Digital Commons Network^™

Brittle-Viscous Deformation Cycles At The Base Of The Seismogenic Zone In The Continental Crust, Francesca Prando

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The main goal of the study was to determine the dynamical cycle of ductile-brittle deformation and to characterise the fluid pathways at different scales of a brittle-viscous fault zone active at the base of the seismogenic crust. Object of analysis are samples from the sinistral strike-slip fault zone BFZ045 from Olkiluoto (SW Finland), located at the site of a deep geological repository for nuclear waste. Combined microstructural analysis, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and mineral chemistry were applied to reconstruct the variations in pressure, temperature, fluid pressure, and differential stress that mediated deformation and strain localization along BFZ045 across the BDTZ. …

Nuanced Impacts And Social Perceptions Of Alpine Newts Ichthyosaura Alpestris In The Uk, Alexandra North

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Invasive species are major drivers of environmental change and their incidence appear to be growing worldwide. An understanding of the subtleties and complexities of invasion is important for conservation decision-making as not all introduced species become invasive, and the impacts of those that do can be highly context dependent. The alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris is a non-native species that is now widely distributed across the UK. An understanding of the drivers of introduction and spread of this species are in its infancy, and whilst anecdotal reports are indicative of negative ecological impacts, empirical evidence is lacking. This interdisciplinary thesis aims …

An Assessment Of The Environmental Impact And Economic Viability Of A Uk Based Scallop Farm, David Cox

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The UK scallop capture fishery’s use of dredging is, at times, both environmentally damaging and economically unsustainable. With demand for seafood continuing to rise, scallop farming may be able to offer an alternative source of supply that addresses increasing consumer concerns over sustainable food production and traceability. This study is based the research conducted on the UK’s first fully integrated scallop farm and hatchery in Torbay Devon. The research focuses on two separate aspects of the scallop farm: its ecological impact on the epibenthic and pelagic organisms at the site and surrounding areas and an assessment of the economic viability …

Population Genetics Of Green (Chelonia Mydas) And Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) In Grenada, West Indies, Naomi Westlake

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Sea turtle populations within Grenada are believed to be in decline, consistent with worldwide trends. Conservation strategies for green and hawksbill turtles in Grenada are currently limited by a lack of detailed knowledge of the genetic make-up, life history and migration patterns of the local aggregates of these species. Genetic characterisation provides a means for inferring population diversity and origins for these aggregates and to assess potential impacts from regional and worldwide management strategies. Additionally, chelonid alphaherpesvirus-5 (ChHV5) and ChHV5-associated fibropapillomatosis (FP) have recently been reported within Grenada’s green turtle population, but the epidemiology of the disease in Grenada remains …

The Reconstruction Of Climate In Beringia By Analysis Of Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraether (Gdgt) Distributions Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry (Hplc-Ms)., Lauren Beth Pankhurst

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The reconstruction of past environments, including temperatures, aids in the production of climate models which predict how the Earth will respond to future climatic changes that are occurring at an accelerated rate, due to global warming. High-latitude seas, including the Bering Sea, are sensitive to changes in global climate, across both glacial and interglacial timescales. Membrane lipids synthesised by archaea and bacteria are retained within the sediment and when extracted give evidence to the environmental conditions present during the organism’s lifetime. The membrane lipids are structured in a way that is chemically favourable to their environment, and calibrations derived in …

Using Remote Sensing To Track Complex Sinuous Ripple Migration On A Barchan Dune In Herschel Crater, Mars, Elizabeth Visick

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Dunes on Mars are known to migrate, in particular ripples have also been found to migrate. This is known to have occurred in eastern, western and southern Herschel Crater, but it was not known if this was true for Central Herschel Crater. Central Herschel Crater is of particular interest as the dunes found there were deemed indurated. However, since the release of HiRISE (2023) satellite images it is clear that these dunes are in fact very much the opposite. These dunes were actively migrating and presented some unique superimposed ripples. With this, we set out to measure the migration of …

Volcanic Debris Avalanche Propagation And Emplacement Mechanisms: Sedimentological Field Evidence And Bidisperse Granular Flow Experiments, Symeon Makris

