Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Methylene Blue On Stearic Acid-Aged Quartz/Co2/Brine Wettability: Implications For Co2 Geo-Storage, Fatemah Alhammad, Mujahid Ali, Nurudeen P. Yekeen, Muhammad Ali, Hussein Hoteit, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Carbon dioxide sequestration in geological formations has been proposed as a promising solution to reach net zero carbon emissions but the success of underground CO2 storage in sandstone formations depends on the brine/CO2 wettability of sandstone. Research evidence showed that natural geological formation is hydrophobic even in the presence of minute concentration of inherent organic acids. This study investigates the effect of methylene blue (MB) on CO2 wettability of organic-acid contaminated quartz through the tilted plate contact angle measurement method. Pure quartz substrates were aged in a stearic acid/n-decane solution for one week and subsequently modified with different concentrations of …

The Role Of Pennation Angle And Architectural Gearing To Rate Of Force Development In Dynamic And Isometric Muscle Contractions, Bas Van Hooren, Per Aagaard, Andrea Monte, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Associations between muscle architecture and rate of force development (RFD) have been largely studied during fixed-end (isometric) contractions. Fixed-end contractions may, however, limit muscle shape changes and thus alter the relationship between muscle architecture an RFD. Aim: We compared the correlation between muscle architecture and architectural gearing and knee extensor RFD when assessed during dynamic versus fixed-end contractions. Methods: Twenty-two recreationally active male runners performed dynamic knee extensions at constant acceleration (2000°s−2) and isometric contractions at a fixed knee joint angle (fixed-end contractions). Torque, RFD, vastus lateralis muscle thickness, and fascicle dynamics were compared during 0–75 and 75–150 ms …

Validity Of Apple Watch, Garmin Forerunner® 935 And Geneactiv For Estimating Energy Expenditure During Close Quarter Battle Training In Special Forces Soldiers, Angela Uphill, Kristina L. Kendall, Alison Fogarty, Stuart Guppy, Hannah Brown, Travis Zomer, Simon Parker, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of three wrist-worn devices for estimating energy expenditure (EE) and heart rate (HR) during close “Close Quarter Battle” (CQB). Fifty male soldiers (mean ± SD: age 30.9 ± 4.6 years, height: 1.81 ± 0.64 m and body mass 87.3 ± 7.7 kg) wore three activity monitors (Apple Watch 5, Garmin Forerunner® 935 and GENEActiv accelerometer), a Metamax 3B metabolic cart and a Polar chest strap, whilst conducting a CQB training activity (duration: 26.6 ± 5.0 min). EE and HR data from each test device were compared against criterion measures using …

Young People's Alcohol Use In And Around Water: A Scoping Review Of The Literature, Renee N. Carey, Gemma Crawford, Jonine Jancey, Tina Lam, Lauren Nimmo, Gina Trapp, Christina Pollard, Paula Hooper, Justine E. Leavy

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issues: The surrounding social and commercial context, including alcohol advertising, heavily influences alcohol consumption. Alcohol use is a major risk factor for both fatal and non-fatal drowning, particularly for young people. Approach: We conducted a scoping review to explore the peer-reviewed literature on the use of alcohol by young people (aged 15–34 years) in the context of aquatic environments. Five electronic academic databases were searched for English-language studies conducted in high-income countries and published in the last 15 years (since 2008). The MetaQAT framework was used to assess methodological quality of included studies. Key Findings: The review included a total …

Diagnostic Performance Of The Ggt/Hdl-C Ratio For Nafld In Adults With Obesity Undergoing Bariatric Surgery, Renzo Pajuelo-Vasquez, Jerry K. Benites-Meza, Hilda V. Durango-Chavez, Gustavo Salinas-Sedo, Carlos J. Toro-Huamanchumo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most frequent liver disease, closely related with metabolic risk factors such as obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. In this context, -Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) have shown correlations with steatosis severity and metabolic syndrome, respectively. This positions the GGT/HDL-C ratio as a potential diagnostic indicator for NAFLD. Objective: To assess the diagnostic performance of the GGT/HDL-C ratio for NAFLD in adults with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study, designed as a diagnostic test evaluation. A secondary database of 249 …

