Digital Commons Network^™

Gen Z Perspectives On Climate Change And The Future: Having The Courage To Imagine And Fight For A Better World, Isabelle Graj

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I conducted 6 interviews with Gen Z students to investigate how they think climate change will impact their future and how they frame the issue in general. I communicate my findings and analysis with visual context through a zine, which is a form of alternative media created in the 1930s. Today, zines provide a creative approach to exchange ideas and explain contemporary culture (Gisonny and Freedman, 2006, 26). My zine is not meant to be utterly educational but rather it is meant to convey the emotion, confusion, and chaos associated with my findings. The interviews collectively created an image of …

The Current State Of Research On The Global Amphibian Epidemic, Chytridiomycosis: A Systematic Literature Review And View Into The Future Of The Field, Emily Dealto

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Recent years have shown a rapid decline in global frog populations. Among other issues, one main cause of these declines has been linked to chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd. The discovery of this fungus is relatively recent in the field of herpetology, and thus there is much still unknown about the disease such as its distribution and what causes certain areas and species to be more susceptible to it. A systematic literature review was conducted to see where the state of the research is currently, in order to gain a better view of the …

Two (Or More) Viruses In One Bat: A Systematic Quantitative Literature Review Of Viral Coinfection In Bats, Eli J. Kaufman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Viral coinfection is an important topic in pathogen dynamics, and can increase viral shedding and change disease outcomes. As bats are carriers of important zoonoses, such as the SARS coronaviruses, rabies, and other deadly viruses, knowing more about their coinfection dynamics is important. This quantitative systematic literature review sought to show how many papers reported bat viral coinfections, and created three databases. The first database, the SQLR database was based on searches for coinfections. The second database, the Astrovirus database was to determine how much of the literature was being missed by examining a single viral family more in depth …

Machine Learning And Data Mining-Based Methods To Estimate Parity Status And Age Of Wild Mosquito Vectors Of Infectious Diseases From Near-Infrared Spectra, Masabho Peter Milali

Dissertations (1934 -)

Previous studies show that a trained partial least square regresser [sic] (PLSR) from near-infrared spectra classify laboratory and semi-field raised mosquitoes into less than or ≥ to seven days old with an average accuracy of 80%. This dissertation demonstrates that training models on near-infrared spectra (NIRS) using artificial neural network (ANN) as an architecture yields models with higher accuracies than training models using partial least squares (PLS) as an architecture. In addition, irrespective of the model architecture used, direct training of a binary classifier scores higher accuracy than training a regresser and interpreting it as a binary classifier. Furthermore, for …

Analysis Of The Healthcare Mers-Cov Outbreak In King Abdulaziz Medical Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June–August 2015 Using A Seir Ward Transmission Model, Tamer Oraby, Michael G. Tyshenko, Hanan H. Balkhy, Yasar Tasnif, Adriana Quiroz-Gaspar, Zeinab Mohamed, Ayesha Araya, Susie Elsaadany, Eman Al-Mazroa, Mohammed A. Alhelail, Yaseen M. Arabi, Mustafa Al-Zoughool

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging zoonotic coronavirus that has a tendency to cause significant healthcare outbreaks among patients with serious comorbidities. We analyzed hospital data from the MERS-CoV outbreak in King Abdulaziz Medical Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June–August 2015 using the susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) ward transmission model. The SEIR compartmental model considers several areas within the hospital where transmission occurred. We use a system of ordinary differential equations that incorporates the following units: emergency department (ED), out-patient clinic, intensive care unit, and hospital wards, where each area has its own carrying capacity and distinguishes the transmission by …

Development Of Natural Product-Derived Cationic Polymers For Biomaterial Applications, Moumita Sharmin Jui

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, multicyclic natural products and metallocene-containing polymers were synthesized for biomedical applications.

Chapter 1 describes the overall background, the recent development of natural product-based antimicrobial biomaterial and metallocene containing polymer for biomedical application. Afterward, the primary research objectives of my research are illustrated.

