Microplastics In Shiraz, Iran, Sajjad Abbasi, Farnaz Ahmadi, Nafiseh Khodabakhshloo, Haniye Pourmahmood, Atefeh Esfandiari, Zeinab Mokhtarzadeh, Shaqayeq Rahnama, Reza Dehbandi, Arya Vazirzadeh, Andrew Turner

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The atmosphere plays a critical role in the regional and global transportation and redistribution of microplastics (MPs). However, the significance of rainfall and its means of scavenging MPs are not well understood. In this study, MP deposition was determined during successive dry and rainy events over eight consecutive days in the Shiraz region of Iran. Flux magnitudes and temporal distributions at six sites within and outside the city (including a remote, non-urbanised location) were similar and revealed a progressive increase in MP abundance and deposition during dry periods (up to about 50 MP m−2 h−1) and subsequent relatively rapid wet …

Quantifying The Impact Of A Constructed Wetland On Downstream Nitrate Concentrations And Loads In The U.S. Midwest, Elliot Anderson, Keith E. Schilling, Craig L. Just, Bong Chul Seo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Constructed wetlands are standard conservation practices used to reduce nitrate loads in agricultural watersheds. Many studies have examined the efficiency of denitrification in wetlands under various scenarios, but quantifying the watershed-scale impact of wetlands on downstream nitrate levels is rarely done using field observations. In this study, we estimated nitrate removal in a constructed wetland in the headwaters of Mud Creek, a HUC12 watershed in eastern Iowa, from May–September 2022 and May–September 2023 (a ten-month period). We also measured nitrate loads at four successive downstream sites, three along Mud Creek and one below its confluence with the larger Cedar River. …

Tough Monolayer Silver Nanowire-Reinforced Double-Layer Graphene, Yanxiao Li, Congjie Wei, Steven E. Kooi, David Veysset, Chuanrui Guo, Yuxiang Gan, Ying Zhuo, Genda Chen, Mohammad Naraghi, Keith A. Nelson, Chenglin Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Mixed-dimensional nanomaterials composed of one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, such as graphene-silver nanowire (AgNW) composite sandwiched structures, are promising candidates as building blocks for multifunctional structures and materials. However, their mechanical behavior and failure mechanism have not yet been fully understood. In this work, we have performed integrated experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies to explore the performance and failure modes of graphene-AgNW composite under tensile and impact loading conditions. In situ tensile tests using a nano indenter, implemented with a push-to-pull device and a laser-induced projectile impact test system, are used to shed light on load-bearing mechanisms in graphene-AgNW …

Electrostatic Sorting Of Lunar Regolith Simulants For Sustainable Resource Utilization: Modeling And Characterization Of Particle Size Distribution, Abdullah Al Moinee, Peter Bachle, Kyle Newport, William Schonberg, David Bayless, Jeffrey Smith, Daoru Han, Fateme Rezaei

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In pursuit of sustainable resource utilization on the Moon, this paper delves into modeling and characterization of particle size distribution (PSD) of lunar regolith simulants in an electrostatic system. A prototype electrostatic sieve was built and tested with four sample simulants mirroring properties of lunar mare and highland regolith. An alternating four-phase (90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees) traveling square-wave was utilized for particle-directed transport to model the diverse trajectories of the particles. Numerically, we scrutinized how the distribution functions of the particles are manifested as the electrostatic field propagates, with a focus on three distinct particle ranges …

Thermo-Mechanical Stability Analysis Of Hollow Cellular Concrete Block Air Convection Embankments For Cold Regions, H. Wu, X. Zhang, J. Liu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Crushed-rock air convection embankment (ACE), as a highly open-graded porous medium, has been used to mitigate the thaw settlement of pavement structures in permafrost regions. Previous studies have revealed that cellular concrete has significant potential as a cost-effective material for ACE to solve the problem of crushed rock shortage in interior Alaska and improved the thermal stability of pavement structures in cold climates. the design configurations of the hollow cellular concrete block ACE were further designed to maximize the performance benefits and facilitate future implementation and field construction. However, the mechanical behaviors of the proposed structures and ice-rich subgrade were …

