Digital Commons Network^™

The Design And Evaluation Of A User-Centric Information Security Risk Assessment And Response Framework, Manal Alohali, Nathan Clarke, Steven Furnell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Abstract: The risk of sensitive information disclosure and modification through the use of online services has increased considerably and may result in significant damage. As the management and assessment of such risks is a well-known discipline for organizations, it is a challenge for users from the general public. Users have difficulties in using, understanding and reacting to security-related threats. Moreover, users only try to protect themselves from risks salient to them. Motivated by the lack of risk assessment solutions and limited impact of awareness programs tailored for users of the general public, this paper aims to develop a structured approach …

Reviews And Syntheses: 210pb-Derived Sediment And Carbon Accumulation Rates In Vegetated Coastal Ecosystems – Setting The Record Straight, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Pere Masque´, Jordi Garcia-Orellana, Oscar Serrano, Ines Mazarrasa, Nuria Marba, Catherine E. Lovelock, Paul S. Lavery, Carlos M. Duarte

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vegetated coastal ecosystems, including tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrass meadows, are being increasingly assessed in terms of their potential for carbon dioxide sequestration worldwide. However, there is a paucity of studies that have effectively estimated the accumulation rates of sediment organic carbon (C_org), also termed blue carbon, beyond the mere quantification of C_org stocks. Here, we discuss the use of the ²¹⁰Pb dating technique to determine the rate of C_org accumulation in these habitats. We review the most widely used ²¹⁰Pb dating models to assess their limitations in these ecosystems, often composed of …

International Students’ Expectations Of Information Literacy Instruction, Nicole Johnston, Meggan Houlihan, Jodi Neindorf

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper presents the findings of a case study that investigated international university students’ expectations and experiences of information literacy across two countries. The results from this case study provide insights that can be utilized by librarians working with international students, to plan and develop their information literacy instruction classes and programs. Armed with an awareness of what international students’ expectations and experiences with information literacy programs are, librarians can develop more meaningful instruction that better meets the information needs of international students. Moving beyond the pilot survey, the researchers aim to improve the survey instrument and collaborate with librarians …

On The Spatial Modelling Of Mixed And Constrained Geospatial Data, Hassan Talebi

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Spatial uncertainty modelling and prediction of a set of regionalized dependent variables from various sample spaces (e.g. continuous and categorical) is a common challenge for geoscience modellers and many geoscience applications such as evaluation of mineral resources, characterization of oil reservoirs or hydrology of groundwater. To consider the complex statistical and spatial relationships, categorical data such as rock types, soil types, alteration units, and continental crustal blocks should be modelled jointly with other continuous attributes (e.g. porosity, permeability, seismic velocity, mineral and geochemical compositions or pollutant concentration). These multivariate geospatial data normally have complex statistical and spatial relationships which should …

Chinese Outbound Travel: Understanding The Socioeconomic Drivers, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Xiang Wei

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study used a national sample (N = 36,490) of Chinese urban residents to examine the relationship between outbound travel intention and some key demographic, economic, and geographic variables. Findings indicate that education, income, and paid vacation days significantly predicted outbound travel intention. Compared to residents in Tier-4 cities in China, those in Tier-1, -2, and -3 cities had higher probability of choosing outbound travel by 13.1%, 30.9%, and 15.3%, respectively. This study draws meaningful connections between Chinese outbound tourism and the social and economic realities in China and offers an alternative approach to understanding Chinese outbound tourism.

