Digital Commons Network^™

Continuous Pressure-Induced Valence And Magnetic Transitions In Eumnsb2, Raimundas Sereika, Greeshma C. Jose, Silu Huang, Rongying Jin, William A. Shelton, Weiwei Xie, Jiyong Zhao, Barbara Lavina, Esen E. Alp, Yuming Xiao, Dongzhou Zhang, Yogesh K. Vohra, Wenli Bi

Faculty Publications

EuMnSb2 is a unique and promising compound with complex magnetism (Eu and Mn sublattices) to realize magnetic control of topological quasiparticles. By applying pressure (P) to this system, we have observed a continuous pressure-induced valence change from Eu2+ to Eu3+. Remarkably, despite the significant valence change in Eu ions, an extremely large increase in the magnetic ordering temperature (TN,Eu) from 21 K at ambient pressure to 180 K at 28.4 GPa is detected. The substantial enhancement in TN,Eu is likely the consequence of the reduced distance between neighboring Eu ions and the enhanced indirect exchange interaction through increased 4f-5d mixing …

A Tribute To Gregory A. Voth, Jaehyeok Jin, William G. Noid, Jianing Li, Revati Kumar, Jianshu Cao, Seogjoo Jang, Francesco Paesani, David Reichman

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Instructional Technology Tetrahedron And Network Visualization: Conceptualizing Online Teaching Through A Lens Of Reflective Noticing, Jinqing Liu, Orly Buchbinder

Faculty Publications

Online learning and teaching, accelerated by the global pandemic and rapid advancement of digital technology, require novel conceptual and analytical tools to understand better the evolving nature of online teaching. Drawing on the classical model of the instructional triangle and previous attempts to extend it, we propose the Instructional Technology Tetrahedron (ITT)—a conceptual framework that integrates technology into the instructional triangle to represent the role of technology, as a learning tool and a mediator between teachers, students, and content. Combining the ITT framework with network visualization strategies allowed for representing the intensity of interactions within the tetrahedron. We illustrate the …

Griggs International Academy: A Church Bell For The World, Ben Kreiter, Deirdré Wilkens

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Instructional Technology Tetrahedron And Network Visualization: Conceptualizing Online Teaching Through A Lens Of Reflective Noticing, Jinqing Liu, Orly Buchbinder

Faculty Publications

Online learning and teaching, accelerated by the global pandemic and rapid advancement of digital technology, require novel conceptual and analytical tools to understand better the evolving nature of online teaching. Drawing on the classical model of the instructional triangle and previous attempts to extend it, we propose the Instructional Technology Tetrahedron (ITT)—a conceptual framework that integrates technology into the instructional triangle to represent the role of technology, as a learning tool and a mediator between teachers, students, and content. Combining the ITT framework with network visualization strategies allowed for representing the intensity of interactions within the tetrahedron. We illustrate the …

A New Computational Methodology For The Characterization Of Complex Molecular Environments Using Ir Spectroscopy: Bridging The Gap Between Experiments And Computations, Laura X. Sepulveda-Montaño, Johan F. Galindo, Daniel G. Kuroda

Faculty Publications

The molecular interactions and dynamics of complex liquid solutions are now routinely measured using IR and 2DIR spectroscopy. In particular, the use of the latter allows the determination of the frequency fluctuation correlation function (FFCF), while the former provides us with the average frequency. In turn, the FFCF can be used to quantify the vibrational dynamics of a molecule in a solution, and the center frequency provides details about the chemical environment, solvatochromism, of the vibrational mode. In simple solutions, the IR methodology can be used to unambiguously assign the interactions and dynamics observed by a molecule in solution. However, …

Building A Simplistic Automatic Extruder: Instrument Development Opportunities For The Laboratory, Stefanie Klisch, Dylan Gilbert, Emma Breaux, Aliyah Dalier, Sudipta Gupta, Bruno Jakobi, Gerald J. Schneider

