Digital Commons Network^™

Footprint Tools Tiptoeing Towards Nitrogen Sustainability, James N. Galloway, Elizabeth A. Castner, Elizabeth S M Dukes, Jessica Fox, Allison M. Leach

Faculty Publications

As we face multiple environmental crises (e.g. climate change, nutrient pollution, freshwater scarcity), there is often a disconnect between an entity’s activities and the pollution resulting from that activity. Footprint tools help address this disconnect. They are effective in educating people, institutions and communities on how their resource use results in environmental pollution and what we can do to moderate that pollution. These tools connect an entity’s activities with the associated pollution. Footprint tools are also constantly evolving. As we better understand how to best estimate emissions—especially from sources further removed like those from the supply chain—the guidance and methods …

Footprint Tools Tiptoeing Towards Nitrogen Sustainability, James N. Galloway, Elizabeth A. Castner, Elizabeth S M Dukes, Jessica Fox, Allison M. Leach

Faculty Publications

As we face multiple environmental crises (e.g. climate change, nutrient pollution, freshwater scarcity), there is often a disconnect between an entity’s activities and the pollution resulting from that activity. Footprint tools help address this disconnect. They are effective in educating people, institutions and communities on how their resource use results in environmental pollution and what we can do to moderate that pollution. These tools connect an entity’s activities with the associated pollution. Footprint tools are also constantly evolving. As we better understand how to best estimate emissions—especially from sources further removed like those from the supply chain—the guidance and methods …

Beyond Covid: Towards A Transdisciplinary Synthesis For Understanding Responses And Developing Pandemic Preparedness In Alaska, Taylor P. Van Doren, Ryan A. Brown, Guangqing Chi, Patricia Cochran, Katie Cueva, Laura Eichelberger, Ruby Fried, Stacey Fritz, Micah B. Hahn, Ron Heintz, Davin Holen, Andrey N. Petrov

Faculty Publications

Pandemics are regularly occurring events, and there are foundational principles of pandemic preparation upon which communities, regions, states, and nations may draw upon for elevated preparedness against an inevitable future infectious disease threat. Many disciplines within the social sciences can provide crucial insight and transdisciplinary thinking for the development of preparedness measures. In 2023, the National Science Foundation funded a conference of circumpolar researchers and Indigenous partners to reflect on COVID-19-related research. In this article, we synthesise our diverse social science perspectives to: (1) identify potential areas of future pandemic-related research in Alaska, and (2) pose new research questions that …

Electrochemical Investigation Of Moisture Byproducts In Molten Calcium Chloride, Rankin Shum, Marah Gragun, Tyler Williams, Devin Rappleye

Faculty Publications

Residual water in molten CaCl₂ reacts to form different byproducts, such as HCl, which can impact the corrosivity of the salt and efficiency of electrochemical operations, such as electrolytic oxide reduction and electrorefining. The ability to detect and quantify these byproducts electrochemically can provide feedback on the efficacy of vacuum drying and other purification methods, as well as the impact of these byproducts on process operations. An electrochemical signal’s association with the production of H₂ is verified and characterized using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and residual gas analysis. CV estimated a 2-electron exchange process associated with H2 production. CV …

Prevailing Issues And Actions In Urban Best Practices Across Latin America And The Caribbean, Fabio Capra-Ribeiro

Faculty Publications

This research examines urban best practices (BPs) across Latin America and the Caribbean to illuminate the prevalent issues and actions associated with these locally implemented initiatives. An analysis of 45 BPs from the UN-Habitat repository was conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, organized into three phases. The first phase focused on collecting data such as BP sources, countries of origin, and years of implementation. The second phase identified common problems and actions within the BPs. The third phase involved a cross-sectional analysis to identify significant patterns and trends. The study found that many BPs originated from the Dubai International …

Neuro-Symbolic Ai For Deep Analysis Of Social Media Big Data, Vedant Khandelwal, Manas Gaur, Ugur Kursuncu, Valerie Shalin, Amit P. Sheth

