University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Embedded Direct Ink Writing of Thermoset and Elastomeric Polymers via Frontal Polymerization

ABSTRACT Direct ink writing (DIW) using frontal ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (FROMP) enables rapid, energy‐efficient fabrication of thermoset and elastomeric architectures through a self‐propagating exothermic curing reaction. However, FP‐DIW is constrained by stringent...

StrawberryGRO-E: A techno-economic analytic modeling framework for strawberry production in plant factories

Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) offer a transformative approach to food security, yet their economic viability is constrained by high production expenditures and persistent yield heterogeneity. Despite uniform macro-environmental controls, endogenous genetic rhyt...

Safety, efficacy and acceptability of human-GenAI single-session exposure-based intervention for academic anxiety: randomized controlled trials

Generative AI (GenAI) may expand access to exposure therapy, a gold-standard anxiety treatment, but its safety, efficacy, and acceptability remain untested. We developed a hybrid human–GenAI single-session exposure program targeting academic anxiety and evaluated it across two ra...

Soil storage changes enzyme activity magnitudes but preserves activity sensitivity to long-term crop rotations and tillage practices

Abstract Soil samples are often stored prior to enzyme activity assays, but storage-induced changes could compromise the ability to differentiate activities among management practices. We used two field experiments in north-central USA – 27 y crop rotation × tillage on an Endoaqu...

AnExplainable AI Engineering Framework for Claims-Only First-Stage Provider Audit Triage Using SHAP-Guided Hybrid Retrieval-Augmented Generation

This study proposes an explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) engineering workflow for provider-level healthcare claim audit prioritization using SHAP-guided hybrid retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). The framework integrates provider-level claim aggregation, tree-based risk...

The plausible relationship between deep long-period earthquakes and volatiles: a case study of the Alaska-Aleutian arc

Abstract Deep long-period (DLP) earthquakes are observed beneath volcanoes in various tectonic settings during background activity, unrest, and eruption. The exact processes generating DLPs have been subject to ongoing debate, as they may provide insight into deep magmatic plumbi...

First Cophylogenetic Reconstruction of Hemipteran Insect–Phytoplasma Associations Reveals Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics

Vector-borne plant pathogens exhibit a remarkable capacity to colonize distantly related hosts, reflecting long-term ecological and evolutionary interactions among pathogens, plants, and insect vectors. Phytoplasmas, which are obligate bacterial parasites transmitted by hemiptera...

PRO4RS - Developing, aligning, and implementing policies on research software for research performing organisations

Research software is essential to modern science, yet many research-performing organisations lack coherent policies to support its development, sustainability, and recognition. Despite its central role in research outcomes, research software and its personnel are often excluded f...

Fission yeast RPA–TERT–Tpz1TPP1 complex promotes telomere extension and suppresses telomere recombination

Abstract Telomerase maintains chromosome ends by extending telomeric DNA, yet how recruited telomerase becomes productively engaged remains poorly understood. Recent studies found that Replication Protein A (RPA) contributes to telomerase stimulation through interaction with TERT...

Formalizing Competencies and Defining the Characteristics of a Digital Environment for Learning Human–Robot Collaboration in Construction: Insights from Industry and Academia

Abstract Human–robot collaboration (HRC) refers to the interaction between humans and robots in a shared workspace, combining human adaptability with robotic precision to execute tasks. This study formalizes HRC competencies and identifies the characteristics (training components...

Somebody has to 'step up' and do the hard leadership jobs in academia

Renowned Chemist Catherine Murphy, Department Head at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, talks about the all-important job of being a Department Chair or Head. This is a copy of a post published in the Epistimi blog series at: https://www.epistimi.org/blog/somebody-has...

Improving service efficiency without sacrificing quality: a multi-agent AI system for hospitality email response automation

Purpose This study examines how multi-agent artificial intelligence (AI) architectures can automate hospitality email responses while maintaining service quality standards. The research addresses the growing challenge of email volume management in hotel operations where response...

Design for Human Variability: Reflections from the HFES Council of Affinity Groups (COAG)

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) is dedicated to recognizing human variability and understanding how it shapes interactions between people and systems. Building on previous panels, this discussion panel examines human variability through the lens of HFES Affinity G...

Viewport-based Neural 360° Image Compression

Given the popularity of 360° images on social media platforms, 360° image compression becomes a critical technology for media storage and transmission. Conventional 360° image compression pipeline projects the spherical image into a single 2D plane, leading to issues of oversampl...

Less cooperative belowground plant mutualists negatively affect aboveground herbivore growth and survival

Abstract Resource mutualists like nitrogen (N)-fixing rhizobia can improve the nutrition of plants available to higher trophic levels. However, there is substantial intraspecific variation in mutualist quality. How this variation in mutualist quality affects higher trophic levels...

Improving access to new technologies: An experiment with Kenyan input sellers

Abstract Agrodealers play a critical role in rural economies, selling essential inputs for agricultural production, stocking new products, and providing farmers with technical advice. However, uncertainty can discourage them from stocking newer, less familiar products, limiting t...

Prioritizing site groups for intrinsic biodiversity assets using complementarity and not just rarity

Abstract Conservation practitioners rightfully focus on at‐risk species when valuing biodiversity assets and prioritizing spatial units. However, sites often contain few if any of those species, making valuation and prioritization difficult. A complementarity approach that incorp...

Full-Field Measurement Uncertainty Quantification for Luminescence Phosphor Thermography on Surfaces in 3D Space

Abstract Background The luminescent intensity ratio (LIR) method of measuring temperature with thermographic phosphors has long been reported to exhibit sensitivities to experimental geometry as a test article moves in 3D space. Objective This work aims to evaluate the sensitivit...

Pattern Formation in a Spatial Public Goods Dilemma due to Diffusive or Directed Motion

Abstract The costly provision of public goods serves as a model problem for the evolution of cooperative behavior, presenting a social dilemma between the collective benefits of shared resources and the individual incentive to free-ride in resource production. The spatial structu...

How Much Water Can Be Seasonally Buffered by China's Largest Floodplain Lake? A Refined Estimate From SWOT

Abstract Poyang Lake, China's largest floodplain lake, plays a crucial role in regional hydrology by seasonally regulating water to mitigate floods and sustain extensive wetland ecosystems. However, complex hydrodynamics and significant spatial hydraulic gradients often invalidat...