Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Impact Of Climate Change On Human Health, Mary Snow, Richard Snow

Publications

Climate change is impacting human health. An obvious effect of a warmer environment is more frequent and severe heat waves. During the European heat wave of 2003, there were an estimated 35,000 more deaths than normal in the first two weeks of August. Many of the deaths resulted from cardiovascular complications among the elderly. As heat waves become more commonplace in the future, so will the number of heat strokes and the onset of other cardiovascular problems. Higher summertime temperatures also increase tropospheric ozone concentrations which in turn affects people with asthma and causes lung and heart damage. Increases in …

Strengthening Confidence In Climate Change Impact Science, Mary I. O'Connor, Johnna M. Holding, Carrie V. Kappel, Carlos M. Duarte, Keith Brander, Christopher J. Brown, John F. Bruno, Lauren Buckley, Michael T. Burrows, Benjamin S. Halpern, Wolfgang Kiessling, Pippa Moore, John M. Pandolfi, Camille Parmesan, Elvira S. Poloczanska, David S. Schoeman, William J. Sydeman, Anthony J. Richardson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: To assess confidence in conclusions about climate-driven biological change through time, and identify approaches for strengthening confidence scientific conclusions about ecological impacts of climate change. Location: Global. Methods: We outlined a framework for strengthening confidence in inferences drawn from biological climate impact studies through the systematic integration of prior expectations, long-term data and quantitative statistical procedures. We then developed a numerical confidence index (Cindex) and used it to evaluate current practices in 208 studies of marine climate impacts comprising 1735 biological time series. Results: Confidence scores for inferred climate impacts varied widely from 1 to 16 (very low to …

Land Use/Land Cover Changes And Regional Climate Over The Loess Plateau During 2001-2009 – Part I. Observed Evidences, Rezaul Mahmood

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Searching For Stochastic Gravitational Waves Using Data From The Two Colocated Ligo Hanford Detectors, J. Aasi, Marco Cavaglia, For Full List Of Authors, See Publisher's Website.

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Searches for a stochastic gravitational-wave background (SGWB) using terrestrial detectors typically involve cross-correlating data from pairs of detectors. The sensitivity of such cross-correlation analyses depends, among other things, on the separation between the two detectors: the smaller the separation, the better the sensitivity. Hence, a colocated detector pair is more sensitive to a gravitational-wave background than a noncolocated detector pair. However, colocated detectors are also expected to suffer from correlated noise from instrumental and environmental effects that could contaminate the measurement of the background. Hence, methods to identify and mitigate the effects of correlated noise are necessary to achieve the …

Old Dogs, New Tricks, Mark S. Peterson, Nancy J. Brown-Peterson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Two Perfluorinated Organic Compounds (Pfoa And Pfhxa) In Water And Biota Surrounding A Polyfluorinated Chemical Plant, Kevin S. Dillon

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) concentrations were measured in water and biota samples collected within and near a polyfluorinated chemical plant in coastal Mississippi. Effluents from the site and from the local public water treatment plant were sampled along with municipal water supplies, shallow groundwater beneath the site, nearby surface waters, and local biota. Highest concentrations were from stormwater ([PFOA] = 85—530 ng/l; PFHxA = 140—590 ng/l) and shallow groundwaters ([PFOA] = 44—1000 ng/l; PFHxA = 210—3100 ng/l) collected at the site. The local public water treatment effluent also had relatively high PFHxA concentrations (310—590 ng/l). Intermediate PFOA …

The Percy Roope Papers, Percy M. Roope

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

Percy M. Roope was a Professor of Physics at Clark University from 1921 to 1967. He was a student of Robert H. Goddard and was present at Goddard's first successful launch in 1926. His papers consist of interviews with him concerning Dr. Goddard and correspondence with him.

Technological Factors For The Sustainability Of The Small Business Entrepreneur, Noghor Pessu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Technical innovation creates challenges for the small business entrepreneur who uses global activities in the marketplace. Information technology and the technological innovations of the World Wide Web are driving competitiveness in the marketplace with a loss of market share for the individual business owner. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of a purposive sample of 20 small business owners in the metropolitan Atlanta area regarding the effect of technology, technological insertion, and application for long-term sustainability. Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory served as the conceptual framework of this study. Data were gathered …

