Digital Commons Network^™

Replication Data For: The Effect Of The Top Soil Layer On Moisture And Evaporation Dynamics, Zhen Li, Kathleen Smits

Earth & Environmental Sciences Datasets - Archive

Understanding the effect of the top soil layer on surface evaporation and water distribution is critical to modeling hydrological systems. However, the dependency of near-surface soil moisture and fluxes on layering characteristics remains unclear. To address this uncertainty, we investigate how the arrangement of soil horizons affects the evaporation and soil moisture, specifically, the near-surface soil moisture, through the combination of numerical simulations and evaporation experiments. The characteristics of fluxes and moisture from different soil profiles are then used to understand the soil layering conditions. Results show that the top soil layer can significantly affect the evolution of soil moisture …

Methadone Destabilizes Cardiac Repolarization During Sleep, Soroosh Solhjoo, Naresh M. Punjabi, Andrada E. Ivanescu, Ciprian Crainiceanu, Irina Gaynanova, Cassie Wicken, Chester Buckenmaier, Mark C. Haigney

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Methadone, a widely prescribed medication for chronic pain and opioid addiction, is associated with respiratory depression and increased predisposition for torsades de pointes, a potentially fatal arrhythmia. Most methadone-related deaths occur during sleep. The objective of this study was to determine whether methadone’s arrhythmogenic effects increase during sleep, with a focus on cardiac repolarization instability using QT variability index (QTVI), a measure shown to predict arrhythmias and mortality. Sleep study data of 24 patients on chronic methadone therapy referred to a tertiary clinic for overnight polysomnography were compared with two matched groups not on methadone: 24 patients referred for overnight …

2021-10-01_Michigandaily_Covidmap, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Daily Michigan COVID-19 Update

The "WHERE WE STAND WITH COVID-19" map was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated daily at 3p.m., Monday - Saturday.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled.

The image contained a map, indicating total cases by county, and also provides statistics on Total Confirmed Cases, Total COVID-19 Deaths, Daily Confirmed Cases, and Daily COVID-19 Deaths. There …

Exploring Traffic Safety Problems And Challenges Of Older Roads’ Users In Louisiana: Causes And Countermeasures, Hany Hassan Ph.D, Saba Doulabi

Data

It is well established that older pedestrians and drivers with 65 years and above are among the most vulnerable road users. As the number and proportion of older road users (as drivers and pedestrians) grows in many countries, as well as their share in pedestrians’ and drivers’ crashes and injuries, it behooves transportation researchers to further investigate the safety and mobility challenges of older road users. This study aims mainly to provide a comprehensive investigation of older pedestrians’ and drivers’ safety challenges. To this end, a three-fold research approach is designed to thoroughly examine older road users’ safety challenges as …

Calculating Pile Downdrag: Experimental And Numerical Investigations, Hai Lin, Shengli Chen, Hussein Alqrinawi

Data

Piles can be exposed to significant settlement (i.e., downdrag) and compressive force (i.e., dragload) if embedded in consolidating ground. Downdrag has been included in the design of piles, but there is uncertainty about how downdrag and dragload are efficiently considered in the pile design due to the differences in the existing design methods (e.g., AASHTO and FHWA). Although several field monitoring programs were successfully conducted on pile downdrag, fully instrumented pile model tests are still needed to investigate the responses at the soil-pile interface to improve the design of pile downdrag. This research focused on investigating the downdrag and skin …

Urban Transportation Infrastructure And Cyclist And Pedestrian Safety, Hatim Sharif, Samer Dessouky

Data

No abstract provided.