Faculty Publications

This work presents an automatic extruder as a research experience for undergraduate students. The system offers a user-friendly approach to preparing vesicles, such as liposomes or polymersomes, with a defined size and polydispersity─properties crucial for research in biology and macromolecules. It comprises two syringe pumps connected by a membrane filter. The setup is controlled by software. Compared to manual extrusion, this automated system provides advantages, such as precisely controlled variables. The project describes a tool to enhance undergraduate learning in science and engineering laboratories. Building an automatic extruder serves as a simplified model of a complex industrial process. It offers …

Partial In-Vitro Dispersal Of S. Mutans Ua159 Biofilms By Silver-(I)Cyanoximate Compounds, Brendaliz Santiago Narvaez, Sarah Hameer, Jamie L. Perry, Tiffany Rojas, Laurel G. Habgood

Faculty Publications

Silver(I) cyanoximate compounds have antibacterial activity against the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans, a resident of oral plaque biofilm. As oral biofilm strategies focus on the inhibition of attachment or physical removal of the existing microbes, we were interested in exploring the ability of six different silver(I) cyanoximate compounds to target and disperse a pre-existing biofilm. Here we report that these compounds were only able to partially disperse S. mutans biofilms as the compounds were more effective at inhibiting biofilm formation. None of the six compounds were able to outperform silver nitrate, a commonly used antibacterial in dentistry.

Orthographic Influences On Phonological Processing In Children With And Without Reading Difficulties: An Eye-Tracking Study, Lauren S. Baron, Anna M. Ehrhorn, Peter Shlanta, Jane Ashby, Bethany A. Bell, Suzanne M. Adlof Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Phonological processing is an important contributor to decoding and spelling difficulties, but it does not fully explain word reading outcomes for all children. As orthographic knowledge is acquired, it influences phonological processing in typical readers. In the present study, we examined whether orthography affects phonological processing differently for children with current reading difficulties (RD), children with a history of reading difficulties who are currently presenting with typical word reading skills (Hx), and children with typical development and no history of reading difficulties (TD). School-aged children completed a phonological awareness task containing spoken words and pictures while eye movements were recorded. …

Dominant Role Of Grazing And Snow Cover Variability On Vegetation Shifts In The Drylands Of Kazakhstan, Venkatesh Kolluru, Ranjeet John, Jiquan Chen, Preethi Konkathi, Srinivas Kolluru, Sakshi Saraf, Geoffrey M. Henebry, Jingfeng Xiao, Khushboo Jain, Maira Kussainova

Faculty Publications

Decomposing the responses of ecosystem structure and function in drylands to changes in human-environmental forcing is a pressing challenge. Though trend detection studies are extensive, these studies often fail to attribute them to potential spatiotemporal drivers. Most attribution studies use a single empirical model or a causal graph that cannot be generalized or extrapolated to larger scales or account for spatial changes and multiple independent processes. Here, we proposed and tested a multi-stage, multi-model framework that detects vegetation trends and attributes them to ten independent social-environmental system (SES) drivers in Kazakhstan (KZ). The time series segmented residual trend analysis showed …

Dominant Role Of Grazing And Snow Cover Variability On Vegetation Shifts In The Drylands Of Kazakhstan, Venkatesh Kolluru, Ranjeet John, Jiquan Chen, Preethi Konkathi, Srinivas Kolluru, Sakshi Saraf, Geoffrey M. Henebry, Jingfeng Xiao, Khushboo Jain, Maira Kussainova

Faculty Publications

Decomposing the responses of ecosystem structure and function in drylands to changes in human-environmental forcing is a pressing challenge. Though trend detection studies are extensive, these studies often fail to attribute them to potential spatiotemporal drivers. Most attribution studies use a single empirical model or a causal graph that cannot be generalized or extrapolated to larger scales or account for spatial changes and multiple independent processes. Here, we proposed and tested a multi-stage, multi-model framework that detects vegetation trends and attributes them to ten independent social-environmental system (SES) drivers in Kazakhstan (KZ). The time series segmented residual trend analysis showed …