Exploring Knowledge Management Practices In Service-Based Small Business Enterprises, Orlando Skelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business enterprises (SBEs) are significant contributors to business growth and employment in the United States, but despite governmental support, the failure rate of SBEs is high. Some small business leaders lack the critical management skills to detect or discover when underperformance in revenue-generation is due to gaps in organizational knowledge or business practices associated with managing knowledge assets. Guided by the knowledge-based view of the firm, the purpose of this multiple case study was to address that gap by exploring the skills needed by leaders to understand how deficiencies in their knowledge management practices contribute to underperformance. Semistructured interview …

Rural Year-Round Growing To Ameliorate A Possible Negative Effect From Climate Change, Kimberlie A. Brussa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggested that, as the world population grows, food and water shortages will become even more serious issues (IPPC's 2014 predictions about the future effects of climate change (CC), Year-round growing (YRG) may provide a way for communities to extend growing seasons, expand local farm systems, and provide food year round. This case study included a detailed analysis of responses from representatives of all sectors of rural Mesa County, Colorado, regarding YRG and a local food and farm plan due to CC. The case was bounded by time (6 months of data collection) which …

Exploring Government Contractor Experiences Assessing And Reporting Software Development Status, Putnam P. Texel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reports from academic, commercial, and government organizations have documented software-intensive system cost and schedule overruns for decades. These reports have identified lack of management insight into the software development process as one of many contributing factors. Multiple management mechanisms exist. However, these mechanisms do not support the assessment, and subsequent reporting, of software completion status. Additionally, the conceptual framework, based on industry standards, is limited in its relevance to this study due to an emphasis on what is needed while deferring implementation details. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore U.S. government contractors' lived experiences of assessing and …

Exploring Strategies For Retaining Information Technology Professionals: A Case Study, Shannon J. Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the 21st century, retaining information technology (IT) professionals is critical to a company's productivity and overall success. Senior IT leaders need effective strategies to retain skilled IT professionals. Guided by the general systems theory and the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore the retention strategies used by 2 senior IT leaders in Atlanta, Georgia to retain IT professionals. Semistructured interviews were employed to elicit detailed narratives from these IT leaders on their experiences in retaining IT professionals. A review of company documents, as well as member-checking of initial interview transcripts, helped …

Nitrate In Private Wells:Knowledge, Oppinions,And Perceptions Of Stakeholders, Augustus D. Jaja

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine data describing nitrate concentration and cases of congenital cardiac defects. Residents with private wells and other stakeholders need data to make informed environmental decisions about the adverse health implications of nitrate contamination of private well water. Researchers have examined the exposure of nitrate in contaminated groundwater, but they have not examined nitrate levels in unregulated water systems. This gap in the literature highlighted the need to provide nitrate data for future research and private well users. Guided by the social ecological model, a quantitative, cross-sectional, nonexperimental design was used to survey …

Correlations Between Childhood Obesity And Obesogenic Environmental Variables Within Durham County, North Carolina, Eureka Capri Daye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The application of geographic information systems was used to map obesogenic conditions by zip code tabulation areas in Durham County, North Carolina and evaluated associations between those conditions and the understudied area of early childhood obesity. Of the thirty one percent of the children in Durham County, North Carolina who were considered obese in 2010, four hundred and thirty three (1:5) 2 - 4 year old children who received supplemental nutrition services for women, infants and children were obese with BMI levels greater or equal to the 95th percentile and were used as the criterion variable in the study (N=433). …

Financial Statement Disclosure Of Carbon Footprint Costs In The Airline Industry, Carol Anne Tuck-Riggs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unaccountable corporate polluters profit short term at the expense of global economic sustainability. The purpose of the study was to determine if carbon dioxide (CO2) penalties on the airline emissions would result in financial statement disclosure and emission mitigation. Contributing to environmental accounting, the study was based in corporate social responsibility with a conceptual framework based on economically-centered CO2 studies. A random sample of 69 global airlines, taken from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) memberships, was stratified between EU bound and non-EU bound airlines. The research questions explored (a) the frequency mean …

Climate Change Implications For Health-Care Waste Incineration Trends During Emergency Situations, Emilia Mmbando Raila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare waste (HCW) incineration practices in the global South countries are among the major sources of black carbon (BC) emissions or smoke. This study analyzes HCW incineration trends during emergency situations and smoke from HCW incineration processes in Haiti. The study was prompted by the current arguments about the climate change and the growing health effects associated with BC emissions. The conceptual framework was based on both adverse health effects from BC emissions exposure and climate change potential of BC emissions. Therefore, the goal was to determine whether cardboard HCW sharps containers emit lower BC emissions to the atmosphere during …