Developing Notification And Enforcement Systems To Communicate And Administer Bridge Load Postings, Hany Hassan, Hisham Abdu Kunnah

Data

State and local law enforcement agencies in the US strive to enforce weight restrictions on trucks and heavy vehicles travelling on public roads as a matter of public safety and as a way of safeguarding vital transportation infrastructure. This research aimed to identify plausible notification systems that can effectively communicate bridge load postings to dispatchers and drivers, investigate and suggest possible approaches to communicate potential detour routes, and identify corresponding enforcement methods required to successfully administer bridge load postings. This report discusses the current practices of bridge load posting notification and enforcement systems. Also, it presents an overview of the …

Coupling Novel Soil Moisture-Suction Sensors And Uav Photogrammetry Technology To The Performance Of Highway Embankments, Navid Jafari, Anand Puppala, Xinbao Yu, Surya Sarat Chandra Congress

Data

The movement of water plays a critical role in the mechanical performance and service life of transportation infrastructure, especially for pavement subgrades and highway embankments consisting of high-plasticity, expansive soils that saturate and ultimately lead to infrastructure distress. Shallow slides along highway embankments are ubiquitous across Region 6 because long-term wetting and drying cycles considerably weaken these compacted soils. In the aftermath of heavy rains, pore-water pressures increase to a critical threshold such that a failure occurs. The implications of embankment failures range from repeated maintenance repairs to long-term road closures. A comprehensive approach to model highway embankments comprising of …

Stiffness Degradation In Fatigue Life Of Composites Using Dielectric State Variables, Muthu Ram Prabhu Elenchezhian, Partha Pratim Das, Minhazur Rahman, Vamsee Vadlamudi, Rassel Raihan, Kenneth Reifsnider

Institute of Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM-UTARI)-Archive

Composite materials are widely used in aerospace and automotive structures for decades and over the years the community has gained a better understanding of the damage and failure modes of composites under fatigue. In this article, a dielectric characterization methodology for in-situ monitoring of composites under fatigue environments is proposed. A novel method of measuring the dielectric state variables in Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy (BbDS) using Extremely Conductive Silver Epoxy Adhesive (ECSEA) paste is presented. These dielectric state variables serve to identify the precursor of the beginning of the end of life of the composite material under fatigue loading. The reliability …

Use, Yield, And Risk Of Device-Assisted Enteroscopy In The United States: Results From A Large Retrospective Multicenter Cohort, Michael G. Noujaim, Alice Parish, Daniel Raines, Seth A. Gross, David Cave, Iris Vance, David Beyer, Diana Liu, Benjamin Hoffman, Zoe Lawrence, Gabriel Castillo, Tanya Pavri, Donna Niedzwiecki, Daniel Wild

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Since 2001, device-Assisted enteroscopy (DAE) has revolutionized the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for managing small bowel pathology. Though commonly performed, there have been no recent large studies to assess the use, yield, and risks of DAE and none that include all 3 DAE modalities. We hypothesized that DAE is safe with high diagnostic and therapeutic yields achieved within reasonable procedure duration and here we present a large retrospective multicenter US study evaluating the use, yield, and complications of DAE. Methods: After obtaining institutional review board approval, electronic records were used to identify all DAE's performed for luminal small bowel …

Concordia Seminary Magazine Fall/Winter 2021, Vicki Biggs

Concordia Seminary Magazine

Your Word is a lamp to my feet

Introduction To The Principles Of Economics, Lynn University Digital Press, Andrea Camargo (Editor)

Lynn University Digital Press Books

Introduction to the Principles of Economics is explicitly edited for the accelerated course in BUS 180: Principles of Economics. The compilation textbook is designed to make introductory economics accessible to college students and is divided into three parts: Introductory Concepts, Microeconomics, and Macroeconomics. Theoretical economic foundations have been applied and related to actual events and policies to increase reader comprehension and practical application. Course: BUS 180

Technology, Values, And Faith With Computer Scientist Derek Schuurman, Derek Schuurman

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Dr. Schuurman is a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation, part of the leadership team for the West Michigan ASA chapter, an associate fellow of the The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge, senior member of the IEEE, member of the ACM, CES, ACMS, a book review editor for Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, a regular contributor to the Christian Scholars Review blog, and a regular columnist for Christian Courier.