In chapter 2, a multicyclic natural product derived guanidine-based facially amphiphilic homopolymers and copolymers were synthesized. Cholic acid is one of the bile acid derivatives used to prepare facially amphiphilic moieties. A neutral polyethylene glycol (PEG) component was used to prepare copolymers with cholic acid. Reversible-addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique was used to …

Structural, Functional And Immunological Studies Of Group 1 And 2 House Dust Mite And Profilin Allergens For The Development Of Allergen Specific Diagnostics And Immunotherapy, Anyway B. Kapingidza

Theses and Dissertations

Group 1 and 2 house dust mites (HDM) allergens elicit IgE response in more than 80% of sensitized individuals. These allergens affect 10-30% of the world’s population. Prolonged inhalation of low doses of allergens (microgram amounts inhaled over months or years) by genetically predisposed individuals leads to the induction of a Th2-type immune response induced by allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) produced by plasma cells resulting in allergic diseases like asthma, atopic dermatitis, and rhinitis. Group 1 and 2 HDM allergens, in particular, are associated with the development of the aforementioned allergic diseases. The goal of this research was to characterize …

Infectious Disease Mortality Prediction, Kazi Tanvir Hasan

Mathematics

When mortality statistics are reported for infectious diseases, they commonly reflect the ratio for the entire population impacted from it. This causes an underestimation since the frail members of the population are impacted at a higher rate. With the remaining healthy members, the mortality rate becomes skewed. With this project, we study predicting mortality under varying frailty conditions to account for the hidden heterogeneity's impact on the parameter estimates.

Glutaminyl-Trna Synthetase From Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Characterization, Structure, And Development As A Screening Platform, Yaritza Escamilla, Casey A. Hughes, Jan Abendroth, David M. Dranow, Samantha Balboa, Frank B. Dean, James M. Bullard

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a high potential for developing resistance to multiple antibiotics. The gene (glnS) encoding glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) from P. aeruginosa was cloned and the resulting protein characterized. GlnRS was kinetically evaluated and the KM and kcatobs , governing interactions with tRNA, were 1.0 μM and 0.15 s-1 , respectively. The crystal structure of the α2 form of P. aeruginosa GlnRS was solved to 1.9 Å resolution. The amino acid sequence and structure of P. aeruginosa GlnRS were analyzed and compared to that of GlnRS from Escherichia coli. Amino acids that interact with ATP, glutamine, and tRNA are well …

Talking Trash In The Big Apple: Mitigating Bird Strikes Near The North Shore Marine Transfer Station, Stephan J. Beffre, Brian E. Washburn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Anthropogenic activities that concentrate wildlife near airports increases the risk of wildlife–aircraft collisions. Placing waste management facilities, natural areas, golf courses, and other landscape features near airports have the potential to attract wildlife hazardous to aviation. We conducted a 3-year study (March 2013–February 2016) to determine if the implementation of a Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program (WHMP) would influence the bird use of a waste transfer station located near LaGuardia Airport, New York City, New York, USA. We conducted wildlife surveys during 3 phases: (1) no mitigation program and no waste transfer station, (2) active mitigation and no waste transfer station, …

Collective Effect Of Landfills And Landscape Composition On Bird–Aircraft Collisions, Morgan Pfeiffer, Bradley F. Blackwell, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ninety-three percent of all reported bird strikes occur below 1,067 m, which based on the typical approach and departure angles of aircraft is within 8–13 km of an airport. Concomitantly, the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization recommend that any feature that would attract hazardous wildlife to the approach and departure airspace be restricted. Thus, preventing the establishment of wildlife attractants, such as municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLFs) within 8 km or 13 km extents (U.S. and international recommendations, respectively) of airports, has been recommended to mitigate the risk of bird–aircraft collisions (strikes). However, robust evidence linking …

How Emergent Social Patterns In Allogrooming Combat Parasitic Infections, Shelby N. Wilson, Suzanne S. Sindi, Heather Z. Brooks, Maryann E. Hohn, Candice R. Price, Ami E. Radunskaya, Nakeya D. Williams, Nina H. Fefferman

