Digital Commons Network^™

Field Applications Of Zein As A Precise Nanoscale Delivery System For Methoxyfenozide, C. A.R. Bonser, C. Tamez, J. C. White, C. E. Astete, C. M. Sabliov, J. A. Davis

Faculty Publications

When insecticides are applied in the environment, much of the product does not reach the target pest. Biopolymeric nanoparticles as nanocarriers have the potential to improve insecticide efficacy by improving absorption, coverage, and permeability while protecting the insecticide active ingredient from abiotic conditions and extending efficacy through controlled release. We conducted a series of experiments using a biopolymeric nanoparticle synthesized from zein, a biodegradable maize protein, to compare efficacy of a nanodelivered hydrophobic insect growth regulator (methoxyfenozide) against a commercial formulation. Positively charged zein nanoparticles (empty and loaded with methoxyfenozide) were compared to the formulated product, Intrepid 2F, as a …

Recent Advances And Challenges In Implementing Ipm Programmes In The Entomological Context Of Indian Agriculture, Ruchika Geedi, Gadi V.P. Reddy

Faculty Publications

Integrated pest management (IPM) programmes are based on using multiple methods to maintain nuisance insects below tolerant levels in crop fields. Recent advances in IPM in developed countries have incorporated biological pesticides, microbial products, semiochemicals, and beneficial insects, but few of such programmes have been successfully implemented in developing countries, such as India. Semiochemicals play critical roles as signals in various interspecific and intraspecific interactions between insects and plants, and among interacting insects, plants, and microbes. In India IPM programmes have included mechanical, chemical, cultural, and biological management strategies. However, among these methods, biological management has its own limitations. Indian …

Initial Assessment Of The Toxicologic Effects Of Leachates From 3-Dimensional (3-D) Printed Objects On Sperm Quality In Two Model Fish Species, Matthew J. Schwing, Yue Liu, Jorge A. Belgodere, William T. Monroe, Terrence R. Tiersch, Ahmed Abdelmoneim

Faculty Publications

The use of 3-dimensional (3-D) printing is gaining popularity in life sciences and driving innovation in fields including aquatic sperm cryopreservation. Yet, little is known about the effects leachates from these objects may have on biological systems. In this study, we investigated if exposure to leachates from 3-D printed objects fabricated from different photo-curable resins could affect sperm quality in two model fish species, zebrafish (Danio rerio) and goldfish (Carassius auratus). Leachates were collected following contact periods of 10 min and 22 h with objects manufactured using a mask LCD resin printer and three different commercially available resins (i.e., standard, …

A Fracture Multiscale Model For Peridynamic Enrichment Within The Partition Of Unity Method, Matthias Birner, Patrick Diehl, Robert Lipton, Marc Alexander Schweitzer

Faculty Publications

Partition of unity methods are of domain decomposition type and provide the opportunity for multiscale and multiphysics numerical modeling. Different physical models can exist within a partition of unity method scheme for handling problems with zones of linear elasticity and zones where fractures occur. Here, the peridynamic model is used in regions of fracture and smooth partition of unity methods is used in the surrounding linear elastic media. Our method is novel in that we evolve the crack path using peridynamics and apply the partition of unity method to compute the elastic fields in the neighborhood of the crack tip. …

Grb 221009a: The Boat, Eric Burns, Dmitry Svinkin, Edward Fenimore, D. Alexander Kann, José Feliciano Agüí Fernández, Dmitry Frederiks, Rachel Hamburg, Stephen Lesage, Yuri Temiraev, Anastasia Tsvetkova, Elisabetta Bissaldi, Michael S. Briggs, Sarah Dalessi, Rachel Dunwoody, Cori Fletcher, Adam Goldstein, C. Michelle Hui, Boyan A. Hristov, Daniel Kocevski, Alexandra L. Lysenko, Bagrat Mailyan, Joseph Mangan, Sheila Mcbreen, Judith Racusin, Anna Ridnaia, Oliver J. Roberts, Mikhail Ulanov, Peter Veres, Colleen A. Wilson-Hodge, Joshua Wood

