Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Population Genetic Analyses Of Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus) Life History Types In Nettilling Lake & Amadjuak River Ecosystem: A Test Of Reproductive Isolation, Chen Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A great number of studies have identified strong genetic differences between sympatric anadromous and resident populations of Salmonidae. However, Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) migratory phenotypes in the Nettilling Lake and Amadjuak River ecosystem in Nunavut, Canada have not been genetically characterized, and it remains unclear if distinct genotypes and phenotypes associated with migratory life history differences are maintained through reproductive isolation, and they have been assumed to be sympatric populations, or co-occurring populations. Co-occurring Arctic char (n=225) were sampled from eleven sites along the Amadjuak River in 2014 and 2015. Twelve microsatellite loci were used to quantify genetic variation among …

Assessing The Adaptive Capacity Of An Arctic Seabird To Increasing Frequency In Predation Risk From Polar Bears Using Behavioural And Physiological Metrics, Erica Anne Geldart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Predator-prey dynamics in the Arctic are being altered with changing sea-ice phenology. The increasing frequency of predation on colonial nesting seabird eggs by a rare predator - the polar bear (Ursus maritimus), is a consequence of bears shifting to terrestrial food resources through a shortened seal-hunting season. I study a colony of nesting common eiders (Somateria mollissima) on Mitivik (East Bay) Island, Nunavut, Canada, that is exposed to established nest predators such as arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), but has recently experienced an increase in polar bear nest predation due to the bears’ lost on-ice hunting opportunities. Given eiders’ limited eco-evolutionary …

Discovering High-Profit Product Feature Groups By Mining High Utility Sequential Patterns From Feature-Based Opinions, Priyanka Motwani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Extracting a group of features together instead of a single feature from the mined opinions, such as “{battery, camera, design} of a smartphone,” may yield higher profit to the manufactures and higher customer satisfaction, and these can be called High Profit Feature Groups (HPFG). The accuracy of Opinion-Feature Extraction can be improved if more complex sequential patterns of customer reviews are learned and included in the user-behavior analysis to obtain relevant frequent feature groups. Existing Opinion-Feature Extraction systems that use Data Mining techniques with some sequences include those referred to in this thesis as Rashid13OFExt, Rana18OFExt, and HPFG19_HU. Rashid13OFExt …

Transmission Data Rate Control Based Mechanism For Congestion Control In Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (Vanet), Srihari Jayachandran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANET) supporting Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (v2I) communication can increase the efficiency and safety of the road transportation systems. VANET typically uses wireless communication technology and in scenarios with high vehicle densities, the communication channel faces congestion, negatively impacting the reliability of the safety applications. To prevent this, the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) has proposed the Decentralized Congestion Control (DCC) methodology to effectively control the channel load, by controlling various message transmission parameters like message rate, data rate, and transmission power. Currently, most research works focus on the transmission power to control congestion, while the …

Assessing Changes In Clusters Of Wildlife Road Mortalities After The Construction Of Wildlife Mitigation Structures, Thomas J. Yamashita, Trinity D. Livingston, Kevin W. Ryer, John H. Young Jr., Richard Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Collisions with vehicles can be a major threat to wildlife populations, so wildlife mitigation structures, including exclusionary fencing and wildlife crossings, are often constructed. To assess mitigation structure effectiveness, it is useful to compare wildlife road mortalities (WRMs) before, during, and after mitigation structure construction; however, differences in survey methodologies may make comparisons of counts impractical. Location-based cluster analyses provide a means to assess how WRM spatial patterns have changed over time. We collected WRM data between 2015 and 2019 on State Highway 100 in Texas, USA. Five wildlife crossings and exclusionary fencing were installed in this area between September …

Employees Breaking Bad With Technology: An Exploratory Analysis Of Human Factors That Drive Cyberspace Insider Threats, Marcus L. Green

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As implementation of computer systems has continued to grow in business contexts, employee-driven cyberspace infractions have also grown in number. Employee cyberspace behaviors have continued to have detrimental effects on company computer systems. Actions that violate company cybersecurity policies can be either malicious or unmalicious. Solutions, by and large, have been electronic and centered on hardware and software. Those proposing solutions have begun to shift their focus to human risk vulnerabilities.