Mathematics Sciences: Faculty Publications

Members of social groups risk infection through contact with those in their social network. Evidence that social organization may protect populations from pathogens in certain circumstances prompts the question as to how social organization affects the spread of ectoparasites. The same grooming behaviors that establish social bonds also play a role in the progression of ectoparasitic outbreaks. In this paper, we model the interactions between social organization and allogrooming efficiency to consider how ectoparasitic threats may have shaped the evolution of social behaviors. To better understand the impacts of social grooming on organizational structure, we consider several dynamic models of …

Water-Electricity-Light System: Technology Innovations, Paul M. Cabacungan, Gregory L. Tangonan, Nerissa G. Cabacungan

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

This paper presents the design of the Water-Electricity-Light System (WELS) that is an integration of technologies composed of rain catcher, mechanical filter and UV irradiation, solar panel, charge converter, LED light, inverter and car battery. We traced back its development from a bulky and expensive system that was meant to generate drinking water into a more innovative water cleaning system that integrated lighting and cellphone charging. We tracked the improvements applied to the system to make the design more efficient yet simple enough to be replicated and customized in order to address varied needs. We shared the alterations made to …

Testing A Key Assumption Of Using Drones As Frightening Devices: Do Birds Perceive Drones As Risky?, Conor C. Egan, Bradley Blackwell, Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Page E. Klug

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife managers have recently suggested the use of unmanned aircraft systems or drones as nonlethal hazing tools to deter birds from areas of human-wildlife conflict. However, it remains unclear if birds perceive common drone platforms as threatening. Based on field studies assessing behavioral and physiological responses, it is generally assumed that birds perceive less risk from drones than from predators. However, studies controlling for multiple confounding effects have not been conducted. Our goal was to establish the degree to which the perception of risk by birds would vary between common drone platforms relative to a predator model when flown at …

Editorial Board

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

No abstract provided.

Integer Versus Fractional Order Seir Deterministic And Stochastic Models Of Measles, Md Rafiul Islam, Angela Peace, Daniel Medina, Tamer Oraby

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this paper, we compare the performance between systems of ordinary and (Caputo) fractional differential equations depicting the susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) models of diseases. In order to understand the origins of both approaches as mean-field approximations of integer and fractional stochastic processes, we introduce the fractional differential equations (FDEs) as approximations of some type of fractional nonlinear birth and death processes. Then, we examine validity of the two approaches against empirical courses of epidemics; we fit both of them to case counts of three measles epidemics that occurred during the pre-vaccination era in three different locations. While ordinary differential equations (ODEs) …

Toward Culturally Relevant Emotion Detection Using Physiological Signals, Khadija Zanna

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that emotional distress has a statistically significant impact on a student’s grade point average and intent to drop out of college. Because students of different races have varying college experiences, it is important to understand the emotional experiences of different racial groups to better support students’ needs and academic success. In this work, we explore several physiological responses to ten different emotional stimuli captured from 140 students. We employ unsupervised learning via the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) algorithm and supervised learning via Random Forests and Support Vector machines to analyze clustering partitions and classification …

Antibiotic Resistance In Bacteria From Songbirds And Fitness Studies Following Environmental Stressors In Vitro, Leah R. Forsyth

LSU Master's Theses

Since their initial discovery in 1928, antibiotics have been utilized for agriculture and human health purposes. The increasing use of antibiotics by humans and the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance might be leading to the presence of more antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the environment. Understanding potential relationships between humans, bacteria, and the environment is important in order to study the spread and progression of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Several past studies have focused on oxidative stress, temperature stress, and antibiotic resistance in bacteria, but to my knowledge few if any have done a wide comparison between these environmental stressors and the …

Alternating Connectivity In Random Graphs, Patrick Bennett, Ryan Cushman, Andrzej Dudek

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Many problems in graph theory are so hard in general that they seem hopeless. So sometimes mathematicians lower our expectations a bit, and try to prove that a statement is true for "almost all graphs" (for some reasonable interpretation of what that means) rather than insisting on proving it for all graphs. One way to address questions about about almost all graphs to use a random graph model, the first of which is due to Erdos, Rényi and Gilbert in the 1950's. Since then many more models have been introduced, but they all generate graphs according to the outcome of …

