Digital Commons Network^™

A Brief Review Of Mueller Matrix Calculations Associated With Oceanic Particles, Bingqiang Sun, George W. Kattawar, Ping Yang, Xiaodong Zhang

Earth System Science and Policy Faculty Publications

The complete Stokes vector contains much more information than the radiance of light for the remote sensing of the ocean. Unlike the conventional radiance-only radiative transfer simulations, a full Mueller matrix-Stokes vector treatment provides a rigorous and correct approach for solving the transfer of radiation in a scattering medium, such as the atmosphere-ocean system. In fact, radiative transfer simulation without considering the polarization state always gives incorrect results and the extent of the errors induced depends on a particular application being considered. However, the rigorous approach that fully takes the polarization state into account requires the knowledge of the complete …

Motivations And Satisfaction Of North Dakota Deer Hunters During A Temporal Decline In Deer Populations, Kristen E. Black, William F. Jensen, Robert Newman, Jason Boulanger

Biology Faculty Publications

Achieving state wildlife agency biological goals for deer (Odocoileus spp.) management may often conflict with hunter desires. Concomitantly, better information is needed to optimize agency deer herd management goals with hunters’ social goals. In 2016, we surveyed 3,000 North Dakota, USA, resident deer hunters using a self-administered mail survey to gain a better understanding of motivations, satisfaction, and hunter demographics that may be used to inform hunter recruitment and retention (HRR) efforts during a period of reduced statewide deer populations. With deer-gun license availability strictly limited, we explored the possibility that some gun hunters may have been engaging …

Stability And Bifurcation Analysis Of A Delayed Three Species Food Chain Model With Crowley-Martin Response Function, Ashok Mondal, A. K. Pal, G. P. Samanta

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper we have studied the dynamical behaviors of three species prey-predator system. The interaction between prey and middle-predator is Crowley-Martin type functional response. Positivity and boundedness of the system are discussed. Stability analysis of the equilibrium points is presented. Permanence and Hopf-bifurcation of the system are analyzed under some conditions. The effect of discrete time-delay is studied, where the delay may be regarded as the gestation period of the super-predator. The direction and the stability criteria of the bifurcating periodic solutions are determined with the help of the normal form theory and the center manifold theorem. Extensive numerical …

The Impact Of Dams On Floods And Nitrogen Flux In The Lamprey River Watershed, Nh, David Simon

Master's Theses and Capstones

Decisions about dam management require weighing many tradeoffs. Among many other factors, dams and their reservoirs can reduce peak flows and retain nutrients that could otherwise cause downstream eutrophication. This study quantifies how dams and their management alter flows and nutrient retention within a coastal New Hampshire watershed. An annual nitrogen budget was estimated at Pawtuckaway Lake, a dammed reservoir within the Lamprey River watershed, through field work. Results showed that annual total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) retention within Pawtuckaway Lake were close to estimates predicted by an empirical model developed by Seitzinger et al. 2002. …

Intratumoral Sting Activation Sensitizes Poorly Immunogenic Cancers To Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy, Casey Ager

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Unprecedented durable tumor regression can be achieved in patients with checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, yet these responses are rare and are not observed in all tumor types. Castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are two common lethal cancers that remain refractory to checkpoint blockade, requiring development of new therapeutic approaches to promote responsivity in patients with these diseases. Both CRPC and PDAC are characterized by an immunosuppressive tumor milieu rich in cells of the myeloid lineage, which regulate T cell activity in many ways independent of the coinhibitory receptor axis. We investigated whether activation of acute inflammatory signaling …

Bayesian Integrative Analysis Of Omics Data, Youyi Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Technological innovations have produced large multi-modal datasets that range in multiplatform genomic data, pathway data, proteomic data, imaging data and clinical data. Integrative analysis of such data sets have potentiality in revealing important biological and clinical insights into complex diseases like cancer. This dissertation focuses on Bayesian methodology establishment in integrative analysis of radiogenomics and pathway driver detection applied in cancer applications. We initially present Radio-iBAG that utilizes Bayesian approaches in analyzing radiological imaging and multi-platform genomic data, which we establish a multi-scale Bayesian hierarchical model that simultaneously identifies genomic and radiomic, i.e., radiology-based imaging markers, along with the latent …