Faculty Publications

GRB 221009A has been referred to as the brightest of all time (BOAT). We investigate the veracity of this statement by comparing it with a half century of prompt gamma-ray burst observations. This burst is the brightest ever detected by the measures of peak flux and fluence. Unexpectedly, GRB 221009A has the highest isotropic-equivalent total energy ever identified, while the peak luminosity is at the ∼99th percentile of the known distribution. We explore how such a burst can be powered and discuss potential implications for ultralong and high-redshift gamma-ray bursts. By geometric extrapolation of the total fluence and peak flux …

Dna Assays For Genetic Discrimination Of Three Phragmites Australis Subspecies In The United States, Denise L. Lindsay, Xin Guan, Nathan E. Harms, James T. Cronin, Laura A. Meyerson, Richard F. Lance

Faculty Publications

Premise: To genetically discriminate subspecies of the common reed (Phragmites australis), we developed real-time quantitative (qPCR) assays for identifying P. australis subsp. americanus, P. australis subsp. australis, and P. australis subsp. berlandieri. Methods and Results: Utilizing study-generated chloroplast DNA sequences, we developed three novel qPCR assays. Assays were verified on individuals of each subspecies and against two non-target species, Arundo donax and Phalaris arundinacea. One assay amplifies only P. australis subsp. americanus, one amplifies P. australis subsp. australis and/or P. australis subsp. berlandieri, and one amplifies P. australis subsp. americanus and/or P. australis subsp. australis. This protocol enhances currently available …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Dps (Pa0962) Functions In H2o2 Mediated Oxidative Stress Defense And Exhibits In Vitro Dna Cleaving Activity, Nimesha Rajapaksha, Anabel Soldano, Huili Yao, Fabrizio Donnarumma, Maithri M. Kashipathy, Steve Seibold, Kevin P. Battaile, Scott Lovell, Mario Rivera

Faculty Publications

We report the structural, biochemical, and functional characterization of the product of gene PA0962 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1. The protein, termed Pa Dps, adopts the Dps subunit fold and oligomerizes into a nearly spherical 12-mer quaternary structure at pH 6.0 or in the presence of divalent cations at neutral pH and above. The 12-Mer Pa Dps contains two di-iron centers at the interface of each subunit dimer, coordinated by conserved His, Glu, and Asp residues. In vitro, the di-iron centers catalyze the oxidation of Fe²⁺ utilizing H2O2 (not O2) as an oxidant, suggesting Pa Dps functions to aid P. …

Measured Spectral, Directional Radiative Behavior Of Corrugated Surfaces, Kyle S. Meaker, Ehsan Modfidipour, Matthew R. Jones, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Spacecraft thermal control is entirely reliant upon radiative heat transfer with its surroundings for tem- perature regulation. Current methods are often static in nature and do not provide dynamic control of radiative heat transfer. As a result, modern spacecraft thermal control systems are typically ‘cold-biased’ with radiators that are larger than necessary for many operating conditions. Deploying a variable radiator as a thermal control technique in which the projected surface area can be adjusted to provide the appro- priate heat loss for a given condition can reduce unnecessary heat rejection and reduce power require- ments. However, the radiative behavior of …

Atmospheric Density Inversion Based On Swarm-C Satellite Accelerometer, Lirong Yin, Lei Wang, Jiawei Tian, Zhengtong Yin, Mingzhe Liu, Wenfeng Zheng

Faculty Publications

We used the Swarm-C accelerometer data to invert the orbital atmospheric density in this study. First, the Swarm-C satellite mission data were obtained from the ESA’s public data platform, and preliminary data error correction was performed. This paper refers to the calibration method of GRACE-A satellite accelerometer data. It adds linear temperature correction on the original basis. Moreover, this study’s accelerometer data correction results were compared with the data correction results published by the ESA. In order to explore the influence of light radiation on the accelerometer, we established a geometric model of Swarm-C to simulate the physical shape of …