This study was novel in that its focus was identification of individual, cultural, and technological risk factors that drive cyberspace insider threat activities. Identifying factors that reduce insider threat …

Spectrumsdt: A Program For Parallel Calculation Of Coupled Rotational-Vibrational Energies And Lifetimes Of Bound States And Scattering Resonances In Triatomic Systems, Igor Gayday, Alexander Teplukhin, Jonathan Moussa, Dmitri Babikov

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

We present SpectrumSDT – a program for calculations of energies and lifetimes of bound rotational-vibrational states below and scattering resonances above the dissociation threshold on a global potential energy surface of a triatomic system, which may include stable molecules, weekly-bound van-der-Waals complexes, and unbound atom + diatom scattering systems. Large-amplitude vibrational motion is treated explicitly using hyper-spherical coordinates. Three options for the rotational-vibrational interaction are supported: uncoupled (symmetric top rotor), partially coupled (to include interaction between several nearest states only) and full-coupled (vibrating asymmetric-top rotor). In addition to energies and lifetimes, SpectrumSDT is able to integrate ro-vibrational wave functions over …

44th Biennial Convention Of Sigma Gamma Epsilon Eastern Illinois University: Charleston, Illinois September 22 – 24, 2017, James Walters, Paula Even

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The 44th Biennial Convention of Sigma Gamma Epsilon, the national honor society in the Earth Sciences, was held September 22 through 24, 2017 on the campus of Eastern Illinois University (EIU). The meeting was hosted by Gamma Chi Chapter of SGE in the Department of Geology/Geography. As part of the meeting, a local field trip to investigate the area’s geology was led by Dr. Diane Burns, Chair of the Geology/Geography Department at EIU. This report summarizes the Convention and includes information on the deliberations and actions of the attendees.

Geology In And Around Charleston, Il: Rocky Branch Conservation Area & Charleston Quarry Field Trip, Diane M. Burns

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

A field trip guide for Rocky Branch Conservation area and Charleston Quarry, in and around Charleston, Illinois. This field trip occurred during the 44^th Biennial Convention at Charleston, IL on September 23^rd, 2017.

Soil Not Oil: An Assessment Of The Role Of Earth Jurisprudence In Restoring Biodiversity Conservation In The Indigenous Bagungu Community, In Uganda, Joslyn Primicias

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

An Earth-centered way of living is essential in Western Uganda, along with many more repressed regions affected by giant corporate evils. The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of Earth Jurisprudence in the restoration of conservation in the Indigenous Bagungu community. More specifically, this study examines the customary laws and rituals used by the Bagungu, the strategies used to decolonize their culture, and their perspectives on foreign influence and globalization. Key-informant interviews were conducted with seven custodians and questionnaire-led interviews were administered to thirty-one clan members from the districts of Buliisa and Hoima. The study sample size …

Review: Veratrum Californicum Alkaloids, Madison L. Dirks, Jared T. Seale, Joseph M. Collins, Owen M. Mcdougal

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Veratrum spp. grow throughout the world and are especially prevalent in high mountain meadows of North America. All parts of Veratrum plants have been used for the treatment of ailments including injuries, hypertension, and rheumatic pain since as far back as the 1600s. Of the 17–45 Veratrum spp., Veratrum californicum alkaloids have been proven to possess favorable medicinal properties associated with inhibition of hedgehog (Hh) pathway signaling. Aberrant Hh signaling leads to proliferation of over 20 cancers, including basal cell carcinoma, prostate and colon among others. Six of the most well-studied V. californicum alkaloids are cyclopamine (1), veratramine (2) …

Reinvigorating A Technical Countering Weapons Of Mass Destruction Distance Learning Graduate Certificate Program, James C. Petrosky, Gaiven Varshney, Jeremy Slagley, Sara Shaghaghi

Faculty Publications

Current Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) demands can be divided broadly into policy and science. The science of chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear weapons informs the limits of development, production, employment, operation, detection, risk characterization, human and material protection, and medical intervention. In short, the science of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should precede and inform the development of policy. It is to this end that the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) CWMD program was re-established, providing a technical educational option for practitioners to understand the science behind a very technically challenging subject.