Faculty Publications

This tutorial introduces a neuro-symbolic AI framework to analyze big data from social media platforms. Integrating human-curated knowledge through symbolic AI with the pattern recognition capabilities of neural networks enhances the adaptability and efficiency of traditional neural network approaches. Knowledge-guided zero-shot learning techniques enable swift adaption to new linguistic contexts and emerging events [6]. Participants will explore how to design, develop, and utilize these models in specific domains, such as public health surveillance, that require dynamic adaptation to new terminologies. This session The tutorial aims to equip attendees with practical skills and a deep understanding of how to apply neuro-symbolic …

Model Predictive Control Of A Grid-Scale Thermal Energy Storage System In Relap5-3d, Jaron Wallace, John Hedengren, Kody Powell, Matthew Memmott

Faculty Publications

This research delves into the integration and control of a Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system with a Small Modular Reactor (SMR), specifically the NuScale VOYGR SMR module in RELAP5-3D. The research methodology centered on modeling the NuScale VOYGR SMR, a light water pressurized water reactor (LWR) with a power output capacity of 77 MWe per module. The reactor and plant details were sourced from NuScale's final safety analysis report and supplemented by information from the NuScale website. The SMR plays a crucial role in energy generation, and to manage and dispatch the produced energy effectively, a robust storage system …

Engineered Transcription Activator-Like Effector Dimer Proteins Confer Dna Loop-Dependent Gene Repression Comparable To Lac Repressor, Nicole A. Becker, Justin P. Peters, Elizabeth Lewis, Camden L. Daby, Karl Clark, L. James Maher

Faculty Publications

Natural prokaryotic gene repression systems often exploit DNA looping to increase the local concentration of gene repressor proteins at a regulated promoter via contributions from repressor proteins bound at distant sites. Using principles from the Escherichia coli lac operon we design analogous repression systems based on target sequence-programmable Transcription Activator-Like Effector dimer (TALED) proteins. Such engineered switches may be valuable for synthetic biology and therapeutic applications. Previous TALEDs with inducible non-covalent dimerization showed detectable, but limited, DNA loop-based repression due to the repressor protein dimerization equilibrium. Here, we show robust DNA loop-dependent bacterial promoter repression by covalent TALEDs and verify …

Grit And The Military Service Member: How Cultivating Grit Enhances Performance, Resilience, And Mental Health, Phillip R. Jenkins

Faculty Publications

The transition from asymmetric warfare to Great Power Competition has brought the role played by Airmen to the forefront of the conversation. When uncontested operations, superior weaponry, and more detailed intelligence are not guaranteed, the weight of victory rests on the shoulders of Airmen. The exploration of grit and the role it plays in the development and sustainment of mental wellness, resilience, and performance has emerged in this context as a linchpin quality. The idea that an inherent drive, determination, and strength of purpose could offset the impact of stress—both combat and noncombat—is deeply compelling. However, leaders cannot look to …

A Panel Data Regression Model For Defense Merger And Acquisition Activity, Corey D. Mack, Clay Koschnick, Michael Brown, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Brandon M. Lucas

Faculty Publications

Excerpt: This paper examines the relationship between a prime contractor's financial health and its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) spending in the defense industry. It aims to provide models that give the United States Department of Defense (DoD) indications of future M&A activity, informing decision-makers and contributing to ensuring competitive markets that benefit the consumer.

