Digital Commons Network^™

Packets-To-Prediction: An Unobtrusive Mechanism For Identifying Coarse-Grained Sleep Patterns With Wifi Mac Layer Traffic, Dheryta Jaisinghani, Nishtha Phutela

Faculty Publications

A good night’s sleep is of the utmost importance for the seamless execution of our cognitive capabilities. Unfortunately, the research shows that one-third of the US adult population is severely sleep deprived. With college students as our focused group, we devised a contactless, unobtrusive mechanism to detect sleep patterns, which, contrary to existing sensor-based solutions, does not require the subject to put on any sensors on the body or buy expensive sleep sensing equipment. We named this mechanism Packets-to-Predictions(P2P) because we leverage the WiFi MAC layer traffic collected in the home and university environments to predict “sleep” and “awake” periods. …

Accurate Covariance Estimation For Pose Data From Iterative Closest Point Algorithm, Rick H. Yuan, Clark N. Taylor, Scott L. Nykl

Faculty Publications

One of the fundamental problems of robotics and navigation is the estimation of the relative pose of an external object with respect to the observer. A common method for computing the relative pose is the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm, where a reference point cloud of a known object is registered against a sensed point cloud to determine relative pose. To use this computed pose information in downstream processing algorithms, it is necessary to estimate the uncertainty of the ICP output, typically represented as a covariance matrix. In this paper, a novel method for estimating uncertainty from sensed data is …

A Case For An Independent Cyber Force, Ian C. Heffron, Mark Reith, James W. Dean

Faculty Publications

Although cyberspace is considered the newest warfighting domain, military analysts and scholars have opined the United States remains woefully behind its peers in cyberspace and have called for the creation of a separate cyber service component. Yet a cohesive and robust discussion on this topic has yet to emerge. This article proposes a general framework that builds on the Joint doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTMLPF-P) analysis to address questions of sufficiency and necessity. Such analysis reveals DoD cyber operations do not maximize the United States’ ability to fight a cyber war, especially when …

Pattern-Based Target Selection For Treatment Of Irregular Past Tense: A Single-Case Experimental Design For Children With Dld, Kirsten M. Hannig Russell, Amy Wilder, Julie L. Wambaugh

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Many children with developmental language disorder (DLD) demonstrate difficulty inflecting irregular past tense verbs. We evaluated using phonological-based patterns (i.e., schemas) to select targets for treatment of irregular verb inflection for children with DLD. We hypothesized this approach would result in acquisition of treated verbs, generalization to untreated verbs within the same phonological schema, and increased use of correct irregular verbs in naturalistic contexts.

Method: Treatment was provided to three 7-year-old participants with DLD in the context of multiple baseline design across behaviors and participants. Phonological schemas included vowel change, final alveolar, and dual change irregular verbs. Treatment was …

The Politics Of Fat And Gender In The Ancient World, Susan E. Hill

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Intrinsic Point Defects (Vacancies And Antisites) In Cdgep2 Crystals, Timothy D. Gustafson, Nancy C. Giles, Peter G. Schunemann, Kevin T. Zawilski, Kent L. Averett, Jonathan E. Slagle, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

Cadmium germanium diphosphide (CdGeP₂) crystals, with versatile terahertz-generating properties, belong to the chalcopyrite family of nonlinear optical materials. Other widely investigated members of this family are ZnGeP₂ and CdSiP₂. The room-temperature absorption edge of CdGeP₂ is near 1.72 eV (720 nm). Cadmium vacancies, phosphorous vacancies, and germanium-on-cadmium antisites are present in as-grown CdGeP₂ crystals. These unintentional intrinsic point defects are best studied below room temperature with electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and optical absorption. Prior to exposure to light, the defects are in charge states that have no unpaired spins. Illuminating a CdGeP_{2 …}

A Multi-Scale Method For Combined Design And Dispatch Optimization Of Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems Including Storage, Daniel Hill, Dawson Mccrea, An Ho, Matthew Memmott, Kody Powell, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

Reliable, carbon-free power generation is increasing in importance. Nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems (NHES) are a potential solution for current generation challenges, but design and dispatch optimization for these systems remains challenging particularly when stochastic effects, long time horizons and nonlinear modeling are needed. This work presents a multi-scale method for combining the design and dispatch optimization problems for nonlinear NHES over long time horizons. Rather than treating the entire horizon as a single optimization problem, a large number of combined optimization problems are solved for shorter samples of the horizon resulting in distributions of optimal capacities for each of the …

