Digital Commons Network^™

Removed: When Taxi Drivers Meet Dynamic Pricing: A Lesson From Singapore's Justgrab Program, Shih-Fen Cheng, Wen-Tai Hsu, Jing Li

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper studies how dynamic pricing influences taxi drivers’ behaviors using a unique event, the inception of the JustGrab program in Singapore in 2017, which introduces dynamic pricing to some, but not all, taxi drivers. This is the first time in history that traditional taxi drivers have access to dynamic pricing. Using data covering the universe of taxi trips before and after the inception of JustGrab, we find that there is spatial reallocation that directs more taxi drivers to the previously less-served areas, that there is also a temporal reallocation that directs more taxi drivers to rush hours, as well …

G-Trac: Graph-Textual Representations Alignment For Cold-Start Recommendations, Li Yang Chang, Yuan Fang, Ming Feng Tsai, Chuan Ju Wang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The cold-start problem remains a significant challenge in recommendation systems, particularly for new users or unseen items with little to no historical data. Existing methods, including graph neural networks, often struggle in such scenarios. Inspired by the success of transformer models in natural language processing, we propose G-TRAC (Graph-Textual Representations Alignment for Cold-start Recommendations), a novel approach that integrates transformer-based textual modeling with graph neural networks. By effectively leveraging both textual and structural information, G-TRAC addresses cold-start challenges more effectively. Extensive experiments demonstrate its ability to enhance recommendation quality and generalize well across diverse scenarios.

Brand Switching Or Behavior Change: The 2023 Bud Light Boycott's Impact On Alcohol Purchases, Aljoscha Janssen

Research Collection School Of Economics

I study how the 2023 Bud Light boycott affected overall alcohol demand using household-level panel data and a set of difference-in-differences designs. Focusing on households that, before April 2023, regularly purchased Bud Light, I find a large drop in Bud Light volume (34%–37%), partial switching into other beer (＋70 to ＋90 ounces per month), and a net decline in total ethanol purchases of about 3–4 fl-oz per month, or roughly 5.5%–7.5% of pre-boycott intake. I detect no compensatory increase in wine or spirits. Scaled nationally, the quantity response is equivalent to roughly 150 million standard drinks per year; using CDC …

Melody: Mediation Analysis In Logistic Regression For High-Dimensional Mediators And A Binary Outcome, Sunyi Chi, Xingyu Li, Peng Wei, Xuelin Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mediation analysis is a pivotal tool for elucidating the indirect effect of an environmental factor or treatment on disease through potentially high‐dimensional omics data, such as gene expression profiles. However, traditional mediation analysis methods tailored for binary outcomes often rely on the rare disease assumption in logistic regression and provide inadequate measures of total mediation effect when multiple mediators have effects in different directions. In this paper, we develop a MEdiation analysis framework in LOgistic regression for high‐Dimensional mediators and a binarY outcome (MELODY). It leverages a second‐moment‐based measure analogous to the ��2 for linear models to quantify the total …

Apea: A Type 1 Diabetes Self-Management Ambient-Ai Assistance Tool That Bridges Trajectory Prediction, Interactive Explanation, And Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention Action., Kun-Yi Chen, Erin M. Tallon, Chi-Ren Shyu

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Helping patients self-managing diseases like type 1 diabetes (T1D) requires informatics tools delivering real-time predictions with explainable, actionable guidance. However, many healthcare AI solutions lack actionable recommendations and user-friendly explanations, limiting clinical impacts. We introduce APEA, a pediatric T1D self-management Ambient-AI assistance tool, integrating glucose multi-trajectory-scenarios Prediction, interactive, context-aware large language model Explanations, and just-in-time adaptive intervention policy optimization for Actionable real-time suggestions through reinforcement learning. Using T1DEXIP dataset (262 pediatric T1D patients, multi-center), our results showed improved glucose control outcomes: 45% over human management, 69% over infusion-pump management. Although constrained by small sample size and …

Early Neonatal Admissions With Feeding Difficulties To Acute Paediatric Services At A Tertiary Paediatric Hospital In England: Sequential Audits Pre-Covid-19 And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kalvin Lee, Thomas Frederick Dunne, Mary Masoud, Hayley Gleig, Heidi Stott, Helen Nabwera, Halina Kamarova

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Introduction: Our objective was to describe the population of infants < 7 days of age admitted to the acute general paediatric services at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and ascertain the proportion with feeding difficulties amenable to community-based support.

