Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Prognostic Value Of Estimating Functional Capacity With The Use Of The Duke Activity Status Index In Stable Patients With Chronic Heart Failure, Justin L. Grodin, Muhammad Hammadah, Yiying Fan, Stanley L. Hazen, W.H. Wilson Tang

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Over the years, several methods have been developed to reliably quantify functional capacity in patients with heart failure. Few studies have investigated the prognostic value of these assessment tools beyond cardiorenal prognostic biomarkers in stable patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: We administered the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) questionnaire, a self-assessment tool comprising 12 questions for estimating functional capacity, to 1,700 stable nonacute coronary syndrome patients with history of heart failure who underwent elective diagnostic coronary angiography with 5-year follow-up of all-cause mortality. In a subset of patients (n = 800), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) was …

Participacion Regional En Las Iniciativas Para Reducir Emisiones De Deforestación Y Degradación Forestal En Ucayali, Peru, Megan Wing, Hasia White, Christian Graven, Mary Finley-Brook

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Esta investigación analiza la participación regional de las iniciativas de Reducción de Emisiones de Deforestación y Degradación Forestal (REDD) en Ucayali, Perú. Utilizamos el enfoque de escala para entender los roles de las agencias gubernamentales, las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), las universidades, el sector privado, y las federaciones indígenas de la región. Nuestra metodología combina la revisión de literatura internacional con entrevistas, encuestas, y observaciones en Pucallpa y Lima efectuadas durante junio y julio del 2013 y 2014. Los resultados sugieren que: (1) existen varias tensiones dentro de los procesos de planificación de REDD en el Perú; y (2) la …

Wtic Research At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Jessica Cruit, Beth Blickensderfer, John Lanicci, Bob Thomas, Thomas A. Guinn

Aviation Weather Training Research

No abstract provided.

Early Permian Conodont Fauna And Stratigraphy Of The Garden Valley Formation, Eureka County, Nevada, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Dora M. Gallegos, Valery V. Chernykh, Walter S. Snyder

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The lower part of the Garden Valley Formation yields two distinct conodont faunas. One of late Asselian age dominated by Mesogondolella and Streptognathodus and one of Artinskian age dominated by Sweetognathus with Mesogondolella. The Asselian fauna contains the same species as those found in the type area of the Asselian in the southern Urals including Mesogondolella dentiseparata, described for the first time outside of the Urals. Apparatuses for Sweetognathus whitei, Diplognathodus stevensi, and Idioprioniodus sp. are described. The Garden Valley Formation represents a marine pro-delta basin and platform, and marine and shore fan delta complex deposition. …

Masked Expression Of Life- History Traits In A Highly Variable Environment, Jason A. Deboer, Joseph J. Fontaine, Christopher J. Chizinski, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Differing life-history strategies may act as a constraint on reproductive expression that ultimately limits the ability of individual species to respond to changes in the magnitude or frequency of environmental variation, and potentially underlies the variation oft en inherent in phenotypic and evolved responses to anthropogenic change. Alternatively, if there are environmental cues that predict reproductive potential, differential expression of life-history strategies may represent differences in the adaptive capacity to optimize current reproductive value given variation in environmental conditions. We compared several aspects of walleye Sander vitreus spawning ecology at two reservoirs that diff er in environmental variability (i.e., annual …

Experimental Evaluation Of Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus Mykiss Predation On Longnose Dace Rhinichthys Cataractae, Kelly C. Turek, Mark A. Pegg, Kevin L. Pope

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Laboratory and in-stream enclosure experiments were used to determine whether rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss influence survival of longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae. In the laboratory, adult rainbow trout preyed on longnose dace in 42% of trials and juvenile rainbow trout did not prey on longnose dace during the first 6 h after rainbow trout introduction. Survival of longnose dace did not differ in the presence of adult rainbow trout previously exposed to active prey and those not previously exposed to active prey (x²₁ = 0.28, P = 0.60). In field enclosures, the number of longnose dace decreased at …

Effects Of Alternative Framing On The Publics Perceived Importance Of Environmental Conservation, Amanda E. Sorensen, Daniel Clark, Rebecca C. Jordan

