Digital Commons Network^™

Efficiently Stowed Flashers With Uniform-Thickness Panels Based On Non-Developable Origami, Larry L. Howell, Robert J. Lang, Specer P. Magleby, Davis Wing

Faculty Publications

We present the mathematical construction of a deployable flasher pattern with near-uniform nonzero thickness in the deployed form and efficient face-to-face packing in the stowed form. We demonstrate its fabrication, deployment, and stowage. The results facilitate the design and manufacture of deployable systems with panels whose substantial thickness is dictated by the end application, with particular utility for space systems.

Never Cool Enough: Legal And Policy Challenges To Keeping Data Centers And Communities Empowered In A Warming World, Cristina M. Banahan, Diana B. Wilkinson

Lewis & Clark Law Review

In a rapidly evolving world, artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency are two technologies at the forefront of the future. Although these developments promise many potential societal benefits and revenue, they come with a price. The data processing required to operate these new technologies demands a large amount of energy, using water to cool the systems and enable them to run without overheating. With such high water and energy demands, the benefits from these technological advancements come at a steep environmental cost. Despite the negative environmental impacts of these data centers, the Trump Administration continues to roll back environmental protections. The …

Quo Warranto In The Aftermath Of Loper Bright, Dennis Hall

Lewis & Clark Law Review

In 2024, the Supreme Court did away with Chevron deference in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo. One previously undiscussed consequence of this decision is how it opens the door to a broader use of quo warranto corporate charter revocation. Quo warranto is a legal remedy held by the states that has fallen into relative obscurity, but it has the power to regulate large corporations that have strayed from the bounds of acceptable activity. This Comment examines the history of corporations and corporate oversight regulation in the United States, as well as the history of quo warranto as a remedy. Additionally, …

The Sec And Climate Litigation, Lisa Benjamin

Lewis & Clark Law Review

The controversy surrounding the SEC’s climate-related financial disclosure rule continues. This Essay updates my previous work on this issue, where I identified two opportunities and two obstacles to the SEC promulgating final rules on climate-related financial risk disclosures. The two opportunities were a shifting political landscape under the then-Biden Administration (which took a whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis) and rising investor concern over the risks that climate change posed to their investments. The two obstacles I identified were business resistance to disclosure rules, and rising judicial hostility to the SEC. Today, the political landscape has shifted dramatically and …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Marine Composite Recreational Craft Manufacturing And Operations, Badr Moutik

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Marine composite recreational craft are growing in number. Sectoral roadmaps for sustainable development are increasing pressure to demonstrate life cycle environmental performance. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been identified as a key strategic decision support tool. However, current practice is undermined by sparse, non-representative data and methodological inconsistencies. These weaknesses increase the risk of biased or misleading interpretation, constrain wider uptake of LCA, and limit the sector’s ability to respond credibly to tightening environmental sustainability expectations. This thesis assesses the cradle-to-grave environmental impacts of a market-representative glass-fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) motor yacht across 16 impact categories. The research builds on …

Mapping The Uk Commercial Fishing Network: A Knowledge-Based Framework For Sustainable Technology Adoption And Environmental Decision-Making, Matthew Prowse

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

The UK commercial fishing industry operates within a complex web of stakeholders, technologies, and environmental pressures that challenge traditional approaches to sustainability and resource management. This research develops a comprehensive framework for understanding how technological advancement in UK fisheries creates unintended consequences that threaten long-term sustainability. Through a mixed-methods approach combining PESTLE analysis, grounded theory methodology, stakeholder mapping, case study investigation, this study introduces the "By-Product and Excess" theoretical framework to explain how fishing technologies generate two critical outcomes: by-products (undesirable environmental impacts such as CO₂ emissions, microplastics, and ecosystem damage) and excess (enhanced capacity to harvest beyond sustainable limits).The …

Modelling And Optimisation Of Dynamic Power Cable Configurations For Floating Offshore Renewable Energy, Anna Holcombe