Syntheses, Characterizations And Reactions Of Acene-2,3-Dicarbaldehydes, Glen Miller, Qian Liu

Faculty Publications

Here, we report improved syntheses, detailed characterizations and reactions of a series of acene-2,3- dicarbaldehydes including tetracene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde. DFT calculations corroborate and complement the experimental results. Tetracene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde and the benchmark organic semiconductor pentacene have isoelectronic p-systems and similar HOMO–LUMO gaps. Tetracene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde is soluble in a host of organic solvents (e.g., DMF, toluene, THF, chloroform, dichloromethane) and shows excellent photooxidative resistance in solution phases exposed to light and air. Further, it is readily sublimed from the solid-state without decomposition, and can be functionalized using different chemistries. We have demonstrated the utility of acene-2,3-dicarbaldehydes as reactants in the syntheses of novel diaryl-2,3-acenedimethanols and …

Lignin Containing Cellulose Nanofiber/Ag2se Nanocomposite Films: A Promising Material For Thermoelectric Film Generators, Ragab Abouzeid, Mohammad Shayan, Meen Sung Koo, Qinglin Wu

Faculty Publications

This work deals with the fabrication of lignin containing cellulose nanofiber (LCNF)/Ag2Se films for thermoelectric applications. Ag2Se nanoparticles were synthesized within the LCNF network through in situ methods, employing Na2SeO3 and AgNO3 along with microwave energy treatment. LCNF/Ag2Se films fabricated with two LCNF : Ag2Se weight percent ratios (i.e., 50 : 50 and 30 : 70) were used to construct a flexible thermoelectric module. The obtained Ag2Se nanoparticles displayed a uniform size distribution in the LCNF network with smaller dimensions from the microwave energy treated group. The microstructure of LCNF/Ag2Se films was improved by hot-pressing, leading to enhanced film density …

Experimental And Fe Investigations Of Backfill Cover On Large-Diameter Grp Pipes, Abdulmuttalib I. Said, Yahya Jabbar Hussein, Mohammed Hazim Mohammed, Abbas A. Allawi

Faculty Publications

This paper presents experimental investigations on buried Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP) pipes with a diameter of 1400 mm. The tested pipes were buried in dense, gravelly sand and subjected to traffic loads to study the effects of backfill cover on pipe deflection. The experimental program included tests on three GRP pipes with backfill covers of 100 cm, 75 cm, and 50 cm. The maximum traffic loads applied to the pipe–soil system corresponded to Iraqi Truck Type 3 (AASHTO Htype). Vertical deflections of the pipes were monitored during the application of these loads. The experimental results showed that, as the backfill …

Acousto-Dielectric Tweezers Enable Independent Manipulation Of Multiple Particles, Liang Shen, Zhenhua Tian, Kaichun Yang, Joseph Rich, Jinxin Zhang, Jianping Xia, Wesley Collyer, Brandon Lu, Nanjing Hao, Zhichao Pei, Chuyi Chen, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

Acoustic tweezers have gained substantial interest in biology, engineering, and materials science for their label-free, precise, contactless, and programmable manipulation of small objects. However, acoustic tweezers cannot independently manipulate multiple microparticles simultaneously. This study introduces acousto-dielectric tweezers capable of independently manipulating multiple microparticles and precise control over intercellular distances and cyclical cell pairing and separation for detailed cell-cell interaction analysis. Our acousto-dielectric tweezers leverage the competition between acoustic radiation forces, generated by standing surface acoustic waves (SAWs), and dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces, induced by gradient electric fields. Modulating these fields allows for the precise positioning of individual microparticles at points where …

