Digital Commons Network^™

Developing The Openflexure Microscope Towards Medical Use: Technical And Social Challenges Of Developing Globally Accessible Hardware For Healthcare, Joe Knapper, Freya Whiteford, Daniel Rosen, William Wadsworth, Julian Stirling, Catherine Mkindi, Joram Mduda, Valerian L Sanga, Paul T Nyakyi, Thomas Hervé Mboa Nkoudou, Elisée Jafsia, Stephane Fadanka, Kelsey Hummel, Sharmila Anandasabapathy, Richard Bowman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The OpenFlexure Microscope is an accessible, three-dimensional-printed robotic microscope, with sufficient image quality to resolve diagnostic features including parasites and cancerous cells. As access to lab-grade microscopes is a major challenge in global healthcare, the OpenFlexure Microscope has been developed to be manufactured, maintained and used in remote environments, supporting point-of-care diagnosis. The steps taken in transforming the hardware and software from an academic prototype towards an accepted medical device include addressing technical and social challenges, and are key for any innovation targeting improved effectiveness in low-resource healthcare. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Open, reproducible …

On The Surface Topography Of Local Overheating And Plasma Formation Due To Initial Condition Perturbations Sourcing The Electrothermal Instability On High-Current-Density Conductors, Maren Whiting Hatch

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The electrothermal instability (ETI) is a Joule heating-driven instability that instigates runaway heating on conductors driven to high current density, altering the 3D evolution of the expansion and phase state. Most metals include complex distributions of imperfections (voids, resistive inclusions) which seed ETI. To simplify comparison with modeling and theory, experiments examined growth of ETI from various alloys of stainless steel as well as relatively void/inclusion free, 99.999% pure, diamond-turned, 1 mm-diameter aluminum rods. Aluminum surfaces included a variety of deliberately machined and well-characterized perturbations, including 10-micron-scale quasi-hemispherical voids, or “engineered” defects (ED), and sinusoidal patterns of varying wavelength and …

Revealing Structural Evolution Of Nickel Phosphide-Iron Oxide Core–Shell Nanocatalysts In Alkaline Medium For The Oxygen Evolution Reaction, Ryan H. Manso, Jiyun Hong, Wei Wang, Prashant Acharya, Adam S. Hoffman, Xiao Tong, Feng Wang, Lauren F. Greenlee, Yimei Zhu, Simon R. Bare, Jingyi Chen

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Metal phosphide-containing materials have emerged as a potential candidate of nonprecious metal-based catalysts for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER). While it is known that metal phosphide undergoes structural evolution, considerable debate persists regarding the effects of dynamics on the surface activation and morphological stability of the catalysts. In this study, we synthesize NiP_x-FeO_x core–shell nanocatalysts with an amorphous NiP_x core designed for enhanced OER activity. Using ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we elucidate the local structural changes as a function of the cyclic voltammetry cycles. Our studies suggest that the presence of corner-sharing octahedra in the …

Utilizing Biosimilars To Help Increase Patients Access And Minimize The Financial Burden Of Health Care System In Egypt, Doaa M. Abd-El-Rady, Iman A. El-Baraky, Samar F. Farid

Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University

Background: Biologics have provided enhanced clinical advantages, but at expense of enormous expenditures. The exorbitant expense of biologics was somewhat mitigated by the development of biosimilars. But biosimilars market access is still recessed in many countries including Egypt. To achieve biosimilars market sustainability, countries need to evaluate the health economic barriers that biosimilars face in gaining market access.

Methods: A retrospective budget impact analysis was conducted to compare the cost of biosimilars to that of their reference biologics from Egyptian regulatory perspective over a five-year period (2018-2022). Time series forecasting analysis was conducted to predict the cost savings …

Removal Of Textile Dyes By Ecofriendly Aquatic Plants From Wastewater: A Review On Plants Species, Mechanisms, And Perspectives, Manal M. El-Sadaawy, Nancy S. Agib

Blue Economy

Water, an essential resource for sustaining life on our planet, is crucial for both human beings and the overall ecosystem. However, in recent decades, several factors, including population growth, rapid industrialization, urbanization, and unsustainable utilization of natural resources, have significantly impacted the quality of water. Industries such as textiles, leather tanning, cosmetics, and pigmentation extensively employ colored compounds called dyes for various purposes. Synthetic dyes have largely replaced natural dyes due to their superior durability against washing, heat, light, pH, and exposure to biological agents. Azo dyes, sulfur dyes, and pigment dyes are some examples of dyes used in industrial …