Electrostatic Sorting Of Lunar Regolith Simulants For Sustainable Resource Utilization: Modeling And Characterization Of Particle Size Distribution, Abdullah Al Moinee, Peter Bachle, Kyle Newport, William Schonberg, David Bayless, Jeffrey Smith, Daoru Han, Fateme Rezaei

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In pursuit of sustainable resource utilization on the Moon, this paper delves into modeling and characterization of particle size distribution (PSD) of lunar regolith simulants in an electrostatic system. a prototype electrostatic sieve was built and tested with four sample simulants mirroring properties of lunar mare and highland regolith. an alternating four-phase (90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees) traveling square-wave was utilized for particle-directed transport to model the diverse trajectories of the particles. Numerically, we scrutinized how the distribution functions of the particles are manifested as the electrostatic field propagates, with a focus on three distinct particle ranges …

Identifying The Job Characteristics Affecting Construction Firm Employee Turnover Intention, Seog Jae Choi

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Researchers have proved that employees who have the intention to quit the organization, called turnover intention, have decreased productivity and may not fulfill their duties properly. The turnover intention has a negative relationship with the quality of core job characteristics of the organization. As the construction industry has distinctive characteristics compared to other industries, the job characteristics that influence turnover intention need to be explored separately. This study identifies job characteristics of the construction industry that can affect turnover intention. Through the literature review, autonomy, task identity, required skill variety, task significance, justification in assigning work location, and job security …

Trends And Opportunities For Material Information Sharing: Applying Bim To Support Supply Chain Management In Construction Projects, Seog Jae Choi, Fernanda Leite

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Due to dynamic organizations and unexpected conditions on project sites, the construction industry has suffered from schedule and cost overruns. Researchers have applied building information modeling (BIM) and supply chain management (SCM) concepts to integrate diverse stakeholders, and further, improve efficiency in construction projects. BIM can support supply chain integration (SCI) by providing reliable up-to-date information on a project, which reduces resource waste and completes the project as planned. Specifically, sharing updated material information, including the state of material fabrication, current location, each material's due date on site, and site inventory status, is crucial for successful project execution because such …

Repurposing The United Nations Trusteeship Council To Govern The Establishment Of Outer Space Settlements, Andrew Wulf

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Current existing international law and treaties on outer space do not address or regulate private actors’ property claims or human settlements in outer space. American companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, as well as countries like the United States, Russia, and China, are seeking to create colonies on the Moon and Mars. However, there is no international legal authority to allow or regulate this. In order to legitimize and control this impending outgrowth of human settlements, this paper proposes that the U.N. Trusteeship Council be repurposed to govern non-state actors’ claims of outer space property.

First, this paper explains …

Community-Based Respiratory Health Measures In Children And Young People With Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review, Rachel Knight Lozano, Harriet Shannon, Jonathan Gilby, Sian Goddard, Leanne Turner, Jonathan Marsden

School of Health Professions

Aim: To identify, map, and describe outcome measurement domains and instruments used within a community setting to assess respiratory health in children and young people aged 1 to 18 years, diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: A scoping review methodology informed structured searches in nine databases, grey literature, and registries, conducted in August 2021 (updated in February 2023). Articles were screened for eligibility by two independent researchers. Any outcome measurement instruments used to assess respiratory health or associated impact were extracted, categorized, and mapped to health and health-related domains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Results: Seventy-six …

Captain Hook To Space Crook: Towards A Convention On The Suppression Of Space Piracy, Vinita Singh

Fordham International Law Journal

While the commercial future of outer space endeavors is bright, parallels between outer space and the high seas and advances in modern technology suggest Space Piracy will become a real and serious peril to States and their nationals. Because preexisting international law does not adequately empower States to tackle this threat, States must proactively consider adoption of a Convention on the Suppression of Space Piracy. Based on the strengths and weaknesses of applicable law of the sea and criminal aviation law, this work offers draft language for two key provisions of this Convention—a definition of “Space Piracy” and a delineation …

Failed Dreams Of Transformative Legal Education: The (Non)-Americanization Of East Asian Lawyers, Jedidiah J. Kroncke