Ransomware Behavioural Analysis On Windows Platforms, Nikolai Hampton, Zubair A. Baig, Sherali Zeadally

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Ransomware infections have grown exponentially during the recent past to cause major disruption in operations across a range of industries including the government. Through this research, we present an analysis of 14 strains of ransomware that infect Windows platforms, and we do a comparison of Windows Application Programming Interface (API) calls made through ransomware processes with baselines of normal operating system behaviour. The study identifies and reports salient features of ransomware as referred through the frequencies of API calls

Environmental Monitoring And Peat Assessment Using Multivariate Analysis Of Regional-Scale Geochemical Data, Jennifer M. Mckinley, Eric Grunsky, Ute Mueller

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A compositional multivariate approach was used to analyse regional-scale soil geochemical data obtained as part of the Tellus Project generated by the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland. The multi-element total concentration data presented comprise X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses of 6862 rural soil samples collected at 20-cm depth on a non-aligned grid at one site per 2km2" role="presentation">2km2. Censored data were imputed using published detection limits. Each soil sample site was assigned to the regional geology map, resulting in spatial data for one categorical variable and 35 continuous variables comprised of individual and amalgamated elements. This paper examines the extent …

Are Current Effectiveness Criteria Fit For Purpose? Using A Controversial Strategic Assessment As A Test Case, Jenny Pope, Alan J. Bond, Carolyn Cameron, François P. Retief, Angus N. Morrison-Saunders

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this paper is to test the broader utility of the sustainability assessment effectiveness framework of Bond et al. (2015) by applying it to a controversial strategic assessment case study. The effectiveness framework comprises six dimensions: procedural effectiveness, substantive effectiveness, transactive effectiveness, normative effectiveness, pluralism, and knowledge and learning. It was originally developed to evaluate sustainability assessment at a system-wide level and it has not been previously applied to a specific case study. The analysis was conducted through document review and the first-hand experience of two of the authors who were involved in the case study …

Working With The Enemy? Social Work Education And Men Who Use Intimate Partner Violence, Rebecca Jury, Kathy Boxall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This article examines service user involvement in social work education. It discusses the challenges and ethical considerations of involving populations who may previously have been excluded from user involvement initiatives, raising questions about the benefits and challenges of their involvement. The article then provides discussion of an approach to service user involvement in social work education with one of these populations, men who use violence in their intimate relationships, and concludes by considering the implications of their involvement for the social work academy.

Metabolic And Fatigue Profiles Are Comparable Between Prepubertal Children And Well-Trained Adult Endurance Athletes, Anthony Birat, Pierre Bourdier, Enzo Piponnier, Anthony J. Blazevich, Hugo Maciejewski, Pascale Duche, Sebastien Ratel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this study was to determine whether prepubertal children are metabolically comparable to well-trained adult endurance athletes and if this translates into similar fatigue rates during high-intensity exercise in both populations. On two different occasions, 12 prepubertal boys (10.5 ± 1.1 y), 12 untrained men (21.2 ± 1.5 y), and 13 endurance male athletes (21.5 ± 2.7 y) completed an incremental test to determine the power output at VO_2max (PVO_2max) and a Wingate test to evaluate the maximal anaerobic power (P_max) and relative decrement in power output (i.e., the fatigue index, FI). Furthermore, …

Grey Wolf Optimization-Based Optimum Energy-Management And Battery-Sizing Method For Grid-Connected Microgrids, Kutaiba Sabah Nimma, Monaaf D. A. Al-Falahi, Hung Duc Nguyen, S. D. G. Jayasinghe, Thair Mahmoud, Michael Negnevitsky

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In the revolution of green energy development, microgrids with renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and fuel cells are becoming a popular and effective way of controlling and managing these sources. On the other hand, owing to the intermittency and wide range of dynamic responses of renewable energy sources, battery energy-storage systems have become an integral feature of microgrids. Intelligent energy management and battery sizing are essential requirements in the microgrids to ensure the optimal use of the renewable sources and reduce conventional fuel utilization in such complex systems. This paper presents a novel approach to meet these requirements …

Rigor And Reproducibility In Research With Transcranial Electrical Stimulation: An Nimh-Sponsored Workshop, Marom Bikson, Andre Brunoni, Leigh Charvet, Vincent Clark, Leonardo Cohen, Zhi-De Deng, Jacek Dmochowski, Dylan Edwards, Flavio Frohlich, Emily Kappenman, Kelvin Lim, Colleen Loo, Antonio Mantovani, David Mcmullen, Lucas Parra, Michele Pearson, Jessica Richardson, Judith Rumsey, Pejman Sehatpour, David Sommers, Gozde Unal, Eric Wassermann, Adam Woods, Sarah Lisanby

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Neuropsychiatric disorders are a leading source of disability and require novel treatments that target mechanisms of disease. As such disorders are thought to result from aberrant neuronal circuit activity, neuromodulation approaches are of increasing interest given their potential for manipulating circuits directly. Low intensity transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) with direct currents (transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS) or alternating currents (transcranial alternating current stimulation, tACS) represent novel, safe, well-tolerated, and relatively inexpensive putative treatment modalities.