Intake Of High Producing Holstein Cows Grazing Pasture Or Fed A Total Mixed Ration, E S. Kolver, L D. Muller

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The ability of a pasture diet to support a high dry matter intake without supplementary feed was determined using 16 high producing Holstein cows. Cows (n=8) were adapted to an all-pasture diet by incrementally reducing the amount of total mixed ration (TMR) fed over four weeks. A control group of cows (n=8) remained in confinement and were fed a TMR. Performance of grazing cows differed significantly (P < 0.001) from TMR fed cows by intake (19.0 vs. 23.4 kg DM/d), milk production (29.6 vs. 44.1 kg/d), milk protein content (2.61 vs. 2.80%), liveweight (562.1 vs. 597.3 kg), and condition score (2.02 vs. 2.50). Results indicate that intake of good quality pasture is higher than previously estimated for high producing Holstein cows in the USA, but that milk production is 15 kg/d less than when cows are fed a TMR.

Milk Production And Feed Intake At Different Stocking Rates In An Intensive Grazing System, Y Togamura, K Ochiai, S Shioya, K Otsuki

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The purpose of this research was to determine milk productivity from pasture, using dairy cows of higher performance (>7500 kg for a 305-day lactation) in an intensive grazing system. In both 1993 and 1994 two groups of 3 cows each were grazed from spring to autumn: one group in 1.1 ha (LS) and the other group in 0.65 ha (HS) pasture. A different part of each pasture was cut for hay or silage twice a year. Concentrate and roughage were supplied according to the nutrient requirement of the cows. Milk production from grazed and harvested herbage of the LS …

Forage Quality, Steer Grazing Performance And Milk Production Using Tifton 85 Bermudagrass Pastures And Conserved Forages, G M. Hill, R N. Gates, J W. West, G W. Burton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Forage quality and steer performance were determined in a two-year grazing study using replicated .81 ha pastures of Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.), Tifton 78 and Tifton 85 bermudagrasses. Pastures received 252 kg N/ha annually in three applications. Forage quality of esophageal masticate in July and September indicated that crude protein was higher (P < .05) for all pastures in September than in July. In vitro dry matter disappearance was higher (P < .05) for Tifton 85 than Coastal at both sampling dates. Steer daily gains were similar for the three bermudagrass treatments, but steer gain/ha was higher (P < .10) for Tifton 85 than for Coastal and Tifton 78 pastures. In a dairy cattle experiment (40 cows; 20 Holstein, 20 Jerseys; average 49 days in milk; six-week treatment period), Tifton 85 and alfalfa hay were fed at 15% and 30% of dietary DM, substituted for corn silage in total mixed diets. Cows consumed more DM when offered alfalfa hay than Tifton 85 hay diets (21.2 vs 19.1 kg/day, P < .01), had higher DM intake on low than high hay diets (20.4 vs 19.9 kg/day, P <.10) and had higher DM intake on the control silage-based diet than on hay diets (21.1 vs 20.1 kg/day, P < .05). Average daily milk yield and 3.5% fat corrected milk yield followed trends similar to DM intake for forage source and hay level in diets. Tifton 85 bermudagrass produced higher gains in beef steers than two other cultivars, and Tifton 85 hay has potential for utilization in dairy diets.

Grazing Affects Pest And Beneficial Invertebrates In Australian Pastures, P J. Michael, M Grimm, M Hyder, P T. Doyle

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing annual subterranean pastures in Western Australia to targeted levels of pasture mass, instead of at a set stocking rate, affected numbers of invertebrates at the commencement of the following season. Treatments were controlled grazing to 1.4 t ha-1 or 2.8 t ha -1 dry weight of green pasture and set stocking at the average for the district. Grazing reduced numbers of redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor, but increased numbers of lucerne flea, Sminthurus viridis. The most likely reason for the reverse effect on lucerne flea was the presence of an effective predator, the pasture snout mite, Bdellodes lapidaria …

Milk Production From Ruzi Grass Alone, Ruzi Mixed With Leucaena And Ruzi Supplemented With Dolichos Lablab, S Tudsri, S Prasanpanich, S Swasdiphanich

