Digital Commons Network^™

A Field Test Of Direct Load Control Of Water Heaters And Its Implications For Consumers, Midrar Adham, Manasseh Obi, Robert B. Bass

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Utilities and customers are now operating more closely than ever. The prevailing numbers of grid-interactive Distributed Energy Resources are being integrated to provide grid reliability and stability. Different methods of control have been implemented to utilize these Distributed Energy Resources, such as Service-Oriented Load Control and Direct Load Control. This paper investigates the issues associated with the latter. A Direct Load Control method is applied to two Distributed Energy Resources, Electric Water Heater and Heat Pump Water Heater. A load shifting scenario is created where each water heater turns off during water draw events that coincide with peak demand periods. …

The Transcriptomic Portrait Of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer And Its Prognostic Value In A Multi-Country Cohort Of Latin American Patients, Adrián Daneri-Navarro, Bettina Müller, Carlos Velazquez, Elsa B Alcoba, Isabel Alonso, Daniela B Alves Da Quinta, Renata Binato, Alicia Inés Bravo, Natalia Camejo, Dirce Maria Carraro, Mónica Castro, Juan M Castro-Cervantes, Sandra Cataldi, Alfonso Cayota, Mauricio Cerda, Alicia Colombo, Susanne Crocamo, Alicia Del Toro-Arreola, Raúl Delgadillo-Cisterna, Lucía Delgado, Marisa Dreyer-Breitenbach, Laura Fejerman, Elmer A Fernández, Jorge Fernández, Wanda Fernández, Ramón A Franco-Topete, Carolina Gabay, Fancy Gaete, Adriana Garibay-Escobar, Jorge Gómez, Gonzalo Greif, Thomas G Gross, Marisol Guerrero, Marianne K Henderson, Miguel E Lopez-Muñoz, Alejandra Lopez-Vazquez, Silvina Maldonado, Andrés J Morán-Mendoza, Maria Aparecida Nagai, Antonio Oceguera-Villanueva, Miguel A Ortiz-Martínez, Jael Quintero, Antonio Quintero-Ramos, Rui M Reis, Javier Retamales, Ernesto Rivera-Claisse, Darío Rocha, Robinson Rodríguez, Cristina Rosales, Efrain Salas-González, Verónica Sanchotena, Laura Segovia, Juan Martín Sendoya, Aida A Silva-García, Alejandra Trinchero, Olivia Valenzuela, Vidya Vedham, Livia Zagame, United States-Latin American Cancer Research Network (Us-Lacrn);, Osvaldo L Podhajcer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSES: Most molecular-based published studies on breast cancer do not adequately represent the unique and diverse genetic admixture of the Latin American population. Searching for similarities and differences in molecular pathways associated with these tumors and evaluating its impact on prognosis may help to select better therapeutic approaches.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected clinical, pathological, and transcriptomic data of a multi-country Latin American cohort of 1,071 stage II-III breast cancer patients of the Molecular Profile of Breast Cancer Study (MPBCS) cohort. The 5-year prognostic ability of intrinsic (transcriptomic-based) PAM50 and immunohistochemical classifications, both at the cancer-specific (OSC) and disease-free survival …

A Precision Medicine Agenda In Traumatic Brain Injury

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Traumatic brain injury remains a leading cause of death and disability across the globe. Substantial uncertainty in outcome prediction continues to be the rule notwithstanding the existing prediction models. Additionally, despite very promising preclinical data, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of neuroprotective strategies in moderate and severe TBI have failed to demonstrate significant treatment effects. Better predictive models are needed, as the existing validated ones are more useful in prognosticating poor outcome and do not include biomarkers, genomics, proteonomics, metabolomics, etc. Invasive neuromonitoring long believed to be a "game changer" in the care of TBI patients have shown mixed results, and …

How Do Digital Lives Affect Resident Mental Health In The Digital Era? Empirical Evidence Based On Chinese General Social Survey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Having good mental health means we are better able to connect, function, cope and thrive. The widespread application of digital technology in daily life provides new ways and promising tools for residents to maintain their mental health. Given the importance of mental health for everyone, and the fact that mental health problems are prevalent worldwide, this study discusses how digital lives affects the mental health of residents. The results suggest that digital lives are significantly and positively associated with mental health. Mechanisms analysis identifies personal perceptions (self-rated physical exercise and subjective wellbeing) as the important paths for digital lives to …