Objective

This report seeks to promote the science, technology and effective clinical applications of these modalities, identify research challenges, and suggest approaches for addressing these …

On Legitimacy In Impact Assessment: An Epistemologically-Based Conceptualisation, Alan Bond, Jenny Pope, Francois Retief, Angus Morrison-Saunders

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Impact assessment (IA) is carried out as an ex ante process to inform decision-making. It includes requirements for engagement with stakeholders (including the public) regarding actions proposed by a proponent. A key issue with the various stakeholders involved is the perceived legitimacy of the IA, which can have implications both for the reputation of the proponent, and the likelihood of conflict over the decision. But the understanding of legitimacy in the IA literature has changed over time in line with an ontological shift from positivism (that scientifically generated information leads to better informed decisions) to the post-positivist acknowledgement of the …

On Elemental Phenomenology: Sallis And Dzogchen Buddhism, Schwartz, Michael

Journal of Conscious Evolution

John Sallis’ volumes on the Force of the Imagination (2000) and Logic of the Imagination (2012) constitute, in the field of contemporary Continental thought, a novel philosophical view of the elementals. Tibetan Buddhism has a more than a thousand-year old tradition of teaching about and practicing with the elements. This study is a preliminary exploration of the cross-currents of these two elemental teachings.

Vehicle Tracking Based On Historical Intersection Over Union, Shuai Hua

Master's Theses

Multi-object tracking (MOT) could be applied to many video analysis scenarios, such as vehicle speed estimation, vehicle re-identification, and vehicle abnormal behavior detection. A tracking task can be formulated as a data association problem, for which there exist many different types of solutions. Track-by-detection is one of the most common approaches for the MOT task. In this paradigm, the tracking algorithm relies on the detection results to decide whether detected vehicles in sequential frames belong to the same track. In our work, we developed a reliable vehicle tracker following this paradigm, while considering the balance between tracking efficiency and tracking …

The Reliability Of Evidence In Evidence-Based Legislation, Sean J. Kealy, Alex Fomey

Faculty Scholarship

As evidence-based legislation develops, and as technology puts more information at our fingertips, there should be a better understanding of what exactly constitutes reliable evidence. Robert and Ann Seidman devoted their professional careers to developing the evidence-based Institutional Legislative Theory and Methodology and teaching it to legislative drafters around the world. Although ILTAM was firmly grounded in – and driven by – evidence, the question becomes what evidence is reliable and a worthy input for the methodology. Further, how can the drafter avoid the misuses of evidence such as confirmation bias and naïve beliefs? We aim to give a guide …

Actual Vs. Perceived Hiv Testing Norms, And Personal Hiv Testing Uptake: A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based Study In Rural Uganda, Jessica M. Perkins, Viola N. Nyakato, Bernard Kakuhikire, Pamela K. Mbabazi, H. Wesley Perkins, Alexander C. Tsai, Sv Subramanian, Nicholas A. Christakis, David Bangsberg

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

HIV testing is an essential part of treatment and prevention. Using population-based data from 1664 adults across eight villages in rural Uganda, we assessed individuals’ perception of the norm for HIV testing uptake in their village and compared it to the actual uptake norm. In addition, we examined how perception of the norm was associated with personal testing while adjusting for other factors. Although the majority of people had been tested for HIV across all villages, slightly more than half of men and women erroneously thought that the majority in their village had never been tested. They underestimated the prevalence …

Characterization Of Bimodal Extension Of The Generalized Gamma Distribution, Gholamhossein G. Hamedani

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

Cankaya et al. (2015) [1] introduced a bimodal extension of the generalized gamma distribution and studied certain properties and ap­plicability of this distribution. This is a continuous distribution whose probability density function is defined via two branches. These types of distributions are very interesting but not easy to characterize. In this short note we try to present a characterization of this distribution which we believe, it may possibly be the only one for this rather complicated distribution.

