Digital Commons Network^™

Fisheries Research Report No. 354: Recreational Fishing For Abalone In Western Australia In 2024/2025 - Estimates Of Participation, Effort And Catch, Claire B. Smallwood, Karina L. Ryan, Lachlan W. Strain

Fisheries Research Reports

The Western Australian Recreational Abalone Fishery (RAF) operates in shallow coastal waters as a hand collection fishery while wading or diving. Three species of abalone are allowed to be caught. Roe’s abalone (Haliotis roei) are generally collected while wading from the shore in accessible nearshore reef complexes along the West and South Coast Bioregions. Greenlip abalone (H. laevigata) and Brownlip abalone (H. conicopora) are collected while wading (including snorkelling and freediving) and diving (using compressed air) predominantly along the South Coast Bioregion.

Recreational fishing for the three abalone species is licensed and highly regulated, especially in the Western Zone (which …

Carbon Footprint Of Carrots In Western Australia, Christophe D'Abbadie, Saloomeh Akbari, Sang Ravindran

Horticulture research reports

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive carbon accounting study conducted on carrot production in the Myalup area of Western Australia.

The study reveals that carrot emissions are approximately 81 kg CO2e per tonne of carrot sold from the April harvest and 76 kg CO2e per tonne from the October harvest, when using rejected carrots for other economic uses. These figures represent competitive emissions intensities compared to international benchmarks.

Key findings include:

• Yield improvement is the primary driver for emissions reduction: Increasing productivity, without proportional input increases, offers the most effective pathway to lower emissions’ intensity while improving economic …

“Toward A World Where Many Worlds Fit”: Thinking-Feeling Our Way In The Pluriverse, Michael Burns

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Dr. Michael Burns, English, shares "Toward a 'World Where Many Worlds Fit': Thinking-Feeling Our Way into the Pluriverse" Recording shares the lecture portion. Following the lecture participants shared their thoughts with one another.

Evolution Of Agricultural Emissions Calculations In Australia: Methodological And Calculator Refinements And Their Impact On Western Australia’S Agricultural Carbon Footprint, Christophe D'Abbadie

Climate Science Published Reports

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting is fundamental to positioning Australian agricultural products competitively in global markets, enabling supply chain stakeholders to make informed decisions, and understanding the trade-offs between market demands, policy requirements, consumer expectations, and intergenerational responsibilities.

Recent methodological refinements to emissions methodologies have enhanced the accuracy of GHG accounting in Western Australian (WA) agriculture. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has collaborated in these improvements through collaborative research with universities and federal agencies and advocacy for Western Australia-specific emission factors.

Methodological refinements have improved the accuracy of WA agricultural emissions estimates by 6% overall, providing …

3d Visualization For Teaching And Learning In Organic Chemistry: Orbital Hybridization And Bonding, Bao Le, Jeffrey Hansen

Annual Student Research Poster Session

This research focuses on developing techniques to create 3D visualizations for use in an electronic textbook. In this age of technology, traditional textbooks have become less appealing to the new generation compared to phones or tablets. Student learning can be enhanced by not only bringing the textbook online but also elevating the comprehensive experience for the students with 3D animations. We will show how animations of orbital hybridization and chemical bonding are made in Blender using Signed Distance Field (SDF) modeling. The orbitals’ models are mathematically combined allowing for smooth animation. We have used this technique to animate the transformation …

Adipose Tissue Estrogen Receptor-Alpha Overexpression Ameliorates High-Fat Diet–Induced Adipose Tissue Inflammation, Marion C. Hope, Christian A. Unger, M. Chase Kettering, Cassidy E. Socia, Ahmed K. Aladhami, Barton C. Rice, Darya S. Niamira, Ben P. Wiznitzer, Diego Altomare Ph.D., William E. Cotham, Reilly T. Enos

Faculty Publications

Context

We created an innovative mouse model that enables inducible overexpression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα), specifically in adipose tissue (Adipo-ERα↑). Objective

We aimed to investigate how elevated Adipo-ERα↑ influences the development of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in both male and female mice. Methods

Male and female Adipo-ERα↑ mice and littermate controls were fed a low-fat diet (LFD) or HFD for 13 weeks. Adipo-ERα↑ was induced at the initiation of dietary treatment. Body morphology and composition, hepatic lipid accumulation, glucose tolerance, fasting insulin concentrations, and adipose tissue mRNA profiling were assessed. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to determine circulating and adipose …

Learn To Fly: Enabling Deep Learning Based Perception And Control In Aerial Robotics, Krishna Muvva

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly deployed in dynamic, GPS degraded, and cluttered environments, yet their autonomy remains fundamentally constrained by limitations in onboard perception and real-time control. This dissertation addresses these challenges by proposing a unified framework that co-designs deep learning-based perception and model-based control, organized around three core thrusts: Learn to Track, Learn to Localize, and Learn to Evade.