45th Biennial Convention Of Sigma Gamma Epsilon Virtual Meeting Hosted By Eastern Illinois University April 10, 2021, James Walters, Paula Even

The Compass: Earth Science Journal of Sigma Gamma Epsilon

The 45th Biennial Convention of Sigma Gamma Epsilon, the national honor society in the Earth Sciences, was originally scheduled for April 3 – 5, 2020 at The University of Tennessee at Martin, but it was postponed until April 10, 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Since COVID-19 was still a serious issue this spring, the SGE National Council decided to conduct this meeting in a virtual format using the Zoom platform. The meeting was hosted by SGE Gamma Chi Chapter in the Department of Geology/Geography at Eastern Illinois University and presided over by Dr. Diane Burns, Chair of the Department …

Impacts Of Climate Change In Vulnerable Communities In Sindh, Pakistan: Voices From The Community, Kiren Khan, Mumraiz Khan, Tahira Parveen, Sabahat Hussain

Climate and Environmental Changes

Pakistan ranks among the ten countries worst affected by climate change in the world, and within the country the province of Sindh is one of the hardest-hit regions. Changing trends in temperature and precipitation have increased the frequency and severity of hazards such as flooding, droughts, and heatwaves, among a host of other environmental stresses. The present qualitative study was conducted to scope out the specific ways in which the impacts of climate change are gendered among rural communities in Sindh that have the highest exposure to hazards arising from climate change. The study probed the perceptions and experiences of …

Ultra-Low Frequency Waves At Middle Latitudes During Substorms: Observations And Modeling, Mergen Alimaganbetov

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This doctoral dissertation presents the results of investigation of the Ultra-Low Frequency (ULF) waves at middle latitudes during substorms. The dissertation consists of two major parts, observations and simulations. The research in this dissertation proposes that the main role in the generation of ULF waves at middle latitudes during substorm belongs to the plasmapause.

The first part of the dissertation presents results of the data analysis of 84 intense substorm events as well as an overview of space observation programs such as CRRES, Van Allen Probes and DMSP. Data used in this study are from the ACE satellite taken measurements …

Eargate: Gait-Based User Identification With In-Ear Microphones, Andrea Ferlini, Dong Ma, Cecilia Mascolo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Human gait is a widely used biometric trait for user identification and recognition. Given the wide-spreading, steady diffusion of earworn wearables (Earables) as the new frontier of wearable devices, we investigate the feasibility of earable-based gait identification. Specifically, we look at gait-based identification from the sounds induced by walking and propagated through the musculoskeletal system in the body. Our system, EarGate, leverages an in-ear facing microphone which exploits the earable’s occlusion effect to reliably detect the user’s gait from inside the ear canal, without impairing the general usage of earphones. With data collected from 31 subjects, we show that EarGate …

An Exploratory Study Of Social Support Systems To Help Older Adults In Managing Mobile Safety, Tamir Mendel, Debin Gao, David Lo, Eran Toch

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Older adults face increased safety challenges, such as targeted online fraud and phishing, contributing to the growing technological divide between them and younger adults. Social support from family and friends is often the primary way older adults receive help, but it may also lead to reliance on others. We have conducted an exploratory study to investigate older adults' attitudes and experiences related to mobile social support technologies for mobile safety. We interviewed 18 older adults about their existing support and used the think-aloud method to gather data about a prototype for providing social support during mobile safety challenges. Our findings …

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter, October 2021, University Of Northern Iowa. Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Iowa Waste Reduction Center Newsletter

Inside this Issue:

--- A Successful IRA Conference
--- Saving Scraps: A Culinary Competition
--- Calendar
--- Welcome Jordan Burrows!
--- Industry News

Development-Induced Displacement In Kiryandongo District: A Case Study Of The Karuma Hydroelectric Power Plant, Remington Fritz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper assesses the effects of the development induced displacement due to the Karuma Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Awoo village and surrounding areas in Karuma Town. Recently, Uganda has pursued several large-scale development projects that have repeatedly displaced people. Despite having strong displacement and resettlement framework, there is a continued pattern of failing to implement such framework, threatening the livelihood and well-being of those displaced.

