Digital Commons Network^™

Review Of Joyce Carol Oates's Night-Gaunts And Other Tales Of Suspense, Eric K. Anderson

Bearing Witness: Joyce Carol Oates Studies

A review of Joyce Carol Oates's short story collection Night-Gaunts focusing on the influence of H.P. Lovecraft and gothic fiction.

A New Scorpion Species From Kenya, Gint Childsi Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Frantíšek Kovařík

Euscorpius

Gint childsi sp. n. from Kenya is described and compared with other species of the genus. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of preserved specimens of both sexes of the new species, as well as of their habitat.

Two New Hottentotta Species From Iran, With A Review Of Hottentotta Saulcyi (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Frantíšek Kovařík, Ersen Aydin Yağmur, Mohammed Moradi

Euscorpius

Two new buthid species from Iran, Hottentotta navidpouri sp. n. (Hormozgan Province) and H. sistanensis sp. n. (Sistan and Baluchestan Province) are described, compared with H. saulcyi (Simon, 1880), and fully illustrated with color photos. The two new species differ from H. saulcyi mainly in shape of chela, which is strongly elongated in both new species.

A New Species Of Microtityus From The British Virgin Islands, West Indies, And New Localities For Other Scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae), Luis F. De Armas

Euscorpius

Microtityus (Parvabsonus) eustatia sp. n. is herein described from the British Virgin Islands (West Indies): Eustatia Island (type locality), Virgin Gorda Island, and Camanoe Island, based on seven specimens (three males and four females). The new species closely resembles M. waeringi Francke & Sissom, 1980 from St. John Island and St. Thomas Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, differing mainly by the fixed finger of pedipalp having ten rows of denticles (nine in M. waeringi) and more attenuated metasoma. Also, new localities are recorded for Heteronebo yntemai Francke & Sissom, 1980 (Scorpionidae) and Centruroides griseus (C. L. Koch, 1844) …

Differential Responses Of Carbon-Degrading Enzyme Activities To Warming: Implications For Soil Respiration, Ji Chen, Yiqi Luo, Pablo García-Palacios, Junji Cao, Marina Dacal, Xuhui Zhou, Jianwei Li, Jianyang Xia, Shuli Niu, Huiyi Yang, Shelby Shelton, Wei Guo, Kees Jan Van Groenigen

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Extracellular enzymes catalyze rate-limiting steps in soil organic matter decomposition, and their activities (EEAs) play a key role in determining soil respiration (SR). Both EEAs and SR are highly sensitive to temperature, but their responses to climate warming remain poorly understood. Here, we present a meta-analysis on the response of soil cellulase and ligninase activities and SR to warming, synthesizing data from 56 studies. We found that warming significantly enhanced ligninase activity by 21.4% but had no effect on cellulase activity. Increases in ligninase activity were positively correlated with changes in SR, while no such relationship was found for cellulase. …

Anthropometrics, Metabolic Syndrome, And Mortality Hazard, Nir Krakauer, Jesse C. Krakauer

Publications and Research

Independent indices (height, body mass index, a body shape index, and hip index) derived from basic anthropometrics have been found to be powerful predictors of mortality hazard, especially when the attributable risks are summed over these indices to give an anthropometric risk index (ARI). The metabolic syndrome (MS) is defined based on the co-occurrence of anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory criteria and is also widely employed for evaluating disease risk. Here, we investigate correlations between ARI and MS in a general population sample, the United States Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Baseline values of ARI and MS were also …

Endomembrane-Associated Pre-Embedding Immunogold Labeling, Zuzana Nichtova, Celia Fernandez-Sanz, A. Bartok, Sergio De La Fuente, György Hajnóczky, Shey-Shing Sheu, György Csordás

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Posters

Aim

To optimize the pre-embedding IG in stable cell lines and primary adult cardiomyocytes to get the most effective visualization of endomembrane/associated proteins: endo/sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release channels IP3 receptors and ryanodine receptors (IP3R, and RyR2) and the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1.