Methods: Sequential retrospective audits of all infants < 7 days of age admitted to acute paediatrics at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, England, from March to September 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and March to September 2020 (during COVID-19). All the infants were born and discharged from maternity units in Merseyside, Northwest England. Anonymised data were extracted from the electronic clinical records by three members of the clinical team.

Results: Pre-COVID-19, 38.6% (93) of the 241 admissions to acute general paediatric services had feeding difficulties. 31.2% (29) presented solely with feeding difficulties and 31.2% (29) were exclusively breastfed. However, during COVID-19, although there were fewer admissions (104), more than half (51%, 54) had feeding difficulties and for 54% (29), this was the only reason for admission. Over half (53.7%, 29) were exclusively breastfed.

Conclusion: Our audits showed that at least a third of infants < 7 days of age admitted with feeding difficulties did not have any other features of severe illness. These admissions unnecessarily expose infants to hospital-acquired infections while disrupting the opportunity for families to build close and loving relationships that enhance the establishment of breastfeeding. Co-designing infant feeding strategies with the mothers and stakeholders will be a crucial next step to enhance infant feeding support, particularly in impoverished communities in the region.

“Now That The Baby Is Out, I Can Be Vaccinated”: A Qualitative Study On Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy In Pregnant Women In Kilifi, Kenya, Angela Koech, Onesmus Wanje, Grace Mwashigadi, Geoffrey Katana, Richmond Mdindi, Peter Mwangome, Rachel Craik, Marianne Vidler, Mai-Lei Kinshella, Marleen Temmerman

Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective in pregnancy, but vaccine hesitancy limits uptake and effectiveness. This study explored COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in pregnancy in Kilifi, coastal Kenya, to elicit reasons for vaccine hesitancy and acceptance, and to compile misconceptions around vaccination in pregnancy. Twenty-three in-depth interviews were conducted with pregnant women, mothers who had given birth in the previous 2 years and health workers (community health promoters, nurses, and supervisors). Data were analyzed using thematic template analysis based on the Vaccine Hesitancy Determinants Matrix. Concern about vaccine safety for the unborn baby was a major driver of hesitancy. Many pregnant …

Masthead

UC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Copyright

UC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Comparator Argument In Trans-Healthcare Ban Cases, Craig Konnoth

UC Law Journal

As states have increasingly restricted gender affirming care for minors across the nation (reinforced by a recent Executive Order by President Trump), and though the Supreme Court ruled on one such state ban, a powerful argument has largely been overlooked. This argument emphasizes the fact that transgender minors are not alone in receiving gender affirming care. Cisgender minors also receive such care for precisely the same reasons as transgender minors— unwanted breast tissue development, undesired hair growth, unusual vocal development, and puberty onset. Indeed, cisgender children receive such care at higher numbers than trans children, and many of the medications …

Systemic Jurisdictional Ambiguity, Norman W. Spaulding

UC Law Journal

The purpose of jurisdictional rules is to provide reasonably clear signals about when a court does and does not have power over a case. Judging from the modern Supreme Court’s rules for determining jurisdiction, however, one would think jurisdictional rules need neither be clear nor consistent. From rules for determining standing, federal question jurisdiction, and personal jurisdiction to Erie doctrine and the power of Congress to create non-Article III courts—rules that affect the administration of justice in millions of cases every year—modern jurisdictional rules are notorious for their inconsistency and ambiguity. This level of ambiguity is remarkable given the zeal …