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Effective communication of science to the general public is important for numerous reasons, including support for policy, funding, informed public decision making, among others. Prior research has found that scientists participating in public policy and public communication must frame their communication efforts in order to connect with audiences. A frame is the mechanism that individuals use to understand and interpret the world around them. Framing can encourage specific interpretations and reference points for a particular issue or event; especially when meaning is negotiated between the media and public audiences. In this study, we looked at the effect of framing within …

Context-Aware Mobile Apps Using Ibeacons: Towards Smarter Interactions, Edward R. Sykes, Stephen Pentland, Saverio Nardi

Faculty Publications and Scholarship

In this paper we describe four mobile apps for iOS devices that use Bluetooth Low Energy iBeacons to provide contextual relevance and personalized experiences for the user. The applications span a number of vertical markets including asset tracking, food transportation logistics and health care. We developed these apps in collaboration with an industry partner located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. In this paper we present the relevant background of work in this area, the architectural framework that we designed and developed to support these context-aware apps, the apps themselves, and report on the findings of real use test case scenarios.

Manipulating And Controlling For Personality Effects On Visualization Tasks, Alvitta Ottley, R. Jordan Crouser, Caroline Ziemkiewicz, Remco Chang

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

Researchers in human–computer interaction and visualization have recently been challenged to develop a better understanding of users’ underlying cognitive processes in order to improve system design and evaluation. While existing studies lay a critical foundation for understanding the role of cognitive processes and individual differences in visualization, concretizing the intuition that each user experiences a visual interface through an individual cognitive lens is only half the battle. In this article, we investigate the impact of manipulating users’ personality on observed behavior when using a visualization. In a targeted study, we demonstrate that personality priming can result in changes in behavior …

The Gravity Environment Of Zhouqu Debris Flow Of August 2010 And Its Implication For Future Recurrence, Diandong Ren, Lance M. Leslie, Xinyi Shen, Yang Hong, Qingyun Duan, Rezaul Mahmood, Yun Li, Gang Huang, Weidong Guo, Mervyn J. Lynch

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Personnel Publications

This study investigates the geological background of the August 7-8, 2010 Zhouqu debris flows in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu, and possible future occurrence of such hazards in the peri-Tibetan Plateau (TP) regions. Debris flows are a more predictable type of landslide because of its strong correlation with extreme precipitation. However, two factors affecting the frequency and magnitude of debris flows: very fine scale precipitation and degree of fracture of bedrock, both defy direct observations. Annual mean Net Primary production (NPP) is used as a surrogate for regional precipitation with patchiness filtered out, and gravity satellite measured regional mass …

Development Of A Long-Term (1884-2006) Serially Complete Dataset Of U.S. Temperatures And Precipitation For Climate Services, Jinshing You, Kenneth G. Hubbard, Martha Shulski, Mark D. Svoboda, Michael J. Hayes

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Personnel Publications

Serially complete climate datasets with no missing data are necessary for a diverse group of users working in many economic sectors. In this article we describe the procedures used to create a Serially Complete Data set (SCD) for the U.S. We include the selection criterion applied to potential SCD stations, the various procedural steps and the details applied to each step. A few observations that were not previously digitized were obtained from observers official paper reports. The methods used to estimate missing data are the Spatial Regression Test and the Inverse Distance Weighting technique. Using the criterion for selecting stations …

A Historical Perspective On Nebraska’S Variable And Changing Climate, Martha Shulski, William Baule, Crystal J. Stiles, Natalie A. Umphlett

High Plains Regional Climate Center: Personnel Publications

Nebraska is situated at the intersection of the northern and southern Great Plains, exhibiting a dramatic longitudinal gradient for precipitation and humidity, and benefiting from groundwater resources. The continental climate is highly variable temporally both for temperature and precipitation. Our assessment of long-term meteorological observations shows that over the last century the annual average temperature in Nebraska has warmed approximately 0.6°C, which is similar to the increase in the global average temperature over the same time period. Furthermore, we found minimum temperatures have warmed more than maximum temperatures, and winter and spring show the strongest warming. We found no significant …