Long-Term Maize-Desmodium Intercropping Shifts Structure And Composition Of Soil Microbiome With Stronger Impact On Fungal Communities, Aneth David Mwakilili, Kilaza Samson Mwaikono, Sebastian Larsson Herrera, Charles A.O. Midega, Francis Magingo, Beatrix Alsanius, Teun Dekker, Sylvester Leonard Lyantagaye

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Purpose: Push–pull is an intercropping technology that is rapidly spreading among smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The technology intercrops cereals with Desmodium to fight off stem borers, eliminate parasitic weeds, and improve soil fertility and yields of cereals. The above-ground components of push–pull cropping have been well investigated. However, the impact of the technology on the soil microbiome and the subsequent role of the microbiome on diverse ecosystem benefits are unknown. Here we describe the soil microbiome associated with maize—Desmodium intercropping in push–pull farming in comparison to long-term maize monoculture. Methods: Soil samples were collected from long-term maize—Desmodium intercropping and …

Effect Of Moisture Stress On The Development Of False Codling Moth Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) On Two Tomato Varieties, Esther Museo Patrick, Irene Koomen, Shepard Ndlela, John Mwibanda Wesonga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

False codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a pest native to sub-Saharan Africa infesting over 100 plant species including tomato. Its survival and performance are influenced by changes in precipitation and stress-related biochemical changes in the host plant. Water availability for agricultural production continues to decline due to climate change affecting drought-sensitive crops like tomatoes. Little is known on host plant–insect interactions of T. leucotreta and tomato as influenced by moisture stress. Hence, our study tested the impact of different water holding capacities (WHC) (40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 90%) of plant growing media on the growth of Anna F1 …

Functional Land Cover Scale For Three Insect Pests With Contrasting Dispersal Strategies In A Fragmented Coffee-Based Landscape In Central Kenya, Gladys Mosomtai, Abdelmutalab G.A. Azrag, Régis Babin, Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman, John Odindi, Onisimo Mutanga, Henri E.Z. Tonnang, Tobias Landmann, Guillaume David

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In the Eastern Africa highlands, the gradual transformation of natural ecosystems to smallholding coffee-based agrosystems has resulted in more fragmented landscapes. Major pests of coffee find appropriate living conditions leading to high infestation rates and the need for smallholder farmers to implement pest control measures. This study aims to understand the influence of landscapes on the ecology of three major coffee pests: the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei, and the Antestia bugs Antestiopsis thunbergii (ABT) and A. facetoides (ABF). The study was conducted on a typical smallholder coffee-based landscape in central Kenya. The pest abundance was assessed monthly for …

Development And Validation Of A Framework To Improve Neglected Tropical Diseases Surveillance And Response At Sub-National Levels In Kenya, Arthur K.S. Ng’Etich, Kuku Voyi, Clifford M. Mutero

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Background Assessment of surveillance and response system functions focusing on notifiable diseases has widely been documented in literature. However, there is limited focus on diseases targeted for elimination or eradication, particularly preventive chemotherapy neglected tropical diseases (PC-NTDs). There are limited strategies to guide strengthening of surveillance and response system functions concerning PC-NTDs. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a framework to improve surveillance and response to PC-NTDs at the sub-national level in Kenya. Methods A multi-phased approach using descriptive cross-sectional mixed-method designs was adopted. Phase one involved a systematic literature review of surveillance assessment studies to …

A Global-Scale Expert Assessment Of Drivers And Risks Associated With Pollinator Decline, Lynn V. Dicks, Tom D. Breeze, Hien T. Ngo, Deepa Senapathi, Jiandong An, Marcelo A. Aizen, Parthiba Basu, Damayanti Buchori, Leonardo Galetto, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Barbara Gemmill-Herren, Brad G. Howlett, Vera L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, Steven D. Johnson, Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki, Yong Jung Kwon, H. Michael G. Lattorff, Thingreipi Lungharwo, Colleen L. Seymour, Adam J. Vanbergen, Simon G. Potts

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Pollinator decline has attracted global attention and substantial efforts are underway to respond through national pollinator strategies and action plans. These policy responses require clarity on what is driving pollinator decline and what risks it generates for society in different parts of the world. Using a formal expert elicitation process, we evaluated the relative regional and global importance of eight drivers of pollinator decline and ten consequent risks to human well-being. Our results indicate that global policy responses should focus on reducing pressure from changes in land cover and configuration, land management and pesticides, as these were considered very important …

Integration Of Invasive Tree, Black Locust, Into Agro-Ecological Flower Visitor Networks Induces Competition For Pollination Services, Gerald Chikowore, Sandy Lynn Steenhuisen, Reyard Mutamiswa, Grant D. Martin, Frank Chidawanyika