The Limitations Of Dna Interstrand Cross-Link Repair In Escherichia Coli, Jessica Michelle Cole

Dissertations and Theses

DNA interstrand cross-links are a form of genomic damage that cause a block to replication and transcription of DNA in cells and cause lethality if unrepaired. Chemical agents that induce cross-links are particularly effective at inactivating rapidly dividing cells and, because of this, have been used to treat hyperproliferative skin disorders such as psoriasis as well as a variety of cancers. However, evidence for the removal of cross-links from DNA as well as resistance to cross-link-based chemotherapy suggests the existence of a cellular repair mechanism. Characterizing the pathways involved in DNA interstrand cross-link repair has been challenging due to the …

Capturing Arthropod Diversity In Complex Cave Systems, J. Judson Wynne, Stefan Sommer, Francis G. Howarth

KIP Articles

Aim Identify the optimal combination of sampling techniques to maximize the detection of diversity of cave‐dwelling arthropods. Location Central‐western New Mexico; north‐western Arizona; Rapa Nui, Chile. Methods From 26 caves across three geographically distinct areas in the Western Hemisphere, arthropods were sampled using opportunistic collecting, timed searches, and baited pitfall trapping in all caves, and direct intuitive searches and bait sampling at select caves. To elucidate the techniques or combination of techniques for maximizing sampling completeness and efficiency, we examined our sampling results using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), analysis of similarity (ANOSIM), Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests, species richness estimators and species …

Cross Photoreaction Of Glyoxylic And Pyruvic Acids In Model Aqueous Aerosol, Sha-Sha Xia, Alexis J. Eugene, Marcelo I. Guzman

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Aerosols of variable composition, size, and shape are associated with public health concerns as well as with light-particle interactions that play a role in the energy balance of the atmosphere. Photochemical reactions of 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the aqueous phase are now known to contribute to the total secondary organic aerosol (SOA) budget. This work explores the cross reaction of glyoxylic acid (GA) and pyruvic acid (PA) in water, the two most abundant 2-oxocarboxylic acids in the atmosphere, under solar irradiation and dark thermal aging steps. During irradiation, PA and GA are excited and initiate proton-coupled electron transfer or hydrogen abstraction …

Impacts Of Monitoring And Evaluation, Active Roles Of Lecturers, Classroom Interaction, And Government Policy On Teaching Productivity, Achmad Qurtubi

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

Lecturers as university educators are main player and determinant of successful educational efforts. Their roles are getting challenged when their productivity are highlighted. They face challenges which come from three sources, i.e. university standards; (2) education measurement; (3) issue of balancing between government standards and higher education institutional plan. However, there is a gap that lecturers’ efforts in improving teaching productivity are rarely observed especially in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to determine whether programs that have been run by the institutions have achieved the expected goals. This study observes institutional preparation and evaluation to measure …

Seasonal Spatial Ecology Of Mountain Lions (Puma Concolor) In The Central Sierra Nevada, Justin A. Dellinger, Eric R. Loft, Ronald C. Bertram, Donald L. Neal, Marc W. Kenyon, Steven G. Torres

Western North American Naturalist

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) were captured and radio-collared in the Sierra National Forest between 1983 and 1992 to study the species’ seasonal spatial patterns in a location where migratory mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are its primary prey. Some mountain lions displayed seasonal migratory shifts in elevation that mirrored those of their migratory prey; others resided at lower elevations year-round. Home range size for all mountain lions was larger in summer (x– = 231 km²) than in winter (x– = 110 km²), whether or not an individual exhibited seasonal migratory shifts …

Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus Novemcinctus) In Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Jonathan J. Storm

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

The distribution range of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) has been expanding northward across the eastern and central United States over the past several decades. It is thought that armadillos first reached South Carolina in the mid-1980s in the southwestern portion of the state. Armadillo sightings are rare in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Here, we report of an armadillo photographed in southern Spartanburg County on 30 May, 2017. This individual was spotted in mixed deciduous forest along the Tyger River. Our data add further support to the notion that armadillos have expanded their breeding range into …