Interview with key informants from several government agencies, such as the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development the National Environmental Management Authority and Ugandan Generation Electricity Company Ltd have illustrated the political framework and …

An Eventful Past Predicting A Bizarre Future: Assessing The Influence Of Ocean Circulation On Key Fish Species In Icelandic Waters. An Analysis Of Past Circulation Records In Order To Predict The State Of Demersal Fish Stocks In Future Climate Scenarios, Matthew Engfer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Feedback-driven changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation are affecting marine ecosystems off the coast of Iceland and are predicted to have differing outcomes by 2100. In this study, data reflecting Icelandic fish stock distributions was compiled on a map with oceanographic temperature and depth in order to observe patterns of population changes with changes in ocean currents. After evaluating past temperature effects on demersal fish stocks, future habitat predictions were estimated in weaker ocean circulation scenarios. A number of assumptions were made in order to pinpoint a correlation between ocean temperature and fish habitat. Iceland’s unique location and climate offers …

Letters To A Glacier; An Experiment And Critique Of M. Jackson’S Glacier-Ruins Narrative, Lily Fife Schaeufele

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

“Words are events, they do things, change things. They transform both speaker and hearer; they feed energy back and forth and amplify it. They feed understanding or emotion back and forth and amplify it.” —Ursula K. Le Guin

Letters to a Glacier; The Buoy Project Isafjordur is an ongoing invitation to the people of Isafjordur to write a letter to a specific glacier in Iceland onto a collection of discarded buoys gathered from the Isafjorudur and Bolungarvik junk yards. Over a period of two days on November 9th and 10th, I actively invited customers in the local cafe Heimabyggð to …

A Phenological Analysis Of Páramo Vegetation Along An Altitudinal Gradient: The Influence Of Camelids On Andean Flora In The Páramo Of Chimborazo, Ecuador, Tessa Seifried

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study hopes to reveal the mechanisms behind camelid-plant interactions in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador, which is known for having a large population of domesticated alpacas (Vicugna pacos), along with wild vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) that were reintroduced into the area 30 years ago. These camelid species, especially vicuñas, are understudied within Ecuador in regards to their effects on plant composition, diversity, and spatial phenology. To gain a better insight into this topic, three sites were chosen: a site inhabited by only vicuña, a site inhabited by only alpaca, and a site inhabited by both species. The vicuña site sat …

Science Is For Everybody: A Resource For Understanding Glaciers, Climate, And Modeling, Emma Watson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change threatens the existence of glaciers worldwide. In order to properly interact with these changing systems, we must first understand them. Glacial models provide an excellent way to do this; however, the language and mathematical concepts used in their creation is generally inaccessible to a common audience. This project presents an online resource for a general audience to interact with climate science, glaciology, and glacial modeling. Long term goals for the project include the incorporation of a glacial model of Drangajökull, Vestfirðir, NW Iceland. As such, focus for the project includes a literature review of glaciers, Drangajökull in particular, …

Expanding Temperature Sensing For The Orion Bms 2, Samuel J. Parker

University Honors Theses

Formula SAE (FSAE) is an annual collegiate design competition that takes place across the globe. Portland State University’s team, Viking Motorsports, was committed to designing an Electric Vehicle (EV) for the 2021 FSAE competition. The team designed a completely custom lithium-ion cell battery that is managed by an Orion BMS 2 battery management system. The FSAE rulebook requires a robust temperature monitoring system for any EV power supply. The Orion BMS 2 can only directly collect data from eight temperature sensors, which is not enough to meet FSAE regulation. However, the BMS can be configured to monitor many more sensors …

An Evaluation Of The Organic Carbon Content Found In Fucus Vesiculosus And Ascophyllum Nodosum From Skutulsfjörður And Eyjafjörður, Iceland, Sylvie Alexander