Evaluation Of A Droplet Spraying/Misting System To Enhance Leachate Evaporation And Reduce Leachate Treatment Costs: A Case Study At The Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority Landfill, Kaitlen Drafts, Suzie Boxman, Scott Ribes, Mike Terry, Bryan Staley, Nicole Berge

Faculty Publications

Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority (TRSWA) operates a MSW landfill outside Jack-son, South Carolina at which leachate is stored in a collection pond then trucked to a local wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) for treatment. This landfill operates a droplet spraying/misting system (referred to as the Lilypad system) to enhance leachate evaporation and ultimately reduce the quantity of leachate in the pond that requires subsequent treatment. Little work investigating the efficacy in using such a system to enhance leachate evaporation has been reported. The overall goal associated with this study was to quantify the amount of evaporation enhanced by the droplet …

Meridional Survey Of The Central Pacific Reveals Iodide Accumulation In Equatorial Surface Waters And Benthic Sources In The Abyssal Plain, Rintaro Moriyasu, Kenneth M. Bolster, Dalton S. Hardisty, David C. Kadko, Mark P. Stephens, James W. Moffett

Faculty Publications

The distributions of iodate and iodide were measured along the GEOTRACES GP15 meridional transect at 152°W from the shelf of Alaska to Papeete, Tahiti. The transect included oxygenated waters near the shelf of Alaska, the full water column in the central basin in the North Pacific Basin, the upper water column spanning across seasonally mixed regimes in the north, oligotrophic regimes in the central gyre, and the equatorial upwelling. Iodide concentrations are highest in the permanently stratified tropical mixed layers, which reflect accumulation due to light-dependent biological processes, and decline rapidly below the euphotic zone. Vertical mixing coefficients (K …

Sophisticated Vs. Rugged: Examining Gendered Brand Communication Styles And Social Media Engagement, Joanne T. Cao, Jamye Foster, Gallayanee S. Yaoyuneyong, Lacey K. Wallace

Faculty Publications

Advertising and marketing managers understand that not all brands need to be on social media, but what is not clearly understood is consumers’ engagement expectations for brands that are on social media. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of brand personality, specifically sophisticated and rugged brands, and gendered communication styles on consumers’ expectations of social media engagement. A scenario-based experiment is performed to test the hypotheses using a mock brand. The main study consisted of a Qualtrics consumer panel, and a MANOVA was utilized to examine three components of social media engagement (consumption, contribution, and creation) on the two brand …

Subinertial Sea Surface Heights Anomalies Estimated Using High Frequency Radar Surface Current Data In The Mississippi Bight, Uchenna Nwankwo, Stephan Howden, Dmitri Nechaev, Brian Dzwonkowski

Faculty Publications

Sea level studies in the Mississippi Bight (MSB) are less abundant than in other coastal waters of USA. This study investigates the subinertial (time scales >2 days) sea level anomalies in the MSB shelf. The diagnostics of the terms in the invariant form of the momentum equation were computed to determine which terms have the most influence on the anomalies in sea level. It was determined that at subinertial scales the geostrophic balance is the dominant balance in the MSB while the non-linear and time derivative terms are insignificant relative to the Coriolis term. A Least Squares procedure was applied …

Machine Learning-Based Surrogate Models And Transfer Learning For Derivative Free Optimization Of Ht-Pem Fuel Cells, Luis A. Briceno-Mena, Christopher G. Arges, Jose A. Romagnoli