Learn to Track develops dynamic and adaptive perception control mechanisms that optimize CNN inference for target tracking. A control-aware CNN framework dynamically adjusts inference frequency based on UAV motion, reducing latency while maintaining visual lock. An adaptive CNN with …

Numerical Simulations Of Highly Eccentric Systems Of Binary Neutron Stars With Spin, Victoria White

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

Binary Neutron Star (BNS) mergers are among the most energetic events in the universe, producing gravitational waves, electromagnetic radiation, and heavy elements. While previous research has utilized simulations for collisions, few studies have accounted for how the spin of the stars affects mergers. This thesis contains a general overview of the topic and a research component conducted in the field of numerical relativity. High-performance computing was used to simulate BNS collisions, examining how spin affects the inspiral, merger, and post-merger phases. Computations used the Einstein Toolkit, Cactus framework, and the numerical tool developed by the FAU Relativity Group, Sgrid. The …

Assessing The Role Of Ocean Literacy In Liberia's Blue Economy : Pathway To Sustainable Blue Ocean Development In Liberia, Precious Tete Nah

Ocean Sustainability, Governance & Management Dissertations

Ocean literacy involves understanding the fundamental concepts of the ocean's functioning, leading to informed and responsible decisions about the ocean. This understanding is vital for developing responsible ocean citizenship and implementing measures to sustain the ocean, as it highlights the ocean's influence on humans and the impact of human activities on it. Using a qualitative research method with a purposive sampling approach, the research asks focus group representatives from New Kru Town and Westpoint, both closed- and open-ended questions, on the importance of ocean literacy, challenges, prospects, and recommendations to promote sustainable blue ocean development.

The results of the research …

A Better Great Plains: Bridging The Implementation Gap For A Better Future, David W. Sandahl

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Northern Great Plains is experiencing extensive native grassland loss and landscape degradation, jeopardizing both ecological integrity and the socio-economic systems that rely upon these ecosystems. In an early effort to lessen degradation, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) which generated ecosystem services benefits such as reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and increased species diversity through the retirement of cropland and rangeland for 10- or 15-year contracts. However, CRP has not fully modernized alongside today’s agriculturalists and adoption remains shaped by an historically fraught socio-political context characterized by deep-seated mistrust between ranchers, …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Bridge Grate And Pipe Cattle Guard Designed To Mitigate Ocelot Road Mortality On Texas State Highway, Rupesh Maharjan, John H. Young Jr., Kevin W. Ryer, Md. Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The mitigated and fenced section of State Highway 100, extending from Laguna Vista to Los Fresnos, includes five wildlife crossing structures and 16 modified cattle guards (also called wildlife guards) installed to mitigate ocelot road mortality. Bridge grate and pipe wildlife guards were deployed at vehicle entries, and we evaluated their effectiveness in preventing meso-carnivores and ungulates from entering the roadway through the fence gaps from April 2020 to 2024. Wildlife guards collectively were >82% effective in repelling ungulate attempts to enter the roadway, while only 16.64% of meso-carnivore attempts were repelled. The pipe wildlife guard (PWG) design repelled 86.79% …

Viewsrd: 3d Visual Grounding Via Structured Multi-View Decomposition, Ronggang Huang, Haoxin Yang, Yan Cai, Xuemiao Xu, Huaidong Zhang, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

3Dvisual grounding aims to identify and localize objects in a 3Dspacebasedontextualdescriptions. However, existing methods struggle with disentangling targets from anchors in complex multi-anchor queries and resolving inconsisten cies in spatial descriptions caused by perspective variations. To tackle these challenges, we propose ViewSRD, a frame work that formulates 3D visual grounding as a structured multi-view decomposition process. First, the Simple Rela tion Decoupling (SRD) module restructures complex multi anchor queries into a set of targeted single-anchor state ments, generating a structured set of perspective-aware de scriptions that clarify positional relationships. These de composed representations serve as the foundation for the Multi-view …