Optimal Estimation Inversion Of Ionospheric Electron Density From Gnss-Pod Limb Measurements: Part I-Algorithm And Morphology, Dong L. Wu, Nimalan Swarnalingam, Cornelius C. J. H. Salinas, Daniel J. Emmons, Tyler C. Summers, Robert Gardiner-Garden

Faculty Publications

GNSS-LEO radio links from Precise Orbital Determination (POD) and Radio Occultation (RO) antennas have been used increasingly in characterizing the global 3D distribution and variability of ionospheric electron density (Ne). In this study, we developed an optimal estimation (OE) method to retrieve Ne profiles from the slant total electron content (hTEC) measurements acquired by the GNSS-POD links at negative elevation angles (ε < 0°). Although both OE and onion-peeling (OP) methods use the Abel weighting function in the Ne inversion, they are significantly different in terms of performance in the lower ionosphere. The new OE results can overcome the large Ne oscillations, sometimes negative values, seen in the OP retrievals in the E-region ionosphere. In the companion paper in this Special Issue, the HmF2 and NmF2 from the OE retrieval are validated against ground-based ionosondes and radar observations, showing generally good agreements in NmF2 from all sites. Nighttime hmF2 measurements tend to agree better than the daytime when the ionosonde heights tend to be slightly lower. The OE algorithm has been applied to all GNSS-POD data acquired from the COSMIC-1 (2006–2019), COSMIC-2 (2019–present), and Spire (2019–present) constellations, showing a consistent ionospheric Ne morphology. The unprecedented spatiotemporal sampling of the ionosphere from these constellations now allows a detailed analysis of the frequency–wavenumber spectra for the Ne variability at different heights. In the lower ionosphere (~150 km), we found significant spectral power in DE1, DW6, DW4, SW5, and SE4 wave components, in addition to well-known DW1, SW2, and DE3 waves. In the upper ionosphere (~450 km), additional wave components are still present, including DE4, DW4, DW6, SE4, and SW4. The co-existence of eastward- and westward-propagating wave4 components implies the presence of a stationary wave4 (SPW4), as suggested by other earlier studies. Further improvements to the OE method are proposed, including a tomographic inversion technique that leverages the asymmetric sampling about the tangent point associated with GNSS-LEO links.

Climate, Controversy, And Courts, Todd S. Aagaard

Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in West Virginia v. EPA, along with other recent cases in which federal courts have grappled with the ongoing climate crisis, offers an opportunity to assess the role of the judiciary in helping the United States adopt effective responses to monumental threats such as the climate crisis. Courts reviewing legislative and executive actions must find ways to enforce constitutional limits without preventing the political branches from implementing effective policy responses to potentially catastrophic problems. Three relatively recent climate cases—West Virginia v. EPA, Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA, and Juliana v. United States—illustrate the need …

Advancing Flame Retardant Prediction: A Self-Enforcing Machine Learning Approach For Small Datasets, Cheng Yan, Xiang Lin, Xiaming Feng, Hongyu Yang, Patrick Mensah, Guoqiang Li

Faculty Publications

Improving the fireproof performance of polymers is crucial for ensuring human safety and enabling future space colonization. However, the complexity of the mechanisms for flame retardant and the need for customized material design pose significant challenges. To address these issues, we propose a machine learning (ML) framework based on substructure fingerprinting and self-enforcing deep neural networks (SDNN) to predict the fireproof performance of flame-retardant epoxy resins. Our model is based on a comprehensive understanding of the physical mechanisms of materials and can predict fireproof performance and eliminate the needs for properties descriptors, making it more convenient than previous ML models. …

Effects Of Size At Birth On Health, Growth And Developmental Outcomes In Children Up To Age 18: An Umbrella Review, Zeina Jamaluddine, Eman Sharara, Vanessa Helou, Nadine El Rashidi, Gloria Safadi, Nehmat El-Helou, Hala Ghattas Ph.D, Miho Sato, Hannah Blencowe, Oona M.R. Campbell

Faculty Publications

Background Size at birth, an indicator of intrauterine growth, has been studied extensively in relation to subsequent health, growth and developmental outcomes. Our umbrella review synthesises evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of size at birth on subsequent health, growth and development in children and adolescents up to age 18, and identifies gaps.

Methods We searched five databases from inception to mid-July 2021 to identify eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses. For each meta-analysis, we extracted data on the exposures and outcomes measured and the strength of the association.