Assessment Of Expanding Light Rail Transit Systems Versus Highway Systems: Influence On Land Use Change And Habitat Fragmentation, Behnoud Aghapour

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

The purpose of this research is to assess and investigate the impact of expanding the Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems versus conventional highway systems for land use change, land formation, and habitat fragmentation in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area as a highly developing urban area. The DFW metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing urban areas in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). Successfully accommodating this population growth requires North Texans to collectively address important issues including: environmental degradation, suburbanization, suburban sprawl, landscape formation and fragmentation, lack of public transportation, community and well-being needs, transportation expansion, …

Catalysts For Nitrogen Reduction To Ammonia, Royce D. Duda, Julie N. Renner

Faculty Scholarship

The production of synthetic ammonia remains dependent on the energy- and capital-intensive Haber-Bosch process. Extensive research in molecular catalysis has demonstrated ammonia production from dinitrogen, albeit at low production rates. Mechanistic understanding of dinitrogen reduction to ammonia continues to be delineated through study of molecular catalyst structure, as well as through understanding the naturally occurring nitrogenase enzyme. The transition to Haber-Bosch alternatives through robust, heterogeneous catalyst surfaces remains an unsolved research challenge. Catalysts for electrochemical reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia are a specific focus of research, due to the potential to compete with the Haber-Bosch process and reduce associated carbon …

Information Foraging Through The Analysis Of Semantic Network Topology, Phillip J. Dibona

Theses and Dissertations

Information seekers are posed with multiple challenges in gathering an unbiased and comprehensive body of information. The costs of analyzing documents often drive searches toward a small subset of documents. Additionally, modern search tools may reinforce the confirmation bias of users by providing only those documents that closely match their search query. The end result is a decision or hypothesis that is ill-considered and substantiated by potentially biased information. Information seekers need an information foraging tool that can help them explore the document corpus to find relevant topics and text snippets, while finding the hidden information that may be buried …

Intraoperative Ketamine To Reduce Postoperative Opioid Consumption In Chronic Pain Patients, Allyssa Wutzke

Nursing Capstones

No abstract provided.

Optimization Methods For Predictive Maintenance Scheduling Of Building Heating/Cooling Equipment With Performance Decay, Yaqing Wu, Christos T. Maravelias, Yuqiu Jiang, Jingduo Fan, Michael J. Wenzel, Elbsat N. Mohammad, Robert D. Turney

International High Performance Buildings Conference

While various models and methods have been proposed for operating and controlling building heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, equipment decay (e.g., chiller tube fouling or boiler scaling), which results in lower energy efficiency and higher cost, has received limited attention. Accordingly, in this paper, we present an optimization model (mixed-integer linear programming, MILP) for predictive maintenance of HVAC systems with sufficient thermal energy storage (TES). We simultaneously consider the operation and maintenance schedule because of their close mutual interdependence. In addition, a method to accurately approximate equipment operation is provided for long-term scheduling. The proposed model offers decisions …

Proper Splicing Contributes To Visual Function In The Aging Drosophila Eye, Rachel Stegeman, Hana Hall, Spencer E. Escobedo, Henry C. Chang, Vikki M. Weake

Department of Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Changes in splicing patterns are a characteristic of the aging transcriptome; however, it is unclear whether these age‐related changes in splicing facilitate the progressive functional decline that defines aging. In Drosophila, visual behavior declines with age and correlates with altered gene expression in photoreceptors, including downregulation of genes encoding splicing factors. Here, we characterized the significance of these age‐regulated splicing‐associated genes in both splicing and visual function. To do this, we identified differential splicing events in either the entire eye or photoreceptors of young and old flies. Intriguingly, aging photoreceptors show differential splicing of a large number of visual function …