Art4math: Handwritten Mathematical Expression Recognition Via Multimodal Sketch Grounding, Yang Zhou, Jin Wang, Yuxiao Zhang, Kaixiang Huang, Guodong Lu, Jingru Yang, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Handwritten Mathematical Expression Recognition (HMER) remains a challenging task due to the structural complexity of mathematical notation and the ambiguity of handwritten symbols-e.g., ''ρ'' vs. ''p'' or ''B'' vs. ''β''. While stroke-based models offer disambiguation via temporal cues, most existing methods are constrained by coarse modality fusion and a lack of fine-grained cross-modal alignment, further hindered by limited annotated data. We introduce Art for Math (Art4Math), a novel framework that leverages the structural richness of human sketches to enhance HMER through fine-grained, modality-aware learning. Art4Math follows a two-stage training paradigm: Art Grounding (A-Grd) and Math Decoding (M-Dec). In A-Grd, the …

Emoshortcuts: Emotionally Expressive Body Augmentation For Social Mixed Reality Avatars, Hyuna Seo, Youngki Lee, Rajesh Krishna Balan, Thivya Kandappu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We present EmoShortcuts1, a novel social Mixed Reality (MR) framework that enhances emotional expression by dynamically augmenting avatar body gestures to reflect users’ emotional states. While social MR enables immersive remote interactions through avatars, conveying emotions remains challenging due to limitations in head-mounted display (HMD) tracking (e.g., missing lower-body movements, such as stomping or defensive postures), and users’ tendency to deprioritize nonverbal expressions during multitasking. EmoShortcuts addresses these challenges by introducing an augmentation framework that generates expressive body gestures even when users’ physical movements are restricted. We conducted a formative study with 12 participants to identify key challenges in emotional …

Chemistry And Biochemistry Affiliated Publications: Snapshot Of The Research Publications 2019-2024., Jeremy J. Smith, Lutishoor Salisbury

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report highlights the chemistry and biochemistry faculty publications for the period 2019-2024. It includes tables identifying the types of publications, the characteristics of the authors, inter-departmental and external cooperation, summary of the citations of the publications, and the JCR ranking of the journals in which they published.

Better Digital Contracts With Prosocial Friction-In-Design, Brett Frischmann, Moshe Y. Vardi

Faculty Publications

Contract law is supposed to enable people to reach genuine agreements and cooperate. If this ideal was ever a reality, the rise of mass market contracts and boil­erplate rendered it pure fiction. Modern consumer contracts are incomprehensible to most people. No one reads them anyway.

Digital contracting involves design features that amplify traditional boilerplate harms and create others. For example, digital contracting is too cheap; low marginal costs lead to overexpansion in scale and scope. To make matters worse, the loss of autonomy from repeat engagement with digital contracting systems is pernicious. People become increasingly predictable and programmable as digital …

Stroke2sketch: Harnessing Stroke Attributes For Training-Free Sketch Generation, Rui Yang, Huining Li, Yiyi Long, Xiaojun Wu, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Generating sketches guided by reference styles requires precise transfer of stroke attributes, such as line thickness, deformation, and texture sparsity, while preserving semantic structure and content fidelity. To this end, we propose Stroke2Sketch, a novel training-free framework that introduces cross-image stroke attention, a mechanism embedded within self-attention layers to establish fine-grained semantic correspondences and enable accurate stroke attribute transfer. This allows our method to adaptively integrate reference stroke characteristics into content images while maintaining structural integrity. Additionally, we develop adaptive contrast enhancement and semanticfocused attention to reinforce content preservation and foreground emphasis. Stroke2Sketch effectively synthesizes stylistically faithful sketches that closely …

Cross-Subject Mind Decoding From Inaccurate Representations, Yangyang Xu, Bangzhen Liu, Wenqi Shao, Yong Du, Shengfeng He, Tingting Zhu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Decoding stimulus images from fMRI signals has advanced with pre-trained generative models. However, existing methods struggle with cross-subject mappings due to cognitive variability and subject-specific differences. This challenge arises from sequential errors, where unidirectional mappings generate partially inaccurate representations that, when fed into diffusion models, accumulate errors and degrade reconstruction fidelity. To address this, we propose the Bidirectional Autoencoder Intertwining framework for accurate decoded representation prediction. Our approach unifies multiple subjects through a Subject Bias Modulation Module while leveraging bidirectional mapping to better capture data distributions for precise representation prediction. To further enhance fidelity when decoding representations into stimulus images, …