Factors Affecting Bait Site Visitation: Area Of Influence Of Baits, Jacquelyn E. Mcrae, Peter E. Schlichting, Nathan P. Snow, Amy J. Davis, Kurt C. Vercautern, John C. Kilgo, David A. Keiter, James C. Beasley, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

ABSTRACT Baiting is a fundamental strategy for the global management of wild pigs (Sus scrofa); however, little information exists on how anthropogenic bait affects wild pig movements on a landscape. We investigated factors that are important in determining the spatial area of attraction for wild pigs to bait (‘area of influence’ of a bait site) using data from Global Positioning System (GPS) collars and locations of bait sites. We monitored movements of wild pigs in 2 distinct study areas in the United States from February to September 2016 and used locational data using GPS collars to analyze the influence of …

A Rapid Population Assessment Method For Wild Pigs Using Baited Cameras At 3 Study Site, Peter E. Schlichting, James C. Beasley, Raoul K. Boughton, Amy J. Davis, Kim M. Pepin, Michael P. Glow, Ryan S. Miller, Kurt C. Vercautern, Jesse S. Lewis

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Reliable and efficient population estimates are a critical need for effective management of invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa). We evaluated the use of 10‐day camera grids for rapid population assessment (RPA) of wild pigs at 3 study sites that varied in vegetation communities and wild pig densities. Study areas included Buck Island Ranch, Florida; Tejon Ranch, California; and the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA, during 2016–2018. Rapid population assessments grids were composed of baited camera traps spaced approximately 500 or 750 m apart. Two RPA grids were deployed per study site and each grid was deployed twice (4–6 months …

Relationships Between Survival And Habitat Suitability Of Semi- Aquatic Mammals, Isidro Barela, Leslie M. Burger, Jimmy Taylor, Kristine O. Evans, Ryo Ogawa, Lance Mcclintic, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Spatial distribution and habitat selection are integral to the study of animal ecology. Habitat selection may optimize the fitness of individuals. Hutchinsonian niche theory posits the fundamental niche of species would support the persistence or growth of populations. Although niche-based species distribution models (SDMs) and habitat suitability models (HSMs) such as maximum entropy (Maxent) have demonstrated fair to excellent predictive power, few studies have linked the prediction of HSMs to demographic rates. We aimed to test the prediction of Hutchinsonian niche theory that habitat suitability (i.e., likelihood of occurrence) would be positively related to survival of American beaver (Castor canadensis), …

Heartquake: Accurate Low-Cost Non-Invasive Ecg Monitoring Using Bed-Mounted Geophones, Jaeyeon Park, Hyeon Cho, Rajesh Krishna Balan, Jeonggil Ko

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This work presents HeartQuake, a low cost, accurate, non-intrusive, geophone-based sensing system for extracting accurate electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns using heartbeat vibrations that penetrate through a bed mattress. In HeartQuake, cardiac activity-originated vibration patterns are captured on a geophone and sent to a server, where the data is filtered to remove the sensor's internal noise and passed on to a bidirectional long short term memory (Bi-LSTM) deep learning model for ECG waveform estimation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first solution that can non-intrusively provide accurate ECG waveform characteristics instead of more basic abstract features such as the …

Electronic Image Detectability Under Varying Illumination Conditions, Jeremy J. Miller

Theses and Dissertations

Light in the built environment plays an essential role in the vision and the health of humans through non-visual receptors in the eyes. Unfortunately, image analysts and other Air Force personnel who engage in the detection of objects on softcopy displays are often required to work in very dimly-lit or dark environments as higher illumination reduces the contrast of displayed information. Literature has shown that increases in light exposure improves circadian rhythm entrainment and reduces the negative health consequences of insufficient lighting. This research examines the effects of indoor lighting to determine if increases in ambient illumination or changes to …

Effects Of Inactivated Mycobacterium Bovis Vaccination On Molokai-Origin Wild Pigs Experimentally Infected With Virulent M. Bovis, Pauline Nol, Morgan Wehte, Richard A. Bowen, Suelee Robbe-Austerman, Tyler Thacker, Kristina Lantz, Jack Rhyan, Laurie A. Baeten, Ramón A. Juste, Iker A. Sevilla, Christian Gortazar, Joaquín Vicente