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Floating offshore renewable energy requires dynamic power cables to transmit generated electricity from the floating device to the seabed, or to an adjacent device, so that it can be exported to shore. Dynamic power cables are connected at the top end to a floating device, and traverse the water column, subjected to loading at the hang-off, and direct hydrodynamic loading from waves and currents. Their reliability has been a concern within industry and research, particularly due to historically high failure rates of static subsea cables. It is essential that design and analysis of dynamic power cables is accurate, to mitigate …

Oscillating Water Column Geometric Hybridisation And The Air Compressibility Effect, Gunay Gazaloglu

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

Oscillating Water Column (OWC) devices represent one of the most operationally robust wave energy conversion technologies, yet their commercial deployment remains hindered by narrow resonant bandwidth, geometry-dependent efficiency, and uncertainties in scaling thermodynamic effects between model and prototype. This thesis addresses these limitations through a coordinated investigation combining physical experimentation, empirical and machine-learning prediction, and high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics.A systematic experimental campaign was conducted on five single- and dual-chamber OWC geometries (Conventional, U-OWC, L-OWC, DCOWC-1, and DCOWC-2) under regular waves, with controlled compressible and incompressible chamber configurations. The thermodynamic scaling discrepancy is quantified for the first time across hybrid geometries, …

Staphylococcus Aureus Strain Heterogeneity Modulates Virulence Traits Associated To Dual-Species Biofilms With Candida Albicans, Laure Nicolas Annick Ries, Beata Adrienn Brezniczky, Binduja Srelatha Pradeep, Esther Olabamiji, Lee Hutt, Glenn M. Harper, Alexander Strachan, Gyorgy Fejer

School of Biomedical Sciences

Staphylococcus aureus is a commensal Gram-positive bacterium and opportunistic pathogen that exhibits substantial variation in antimicrobial resistance and virulence traits. S. aureus is frequently co-isolated with the fungus Candida albicans, and together they represent the most common microorganisms recovered from biofilm-associated infections originating from both biotic and abiotic surfaces. Despite this clinical relevance, the impact of bacterial intra-species variation on interkingdom interactions remains poorly understood. This study therefore investigated how S. aureus strain heterogeneity influences C. albicans within dual-species biofilms. The majority of the 60 S. aureus strains tested suppressed fungal growth in a contact-dependent manner across different nutrient conditions …

Quantifying The Response Of Bankfull Channel Width To Active Faulting In The Qianhe Graben On The Southwest Margin Of Ordos Block, China, Zhiheng Liu, Sarah Boulton, Suiping Zhou, Jianhua Guo, Tingting Wu, Wenjie Zhang, Ling Han

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

River longitudinal profiles have been widely used to quantify the transient landscape response to active faulting, but the fluvial cross-section is often ignored, yet width can also reveal river incision and tectonic activity. Channel width responds to tectonic forcing through flow concentration effects resulting in channel narrowing where vertical incision dominates during uplift acceleration. Here we employ a novel bankfull channel width extraction method using Landsat and ZY-3 satellite images, and SRTM DEM data to evaluate the cross-section landscape response to active faulting in the Qianhe Graben of southwest Ordos, China. Although some areas are difficult to access (e.g., thick …

Assessing The Application Of Optical-Photothermal Infrared Spectroscopy For Single-Grain Chemical Palynology, Laura Scoble, Hao Meng, Simon J. Ussher, Mark F. Fitzsimons, Lauren Ansell, Mustafa Kansiz, Billy Simmonds, Nick Stone, Ralph M. Fyfe