Insights Into The Relationship Between Mixing Duration And Volcanic Explosivity Index (Vei): Pacaya And Fuego Volcanoes, Guatemala, Nicola Mari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigates whether the timing of magma mixing phenomena could be related to explosivity and style of volcanic activity. Lava flow and tephra samples, derived from observed, energetically-diverse eruptions, from Pacaya and Fuego volcanoes (Guatemala), were studied, the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) was used as an indicator of eruption intensity. Polarized light microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques were used for textural and geochemical measurements. Results are interpreted as evolution of mixing through changes in textures of plagioclase and olivine crystals. These suggest that boxy-cellular plagioclase (high frequency in VEI 0 samples) is associated with brief mixing residence …

How Long Does That 10-Year Smoke Alarm Really Last? A Survival Analysis Of Smoke Alarms Installed Through The Saife Program In Rural Georgia, Haresh Rochani, Valamar Malika Reagon, Steve Davidson

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background: When functioning properly, a smoke alarm alerts individuals in the residence that smoke is near the alarm. Smoke alarms serve as a primary prevention mechanism to abate morbidity and mortality related to residential fires.

Methods: Using survival analysis, we examined the length of operability of 10-year lithium battery powered smoke alarms installed through the Georgia Public Health/CDC SAIFE program in Moultrie, Georgia. Attempts were made to reach all homes in the city limits. The premise of the study is that geographic clusters (in the case of Moultrie city quadrants) are associated with decreases in the length of time that …

Introductory Texts

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

• GAMTE 2015 Officers
• GAMTE 2015 Conference Committee
• GAMTE 2015 Proceeding Committee
• Purposes and Goals of GAMTE
• Letter from the President
• Table of Contents

Using Ti-Nspire To Engage Preservice Mathematics Teachers In An Exploratory Geometry Module, Alesia D. Mickle, Pier A. Junor Clarke

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Georgia Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

In the mathematics classroom, most preservice mathematics teachers possess basic skills to use technology as an instructional strategy in communicating content standards. However, today’s demands for preservice teachers to engage in a variety of “best teaching practices” in their preservice teaching and edTPA requirements can oftentimes place the acquisition of technical skills and integration of new technology in content curriculum far from the forefront of their minds. Ertmer, Conklin, Lewandowski, Osika, Selo, and Wignall (2003) acknowledged preservice teachers’ desires to gain the adequate technical skills necessary to use technology in teachers’ daily tasks of facilitating and managing their classrooms. They …

Inequalities And Approximations Of Weighted Distributions By Lindley Reliability Measures, And The Lindley-Cox Model With Applications, Broderick O. Oluyede, Macaulay Okwuokenye, Karl E. Peace

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

In this note, stochastic comparisons and results for weighted and Lindley models are presented. Approximation of weighted distributions via Lindley distribution in the class of increasing failure rate (IFR) and decreasing failure rate (DFR) weighted distributions with monotone weight functions are obtained including approximations via the length-biased Lindley distribution. Some useful bounds and moment-type inequality for weighted life distributions and applications are presented. Incorporation of covariates into Lindley model is considered and an application to illustrate the usefulness and applicability of the proposed Lindley-Cox model is given.

Throughfall Nutrients In A Degraded Indigenous Fagus Orientalis Forest And A Picea Abies Plantation In The Of North Of Iran, Parisa Abbasian, Pedram Attarod, Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi, John T. Van Stan, Seyed M. Hojjati

School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability Faculty Publications

Aim of study: The objective of this study was to compare the quantity and quality of TF (throughfall) in an indigenous, but degraded, stand of Fagus orientalis and Picea abies plantation.

Area of study: Forests of Kelar-Dasht region located in Mazandaran province, northern Iran.

Material and Methods: TF measured by twenty collectors that were distributed randomly underneath each stand. For 21 storms sampled in 2012 (August-December) and 2013 (April-June), we analyzed pH, EC, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, NO3-, and P of gross rainfall (GR) and TF.