Leveraging Intelligent Building Infrastructure For Event Response, Timothy Wagner, Russell Taylor, Hayden Reeve

International High Performance Buildings Conference

The number of attacks against occupied commercial buildings has increased dramatically around the world and in the United States. These attacks have included active shooters, kinetic devices, and hazardous (i.e., chemical or biological) agents. Typical commercial buildings have no systems to deal with these threats. Even iconic buildings rely primarily on restricted access to provide security. Video cameras are often present but are used primarily for forensics after an event has occurred. However, advanced systems that enable intelligent and connected buildings can be leveraged along with sensor technology to enable detection, notification and response to attacks. These same systems can …

An Economic Model Predictive Control Framework For Distributed Embedded Battery Applications, Nishith R. Patel, James B. Rawlings, Matthew J. Ellis, Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Since building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are significant consumers of primary energy, considerable efforts are being made to improve energy efficiency and decrease energy costs in these applications. Notably, substantial opportunities in the area of HVAC control exist for decreasing energy costs by shifting loads from peak periods to off-peak periods in the presence of time-varying utility prices. This load shifting is also beneficial for power companies since it results in a more constant total load allowing them to operate more efficiently. Economic model predictive control (MPC) has been shown to significantly decrease the energy costs of …

A Case Study Of Economic Optimization Of Hvac Systems Based On The Stanford University Campus Airside And Waterside Systems, Nishith R. Patel, Michael J. Risbeck, James B. Rawlings, Christos T. Maravelias, Michael J. Wenzel, Robert D. Turney

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Commercial buildings account for $200 billion per year in energy expenditures, with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems accounting for most of these costs. In energy markets with time-varying prices and peak demand charges, a significant potential for cost savings is provided by using thermal energy storage to shift energy loads. Since most implementations of HVAC control systems do not optimize energy costs, they have become a primary focus for new strategies aimed at economic optimization. Model predictive control (MPC) has emerged as one popular method to achieve this load shifting, while respecting system constraints. MPC uses a model …

Data Mining Of Smart Wifi Thermostats To Develop Multiple Zonal Dynamic Energy And Comfort Models Of A Residential Building, Kefan Huang, Abdulrahman Alanezi, Kevin Hallinan, Robert Lou

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Smart WiFi thermostats have gained an increasing foothold in the residential building market. The data emerging from from these thermostats is transmitted to the cloud. Companies like Nest and Emerson Climate Technologies are attempting to use this data to add value to their customers. This overarching theme establishes the foundation for this research. This research seeks to utilize WiFi data from the Emerson Climate Technologies’ Helix test house to: develop a dynamic model to predict real time cooling demand and then apply this model to running ‘what-if’ thermostat scheduling scenarios with the ultimate goal of reducing energy use in the …

A Hierarchical Model Predictive Control Approach For Battery Systems, Ranjeet Kumar, Michael J. Wenzel, Matthew J. Ellis, Mohammad N. Elbsat, Kirk H. Drees, Victor M. Zavala

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Applications in energy systems often require to simultaneously miti- gate long-term peak and short-term electricity costs. The long-term peak electricity demand cost, known as demand charge, constitutes an important component of the electricity bills for large consumption units like building campuses or manufacturing plants. This poses a challenging multiscale planning problem that should make decisions at fine timescales while mitigating long-term costs. We present a hierarchical model predictive control (MPC) approach to tackle this problem in the context of stationary battery systems. The goal is to determine the optimal charge-discharge policy for the battery to minimize the monthly demand charge. …

Review Of Inorganic Salt Hydrates With Phase Change Temperature In Range Of 5 To 60°C And Material Cost Comparison With Common Waxes, Jason Hirschey, Kyle R Gluesenkamp, Anne Mallow, Samuel Graham