Findings We screened 16 641 articles and identified 302 …

Marine Anoxia Initiates Giant Sulfur-Bacteria Mat Proliferation And Associated Changes In Benthic Nitrogen, Sulfur, And Iron Cycling In The Santa Barbara Basin, California Borderland, David J. Yousavich, De'marcus Robinson, Xuefeng Peng, Sebastian J.E. Krause, Frank Wenzhoefer, Felix Janßen, Na Liu, Jonathan Tarn, Frank Kinnaman, David L. Valentine, Tina Treude

Faculty Publications

The Santa Barbara Basin naturally experiences transient deoxygenation due to its unique geological setting in the southern California Borderland and seasonal changes in ocean currents. Long-term measurements of the basin showed that anoxic events and subsequent nitrate exhaustion in the bottom waters have been occurring more frequently and lasting longer over the past decade. One characteristic of the Santa Barbara Basin is the seasonal development of extensive mats of benthic nitrate-reducing sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, which are found at the sediment–water interface when the basin's bottom waters reach anoxia but still provide some nitrate. To assess the mat's impact on the benthic …

Tectonic Advection Of Contacts Enhances Landscape Transience, Nate Mitchell, Adam M. Forte

Faculty Publications

Contrasts in bedrock erodibility have been shown to drive landscape transience, but it is unclear whether horizontal tectonic displacements would enhance such effects. Furthermore, one might expect these factors to coexist, as tectonic convergence helps to create rock strength contrasts in settings like the Himalayas. How do landscapes respond when contacts separating units are raised vertically and shifted horizontally by tectonics? To evaluate such questions, we use landscape evolution models to simulate the exposure of a weak unit in a landscape equilibrated to a strong unit. We explore different simulations varying factors like weak unit erodibility, diffusivity, contact dip, and …

Nutrition Interventions Addressing Structural Racism: A Scoping Review, Matthew Greene, Bailey Houghtaling, Claire Sadeghzadeh, Molly De Marco, De'jerra Bryant, Randa Morgan, Denise Holston

Faculty Publications

African Americans experience high rates of obesity and food insecurity in part due to structural racism, or overlapping discriminatory systems and practices in housing, education, employment, health care and other settings. Nutrition education and nutrition-focused policy, systems and environmental changes may be able to address structural racism in the food environment. This scoping review aimed to summarise the available literature regarding nutrition interventions for African Americans that address structural racism in the food environment and compare them with the 'Getting to Equity in Obesity Prevention' framework of suggested interventions. An electronic literature search was conducted with the assistance of a …

The New Ali Restatement And The Doctrine Of Non-Self-Executing Treaties, David Sloss

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Validating The Spatial Variability In The Semidiurnal Internal Tide In A Realistic Global Ocean Simulation With Argo And Mooring Data, Gaspard Geoffroy, Jonas Nycander, Maarten C. Buijsman, Jay F. Shriver, Brian K. Arbic

Faculty Publications

The autocovariance of the semidiurnal internal tide (IT) is examined in a 32 d segment of a global run of the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). This numerical simulation, with 41 vertical layers and 1/25° horizontal resolution, includes tidal and atmospheric forcing, allowing for the generation and propagation of ITs to take place within a realistic eddying general circulation. The HYCOM data are in turn compared with global observations of the IT around 1000 dbar, from Argo float park-phase data and mooring records. HYCOM is found to be globally biased low in terms of the IT variance and decay of …

Relative Genetic Homogeneity Within A Phenotypically Diverse Group; A Case Of The Lake Tana Labeobarbus (Cyprinidae) Species Flock, Ethiopia, Kebede Beshera

Faculty Publications

The Lake Tana Labeobarbus species flock represents one of the world’s most famous examples of lacustrine species radiations. Previous studies of this group have resulted in the description of at least 15 species based on their differences in functional morphology and definition of two clades (lacustrine and riverine spawning clades) based on life history traits. A total of 166 fish representing 14 Labeobarbus species were genotyped using 10 lineage-specific hexaploid microsatellite loci. Six of these loci were developed for this study based on DNA sequence contigs derived from a microsatellite-enriched genomic library of Labeobarbus intermedius from Lake Tana; the remaining …

Zeolite Supported Pt For Depolymerization Of Polyethylene By Induction Heating, Bernard Whajah, Joseph N. Heil, Cameron L. Roman, James A. Dorman, Kerry M. Dooley

Faculty Publications

We demonstrate that for polyethylene depolymerization with induction heating (IH), using a bifunctional (Pt- or Pt− Sn-containing zeolite) hydrocracking catalyst, we can obtain high hydrocarbon product yields (up to 95 wt % in 2 h) at a relatively low surface temperature (375 °C) and with a tunable product distribution ranging from light gas products to gasoline- to diesel-range hydrocarbons. Four zeolite types [MFI, LTL, CHA(SSZ-13), and TON] were chosen as the supports due to their varying pore sizes and structures. These depolymerization results are obtained at atmospheric pressure and without the use of H2 and result in an alkane/alkene mixture …