Main results: Cumulative interception (I) for F. orientalis and P. abies were 114.2 mm and …

Stereoselective Radical C–H Alkylation With Acceptor/Acceptor-Substituted Diazo Reagents Via Co(Ii)-Based Metalloradical Catalysis, Xin Cui, Xue Xu, Li-Men Jin, Lukasz Wojtas, X. Peter Zhang

Publications and Research

Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis has, for the first time, been successfully applied for asymmetric intramolecular C–H alkylation of acceptor/acceptor-substituted diazo reagents. Through the design and synthesis of a new D₂-symmetric chiral amidoporphyrin as the supporting ligand, the Co(II)-based metalloradical system, which operates at room temperature, is capable of 1,5-C–H alkylation of α-methoxycarbonyl-α-diazosulfones with a broad range of electronic properties, providing the 5-membered sulfolane derivatives in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. In addition to complete chemoselectivity toward allylic and allenic C–H bonds, the Co(II)-based metalloradical catalysis for asymmetric C–H alkylation features a remarkable degree of functional group tolerance.

Estimation And Identification Of Change Points In Panel Models With Nonstationary Or Stationary Regressors And Error Term, Badi H. Baltagi, Chihwa Kao, Long Liu

Center for Policy Research

This paper studies the estimation of change point in panel models. We extend Bai (2010) and Feng, Kao and Lazarová (2009) to the case of stationary or nonstationary regressors and error term, and whether the change point is present or not. We prove consistency and derive the asymptotic distributions of the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and First Difference (FD) estimators. We find that the FD estimator is robust for all cases considered.

Advanced Ligo, Tiffany Summerscales, Ligo Scientific Collaboration

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reasoning Tradeoffs In Implicit Invocation And Aspect Oriented Languages, Jose Sanchez Salazar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To reason about a program means to state or conclude, by logical means, some properties the program exhibits; like its correctness according to certain expected behavior. The continuous need for more ambitious, more complex, and more dependable software systems demands for better mechanisms to modularize them and reason about their correctness. The reasoning process is affected by the design decisions made by the developer of the program and by the features supported by the programming language used. Beyond Object Orientation, Implicit Invocation and Aspect Oriented languages pose very hard reasoning challenges. Important tradeoffs must be considered while reasoning about a …

Can We Learn Anything About Pleading Changes From Existing Data?, Jonah B. Gelbach

All Faculty Scholarship

In light of the gateway role that the pleading standard can play in our civil litigation system, measuring the empirical effects of pleading policy changes embodied in the Supreme Court's controversial Twombly and Iqbal cases is important. In my earlier paper, Locking the Doors to Discovery, I argued that in doing so, special care is required in formulating the object of empirical study. Taking party behavior seriously, as Locking the Doors does, leads to empirical results suggesting that Twombly and Iqbal have had substantial effects among cases that face Rule 12(b)(6) motions post-Iqbal. This paper responds to …

Two-Step Self-Assembly Of Hierarchically-Ordered Nanostructures, Qiannan Liu, Ziqi Sun, Yuhai Dou, Jung Ho Kim, S X. Dou

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Due to their unique size- and shape-dependent physical and chemical properties, highly hierarchically-ordered nanostructures have attracted great attention with a view to application in emerging technologies, such as novel energy generation, harvesting, and storage devices. The question of how to get controllable ensembles of nanostructures, however, still remains a challenge. This concept paper first summarizes and clarifies the concept of the two-step self-assembly approach for the synthesis of hierarchically-ordered nanostructures with complex morphology. Based on the preparation processes, two-step self-assembly can be classified into two typical types, namely, two-step self-assembly with two discontinuous processes and two-step self-assembly completed in one-pot …

Corrosion Protection Afforded By Praseodymium Conversion Film On Mg Alloy Aznd In Simulated Biological Fluid Studied By Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy, Seyed S. Jamali, Simon E. Moulton, Dennis E. Tallman, Maria Forsyth, Jan Weber, Azadehsadat Mirabedini, Gordon G. Wallace

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Surface passivation of AZNd Mg alloy with Pr(NO₃)₃ is studied using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) in surface generation/tip collection (SG/TC) and AC modes. Corrosion protection afforded by the Pr treatment and the degradation mechanism in a simulated biological environment was examined on a local scale and compared with non-treated AZNd. SG/TC mode results revealed a drastic decrease in H2 evolution due to the Pr treatment. Mapping the local insulating characteristics using AC-SECM showed higher conductivity of the surface where H₂ evolution was most favorable.

