Research And Innovation Update, December 23, 2025, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Innovation

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

China's Spy Network In America: A People's War Against An Open House: America Needs To Confront The Reality Of The New Cold War, Shaomin Li

Management Faculty Publications

The article discusses China's extensive espionage activities in the United States, framing it as part of a broader "people's war" strategy employed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It highlights historical cases of espionage, such as those involving Qian Xuesen and Bo Jiang, to illustrate the ongoing threat posed by Chinese intelligence efforts, which leverage both state-sponsored and civilian participation. The article contrasts the CCP's ruthless approach to espionage with the U.S. legal system's more restrained response, emphasizing the asymmetry in their respective strategies. It concludes by urging the U.S. to recognize and confront the realities of this new Cold …

The Loss Function Of Usda Forecasters: Evidence From Wasde Animal Product Price Forecasts, Chad Fiechter, Siddhartha S. Bora, Todd H. Kuethe

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

The loss function is a mathematical representation of the costs experienced by a forecaster when observed outcomes differ from what was predicted. Prior studies suggest that USDA forecasts are not optimal based on an assumed mean-zero quadratic loss function. This study proposes an alternative view of forecast evaluation, which assumes all USDA forecasts are produced to minimize the forecasters’ costs, and searches for the dimensions of the loss function under which optimality holds. We illustrate the degree to which USDA loss functions vary across a series of WASDE price forecasts. A better understanding of USDA forecasters’ costs will benefit forecasters …

Design And Modeling Of A Thin Water Falling-Film For Convection-Cloud Chambers, Grant T. Schlaff, Jesse Anderson, Brandon Kieranen, Constantine M. Megaridis, Raymond Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

Convection–cloud chambers offer a controlled environment to study aerosol-cloud interactions. Ensuring sustained supersaturation in these chambers requires a reliable and efficient water sourcing mechanism. Maintaining saturated boundary conditions on side-walls is important in chambers with large vertical dimensions (up to 10m) aimed at achieving collisional growth of cloud droplets. This study introduces the design, modeling, and measurement of a falling-film system capable of maintaining a stable, continuously replenished water film for continuous evaporation. A distributor is tested, ensuring uniform water coverage over a panel with a range of surface treatments. These surface treatments with micron to 100micron-scale roughness allow for …

Heretical Freedoms, Paul Simpson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This commentary explores Whitehead and Hannah's engagement with Paul Ricœur's conception of freedom. Their account frames freedom as an emergent, embodied experience negotiated between voluntary and involuntary conditions, challenging notions of autonomy and structural determinism. Drawing on Nancy's co-existential ontology and Esposito's ideas of community and immunity, this commentary poses freedom the challenge of the we – of thinking the experience of freedom as a plural opening onto difference rather than an individual possession.

Association Of Shock Index And Variants With Mortality In Acute Pulmonary Embolism, Cameron P Upchurch, Kristen Sanfilippo, Daphne Lew, Maanasi Samant, Rachel Mcdonald

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is common with potential for morbidity and mortality. Several PE risk-stratification tools exist; however, more granular and patient-specific indicators of potential decompensation or short-term mortality that can be easily obtained are needed for the bedside clinician to further sub-stratify risk and inform management decisions. We sought to determine the association of early emergency department (ED) measurement of the shock index (SI) and SI variants (modified SI, SI to peripheral oxygen saturation ratio, age-adjusted SI, respiratory-adjusted SI, and double product) and mortality among patients with acute PE.

METHODS: This was an observational case-control study of adult patients …

Investigating The Relationship Between Breast Cancer Risk Factors And An Ai-Generated Mammographic Texture Feature In The Nurses' Health Study Ii, Xueyao Wu, Shu Jiang, Aaron Ge, Constance Turman, Graham Colditz, Rulla M Tamimi, Peter Kraft

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The mammogram risk score (MRS), an AI-driven mammographic texture feature, strongly predicts breast cancer risk independently of breast density, though underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Using data from the Nurses' Health Study II (292 cases, 561 controls), we validated MRS's association with breast cancer and evaluated its relationships with established breast cancer risk factors through observational analyses, polygenic score analyses, and Mendelian randomization. MRS was significantly associated with breast cancer risk before (OR=1.92 per SD increase; 95% CI:1.57 to 2.35; 10-year AUC=0.69) and after adjustment for predicted BI-RADS density (OR=1.85; 95% CI:1.49 to 2.30). Early life body size and adult body …