The results show a significant relationship between efficiency and M&A spending, indicating that companies with lower efficiency tend to spend more on M&As. However, there was no significant relationship between M&A spending and a company's profitability or solvency. These results were consistent with previous research and …

Formation And Microwave Losses Of Hydrides In Superconducting Niobium Thin Films Resulting From Fluoride Chemical Processing, Carlos G. Torres-Castanedo, Dominic P. Goronzy, Thang Pham, Anthony Mcfadden, Nicholas Materise, Paul Masih Das, Matthew Cheng, Dmitry Lebedev, Stephanie M. Ribet, Mitchell J. Walker, David A. Garcia-Wetten, Cameron J. Kopas, Jayss Marshall, Ella Lachman, Nikolay Zhelev, James A. Sauls, Joshua Y. Mutus, Corey Rae H. Mcrae, Vinayak P. Dravid, Michael J. Bedzyk, Mark C. Hersam

Faculty Publications

Superconducting niobium (Nb) thin films have recently attracted significant attention due to their utility for quantum information technologies. In the processing of Nb thin films, fluoride-based chemical etchants are commonly used to remove surface oxides that are known to affect superconducting quantum devices adversely. However, these same etchants can also introduce hydrogen to form Nb hydrides, potentially negatively impacting microwave loss performance. Here, comprehensive materials characterization of Nb hydrides formed in Nb thin films as a function of fluoride chemical treatments is presented. In particular, secondary-ion mass spectrometry, X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy reveal the spatial distribution and phase …

Enhanced Aqueous Formation And Neutralization Of Fine Atmospheric Particles Driven By Extreme Cold, James R. Campbell, Michael Battaglia Jr, Kayane K. Dingilian, Meeta Cesler-Maloney, William R. Simpson, Ellis S. Robinson, Peter F. Decarlo, Brice Temime-Roussel, Barbara D’Anna, Andrew L. Holen, Judy Wu, Kerri A. Pratt, Jack E. Dibb, Athanasios Nenes, Rodney J. Weber, Jingqiu Mao

Faculty Publications

The prevailing view for aqueous secondary aerosol formation is that it occurs in clouds and fogs, owing to the large liquid water content compared to minute levels in fine particles. Our research indicates that this view may need reevaluation due to enhancements in aqueous reactions in highly concentrated small particles. Here, we show that low temperature can play a role through a unique effect on particle pH that can substantially modulate secondary aerosol formation. Marked increases in hydroxymethanesulfonate observed under extreme cold in Fairbanks, Alaska, demonstrate the effect. These findings provide insight on aqueous chemistry in fine particles under cold …

Boosting Steam Tolerance And Electrochemical Performance Of An La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2,Fe0.8O3− Δ-Based Air Electrode For Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells, Lei Wu, Jiqiang Sun, Huiyang Qi, Baofeng Tu, Chunyan Xiong, Fanglin Chen, Peng Qiu

Faculty Publications

La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3−δ (LSCF) is the state-of-the-art air electrode material for solid oxide electrochemical cells using oxide-ion electrolytes, yet its application in proton ceramic electrochemical cells (PCCs) remains limited, mainly attributed to its instability under operating conditions of high temperature and high humidity. To address this issue, coating a PrCoO_3−δ (PCO) catalyst onto the LSCF scaffold has been evaluated in this study. The introduction of the PCO coating not only enhances the LSCF electrode's electrochemical performance but also significantly improves its steam tolerance by preventing direct contact between steam and …

The Past And Future Of The Fisheries And Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project, Camilla Novaglio, Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Derek P. Tittensor, Tyler D. Eddy, Heike K. Lotze, Cheryl S. Harrison, Ryan F. Heneghan, Olivier Maury, Kelly Ortega-Cisneros, Colleen M. Petrik, Kelsey E. Roberts, Julia L. Blanchard

Faculty Publications

Climate change is increasingly affecting the world's ocean ecosystems, necessitating urgent guidance on adaptation strategies to limit or prevent catastrophic impacts. The Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Model Intercomparison Project (FishMIP) is a network and framework that provides standardised ensemble projections of the impacts of climate change and fisheries on ocean life and the benefits that it provides to people. Since its official launch in 2013 as a small, self-organized project within the larger Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project, the FishMIP community has grown substantially and contributed to key international policy processes, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment …

Evaluation Of Industrial And Consumer 3-D Resin Printer Fabrication Of Microdevices For Quality Management Of Genetic Resources In Aquatic Species, Seyedmajid Hosseini, Jack C. Koch, Yue Liu, Ignatius Semmes, Isabelina Nahmens, W. Todd Monroe, Jian Xu, Terrence R. Tiersch