Unique Urchin-Like Ca2ge7o16 Hierarchical Hollow Microspheres As Anode Material For The Lithium Ion Battery, Dan Li, Chuanqi Feng, Hua-Kun Liu, Zaiping Guo

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Germanium is an outstanding anode material in terms of electrochemical performance, especially rate capability, but its developments are hindered by its high price because it is rare in the crust of earth, and its huge volume variation during the lithium insertion and extraction. Introducing other cheaper elements into the germanium-based material is an efficient way to dilute the high price, but normally sacrifice its electrochemical performance. By the combination of nanostructure design and cheap element (calcium) introduction, urchin-like Ca₂Ge₇O₁₆ hierarchical hollow microspheres have been successfully developed in order to reduce the price and maintain the …

Enhanced Electron Lifetime Of Cdse/Cds Quantum Dot (Qd) Sensitized Solar Cells Using Znse Core-Shell Structure With Efficient Regeneration Of Quantum Dots, Rasin K. Ahmed, Long Zhao, Attila J. Mozer, Geoffrey D. Will, John M. Bell, Hongxia Wang

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Research on development of efficient passivation materials for high performance and stable quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) is highly important. While ZnS is one of the most widely used passivation material in QDSCs, an alternative material based on ZnSe which was deposited on CdS/CdSe/TiO₂ photoanode to form a semi-core/shell structure has been found to be more efficient in terms of reducing electron recombination in QDSCs in this work. It has been found that the solar cell efficiency was improved from 1.86% for ZnSe0 (without coating) to 3.99% using 2 layers of ZnSe coating (ZnSe2) deposited by successive ionic …

Ray Optics Behavior Of Flux Avalanche Propagation In Superconducting Films, Pavlo Mikheenko, Tom H. Johansen, Supratim Chaudhuri, I J. Maasilta, Y Galperin

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

Experimental evidence of wave properties of dendritic flux avalanches in superconducting films is reported. Using magneto-optical imaging the propagation of dendrites across boundaries between a bare NbN film and areas coated by a Cu layer was visualized, and it was found that the propagation is refracted in full quantitative agreement with Snell's law. For the studied film of 170 nm thickness and a 0.9μm thick metal layer, the refractive index was close to n=1.4. The origin of the refraction is believed to be caused by the dendrites propagating as an electromagnetic shock wave, similar to damped modes …

The Effect Of Surface Passivation On The Structure Of Sulphur-Rich Pbs Colloidal Quantum Dots For Photovoltaic Application, Victor Malgras, Andrew Nattestad, Yusuke Yamauchi, S X. Dou, Jung Ho Kim

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

The use of PbS colloidal quantum dots in photovoltaic devices is very promising because of their simple and low cost production processes and their unique properties, such as bandgap tunability and potential multiple exciton generation. Here we report the synthesis of PbS nanocrystals used for application in solar cells. The sulphur-rich nature of their surface appears to be caused by the exposure to ambient conditions. The use of methanol as medium during the ligand exchange process has a crucial role in the removal of native oleate ligands. Without proper ligand exchange, the unpassivated surface is subject to ambient hydroxylation leading …

Soft, Flexible Freestanding Neural Stimulation And Recording Electrodes Fabricated From Reduced Graphene Oxide, Nicholas V. Apollo, Matias I. Maturana, Wei Tong, David A. X Nayagam, Mohit N. Shivdasani, Javad Foroughi, Gordon G. Wallace, Steven Prawer, Michael R. Ibbotson, David J. Garrett

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

There is an urgent need for conductive neural interfacing materials that exhibit mechanically compliant properties, while also retaining high strength and durability under physiological conditions. Currently, implantable electrode systems designed to stimulate and record neural activity are composed of rigid materials such as crystalline silicon and noble metals. While these materials are strong and chemically stable, their intrinsic stiffness and density induce glial scarring and eventual loss of electrode function in vivo. Conductive composites, such as polymers and hydrogels, have excellent electrochemical and mechanical properties, but are electrodeposited onto rigid and dense metallic substrates. In the work described here, strong …