Synthetic Assembly Dna Cloning Of Multiplex Hextuple Luciferase Reporter Plasmids

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Multiplex hextuple luciferase assaying allows monitoring the activity of five experimental pathways against one control at the same time. To perform multiplex hextuple luciferase assaying, six orthogonal luciferase reporter units are needed of which five are pathway-specific and one acts as a control for normalization. To ensure stoichiometric delivery of all six luciferase reporters in every transfected cell, synthetic assembly DNA cloning is used to stitch together all six luciferase reporter units into a single vector. Here, we provide a detailed three-step synthetic assembly DNA protocol to generate multiplex hextuple luciferase reporter plasmids for any five cellular signaling pathways of …

Multiplex Hextuple Luciferase Assaying, Tatiana Gallego-Flores, Damian W Young, Koen J T Venken

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We recently expanded the commonly used dual luciferase assaying method toward multiplex hextuple luciferase assaying, allowing monitoring the activity of five experimental pathways against one control at the same time. In doing so, while our expanded assay utilizes a total of six orthogonal luciferases instead of two, this assay, conveniently, still utilizes the well-established reagents and principles of the widely used dual luciferase assay. Three quenchable D-luciferin-consuming luciferases are measured after addition of D-Luciferin substrate, followed by quenching of their bioluminescence (BL) and the measurement of three coelenterazine (CTZ)-consuming luciferases after addition of CTZ substrate, all in the same vessel. …

Factors Impacting Vaccine Uptake During Pregnancy: A Retrospective Analysis, Mei-Li Laracuente, Chelsea Livingston, Julliet Ogu, Racquel Lyn, Arabella Hall, Sylvia Adu-Gyamfi, Hamisu M Salihu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vaccine uptake rates during pregnancy remain below target goals due to a convergence of factors. In particular, women of lower socioeconomic means and racial minorities typically have reduced rates of vaccine acceptance. This study aims to identify additional factors contributing to vaccine acceptance within a sample population of women receiving prenatal care in Houston, Texas, United States of America.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 11,500 pregnant women covered by Medicaid or ChipPerinate who received prenatal care during 2013-2021, assessing influenza (flu) and combined Tetanus, Diphtheria, Acellular Pertussis (TDAP) vaccine acceptance in the patient population. …

Inpatient Coding System And Opportunities For Documentation Optimization: An Interactive Session For Internal Medicine Residents, Glynda Raynaldo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: The Inpatient Prospective Payment System, the framework for categorization of admissions, is based upon physician documentation leading to International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code generation and Medical Severity Diagnosis-Related Group (MS-DRG) assignment. In this curriculum, we introduced internal medicine residents to this inpatient coding framework and its effects on hospital quality metrics and reimbursement. We focused on educating learners about the importance of physicians being proficient in providing thorough and specific clinical documentation to produce appropriate DRG assignment.

METHODS: Internal medicine residents participated in a 90-minute session that introduced the basic framework of inpatient coding, discussed effects of …

Lessons Learned From An Enterprise-Wide Clinical Datathon, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Paul E Klotman, Laura A Petersen, Ryan H Rochat, Gloria Liao, Rory R Laubscher, Lee Leiber, Christopher I Amos

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In 2020, Baylor College of Medicine held a datathon to inform potential users of a new data warehouse, allow users to address clinical questions, identify warehouse capabilities and limitations, foster collaborations, and engage trainees. Senior faculty selected proposals based on feasibility and impact. Selectees worked with Information Technology for 2 months and presented findings. A survey of participants showed diverse levels of experience, high perceived value of the datathon, high rates of collaboration, and significant increases in knowledge. A datathon can promote familiarity with a new data warehouse, guide data warehouse improvement, and promote collaboration.

Management Of A Novel Autoimmune Disease, Copa Syndrome, In Pregnancy, Mary C Tolcher

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: COPA syndrome is a rare autoimmune disease, demonstrating an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern with variable penetration that occurs more frequently in females than males. This disease manifests in childhood as pulmonary hemorrhage, arthritis, and renal disease.

