Digital Commons Network^™

Using A 3d World To Address Perceptual Issues In Human-Robot Coordination, D. Paul Benjamin, Damian M. Lyons

CSIS Technical Reports

The paper argues that effective human-robot coordination benefits from active, goal-oriented perception and internal simulation. ADAPT constructs and continually updates a 3D virtual model of the robot, its environment, and people; physics simulation allows the robot to anticipate action effects and plan interactions. The architecture also uses the virtual world to connect perceptual context, cognitive semantics, and natural-language interaction.

"Alienation In The Egyptian Novel Under Nasser: A Study Of Naguib Mahfouz’S The Beggar And Son’Allah Ibrahim’S That Smell.", Zeina Sabry

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Abstracts 2015: Highlights Of Student Research And Creative Endeavors, Columbus State University

Abstracts: Highlights of Student Research and Creative Endeavors

No abstract provided.

Summer 2015

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

The MDDS Articulator magazine has been serving as the voice for Denver's dental community for over 100 years.

Distributed to approximately 2,000 dental professionals quarterly, the Articulator features local news, industry trends, practice management guidance, data-driven research and more. The award-winning publication is available to member dentists in both print and digital forms.

Issues include cover and feature articles alongside regular columns with regional news impacting the Metro Denver membership including editorial and perspectives columns, legal, association activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Sex Dependent Efficacy Of Taurine As A Treatment For Cocaine Drug Use: A Study Of Reward, Kevin Uribe

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Insomnia And Identity: The Discursive Function Of Sleeplessness In Modernist Literature, Sarah Kingston

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation examines the topic of insomnia in British and American modernist literature, focusing primarily on the ways in which the condition of insomnia and the identity category of the “insomniac” intersect with other aspects of subjectivity, such as gender, occupation, race, and social class. Through examining insomnia from a narratological perspective, using fictional, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and medical literature, I discuss the discursive function of both this disorder and identity category during the Modernist period. It also explores the relationship between insomnia and Modernism itself, regarding both the discursive production of knowledge of insomnia and the insomniac during this …

“I Am A Hmong American”: An Exploration Of The Experiences Of Hmong Students In College, Ducha Hang

Open Access Dissertations

As the changing demographics in the United States are steadily shifting the student populations in colleges and universities, the focus on retention and college success becomes ever more important. When marginalized and underrepresented students like Asian Americans enter post-secondary education institutions and are assumed to fit stereotypes like the Model Minority Myth which suggests that all Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students are high achievers, how do these students succeed and continue with their education under challenges including discrimination, language barriers (Lee, 2008) and cultural tension (Xiong and Lee, 2011; Ngo, 2007)? This study explores the experiences of Hmong …

Effects Of Perfluorinated Compounds (Pfcs) On Metabolic Tissues And The Benefits Of Caloric Restriction, Deanna M. Salter

Open Access Dissertations

The CDC states that there has been a dramatic increase in obesity from 1990 to 2010. Type-II diabetes and obesity prevalence are increasing worldwide. Often, obesity and Type-II diabetes are concurrent, and predispose individuals to development of fatty liver disease, referred to as Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two commonly studied perfluorinated compounds (PFC’s) that are considered environmental toxicants that have the potential to elicit diabetic and NAFLD phenotypes. This dissertation presents novel findings of gaps within the literature to date. Traditionally, diabetes and obesity have been discussed in regard with …

Parental Psychological Control And Emotion Dysregulation Among Anxious Children: A Transactional Model, Monica M. Nanda

Open Access Dissertations

Existing research and theories have consistently highlighted the role of emotion regulation deficits and parental psychological control in the occurrence of childhood anxiety disorders. The aim of the present study was to continue to examine these relationships using observational methods amongst a clinically anxious sample. Additionally, the present study aimed to identify the direction of effects between parental psychological control and emotion dysregulation by examining whether there is a discernible sequence of parent and child behaviors forming a pattern of interaction between parents and their anxious children. This was completed using microanalytic coding methods to observe parental psychological control and …