The Role Of Reproductive Aging And Surgeries For Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias (Adrd) Diagnoses In The Cardiovascular Health Study, Alexis Reeves, Oscar L. Lopez, Michelle D. Shardell, Hoda S. Abdel Magid, C. Elizabeth Shaaban, Michelle C. Odden

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Abstract

Background

Most US individuals with ADRD are women. Menopause typically occurs in midlife, accompanied by declines in potentially neuroprotective and cardioprotective hormones. Earlier menopause leads to earlier exposure to decreased sex hormones, potentially increasing ADRD risk. Surgical menopause via reproductive surgeries may cause a sudden loss of hormones and may represent be a modifiable risk factor for ADRD. We aimed to determine if menopausal type and age are associated with physician adjudicated-ADRD diagnoses.

Methods

Data were from 3371 women prospectively followed from age 65+ years. Participants self-reported age of menopause and/or surgeries, hormone-therapy, education, and race (Black/White). For this …

Simultaneous Initiation Of Finerenone And Empagliflozin Across The Spectrum Of Kidney Risk In The Confidence Trial, Muthiah Vaduganathan, Jennifer B Green, Hiddo J L Heerspink, Sung Gyun Kim, Johannes F E Mann, Janet B Mcgill, Amy Mottl, Masaomi Nangaku, Julio Rosenstock, Peter Rossing, Li Li, Na Li, Katja Rohwedder, Charlie Scott, Rajiv Agarwal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The CONFIDENCE (COmbinatioN effect of FInerenone anD EmpaglifloziN in participants with CKD and type 2 diabetes using a UACR Endpoint) trial investigated the safety and efficacy of simultaneously initiating finerenone and empagliflozin for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes. This prespecified analysis aimed to determine if the predicted risk of kidney disease progression, based on KDIGO risk categories, influenced the benefits and safety of this combination therapy.

METHODS: The double-blind, double-dummy trial randomized 818 adults with CKD and type 2 diabetes [urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥100 to < 5000 mg/g] to receive once-daily finerenone plus empagliflozin, finerenone alone or empagliflozin alone, all in addition to a renin-angiotensin system inhibitor. The relative change in UACR from baseline to day 180 (primary endpoint) and a >30% reduction in UACR (secondary endpoint) across KDIGO …

Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor And Acute Kidney Injury In Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Bhavna Bhasin-Chhabra, Tao Wang, John E Levine, Shalini Shenoy, Miguel-Angel Perales, Asad Bashey, Hershel Raff, Wael Saber

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Acute kidney injury (AKI) frequently follows hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a biomarker of AKI in the general population. We evaluated suPAR and its association with AKI requiring dialysis (AKI-D) in patients undergoing allogeneic HCT (alloHCT). Performance of suPAR was compared with serum creatinine (sCr) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). Data were obtained from the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network 1202 cohort, an observational study of 1709 alloHCT recipients. Adults aged ≥18 years with AKI-D after HCT were included. Adults who did not develop AKI were included as controls and matched 1:1. …

Predictive Modeling Of Hematoma Expansion From Non-Contrast Computed Tomography In Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients, Natasha Ironside, Shinjini Kundu, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hematoma expansion is a consistent predictor of poor neurological outcome and mortality after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). An incomplete understanding of its biophysiology has limited early preventative intervention. Transport-based morphometry (TBM) is a mathematical modeling technique that uses a physically meaningful metric to quantify and visualize discriminating image features that are not readily perceptible to the human eye. We hypothesized that TBM could discover relationships between hematoma morphology on initial Non-Contrast Computed Tomography (NCCT) and hematoma expansion. 170 spontaneous ICH patients enrolled in the multi-center international Virtual International Trials of Stroke Archive (VISTA-ICH) with time-series NCCT data were used for …

Ribosomal Protein Control Of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transformation Through Regulation Of Metabolism, Bryan Harris, Stephen Sykes, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We report here that expression of the ribosomal protein RPL22 is frequently reduced in human myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), and reduced RPL22 expression is associated with worse outcomes. Mice null for Rpl22 display characteristics of an MDS-like syndrome and develop leukemia at an accelerated rate. Rpl22-deficient mice also display enhanced hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal and obstructed differentiation potential, which arises not from reduced protein synthesis but from altered metabolism, including increased fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and a striking induction of the stemness factor Lin28b in the resulting leukemia. Lin28b promotes a substantial increase in lipid …