Enhancing Crossflow Dynamics Through The Gas Injection From Multiple Cylinders, Sahrish B. Naqvi, Sadia Siddiqa, Maciej Matyka, Rama S. R. Gorla, Md. Mamum Molla

Faculty Publications

We investigate unsteady, two-dimensional laminar fluid flow around cylinders, focusing on understanding the impact of injecting methane gas through two diametrically opposite arcs on the cylinder in the crossflow of the second fluid. This study encompasses applications in mixing and dispersion, which are crucial in various technological and natural processes. Our analysis addresses velocity field’s contribution to the spatiotemporal distribution of transported quantities. We observed that mixing induces a transition from laminar to turbulent flow. Depending on the injected-to-crossflow velocity ratios, the wake vortices downstream of cylinder arrays separate from or connect to the injected gas. This phenomenon significantly impacts …

Global Urban Structural Growth Shows A Profound Shift From Spreading Out To Building Up, Steve Frolking, Richa Mahtta, Tom Milliman, Thomas Esch, Karen C. Seto

Faculty Publications

We present a new study examining the dynamics of global urban building growth rates over the past three decades. By combining datasets for 1,550+ cities from several space-borne sensors—data from three scatterometers and settlement-built fraction based on Landsat-derived data—we find profound shifts in how cities expanded from the 1990s to the 2010s. Cities had both increasing building fractional cover and increasing microwave backscatter (correlating with building volume), but over the three decades, growth rates in building fraction decreased in most regions and large cities, while growth rates in backscatter increased in essentially all regions and cities. The divergence in rates …

Effects Of Fluid Slip On Heat Transfer In The Thin Film Region In A Microchannel, Rama S. R. Gorla, John Brewer, Abdeel Roman

Faculty Publications

A theoretical study was undertaken to investigate the influence of interfacial slip on evaporation of a thin liquid film in a microfluidic channel. The disjoining pressure and the capillary force which drive the liquid flow at the liquid-vapor interface in thin film region are adopted. The evaporating thin film region is an extended meniscus beyond the apparent contact line at a liquid/solid interface. Thin film evaporation plays a key role in a highly efficient heat pipe. Slip length was found to affect the heat transfer in the microchannel by altering the thin film geometry.

Return Of The Phrag-I: Evaluating Sexual Reproduction Mechanisms Amenable To Dieback Recovery And Potential Invasiveness Across Phragmites Australis Haplotypes, Olivia Hurley, Austin Lynn, Aaron Devries, Christopher Reid, Tracy Elsey-Quirk

Faculty Publications

Phragmites australis is one of the most invasive wetland plants on the planet with both native and invasive haplotypes occurring in the United States. Three Phragmites haplotypes (Delta-, EU- and Gulf-types) co-occur in marshes of the Mississippi River Delta (MRD), where a recent dieback of Phragmites has prompted investigations about the potential for recolonization by seed. In other areas of the US, the invasive EU-type has been shown to spread by seed, yet little is known about reproduction modes of the Delta- and Gulf-types. We conducted a survey at 35 sites along the Mississippi River Delta region in southeast Louisiana …

Why Are There So Many Definitions Of Eutrophication?, Alexandrine Pannard, Philippe Souchu, Christian Chauvin, Monique Delabuis, Chantal Gascuel-Odoux, Erik Jeppesen, Morgane Le Moal, Alain Ménesguen, Gilles Pinay, Nancy N. Rabalais, Yves Souchon, Elisabeth M. Gross

Faculty Publications

Because of the first observations in the 1900s of the oligotrophic and eutrophic states of lakes, researchers have been interested in the process that makes lakes become turbid because of high phytoplankton biomass. Definitions of eutrophication have multiplied and diversified since the mid-20th century, more than for any other ecological process. Reasons for the high number of definitions might be that the former ones did not sufficiently describe their causes and/or consequences. Global change is bringing eutrophication more into the spotlight than ever, highlighting the need to find consensus on a common definition, or at least to explain and clarify …