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Volcanic debris avalanches mobilise large volumes and achieve long runouts with high destructive potential. Although many theories have been proposed regarding the mechanisms that enable their long runouts, the processes remain unknown. Theoretical and numerical models are unable to account for their long runout while being consistent with deposit observations. Therefore, evaluation of their dynamics in reference to deposit structure and sedimentology is fundamental for constraining such models. This thesis explores volcanic debris avalanche propagation dynamics and evaluates potential factors contributing to their long runouts. A systematic comparison of volcanic debris avalanches and lahars allows the evaluation of water as …

Resilience Thinking And The Influence Of Street-Level Bureaucrats On The Implementation Of Eu Environmental Policies In Overseas Territories: Lessons From Gibraltar., Jaime Sanchez-Garcia

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

The policy implementation literature has provided important insights on how policy formulation processes affect the achievement of policy goals and how street-level bureaucrats (SLBs) involved in policy implementation utilise coping mechanisms to overcome shortages in resources, expertise and other local constraints. However, it has struggled to provide a systematic analysis of how contextual factors influence the work of SLBs or the implications of their coping mechanisms for the functioning of implementation systems, particularly in smaller countries and non-states territories, where mismatches between policy requirements and resources are more acute. This thesis addresses these knowledge gaps by examining the implementation of …

The Impacts Of Crassula Helmsii On Northwest European Freshwater Macroinvertebrates, Samuel Tasker

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Crassula helmsii (New Zealand pygmyweed) is an Australasian aquatic plant which has invaded European freshwaters since the 1950s, provoking widespread concern amongst conservationists. The ecological impacts of C. helmsii invasion remain unclear, however, particularly with respect to macroinvertebrates. The main aim of this thesis is therefore to determine how Crassula helmsii impacts recipient macroinvertebrate assemblages in small lentic waterbodies across its invasive range. To this end, I surveyed small lentic waterbodies across the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands, including invaded and ecologically similar uninvaded sites in each region, assessing the impacts of C. helmsii invasion on macroinvertebrates using a suite …

Agent-Based Modeling For Understanding Incentives Associated With Distributed Solar Generation, Gasser Ali, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Distributed solar generation (DSG), such as residential photo-voltaic (PV) solar panels, offers many benefits to consumers and can improve the sustainability and resilience of the electric power infrastructure. As such, many local and national authorities implemented policy incentives, such as rebates and loans with reduced interests, to promote the adoption of DSG. However, the increasing penetration of DSG is creating new obstacles for system operators due to the uncertainty in forecasting electrical power demand. There is a need to investigate how incentives affect DSG adoption. To achieve that goal, a complex system-of-systems (SoS) model is developed using agent-based modeling (ABM). …

Analyzing The Impact Of Db Versus Dbb On Cost Performance In Airport Development: A Data-Driven Approach, Ramy Khalef, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Construction Of Airport Projects Can Be Complex And Costly Due To The Many Stakeholders Involved And Associated Strict Timelines. Traditional Delivery Methods, Such As Design-Bid-Build (DBB), Employed In Airport Projects Often Result In Major Cost Overruns Due To Multiple Facets. Design-Build (DB) Is A Construction Method That Combines Design And Construction Under A Single Entity, And It Has The Potential To Improve Cost Performance. None Have Evaluated DB From A Cost Perspective In The Airport Sector. This Research Fills This Gap. First, The Data Is Collected And Assessed For Validity. Second, Risk Ratings For Cost Performance Are Computed. Finally, …

Gendered Violence And Sexualized Representations In Video Games: (Lack Of) Effect On Gender-Related Attitudes, Liam Cross, Linda K. Kaye, Juris Savostijanovs, Neil Mclatchie, Matthew Johnston, Liam Whiteman, Robyn Mooney, Gray Atherton

