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Mammals adjust diel activity across gradients of urbanization
Get PDFTime is a fundamental component of ecological processes. How animal behavior changes over time has been explored through well-known ecological theories like niche partitioning and predator–prey dynamics. Yet, changes in animal behavior within the shorter 24-hr light–dark cycle have largely gone unstudied. Understanding if an animal can adjust their temporal activity to mitigate or adapt to environmental change has become a recent topic of discussion and is important for effective wildlife management and conservation. While spatial habitat is a fundamental consideration in wildlife management and conservation, temporal habitat is often ignored. We formulated a temporal resource selection model to quantify the diel behavior of 8 mammal species across 10 US cities. We found high variability in diel activity patterns within and among species and species-specific correlations between diel activity and human population density, impervious land cover, available greenspace, vegetation cover, and mean daily temperature. We also found that some species may modulate temporal behaviors to manage both natural and anthropogenic risks. Our results highlight the complexity with which temporal activity patterns interact with local environmental characteristics, and suggest that urban mammals may use time along the 24-hr cycle to reduce risk, adapt, and therefore persist, and in some cases thrive, in human-dominated ecosystems
Reshoring the Semiconductor Industry Supply Chain: Analysis of Risks and Capabilities
Get PDFThe importance of supply chain resilience and semiconductor manufacturing has been discussed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its later disruptions to multiple industries (The White House, 2021). This paper uses frameworks developed by Pettit, Fiksel, and Croxton (2010), Ponomarov and Holcomb (2009), and Rao and Goldsby (2009) to identify the semiconductor industry’s risks, capabilities, and interdependencies through an analysis of 45 prominent semiconductor companies. The analysis was done on multiple levels. On the industry level, risks, and capabilities as well as their co-occurrences were analyzed. On the supply chain level, relationships were mapped using Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Semiconductor Industry Association data (SIA, 2021) to understand interdependency and interrelationships. Finally, a case study was developed to understand the impact of industry characteristics, interdependency, and supply chain risks and capabilities at the company level. The resulting overall analysis was used to analyze the relevance and viability of reshoring semiconductor manufacturing to the U.S. as a means of improving supply chain resilience. The results suggest a misbalance of the industry’s risk and capabilities. The most commonly identified risks, macroeconomic and natural uncertainty, were linked to the organization capability. However, that capability has not been found to address the environmental level risks the semiconductor companies identified. Instead, there are several other capabilities including flexibility in sourcing, anticipation, and adaption that are capable of addressing the risks the industry is most concerned about. Therefore, while reshoring could reduce risk, it may not be necessary if other solutions are thoroughly explored
Investigation of the Analytical Utility of the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) for the Quantification of Proteins via Lanthanide Labeling
Get PDFThe discovery and ability to provide an absolute concentration of biomarkers in the body can facilitate early diagnoses of diseases. This information can also be used for more accurate and unique treatments for those patients. While major advances in molecular mass spectrometry allows for a sensitive identification of these biomarkers, they are limited to only four orders of magnitude in their dynamic ranges. Due to this, detection and quantitation of low abundant proteins, which tend to make up these vital biomarkers, is very difficult. On the other hand, ICP-MS offers a wider dynamic range (up to 12 orders of magnitude) for quantitation of most metals. The goal of this work is to utilize metal (in particular, lanthanides) tagging to derivatize proteins for ICP-MS measurement. In this study we will report the preliminary analytical performance for a single quadrupole ICP-MS for the determination of lanthanides in solution as well as the first derivatization step of the proteins – conjugating a metal chelator to a protein
The Heart of the Problem: An Art Gallery Installation to Foster Dialogue on Heart Disease and the Privilege of Prevention
Get PDFWe are cautioned constantly about various harmful diseases. However, the deadliest disease tends to be overlooked. Heart disease takes the lives of more than half a million people in the United States every year, yet there is a lack of discussion to address the epidemic at hand (Hill). This is largely due to the “blame the victim” stigma surrounding the generally preventable range of complications. While 80% of cardiovascular disease is avoidable, not every individual has the means of achieving a lifestyle necessary in averting the conditions and their symptoms. For this creative art project, I want to encourage education and dialogue on heart disease and its corresponding preventative inequalities through traditional art media, drawing and painting, as well as art installation displayed in a gallery setting