A Photocrosslinkable And Hemostatic Bilayer Wound Dressing Based On Gelatin Methacrylate Hydrogel And Polyvinyl Alcohol Foam For Skin Regeneration, Asghar Eskandarinia, Mohammad H. Morowvat, Seyyed V. Niknezhad, Moloud Amini Baghbadorani, Martin Michálek, Si Chen, Mohammad M. Nemati, Manica Negahdaripour, Reza Heidari, Amir Azadi, Younes Ghasemi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The enormous potential of multifunctional bilayer wound dressings in various medical interventions for wound healing has led to decades of exploration into this field of medicine. However, it is usually difficult to synthesize a single hydrogel with all the required capabilities simultaneously. This paper proposes a bilayer model with an outer layer intended for hydrogel wound treatment. By adding gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and tannic acid (TA) to the hydrogel composition and using polyvinyl alcohol-carboxymethyl chitosan (PVA-CMCs) foam layer as supports, a photocrosslinkable hydrogel with an optimal formulation was created. The hydrogels were then examined using a range of analytical procedures, …

Association Between Gamma Glutamyl Transpeptidase To Hdl-Cholesterol (Ggt/Hdl-C) Ratio And Metabolic Syndrome Resolution After Sleeve Gastrectomy, Melanni L. Lizarbe-Lezama, Jhoel E. Rodriguez-Macedo, Daniel Fernandez-Guzman, Ana L. Alcantara-Diaz, Gustavo Salinas-Sedo, Carlos J. Toro-Huamanchumo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between GGT/HDL-C ratio and resolution of MetS in adults after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using secondary data from a Peruvian bariatric center. The study population consisted of adults aged 18 and above who underwent laparoscopic SG and were diagnosed with MetS prior to the surgery. The main outcome measured was MetS resolution 6 months post-surgery and the exposure variable was the GGT/HDL-C ratio. RESULTS: We analyzed 137 patients with a mean age of 38.9 ± 10.9 years; 64.2% were females. The median GGT/HDL-C ratio was 1.1 [0.7 - 1.5], …

Association Of Body Iron Stores And Anemia In A Ghanaian Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Population: A Multicentered Cross-Sectional Study, Wina I.O. Boadu, William K.B.A. Owiredu, Emmanuel Timmy Donkoh, Kwame O. Boadu, Afia A. Kwayie, Joseph Frimpong, Enoch O. Anto, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel E. Korsah, Ezekiel Ansah, Michael Nyantakyi, Stephen Opoku, Ebenezer Senu, Elizabeth Aboagye

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Aims: Anemia has been a common comorbidity in most chronic diseases, but has not been well monitored in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of anemia and its nexus with iron stores among T2DM patients in health facilities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study recruited 213 T2DM out-patients attending the diabetic clinics at the Kumasi South Hospital and St. Michaels Hospital, Jachie Pramso, Ghana, for routine check-ups. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical data from study participants. Blood samples were collected to …

Defining The Phylogenetics And Resistome Of The Major Clostridioides Difficile Ribotypes Circulating In Australia, Keeley O’Grady, Stacey Hong, Papanin Putsathit, Narelle George, Christine Hemphill, Peter G. Huntington, Tony M. Korman, Despina Kotsanas, Monica Lahra, Rodney Mcdougall, Andrew Mcglinchey, Avram Levy, Casey V. Moore, Graeme Nimmo, Louise Prendergast, Jennifer Robson, David J. Speers, Lynette Waring, Michael C. Wehrhahn, Gerhard F. Weldhagen, Richard M. Wilson, Thomas V. Riley, Daniel R. Knight

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) remains a significant public health threat globally. New interventions to treat CDI rely on an understanding of the evolution and epidemiology of circulating strains. Here we provide longitudinal genomic data on strain diversity, transmission dynamics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of C. difficile ribotypes (RTs) 014/020 (n=169), 002 (n=77) and 056 (n=36), the three most prominent C. difficile strains causing CDI in Australia. Genome scrutiny showed that AMR was uncommon in these lineages, with resistance-conferring alleles present in only 15/169 RT014/020 strains (8.9 %), 1/36 RT056 strains (2.78 %) and none of 77 RT002 strains. Notably, ~90 …

Retinal Dystrophies Associated With Peripherin-2: Genetic Spectrum And Novel Clinical Observations In 241 Patients, Rachael C. Heath Jeffery, Jennifer A. Thompson, Johnny Lo, Enid S. Chelva, Sean Armstrong, Jose S. Pulido, Rebecca Procopio, Andrea L. Vincent, Lorenzo Bianco, Maurizio Battaglia Parodi, Lucia Ziccardi, Giulio Antonelli, Lucilla Barbano, João P. Marques, Sara Geada, Ana L. Carvalho, Wei C. Tang, Choi M. Chan, Camiel J.F. Boon, Jonathan Hensman, Ta Ching Chen, Chien Yu Lin, Pei Lung Chen, Ajoy Vincent, Anupreet Tumber, Elise Heon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

To describe the clinical, electrophysiological and genetic spectrum of inherited retinal diseases associated with variants in the PRPH2 gene.