CASE: We present a case of obstetric management of a 20-year-old nulligravida patient with a diagnosis of COPA syndrome. Her case was further complicated by multiple antepartum admissions for hypoxemia and a complex psychosocial history of substance use. On her first antepartum admission, rheumatology recommended management with hydroxychloroquine, inhaled corticosteroids (budesonide), and bronchodilators (albuterol inhaler) as needed. On admission for induction of labor, …

Macroarchaeology, Epistomology, And The Quality Of The Archaeological Record, James R. Allison

Faculty Publications

Perrault (2019) combines a critique of current archaeological practice with a call to re-center research on questions of culture history as well as “macroarchaeology”, or the search for large-scale patterns of human behavior and cultural development. His arguments for what archaeologists should do (and stop doing) are driven by the way the quality of the archaeological record underdetermines the answers to questions that archaeologists often seek to answer. There is much to like in Perrault’s arguments, but there also are some problematic aspects. I agree that something like Perrault’s macroarchaeology should receive greater focus within the discipline, and that archaeologists …

Final Thoughts And Observations, James R. Allison, Heidi Roberts, Jerry D. Spangler

Faculty Publications

This chapter addresses three topics inspired by the discoveries made during Jackson Flat’s archaeological investigations. The first topic examines the implications of the discovery of early maize agriculture in the Far Western region. Our data suggest that the Far Western Basketmaker tradition developed on a trajectory separate from the Western Basketmaker groups associated with the White Dog Phase in the Four Corners region.

No Runs, Few Hits And Many Errors: Street Stops, Bias And Proactive Policing, Jeffrey A. Fagan

Faculty Scholarship

Equilibrium models of racial discrimination in law enforcement encounters suggest that in the absence of racial discrimination, the proportion of searches yielding evidence of illegal activity (the hit rate) will be equal across races. Searches that disproportionately target one racial group, resulting in a relatively low hit rate, are inefficient and suggest bias. An unbiased officer who is seeking to maximize her hit rate would reduce the number of unproductive stops toward a group with the lower hit rate. An unbiased policing regime would generate no differences in hit rates between groups.

We use this framework to test for racial …

The Genius Of Common-Law Intellectual Property, Shyamkrishna Balganesh

Faculty Scholarship

Among Richard Epstein’s influential contributions to legal scholarship over the years is his writing on common-law intellectual property. In it, we see his attempt to meld the innate logic of the common law’s conceptual structure with the realities of the modern information economy. Common-law intellectual property refers to different judge-made causes of action that create forms of exclusive rights and privileges in intangibles, interferences that are then rendered enforceable through private liability. In this essay, I examine Epstein’s writing on two such doctrines, hot-news misappropriation and cybertrespass, which embrace several important ideas to which modern discussions of intellectual property would …

The Evolution Of Frederick Douglass’ Slavery Debate: An Examination Of His Rhetoric, Jacquelyn Torres

Political Science & International Studies | Senior Theses

From leading the Abolitionist movement to holding a lecture tour abroad, Frederick Douglass is well known for championing racial justice and leaving a legacy of exposing the evils of slavery. Scholars have primarily focused on Douglass’ actions as an abolitionist but not on the evolution of his thinking about slavery. While Douglass’ actions, such as in the Abolitionist movement, are discussed in-depth amongst academic circles, there is oversight regarding looking at his arguments about slavery. Douglass’ rhetoric was impacted by his experiences traveling abroad when he gave lectures in the British Isles between 1845-1847. This thesis examines speeches given by …

Status Anxiety And Overall Life Satisfaction Of Young Adults In The Bay Area, Samuel Casco

Global Public Health | Senior Theses

The published literature suggests social comparisons have significant negative effects on an individual’s psychological well-being. However, there is little to no research to suggest that an individual’s attainment of societal success has a relationship with one’s perceived life satisfaction.