School of Psychology

This research explored how gender portrayals in video games affect gender-related attitudes. Two hundred participants from the United Kingdom and Malaysia participated across three experiments, where the appearance and behaviour of video game characters were manipulated with regard to target (enemy) gender (Study 1), sexually explicit attire (Study 2) and level of character agency (Study 3). We found minimal evidence that exposure to gender-stereotyped content resulted in differential gender-related attitudes (implicit associations, hostile and benevolent sexism, or rape myth acceptance). However, Study 1 findings showed that individuals who played a first-person shooter with male enemies showed lower endorsement of some …

Bridging The Gap: Technological Mediation And The Development Of Humanistic Skills In Medical Simulation: Lessons From Covid-19 And The Impact Of Immersive Media And Minimal Viable Simulation (Mvs), Nicholas Peres

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This thesis provides a chronological account of the integration of innovation and technology within medical simulation and training from 2014 to 2023 at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT). Responding to the backdrop of a constantly changing technological and clinical (epidemiological) landscape, it seeks to develop a methodology for assessing the role of technology in improving medical simulation and training. The research critically challenges the current trend towards high-fidelity simulations, driven by manufacturers' technology-centric marketing strategies that frequently impose cost constraints and limit perceived educational outcomes. Motivated by the Francis Report's (2013) findings, this practice-based study explores the …

#Instafood: A Speculative Design Exploration Of The Eating Experience, Perception, Fabrication, And Consumption., Jie Yan

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The discussion of dietary nutrition and the pursuit of satisfaction in eating experience has consistently attracted significant attention. While advanced technologies have been dedicated to providing solutions in these fields, the challenge of increasingly complex and diverse dietary needs requires more innovative approaches. Grounded in speculative design, this study introduces InstaFood, an approach to personalized eating for well-being. It speculates a future possibility of influencing intake by manipulating food-related visual cues, through a combination of perceptual impacts, social media image-based investigations, and digital fabrication.Research on crossmodal perception in psychology establishes a theoretical framework that links visual characteristics to food perception, …

Benchmarking Usability Of Patient Portals In Estonia, Finland, Norway, And Sweden, Sari Kujala, Saija Simola, Bo Wang, Hedvig Soone, Josefin Hagström, Annika Bärkås, Iiris Hörhammer, Åsa Cajander, Asbjørn Johansen Fagerlund, Bridget Kane, Anna Kharko, Eli Kristiansen, Jonas Moll, Hanife Rexphepi, Maria Hägglund, Monika A. Johansen

School of Psychology

Introduction: Poor usability is a barrier to widespread adoption of electronic health records (EHR). Providing good usability is especially challenging in the health care context, as there is a wide variety of patient users. Usability benchmarking is an approach for improving usability by evaluating and comparing the strength and weaknesses of systems. The main purpose of this study is to benchmark usability of patient portals across countries. Methods: A mixed-methods survey approach was applied to benchmark the national patient portals offering patient access to EHR in Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. These Nordic countries have similar public healthcare systems, and …

Trans-Ancestry Analysis Of Psychosis Biotypes: Shared Polygenic Risk And Unique Genomic Associations, Elliot S. Gershon, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Carol A. Tamminga, Matcheri S. Keshavan, Godfrey D. Pearlson, Sarah K. Keedy, David Parker, Rebekka Lencer, Scot Hill, Jeffrey R. Bishop

School of Medicine Publications

The Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) has categorized psychosis disorders (Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder and Bipolar Disorder) into three distinct Biotypes, based on neurobiological measurements in a multi-ancestry sample. Two recently developed post hoc ancestry adjustment methods of Polygenic Risk Scores (PRSs) generate Trans-Ancestry PRSs (TAPRSs), which allow for PRS analysis of multi-ancestry samples. Applied to schizophrenia PRS, we found the Khera TAPRS method to show superior portability and comparable prediction accuracy as compared with the Ge method. The three Biotypes of psychosis disorders had similar TAPRSs across ancestries. In genomic analysis of Biotypes, nine genes and isoforms showed significant …

Hippocampal Volumes In Uk Biobank Are Associated With Apoe Only In Older Adults, Ariya Chaloemtoem, Vera Thornton, Yoonhoo Chang, Andrey P Anokhin, Michaël E Belloy, Janine Bijsterbosch, Brian A Gordon, Sarah M Hartz, Laura J Bierut