Faculty Publications

Aquatic germplasm repositories can play a pivotal role in securing the genetic diversity of natural populations and agriculturally important aquatic species. However, existing technologies for repository development and operation face challenges in terms of accuracy, precision, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, especially for microdevices used in gamete quality evaluation. Quality management is critical throughout genetic resource protection processes from sample collection to final usage. In this study, we examined the potential of using three-dimensional (3-D) stereolithography resin printing to address these challenges and evaluated the overall capabilities and limitations of a representative industrial 3-D resin printer with a price of US$18,000, a …

Far From Their Origins: A Transcriptomic Investigation On How 2,4-Di-Tert-Butyl-6-(5-Chloro-2h-Benzotriazol-2-Yl) Phenol Affects Rainbow Trout Alevins, Andreas N.M. Eriksson, Justin Dubiel, Alper James Alcaraz, Jon A. Doering, Steve Wiseman

Faculty Publications

Benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs) are a group of widely used chemicals added to a variety of consumer (e.g., plastics) and industrial (e.g., metal coating) goods. Although detected globally as an environmentally persistent pollutant, BUVSs have received relatively little toxicological attention and only recently have been acknowledged to affect development and the endocrine system in vivo. In our previous study, altered behavior, indicative of potential neurotoxicity, was observed among rainbow trout alevins (day 14 posthatching) that were microinjected as embryos with a single environmentally relevant dose of 2,4-di-tert-butyl–6-(5-chloro-2H-benzotriazol-2-yl) phenol (UV-327). In the present follow-up study, we performed whole-transcriptome profiling (RNA sequencing) …

Toward A Comparative Framework For Studies Of Altitudinal Migration, David Vander Pluym, Nicholas A. Mason

Faculty Publications

The study and importance of altitudinal migration has attracted increasing interest among zoologists. Altitudinal migrants are taxonomically widespread and move across altitudinal gradients as partial or complete migrants, subjecting them to a wide array of environments and ecological interactions. Here, we present a brief synthesis of recent developments in the field and suggest future directions toward a more taxonomically inclusive comparative framework for the study of altitudinal migration. Our framework centers on a working definition of altitudinal migration that hinges on its biological relevance, which is scale-dependent and related to fitness outcomes. We discuss linguistic nuances of altitudinal movements and …

First-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology For Neural Ordinary Differential Equations: Mathematical Framework And Illustrative Application To The Nordheim–Fuchs Reactor Safety Model, Dan Gabriel Cacuci

Faculty Publications

This work introduces the mathematical framework of the novel “First-Order Comprehensive Adjoint Sensitivity Analysis Methodology for Neural Ordinary Differential Equations” (1st-CASAM-NODE) which yields exact expressions for the first-order sensitivities of NODE decoder responses to the NODE parameters, including encoder initial conditions, while enabling the most efficient computation of these sensitivities. The application of the 1st-CASAM-NODE is illustrated by using the Nordheim–Fuchs reactor dynamics/safety phenomenological model, which is representative of physical systems that would be modeled by NODE while admitting exact analytical solutions for all quantities of interest (hidden states, decoder outputs, sensitivities with respect to all parameters and initial conditions, …

Temporal Scales Of Mass Wasting Sedimentation Across The Mississippi River Delta Front Delineated By 210pb/137cs Geochronology, Jeffrey Duxbury, Samuel J. Bentley, Kehui Xu, Navid H. Jafari

Faculty Publications

The Mississippi River Delta Front (MRDF) is a subaqueous apron of rapidly deposited and weakly consolidated sediment extending from the subaerial portions of the Birdsfoot Delta of the Mississippi River, long characterized by mass-wasting sediment transport. Four (4) depositional environments dominate regionally (an undisturbed topset apron, mudflow gully, mudflow lobe, and prodelta), centering around mudflow distribution initiated by a variety of factors (hurricanes, storms, and fluid pressure). To better understand the spatiotemporal scales of the events as well as the controlling processes, eight cores (5.8–8.0 m long) taken offshore from the South Pass (SP) and the Southwest Pass (SWP) were …