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Accuracy Analysis Of Type-2 Fuzzy System In Predicting Parkinson’S Disease Using Biomedical Voice Measures, Mehrbakhsh Nilashi, Rabab Ali Abumalloh, Hossein Ahmadi, Sarminah Samad, Sultan Alyami, Abdullah Alghamdi, Mesfer Alriq, Salma Yasmin Mohd

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative illness triggered by decreased dopamine secretion. Fuzzy logic has gained substantial attention in PD diagnosis research. PD detection using fuzzy logic has presented more precise outcomes as compared with common machine learning approaches. In this research, a hybrid method combining supervised learning, unsupervised learning and feature selection techniques is developed. In a type-1 fuzzy system, the membership functions used for the fuzzification of the crisp inputs are mapped to single numbers. However, in a type-2 fuzzy system, these numbers are represented as intervals, adding an extra dimension to the definition of the membership …

One Hundred Years Of Eeg For Brain And Behaviour Research, Faisal Mushtaq, Dominik Welke, Anne Gallagher, Yuri G Pavlov, Layla Kouara, Jorge Bosch-Bayard, Jasper J F Van Den Bosch, Mahnaz Arvaneh, Amy R Bland, Maximilien Chaumon, Cornelius Borck, Xun He, Steven J Luck, Maro G Machizawa, Cyril Pernet, Aina Puce, Sidney J Segalowitz, Christine Rogers, Muhammad Awais, Claudio Babiloni, Neil W Bailey, Sylvain Baillet, Robert C A Bendall, Daniel Brady, Maria L Bringas-Vega, Niko A Busch, Ana Calzada-Reyes, Armand Chatard, Peter E Clayson, Michael X Cohen

School of Psychology

On the centenary of the first human EEG recording, more than 500 experts reflect on the impact that this discovery has had on our understanding of the brain and behaviour. We document their priorities and call for collective action focusing on validity, democratization and responsibility to realize the potential of EEG in science and society over the next 100 years.

Insights From Early Career Researcher Representatives At The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2022 Asia Spotlight Event, Cho Kwong Charlie Lam

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Sustainability Research & Innovation Congress 2022 Asia Spotlight Event (SRI-ASE 2022) was held virtually from June 21-24, 2022 and co-organized by Future Earth Global Secretariat Hubs in Asia based in Japan, Taipei, China, and South Asia, during the main sessions of the SRI 2022. SRI-ASE 2022 included over 70 speakers and more than 300 participants from within and outside the Asia region. The aim of the event was to provide space to reflect on inspiring research and discussions related to the themes: New Horizons, Different Ways of Knowing, Nexus Issues, and Cross-cutting Science and Innovation in Asia. This report …

Aquatic Connectivity: Challenges And Solutions In A Changing Climate, Paul A. Franklin, Tea Bašić, Phil I. Davison, Katie Dunkley, Jonathan Ellis, Mayuresh Gangal, Alexia M. González-Ferreras, Catherine Gutmann Roberts, Georgina Hunt, Domino Joyce, C. Antonia Klöcker, Rachel Mawer, Timo Rittweg, Velizara Stoilova, Lee Frank Gordon Gutowsky

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The challenge of managing aquatic connectivity in a changing climate is exacerbated in the presence of additional anthropogenic stressors, social factors, and economic drivers. Here we discuss these issues in the context of structural and functional connectivity for aquatic biodiversity, specifically fish, in both the freshwater and marine realms. We posit that adaptive management strategies that consider shifting baselines and the socio-ecological implications of climate change will be required to achieve management objectives. The role of renewable energy expansion, particularly hydropower, is critically examined for its impact on connectivity. We advocate for strategic spatial planning that incorporates nature-positive solutions, ensuring …

Dna Origami-Assisted Regioselective Organization Of Anisotropic Gold Nanotriangle Clusters, Wenyan Liu, Prashant Gupta, Yuwei Zhang, Krishna Thapa, Srikanth Singamaneni, Risheng Wang