Evaluation Of 9,10 Anthraquinone Application To Pre-Seed Set Sunflowers For Repelling Blackbirds, Megan D. Niner, George M. Linz, Mark E. Clark

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Most nonlethal methods available for reducing blackbird (Icteridae) damage to sunflowers rely on fright responses (e.g., propane cannons, distress calls, pyrotechnics, raptor silhouettes) that birds quickly learn to ignore. Chemicals that cause taste or feeding aversions have potential to overcome the spatial and behavioral limitations of frightening methods. Anthraquinone (AQ) is an effective feeding repellent as a seed treatment to deter birds from eating freshly planted grains. In the United States, foliar application of AQ is not permitted on food crops except on small experimental plots. In August 2013, we applied 37.4 L/ha of an aqueous mix consisting of 15.1 …

Modeling The Economic Impacts Of Double-Crested Cormorant Damage To A Recreational Fishery, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Katy N. Kirkpatrick, Travis L. Devault, Steven S. Shwiff

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) has undergone a significant range expansion in the Great Lakes area of the United States since the 1970s, negatively impacting native fish populations and sport fisheries. Effective management of wildlife requires policies and practices that quantify their economic impacts, which is often complicated by multiplier effects in the regional economy. This analysis estimates the potential direct and regional economic impacts of the cormorant to a recreational fishery. We estimated that the potential economic loss was on average $5 million to $66 million annually, as well as 66 to 929 job-years in the region …

Grass Management Regimes Affect Grasshopper Availability And Subsequently American Crow Activity At Airports, Laura A. Kennedy, Ken A. Otter

Human–Wildlife Interactions

With large expanses of open vegetation, airports serve as major attractants for numerous bird species, such as the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), which can lead to high risk of bird–aircraft collision. Previous observations of large influxes of crows at the Prince George Airport (British Columbia, Canada) in July and August suggested that crows were opportunistically foraging on grasshopper (Melanoplus sp.) population eruptions in mown grass during those months. We tested whether grasshoppers were more visible (i.e., easier for crows to detect) under different grass lengths, and whether crows were preferentially attracted to these same grass lengths. Employing …

Methodology For Estimating Deer Browsing Impact, Timothy G. Pierson, David S. Decalesta

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Because there were no reliable indicators of deer browsing on tree seedling regeneration, we developed methodology that can be used to measure deer browsing impact. We compared 11 years (2002 to 2012) of annual estimates of deer density with coarse (percent-plots-no-regeneration, percent-plots-no-impact) and fine (3 levels of impact on 6 indicator seedling species) indicators within a 29,642-ha study area in northwestern Pennsylvania. Coarse and fine measures met established criteria for indicators of environmental stress (e.g., high deer density); they were predictive of stresses that can be: avoided by management; integrative with causes of stress; responsive to disturbances and changes over …

Black Bear Exclusion Fences To Protect Mobile Apiaries, Tammy E. Otto, Gary J. Roloff

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Demand for commercial bee (Apis mellifera) services recently has increased, resulting in greater use of mobile apiaries for crop pollination. When commercial apiaries are moved into areas occupied by black bears (Ursus americanus), conflicts between beekeepers and bears sometimes occur. Commercial pollination often involves moving apiaries among agricultural fields, and, thus, permanent fencing is not a viable option for reducing damage by bears. In 2010, we tested the effectiveness of 4 temporary electric fence designs for excluding black bears from bait sites in northern Michigan. We determined the effectiveness of each fence design by observing bear …

Changes In Distribution Of Canada Geese Nesting In Arkansas, M. Eliese Ronke, David G. Krementz

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The reintroduced Canada goose (Branta canadensis) population in Arkansas has grown in range and abundance in recent decades. We determined the geographic range of Arkansas resident Canada geese from 2004 to 2012 using volume contour maps from citizen science observations using eBird, a citizen science website, and hunter recovery locations from the U.S. Geological Survey Bird Banding Laboratory. Resulting maps indicate an increase in Canada goose encounters toward northwestern and southwestern Arkansas from the original relocations in the Arkansas River valley. We examined movement of Canada geese banded and recovered in Arkansas by determining the distance and angle …