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Invasion of ecosystems by alien species is a global concern. Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Fabaceae) is one such species which impacts on native diversity and ecosystem functioning. We assessed how R. pseudoacacia affects flower visitation by arthropods in commercial apple orchards in eastern Free State, South Africa. We used paired observations to compare the abundance and diversity of flower visitors and their interactions with the two plant species. Our results showed that R. pseudoacacia flowers attract African honey bees (Apis mellifera) more than apple flowers. However, flower visitation by Diptera, particularly March flies (Bibionidae) was higher in apple flowers. Arthropods of …

Clinical Use Of Lactate Measurements: Reply, Richard M. Pino, Jaskaran Singh

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Home Garden Interventions In East Africa: Results Of Three Randomized Controlled Trials, Lutz Depenbusch, Pepijn Schreinemachers, Ralph Roothaert, Sylvia Namazzi, Charles Onyango, Sophia Bongole, James Mutebi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest per capita consumption of vegetables of all regions in the world. As low vegetable consumption is associated with poor human health, there is need for effective policies and interventions to increase it. Home garden interventions have proven effective in several countries in Asia, but evidence from large trials is scant in Africa. Using data from a home garden promotion project in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, this study tests the hypothesis that home garden interventions, offered to rural households with women 14–35 years of age and/or with children under five years of age, increase household production …

Mitochondrial Genomes Reveal Diverse Lineages Of Diaphorina Citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psyllidae) In Kenya And La Réunion, Yanjing Wang, Susan Halbert, Samira Mohamed, Hélène Delatte, Bernard Reynaud, George A.C. Beattie, Paul Holford, Jinming Lu, Yijing Cen

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is a major threat to citrus production worldwide, as it transmits ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the pathogen associated with the devastating Asian form of huanglongbing. The psyllid has spread widely from its native South Asia during the past 300 years, most recently to Africa. We report the first population genomic analyses of D. citri in Kenya and La Réunion based on next-generation sequencing of their mitochondrial genomes. We analyzed mitochondrial sequences of 264 D. citri individuals to establish genetic relationships among accessions from D. citri populations from Asia, North America and Africa. Haplotype network analysis …

Temporal Rainfall Trend Analysis In Different Agro-Ecological Regions Of Southern Africa, W. Mupangwa, R. Makanza, L. Chipindu, M. Moeletsi, S. Mkuhlani, F. Liben, I. Nyagumbo, M. Mutenje

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Rainfall is a major driver of food production in rainfed smallholder farming systems. This study was conducted to assess linear trends in (i) different daily rainfall amounts (<5, 5–10, 11–20, 21–40 and >40 mm∙day-1), and (ii) monthly and seasonal rainfall amounts. Drought was determined using the rainfall variability index. Daily rainfall data were derived from 18 meteorological stations in southern Africa. Daily rainfall was dominated by <5 mm∙day-1 followed by 5–10 mm∙day-1. Three locations experienced increasing linear trends of <5 mm∙day-1 amounts and two others in sub-humid region had increases in the >40 mm day-1 category. Semi-arid location experienced increasing trends in <5 and 5–10 mm∙day-1 events. A significant linear trend in seasonal rainfall occurred at two locations with decreasing rainfall (1.24 and 3 mm∙season-1). A 3 mm∙season-1 decrease in seasonal rainfall was experienced under semi-arid conditions. There were no apparent linear trends in monthly and seasonal rainfall at 15 of the 18 locations studied. Drought frequencies varied with location and were 50% or higher during the November–March growing season. Rainfall trends were location and agro-ecology specific, but most of the locations studied did not experience significant changes between the 1900s and 2000s.