Painted Ferocity: The Social Behaviors Of African Wild Dogs, Threats To Survival, And Resulting Conservation Initiatives, Alexis Valdes

Senior Honors Theses

African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) are an endangered species of canid from Sub-Saharan Africa. They are very social communal hunters, and are capable of chasing down prey for long stretches of time. Wild dogs benefit a savannah ecosystem by regulating the populations of their prey so that it does not become unhealthy and overgrown. Like many organisms, wild dogs are also in competition with other predators for resources, namely lions and hyenas, who are capable of stealing their kills and occasionally injuring and killing them. Due to the depletion of their wild prey, wild dogs may also prey …

Any Man Can Be A Father, But Should A Dead Man Be A Dad: An Approach To The Formal Legalization Of Posthumous Sperm Retrieval And Posthumous Reproduction In The United States, Jean Denise Krebs

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Transgender Beneficiaries: In Becoming Who You Are, Do You Lose The Benefits Attached To Who You Were, Ashleigh C. Rousseau

Hofstra Law Review

Suppose William Smith, father of Joseph Smith, executes a will to leave his estate to his children. In his will, the phrase "to my son, Joseph" is used, preceding a bequest for property. Before William dies, Julia embraces her transgender identity, obtains a lawful name change to Julia, obtains a lawful gender marker change, and undergoes sex confirmation surgery. William dies, and his estate is divided. Is Julia still entitled to Joseph's portion of William's estate? In embracing her transgender identity, is she deprived of her right to inherit?

Fall Migration And Winter Habitat Use Of Northern Saw-Whet Owls (Aegolius Acadicus) In The Ozark Highlands, Mitchell L. Pruitt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studying movement ecology is important not only in understanding the distribution of a species, but in understanding the magnitude of migration through certain regions, as well as explaining regional differences in demographics. The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a small, migratory forest owl found throughout much of North America. Despite being captured widely during fall migration, the species’ movement ecology is poorly understood. Exploratory studies outside the saw-whet owl’s normal range have successfully captured the species during fall migration. In the Ozark Highlands ecoregion of the central United States, their status has been considered vagrant during fall and winter. …

Optimizing Methods To Determine Metabolizable Energy Values Of Feed Ingredients For Broilers, Skyler P. West

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Determination of metabolizable energy (ME) and amino acid (AA) digestibility values of single feed indigents continues to be two of the most important aspects for successful least-cost poultry feed formulation. It would be advantageous if a common diet type could be utilized to determine both ME and AA digestibility values of feed ingredients within a single assay. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of basal diet type and excreta collection method on the ME value of single feed ingredients determined in broiler chicks using the regression method. In experiment 1, the objective was to investigate the influence of …

Women In The Legal Academy: A Brief History Of Feminist Legal Theory, Robin West

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Women’s entry into the legal academy in significant numbers—first as students, then as faculty—was a 1970s and 1980s phenomenon. During those decades, women in law schools struggled: first, for admission and inclusion as individual students on a formally equal footing with male students; then for parity in their numbers in classes and on faculties; and, eventually, for some measure of substantive equality across various parameters, including their performance and evaluation both in and in front of the classroom, as well as in the quality of their experiences as students and faculty members and in the benefits to be reaped from …

A Phylogenetic Analysis Of Leptogorgia Virgulata And Leptogorgia Hebes In The Northwestern Gulf Of Mexico, Samantha Silvestri

Theses and Dissertations

The use of genetics in recent years has brought to light the need to reevaluate the classification of many gorgonian octocorals. In 2017, Poliseno et al. conducted a comprehensive, phylogenetic study of the genus Leptogorgia and found that it, too, was in need of taxonomic revision. To expand on their study, 25 samples representing two Leptogorgia species—L virgulata and L. hebes —from the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) were examined. Ten novel, complete mitochondrial genomes were sequenced using Next Generation sequencing and 24 novel mtMutS sequences were obtained from both species. The phylogenies reconstructed from these sequences indicate the …

Measuring Connective Capacity Throughout The Gulf Of Mexico Fishery Management Network, Anthony Rocha Lima

Theses and Dissertations

The Gulf of Mexico provides substantial resources along its 1,680-mile coastline, spanning 5 U.S. states and providing millions of pounds of seafood and hundreds of millions in revenue annually. Continued success of the fishery relies on the ability of a large, complex, multiagency network to find the best solutions to balance the needs of humans, as well as ensure long-term sustainability. Organizations with varying objectives require effective communication when addressing intricate ecosystem-based management topics such as endangered species and regional economies.