Pre-Service K-8 Teachers’ Professional Noticing And Strategy Evaluation Skills: An Exploratory Study, Vecihi S. Zambak, Marta T. Magiera

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

This study sheds light on three teaching competencies: Pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) professional noticing of student mathematical reasoning and strategies, their ability to assess the validity of student reasoning and strategies, and to select student strategy for class discussion. Our results reveal that PSTs with strong awareness of mathematically significant aspects of student reasoning and strategies (focused noticing) were better positioned to assess the validity of student reasoning and strategies. PSTs with higher strategy evaluation skills were more likely to choose the strategy to engage class in justification or to advance students’ conceptual understanding compared to PSTs with low strategy evaluation …

Super Problems In Superstar Cities, Michael Lewyn, Beth Gazes

Scholarly Works

Review of Richard Florida's The New Urban Crisis

Modeling Of A Dynamic Mckibben Style Muscle System Using Material Properties, Alexander G. Arcus

Theses

The McKibben style artificial muscle is a type of pneumatic artificial muscle. When the muscle is pressurized a length contraction and contractive force occur. Modeling a McKibben style muscle presents many challenges. The physical dynamics of the muscle are highly nonlinear, which makes accurate modeling difficult. Modeling using experimentally determined coefficients enables the creation of an equation that ignores the nonlinear nature of the system, but it can have a limited range or accuracy and cannot adjust for changing system properties. Modeling using the system properties requires the consideration of the nonlinear dynamics of the muscle; however, it provides the …

Regional Climate Model Evaluation System Powered By Apache Open Climate Workbench V1.3.0: An Enabling Tool For Facilitating Regional Climate Studies, Huikyo Lee, Alexander Goodman, Lewis Mcgibbney, Duane E. Waliser, Jinwon Kim, Paul C. Loikith, Peter B. Gibson, Elias C. Massoud

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Regional Climate Model Evaluation System (RCMES) is an enabling tool of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to support the United States National Climate Assessment. As a comprehensive system for evaluating climate models on regional and continental scales using observational datasets from a variety of sources, RCMES is designed to yield information on the performance of climate models and guide their improvement. Here, we present a user-oriented document describing the latest version of RCMES, its development process, and future plans for improvements. The main objective of RCMES is to facilitate the climate model evaluation process at regional scales. RCMES …

The Triassic Saharonim Formation Of The Sephardic Province On The Southern Tethyan Margin Is An Analog For The Triassic Germanic Muschelkalk Of Western Europe, Howard R. Feldman, Talia J. Belowich

Lander College for Women - The Anna Ruth and Mark Hasten School Publications and Research

The Germanic Muschelkalk consists of a sedimentary sequence of limestone and dolostone units that overlies the Permian Buntsandstein Formation and underlies the Middle and Late Triassic Keuper Formation. The three formations form the Germanic Triassic Supergroup. The Muschelkalk was deposited in a shallow marine environment that was only partially connected to the Tethys Ocean to the south with the middle section evaporitic indicating a restricted basin. Fossiliferous beds are often biostromal such as the well-known Coenothyris brachiopod beds (e.g. Terebratula Bed, terebratulid facies) common in the Muschelkalk. The Saharonim Formation of the Sephardic Province, found along the southern shore of …

Extremist Speech, Compelled Conformity, And Censorship Creep, Danielle K. Citron

Faculty Scholarship

Silicon Valley has long been viewed as a full-throated champion of First Amendment values. The dominant online platforms, however, have recently adopted speech policies and processes that depart from the U.S. model. In an agreement with the European Commission, tech companies have pledged to respond to reports of hate speech within twenty-four hours, a hasty process that may trade valuable expression for speedy results. Plans have been announced for an industry database that will allow the same companies to share hashed images of banned extremist content for review and removal elsewhere.