Application Of Surge Arrester In Limiting Voltage Stress At Direct Current Breaker, Mohammadamin Moghbeli, Shahab Mehraeen, Sudipta Sen

Faculty Publications

Hybrid DC circuit breakers combine mechanical switches with a redirecting current path, typically controlled by power electronic devices, to prevent arcing during switch contact separation. The authors’ past work includes a bipolar hybrid DC circuit breaker that effectively redirects the fault current and returns it to the source. This reduces arcing between the mechanical breaker’s contacts and prevents large voltage overshoots across them. However, the breaker’s performance declines as the upstream line inductance increases, causing overvoltage. This work introduces a modification to the originally proposed hybrid DC breaker to make it suitable to use anywhere along DC grid lines. By …

Insights From Augmented Data Integration And Strong Regularization In Drug Synergy Prediction With Synergnet, Mengmeng Liu, Gopal Srivastava, J. Ramanujam, Michal Brylinski

Faculty Publications

SynerGNet is a novel approach to predicting drug synergy against cancer cell lines. In this study, we discuss in detail the construction process of SynerGNet, emphasizing its comprehensive design tailored to handle complex data patterns. Additionally, we investigate a counterintuitive phenomenon when integrating more augmented data into the training set results in an increase in testing loss alongside improved predictive accuracy. This sheds light on the nuanced dynamics of model learning. Further, we demonstrate the effectiveness of strong regularization techniques in mitigating overfitting, ensuring the robustness and generalization ability of SynerGNet. Finally, the continuous performance enhancements achieved through the integration …

Advancing Hydrogen Gas Utilization In Industrial Boilers: Impacts On Critical Boiler Components, Mitigation Measures, And Future Perspectives, Edem Honu, Shengmin Guo, Shafiqur Rahman, Congyuan Zeng, Patrick Mensah

Faculty Publications

This review sets out to investigate the detrimental impacts of hydrogen gas (H2) on critical boiler components and provide appropriate state-of-the-art mitigation measures and future research directions to advance its use in industrial boiler operations. Specifically, the study focused on hydrogen embrittlement (HE) and high-temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) and their effects on boiler components. The study provided a fundamental understanding of the evolution of these damage mechanisms in materials and their potential impact on critical boiler components in different operational contexts. Subsequently, the review highlighted general and specific mitigation measures, hydrogen-compatible materials (such as single-crystal PWA 1480E, Inconel 625, and …

Peak Microhardness Recovery Via T6 Heat Treatment With Extremely Soft Annealed Al7075 Feedstock In Additive Friction Stir Deposition, Huan Ding, Uttam Bhandari, Pengcheng Zhu, Ehsan Bagheri, Saeid Zavari, Yehong Chen, Yang Mu, Yongqiang Wang, Shengmin Guo

Faculty Publications

With standard T6 heat treatments, precipitate-hardened alloys such as Al7075 and Al6061 fabricated using Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) method restore to noticeablely different peak mechanical properties. Previous research observed similar results but did not provide a viable solution. This study proposes a new processing strategy, namely enhanced plastic deformation by subjecting the Al7075 feedstock to annealed softening treatments. Specifically, by annealing the standard T651-Al7075 feedstock and deposition substrate (179 HV), their Microhardness were first degraded to its lowest state (80 HV), which is called a Soft-to-Soft system. For the Soft-to-Soft system subjected to AFSD, after undergoing appropriate T6 heat …

A Review Of Agrivoltaic Systems: Addressing Challenges And Enhancing Sustainability, Amro A. Zahrawi, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