Characterizing Nontarget Species Use At Bait Sites For White-Tailed Deer, Brent Bowman, Jerrold L. Belant, Dean E. Beyer Jr., Deborah Martel

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Baiting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has evolved into a controversial issue of wildlife management. During August–September 2012, we established a grid of 64 cameras in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at sites baited with corn that simulated legal bait sites for white-tailed deer to characterize presence, diversity, and frequency of species use. We detected >20 species of wildlife that visited bait sites. We categorized 3,177 of 11,194 images as independent detections (i.e., species detected >1 hour apart). White-tailed deer had the greatest detection rate (47%), but overall detections of nontarget species was slightly greater (53%). Most frequent nontarget …

Soap Box Reprioritizing Avian Conservation Efforts, Travis L. Devault

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Human Diseases From Wildlife: A Review, Joe N. Caudell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Brown Bear And Human Recreational Use Of Trails In Anchorage, Alaska, Jessica A. Coltrane, Rick Sinnott

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Anchorage, Alaska, has 301,000 human residents and hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Anchorage also supports a viable population of brown bears (Ursus arctos). As a result, human–bear encounters are common. We used camera traps to monitor recreational trails near salmon spawning streams at 3 study sites during the summers of 2009 to 2012 to better understand daily and seasonal activity patterns of bears and humans on these trails. The more remote study sites had the least human activity and the most bear activity. Human–bear encounters were most likely to occur from July through early September due …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Factors Associated With Urban Deer–Vehicle Collisions, Erin C. Mccance, Richard K. Baydack, David J. Walker, Derek N. Leask

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Increasing populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in urban areas have resulted in an increase in deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs). Deer–vehicle collisions represent a human–wildlife conflict of serious concern, given that they result, most notably, in significant risk to human safety, deer mortality, and costly vehicle damage. Although many communities have developed databases that track the frequency and location of DVCs, there is a need for analysis of the factors that affect DVC locations in urban areas. Data on deer movement patterns across roads in urban areas are valuable to reduce the occurrence of DVCs on existing roads and …

In The News, Jason Matthews, Joe N. Caudell

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Parallel Universes? Increasing Connections Between Ipm And Wdm, Lynn Braband

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Managing damage by wild vertebrates often is important, and wildlife damage management (WDM) has incorporated important tenets of integrated pest management (IPM). However, largely separate academic backgrounds have nurtured the IPM and WDM communities. The controversial “hot button” topics have tended to differ. While WDM research and outreach have received some IPM funding, and wildlife studies occasionally appear in IPM journals, attendance at infrequent wildlife sessions during IPM meetings has been sparse. The objectives of this paper are to review important examples of collaboration, and evaluate possibilities for future synergy between these related disciplines.

Wildlife Damage Management In The Digital Age: Collaborating With Others, L. C. "Fudd" Graham, Janet Hurley, Kathy Flanders

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Three seemingly disparate Communities of Practice (CoPs)—Urban Integrated Pest Management (Urban IPM), Wildlife Damage Management (WDM), and Imported Fire Ants—came together to promote IPM and WDM by sharing information on websites and through webinars. Originally, each CoP on the eXtension web site was set up to be a unique information source. It became clear very early in eXtension’s development that many of these unique, single-topic sites had information that could be used by others. These 3 CoPs had the foresight to work together and link information, rather than creating new material.

