Feasibility of Multi-Year Forecast for the Colorado River Water Supply: Time Series Modeling

The Colorado River is one of the largest resources for water in the United States, as well as being an important asset to the economy. Previous studies have shown a connection between the Great Salt Lake and the Colorado River. This study used time series analysis to build models to predict the water supply of the Colorado River ten years out. These models used data from the Colorado River in addition to Great Salt Lake water elevation. Several models suggest a decline in water supply from 2013 – 2020, before starting to increase. These predictions differ from predictions published by a 2012 government report that came from climate modeling. Comparing this study’s predictions with the 2012 government report’s predictions state a large difference between water supply and water demand around the year 2020. Further research is needed to update similar models to predict water supply. This information could be helpful in management’s decisions to influence their water saving plans

On the origin of circular dichroism in angular resolved photoemission from graphene, graphite, and WSe2_2 family of materials

Circular dichroism in angle-resolved photoemission (CD-ARPES) is one of the promising techniques for obtaining experimental insight into topological properties of novel materials, in particular to the orbital angular momentum (OAM) in dispersive bands, which might be related, albeit certainly in a non-trivial way, to the momentum resolved Berry curvature of the bands. Therefore, it is important to understand how non-vanishing CD-ARPES signal arises in graphene, a material where Dirac bands are made from C $|2p_z\rangle$ orbitals that carry zero OAM, spin-orbit-coupling (SOC) can be neglected, and Berry curvature effectively vanishes. Dubs et al., Phys. Rev. B 32, 8389 (1985) have demonstrated non-vanishing cricular dichroism in angular distribution (CDAD) from an oriented $p_z$ orbital, and this process can be responsible for the experimentally observed CD-ARPES in graphene. In this paper, we derive the CD-ARPES from $p_z$ orbitals by elementary means, using only simple algebraic formulas and tabulated numerical values, and show that it leads to significant CD-ARPES signal over the entire vacuum ultraviolet and soft x-ray energy range, with an exception of the photon energy region near $h\nu \approx 40$ eV. We also demonstrate that another process, emerging from the finite electron inelastic mean free path, also leads to CD-ARPES of the potentially similar order of magnitude, as previously discussed by Moser, J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. 214, 29 (2017). We present calculated CDAD maps for selected orbitals and briefly discuss the consequences of the findings for CD-ARPES, focusing on graphene, graphite and WSe$_2$.Comment: 12 pages, 15 figure

Robust surface electronic properties of topological insulators: Bi2Te3 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The surface electronic properties of the important topological insulator Bi2Te3 are shown to be robust under an extended surface preparation procedure which includes exposure to atmosphere and subsequent cleaning and recrystallization by an optimized in-situ sputter-anneal procedure under ultra high vacuum conditions. Clear Dirac-cone features are displayed in high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectra from the resulting samples, indicating remarkable insensitivity of the topological surface state to cleaning-induced surface roughness.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

A simple Bayesian estimate of direct RNAi gene regulation events from differential gene expression profiles.

RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are.BACKGROUND: Microarrays are commonly used to investigate both the therapeutic potential and functional effects of RNA interfering (RNAi) oligonucleotides such as microRNA (miRNA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA). However, the resulting datasets are often challenging to interpret as they include extensive information relating to both indirect transcription effects and off-target interference events. METHOD: In an attempt to refine the utility of microarray expression data when evaluating the direct transcriptional affects of an RNAi agent we have developed SBSE (Simple Bayesian Seed Estimate). The key assumption implemented in SBSE is that both direct regulation of transcription by miRNA, and siRNA off-target interference, can be estimated using the differential distribution of an RNAi sequence (seed) motif in a ranked 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) sequence repository. SBSE uses common microarray summary statistics (i.e. fold change) and a simple Bayesian analysis to estimate how the RNAi agent dictated the observed differential expression profile. On completion a trace of the estimate and the location of the optimal partitioning of the dataset are plotted within a simple graphical representation of the 3'UTR landscape. The combined estimates define the differential distribution of the query motif within the dataset and by inference are used to quantify the magnitude of the direct RNAi transcription effect. RESULTS: SBSE has been evaluated using five diverse human RNAi microarray focused investigations. In each instance SBSE unambiguously identified the most likely location of the direct RNAi effects for each of the differential gene expression profiles. CONCLUSION: These analyses indicate that miRNA with conserved seed regions may share minimal biological activity and that SBSE can be used to differentiate siRNAs of similar efficacy but with different off-target signalling potential.Peer Reviewe