Applying The Analytic Hierarchy Process To Oil Sands Environmental Compliance Risk Management, Izak Johannes Roux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oil companies in Alberta, Canada, invested $32 billion on new oil sands projects in 2013. Despite the size of this investment, there is a demonstrable deficiency in the uniformity and understanding of environmental legislation requirements that manifest into increased project compliance risks. This descriptive study developed 2 prioritized lists of environmental regulatory compliance risks and mitigation strategies and used multi-criteria decision theory for its theoretical framework. Information from compiled lists of environmental compliance risks and mitigation strategies was used to generate a specialized pairwise survey, which was piloted by 5 subject matter experts (SMEs). The survey was validated by a …

Distinguishing Leadership Of Information Assurance Teams, Bamidele Adetokunbo Bankole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information assurance (IA) projects are essential components of the information technology industry and often fail due to budget overruns, missed deadlines, and lack of performance by the project teams. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the strategies necessary to improve IA project team performance. Lewin's situational leadership theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Interviews were conducted with 20 IA professionals located in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. The data were transcribed, coded, and clustered for the identification of common patterns based on the Moustakas' modified van Kaam analysis. The major themes that emerged …

Reassessment Of Risk Genotypes (Grn, Tmem106b, And Abcc9 Variants) Associated With Hippocampal Sclerosis Of Aging Pathology, Peter T. Nelson, Wang-Xia Wang, Amanda B. Partch, Sarah E. Monsell, Otto Valladares, Sally R. Ellingson, Bernard R. Wilfred, Adam C. Naj, Li-San Wang, Walter A. Kukull, David W. Fardo

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a common high-morbidity neurodegenerative condition in elderly persons. To understand the risk factors for HS-Aging, we analyzed data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium and correlated the data with clinical and pathologic information from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database. Overall, 268 research volunteers with HS-Aging and 2,957 controls were included; detailed neuropathologic data were available for all. The study focused on single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously associated with HS-Aging risk: rs5848 ( GRN ), rs1990622 ( TMEM106B ), and rs704180 ( ABCC9 ). Analyses of a subsample that was not previously evaluated (51 HS-Aging cases …

Use Of Lidar-Derived Terrain And Vegetation Information In A Deciduous Forest In Kentucky, Wesley A. Staats

Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources

The use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) information is gaining popularity, however its use has been limited in deciduous forests. This thesis describes two studies using LiDAR data in an Eastern Kentucky deciduous forest. The first study quantifies vertical error of LiDAR derived digital elevation models (DEMs) which describe the forests terrain. The study uses a new method which eliminates Global Positioning System (GPS) error. The study found that slope and slope variability both significantly affect DEM error and should be taken in to account when using LiDAR derived DEMs. The second study uses LiDAR derived forest vegetation and …

Long Island Horseshoe Crab Network Annual Inventory Report, Cercom, Molloy University, John Tanacredi Ph.D., Sixto E. Portilla

CERCOM Reports

Considerable concern regarding the abundance of the North American Horseshoe Crab (HSC), Limulus polyphemus, along the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware prompted past moratoriums on collecting HSC for bait in New Jersey. The parallel population decline in migratory shorebirds such as Red Knots, Calidris canutus, Ruddy Turnstones, Arenaria interpres, and others that seasonally feed on the copious quantities of HSC eggs laid along this shoreline resulted in reduced HSC collection permits to numbers considered sustainable. In New York State’s Marine District, which is mostly comprised of the Long Island coastline, there is no reliable or routine inventory network existing …

Advances And Applications Of Dezert-Smarandache Theory (Dsmt) For Information Fusion (Collected Works), Vol. 4, Florentin Smarandache, Jean Dezert

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The fourth volume on Advances and Applications of Dezert-Smarandache Theory (DSmT) for information fusion collects theoretical and applied contributions of researchers working in different fields of applications and in mathematics. The contributions (see List of Articles published in this book, at the end of the volume) have been published or presented after disseminating the third volume (2009, http://fs.unm.edu/DSmT-book3.pdf) in international conferences, seminars, workshops and journals.