Faculty Publications

Widespread adoption of high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane electrochemical systems, such as fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs), requires models and computational tools for accurate optimization and guiding new materials for enhancing performance and durability. In this contribution, knowledge-based modelling and data-driven modelling are combined using Few-Shot Learning and implementing an Automated Machine Learning framework for the generation of Machine Learning-based surrogate models. Applicability of the resulting model for derivative-free optimization is demonstrated. Additionally, a way of considering extrapolation in the optimization task is presented. Results show that although extrapolation is needed to achieve better solutions during optimization, it can be monitored and managed. …

Surface Plasmon Resonance (Spr) Sensor For Cancer Biomarker Detection, Sreyashi Das, Ram Devireddy, Manas Ranjan Gartia

Faculty Publications

A biomarker is a physiological observable marker that acts as a stand-in and, in the best-case scenario, forecasts a clinically significant outcome. Diagnostic biomarkers are more convenient and cost-effective than directly measuring the ultimate clinical outcome. Cancer is among the most prominent global health problems and a major cause of morbidity and death globally. Therefore, cancer biomarker assays that are trustworthy, consistent, precise, and verified are desperately needed. Biomarker-based tumor detection holds a lot of promise for improving disease knowledge at the molecular scale and early detection and surveillance. In contrast to conventional approaches, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) allows for …

On The Effect Of Environmental Temperature On Fracture Fatigue Entropy, Mohammad A. Amooie, M. M. Khonsari

Faculty Publications

Fracture behavior of carbon steel 1018 operating in low-temperature environments is investigated. Specifically, fully-reversed bending experimental tests are performed to examine the efficacy of applying the concept of Fracture Fatigue Entropy (FFE) for predicting fatigue life at different environmental temperatures. A large cooling chamber was constructed that houses the entire bending test rig and maintains the environmental temperature at the desired value down to −10 °C. It is shown that under conditions tested, fatigue life improves at lower operating temperatures. Results also reveal that FFE remains nearly constant and can be used for reliable prediction of fatigue life. Illustrative examples …

Evolution Of Coronal Magnetic Field Parameters During X5.4 Solar Flare, Seth H. Garland, Benjamin F. Akers, Vasyl B. Yurchyshyn, Robert D. Loper, Daniel J. Emmons

Faculty Publications

The coronal magnetic field over NOAA Active Region 11,429 during a X5.4 solar flare on 7 March 2012 is modeled using optimization based Non-Linear Force-Free Field extrapolation. Specifically, 3D magnetic fields were modeled for 11 timesteps using the 12-min cadence Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager photospheric vector magnetic field data, spanning a time period of 1 hour before through 1 hour after the start of the flare. Using the modeled coronal magnetic field data, seven different magnetic field parameters were calculated for 3 separate regions: areas with surface |Bz| ≥ 300 G, areas of flare brightening seen …

The First Amendment And The Second Sex, Cristina Carmody Tilley

Faculty Publications

Modern American law describes speech in stereotypically masculine terms: it is a “marketplace” where participants “joust” for dominance. Predictably, today’s speech jurisprudence can be hostile to the female voice, implicitly condoning gendered death threats, rape threats, doxing, and trolling as the necessary price of a vibrant national discourse. Unpredictably, the American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”) and its leading women drafted the blueprint for this modern speech edifice. The First Amendment and the Second Sex traces the ACLU campaign to dismantle a nineteenth-century speech regime that silenced some men while protecting many women. And it suggests that ACLU feminists—intent on securing …

Prestressed Steel-Concrete Composite I-Beams With Single And Double Corrugated Web, Mahmoud T. Nawar, Ayman El-Zohairy, Hassan M. Maaly, Mohammed Husain

Faculty Publications

Composite steel girders with concrete have been used for many years and advances in structural and fabrication technology have established their optimization. One of the changes in structural steel I-beams during the past few years has been the availability of web corrugation. The economic design of steel girders normally requires thin webs. Moreover, using externally prestressed tendons as a strengthening technique controls deflections and stresses. However, this strengthening technique causes shear buckling of the steel beams. In this study, the flexural behavior of externally prestressed composite steel-concrete I-beams with a single and double corrugated web was experimentally and numerically investigated. …