A Case Against Mass Deportation: The Japanese American Internment Camps And Recent Treatment Of Korematsu, Isaac Bloch

UC Law Journal

The large-scale deportation of non-citizens has become a preeminent policy issue. Unfortunately, executive curtailment of immigrant communities’ liberty is not without historical parallels. During World War II, federal officials sent individuals of Japanese descent to internment camps through a series of executive orders and military proclamations. Although attorneys in the Department of Justice believed aspects of these actions were unconstitutional at the time, the administration prevailed at the nation’s highest court. Can recognition of this past wrong aid challenges to contemporary immigration enforcement regimes? How do our courts formally account for the most egregious jurisprudential errors of the past, and …

Recent And Forthcoming

UC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Numerical Investigation Of A Dual-Mode Shape Memory Alloy Stent Enabling Secondary Expansion Via Focused Ultrasound: A Potential Strategy For Correcting In-Stent Restenosis, Stephen Asare, Lucinda Duncan, Josiah Owusu-Danquah, Brian L. Davis

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Coronary stent implantation is an invasive procedure performed to correct atherosclerosis. The aftermath of this procedure is identified with neointimal hyperplasia, which contributes to in-stent restenosis (ISR), and thus remains a significant clinical challenge. This study introduces a novel, noninvasive conceptual approach for addressing ISR through the thermal activation of shape memory alloy (SMA) stent using focused ultrasound (FU) in a controlled manner to restore luminal patency. COMSOL Multiphysics and ABAQUS finite element software were employed to perform the numerical modeling to simulate the thermal and mechanical responses of the SMA stent integrated into the arterial wall. After 15 s …

Towards Ecological Validity When Assessing Adhd Symptoms: Patterns In Automatically Collected, Real-World Pc Activity Data, Matheus B. Da Costa, Elizabeth S.M. Chan, Joshua Langberg, Isabelle Cuber, Fatemeh Jamalinabijan, Aleksander Kurgan, Thomas Fritz, David C. Shepherd

Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Neuropsychological tests assessing attention and executive function (EF) in individuals with ADHD demonstrate little to no association with real-world ratings of ADHD behaviors. To address this critical gap, this study developed metrics that can analyze automatically collected data to measure levels of attention, motivation, and effort in emerging adults with ADHD. Specifically, we used virtual reality to simulate a study space and collect in-the-moment computer activity data while university students with ADHD (N = 21; 38% female) engaged in 12 sessions (total 180 h) of real-world tasks. To identify common sequences we performed a qualitative analysis of this work session …

Meeting Nurses Where We're At, Michal Brown, Kayley Mclaughlin, Lauren Damm

Nurse Residency

PICOT Question: For night shift nurses, how does implementing flexible shift-friendly educational strategies, such as reordered or alternatively scheduled sessions, compare with traditional morning in person education classes affect their ability to positively participate and engage in required education throughout the nurse residency program?

Voices In Transit: Intersectionality, Silence, And Political Engagement In Ride-Sharing, Soran Tarkhani

Commonwealth Review of Political Science

Abstract This study examines Uber as a digitally governed “third space” for political discourse. Based on 4,716 ride observations from Louisville–Southern Indiana—3,676 collected in 2023–2024 and 1,040 in 2025—it uses a mixed-methods design combining multinomial logistic regression and qualitative observation. Political conversations are defined as discussions of parties, elections, policies, or major social issues. Results show that White and male passengers were most likely to initiate such talk, while African American and female riders often remained silent, consistent with Noelle-Neumann’s spiral of silence. African American women faced the strongest intersectional constraints. Women and LGBTQ passengers leaned liberal, while men displayed …

The Cumulative Exposure To Exclusionary Zoning In Impoverished Neighborhoods, Matthew Mleczko