Methods.

A total of 241 patients from 168 families across 15 sites in 9 countries with pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in PRPH2 were included. Records were reviewed for age at symptom onset, visual acuity, full-field ERG, fundus colour photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and SD-OCT. Images were graded into six phenotypes. Statistical analyses were performed to determine genotype–phenotype correlations.

Results:

The median age at symptom onset was 40 years (range, 4–78 years). FAF phenotypes included normal (5%), butterfly pattern dystrophy, …

Scs 6th Annual Meeting—Eevfa—11th International Congress Of Biochemistry And Physiology Of Exercise, Athens, Greece, 2023, Pedro E. Alcaraz, Elena Marín-Cascales, Anthony J. Blazevich, Tomás T. Freitas, Olyvia Donti, Konstantinos Spyrou, Gregory C. Bogdanis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

On behalf of the Strength and Conditioning Society (SCS) and the Hellenic Society of Biochemistry and Exercise Physiology (EEVFA), we are pleased to present the abstracts of the SCS 6th Annual Meeting and EEVFA—11th International Congress of Biochemistry and Physiology of Exercise. The event was held at the Hellenic Olympic Committee headquarters in Athens, Greece, on 19–22 October 2023, and comprised several invited sessions from international and national speakers on a variety of topics related to biochemistry and exercise physiology, strength and conditioning practices and their application to health, injury prevention and sports performance. These included strength training in high-performance …

Enhanced Hoek-Brown (H-B) Criterion For Rocks Exposed To Chemical Corrosion, Hao Li, Leo Pel, Zhenjiang You, David Smeulders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underground constructions often encounter water environments, where water–rock interaction can increase porosity, thereby weakening engineering rocks. Correspondingly, the failure criterion for chemically corroded rocks becomes essential in the stability analysis and design of such structures. This study enhances the applicability of the Hoek-Brown (H-B) criterion for engineering structures operating in chemically corrosive conditions by introducing a kinetic porosity-dependent instantaneous mi (KPIM). A multiscale experimental investigation, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pH and ion chromatography analysis, and triaxial compression tests, is employed to quantify pore structural changes and their linkage with the strength responses …

Quantifying Image Quality In Aoslo Images Of Photoreceptors, Brea D. Brennan, Heather Heitkotter, Joseph Carroll, Sergey Tarima, Robert F. Cooper

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The use of “quality” to describe the usefulness of an image is ubiquitous but is often subject to domain specific constraints. Despite its continued use as an imaging modality, adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) lacks a dedicated metric for quantifying the quality of an image of photoreceptors. Here, we present an approach to evaluating image quality that extracts an estimate of the signal to noise ratio. We evaluated its performance in 528 images of photoreceptors from two AOSLOs, two modalities, and healthy or diseased retinas. The algorithm was compared to expert graders’ ratings of the images and previously published …

Atascadero Little League - Snack Shack Window Renovation, Anthony J. Catania

Construction Management

Atascadero Little League is an essential part of the local community. It brings families together and provides youth with a place to develop their social skills, sportsmanship, and discipline all while getting outside and exercising. Little leagues are non-profit organizations, managed and operated by volunteers, who sacrifice personal time to give back to their local community. Paloma Creek Park is where Atascadero Little League hosts most of their games. The snack shack’s service window does not face the baseball field, forcing volunteers to rely on a small window in the side of the structure to view their child’s game. The …

Reducing Carbon Emissions With Returned Concrete, John M. Maxwell Jr.