Winter Habitat Associations Of Blackbirds And Starlings Wintering In The South-Central United States, Matthew Strassburg, Shawn M. Crimmins, Patrick C. Mckann, Wayne E. Thogmartin

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Birds can cause extensive crop damage in the United States. In some regions, depredating species comprise a substantial portion of the total avian population, emphasizing their importance both economically and ecologically. We used the National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count data from the south-central United States and mixed-effects models to identify habitat factors associated with population trend and abundance for 5 species: red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), rusty blackbird (Euphagus carolinus), Brewer’s blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus), and European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Overall, we found positive associations between bird …

Assessing Gull Abundance And Food Availability In Urban Parking Lots, Dan Clark, Jillian J. Whitney, Kenneth G. Mackenzie, Kiana K. G. Koenen, Stephen Destefano

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Feeding birds is a common activity throughout the world; yet, little is known about the extent of feeding gulls in urban areas. We monitored 8 parking lots in central Massachusetts, USA, during the fall and winter of 2011 to 2013 in 4 monitoring sessions to document the number of gulls present, the frequency of human–gull feeding interactions, and the effectiveness of signage and direct interaction in reducing human-provisioned food. Parking lots were divided between “education” and “no-education” lots. In education lots, we erected signs about problems caused when people feed birds and also asked people to stop feeding birds. We …

Does Body Condition Affect Immediate Post-Capture Survival Of Ungulates?, Louis C. Bender

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Many factors are known or are thought to increase vulnerability to capture-related mortality in ungulates. I compared body condition of Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelson), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) to assess whether those that survived capture differed from those that did not. Fate of ungulates was generally not related to condition (F_1,646 = 1.6; P = 0.21), and this relationship was similar among species (species × fate interaction: F_4,646 = 1.3; P = 0.29), season of capture (species × season × fate interaction: F_6,646 = …

Relationship Between Spatial Distribution Of Sika Deer–Train Collisions And Sika Deer Movement In Japan, Akinao Soga, Shin-Ichiro Hamasaki, Noriko Yokoyama, Toshiyuki Sakai, Koichi Kaji

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between trains and sika deer (Cervus nippon) cause various problems involving animal and humans safety, as well as economic cost. A better understanding of deer crossing railway lines and deer–train accidents is necessary to develop effective mitigation measures. We investigated the collisions among habitat selection, railway-line crossing movement, and deer–train collisions. We predicted that the risk of deer–train collisions would increase with increasing probability of deer crossing railway lines, which is related to habitat selection surrounding in those areas. Deer stayed in forests to rest during the day and moved to grasslands or rice paddy fields to …

Microhabitat Selection By Greater Sage-Grouse Hens During Brood Rearing, Scott T. Mabray, Michael R. Conover

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined throughout the western United States over the past century. Loss of large stands of sagebrush is a major factor leading to the decline of sage-grouse populations. We captured, marked, and tracked hen sage-grouse in Wyoming during the summer of 2012 to study where sage-grouse hens keep their chicks given the dual needs to provide them with food and to keep them safe from avian predators. Vegetation surveys and avian point counts were performed at early season brood locations, late-season brood locations, and random locations. We conducted multinomial models to determine which …

Distance-Dependent Effectiveness Of Diversionary Bear Bait Sites, Stephen F. Stringham, Ann Bryant

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Baiting black bears (Ursus americanus) to sites outside a community can alleviate famine-induced spikes in human–bear conflicts. But little is known about effects of distance between baits and communities. Bears were lured out of towns in California’s Tahoe Basin to baits in adjacent forests. Delay between onsets of baiting and decline in bear–human conflict was directly related to each community’s distance from the nearest bait. The amount and rate that conflicts declined were inversely related to distance. In 7 communities about 1 km from a bait, conflicts declined 41% after 1 month and 93% after 3 months; mean …

Evaluating Competing Preferences Of Hunters And Landowners For Management Of Deer Populations, Gino J. D'Angelo, Marrett D. Grund

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Most state wildlife agencies consider public input in the management of whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) populations. In 2013, we surveyed deer hunters (n = 3,600) and landowners (n = 4,604) in southwest Minnesota to gauge their preferences for managing deer. We hypothesized a priori that, irrespective of their perceived impacts of deer, hunters would prefer deer populations to be increased and landowners would prefer deer populations to be decreased. Our findings suggest that defining stakeholder groups according to primary associations with deer (i.e., farming and hunting) accurately categorized differences in tolerance levels for deer populations in …