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Single-grain pollen analysis is essential for advancing chemical palynology, which classifies morphologically similar taxa based on taxon-specific pollen and sporopollenin chemistry. Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and microspectroscopy (μFT-IR) are widely used to differentiate morphologically similar grains but face limitations from Mie scattering and coarse spatial resolution. Here, we present the first application of Optical-PhotoThermal Infrared (O-PTIR) spectroscopy to chemically treated single pollen grains, using Molinia caerulea as a model taxon to fully test and evaluate the technical capabilities and limitations of this technique. O-PTIR achieves sub-micron “super-resolution” infrared spectroscopy through non-contact, non-destructive measurements by exploiting the photothermal effect. O-PTIR spectra …

Organ Chips And Translational Research: Identifying And Examining New Ethical Issues, Melanie Jeske

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Organ chips, also known as organ-on-a-chip devices, tissue chips, or microphysiological systems, have emerged over the last decade as a promising translational technology amidst growing concern about the translational crisis between laboratory research and patient bedside. Pointing to high rates of failure between nonhuman animal models and safety and efficacy in humans, organ chips and similar new approach methods have attracted substantial public and private investment. As human-cell-based alternatives to animal models, organ chips promise more predictive, efficient, and ethical platforms for pharmaceutical and toxicity testing. Engineered cultivation systems that enable cells to assemble into tissue-like structures (e.g. kidney, brain, …

Access To Digital Health Technologies: Personalized Framework And Global Perspectives, Sanjiv M Narayan, Mina K Chung, Demilade Adedinsewo, Luisa C C Brant, Leslie L Davis, David Duncker, Jennifer L Hall, Janet K Han, Carolyn S P Lam, Eldrin Lewis, Joseph Loscalzo, Manlio F Márquez, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, Fatima Rodriguez, Prashanthan Sanders, Emma Svennberg, Kenneth Stein, Mintu Turakhia, Clyde Yancy, Antonis A Armoundas

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

The emergence and rapid adoption of digital health technologies (DHT) present unprecedented opportunities to democratize and reduce disparities in health care by monitoring health and disease at the point of care in all patients. However, limited access to DHT is becoming a major obstacle to realizing these goals. Access to DHT is influenced not only by well-recognized social determinants of health, but also by digital determinants of health, such as digital literacy and the need for broad access to digital infrastructure, as well as commercial and economic factors. Addressing these challenges and designing unbiased systems of care are essential to …

Imagining Genomics And Population Health In 2050: Anticipating Future Research, Policy, And Governance Needs, Bartha Maria Knoppers, Yann Joly, Ma Apos N H Zawati, Habiba Alsafar, Jeffrey C Barrett, Laura Blackburn, Brian Hon-Yin Chung, Martina C Cornel, Edward S Dove, David Glazer, Calvin Wai-Loon Ho, Muin J Khoury, Anna C F Lewis, Anneke Lucassen, Peter F R Mills, Colin Mitchell, Nicola Mulder, Ainsley J Newson, Anthony Ng, Paul D P Pharoah, Vasiliki Rahimzadeh, Megan C Roberts, Saskia C Sanderson, Jeffrey M Skopek, Ron Zimmern, Eric M Meslin

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Serum Protein Signatures For Breast Cancer Detection In Treatment-Naïve African American Women Using Integrated Proteomics And Pattern Analysis, Padma Tadi Uppala, Elmer Rivera, Hyun J. Kwon, Sharon S. Lum

Faculty Publications

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in African American (AA) women. In this study we evaluated the serum proteomic profile of AA women with breast cancer using an integrated proteomic framework with multivariate pattern analysis. Using 2D-DIGE, thousands of serum protein spots were detected across 33 gels; 46 spots met criteria for presence, statistical significance, and differential expression. Proteins from the spots were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF and matched in curated databases, highlighting serum biomarkers including ceruloplasmin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, complement component C3 and C6, alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-1B-glycoprotein, alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein and haptoglobin-related protein. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed 163 differentiating peptides after imputing and …

Investigating The Impact Of Carboxylated Polystyrene Nanoplastics In The Liver Using Cell Lines And Precision-Cut Liver Slices, Namrata Pandey, Paula Boeira, Nathaniel J. Clark, Eleanor T. Walker, Somaiah Aroori, Jemimah Denson, Richard C. Thompson, Matthew E. Cramp, Shilpa Chokshi, Ashwin Dhanda