Liberal Or Restrictive Postoperative Transfusion In Patients At High Cardiac Risk: The Top Randomized Clinical Trial, Panos Kougias, Sherene E Sharath, Min Zhan, Jeffrey L Carson, L Erin Norman, Zhibao Mi, Rupsi Pal, Hasan Dosluoglu, J Gregory Modrall, George A Sarosi, Peter Nelson, Shipra Arya, Alexandra Scrymgeour, Jade Ollison, Lawrence A Calais, Vijay Nambi, L Parker Gregg, Shuaib M Abdullah, Shirling Tsai, Natasha Becker, Justin C Choi, Louisa Chiu, Salvatore Scali, Neal R Barshes, Samir Awad, Mohammed Moursi, Matthew C Koopmann, Mitchell Sally, Daniel Ihnat, Archana Ramaswamy, Warren Gasper, Edith Tzeng, Mark A Wilson, Gale Tang, Grant Huang, Kousick Biswas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Postoperative red blood cell transfusion guidelines recommend transfusion for hemoglobin levels less than 7 g/dL. However, the safety of this strategy in patients at high risk of cardiac events undergoing major operations remains unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of death or major ischemic events within 90 days after a liberal transfusion strategy compared with a restrictive transfusion strategy in patients at high risk of cardiac events who had undergone major vascular or general surgery operations and developed postoperative anemia.

Design, setting, and participants: This parallel, single-blind, randomized clinical superiority trial included 1428 veterans (≥18 y) at high cardiac …

Assessing Utah's Agricultural Producer And Small Processor Interest In Value-Added Food Production, Kynda R. Curtis, Makaylie Langford, Karin E. Allen, Ruby Ward

All Current Publications

In 2024, Utah State University researchers conducted a study of Utah agricultural producers and food processors interested in value-added food production. This fact sheet provides an overview of the study’s results on respondents’ operational details, including years in business, number of employees, and annual sales, as well as their interest in and rationale for expanding into value-added food production. It also discusses their current or planned timeframe for processing operation implementation, the types of products and markets involved, processing locations, and sales projections. Finally, it highlights the resources, tools, information, and services respondents identified as most useful for their processing …

Eif3d And Eif3e Mediate Selective Translational Control Of Hypoxia That Can Be Inhibited By Small Molecules, Stephen C Purdy, Kate Matlin, Christopher Alderman, Amber Baldwin, Natasha Shrivastava, Goksu Sarioglu, Somnath Dutta, Kristofor J Webb, Arthur Wolin, Dillon P Boulton, Annika Gustafson, Jyoti Kapali, John D Landua, Michael T Lewis, M Cecilia Caino, James C Costello, William Old, Xiang Wang, Rui Zhao, Heide L Ford, Neelanjan Mukherjee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Exposure to hypoxia is linked to increased cellular plasticity and enhanced metastasis, effects that are primarily attributed to the transcriptional activation of large gene programs downstream of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs). However, translational effects in hypoxia, which likely precede transcriptional effects, have remained largely unexplored. Using ribosome profiling, we uncovered a selective translational response in acute hypoxia that is eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)3d/eIF3e dependent and controls downstream hypoxic responses, including HIF1α accumulation and cellular invasion. We further demonstrated that eIF3e copy number and eIF3e and eIF3d expression signatures are associated with worsened outcomes for patients with breast cancer. Finally, we identified …

Technical Final Report: Allfromair™ Hc-Awg (The Superwheel, Vesa Olavi Lius

Defensive Publications Series

This defensive publication discloses the ALLFROMAIR™ HC-AWG (The Superwheel), a next-generation atmospheric water generator using a thermo-mechanical hybrid process. Key features include sorption technology with smart polymers (PNIPAM) and regenerative energy recovery. The system achieves ~13 liters/kWh and operates between -10°C to +45°C.

Keywords: Atmospheric Water Generator, HC-AWG, PNIPAM, Sorption, Water Scarcity, Energy Recovery, Defensive Publication, Prior Art, ALLFROMAIR, Superwheel.