Political Science Faculty Research and Publications

In this study, I carry out dynamic modeling strategies to estimate the cumulative associations between exclusionary zoning and material hardship in impoverished neighborhoods. To do so, I create the largest nationwide panel zoning database to date by combining the National Zoning and Land Use Database covering the years 2019‒2022 with prior zoning and land use data from 2003‒2006. Accounting for posttreatment bias—the bias generated by including time-varying confounders that are themselves affected by past treatments in a longitudinal model—with marginal structural models, I demonstrate that exclusionary zoning is strongly associated with neighborhood disadvantage in impoverished neighborhoods, much more than would …

Tip Penetration Test For Rapid In-Line Assessment Of Static Yield Stress During 3d Concrete Printing Process, Ali Fasihi, Nicolas A. Libre

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The static yield stress of printable cementitious materials is a critical parameter governing the shape stability and buildability of 3D printed concrete structures. Among various testing techniques, the penetration test has emerged as a promising method for in-situ measurement of static yield stress during printing process. However, the applicability of the penetration test for in-line monitoring of static yield stress remains limited due to the necessity for substantial material thickness. To address this challenge, this study proposes a novel tip penetration test, which enables static yield stress determination without the requirement for full cone submergence, thereby facilitating assessment of thin …

Rheological And Micro Properties Of High-Viscosity Binder-Incorporated Polyphosphoric Acid And Rock Asphalt, Feng Ma, Xinye Jiang, Zhen Fu, Chongxin Zhu, Jenny Liu, Ke Shi, Yalu Wen, Yao Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To enhance the performance of high-viscosity modified asphalt (HVMA), polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and North American rock asphalt (NA-RA) were incorporated into styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS)/crumb rubber (CR) composite modified asphalt, resulting in two distinct types of HVMA. The two HVMA types were evaluated at various dosages using a dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), bending beam rheometer (BBR), fluorescence microscope (FM), and Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) tests. These tests provided both macroscopic and microscopic insights into their properties. The findings indicated that both PPA and NA-RA modify the asphalt's internal structure, enhancing its temperature resistance. PPA primarily improved high-Temperature performance, while NA-RA enhanced low-Temperature …

A Rapid Field Moisture Measurement Unit For Compaction Acceptance Of Unbound Materials, Chuanjun Liu, Xiong Zhang, Jenny Liu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The moisture content (MC) was a critical parameter that needed to be monitored in geomaterial compaction. Nuclear density gauges (NDGs) had been the practice in MC and density measurement for decades but had become less desirable due to cost, regulatory, and safety concerns. Meanwhile, lightweight deflectometers (LWDs), proposed as an alternative to NDGs, did not have a function of MC measurement. This study aimed to identify a rapid field moisture analyzer to work with LWDs for evaluating the compaction acceptance of unbound materials in situ. The study started with evaluating the effectiveness and practicability of two existing moisture analyzers recommended …

Influence Of Wicking Geotextile Installation On Moisture Migration In Silt Under Rainfall Infiltration, Yipeng Guo, Dahao Zou, Min Hu, Xiong Zhang, Fang Xu, Yongjie Zhang, Jiejing Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silt is widely used in subgrade construction in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in China due to limited availability of high-quality fill. However, its high moisture sensitivity and low strength often lead to pumping, settlement, and deformation. This study investigates the hydraulic performance of a wicking geotextile in silt under simulated rainfall infiltration using one-dimensional soil column experiments. Three installation configurations were evaluated: (i) a control sample (CS) without geotextile, (ii) an embedded sample (ES) with the geotextile fully installed as a capillary barrier, and (iii) a surface-exposed sample (SES) with the geotextile extended to the …

Dissolved Organic Matter Composition In The Laurentian Great Lakes Ice And Its Contribution To Spring Melt, Anthony J. Arsenault, Nolan J.T. Pearce, Ted Ozersky, Sarah C. D’Amario, Kirill Shchapov, Hunter J. Carrick, Trista Vick-Majors, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a vital role in lakes, but its behavior in winter is poorly understood. This study examined the differences in DOM between lake ice and the upper water column across 18 sites in the Laurentian Great Lakes, integrating in situ sampling and remotely sensed ice data to create a mass budget model to estimate basin-scale DOM storage and release from ice. We found that the composition of the DOM pool in ice varied based on ice thickness, water DOM composition, nutrients, and dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Calculations of protein-like, microbial humic-like, and terrestrial-like DOM storage in …