Construction Management

The concrete industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of construction. Specifically, the cement production aspect is the most energy intensive, and produces the most carbon emissions. Concrete, a material ubiquitous with nearly every facet of construction; certain types of structures are composed of nearly all concrete. Production of cement is one of the biggest contributors to emissions within the industry. There have been initiatives to reduce or offset emissions from this process, through things like carbon capture, and the purchase of carbon or emissions credits. The objective of this paper was to investigate a new method of carbon …

Little Free Library Project, Baylor Rembrandt

Construction Management

Little Free Library is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting reading and literacy through community involvement by providing free book exchanges all over the world. The project was comprised of three phases, including design, construction, and installation. I began by identifying potential homeowners interested in hosting a library so that together we could come up with acceptable designs. This required close collaboration with the homeowners and resulted in unique, personalized designs for each library. Next came the construction phase, during which each library presented with its own challenges: the first library tested me with fundamental construction techniques; the second on …

A New Approach To Patent Reform, Janet Freilich, Michael J. Meurer, Mark Schankerman, Florian Schuett

Faculty Scholarship

Scholars and policy makers have tried for years to solve the tenacious and harmful crisis of low quality, erroneously granted patents. Far from resolving the problem, these determined efforts have resulted in hundreds of conflicting policy proposals, failed Congressional bills, and no way to evaluate the policies’ value or impact or to decide between the overwhelming multiplicity of policies.

This Article provides not only new solutions, but a new approach for designing and assessing policies both in patent law and legal systems more generally. We introduce a formal economic model of the patent system that differs from existing scholarship because …

Sheep And Goat Industry Funding Scheme Annual Report 2022/2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

The Sheep and Goat Industry Funding Scheme (IFS) has been operating since 2010 to address biosecurity threats relevant to the Western Australian (WA) sheep and goat industry. The Scheme was established by regulation under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 to enable sheep and goat producers to identify pest and disease priorities at a whole-of-industry level and raise funds for activities to address these priorities.

There are currently three Industry Funding Schemes in operation. In addition to the Sheep and Goat IFS, there is a Cattle IFS and a Grains, Seeds and Hay IFS. The three IFSs operate in …

Consultation Summary For Proposed Declared Pest Rates 2024/2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Before determining a rate, the Minister for Agriculture and Food is required to consult with owners of the land to be rated, as described in the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Declared Pest Account) Regulations 2014 (the Regulations).

The annual process for consultation enables the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to gauge landholder perception on the proposed Declared Pest Rate (DPR) in accordance with the Regulations.

The Influence Of Informal Economy On Voluntary Contributions To Informal Social Organisations, Nyagwegwe Wango

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This study explores the dynamics of the informal economy and the voluntary contributions made to groups, associations, and memberships within this sector. It provides an overview of the background information on these organizations, their operations, and the issues surrounding protection and risk mitigation. Additionally, the study delves into the practices of voluntary contributions within the informal economy. Qualitative research methods, including interviews and focus group discussions, were employed to gather data from informal economy actors participating in informal social organizations such as the bodaboda association, food vending networks, and beach groups. The findings suggest that informal workers often pool money …

The Impact Of Severe Obesity On Image Quality And Ventricular Function Assessment In Echocardiography And Cardiac Mri., Akash Goyal, Christopher D Crabtree, Bryan C Lee, Thura T Harfi, Saurabh Rajpal, Vedat O Yildiz, Orlando P Simonetti, Matthew S Tong

Heart and Vascular Articles

This study sought to evaluate the impact of severe obesity on image quality and ventricular function assessment in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MRI) and trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE). We studied 100 consecutive patients who underwent clinically indicated cardiac MRI and TTE studies within 12 months between July 2017 and December 2020; 50 (28 females and 22 males; 54.5 ± 18.7 years) with normal body mass index (BMI) (18.5-25 kg/m

Three-Year Outcomes Of The Abre Venous Self-Expanding Stent System In Patients With Symptomatic Iliofemoral Venous Outflow Obstruction., Stephen Black, Marc Sapoval, David J Dexter, Kathleen Gibson, Raghu Kolluri, Mahmood Razavi, Dorian J Defreitas, Hong Wang, Stephanie Brucato, Erin Murphy

Heart and Vascular Articles

PURPOSE: To report 36-month outcomes and subgroup analysis of the ABRE study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of the Abre venous self-expanding stent system for the treatment of symptomatic iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction disease.