Tactile Data Comics: Combining Step-By-Step Presentation Of Tactile Graphics With Verbal Narration For The Blind And Visually Impaired, Yang Jiao, Ruoting Sun, Rong Luo, Xiwen Yao, Xinran She, Kotaro Hara, Yuewen Zhang, Xinyi Fu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Tactile graphics on a refreshable display have proven effective in enabling visually impaired people to comprehend pictorial content. To further evaluate the effectiveness of refreshable tactile displays in blind education, we designed tactile data comics, a method that combines step-by-step presentation of tactile graphics with verbal narration. We conducted a user study with sixteen visually impaired students to compare tactile data comics against verbal-only and static tactile graphics. Our findings show that tactile data comics significantly improve participants’ comprehension and engagement during the learning experience. These empirical results suggest that the integration of refreshable tactile displays and tactile data comics …

Teaching Diffusion Models To Ground Alpha Matte, Tianyi Xiang, Weiying Zheng, Yutao Jiang, Tingrui Shen, Hewei Yu, Yangyang Xu, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The power of visual language models is showcased in visual understanding tasks, where language-guided models achieve impressive flexibility and precision. In this paper, we ex tend this capability to the challenging domain of image matting by framing it as a soft grounding problem, enabling a single diffusion model to handle diverse objects, textures, and transparencies, all directed by descriptive text prompts. Our method teaches the diffusion model to ground alpha mattes by guiding it through a process of instance-level localization and transparency estimation. First, we introduce an intermediate objective that trains the model to accurately localize semantic components of the …

Creating Blender Animations To Help Students Visualize Organic Chemistry Concepts, Vasilina Vikareva, Jeffrey Hansen

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Many students struggle with organic chemistry because they find it difficult to visualize molecular structures and interactions in three dimensions. Concepts like bond rotation for conformational isomers and intermolecular forces require strong spatial imagination, which traditional 2D drawings fail to develop effectively. This spatial visualization deficit contributes significantly to high failure rates and student anxiety in organic chemistry courses, creating a substantial barrier to success in STEM fields. This project aims to solve this problem by creating animations that demonstrate complex chemical concepts in clear, visual ways that enhance student comprehension and retention. The research methodology involves developing a comprehensive …

Effect Of Coniferous Trees And Water Availability On Soil Acidification, Jessica A. Cheever

Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression

Project Mentor(s): Mary Poulson, PhD

Water availability and coniferous tree species can cause acidification and a change in soil fertility. Previous research in European forests found that rainfall, soil acidity, and conifer prevalence influenced soil quality and biodiversity. However, not much is known about these effects in the Pacific Northwest’s forests. Three forests were chosen based on a gradient of annual precipitation. The Hoh Rain Forest, the Tiger Mountain State Forest, and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest were used for wet, mesic, and dry conditions, respectively. Each location had a three-by-six grid spaced 50 meters between each plot. The location was …

Synthesis Of Nitrogen-Enriched 3d Graphene Foam For Electrochemical Sensing Of Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂), Bhargavi Dronavalli, Madhava Rao Vallabhaneni, Jatla Murali Prakash, Deepti Kolli, Dandamudi Srilaxmi

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

In this work, A simple hydrothermal process was utilized to create 3D-foam-type Nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG). The synthesized material was characterized using a range of physicochemical characterization techniques. These techniques confirm that nitrogen is successfully incorporated into the carbon network, resulting in NDG. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigation demonstrated that NDG-modified glassy carbon electrode (NDG/GCE) displayed finite charge transfer properties against typical redox systems. NDG/GCE is identified as a simple, facile, and efficient electrocatalyst material for the estimation of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). From CV analysis, it is revealed that NDG/GCE can produce a signal for electrochemical quantification of …

Drawing On Uncertainty Methodologies Of Neutrosophic Hypersoft Sets In Cognitive Computing-Driven Healthcare Systems, Mona Mohamed, Nurhan Alaa

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

A new paradigm called cognitive computing simulates human reasoning and decision-making through integrating advanced techniques such as artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP). Cognitive computing systems, in contrast to traditional systems, can handle both structured and unstructured data, adjust to new information, and offer context-sensitive insights. This study examines how cognitive computing improves decision-making, personalization, and human-machine collaboration in various fields. Cognitive computing in the healthcare sector processes clinical notes, imaging data, and electronic health records to help physicians with diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient engagement. This study examines key applications, including their role in diagnostic support, where …

