HIST20: US History, Part 1

Open Educational Resource (OER) of primary source materials and study questions for the HIST20: US History, Part 1 course taught at the University of the Pacific.https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/open-textbooks/1002/thumbnail.jp

Nebraska Wind Power: A Comparitive Study of Knowledge and Attitudes

Abstract The goal of this project is to assess the knowledge and attitudes of Nebraskans on the issue of wind power. The point of this research is to learn whether the presence of wind power has a positive effect on a person’s knowledge about and attitudes toward wind power and wind turbines. Using mail surveys, qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the towns of Pierce and Ainsworth Nebraska. The surveys aided in seeing patterns of knowledge about wind power and wind turbines and positive and negative attitudes and major concerns regarding wind power

Ethical Housing: Low-income Dwellings for At-Risk Single Mothers

In the in 2017, according to the US Census Bureau, there were 11,667,000 single parent families living in the United States. Of those, 9,497,000 were headed by mothers. Furthermore, 3,380,932 of these single mother families were considered poor. Where can these mothers take their children when they can no longer afford standard housing? Do they move into lower-rent areas and risk the welfare and well-being of their children? While low-income housing developments do exist, the nicest and safest ones fill up immediately, and often have a waiting list of up to two years. This project saught to develop a solution to this problem. The ultimate goal of the design was to create an apartment complex that can serve as a template to be applied to similar developments in poverty-stricken cities where the amount of at-risk single mothers is highest. This project showcases the first development in Chicago, Illinois; where 28% of children under 18 live in poverty. This development serves not only as a shelter, but as a community. It’s communal area also functions as a hub for amenities such as a daycare, class rooms, a library, and exercise room. It is imperative that the development serves a place of protection and healing for these mothers while they build a better life for themselves and their children

Simulation of the phononless hopping in a Coulomb glass

The phononless hopping conductivity of a disordered system with localized states is studied in a broad range of frequencies by straightforward computer simulations taking into account Coulomb interactions. At sufficiently low temperatures, the conductivity is determined by the zero-phonon absorption of the photon by pairs of states. The laser frequency dependence of the conductivity is examined and compared with the analytical model of Efros and Shklovskii and with recent experimental data obtained on Si:P. The range of parameters is determined, for which the conductivity dependence on photon energy best reproduces the experimental results.Comment: Presented as a poster at TIDS11, to be published in pss(c

Feed-forward Inhibitory Circuits in Hippocampus and Their Computational Role in Fragile X Syndrome

Feed-forward inhibitory (FFI) circuits are canonical neural microcircuits. They are unique in that they are comprised of excitation rapidly followed by a time-locked inhibition. This sequence provides for a powerful computational tool, but also a challenge in the analysis and study of these circuits. In this work, mechanisms and computations of two hippocampal FFI circuits have been examined. Specifically, the modulation of synaptic strength of the excitation and the inhibition is studied during constant-frequency and naturalistic stimulus patterns to reveal how FFI circuit properties and operations are dynamically modulated during ongoing activity. In the first part, the FFI circuit dysfunction in the mouse model of Fragile X syndrome, the leading genetic cause of autism, is explored. The balance between excitation and inhibition is found to be markedly abnormal in the Fmr1 KO mouse, leading to failure of FFI circuit to perform spike modulation tasks properly. The mechanisms underlying FFI circuit dysfunction are explored and a critical role of presynaptic GABAB receptors is revealed. Specifically, excessive presynaptic GABA receptor signaling is found to suppress GABA release in a subset of hippocampal interneurons leading to excitation/inhibition imbalance. In the second part, the dynamic changes during input bursts are explored both experimentally and in a simulated circuit. Because of the short-term synaptic plasticity of individual circuit components, the burst is found to play an important role in the modulating precision of the output cell spiking. The role of dynamics balance of excitation and inhibition during bursts in output spiking precision is further explored. Overall, the balance of excitation and inhibition is found to be critical for FFI circuit performance

Feature-Driven Strategies for Trading Wind Power and Hydrogen

This paper develops a feature-driven model for hybrid power plants, enabling them to exploit available contextual information such as historical forecasts of wind power, and make optimal wind power and hydrogen trading decisions in the day-ahead stage. For that, we develop different variations of feature-driven linear policies, including a variation where policies depend on price domains, resulting in a price-quantity bidding curve. In addition, we propose a real-time adjustment strategy for hydrogen production. Our numerical results show that the final profit obtained from our proposed feature-driven trading mechanism in the day-ahead stage together with the real-time adjustment strategy is very close to that in an ideal benchmark with perfect information

Grace and Frankie: Spec script

Grace and Frankie is a Netflix Original television comedy starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen. The series is a modern retelling of The Odd Couple, in which two very different 70-year-old women are forced to live together after their husbands leave them for each other. The following script includes an original storytelling of what would be the first episode of the season four. In order to prepare for writing this television script, I studied all three existing seasons through re-watching, as well as reading previous scripts from Grace and Frankie. I then outlined my episode, which included detailed story arcs, subplots, and its major plot. Following this, I developed character summaries that included biographical details, personality traits and defining characteristics of the four main characters, as well as for their children who play secondary roles. Through these methods, I was able to create a solid foundation for the storyline and strong dynamics for and between characters. In this episode, the theme of secrecy runs throughout each of the characters' stories. While Grace keeps her new relationship with a slick, businessman from her family, Frankie struggles with keeping the secret from everyone and with accepting it, herself. Sol and Robert continue to hide that they were arrested from all family members except Bud and Brianna, who bail them out. Coyote and Mallory attempt to hide the fact they slept together in a tiny house not long after Mallory's sticky divorce with Mitch and Coyote's two-year sobriety mark. Bud still continues to mull over the news of his girlfriend, Allison's pregnancy and becomes wearier after she cuts off all communication. The episode comes to its climax in the telling of Brianna's secret engagement to her dorky, former accountant, Barry. In the final scene, all secrets are revealed in a fiery family bout over dinner