Dynamic Multi-Dimensional Numerical Transport Study Of Lithium-Ion Battery Active Material Microstructures For Automotive Applications, Joseph S. Lopata, Taylor R. Garrick, Fengkun Wang, Han Zhang, Yangbing Zeng, Sirivatch Shimpalee

Faculty Publications

In support of GM’s traction battery efforts, we derived and implemented a method to describe the electrochemical performance of a battery cell considering the nuances of the electrode microstructure at the anode and the cathode and the corresponding impact on the electrochemical transport in the solid and liquid phases. To assess the capability of the method, we compared model results from the microstructure framework with the commonly used continuum-level porous electrode model, commonly referred to as the pseudo-2-dimensional model, or the Newman Model. The microstructure modeling framework was applied to simulate the electrochemical and transport processes within the battery cell …

Differentiating The Edd And The Phd In Higher Education: A Survey Of Characteristics And Trends, Holly A. Foster, Steven Chesnut, James Thomas, Courtney Robinson

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Higher education, as a field of study, is one of the few programmatic areas that offer two doctoral degrees: The Doctor of Education (EdD) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). In the United States, the two degrees are often conflated. Conversations, to this point, have done more to contribute to the theoretical debate than to operationally distinguish between the two degree paths.

Method: The current study analyzed data collected from a review of the 188 doctoral programs at 145 institutions listed with the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). Results: Results suggest that while there …

Ice-Crystal-Templated “Accordion-Like” Cellulose Nanofiber/Mxene Composite Aerogels For Sensitive Wearable Pressure Sensors, Wangwang Xu, Qinglin Wu, Jaegyoung Gwon, Jin Woo Choi

Faculty Publications

Exfoliated MXene nanosheets are integrated with cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) to form composite aerogels with high electric conductivity. The combination of CNFs and MXene nanosheets forms a unique “accordion-like” hierarchical architecture with MXene-CNF pillared layers through ice-crystal templating. Benefiting from the special “layer-strut” structure, the MXene/CNF composite aerogels have low density (50 mg/cm3), excellent compressibility and recoverability, as well as superior fatigue resistance (up to 1000 cycles). When being used as a piezoresistive sensor, the composite aerogel exhibits high sensitivity upon different strains, stable sensing performance with various compressive frequencies, broad detection range, and quick responsiveness (0.48 s). Moreover, the piezoresistive …

Investigation Of Electrically Isolated Capacitive Sensing Skins On Concrete To Reduce Structure/Sensor Capacitive Coupling, Emmanuel Ogunniyi, Alexander Vareen, Austin Downey, Simon Laflamme, Jian Li, Caroline Bennett, William Collins, Hongki Jo, Alexander Henderson, Paul Ziehl

Faculty Publications

Damage to bridges can result in partial or complete structural failures, with fatal consequences. Cracks develop in concrete infrastructure from fatigue loading, vibrations, corrosion, or unforeseen structural displacement. Effective long-term monitoring of civil infrastructure can reduce the risk of structural failures and potentially reduce the cost and frequency of inspections. However, deploying structural health monitoring technologies for crack detection on bridges is expensive, especially long-term, due to the density of sensors required to detect, localize, and quantify cracks. Previous research on soft elastomeric capacitors (SECs) has shown their viability for low-cost monitoring of cracks in transportation infrastructure. However, when deployed …

Florawear: Wearable Living Interface, Hye Yeon Nam, Janiece Campbell, Andrew M. Webb, Brendan Harmon

Faculty Publications

While nature can benefit people both mentally and physically, contemporary society has become increasingly disconnected from nature. To rebuild a stronger connection with nature in our everyday life, we introduce FloraWear, a do-it-yourself, wearable living interface, that enables people to easily and closely connect with plants. This pictorial introduces how knowledge is built and shared with others using hybrid craft and fabrication, illustrates the material experiments and design development for FloraWear, and discusses how it affects wearers. Then we summarize how FloraWear can help catalyze a shift in people's perspectives towards nature. By developing emotional ties to their wearable plants, …