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: The hippocampus atrophies with age and is implicated in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). We examined the interplay between age and apolipoprotein E (

METHODS: Using neuroimaging data from 37,463 UK Biobank participants, we applied linear regression to quantify the association of age and

RESULTS: Total hippocampal volume declined with age, with significant differences by

DISCUSSION: The association of

HIGHLIGHTS: Apolipoprotein E (

The Risks Of Unconcern: Low Sensitivity To Threat Can Have Unfortunate Consequences, Stephen L Ristvedt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Each one of us is confronted with warnings of danger or threats to wellbeing in our everyday life, whether in the form of certain road signs, Public Service Announcements, ominous changes in bodily functioning, or cautionary tales heard from family or friends. There is great inter-individual variation in how people respond to such threats, with some people habitually tending to ignore or dismiss them, often to their peril. The first purpose of the present paper is to review several studies showing that individuals-most often men-who score very low on measures of trait anxiety are more likely to engage in behaviors …

Awareness, Use, Motivations And Methods Of Accessing Genetic Testing In 2022 In The United States, Sukh Makhnoon, Minjae Lee, Tanushree Prasad, Alexa Badalamenti, Tami Gurley, Erika A Waters, Celette Sugg Skinner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Awareness, access, and use of clinical and direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests has increased in recent years with documented disparities in these services. We provide updated data on test awareness and use, and report novel data on motivations and methods for accessing genetic tests.

METHODS: Nationally representative data from the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) were used to assess awareness and use of ancestry, personal trait, specific disease, and carrier testing by sociodemographic characteristics, examine reasons for undergoing tests, and methods of accessing them.

RESULTS: Overall, 81.4% of respondents were aware and 40.0% had undergone testing. Only …

Can Micro-Expressions Be Used As A Biomarker For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mindi Ruan, Na Zhang, Xiangxu Yu, Wenqi Li, Chuanbo Hu, Paula J Webster, Lynn K Paul, Shuo Wang, Xin Li

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Early and accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is crucial for effective intervention, yet it remains a significant challenge due to its complexity and variability. Micro-expressions are rapid, involuntary facial movements indicative of underlying emotional states. It is unknown whether micro-expression can serve as a valid bio-marker for ASD diagnosis.

METHODS: This study introduces a novel machine-learning (ML) framework that advances ASD diagnostics by focusing on facial micro-expressions. We applied cutting-edge algorithms to detect and analyze these micro-expressions from video data, aiming to identify distinctive patterns that could differentiate individuals with ASD from typically developing peers. Our computational …

Overall And Non- Lung Cancer Incidence And Mortality In The National Lung Screening Trial: Opportunities For Multi-Cancer Early Detection, Alpa V. Patel, Ellen T. Chang, Allan Hackshaw, Sam M. Janes, Diana S.M. Buist, Earl Hubbell, Christina A. Clarke, Graham A. Colditz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Pharmacology Of Boldine: Summary Of The Field And Update On Recent Advances, Juan C. Sáez, Justin C. Burrell, Catherine M. Cahill, D. Kacy Cullen, Lakshmi A. Devi, Ryan J. Gilbert, Zachary A. Graham, Vadim J. Gurvich, Leif A. Havton, Ravi Iyengar, Rajesh Khanna, Edmund F. Palermo, Mustafa Siddiq, Carlos A. Toro, Walter Vasquez, Wei Zhao, Christopher P. Cardozo

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Over the past decade, boldine, a naturally occurring alkaloid found in several plant species including the Chilean Boldo tree, has garnered attention for its efficacy in rodent models of human disease. Some of the properties that have been attributed to boldine include antioxidant activities, neuroprotective and analgesic actions, hepatoprotective effects, anti-inflammatory actions, cardioprotective effects and anticancer potential. Compelling data now indicates that boldine blocks connexin (Cx) hemichannels (HCs) and that many if not all of its effects in rodent models of injury and disease are due to CxHC blockade. Here we provide an overview of boldine's pharmacological properties, including its …

"Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls": Fiduciary Duties In Venture Capital Backed Startups, Sarath Sanga, Eric L. Talley