Using Loss-On-Ignition To Estimate Total Nitrogen Content Of Mangrove Soils, Havalend E. Steinmuller, Joshua L. Breithaupt, André S. Rovai, Kevin M. Engelbert, Joseph M. Smoak, Lisa G. Chambers, Kara R. Radabaugh, Ryan P. Moyer, Amanda Chappel, Derrick R. Vaughn, Thomas S. Bianchi, Robert R. Twilley, Paulo R. Pagliosa, Miguel Cifuentes-Jara, Danilo Torres

Faculty Publications

Loss-on-ignition (LOI) has been widely used to estimate soil organic carbon (OC) content for coastal wetland soils, owing to recent interest in ‘blue carbon’ systems. Comparatively less attention has been paid to soil nutrient retention, specifically total nitrogen (TN), despite being a historically limited resource that influences C cycling and aquatic ecosystem health. A single conversion equation is available to estimate soil TN content from LOI, derived from salt marshes. This study investigated the utility of creating TN conversion equations from LOI data for application in mangrove soils to improve global understanding of their role in TN interception and sequestration. …

Bottom Water Quality Plasticity In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxic Zone, R. Eugene Turner, Nancy N. Rabalais, Cassandra Glaspie

Faculty Publications

The growth of the now ubiquitous hypoxic zones found throughout the global coastal ocean are primarily a consequence of nutrient enrichment in surface waters increasing organic production that sinks into bottom waters where oxygen is depleted faster than it is replenished. Hypoxic zones may increase or decline in number because of future climate changes. Here we summarize the summertime variations of dissolved inorganic silicate (DSi), phosphate (DIP), nitrogen (DIN; nitrate + nitrite and ammonium) and ammonium concentrations in the bottom waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico continental shelf from 1985 to 2022. The concentrations of all three are strongly …

Key Uncertainties And Modeling Needs For Managing Living Marine Resources In The Future Arctic Ocean, Julia G. Mason, Andrea Bryndum-Buchholz, Juliano Palacios-Abrantes, Renuka Badhe, Isabella Morgante, Daniele Bianchi, Julia L. Blanchard, Jason D. Everett, Cheryl S. Harrison, Ryan F. Heneghan, Camilla Novaglio, Colleen M. Petrik

Faculty Publications

Emerging fishing activity due to melting ice and poleward species distribution shifts in the rapidly-warming Arctic Ocean challenges transboundary management and requires proactive governance. A 2021 moratorium on commercial fishing in the Arctic high seas provides a 16-year runway for improved scientific understanding. Given substantial knowledge gaps, characterizing areas of highest uncertainty is a key first step. Marine ecosystem model ensembles that project future fish distributions could inform management of future Arctic fisheries, but Arctic-specific variation has not yet been examined for global ensembles. We use the Fisheries and Marine Ecosystem Intercomparison Project ensemble driven by two Earth System Models …

Review Of Dear Dickhead, Michael F. Russo

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Important Role Of Attorneys In Promoting Parties' Self-Determination In Mediation, John Lande

Faculty Publications

This short article analyzes the meaning of self-determination, and it demonstrates that attorneys generally have much greater ability than mediators to promote parties’ self-determination. I argue that “self-determination” is an admirable but unattainable ideal.

Instead, attorneys and mediators should focus on promoting parties’ best possible decision-making under the circumstances. To optimally promote the quality of parties’ decision-making during mediation sessions, they must be well-prepared before mediation sessions. At that stage, attorneys are in the best position to counsel clients, when they have more time to carefully consider their situation and they are not under pressure to respond to the …

Soybean Yield Prediction Using Machine Learning Algorithms Under A Cover Crop Management System, Letícia Bernabé Santos, Donna Gentry, Alex Tryforos, Lisa Fultz, Jeffrey Beasley, Thanos Gentimis

