University of Massachusetts Lowell

Beyond Surface Tension: Polarity-Governed Liquid Repellency of Siloxane Finish

Abstract Industry-standard textile liquid repellency tests, including AATCC TM118 for non-polar oils and AATCC TM193 for polar water/isopropanol (IPA) mixtures, classified performance primarily according to liquid surface tension (γLV). In this study, we systematically compared t...

Balancing adversariality and naturalness in autonomous vehicle testing scenario generation via multi-objective reinforcement learning

Reinforcement learning (RL)-based adversarial scenario generation through dynamic agent–environment interactions has emerged as a promising approach for accelerating autonomous vehicle (AV) testing. However, existing RL approaches struggle to balance adversariality and naturalnes...

AUDA: An Analytical Workflow for Sparse and Heterogeneous Plastic-Related Data

Sparse and heterogeneous plastic-related data complicate the construction of analytical datasets and the evaluation of predictive models. This study presents AUDA, a workflow that organizes human-reviewed records extracted by PRISM into country–year analytical tables and supports...

Lake size is associated with the relationship between body mass and gut microbiota alpha diversity in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Lake size is associated with ecological conditions that can affect the microbiome of hosts, such as diet and habitat characteristics. However, whether host-microbe interactions are affected by lake size remains poorly understood. We characterized the gut microbiota of 191 wild th...

Buying cooperation: financial inducements and the reconstruction of relations between major powers

Creditor states have used financial inducements in an attempt to influence the security and foreign policies of their indebted peers for centuries. We examine when inducements are effective and whether they can promote cooperation. Analysis of three cases involving major powers –...

Rates of Evolution Differ Between Cell Types Identified by Single‐Cell RNAseq in Threespine Stickleback

ABSTRACT Rates of evolutionary change vary by gene. While some broad gene categories are highly conserved with little divergence over time, others undergo continuous selection pressure and are highly divergent among populations or species. But such comparative evolutionary studie...

The Role of Carbon Fibers in FFF 3D Printed Composites: A Comprehensive Review on the Effect on Mechanical Properties, Fracture Toughness, and Tribological Performance

Polymeric composites reinforced with short or continuous carbon fibers offer exceptional mechanical and tribological properties that outperform their unfilled counterparts. The combination of these excellent properties with the possibility to manufacture custom-made composites wi...

Is America Ready for Crypto or Crypt-No: Understanding Cryptocurrency User’s Willingness to Federal Regulations

Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is decentralized from financial institutions and can be used for financial transactions among individuals, which due to its decentralized nature, has been viewed by some in the financial sector as the “wild west.” It can be used in financ...

An elastomer-embedded distributed optical fiber sensor based on optical frequency domain reflectometry

This study investigates a U-shaped low-bend-loss single-mode fiber embedded in an elastomer pad and interrogated by optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) for distributed deformation sensing. The OFDR measurements used a 2.6 mm gage pitch over an approximately 1.27 m measu...

Bridging Knowledge Gaps in Clinical AI: An Activity Theory Perspective on Interdisciplinary Data Work for Telehealth

Advanced AI technologies are increasingly integrated into clinical domains to advance patient care. The design and development of clinical AI technologies necessitate seamless collaboration between clinical and technical experts. However, such interdisciplinary teams are often un...

Toward reviewable medical evidence synthesis for care delivery

Abstract Large language model systems can retrieve and cite medical evidence, yet their outputs may remain difficult to review during care. We define reviewability through evidence adequacy for action-changing claims, exact source verification, and presentation matched to a speci...

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Health-Related Social Needs, and Cognitive Outcomes in US Veterans

Importance Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and health-related social needs (HRSNs) have been associated with cognitive decline, but their joint associations with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer disease (AD), and AD-related dementias (ADRD) are unclear. Objective T...

Sovereignty and extortion: A new state form in Mexico , by Claudio Lomnitz

Sovereignty and Extortion: A New State Form in Mexico condenses six public lectures given by anthropologist Claudio Lomnitz in 2021 as a new member of Mexico’s Colegio Nacional. Lomnitz reflects on...

Under-water ignition and combustion of PDMS processed Al/CuO nanoparticle composite

This study investigates the fabrication and performance of hydrophobic nanothermite powders prepared by combining liquid polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) prepolymers with thermite powders in a dispersion medium. The resulting composite remained dry when submerged underwater and could...

Multi-modal knowledge graph reasoning and applications: A comprehensive survey

With the rapid growth of multi-modal data, multi-modal knowledge graphs (MMKGs) have emerged as an important research focus in intelligent reasoning by integrating structured knowledge with information from diverse modalities, such as text, images, and audio. This paper provides...

Changes in Alcohol Use Among Adults with Cancer Participating in the ECOG-ACRIN EAQ171CD Tobacco Treatment Trial

Abstract Background: Alcohol and tobacco use are known carcinogens. Treating alcohol and tobacco co-use can improve treatment and survivorship outcomes among patients diagnosed with cancer. Methods: We conducted a post hoc analysis of ECOG-ACRIN EAQ171CD trial participants within...

The adaptive role of the knee joint in maintaining the orbital stability during slope walking

Abstract Maintaining gait stability on sloped surfaces is a biomechanically demanding task. Previous studies revealed the effect of slopes on overall gait stability, but the joint-level mechanisms underlying the stability still remain unclear. Given that most active exoskeletons...

A Hierarchy of Value in the Adoption of Radical Service Innovations: Evidence From Wellness Hospitality

This article investigates the operational challenges of launching radical service innovations (RSI) in the hospitality industry. While RSI is a primary driver of competitive advantage, the operations management literature has largely focused on incremental innovations. We address...

Planning energy adequacy for a renewable New England: Multi-decade weather, short- and long-duration storage, and grid-interactive electric vehicles

This study evaluates how planning horizon length, storage technology mix, and firm capacity affect resource adequacy in a high-renewable New England electricity system. Using 44 years of hourly wind, solar, and demand data, the analysis optimizes least-cost portfolios under diffe...

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Identifying Social Determinants of Health in Low‐Income Populations Within United States Health Systems: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Low‐income populations in the United States experience disproportionate exposure to adverse social conditions. This scoping review examined artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) approaches used in United States health systems to ident...