To better understand the connectivity within the Gulf fishery management network, an IRB reviewed survey was dispersed to the …

Arkansas Soybean Research Studies 2017, Jeremy Ross

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Multifunctional Coatings For Biodegradable Biomedical Devices, Sankalp Agarwal

Doctoral

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have been widely explored for orthopaedic applications due to its biodegradable nature, biocompatibility and closely related mechanical properties with bone. However, rapid degradation of Mg alloys under physiological conditions is a major challenge for biomedical industries and clinicians. Amongst the various methods employed, deposited coatings have been widely favoured to enhance the corrosion resistance and compatibility of the Mg alloys. This study focused on developing multifunctional coatings on AZ31 Mg alloy having a corrosion resistant, osteoinductive and antibacterial properties for orthopaedic applications. The aim of this study was achieved through the following objectives: - Fabrication …

Aquatic Invasions: Causes, Consequences, And Solutions, Corey Ackerson, Melissa Carmichael, Olivia Carpenter, Hannah Crull, Jillian Henrichon, Maeve Mcgowan, Allison Mills, Nicholas Paolini, Everett Pierce, Nicole Scherer, Nicole Volosin, Kady Winsor, Markus Frederich

Marine Sciences Student Projects

Invasive species represent a global threat to ecosystems, human health, and the economy. A basic knowledge of invasive species biology is crucial to understand current and future impacts and implications. The purpose of this book is to provide a broad background on invasive species, and also details on specific examples through case studies.

The students in the course Aquatic Invasive Species (MAR 442) at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, have researched and reviewed scientific literature to educate readers about these issues. The class, comprised of twelve junior and senior Marine Science, Marine Affairs, Applied Mathematics, and Environmental …

Challenges & Barriers For Neuro Rehabilitation In Developing Countries, Muhammad Naveed Babur, Maria Liaqat

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

People with disabilities especially neurological disabilities have many unmet health and rehabilitation needs, face barriers in accessing mainstream health-care services, and consequently have poor health. There are not sufficient epidemiological studies from Pakistan which assess barriers to neurorehabilitation and ways to counter it.

Revision Of The Genus Monatractides (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae) Of The United States And Canada: New Species, Re-Descriptions, Phylogenetics, And A Key To Species, Whitney Anne Nelson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The full suite of known Monatractides (Parasitengona, Torrenticolidae) taxa of North America (north of Mexico) are investigated herein using integrative methods. Species hypotheses are supported with morphology, geography, and phylogenetic analysis of the barcoding region of COI for 154 individuals from over 100 localities. Relationships between species are examined with a combined analysis of COI and 28S rDNA for 55 specimens. Previously described species are examined and re-described with color images and updated information, where possible. Our results indicate the need to synonymize two species: M. californica (Marshall, 1943) is a junior synonym of M. geographica (Marshall, 1943). We describe …

The Role Of Cow Milk In Reducing The Number Of Streptococcus Mutans, Irene E. Rieuwpassa, Donald R. Nahusona, Indah Ramadhani

Journal of Dentomaxillofacial Science

Objective: This research aims to provide an overview of chewing gum casein effect on the number of bacteria streptococcus mutans and profile saliva. Casein is one of the elements in cow milk that has 70-80% of the total protein and function to prevent bacterium and other saliva sticking on the enamel surface of teeth. Consuming free sugar gum after eating can help to remineralise enamel, increase saliva and decrease the number of streptococcus mutans. Mouth work on mastication increases salivary flow rate. Therefore saliva production will increase and will change its acidity (pH).