A mixed-methods study involved young adults ages 18-29 in the Bay Area and were selected via a student researcher in the Global Public Health department of Dominican University of California. 115 participants completed surveys regarding self-perceived life satisfaction and status anxiety through the Qualtrics Survey Collection Tool. A Pearson’s Chi-Squared Test was conducted to find an association between life satisfaction and …

Real-Time Machine Learning Models To Detect Cyber And Physical Anomalies In Power Systems, Zakaria El Mrabet

Theses and Dissertations

A Smart Grid is a cyber-physical system (CPS) that tightly integrates computation and networking with physical processes to provide reliable two-way communication between electricity companies and customers. However, the grid availability and integrity are constantly threatened by both physical faults and cyber-attacks which may have a detrimental socio-economic impact. The frequency of the faults and attacks is increasing every year due to the extreme weather events and strong reliance on the open internet architecture that is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. In May 2021, for instance, Colonial Pipeline, one of the largest pipeline operators in the U.S., transports refined gasoline and jet …

Machine Learning Based Specular Highlight Detection Techniques To Enhanced Uav Indoor Navigation Through Slam, Ramtin Kardan

Theses and Dissertations

Unmanned aerial vehicle technology is advancing to the point where it has a lot of potential for use in various applications. While global navigation satellite systems (GPS) enable autonomous flight in outdoor contexts, dedicated, accurate wireless localization is a prospective contender for enabling indoor navigation and associated applications. This thesis represents ongoing research in Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to improve mapping solely through a camera to remove map noises resulting from glass reflections. This research aims to investigate Machine Learning (ML) approaches that detect glass specularity in direct and two-step approaches. We used YOLOv4, YOLOv4-tiny, and Deeplabv3 to detect …

Master's Recital: Kyle Punt, Kyle Punt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this recital is to partially fulfill the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Jazz Pedagogy, and to display musical proficiency on piano, bass guitar, and drum set. Kyle Punt scheduled his graduate recital for March 22, 2022 at 7:30 PM.

Interrogating Whiteness In Graduate Education Culture: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Southeast Asian American Graduate Student Experiences, Lesley Nina Sisaket

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to understand the role that whiteness has in shaping the graduate education experiences of Southeast Asian American students in the United States. This study explores two research questions. 1) How do Southeast Asian American graduate students describe their graduate education? 2) How do Southeast Asian American graduate students describe concepts of whiteness, if any, throughout their graduate education? According to the experiences from six selfidentifying Southeast Asian American students, their graduate education experiences were described to be racially taxing, unchallenging, and isolating experiences. These findings stemmed from their graduate education experiences, which …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Pb(Ii) Cyanoximates, Patricia Mcdaniel

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

A new series of Pb(II) cyanoximates were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis (C, H, N, S), IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and X-ray crystallography. The goal was to synthesize compounds with a PbL₂ (L= selected known chelating cyanoximes) composition for use as potential new non-linear optical (NLO) materials, specifically second harmonic generators (SHG), which must belong to non-centrosymmetric space groups. A desktop procedure using Pb²⁺ is chosen due to its typically active 6s² lone pair of electrons, which are known to distort central polyhedra. A 1:2 ratio of Pb(II) to ligand were used to synthesize bulk products …

Modulation Of Electrocochleography Responses By Contralateral Broadband Noise In Young Adults, Riley J. Rickman

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

While it is known the auditory efferent system contains two distinct subgroups – the medial olivocochlear nucleus (MOC) and the lateral olivocochlear nucleus (LOC) – not much is known regarding the function of the LOC in humans. This study aims to evaluate the effect of activating the lateral olivocochlear (LOC) neurons via contralateral broad band noise (CBBN) on electrocochleography responses. A ten-minute time-blocked paradigm was utilized to evaluate both the slow and fast effect of the LOC neurons. Recordings were obtained at four points within this ten-minute block both with and without the presence of 50 dB SPL CBBN to …

Effect Of Electrocochleography Stimulus Rate And Intensity On Identification Of Noise Induced Hidden Hearing Loss In Humans, Amanda E. Mccarthy

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Noise exposure has been known to cause both temporary and permanent shifts in hearing thresholds in humans. Animal and human studies have shown noise exposure to lead to damage to the ribbon synapses of the cochlea. This damage, referred to as noise induced hidden hearing loss (NIHHL), is not detectable with standard hearing assessments, though can be the cause of difficulties understanding speech in the presence of background noise. Recent studies have begun to explore the use of electrocochleography (ECochG) to detect this neural damage in humans. Such studies strive to aid in the development of a clinical tool for …

The Longitudinal Study Of Code-Switching In English-Instructed Spanish-English Bilingual Children, Molly K. Gasior