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Three groups of dairy cattle were compared under different grazing managements viz. strip-grazed on pure ruzi grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis), strip-grazed on mixed pasture between ruzi and leucaena (Luecaena luecocephala) and strip-grazed on pure ruzi and supplemented with lablab (Lablab purpureus). The results showed that the animals that received the legumes through supplementary or mixed with the grass produced higher in daily milk yield (13.63 and 13.26 kg/cow) and fat percentage (4.7 and 4.5) than that of the pure grass alone (12.00 kg/cow for milk yield and 4.2 % for fat). This advantage was due …

Forage Seed Production In Egypt For Domestic Marker And For Export, M A. El-Nahrawy, A Rammah, O Niemelainen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In Egypt, no major effort is made to provide local and export markets with seeds of correctly identified and pure cultivars of forage crops in spite of the existence of all the essential factors for a successful seed industry. A wide genetic base of indigenous forage crops such as berseem clover and alfalfa, proper irrigation, a harvest and seed maturation period free from rain, sunshine and clear sky all year and highly fertile soils in isolated areas are available. Moreover, uncertified, uncontrolled and unidentified local seeds of berseem clover and alfalfa are highly demanded by foreign markets due to their …

Journal Of Educational Leadership In Action, Volume 9, Issue 2, Full Issue, Lindenwood University

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

No abstract provided.

Cyclical Interest In Entrepreneurship And The Virginia Economy, Daniel Farhat

Journal of Business & Entrepreneurship

This study uses keyword search data from Google to construct an index representing broad interest in entrepreneurship in Virginia. Dynamic correlations are evaluated to identify how short-term movements in the index relate to employment and earnings, leading economic indicators, home prices and business applications. Results support opportunity-driven mindsets in the labor market but not in the real estate market. The index is shown to have some economic prediction power, and is capable of producing new insights compared to data from actual business activity. This study highlights the role entrepreneurial interest may play in policy and lays the groundwork for further …

The Behaviour Of Dominant Firms And The Principle Of Equal Opportunities: Lessons From The Sen Antitrust Saga Case Comment To The Servizio Elettrico Nazionale Judgment Of The Court Of Justice Of 12 May 2022, Case C-377/20, Laura Zoboli

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This commentary concerns the Servizio Elettrico Nazionale (SEN) case that stems from the conduct of an incumbent operator – Enel S.p.A. – called upon to confront the liberalization process of the Italian electricity market. In particular, the former legal monopolist allegedly worked to consolidate its dominant position in the electricity production market, by denying its rivals access to a resource that would have been non-replicable and of strategic importance to compete in the liberalized electricity distribution market. This ruling is of fundamental importance as the Court of Justice discusses therein the objectives of antitrust law and the notion of exclusionary …

The Court Of Justice Kicks Around The Dichotomy Between Data Protection And Competition Law Case Comment Of The Preliminary Ruling In Case C-252/21 Meta Platforms V. Bundeskartellamt, Alba Ribera Martínez

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

Data protection and competition law have been at a crossroads in terms of their integration. Antitrust authorities as well as data protection supervisory authorities have grappled with the question of whether both fields of law should be combined into the same analysis. The German competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt, was the first to fuse them in its landmark case against Facebook’s data processing terms and conditions. The exploitative theory of harm put forward by the German NCA is the first of its kind to integrate data protection considerations into the antitrust analysis, namely by drawing a line between an infringement with …

Digital Transformation And Wise Leadership: Challenges And Opportunities Evidence From Government Institutions In Uae, Mohammad Al Qudah

Journal of Police and Legal Sciences

Purpose: the current study aimed at highlighting challenges and opportunities associated with digital transformation (DT) and the influence of these challenges and opportunities in wise leadership. Aspects taken into perspective included (decision-making, communication and collaboration, innovation, employee empowerment and ethical considerations).

Methodology: the study adopted the quantitative methodology through utilizing a questionnaire. The questionnaire was self-administered by (223) individuals from UAE governmental institutions. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was employed in order to answer the study main questions and realize the hypotheses.