Odor Composition Of Field Versus Laboratory Desert Locust Populations, Baldwyn Torto, Hillary Kirwa, Ruth Kihika, Saliou Niassy

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Olfaction plays an important role in the behavioural ecology of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Orthoptera:Acrididae). Different locust life stages and sexes use olfactory cues for different behaviours such as grouping, mating, oviposition, feeding, maturation and gregarization, which can be exploited for management of the desert locust. However, the full spectrum of the chemistry of volatiles released by the desert locust remains unknown. Here, we compared the volatile emissions of different life stages of a natural wild population reared in the laboratory for one generation with those of a population that has been reared in the laboratory for seven generations. …

Author Correction: A Global-Scale Expert Assessment Of Drivers And Risks Associated With Pollinator Decline (Nature Ecology & Evolution, (2021), 5, 10, (1453-1461), 10.1038/S41559-021-01534-9), Lynn V. Dicks, Tom D. Breeze, Hien T. Ngo, Deepa Senapathi, Jiandong An, Marcelo A. Aizen, Parthiba Basu, Damayanti Buchori, Leonardo Galetto, Lucas A. Garibaldi, Barbara Gemmill-Herren, Brad G. Howlett, Vera L. Imperatriz-Fonseca, Steven D. Johnson, Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki, Yong Jung Kwon, H. Michael G. Lattorff, Thingreipi Lungharwo, Colleen L. Seymour, Adam J. Vanbergen, Simon G. Potts

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In the version of this article initially published, the author name Colleen L. Seymour was incorrectly written as Coleen L. Seymour. The error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the article.

Neurotoxic Zanthoxylum Chalybeum Root Constituents Invoke Mosquito Larval Growth Retardation Through Ecdysteroidogenic Cyp450s Transcriptional Perturbations, Jackson M. Muema, Joel L. Bargul, James M. Mutunga, Meshack A. Obonyo, George O. Asudi, Sospeter N. Njeru

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Intracellular effects exerted by phytochemicals eliciting insect growth-retarding responses during vector control intervention remain largely underexplored. We studied the effects of Zanthoxylum chalybeum Engl. (Rutaceae) (ZCE) root derivatives against malaria (Anopheles gambiae) and arbovirus vector (Aedes aegypti) larvae to decipher possible molecular targets. We report dose-dependent biphasic effects on larval response, with transient exposure to ZCE and its bioactive fraction (ZCFr.5) inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, inducing larval lethality and growth retardation at sublethal doses. Half-maximal lethal concentrations (LC50) for ZCE against An. gambiae and Ae. aegypti larvae after 24-h exposure were 9.00 ppm and 12.26 ppm, respectively. The active fraction …

Landing An Academic Library Job: A Look Behind The Curtain, Judy Schmitt

Library Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Model Application Of Entomopathogenic Fungi As Alternatives To Chemical Pesticides: Prospects, Challenges, And Insights For Next-Generation Sustainable Agriculture, Bamisope Steve Bamisile, Komivi Senyo Akutse, Junaid Ali Siddiqui, Yijuan Xu

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

In the past few decades, the control of pests and diseases of cultivated plants using natural and biological measures has drawn increasing attention in the quest to reduce the level of dependence on chemical products for agricultural production. The use of living organisms, predators, parasitoids, and microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and fungi, has proven to be a viable and sustainable pest management technique. Among the aforementioned, fungi, most importantly the insect-pathogenic species, have been in use for more than 150years. These include the most popular strains belonging to the genera Beauveria, Metarhizium, Isaria, Hirsutella, and Lecanicillium. Their application is …

Will You Read Me A Story?, Rachael Flynn, Cathy Eschete

Humanities Symposium

This presentation will address the importance of early literacy experiences in a child’s development. We will explore what culturally competent educators do to help all children identify as readers while also considering the types of reading experiences we should be creating to ensure that all children read well and develop a love of reading.

2021-09-29_Michigandaily_Covidmap, Michigan Department Of Health & Human Services

Daily Michigan COVID-19 Update

The "WHERE WE STAND WITH COVID-19" map was obtained from Michigan's main COVID-19 page: https://www.michigan.gov/coronavirus. Data was compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The information was updated daily at 3p.m., Monday - Saturday.

The State of Michigan is working around the clock to test and treat COVID-19 patients. Below is the most recent data healthcare experts across the state have compiled.

The image contained a map, indicating total cases by county, and also provides statistics on Total Confirmed Cases, Total COVID-19 Deaths, Daily Confirmed Cases, and Daily COVID-19 Deaths. There …