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The wild pig population on Molokai, Hawaii, USA is a possible reservoir for bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, and has been implicated in decades past as the source of disease for the island’s domestic cattle. Heat-inactivated vaccines have been effective for reducing disease prevalence in wild boar in Spain and could prove useful for managing M. bovis in Molokai wild pigs. We designed an experiment to test this vaccine in wild pigs of Molokai genetics. Fifteen 3–4-month-old pigs were orally administered 10⁶–10⁷ colony forming units (cfu) of heat-inactivated M. bovis (Vaccinates; n = 8; 0.2 …

Qualitative Exploration Of Experiences And Consequences Of Health-Related Stigma Among Indonesians With Hiv, Leprosy, Schizophrenia And Diabetes, Sarju Sing Rai, Irwanto Irwanto, Ruth M.H. Peters, Elena V. Syurina, Annisa Ika Putri, Altana Mikhakhanova, Denise Naniche, Marjolein B.M. Zweekhorst

Kesmas

Health-related stigma causes a negative impact on the lives of affected people and undermines the effectiveness of public health programs. This study aimedto explore experiences and consequences of stigma among people affected by four health conditions relevant in Indonesia– HIV (Human ImmunodeficiencyVirus), leprosy, schizophrenia and diabetes. In this qualitative study 40 people affected by the four health conditions in Jakarta and West Java, Indonesia–,were interviewed between March and June 2018. Data were analyzed thematically by following an integrative inductive-deductive approach. The experiencesand consequences of people with stigma were similar, but such experience were more severe among people affected by HIV, …

Evaluation Of Program For Overcoming Intestinal Worm Infections Among Children, Henny Febriyanti, Haerawati Idris

Kesmas

Prevalence of intestinal worm infection in generall is extremely high in Indonesia among the poor population with poor sanitation. One of the government programs to address this problem is the distribution of medicines to prevent intestinal worm infections. However, the coverage of the achievement for this program is still low in several areas of public health centers in Palembang. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the national program for preventing intestinal worm infections. The qualitative research design used evaluation model approach Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model. This study was conducted in one of health …

Entomological Index And Home Environment Contribution­ ­To Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever In Mataram City, Indonesia, Tri Baskoro Tunggul Satoto, Nur Alvira Pascawati, Tri Wibawa, Roger Frutos, Sylvie Maguin, I Kadek Mulyawan, Ali Wardana

Kesmas

Indonesia is a member of Southeast Asia Regional Office (SEARO) ranked the first in dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) problem based on incidence rate (IR) and case fatality rate (CFR). Several provinces in Indonesia experience an outbreak, one of which is the Mataram City in West Nusa Tenggara Province. Mataram City is an endemic area of DHF because the DHF cases are always found in three consecutive years with the number of cases that fluctuate and tend to increase. This study aimed to obtain factors that could be used to improve early warning systems in controlling DHF. This study used a …

Benefits And Uses Of Nematodes In Grassland Soils, Michael J. Wilson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To most grassland farmers nematodes mean trouble: they are important parasites of both pasture plants and livestock. While there is no doubting the considerable losses caused by nematodes, crop and livestock pests represent a tiny minority of the approximately 26,000 described nematode species. Here I examine the beneficial effects of nematodes within grassland systems and their beneficial uses. Nematodes in grassland soils increase plant available nutrients, move beneficial microbes through the rhizosphere and control insect and mollusc herbivores. We can use nematodes as biological control agents, and also as indicators of soil health/quality. While no single group of organisms can …

Adaptation To Climate Change In Mixed Crop-Livestock Farming Systems In Developing Countries, Philip K. Thornton, Mario Herrero

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Globally, crop-livestock systems produce over 90% of the world's milk supply and 80% of the meat from ruminants. Mixed crop-livestock systems are particularly important for livelihoods and food security, as they provide most of the staples consumed by poor people. These systems will be under considerable pressure in the coming decades to help satisfy the burgeoning demand for food from rapidly increasing populations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where rural poverty and hunger are already concentrated. At the same time, the impacts of climate change will be increasingly heavily felt. Increases in temperatures and changes in the amounts …