METHODS: The ABRE study was a prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized study that enrolled and implanted Abre venous stents in 200 participants (mean age 51.5 years [SD ± 15.9], 66.5% women) with symptomatic iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction at 24 global sites. Outcomes assessed through 36 months included patency, major adverse events, stent migration, stent fracture, and quality-of-life changes. Adverse events and imaging studies were adjudicated by independent clinical …

Investigating The Relationship Between Hybrid Work, Job Burnout, And Job Satisfaction In Higher Education, Mariah Perry

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between hybrid work, job burnout, and job satisfaction in higher education. Amid the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many organizations began shifting their workplace model to encourage hybrid work. This research gleaned insight into the administrative staff perspective to provide data-informed support for higher education leaders when continuing or implementing hybrid work. Two measurement instruments were utilized, including the Maslach’s Burnout Inventory – General Survey (MBI-GS) and the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), along with demographic questions and three open-ended questions for hybrid-staff only. The combined survey was electronically administered to staff employed with three public higher …

Click, Click, Boom: A Multi-Level Analysis Of Repeat Firearm Offending In Chattanooga, Tennessee, Katlyn Whittenburg

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Criminologists have long noted the exacerbated rates of firearm-related offending in the United States in comparison to other developed nations. There has been a renewed focus on gun crime in the wake of a recent dramatic reversal of the long-trending decrease in firearm-related violence. Explorations of the factors that contribute to firearm offending are often restricted to large metro areas like Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia—which may have limited generalizability to more common small and medium sized cities in the United States. This study attempts to address this concern through examination of the factors that contribute to firearm re-offending …

Analysis And Numerical Simulation Of Tumor Growth Models, Daniel Acosta Soba

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation we focus on the numerical analysis of tumor growth models. Due to the difficulty of developing physically meaningful approximations of such models, we divide the main problem into more simple pieces of work that are addressed in the different chapters. First, in Chapter 2 we present a new upwind discontinuous Galerkin (DG) scheme for the convective Cahn–Hilliard model with degenerate mobility which preserves the pointwise bounds and prevents non-physical spurious oscillations. These ideas are based on a well-suited piecewise constant approximation of convection equations. The proposed numerical scheme is contrasted with other approaches in several numerical experiments. …

Archives Of Facade, Arielle Nord

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Fantasy is a genre that seldom includes black characters. When black characters are present, they often lack the same narrative significance, reliability and character growth that is given to white characters. This can lead to poorly written black characters that lack purpose or fall victim to stereotypical roles and troupes. Depicting black characters in this way can further isolate readers who wish to read about black characters, that are more than just stereotypes, within the fantasy genre. This thesis will examine the writing techniques of character coding and the subversion of stereotypes and how they present a way for black …

The Internist's Post V.1 N.3, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley. School Of Medicine, Eunbee Cho, Jian Garcia Cruz, Diana Othon Martinez, Edgar Dorsey Trevino, Ramon Elizondo Romo, Roque Mifuji, Martha Solis

School of Medicine Publications

No abstract provided.

The Anti-Innovation Supreme Court: Major Questions, Delegation, Chevron And More, Jack M. Beermann

Faculty Scholarship

The Supreme Court of the United States has generally been a very aggressive enforcer of legal limitations on governmental power. In various periods in its history, the Court has gone far beyond enforcing clearly expressed and easily ascertainable constitutional and statutory provisions and has suppressed innovation by the other branches that do not necessarily transgress widely held social norms. Novel assertions of legislative power, novel interpretations of federal statutes, statutes that are in tension with well-established common law rules and state laws adopted by only a few states are suspect simply because they are novel or rub up against tradition. …

Getting Merger Guidelines Right, Keith N. Hylton

Faculty Scholarship

This paper is on the new Merger Guidelines. It makes several arguments. First, that the Guidelines should be understood as existing in a political equilibrium. Second, that the new structural presumption of the Merger Guidelines (HHI = 1,800) is too strict, and that an economically reasonable revision in the structural presumption would have increased rather than decreased the threshold. Whereas the new Guidelines lowers the threshold to HHI 1,800 from HHI 2,500, an economically reasonable revision would have increased the threshold to HHI 3,200. I justify this argument using a bare-bones model of Cournot competition. Third, it seems unlikely, …

Onc201 (Dordaviprone) In Recurrent H3 K27m-Mutant Diffuse Midline Glioma, Yazmin Odia, Minesh Mehta

All Publications

Purpose: Histone 3 (H3) K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma (DMG) has a dismal prognosis with no established effective therapy beyond radiation. This integrated analysis evaluated single-agent ONC201 (dordaviprone), a first-in-class imipridone, in recurrent H3 K27M-mutant DMG.

Methods: Fifty patients (pediatric, n = 4; adult, n = 46) with recurrent H3 K27M-mutant DMG who received oral ONC201 monotherapy in four clinical trials or one expanded access protocol were included. Eligible patients had measurable disease by Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) high-grade glioma (HGG) criteria and performance score (PS) ≥60 and were ≥90 days from radiation; pontine and spinal tumors were ineligible. The …