The Impact Of Growth Mindset Training On Entrepreneurial Action Among Necessity Entrepreneurs: Evidence From A Randomized Control Trial, Shad Morris, W. Chad Carlos, Geoffrey Kistruck, Robert Lount, Tumsify Elly Thomas

Faculty Publications

Although entrepreneurship training programs are designed to help necessity entrepreneurs acquire skills and capabilities to take entrepreneurial action, participants in these programs often fail to do so. In partnership with a local government agency, we conducted a randomized field experiment involving 165 entrepreneurs in rural Tanzania where in addition to providing technical-skills training, approximately half of the participants also received ‘growth mindset’ psychological training. Those who received the growth mindset training displayed more entrepreneurial action in their business than those in the control group. Importantly, higher levels of entrepreneurial self efficacy mediated the positive impact on entrepreneurial action displayed by …

Bringing The Analysis Of Electrodeposition Signals In Voltammetry Out Of The Shadows, Devin Rappleye, Ranon G. Fuller

Faculty Publications

Voltammetry studies of electrodeposition are growing rapidly. Yet, relations for the analysis of electrodeposition reactions in voltammetry remain relatively obscure in the literature. The existing cyclic and square wave voltammetry relations for electrodeposition and their limitations are discussed to increase awareness. A retrospective analysis is performed to demonstrate the impact of model selection in improving the analysis of electrodeposition behavior with voltammetric data. A repository for voltammetry models of electrodeposition is proposed to further increase familiarity and application of the most appropriate models, which would support a rapidly growing area of research and technological development.

Erratum: Hydrolysis Of Acetamide On Low-Index Ceo2 Surfaces: Ceria As A Deamidation And General De-Esterification Catalyst (Acs Catal. (2022) 12:16 (10222−10234) Doi: 10.1021/Acscatal.2c02514), Suman Bhasker-Ranganath, Ye Xu

Faculty Publications

Figure 5 of the original article contains an error. The error was due to the use of gas-phase NH3 in the calculation of state (i,k‡ l). Adsorbed NH3 should have been used instead because this state occurs prior to NH3 desorption. The error resulted in much larger activation barriers for OH attack on acetyl being depicted in the original Figure 5 for the three facets of ceria. They appear comparable to the barriers of acetic acid desorption, which is inconsistent with the conclusion that product desorption is rate-limiting in this reaction at ambient temperature. The corrected version is shown below …

Correction To: Preface: Induced Resistance From Theory To Practice (Journal Of Chemical Ecology, (2023), 49, 5-6, (215-216), 10.1007/S10886-023-01439-W), Michael J. Stout

Faculty Publications

The correction is to add one reference ‘Bustos et al. 2022’ to the Preface of the Special Issue ‘Induced Resistance from Theory to Practice’. The original article has been corrected.

Black Soldier Fly Frass Supports Plant Growth And Reduces Nitrogen Leaching During Coleus Production, Jeffrey Beasley, Jeff Kuehny, Thanos Gentimis, Jeb Fields

Faculty Publications

Industrial insect rearing is expected to increase as a feedstock to meet growing global food demand. This will lead to greater production of insect excreta known as frass, a nutrient-dense organic material that has shown promise as a natural fertilizer source with potential environmental benefits. In this study, black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) frass (BSFF) was compared with a synthetic fertilizer (SF) during production of containerized ornamentals grown under greenhouse conditions. Fertilizers were incorporated into a bark-based substrate at 0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 kg.m–3 nitrogen (N) planted with coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides) plugs. Growth index, shoot dry weight, and leaf …

Battling Bots: Experiences And Strategies To Mitigate Fraudulent Responses In Online Surveys, Brittney Goodrich, Marieke Fenton, Jerrod Penn, John Bovay, Travis Mountain

Faculty Publications

Declining survey response rates have driven many researchers to seek out cost-effective methods of increasing participation, such as conducting surveys online, paying incentives, and using social media to engage hard-to-reach populations. Malicious actors can exploit the monetary incentives and anonymity of online surveys, threatening the integrity of survey data. We share two recent experiences conducting online surveys that were inundated with fraudulent responses. Our objective is to increase awareness of this emerging issue and offer guidance for others to mitigate the effects of fraudulent responders in their own research.