Results: Study indicated that adopting DT through the UAE governmental institutions is basically exposed to many challenges …

Ada News - 07/08/2024, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

A Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial Design With A Tailoring Function, Holly Hartman

Faculty Scholarship

We present a trial design for sequential multiple assignment randomized trials (SMARTs) that use a tailoring function instead of a binary tailoring variable allowing for simultaneous development of the tailoring variable and estimation of dynamic treatment regimens (DTRs). We apply methods for developing DTRs from observational data: tree-based regression learning and Q-learning. We compare this to a balanced randomized SMART with equal re-randomization probabilities and a typical SMART design where re-randomization depends on a binary tailoring variable and DTRs are analyzed with weighted and replicated regression. This project addresses a gap in clinical trial methodology by presenting SMARTs where second …

Facets Of Neuroticism As Predictors Of Heart Rate Variability And Psychological Distress, Mikel Cressman

Theses and Dissertations

Heart rate variability (HRV) and personality are related to both physical and mental health outcomes. Previous research has found a relationship between neuroticism and distress while the findings on the relationship between neuroticism and HRV are mixed. Studying the facets of neuroticism may provide a more nuanced view of the effects of personality on HRV and distress. Previous research has suggested that the vulnerability facet of neuroticism appears to be uniquely related to the cardiovascular response to stress. This study's first hypothesis is that individuals with higher scores on the vulnerability facet will have lower heart rate variability. The second …

Adopting Oer Course Materials: Instructor Experiences, Jenny Ceciliano

Dissertations and Theses

Traditional commercial textbooks used in postsecondary courses are often problematic due to their rigidity, tendency to mirror the dominant culture, and the substantial cost imposed upon students. Although replacing these texts with open educational resources (OER) can facilitate more equitable and inclusive pedagogical practices while removing a significant expense, there has been insufficient research surrounding instructors' experience of transitioning from a commercial textbook to OER course materials. Through semi-structured interviews with nine postsecondary instructors who teach with OER course materials, this basic qualitative study explores the experience of that transition. The findings indicate that adopting OER is a challenging and …

Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co Llc V. Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Exploring Teacher Perceptions On The Effectiveness Of The Freshman Academy, Renee C. Goode-Boyd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A Southeastern school district created freshman academies to assist freshman students with strategies and support they need to combat ninth-grade failure successfully, but little change was observed. The purpose of the study was to explore teachers' perceptions of the freshman academy's transition program structure, benefits, challenges, and effectiveness. The conceptual framework for this study encompassed elements of constructivist theory, which explains how children adapt to their environments and learn how to process information successfully. The research questions examined teachers' perceptions regarding the benefits, challenges, and perceived effectiveness of the freshman academy intervention program. The data for this basic qualitative study …

Investigating The Fatigue Life Of Asymmetric And Novel Helical Gear Drives, Rajesh S

Theses and Dissertations

The present research work investigates the contact and bending fatigue life of asymmetric helical gear and novel helical gear based on the finite element analysis. In the first phase, the contact and bending fatigue life of the asymmetric helical gear drives is estimated based on the strain life approach.

Further, a parametric study is carried out to investigate the influence of important helical gear parameters such as module, pressure angle, helix angle, gear ratio, teeth number and face width on contact and bending fatigue life of asymmetric helical gear drives. It is noted that the asymmetric helical gear shows a …

“Their Futures, So Full Of Dread”: How Barefoot’S Contamination Of The Death Penalty Trial Process Continues, Michael L. Perlin, Talia Harmon, Maren Geiger, Moana Houde-Camirand

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

Forty years ago, in its most roundly-criticized criminal procedure decision in modern history, the Supreme Court of the United States, in Barefoot v. Estelle (463 U.S. 880 (1983))—a decision premised on testimony by the responses to a hypothetical of a witness who had never directly evaluated the defendant—ruled that such testimony as to future dangerousness (testimony that had concluded there was a “100% chance” the defendant would commit more crimes if released into society) was permissible. Over a stinging dissent by Justice Blackmun, the Supreme Court ruled in Barefoot that it was not constitutional error for psychiatrists to testify that …

Stopping The Cycle Of Abuse Before It Starts: An Evaluation Of Virginia’S Domestic Violence Primary Prevention Model In Schools, Amanda Palini

Richmond Public Interest Law Review

In 1994 the United States was faced with a domestic violence epidemic that led Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Act was passed to respond to the needs of victims, particularly women, who are at the highest risk of victimization in crimes such as domestic violence and sexual assault. While domestic violence has been recognized as an important public health problem, most services provided are focused on after-the-fact interventions rather than prevention.