Faculty Publications

This research explores the predictive capabilities of random forests algorithm on datasets coming from standard experiments on crop management systems in soybeans. This is a secondary analysis of a dataset from a project evaluating the relationship of cover crop systems to soybean yield prediction. The purpose of this paper is to compare a random forest algorithm to standard statistical techniques such as linear regression on a clean information rich agronomic experiment. The main findings include an estimate of the hyperparameters for optimal predictions using random forests, a threshold for data for optimal results and a general description of comparison methodologies …

Solubilization Of Paclitaxel With Natural Compound Rubusoside Toward Improving Oral Bioavailability In A Rodent Model, Jian Zhang, Jicheng Shu, Rhett W. Stout, Paul S. Russo, Zhijun Liu

Faculty Publications

Paclitaxel, which features low water solubility and permeability, is an efflux pump substrate. The current paclitaxel drugs are given intravenously after resolving the solubility issue. Yet, oral delivery to achieve therapeutic bioavailability is not effective due to low absorption. This study evaluated a natural compound, rubusoside, to improve oral bioavailability in an animal model. Free paclitaxel molecules were processed into nano-micelles formed in water with rubusoside. The particle size of the nano-micelles in water was determined using dynamic light scattering. The oral bioavailability of paclitaxel in nano-micelles was determined against Cremophor/alcohol-solubilized Taxol after oral and intravenous administration to pre-cannulated Sprague …

Youth's Political Identity And Fertility Desires, Heather M. Rackin, Christina M. Gibson-Davis

Faculty Publications

Objective: This study examines the association between political identity and young adults' fertility desires from 1989 to 2019. Background: Understanding the factors that shape fertility preferences is important because these preferences are the critical bridge between social forces and fertility. Identity is a theorized, but understudied, predictor of fertility desires. The increasing salience of political identity suggests that the association between political identity and fertility desires has strengthened over time. Method: Data come from the 1989–2019 waves of Monitoring the Future, a nationally representative study of 12th graders (N = 67,557). Regression models examined how political identity (measured by Republican …

Activity And Selectivity In The Electrochemical Reduction Of Co2 At Cusnx Electrocatalysts Using A Zero-Gap Membrane Electrode Assembly, Monsuru Dauda, John Hendershot, Mustapha Bello, Junghyun Park, Alvaro Loaiza Orduz, Orhan Kizilkaya, Phillip Sprunger, Anthony Engler, Koffi Yao, Craig Plaisance, John Flake

Faculty Publications

In this study Cu, Sn, and bimetallic CuSnx nanoparticles were synthesized and evaluated as electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction using zero gap membrane electrode assemblies. Results show bimetallic electrocatalysts with Sn contents above 10% yield formate as a primary product with Faradaic Efficiencies near 70% at 350 mA cm−2. Cu-Snx electrocatalysts with less than 10% Sn yield CO at current densities below 350 mA cm−2 and relatively lower cell potentials. When the low-Sn content bimetallic electrocatalysts were evaluated in alkaline anolytes at 350 mA cm−2, ethanol was recorded as the primary product (FE = 48.5% at Ecell ≥ 3.0 V). We …

Response Of A Terrestrial Polar Ecosystem To The March 2022 Antarctic Weather Anomaly, J. E. Barrett, Byron J. Adams, Peter T. Doran, Hilary A. Dugan, Krista F. Myers, Mark R. Salvatore, Sarah N. Power, Meredith D. Snyder, Anna T. Wright, Michael N. Gooseff

Faculty Publications

Record high temperatures were documented in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, on 18 March 2022, exceeding average temperatures for that day by nearly 30°C. Satellite imagery and stream gage measurements indicate that surface wetting coincided with this warming more than 2 months after peak summer thaw and likely exceeded thresholds for rehydration and activation of resident organisms that typically survive the cold and dry conditions of the polar fall in a freeze-dried state. This weather event is notable in both the timing and magnitude of the warming and wetting when temperatures exceeded 0°C at a time when biological communities and …