Peninsula Medical School

Background and Aims: Increasing reports of plastic accumulation in human tissue have raised concerns about potential adverse health outcomes. Evidence of negative effects of nanoplastics is heterogeneous and provides limited insights into the underlying pathogenic toxicity mechanisms in humans. Methods: In the present study, carboxylate-modified fluorescently labelled polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) were used to investigate uptake and cytotoxicity in three different hepatic models of varying complexity, including HepG2 cells, IHH cells, and human precision-cut liver slices (hPCLS). Results: The results show model- and dose-dependent effects on hepatocytes. 74.2% ± 13.4% of the IHH cells showed PS NPs uptake at 0.1 …

Designing A Mobile App For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: Insights From Lived Experience And Clinical Practice, Rohit Shankar, Richard Laugharne, Michael Loizou, Marius Varga, Sivia Lin, Bojana Daw Srdanovic, Roger Farrell

Peninsula Medical School

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling anxiety disorder precipitated by severe trauma. Many people with this condition have little access to clinical interventions, especially in low-middle-income countries. For the development of any digital health intervention, it is vital to know the opinions of PLE and clinicians to guide the developers. We conducted two focus groups, one with clinicians (n = 5) and one with people with lived experience (PLE) (n = 11), to gain knowledge of their views on the development of a PTSD App. Transcripts of both focus groups were coded and thematically analysed. The key themes that …

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition And Stress Adaptations Underlie Yttrium-90 Resistance In Liver Cancer Cell Lines, Alexander Zheleznyak, Dhanusha Duraiyan, Prasanth Thunuguntla, Jessica Camacho, Shuang Wu, Jingxia Liu, Jason D Weber, Daniel L J Thorek, Benjamin S Strnad, Ryan C Fields, Matthew A Ciorba, Christine Yoon, Valerie Blanc, Nicholas Davidson, Jessica Silva-Fisher, Christopher D Malone

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Molecular signatures predict prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma, but their relevance to transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90 (90Y) is unknown. We aimed to identify baseline and treatment-induced pathways associated with response and nominate biomarkers. Ten transcriptomically diverse human liver cancer cell lines were exposed to escalating activities of glass 90Y microspheres for 10 days. Normalized AUC values quantified sensitivity. Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing at baseline and after treatment was analyzed with elastic net regression and gene set enrichment. Findings were corroborated by qRT-qPCR and exploratory analysis of pretreatment tumor samples from patients undergoing TARE. Liver cancer cell line responses to 90Y …

Focused Ultrasound-Enhanced Nose-To-Brain Delivery Of A Therapeutic Antibody In A Large-Animal Model, Siaka Fadera, Cristian Antonio Wieczorek Villas Boas, Yimei Yue, Zhaoning Gu, Jinyun Yuan, Debolina De, Buck E Rogers, Arash Nazeri, Hong Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Antihypertensive Medications And Risk Of Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence For Specific Medication Use, Osvaldo J. Laurido-Soto, Alejandra Camacho-Soto, Irene M. Faust, Kassu M. Beyene, Aaron Katz, Jordan A. Killion, Brad A. Racette

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Participatory Systems Modeling In Implementation Research: Exploring Benefits, Facilitators, And Future Needs, Natalie Riva Smith, Jennifer L Cruz, Jessica Gannon, Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Implementation science increasingly uses participatory systems modeling (PSM) approaches to handle the complexity inherent to implementation science issues. To support the process of integrating PSM with implementation science, we aimed to understand and explicate the benefits, facilitators, and future needs of applying PSM to implementation research.

METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 23 researchers (n = 18) and practitioners (n = 5). We purposively sampled participants and identified additional participants through recommendations. Interviews were inductively analyzed. Key concepts were identified via iterative description, comparison, and conceptualization.