Sootlib: A Soot Model Library For Combustion Simulation, Victoria B. Stephens, Joshua Bedwell, Alex J. Josephson, Keturah Oldham, David O. Lignell

Faculty Publications

Soot formation in combustion is an important process that affects radiative heat transfer, flame temperatures, and emissions with health and environmental impacts. Soot formation involves complex chemistry for nucleation, growth, oxidation, and coagulation processes. The soot particles vary widely in size and accurate modeling requires representation of the particle size distribution (PSD). Modeling soot is not trivial, and is only one of several physical processes active in combustion systems. This paper presents a software package called SootLib, which is an open-source library for modeling soot formation and other aerosol systems. SootLib is written in C++, is documented with Doxygen, and …

Electron Energization By Inertial Alfvén Waves In Density Depleted Flux Tubes At Jupiter, P. A. Damiano, P. A. Delamere, E.-H. Kim, J. R. Johnson, C. S. Ng

Faculty Publications

Juno satellite observations have illustrated substantial examples of broadband electron energization up to 105–106 eV levels. In order to explain these observations, we use a hybrid gyrofluid kinetic-electron model in an untilted dipolar topology to illustrate energization to high levels in weak current conditions by inertial Alfvén waves close to the Jupiter ionosphere for ambient plasma densities and magnetic field perturbations inferred from Juno satellite observations. The key to the high energization is the extremely low densities evident in the observations which necessitates the acceleration of electrons to very high velocities in order to carry the field-aligned current.

A Comparative Study Of Texas–Mexico Border Vs. Non-Border Students’ Achievement On High-Stakes State Test: A Propensity Score Matching Method, Zhuoying Wang, Shifang Tang, Feng Luo

Faculty Publications

Texas–Mexico border region is a unique place where two countries and culture connected. We sought to investigate border school district students’ academic performance as measured by Texas standardized test: the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). To do so, we first used propensity score matching (PSM) techniques to analyze data collected from a public database: Texas Assessment Management System (TAMS). Specifically, we provided a PSM analysis of nonborder and border school districts regarding their demographic characteristics [i.e., identified as a rural district, percentage of economically disadvantaged (ED) students, percentage of English learners (ELs), mobility rate, instructional hours, principal …

Analysis And Technical Optimization Of Processing Condition For Better Quality Of Robusta Coffee Production, Usman Ahmad, Khalimatus Sa’Diyah, Sathivel Subramaniam

Faculty Publications

The wet processing of robusta coffee starts with harvesting coffee cherries, followed by sorting the cherries, pulping, fermentation, washing, drying, hard skin hulling, bean sorting, and packaging. Soaking fruit before pulping is an alternative for coffee farmers to delay the pulping process if time does not al-low it. The fermentation process aims to remove mucus that is firmly attached to the hard skin. The addition of L. casei bacteria can accelerate the process but affect the final taste. This study aimed to optimize the duration of soaking and fermentation processes for obtaining coffee beans with a minimum number of unpeeled …

The Illinois Second Chance Expungement/Sealing Gap, Colleen Chien

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

How Noise Thresholds Affect The Information Content Of Stellar Flare Sequences, Elmer C. Rivera, Jay R. Johnson, Jonathan Homan, Simon Wing

Faculty Publications

Systems that exhibit discrete dynamics can be well described and reconstructed by considering the set of time intervals between the discrete events of the system. The Kepler satellite has cataloged light curves for many Sun-like stars, and these light curves show strong bursts in intensity that are associated with stellar flares. The waiting time between these flares describes the fundamental dynamics of the stars and is driven by physical processes, such as flux emergence. While it is rather straightforward to identify large flares, the identification of weaker flares can be challenging because of the presence of noise. A common practice …