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The manipulation of anisotropic nanoparticles, such as gold nanorods and nano prisms, has attracted great attention in nanotechnology due to their sensitive geometry-dependent properties. However. traditional synthesis and assembly methods for these particles face challenges in size uniformity and higher-order structuring. To address these limitations, this study presents a strategy using DNA origami triangles, not just as templates, but as encapsulating agents for gold nanotriangles (AuNTs). This method enables the construction of diverse nanoparticle clusters with precisely controlled distance and orientation. The formed clusters exhibit unique optical characteristics, demonstrated by UV-visible spectroscopy and supported by finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations. …

Selected Trace Element Uptake By Rice Grain As Affected By Soil Arsenic, Water Management And Cultivar -A Field Investigation, Eric M. Farrow, Jianmin Wang, Honglan Shi, John Yang, Bin Hua, Baolin Deng

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Accumulation of arsenic (As) in rice grain was reported in many regions of the world, including the United States, which has been a threat to human health. This field research investigated the grain As accumulation and its relationship with the uptake of selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), and cadmium (Cd) in soils with and without monosodium methane arsonate (MSMA) amended, as effects of selected rice cultivars and water management. Results indicated that MSMA increased the accumulation of As and Se but decreased Mo for all six cultivars under four irrigation management. MSMA also increased grain-Cd in some cultivars. In no MSMA-amended …

Boosting The Microbial Electrosynthesis Of Formate By Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 With An Ionic Liquid Cosolvent, Ashwini Dantanarayana, Wassim El Housseini, Kevin Beaver, Monica Brachi, Timothy P. Mcfadden, Shelley D. Minteer

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) is a rapidly growing technology at the forefront of sustainable chemistry, leveraging the ability of microorganisms to catalyze electrochemical reactions to synthesize valuable compounds from renewable energy sources. The reduction of CO₂ is a major target application for MES, but research in this area has been stifled, especially with the use of direct electron transfer (DET)-based microbial systems. The major fundamental hurdle that needs to be overcome is the low efficiency of CO₂ reduction largely attributed to minimal microbial access to CO₂ owing to its low solubility in the electrolyte. With their tunable physical …

Data-Driven Analysis Of Progressive Design Build In Water And Wastewater Infrastructure Projects, Fareed Salih, Radwa Eissa, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The United States has invested heavily in water and wastewater infrastructure projects to address growing demand and aging systems. To ensure the effective delivery of these projects, agencies are shifting toward alternative delivery methods such as progressive design build (PDB), which has demonstrated accelerated schedule and enhanced cost performance across the literature as well as multiple projects compared to traditional DB. This has raised a need for evaluating PDB's state of adoption and performance in the water and wastewater sector. To this end, the authors: (1) conducted descriptive and statistical analyses of the 21 PDB water and wastewater projects available …

Performance Of Smart Shear Keys In Concrete Bridges Under Tsunami Loading: An Experimental Study, Haibin Zhang, Xinzhe Yuan, Genda Chen, Pedro Lomonaco

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bridges have recently been exposed to an increasing number of natural hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis. These extreme events have resulted in transverse offsets, overturning moments, and even dropping-off of superstructures due to their weak connection to substructures. These outcomes are potentially prevented or mitigated by developing and deploying sliding, modular, adaptive, replaceable, and two-dimensional (SMART) shear keys as fuse elements between superstructures and substructures. The novelty of SMART shear keys is to enable an adaptive control of both the force and displacement of bridges under different types of loads. In this study, the performance of SMART shear keys …

A Holistic Approach To Exploring The Root Factors Of Work Zone Accidents, Bahaa Chammout, Muaz O. Ahmed, Islam H. El-Adaway, William Lieser

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Work zones are crucial for infrastructure maintenance and improvement. However, ongoing projects within work zones sometimes can place workers and drivers in dangerous situations. Despite safety regulations, work zone accidents persist with notable severity and frequency. Previous research has explored work zone accident causation, but it has not provided a comprehensive understanding of the factors that impact work zone safety. This paper addresses this research gap by following a multistep methodology. First, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify a comprehensive list of 37 factors impacting work zone safety. Second, social network analysis (SNA) was employed to analyze …