Fundamentals Of The New Neutrosophic Matrices, Adebisi Sunday Adesina, Ogunmuyiwa Sodiq Damilola

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The New Neutrosophic Matrices provides a mathematical extension of classical and fuzzy matrix theory that incorporates the element of indeterminacy alongside truth and falsity. Neutrosophic logic, pioneered by FlorentinSmarandache, provides a richer framework for dealing with uncertainty and vagueness in real-world data. This study explores the definitions, classifications, and algebraic operations onneutrosophic matrices, including addition, multiplication, scalar operations, and the formation of identities.A comparative analysis is presented to highlight the distinctions between classical, fuzzy, and neutrosophic matrices. From the concepts, potential applications could be proposed most especially, for more problem solving as well as for future exploration.Findingsaffirmthat neutrosophic matrices offer …

Some New Three-Term Conjugate Gradient Methods For Riemannian Optimization With Application To The Gough-Stewart Platform, Nasiru Salihu, Poom Kumam, Lin Wang, Sani Salisu

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

Three-term conjugate gradient (TTCG) methods have been extensively studied for optimization within Euclidean geometry, with some inherently satisfying the sufficient descent property, thus enhancing their theoretical superiority. However, other TTCG methods have been developed that incorporate restarting the search direction, simplify the steepest descent approach, or rely on the convexity assumptions of f to establish their convergence results. This paper introduces the Riemannian three-term conjugate gradient (RTTCG) methods. The search direction in these RTTCG methods consistently satisfies the sufficient descent condition, regardless of the line search employed, and does so without requiring a restart mechanism. By utilizing retraction and vector …

High-Order Adaptive Solutions For Coupled Fractional Riccati Equations Via Daubechies Redundant Frames, Mutaz Mohammad, Alexander Trounev

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

Coupled fractional Riccati equations play a fundamental role in modeling complex systems with memory effects and anomalous diffusion, frequently arising in engineering, control theory, finance, and quantum mechanics. Their analytical and numerical treatment remains highly challenging due to the nonlocal nature of fractional-order derivatives and the presence of nonlinear coupling terms. This study introduces an adaptive numerical framework that combines the Caputo fractional derivative with redundant Daubechies wavelet frames. The method leverages multi-resolution analysis, compact support, and controlled redundancy to achieve accurate approximation of both localized and global solution features, particularly in scenarios characterized by singular behavior and long-range memory …

The Consideration Of Two Scalarization Methods For The Multi-Objective Nurse-To-Patient Assignment Problem, Ilgın Acar, Steven E. Butt, Aydın Sipahioğlu, İslam Altın

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

In this research, the application of two scalarization methods, namely the conic scalarization method and the $\varepsilon$-constraint method, is investigated within the context of a multi-objective optimization problem. These methods are used to address the challenge of assigning nurses to patients on a hospital unit during a shift. The two objective functions of this assignment problem are based on patient workload metrics and unit-related travel distance measures. The proposed solution approach demonstrates the ability to generate solutions that eluded the previous mathematical programming techniques that relied on simplistic weightings of conflicting objective functions. In addition, it is found that the …

Global Stability And Bifurcation Analysis Of A Predator-Prey Model Involving Allee Effect And Monod-Haldane Functional Response, Resmawan Resmawan, Agus Suryanto, Isnani Darti, Hasan S. Panigoro

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

In this paper, the complexity of the dynamic behavior of the interaction between prey and predator is studied. The predator-prey relationship involves Allee effects and Monod-Haldane functional response. The constructed model has been shown to have validity in several respects, including the existence and uniqueness of the solution, as well as its non-negativity and boundedness. Three equilibrium points, namely trivial, axial, and coexistence points, are found, including their global dynamics using the Lyapunov function together with the LaSalle's invariance principle. The effect of the predation conversion rate causes changes in the dynamic behavior of predators and prey, which is characterized …

Solution Of Fractional Order Diffusion Equations With Clique Neural Network, Merve Zeynep Kaya, Mesut Karabacak, Ercan Çelik

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

In this paper, the clique artificial neural network method is used to solve the fractional diffusion equation, which is a subclass of partial differential equations. The clique neural network architecture is constructed using input, hidden, and output layers. Several degrees of clique polynomials were used as activation functions, and the output layer was obtained by multiplying them with weight coefficients. Subsequently, the optimization equation was derived, and the exact solution, numerical solution, and error function graphs were obtained using a specialized algorithm. Analysis of the results demonstrates that the clique artificial neural network method provides quicker and more accurate results …