Many states, including Virginia, have since created domestic violence prevention programs, added preventative requirements to their state code, and tasked their respective Departments of …

Superphenomena For Arbitrary Quantum Observables, Andrew N. Jordan, Yakir Aharonov, Daniele C. Struppa, Fabrizio Colombo, Irene Sabadini, Tomer Shushi, Jeff Tollaksen, John C. Howell, A. Nick Vamivakas

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Superoscillations occur when a globally band-limited function locally oscillates faster than its highest Fourier component. We generalize this effect to arbitrary quantum-mechanical operators as a weak value, where the preselected state is a superposition of eigenstates of the operator with eigenvalues bounded to a range, and the postselection state is a local position. Superbehavior of this operator occurs whenever the operator's weak value exceeds its eigenvalue bound. We give illustrative examples of this effect for total angular momentum and energy. In the latter case, we demonstrate a sequence of harmonic oscillator potentials where a finite-energy state converges everywhere on the …

Ai-Assisted Segmentation Tool For Brain Tumor Mr Image Analysis, Myungeun Lee, Jong Hyo Kim, Wookjin Choi, Ki Hong Lee

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

TumorPrism3D software was developed to segment brain tumors with a straightforward and user-friendly graphical interface applied to two- and three-dimensional brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. The MR images of 185 patients (103 males, 82 females) with glioblastoma multiforme were downloaded from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) to test the tumor segmentation performance of this software. Regions of interest (ROIs) corresponding to contrast-enhancing lesions, necrotic portions, and non-enhancing T2 high signal intensity components were segmented for each tumor. TumorPrism3D demonstrated high accuracy in segmenting all three tumor components in cases of glioblastoma multiforme. They achieved a better Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) …

Recoil-Order And Radiative Corrections To The Acorn Experiment, F. E. Wietfeldt, W. A. Byron, B. Collett, M. S. Dewey, T. R. Gentile, F. Glück, M. T. Hassan, G. L. Jones, Alexander Komives, J. S. Nico, E. J. Stephenson

Physics & Astronomy Faculty publications

The aCORN experiment measures the electron-antineutrino correlation 𝑎 coefficient in free neutron decay. We update the previous aCORN results [G. Darius et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 042502 (2017) and M. T. Hassan et al., Phys. Rev. C 103, 045502 (2021)] to include radiative and recoil corrections to first order, and discuss a key issue in the comparison of results from different 𝑎-coefficient experimental methods when these effects are considered. The corrected combined result is ‾𝑎=−0.10779±0.00125⁢(stat)±0.00134⁢(sys), averaged over the full Fermi neutron beta spectrum. The corresponding corrected result for the ratio of weak coupling constants 𝜆=𝐺𝐴/𝐺𝑉 is …

Spinal Movement Disorders In Nmosd, Mogad, And Idiopathic Transverse Myelitis: A Prospective Observational Study, Hesham Abboud, Rongyi Sun, Nikhil Modak, Mohamed Elkasaby, Alexander Wang

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Retrospective studies suggest that spinal movement disorders, especially tonic spasms, are prevalent in NMOSD. However, there have been no prospective studies evaluating spinal movement disorders in NMOSD, MOGAD, and idiopathic transverse myelitis (ITM). Methods: Patients referred to a tertiary neuroimmunology clinic for spinal cord demyelination (excluding MS) were evaluated. All patients answered a movement disorders survey and underwent a movement disorder-focused exam. Movement disorders were compared among patients with NMOSD with and without AQP4-IgG, MOGAD, and ITM. Patients with and without involuntary movements were also compared to identify predictors of spinal movement disorders. Results: Sixty-three patients were evaluated from …

Contributions Of Brain Microstructures And Metabolism To Visual Field Loss Patterns In Glaucoma Using Archetypal And Information Gain Analyses, Yueyin Pang, Ji Won Bang, Anisha Kasi, Jeremy Li, Carlos Parra, Els Fieremans, Gadi Wollstein, Joel S. Schuman, Mengyu Wang, Kevin C Chan

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To investigate the contributions of the microstructural and metabolic brain environment to glaucoma and their association with visual field (VF) loss patterns by using advanced diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and clinical ophthalmic measures.

METHODS: Sixty-nine glaucoma and healthy subjects underwent dMRI and/or MRS at 3 Tesla. Ophthalmic data were collected from VF perimetry and optical coherence tomography. dMRI parameters of microstructural integrity in the optic radiation and MRS-derived neurochemical levels in the visual cortex were compared among early glaucoma, advanced glaucoma, and healthy controls. Multivariate regression was used to correlate neuroimaging metrics with …