Hypothetical Bias Mitigation In Representative And Convenience Samples, Jerrod M. Penn, Daniel R. Petrolia, J. Matthew Fannin

Faculty Publications

This is a case study comparing outcomes for a probability-based representative sample versus a non-probability convenience sample for the valuation of beach condition information among Gulf of Mexico residents. We test the efficacy of several techniques used to adjust for hypothetical bias and sample weighting to reduce hypothetical willingness to pay (WTP). Weighting makes the WTP between the two samples similar, but model equivalence with respect to the significance of explanatory variables is rejected. The results support the use of certainty follow-ups, which consistently reduced WTP, regardless of the sampling approach or weighting.

Subaqueous Topographic Deformation In Abandoned Delta Lobes—A Case Study In The Yellow River Delta, China, Yunfeng Zhang, Yingying Chai, Caiping Hu, Yijun Xu, Yuyan Zhou, Huanliang Chen, Zijun Li, Shenting Gang, Shuwei Zheng

Faculty Publications

Reduction in river discharge and sediment load has left deltaic lobes in the world’s many river deltas starving, but knowledge of how the subaqueous topography of these abandoned subdeltas responds to environmental changes is limited. In this study, we aimed to determine the long-term dynamics of the subaqueous seabed of abandoned delta lobes to advance current knowledge. As a case study, we selected an abandoned subdelta on the Yellow River Delta of the Bohai Sea, China, for which three-decade long (1984–2017) bathymetric data and long-term river discharge and sediment load records are available. We analyzed the seafloor surface change and …

Indirect Functional Effects Of Neighbors On Food Web Compartments Could Not Overcome Density-Dependent Limited Growth Of A Grazing Minnow, Garrett W. Hopper, Keith B. Gido, Caryn C. Vaughn

Faculty Publications

Ecosystems include diverse taxonomic and functional groups of animals with variable levels of niche overlap that can lead to direct and indirect interactions with positive or negative outcomes. Species feeding at low trophic positions might be sensitive to interactions with co-occurring functional groups (neighbors) that influence their food resources through various processes, such as indirect nutrient subsidies and trophic cascades. Employing a target-neighbor experimental design using large, outdoor mesocosms, we tested whether adding neighbors with different functional traits affected food web compartments relative to a control group that had grazing minnows, Campostoma anomalum (Central Stoneroller). Additionally, we tested whether growth …

A Delayed Intervention Start Randomized Controlled Trial Of High- And Low-Tech Communication Training Approaches For School-Age Autistic Children With Co-Occurring Intellectual Disability, Shawn P. Gilroy, Joseph P. Mccleery, Geraldine Leader

Faculty Publications

The researchers designed a delayed intervention start randomized controlled trial to compare improvements in functional communication following augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. The study compared outcomes from function-based applied behavior analytic (ABA) and eclectic non-ABA forms of classroom-based communication strategies (waitlist control) as well as from high- and low-tech forms of AAC. High-tech AAC consisted of tablet-based communication, and low-tech AAC used an exchange of picture cards. The community-based sample consisted of 29 autistic children with a co-occurring intellectual disability. Participants were randomized to groups (AAC, waitlist control), and each group received approximately 3 months of communication intervention. Multilevel …

A Simple Trail Camera Modification Reveals Red-Bellied Woodpeckers As Important Egg Predators Of Box-Nesting Wood Ducks, Dylan L. Bakner, Kevin M. Ringelman

Faculty Publications

Artificial nesting structures have been used to aid the recovery and maintenance of certain avian populations such as the wood duck (Aix sponsa). The success of nest boxes for wood ducks relies on excluding common nest predators such as raccoons (Procyon lotor) and rat snakes (Pantherophis spp.) via the use of predator guards; however, woodpeckers cannot be excluded. Red-bellied woodpeckers (Melanerpes carolinus) are foraging generalists and have been anecdotally observed preying on wood duck eggs where documenting predation events is difficult to accomplish through traditional nest box monitoring. Here, we used custom-modified trail cameras to document egg depredations and foraging …

Immune Genotypes, Immune Responses, And Survival In A Wild Bird Population, Martha J. Nelson-Flower, Leanne A. Grieves, Jane M. Reid, Ryan R. Germain, Savo Lazic, Sabrina S. Taylor, Elizabeth A. Macdougall-Shackleton, Peter Arcese

Faculty Publications

Individuals vary in their immune genotype, inbreeding coefficient f, immune responses, survival to adulthood, and adult longevity. However, whether immune genes predict survival or longevity, whether such relationships are mediated through immune responses, and how f affects immune genotype remain unclear. We use a wild song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population in which survival to adulthood, adult longevity, and f were measured precisely, and in which immune responses have previously been assessed. We investigate four toll-like receptor (TLR) and the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class IIB exon 2 genes. We test whether immune genes predict fitness (survival to adulthood or adult …