First Part of this book presents the theoretical advancement of DSmT, dealing with Belief functions, conditioning and deconditioning, Analytic Hierarchy Process, Decision Making, Multi-Criteria, evidence theory, combination rule, evidence distance, conflicting belief, sources of evidences …

Constrained Optimization Of Average Arrival Time Via A Probabilistic Approach To Transport Reliability, Mohammad-Reza Namazi-Rad, Michelle E. Dunbar, Hadi Ghaderi, Payam Mokhtarian

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

To achieve greater transit-time reduction and improvement in reliability of transport services, there is an increasing need to assist transport planners in understanding the value of punctuality; i.e. the potential improvements, not only to service quality and the consumer but also to the actual profitability of the service. In order for this to be achieved, it is important to understand the network-specific aspects that affect both the ability to decrease transit-time, and the associated cost-benefit of doing so. In this paper, we outline a framework for evaluating the effectiveness of proposed changes to average transit-time, so as to determine the …

Exploring Agency Relationship In Transport Service Sector By Analysing Traveller Choice Behaviour, Ahm Mehbub Anwar, A Kiet Tieu, Peter Gibson, Matthew J. Berryman, Khin Than Win, Andrew Mccusker, Pascal Perez

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Examining travellers’ preferences for mode choices to understand a rela-tionship between traveller and transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) from the perspective of agency theory (AT) is the main focus of this paper. This paper emphasises on latent and traditional objective attributes to as-sess the mode choice process within the agency relationship as indicated in AT as a method by which the utility of the principal (traveller) can be max-imised. It is found that the probability of car use is significantly higher than public transport due to mismatch between traveller expectations and present transport services and it indicates an existence …

Pathway Variation Analysis (Pva): Modelling And Simulations, Nagesh Shukla, Sudi Lahiri, Darek Ceglarek

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Maintaining a care pathway within a hospital to provide complex care to patients is associated with challenges related to variations from the pathway. This occurs due to ineffective decision-making processes, unclear process steps, the interactions, conflicting performance measures for speciality units, and the availability of resources. These variations from the care pathway or standard care delivery processes lead to longer patient waiting times and lower patient throughput. Traditional approaches to improve the pathway focus primarily on reducing variations within the care pathway such as bottlenecks or throughput within the pathway rather than examining variations from the care pathway. In this …

A Utility-Driven Approach To Supplier Evaluation And Selection: Empirical Validation Of An Integrated Solution Framework, Alptekin Ulutas, Nagesh Shukla, Senevi Kiridena, Peter Gibson

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Supplier evaluation and selection (SES) problems have long been studied, leading to the development of a wide range of individual and hybrid models for solving them. However, the lack of widespread diffusion of existing SES models in the industry points to a need for simpler models that can systematically evaluate both qualitative and quantitative attributes of potential suppliers while enhancing the flexibility decision-makers need to account for relevant situational factors. Furthermore, empirical validations of existing models in SES have been few and far between. With a view to addressing these issues, this paper proposes an integrated solution framework that can …

An Approach To Plan And Evaluate The Location Of Radiotherapy Services And Its Application In The New South Wales, Australia, Nagesh Shukla, Rohan Wickramasuriya, Andrew Alexis Miller, Pascal Perez

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

No abstract provided.

Mining A System: The Use Of Data Mining And System Dynamics To Explore Technology Integration, Sarah Katherine Howard, Jun Ma, Jie Yang, Kate Thompson

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Abstract presented at the 16th Biennial EARLI Conference for Research on Learning and Instruction, 25-29 August 2015, Limassol, Cyprus

Optimal Urban Development Density Along A Multi-Modal Linear Travel Corridor With Time-Distance Toll Scheme, David Wang, Bo Du

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Consider a travel corridor with a multi-modal transport system (i.e., highway and railway) that connects a continuum of residential locations to a point of CBD. Both highway and railway are subject to congestion effects. All commuters travel along the corridor from home to work in the morning peak hour. The travel costs include travel time, schedule delay and monetary cost. The spatial dynamics of the traffic congestion on both transportation systems are determined by the trip-timing condition, that no traveler will experience a lower travel cost by departing at a different time or switching to a different mode. The flow …

Principles And Experimentations Of Self-Organizing Embedded Agents Allowing Learning From Demonstration In Ambient Robotic, Nicolas R. Verstaevel, Christine Regis, Marie-Pierre Gleizes, Fabrice Robert

SMART Infrastructure Facility - Papers

Ambient systems are populated by many heterogeneous devices to provide adequate services to its users. The adaptation of an ambient system to the specific needs of its users is a challenging task. Because human-system interaction has to be as natural as possible, we propose an approach based on Learning from Demonstration (LfD). However, using LfD in ambient systems needs adaptivity of the learning technique. We present ALEX, a multi-agent system able to dynamically learn and reuse contexts from demonstrations performed by a tutor. Results of experiments performed on both a real and a virtual robot show interesting properties of our …