Agrivoltaics is a relatively new term used originally for integrating photovoltaic (PV) systems into the agricultural landscape and expanded to applications such as animal farms, greenhouses, and recreational parks. The dual use of land offers multiple solutions for the renewable energy sector worldwide, provided it can be implemented without negatively impacting agricultural production. However, agrivoltaics represent a relatively new technology, facing challenges including economic viability, vulnerability to wind loads, and interference with growing crops. This paper reviews the recent research on integrating agrivoltaics with farming applications, focusing on challenges, wind impact on agrivoltaics, and economic solutions. The effect of agrivoltaics …

An Intelligent Impulsive Noise Mitigation With Deep Learning Method, Guo Yang, Yuwen Qian, Zikun Wang, Xiangwei Zhou, Wen Wu

Faculty Publications

To enable message transmission among sensors and equipment, power line communication (PLC) is a widely adopted smart grid. However, due to the occurrence of impulsive noise (IN), reliable transmissions over PLC channels in the smart grid are challenging. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an adaptive noise mitigation scheme to clip the IN with the sliding window-based method, where the altitude of the received signal in the current time slots is obtained by computing the average altitude of signals in the previous and next time slots. To detect the states of IN and dynamically estimate the power threshold of signals …

A Hermetic Package Technique For Multi-Functional Fiber Sensors Through Pressure Boundary Of Energy Systems Based On Glass Sealants, Zhichun Fan, Shuda Zhong, Kehao Zhao, Qirui Wang, Yuqi Li, Guangyin Zhang, Guangqun Ma, Jieru Zhao, He Yan, Zhiyong Huang, Jyotsna Sharma, Kevin P. Chen

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a hermitic fiber sensor packaging technique that enables fiber sensors to be embedded in energy systems for performing multi-parameter measurements in high-temperature and strong radiation environments. A high-temperature stable Intrinsic Fabry–Perot interferometer (IFPI) array, inscribed by a femtosecond laser direct writing scheme, is used to measure both temperature and pressure induced strain changes. To address the large disparity in thermo-expansion coefficients (TECs) between silica fibers and metal parts, glass sealants with TEC between silica optical fibers and metals were used to hermetically seal optical fiber sensors inside stainless steel metal tubes. The hermetically sealed package is validated …

Geothermo-Mechanical Alterations Due To Heat Energy Extraction In Enhanced Geothermal Systems: Overview And Prospective Directions, Mary C. Ngoma, Oladoyin Kolawole, Olufemi Olorode

Faculty Publications

Geothermal energy from deep underground (or geological) formations, with or without its combination with carbon capture and storage (CCS), can be a key technology to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and meet the 2050 net-zero carbon emission target. Geothermal resources in low-permeability and medium- and high-temperature reservoirs in sedimentary sequence require hydraulic stimulation for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). However, fluid migration for geothermal energy in EGS or with potential CO2 storage in a CO2-EGS are both dependent on the in situ flow pathway network created by induced fluid injection. These thermo-mechanical interactions can be complex and induce varying alterations in …

Shifting Baselines: Visualizing Climate Change In America’S National Parks, Lee Lines

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Addressing The Gender Wage Gap For Native American Women, Danielle Digrazia, Ann C. Juliano

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Vibrational Study Of Co, O2, And H2 Adsorbed On The Cocrfeni (110) High Entropy Alloy Surface, Frank Mckay, Andrew N. Okafor, David P. Young, Ye Xu, Phillip T. Sprunger

Faculty Publications

The vibrational properties of CO, O2, and H2 molecularly or dissociatively adsorbed on a CoCrFeNi(110) surface have been probed using high-resolution energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and modeled using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Large (∼20 mm3) single-crystal, quaternary face-centered cubic CoCrFeNi was synthesized via a modified Czochralski technique. We show strong evidence that CO adsorbs primarily on bridge and on-top sites in compositionally varied local environments, which reflect the random, multielemental surface composition inherent in a high entropy alloy. A variation of adsorption sites is also found with oxygen, which exhibits two broad groups of modes. Comparison to previous photoemission …