RESULTS: Engagement with people in the system was typically focused in earlier …

Mapping Functional Connectivity In The Pigeon Brain With Wide-Field Optical Imaging, Kathryn C Chenard, Annie R Bice, Seana H Bice, Joseph P Culver, Paula Gerliz, Xavier Helluy, Onur Güntürkün, Jason W Trobaugh, Mehdi Behroozi, Carlos A Botero

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SIGNIFICANCE: Adapting optical imaging technology to avian models can overcome many limitations imposed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which currently restricts the number of species used to study functional connectivity. Developing advanced technology to expand the diversity of species that can be effectively imaged is crucial for addressing significant questions that are currently unreachable, such as understanding the evolution of cognition from a comparative perspective.

AIM: We assessed the potential of optical imaging technology to measure functional connectivity in birds, utilizing pigeons as an avian model. We evaluated whether we could partition the dorsal surface of the pigeon brain …

Oil Palm (Elaeis Guineensis) Leaf Extract-Mediated Green Synthesis Of Tio2 Nanoparticles And Their Optical Characteristics, Nofrijon Sofyan, Andriayani, Yetria Rilda, Fiona Angellinnov, Mouna M'Rad, Muhammad, Aga Ridhova, Akhmad Herman Yuwono, Donanta Dhaneswara

Baghdad Science Journal

This work aims to explore the characteristics of TiO2 NPs green-synthesized via an environmentally friendly method using oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaf extract as a green medium and capping agent by utilizing titanium tetra isopropoxide (TTIP) as precursor. The oil palm leaves were extracted with different solvent concentration variations. The natural extract was characterized using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) and infrared spectroscopy for active chemical contents and functional groups. The obtained TiO2 NPs were also characterized using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the functional groups, ultraviolet spectroscopy (UV-DRS) for the optical characteristics, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for the phase …

Hematite/Nio/Graphene Composites: Enhancing Humidity Energy Harvesting Through Temperature Variations, Nurul Syafiqah Mohamed Mustakim, Dayana Kamaruzaman, Norfarariyanti Parimon, Mohd Khairul Ahmad, Suriani Abu Bakar, Mohamad Hafiz Mamat

Baghdad Science Journal

Harvesting energy from humidity is a new approach that has emerged as a potential renewable energy source. However, there are drawbacks to current humidity-based energy-harvesting technologies, such as the absence of a long-term conversion mechanism in hygroscopic materials. In this study, we developed hematite/nickel oxide/graphene (hematite/NiO/Gr) on a cellulose-based substrate as the hygroscopic material for humidity-to-energy applications. We successfully synthesized a novel hematite/NiO/Gr composite using a cost-effective sonicated solution immersion method at different synthesis temperatures. Results indicated that the prepared hygroscopic material is hydrophilic, with a water contact angle of 67.83°. The fabricated humidity-to-energy device utilizing these hygroscopic materials yielded …

Mapping Robusta Coffee (Coffea Canephora) Cropping Systems In Uganda: A Two-Step Pixel And Sub-Pixel Based Approach With Sentinel-2 Data, Getachew Kebede, Bester Tawona Mudereri, Onisimo Mutanga, Tobias Landmann, John Odindi, Natacha Motisi, Fabrice Pinard, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Coffee is a highly valued commodity and a widely consumed beverage, playing an important role in global trade. However, coffee farming landscapes are increasing transitioning into smaller-scale agricultural setups. This transformation highlights the critical need for accurate classification and mapping of coffee cropping systems (CS), especially in countries like Uganda, where dense vegetation and complex terrain present substantial challenges to traditional land survey methods. Moreover, understanding the spatial distribution of Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) CS is essential for developing site-specific management strategies, guiding extension services, and informing evidence-based policy decisions. To address this gap, the present study aimed to enhance …

