Natural hazards, such as floods and earthquakes, threaten communities and infrastructure systems throughout the world. In some cases, these natural hazards may trigger the release of hazardous materials, cause damage to critical lifeline systems, or result in other technological disasters. Assessment of so-called Natech (NAtural disaster-triggered TECHnological disaster) disasters is an area of expertise at […]

Lionfish have become the poster child for marine invasive species since their introduction to Floridian waters in the 1980s. While considerable efforts have attempted to quantify their impacts on native communities, research on lionfish and their feeding ecology remains in its infancy, as does knowledge about their competition with and impact on native predators. This […]

Greywater or domestic wastewater (e.g. laundry, sink, and bath water) is characterized for its low organic content that is ideal for water reuse and recycling purposes, in addition to having the potential for significant heat recovery. A full-scale testing of a greywater treatment plant (GWTP) in the Sørhellinga building of the Norwegian University of Life […]

The Black Queen Hypothesis is a novel theory in reductive evolution that suggests while some metabolic functions must remain in the cell, others can be outsourced to the surrounding community. Phytoplankton are important members of marine ecosystems, and many exist in symbiotic relationships with co-occurring bacteria. Phytoplankton produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) as a by-product […]

This project involves developing novel methods for improving the estimation of surface displacement of natural earth surfaces using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR). The developed methods improve the precision that can be obtained when analyzing a series of sequentially acquired images over the same area. The methods also improve the robustness of the estimation in […]

Do interest groups use information to polarize elected officials? Conventional wisdom holds that legislative committees transcend partisan bickering and promote evidence-based policymaking. But there remain gaps in the literature and in our understanding of how and whether committees are able to meet this ideal In this project, I propose a research framework to uncover the […]

Recent research indicated the importance of trait cheerfulness in predicting adaptive coping mechanisms, life satisfaction, and flourishing. With worldwide interests in studying this construct, it becomes imperative to understand how the measurement of cheerful behaviours and attitudes may differ cross-culturally. The present study investigates unique cultural patterns in cheerfulness that are distinctive to one culture […]

Poverty alleviation is the main objective of United Nations Millennium Development Goal and microcredit is used as an effective tool in poverty alleviation around the globe. Microcredit is one of the significant innovations in development policy and a key element for the 21st century’s socio-economic development as micro-credit helps improving socio-economic conditions of the poor. […]

Network operators ubiquitously deploy hardware middleboxes such as firewalls, proxies, WAN optimizer, intrusion detection and prevention systems to realize different network services. These middleboxes are vertically-integrated, expensive, and proprietary hardware appliances with limited or no programmability and require specially trained personnel for deployment and maintenance, resulting in increased capital and operational expenditure for the network […]

Previous work creating ammonia sensors using vapochromic coordination polymers involved either deposition via thin films or via immobilization in post arrays. This project will continue to explore new and novel deposition methods for vapochromic coordination polymers via the use of 3D printers using suspension polymers such as Sol-gel and other 3D-printable polymers. The anticipation of […]

Agriculture and food production heavily rely on the use of pesticides to kill weeds and bugs. To ensure the food is safe, we need to test the concentration of pesticide residues in food products. The standard pesticide analysis in laboratories is complex, slow, expensive, and requires expertise. This project aims to design and make a […]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition of the digestive system. Symptoms can include abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, bloody stools, weight loss and fatigue. IBD is caused by a combination of genetics, environmental factors and irregular immune responses to normal gut bacteria. As the incidence of IBD is increasing in Asia, more […]