The decision tree approach for the choice of freight transport mode : the shippers’ perspective in terms of seaport hinterland connections

The project is financed within the framework of the program of the Minister of Science and Higher Education under the name "Regional Excellence Initiative" in the years 2019 - 2022; project number 001/RID/2018/19; the amount of financing PLN 10,684,000.00Purpose: Current research in the area of transport decisions indicates that the key factors decisive for the mode choice are the cost and the time of transport. The complexity of behaviours and preferences of cargo shippers as well as the diversity of supply chain configurations, along with unavailability of an appropriate dataset hinder reliable forecasting the demand for transport and planning its development by means of quantitative methods. The aim of this article is to identify the factors that affect the decisions on mode choice by cargo shippers, based on data obtained by means of a qualitative method. Design/Methodology/Approach: The decision tree methodology was used in the analysis of the research study. To analyse the decision tree on the basis of C4.5. algorithm, the authors applied the J48 module of the WEKA 3.8.4. software. Findings: The research has shown that the major attributes in selecting transport modes by cargo shippers, taking into account access to three modes of transport to the seaports hinterland, are consignment size and time pressure, then owning or having access to barge terminals by cargo shippers, and the annual volume of cargoes generated by them. Practical Implications: The results of the analysis can be useful for managers of supply chain making decisions regarding the choice of transport route. Originality/Value: The developed decision tree model provides cargo shippers with a possibility of choosing three transport modes to carry cargoes to/from the seaports: road, rail, and inland shipping, which constitutes supplementation and expansion of the studies completed so far, which usually took into account only rail and road transport.peer-reviewe

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of epitaxial FeRh(001) ultra-thin films on W(100)

Epitaxial FeRh(100) films (CsCl structure, $\sim 10\ ML\$ thick), prepared {\it in-situ} on a W(100) single crystal substrate, have been investigated via valence band and core level photoemission. The presence of the temperature-induced, first-order, antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic (AF$\rightarrow$ FM) transition in these films has been verified via linear dichroism in photoemission from the Fe 3$p$ levels. Core level spectra indicate a large moment on the Fe atom, practically unchanged in the FM and AF phases. Judging from the valence band spectra, the metamagnetic transition takes place without substantial modification of the electronic structure. In the FM phase, the spin-resolved spectra compare satisfactorily to the calculated spin-polarized bulk band structure.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Technical And Economic Feasibility Study Of Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic And Energy Storage Systems At Illinois State University

Solar energy has come a long way since the turn of the century and has been proven to be a useful source of renewable energy from both an environmental, economic and educational standpoint. The advancement of energy storage technology has opened more doors to the capabilities of production for these systems. This study shows expected outcomes of potential locations on Illinois State University’s (ISU) campus. While there have been several studies conducted on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on campus none have analyzed the implementation of energy storage. We will use Google Earth Pro and Helioscope to conduct site analysis for a majority of the locations within campus for optimal placement of PV array systems. System Advisory Model will provide financial estimates and energy analysis that will cover the data collected through other tools. These methods give feedback and forecasts to the University. This study seeks to provide information as to how a combination of the two systems can lower demand during high demand hours ISU.https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/urs2021tec/1007/thumbnail.jp

Mixed topological semimetals driven by orbital complexity in two-dimensional ferromagnets

The concepts of Weyl fermions and topological semimetals emerging in three-dimensional momentum space are extensively explored owing to the vast variety of exotic properties that they give rise to. On the other hand, very little is known about semimetallic states emerging in two-dimensional magnetic materials, which present the foundation for both present and future information technology. Here, we demonstrate that including the magnetization direction into the topological analysis allows for a natural classification of topological semimetallic states that manifest in two-dimensional ferromagnets as a result of the interplay between spin-orbit and exchange interactions. We explore the emergence and stability of such mixed topological semimetals in realistic materials, and point out the perspectives of mixed topological states for current-induced orbital magnetism and current-induced domain wall motion. Our findings pave the way to understanding, engineering and utilizing topological semimetallic states in two-dimensional spin-orbit ferromagnets