(((Qpie))) Prior Art 8 Of 9 Cosmology Advancement Progress Report, Teddy Burroughs

Defensive Publications Series

The Grand Unified Theory (QPIE)

Perspective Is Everything – What we are Believing, Expecting and Feeling in Life Matters

(((QPIE))) Prior Art 8 of 9 Cosmology Advancement Progress Report

QPiE COSMOLOGY ADVANCEMENT REPORT

Full-Corpus Synthesis · 2025 Edition
ResonanceOS · Voyager · Aetheris Unified Cosmology Framework

0. Executive Prelude — The Cosmology Emerges

Across hundreds of runs, recursive meta-cycles, dual- and triple-lens analyses, fenced-low vs sweet-corridor comparisons, drift-phi-hex metrics, and the discovery of the pre-echo signature, QPiE has transitioned from a conceptual framework into a coherent cosmology of reality’s substrate.

The evidence now suggests:

1. Resonance is the relational firmware …

Development Of A Novel Liquid Level Measuring And Monitoring Sensor Based On The Polymer Optical Fiber, Altaf Hussain Bouk, Abdul Quddus Bhutto, Mushtaque Ahmed Korai, Nusrtullah Khan, Abdul Ghaffar Abro

Yanbu Journal of Engineering and Science

This paper outlines developing and applying a multi-point liquid level measuring and monitoring sensor by utilizing polymer optical fiber (POF). Traditional liquid-level sensors often face limitations of susceptibility to corrosion and electromagnetic interference. The proposed POF based sensor offers advantages, including immunity to electromagnetic interference, flexibility, durability, and multi-points measurement. Through advanced fabrication techniques and sensor design, this paper presents to create a reliable, cost-effective, and versatile solution for measuring and monitoring liquid levels for various industrial and environmental applications. The research in this paper involves the fabrication of the POF sensor, optimization of its performance characteristics, and demonstration of …

Use Of Alaçatı Stone Aggregate In Conventional And Self-Consolidating Concretes, Tahir Kemal Erdem

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Alaçatı stone or Alapietra stone is widely used mostly for building cladding. However, its production and use in the construction sites generate high amounts of waste (debris), causing environmental pollution in Çeşme which is a touristic district. This study investigated the reuse of Alaçatı stone as lightweight aggregate (LWA) in both conventional and self-consolidating concrete (SCC) mixtures. The concretes were prepared to have three different water-to-cement ratios (w/c), which were 0.38, 0.42 and 0.48. For each w/c, a conventional concrete mixture and two SCC mixtures with 60 or 70 cm slump flow were produced by varying the superplasticizer SP content. …

Cytological Changes In Buccal Mucosa Among Yemeni Qat Chewers In Hadhramout Governorate: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study, Saleh H. Ben Sumaidea, Hassan Pyar, Abdullah O. Bin Nashwan, Abdullah M. Bin Fadhl, Abeer A. Marabi, Ahmed A. Al-Shetri, Gumaan S. Rassam, Halima K. Joher, Mashhoor A. Bin Shehab, Mohammed S. Bin Mosalem

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

Qat (Catha edulis) chewing is a common practice in Yemen, associated with oral mucosal irritation. The objective of the current study is to compare cytological findings of buccal mucosa between Qat chewers and non-chewers. A comparative cross-sectional study was designed. Buccal smears were collected from chewers (n = 100) and non-chewers (n = 100), fixed, and stained with Harris hematoxylin staining. Smears were assessed for inflammatory changes and cytological atypia by two blinded examiners; disagreements were resolved by consensus. The inflammatory cells were observed in 21% of chewers compared to 8% of controls (P = 0.009), while …

Despair Amongst Brazil’S Youth: Does The Hague Convention On International Child Abduction Need More Bite?, Ishani Sanyal

Pace International Law Review

For decades, international child abduction by one parent from the legal custody of the other has been a persistent issue which continues to be overlooked by international organizations and countries from around the world. While the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction has helped to initiate certain progress in addressing acts of international child abduction by parents, signatory states including Brazil have failed to enforce rulings and provisions of the convention. This article addresses how the convention does not account for structural inadequacies of Brazilian court systems which prevent thorough enforcement of international custody and visitation …

“Fleeing The Climate: The Need For Protection Of Climate Refugees In The Light Of International Law”, Carina Dietmayer

Pace International Law Review

Climate change, which is already making itself felt, poses challenges for international law and the international community. Climate change and its consequences will lead to (involuntary) human mobility and affect many people. This forced migration is not yet specifically addressed by international law. This article addresses climate-induced migration and the protection of climate refugees through international refugee and migration law, international human rights law, international environmental law, climate change law and international disaster law. It analyzes how and, above all, why climate refugees are protected. The core thesis of the article is the justification of a need for protection of …