Lsab Minutes February 2026, Shawna Battle, Maryke Barber

WRL: Library Student Advisory Board Minutes

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Phonology Ling 323, Ibrahim Abu Elrob

Open Educational Resources

The sound system of languages and underlying representation of the sound structure and lexicon. Analysis of data from different languages; investigation of the differences and similarities in the sound systems of different languages. Exploration of language universals.

February 2026, Office Of Research

Research Update

No abstract provided.

Computational Characterization Of A Recently Identified Disinfection Byproduct In Drinking Water: The Chloronitramide Anion And Its Monohydrate Complex, Thufail M. Ismail, Max R. Tucker, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The chloronitramide anion (ClNNO₂⁻) was recently identified as disinfection byproduct in drinking water, and various quantum chemistry methods (CCSD(T), MP2, B3LYP, ωB97XD, and M06-2X) are employed in this study to characterize this negatively charged species and its monohydrate complex. Both vertical and adiabatic quantities indicate the excess electron is bound by 3–4 eV. Four ClNNO₂⁻ monohydrate minima were identified, each exhibiting double ionic hydrogen bonding. The computed ClNNO₂⁻⋯H₂O interaction approaches 15 kcal/mol, and it induces pronounced vibrational frequency shifts in both fragments. Natural bond orbital analysis shows a redistribution of …

Electric Dipole Forbidden, Quadrupole Allowed Transitions In The Pure Rotational Spectrum Of Cyclopropylchloromethyldifluorosilane, Alexander R. Davies, Abanob G. Hanna, Alma Lutas, Gamil A. Guirgis, S. A. Cooke, Garry S. Grubbs

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

In a recent publication, some electric dipole forbidden, quadrupole allowed ΔJ = +2 and x-type transitions were observed in the chirped-pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrum of two conformations of cyclopropylchloromethyldifluorosilane. Many of these transitions arise from a handful of mixed states and mechanisms are proposed through which these transitions become weakly allowed. Observations of electric dipole forbidden, quadrupole allowed transitions in rotational spectra are unusual for molecules which contain a chlorine nucleus owing to the small quadrupole moment of ³⁵Cl and ³⁷Cl; thus, we believe we are the first to observe x-type transitions arising from perturbations caused by …

Bridging Policy And Grassroots Action With Technology: A Framework For Civic Engagement In Environmental Sustainability, Mikhail Ola Adisa, Sonny Rosenthal, Shola Oyedeji, Ifeoma Adaji, Jari Porras

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Grassroots and civic organizations are increasingly recognized as “middle actors” in sustainability, leveraging ICT-driven solutions to bridge top-down policies with bottom-up citizen engagement and behavioral change. This study examines how civic organizations in Finland and Singapore integrate digital tools to support sustainable waste management practices aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, and 17. Guided by a Design Science Research (DSR) approach and drawing on Middle-Out and multi-level governance theories, we developed and validated the Integrated Sustainability Engagement Framework (ISEF) based on interviews with 21 civic organizations and iterative feedback. Findings highlight the central roles of policy translation, localized practices, …

A Dynamic Inspection And Replacement Policy For Systems Subject To Degradation And Periodic Shocks, Jiawen Hu, Qiuzhuang Sun

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Inspection is widely adopted to improve the maintenance efficiency. Most works predetermine a periodic inspection scheme and focus on optimizing the replacement threshold. However, it is reasonable to inspect less frequently when the degradation level of the system is low and to perform inspections more frequently as the degradation level increases. This work investigates a dynamic inspection and replacement policy for systems subject to regular degradation and periodic shocks. The regular degradation of the system is modeled as a Wiener process. Meanwhile, a periodic arrived shock will incur a random amount increment to the degradation, which is assumed to satisfy …