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The population of bilingual children is growing in the U.S. Code-switching, a common occurrence in bilingual language production, is the use of words in the non-target language (e.g., English) when speaking the target language (e.g., Spanish). There are different approaches within the literature about how code-switching is dealt with. The purpose of this study is to longitudinally track changes in code-switching in English and Spanish narrative retell language samples, verify how code-switching impacts the lexical measure of number of different words, and whether code-switching may be indicative of Spanish language loss. Thirty-seven Spanish-English bilingual preschoolers who attended an English immersion …

Collective Action On Behalf Of Women: Testing The Conceptual Distinction Between Traditional Collective Action And Small Acts In College Women, Anca M. Miron, Thomas C. Ball, Nyla R. Branscombe, Monica Fieck, Cristinel Ababei, Serena Raymer, Baylee Tkaczuk, Megan M. Meives

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The current study examines the nature of actions that U.S. college women (N = 267) engage in to promote, protect, or enhance the welfare of other women. The study had two goals: 1) to distinguish between traditional forms of action (traditional collective action) and more informal, interpersonal, forms of action (small acts) among college women; and 2) to test whether the classic antecedents of collective action (gender identity, feminist identity, women’s activist identity, efficacy, appraisals of gender inequality, and injustice standards) are differentially predictive of these two types of participation. A confirmatory factor analysis provided strong support for these two …

Modeling And Control Of Direct-Conversion Hybrid Switched-Capacitor Dc-Dc Converters, Ziyu Xia

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Efficient power delivery is increasingly important in modern computing, communications, consumer and other electronic systems, due to the high power demand and thermal concerns accompanied by performance advancements and tight packaging. In pursuit of high efficiency, small physical volume, and flexible regulation, hybrid switched-capacitor topologies have emerged as promising candidates for such applications. By incorporating both capacitors and inductors as energy storage elements, hybrid topologies achieve high power density while still maintaining soft charging and efficient regulation characteristics. However, challenges exist in the hybrid approach. In terms of reliability, each flying capacitor should be maintained at a nominal `balanced' voltage …

Multimodal Ultrasound Imaging For Improved Metastatic Lymph Node Detection, Sidhartha Jandhyala

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and is complex in nature due to the variety of organs located in the head and neck region. Knowing the metastatic state of the lymph nodes is paramount in accurately staging and treating HNSCC patients. Currently, metastatic lymph node detection involves the use of magnetic resonance imaging and/or x-ray computed tomography, followed by biopsies for histological confirmation. The main diagnostic criteria is the size of the nodes; however, current imaging methods are not 100% accurate due natural lymph node variability. Ultrasound imaging is able to provide …

Communicating Clinic Visit Information To Family Caregivers, Reed Wr Bratches

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Statement of the Problem: Information from clinic visits is critical to family caregivers, who are the family members or friends who provide at-home care for their loved ones. However, patient’s clinic visits are infrequently attended by caregivers. While methods exist to communicate information from visits to patients, little is known about the methods used to communicate with caregivers, or their effects on caregiver outcomes. I address this gap in this dissertation through three studies.

Methods: A systematic review was used synthesize the methods used to communicate information to family caregivers and their impact on caregivers. A national survey of family …

Understanding The Influence Of Authentic Leadership And Employee-Organization Relationships On Employee Voice Behaviors In Response To Dissatisfying Events At Work, Young Kim, Ejae Lee, Minjeong Kang, Sung-Un Yang

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study demonstrates how authentic leadership and the quality of employee-organization relationships (EOR) influence employee behavioral reactions to dissatisfying events at work. We conducted a nationwide survey of 644 full-time employees in the United States. The results from the structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that authentic leadership was positively and directly related to employees’ considerate voice but was not directly associated with other behavioral responses. Additionally, the quality of EOR was found to be a strong mediator between authentic leadership and employee behaviors—particularly in enhancing considerate voice and patience and reducing exit—in the context of dissatisfying workplace events. The implications …

Exploring Effects Of Message Framing On Supportive Behaviors Toward Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility, Young Kim, Myoung-Gi Chon

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to shed light on how effective environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication can be achieved through persuasive communication strategies using message framing.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conducted an online experimental study with a 2 (narrative: narrative or non-narrative) × 2 (framing: gain or loss) between-subjects design.

Findings

The findings showed that environmental CSR communication using narrative framing messages is most effective in creating strong CSR associations between a company and the environmental CSR domain and sharing the company's CSR information on supportive communication and advocating for the environmental campaign.

Originality/value

This study highlights the …