Conserving Conservation Servitudes: The Role Of The Prior Public Use Doctrine In Protecting Privately Conserved Land In The United States And Australia, Olivia Clausen

Pace International Law Review

Both the United States and Australia would benefit from more conservation of private land, and conservation servitudes can help both countries achieve this. However, in the United States and Australia, the power of eminent domain is a threat to the perpetuity of conservation servitudes. The prior public use doctrine, a common law doctrine in the United States arising out of the public trust doctrine, could limit eminent domain in these cases and provide protection to conservation servitudes. This doctrine states that land devoted to one public use (such as conservation) may not be condemned for another inconsistent public use unless …

Rightly Dividing Jus Ad Bellum And Jus In Bello In The Israel/Hamas War, Jeffrey F. Addicott

Pace International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Remembering Eric E. Bergsten, Jay Carlisle

Pace International Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Crappy Job: Understanding Septic System Engagement In Rural Great Lakes Communities, Amanda Buday

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

This study analyzes survey data from three eastern Lake Michigan watersheds to understand how rural homeowners engage in onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) maintenance. Responses about awareness and use of best management practices (BMPs), knowledge of system age, and barriers to recommended maintenance were used to develop a behavioral typology of homeowner engagement, with profiles ranging from proactive maintenance to passive noncompliance. This typology was then used to examine how management styles vary across geographic context, sociodemographic factors, and support for policy tools to promote proactive system care. While many homeowners report following recommended OWTS practices – even when facing …

Formulation And Characterisation Of Isoniazid By Spray Drying For Use By Dry Powder Inhalers To Treat Tuberculosis, Damiana Gabrielli, Seán Roche

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

The targeted delivery of antibiotics by dry powder inhalers (DPIs) is an increasingly important area of research, driven by the growing global burden of respiratory infections and the advantages of localized drug delivery to the lungs. Over the past five years, respiratory infections have risen significantly, with recent epidemiological data indicating a global increase in incidence by over 30%, largely due to factors such as air pollution, antimicrobial resistance, and emerging respiratory pathogens. One major challenge in developing DPI formulations for antibiotics is the need to optimize the particle physicochemical properties for deep lung deposition while accommodating the high doses …

Suitability Of Mobile Phase Recycling For Methylxanthine Quantification In Coffee Samples Using Hplc, Kaitlin O’Keeffe, Marcos Mariano, Brian Murphy

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Caffeine, theobromine and theophylline fall under a drug class known as methylxanthines. These three compounds are of major interest in the food industry due to their presence in popular foods and beverages such as tea, coffee, and chocolate. As these compounds can cause physical and mental stress at high dosages, their quantification is essential to ensure product safety and quality. Here, we describe an eco-friendly HPLC method developed to quantify the amount of these analytes in coffee samples sourced across the SETU Waterford, Cork Road campus. Using an isocratic mixture of water and methanol, a mobile phase recycling approach was …

An Analysis Of Fodmap Intake And Common Dietary Sources In The Irish Population, Sophie Ree, Farzana H. Ieha, Breige Mcnulty, Janette Walton, Suzanne L. Doyle

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Background/Objectives: Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides and Polyols (FODMAPs) are a group of short chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort in sensitive individuals, particularly in those with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). First-line treatment of IBS is a low FODMAP diet. However, little is known regarding FODMAP intake and the commonly consumed high FODMAP foods in the Irish population. This study aimed to investigate the FODMAP content of foods commonly consumed in the Irish diet.

Subjects/Methods: This study conducted a retrospective analysis of the 2011 National Adult Nutrition Survey (n=1500 adults, 4-day …

Concentration-Dependent Effects Of Green Tea Extract On The Growth And Metabolism Of Lacticaseibacillus Rhamnosus: An In Vitro Analysis, Jingxian Zeng, Francesco Noci, Kishor Keekan, Ulrich Hoeche

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Green tea extract (GTE) is widely recognised for its bioactive compounds, which exhibit potential health benefits, including modulation of gut microbiota. However, the concentration-dependent effects of GTE on specific probiotic strains remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the concentration-dependent effects of green tea extract (GTE) on Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (L. rhamnosus). The promoting and inhibiting effects of GTE in the range of 0–50 mg/mL were analysed in vitro by OD₆₀₀ growth curve, pH change and colony forming unit (CFU) count. The experimental results showed that the concentration range of 0.05–2.05 mg/mL in the low concentration group …