These changes are less the result of voluntary market …

Four Principles For Digital Expression (You Won't Believe #3!), Danielle K. Citron, Neil Richards

Faculty Scholarship

At the dawn of the Internet’s emergence, the Supreme Court rhapsodized about its potential as a tool for free expression and political liberation. In ACLU v. Reno (1997), the Supreme Court adopted a bold vision of Internet expression to strike down a federal law - the Communications Decency Act - that restricted digital expression to forms that were merely “decent.” Far more than the printing press, the Court explained, the mid-90s Internet enabled anyone to become a town crier. Communication no longer required the permission of powerful entities. With a network connection, the powerless had as much luck reaching a …

The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis Facilitates Evolutionary Models Of Culture Change, Cameron M. Smith, Liane Gabora, William Gardner-O’Kearney

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is beginning to fulfill the whole promise of Darwinian insight through its extension of evolutionary understanding from the biological domain to include cultural information evolution. Several decades of important foundation-laying work took a social Darwinist approach and exhibited ecologically-deterministic elements. This is not the case for more recent developments to the evolutionary study of culture, which emphasize non-Darwinian processes such as self-organization, potentiality, and epigenetic change.

Two Cognitive Transitions Underlying The Capacity For Cultural Evolution, Liane Gabora, Cameron M. Smith

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper proposes that the distinctively human capacity for cumulative, adaptive, open-ended cultural evolution came about through two temporally-distinct cognitive transitions. First, the origin of Homo-specific culture over two MYA was made possible by the onset of a finer-grained associative memory that allowed episodes to be encoded in greater detail. This in turn meant more overlap amongst the distributed representations of these episodes, such that they could more readily evoke one another through self-triggered recall (STR). STR enabled representational redescription, the chaining of thoughts and actions, and the capacity for a stream of thought. Second, fully cognitive modernity following the …

Justice As Harmony: The Distinct Resonance Of Chief Justice Beverley Mclachlin's Juridical Genius, Marcus Moore

All Faculty Publications

Chief Justice McLachlin’s juridical work has earned special praise, but what specifically distinguishes it among the work of other leading jurists has proven elusive for lawyers and social scientists to identify. My experience as a law clerk to McLachlin CJC suggested a distinct approach never comprehensively articulated, but intuitively well-known and widely-emulated among those in her sphere of influence. Drawing on the Chief Justice’s public lectures—where she often explained and offered deeper reflection on the McLachlin Court’s defining jurisprudence—I make the case in this article that at the heart of that approach is a quality best described as the pursuit …

Towards Better Outcomes For Families With Transition-Age Youth Or Young Adults With Asd: A Mixed Methods Study From A Parent’S Perspective, Wing Hang Wong

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

The after-high-school outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families are less than desirable. The current study employed an exploratory sequential mixed methods design in order to enhance understanding of the family adaptation process during transition. First, a qualitative study was conducted in order to understand the stressors, external and internal support, coping strategies, and family adaptation outcomes during transition, from a parent’s perspective, using the ABCX model. Thirteen parents of adolescents and young adults with ASD were interviewed. These parents reported a continually high level of stress due to normative strains and ASD-related demands. They clearly …

Fuel Or Fizzle: The Role Of Collaboration Network Centrality On Teacher Burnout, Meredith Jane Brewer

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Professional burnout refers to the development of negative emotions, cynical thoughts, and physical and mental exhaustion as a response to stressors associated with one’s career. Within the teaching profession, professional burnout has been associated with an increase in teacher attrition. In an effort to promote a positive school environment where teachers feel supported and committed to the profession, many administrators have implemented structured collaborative opportunities within their buildings.

While personal relationships within the school network can provide a mitigating effect against professional burnout, the possibility exists that teacher leaders can be overcentralized and negatively impacted by the maintained relationships. By …