Faculty Scholarship

We develop a model of venture capital contracting and use it to evaluate an emergent set of judicial precedents in corporate law, which we label the Trados doctrine. In our model, founders hold common stock, while venture capital investors hold convertible preferred stock. We show that preferred shareholders have inefficient incentives to liquidate low-valued firms and to continue high-valued firms, while common shareholders inefficiently favor the opposite. The extent of incentive misalignment depends on the firm’s intrinsic and outside valuations, and it is most severe around preferred shareholders’ liquidation preference and conversion point. Although legal liability rules can rectify these …

The Delegation Doctrine, Jonathan H. Adler

Faculty Publications

Despite the focus on the Court’s recent major questions cases, signs of an emergent delegation doctrine can also be found elsewhere. Most significantly, seeds of a delegation doctrine have been planted within the Court’s Chevron jurisprudence. The Court’s increased reluctance to grant Chevron deference to administrative agencies--and its insistence that courts first conclude that interpretive authority has been delegated before deferring to any agency interpretation—rests on the same core premise as the Court’s recent major questions doctrine decisions. It also suggests that the “new” major questions doctrine is not as new as it might seem, but rather a logical outgrowth …

Standing Without Injury, Jonathan Adler

Faculty Publications

This Article seeks to assess Judge Newsom’s proposed injury-less approach to standing in federal court. Part I of this Article provides a brief overview of current standing doctrine, the requirements of standing consolidated in Lujan, and how these requirements have been interpreted and applied by the Supreme Court. Part II describes Judge Newsom’s critique of contemporary standing doctrine and outlines the two primary components of his proposed alternative: 1) elimination of the standing requirement in favor of a simple cause-of-action requirement and 2) recognition of an external constraint on standing derived from Article II, rather than Article III.

Part …

St. Louis Flood Emergency Response Guide, Gabrielle Abato, Devin Hale, Sam Lu, Bitta Momeni, Shalah Russell, Darsh Singhania, Isabella Stull, Liana Van Zen, Rachel Zimmerman-Diaz

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Dutchtown South Waste Services Equity, Erika Adjei, Samantha Campisi, Serena Earp, Erin Hill, Hannah Hummel, Lourdes Letelier, Joe Mantych, Sydney Rottinghaus

Sustainability Exchange Projects

No abstract provided.

Consortium Building As Determinants Of Perceived Quality Service Delivery By Personnel In University Libraries In Benue State, Nigeria, Doocivir Faith Annune, Olalekan Abiola Awujoola Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The university library is the educational nerve of the university that ensures that information resources are made available and that quality information services are delivered. Providing information services that are of quality in university libraries can however be influenced by a number of factors including consortium building. Thus, the study investigates consortium building as determinants of perceived quality service delivery by personnel in university libraries in Benue State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study, population comprised all 262 library personnel in four university libraries in Benue State, Nigeria. Total enumeration method was used. A structured …

Library Factors And User Education As Determinants Of Library Use By Undergraduates In Two Universities In Oyo State, Nigeria, Abdulahi Mayowa Olaniyi, Olalekan Abiola Awujoola Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

University libraries play a crucial role in supporting the goals and values of universities across the globe. As a service provider, the university library needs to be used by members of the university community such as undergraduates. University libraries however have been observed to suffer adequate use by undergraduates probably because of the poor library factors or lack of adequate user education undergraduates. This study, thus, examines library factors and user education as determinants of library use by undergraduates in two universities in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised …

Information Literacy Reflected Through Awareness And Use Of Information Among Sarpanches In Punjab During Covid, Poonam Saini, Satwinderpal Kaur Gill

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study attempts to examine the Information Literacy skills of Sarpanches during Covid-19 in Punjab. The main objectives of the study are to explore information needs, use of information sources and general awareness of Sarpanches during the Pandemic. Survey method was used to collect data from 103 sarpanches of different districts of Punjab with the help of a self-structured questionnaire. The study found that sarpanches have shown good Information Literacy skills during Pandemic. They were well informed and aware about different aspects of Covid-19 such as origin, safety measures, government instructions etc. State government was also successful to achieve its …