Smallholder Farmers' Willingness To Pay For The Farmbetter Mobile App-Based Agricultural Extension: Evidence From A Bdm Experiment In Tanzania And Burkina Faso, Cool Dady Mangole, Kelvin Mulungu, Christian Kamala Kaghoma, Maurice Tschopp, Menale Kassie

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Financial contributions from farmers are increasingly acknowledged as a sustainable mechanism for funding extension services. However, the literature on willingness to pay (WTP) for digital agricultural extension is limited. Conducting a thorough assessment of WTP for digital extension is critical for designing effective pricing policies and ensuring financial sustainability. This study examines the WTP for a novel digital extension platform named farmbetter, leveraging primary data collected in Tanzania and Burkina Faso. The Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) experiment was used to elicit the amount farmers are willing to pay. We applied the Lasso machine learning to predict the relevant drivers of WTP and …

Optimal Control Analysis Of Malaria Transmission In The Presence Of Insecticide Resistance And Climate Variability In Kenya, Lorna Chepkemoi, Titus Okello Orwa, Samuel Mwalili, Rachel Waema Mbogo, Steeven Belvinos Affognon, Daisy Salifu, Henri E.Z. Tonnang

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Malaria remains a major public health concern in Kenya, where changing climatic conditions, insecticide resistance, and mosquito behavioral adaptations continue to challenge control efforts. This study develops and analyzes a climate-sensitive malaria transmission model that incorporates mosquito behavior, insecticide resistance, and vector–human ecological dynamics to identify optimal control strategies for the Kenyan context. The model’s well-posedness was established, the basic reproduction number (R0) computed using the next-generation matrix method, and the stability of equilibrium points assessed. Spatial analysis of R0 was performed using temperature and rainfall raster data to map transmission risk across Kenya under varying insecticide use scenarios. Results …

Editorial: Sustainable Management Of Tuta Absoluta, Ahmad A. Omar, Inusa Jacob Ajene, Hafiz Muhammad Usman Aslam, Fathiya Mbarak Khamis

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), remains one of the most devastating global threats to tomato production. Its rapid invasion across continents, exceptional reproductive potential, cryptic foliar-mining behavior, and accelerated evolution of insecticide resistance have significantly complicated management efforts. The persistent failure of conventional chemical strategies underscores an urgent need for integrated solutions that combine molecular innovation, ecological engineering, and rigorous resistance monitoring. This editorial synthesizes key insights from recent contributions by Ullah et al., Bavithra et al., and Adams et al., which collectively outline a transformative, multi-dimensional framework for sustainable T. absoluta suppression.

Examining Team Leader Visual Dynamics And Team Performance In Pediatric Emergency Simulations, Annamarie Brosnihan

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Pediatric medical emergencies are dynamic, high-intensity clinical situations that demand coordinated interdisciplinary actions for optimal patient outcomes. Effective teamwork and leadership are critical, especially during the preparatory phase. Here, team leaders define task goals, assign individual roles, and maintain situational awareness. This phase directs attention, organizes team dynamics, and ensures medical interventions are deployed properly. Medical simulations provide a unique opportunity to capture dynamic leadership behaviors in a controlled low-stakes environment using multimodal data, such as eye tracking, to gain insight into team leader cognitive processes (i.e., attention allocation and information processing). Prior research suggests that leaders who visually attend …

The Dynamics Of Near-Limit Detonation Waves For Hypersonic Propulsion, Liliana Berson

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The usage of detonation waves in hypersonic propulsion engines has seen substantial advancement in recent decades. The near-limit transition and failure process are key in these applications controlling the operability regime. The common cellular propagation of detonation waves fails in the near limit leading eventually to a singular transverse shock instability. The local dynamics of the wave causing this transition and the details of this singular instability remain a challenging question. These dynamics are examined in a fully automated detonation experiment using ultra-high-speed diagnostics and statistical analysis. Hydrocarbon fuel–oxidizer mixtures with nitrogen dilution are used to explore transition behavior over …