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Phase change materials (PCMs) with desirable phase change temperatures can be used to provide a constant temperature source or sink for diverse applications. As such, incorporating PCMs into building materials, equipment, or appliances can shift and/or reduce the energy load. The motivation of this work is to identify low-cost inorganic salt hydrate PCMs that can complement current building systems and designs. Two key challenges to incorporating PCMs into building materials are 1) maintaining desirable thermal properties at large scales, and 2) developing cost-effective systems that are easily incorporated into existing structures and systems. In this work, we present an analysis …

Critical Opportunity Areas For Building Performance, Domenique Lumpkin, Joseph Sinfield, Travis Horton

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Green buildings are a proposed holistic solution to reduce energy consumption while simultaneously improving an array of factors affecting the indoor quality of life for building occupants. However, green building performance varies and may not achieve intended design goals. Research has concluded that no single factor determines the actual energy performance of buildings. To deliver energy-efficient buildings an integrated design that considers climate, technology, operation and maintenance and occupant behavior should be implemented. This work aimed to employ a holistic lens to relate human-building interaction and building performance characteristics. Specifically, systems theory and complex-problem solving techniques were employed to capture …

A Data-Driven Approach Towards Integration Of Microclimate Conditions For Predicting Building Energy Performance, Soumik Sarkar, Linjiang Wu, Venkatesh Chinde, Himanshu Sharma, Ulrike Passe

International High Performance Buildings Conference

Energy consumption in buildings is a major part of the overall energy usage in the United States and across the world. Energy performance of buildings is primarily affected by the heat exchange with the building outer skin and the surrounding environment. Building energy simulation (BES) tools are capable of predicting energy usage with variable degree of accuracy using the building geometry, construction information and weather data. In this regard, it is a common practice in BES tools to include boundary conditions of the building shell based on the local weather station. However, to account for accurate building energy consumption, especially …

Lineage Marker Synchrony In Hematopoietic Genealogies Refutes The Pu.1/Gata1 Toggle Switch Paradigm., Michael K Strasser, Philipp S Hoppe, Dirk Loeffler, Konstantinos D Kokkaliaris, Timm Schroeder, Fabian J Theis, Carsten Marr

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Molecular regulation of cell fate decisions underlies health and disease. To identify molecules that are active or regulated during a decision, and not before or after, the decision time point is crucial. However, cell fate markers are usually delayed and the time of decision therefore unknown. Fortunately, dividing cells induce temporal correlations in their progeny, which allow for retrospective inference of the decision time point. We present a computational method to infer decision time points from correlated marker signals in genealogies and apply it to differentiating hematopoietic stem cells. We find that myeloid lineage decisions happen generations before lineage marker …

Methods For Detecting Cytotoxic Amyloids Following Infection Of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Ron Balczon, Michael Francis, Silas Leavesley, Troy Stevens

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Patients who survive pneumonia have elevated death rates in the months following hospital discharge. It has been hypothesized that infection of pulmonary tissue during pneumonia results in the production of long-lived cytotoxins that can lead to subsequent end organ failure. We have developed in vitro assays to test the hypothesis that cytotoxins are produced during pulmonary infection. Isolated rat pulmonary endothelial cells and the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa are used as model systems, and the production of cytoxins following infection of the endothelial cells by the bacteria is demonstrated using cell culture followed by direct quantitation using lactate dehydrogenase assays and …

Oxford Nanopore Technology: A Promising Long-Read Sequencing Platform To Study Exon Connectivity And Characterize Isoforms Of Complex Genes, Gopinath Rajadinakaran

Doctoral Dissertations

The central dogma states that the genetic information contained in DNA flows to RNA through the process of transcription which, in turn, can result in protein synthesis through translation. Alternative splicing is a mechanism by which multiple mRNA isoforms are generated from a single gene. Ultracomplex genes, characterized by their ability to encode hundreds to thousands of isoforms, arise from a combination of multiple splicing events. Our understanding of alternative splicing improved vastly in the past decade due to the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. The NGS technologies are powerful and have enabled scientists to measure the expression of …