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In response to global warming and changing climate, carbon sequestration through macroalgal cultivation has emerged as a possible climate change mitigation technique. Macroalgal cultivation’s relationship to carbon sequestration however is still not well understood. It is imperative to understand macroalgae’s connection to carbon sequestration to evaluate if macroalgal cultivation can help combat climate change. There is a gap in literature regarding the carbon content of Icelandic macroalgae and therefore the contribution of Icelandic macroalgae to national and global carbon sequestration estimates. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by evaluating organic carbon content of Fucus vesiculosus and Ascophyllum nodosum …

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Of Transportation And Driving Habits At Gettysburg College, Flavia Soctto D'Antuono, Megan G. Wojnar

Student Publications

By tracking the overall emissions put out by a college campus, mitigation strategies can be researched to lower total emissions. This study utilized a survey for both the student body and faculty and staff members at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This survey allowed this study to answer three research questions; what is the total number of Scope 3 emissions at Gettysburg College, how do these findings compare to findings from 2009 and the 2016 STARS report for Gettysburg College, and if any potential mitigation strategies are welcomed by the campus community. This study examined five major driving related emission …

Field Study Of Potential Relocation Sites For The Adams County Farmers’ Market, Patrick J. Canty, Michael S. Iodice

Student Publications

Farmers markets are an essential part of a community's culture and provide a vital service to all of its members. Currently, the Adam’s County Farmers Market is at a crossroads, as the lease it has on its current location is up and they must consider where they will go next. The purpose of this study is to assist the market in finding the best location in Gettysburg by analyzing the potential sites and providing a numerical score to compare each site. Four potential locations were used in this study: Constitution Lot, Lutheran Seminary, Recreation Park and the Existing site location. …

Synthesis And Pharmacological Studies Of Ph-Sensitive, Allosteric, And Bivalent Ligands As Modulators Of Gpcrs, Ricardo Rosas Jr.

Dissertations (1934 -)

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are cell surface receptors that transduce extracellular signals into intracellular effector pathways via heterotrimeric G protein dependent and independent pathways. GPCRs are involved in numerous physiological processes and are implicated in pathological signaling for numerous diseases. Described herein are novel approaches towards the modulation of two specific Class A GPCRs: protease activated receptor 1 (PAR1) and the mu opioid receptor (MOR). Chapter 1 provides a general introduction to GPCRs, which includes structures, signaling, and putative heteromer formation. Chapters 2 and 5 provide background information on PARs and the MOR, respectively. Diverse approaches towards the modulation of …

Uncovering Patterns In Reviewers' Feedback To Scene Description Authors, Rosiana Natalie, Jolene Kar Inn Loh, Huei Suen Tan, Joshua Shi-Hao Tseng, Hernisa Kacorri, Kotaro Hara

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Audio descriptions (ADs) can increase access to videos for blind people. Researchers have explored different mechanisms for generating ADs, with some of the most recent studies involving paid novices; to improve the quality of their ADs, novices receive feedback from reviewers. However, reviewer feedback is not instantaneous. To explore the potential for real-time feedback through automation, in this paper, we analyze 1,120 comments that 40 sighted novices received from a sighted or a blind reviewer. We find that feedback patterns tend to fall under four themes: (i) Quality; commenting on different AD quality variables, (ii) Speech Act; the utterance or …

Sylpeniot: Symmetric Lightweight Predicate Encryption For Data Privacy Applications In Iot Environments, Tran Viet Xuan Phuong, Willy Susilo, Guomin Yang, Jongkil Kim, Yangwai Chow, Dongxi Liu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Privacy preserving mechanisms are essential for protecting data in IoT environments. This is particularly challenging as IoT environments often contain heterogeneous resource-constrained devices. One method for protecting privacy is to encrypt data with a pattern or metadata. To prevent information leakage, an evaluation using the pattern must be performed before the data can be retrieved. However, the computational costs associated with typical privacy preserving mechanisms can be costly. This makes such methods ill-suited for resource-constrained devices, as the high energy consumption will quickly drain the battery. This work solves this challenging problem by proposing SyLPEnIoT – Symmetric Lightweight Predicate Encryption …