Material and Methods: The research …

Dynamics Of Prochlorococcus Diversity And Photoacclimation During Short-Term Shifts In Water Column Stratification At Station Aloha, Anne W. Thompson, Ger Van Den Engh, Nathan A. Ahlgren, Kathleen Kouba, Samantha Ward, Samuel T. Wilson, David M. Karl

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is the dominant phototroph in surface waters of the vast oligotrophic oceans, the foundation of marine food webs, and an important component of global biogeochemical cycles. The prominence of Prochlorococcus across the environmental gradients of the open ocean is attributed to its extensive genetic diversity and flexible chlorophyll physiology, enabling light capture over a wide range of intensities. What remains unknown is the balance between temporal dynamics of genetic diversity and chlorophyll physiology in the ability of Prochlorococcus to respond to a variety of short (approximately 1 day) and longer (months to year) changes in the environment. …

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Soil Health Effects And Stakeholder Perceptions Of Manure And Woody Biomass Application To Cropland In Nebraska, Linda R. Schott

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Organic products that have historically been viewed as waste products may improve soil health by adding carbon (C) and nutrients to soil. Two such products are woodchips, generated from forest or rangeland management activities, and livestock manure. In Nebraska, eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) is a native but invasive tree species inhibiting rangeland productivity. Livestock manure that is underutilized while inorganic fertilizers are imported for crop production presents a water quality risk by contributing to local- and regional-scale nutrient imbalances. Increasing the responsible use of livestock manure in crop fertility programs to improve sustainability of both livestock and crop farms …

Understanding Spatial Dynamics Of Tallgrass Prairie Dominated By Tall Fescue, Callie Griffith

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study was conducted on restored tallgrass prairie and invaded tallgrass prairie located in the Grand River Grasslands of southern Iowa to determine differences in heterogeneity of plant structure and functional group composition at different scales. Restored tallgrass prairies were seeded with a species-rich seeding mixture and managed by burning the entire prairie, every three years. Data were collected in August 2014 and 2015 to compare heterogeneity of restoration of native plant structure and functional group composition to the heterogeneity of invaded tallgrass prairies that were managed with patch burning and conventionally grazed. Invaded tallgrass prairies were managed with patch-burning …

Generation And Evaluation Of Modified Opaque-2 (O2) Popcorn Suggests A Route To Quality Protein Popcorn (Qpp), Ying Ren

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I have been working on a Quality Protein Popcorn breeding project where QPM conversion is carried out simultaneously for several elite popcorn germplasms. During my study in the graduate program, I led the following aspects of the Quality Protein Popcorn Breeding Project:

1. Identified suitable QPMs as opaque-2 allele donors.

2.Examined the feasibility of quick introgression of the opaque-2 allele into popcorn lines via marker-assisted selection.

3. Monitored modification by SDS-PAGE zein profiling and light box phenotypic selection to make sure multiple modifier loci for opaque-2 were incorporated each time generation advancement was carried out.

4. Carried out high throughput …

Innovation Tradecraft: Sustaining Technological Advantage In The Future Army, Adam J. Harrison, Bharat Rao, Bala Mulloth

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Rice Stink Bug, Oebalus Pugnax (F.), Damage And Monitoring Techniques In Rice, Oryza Sativa L., And Grain Sorghum, Sorghum Bicolor (L.), Aaron Joseph Cato

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice stink bug, Oebalus pugnax (F.), is a serious pest of headed rice, Oryza sativa L. and an occasional pest of heading grain sorghum in the Mid-south. Work from this dissertation focuses on resolving gaps in and knowledge of rice stink bug sampling and management, and attempts to create a basis for rice stink bug damage assessment in future studies.

Field experiments were conducted from 2016-2018 to asses variation in sweep net sampling by observing producers, researchers, extension personnel, consultants and their workers. Large levels of variation were found in sweep lengths between observed sweepers and reliability of smaller sweep …

Metal Contamination And Food Web Changes Alter Exposure To Upper Trophic Levels In Upper Blackfoot River Basin Streams, Montana, Jack E. Landers, Sean Sullivan, Lisa Eby, Andrew C. Wilcox, Heiko Langner

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Reduced invertebrate abundance and diversity are common responses to metals contamination in mining-impacted streams. The resulting changes in community composition may have implications for metals accumulation and transfer through the food web. We investigated how changes in invertebrate community composition (abundance, species richness, and food web complexity) influence metals bioaccumulation and exposure risk to upper trophic levels along a contamination gradient in the upper Blackfoot River Basin, Montana. Invertebrate species richness exhibited the strongest decline with increasing sediment metals concentrations, driven by the loss of metals-sensitive taxa. These changes in invertebrate community composition resulted in a decline in the proportion …

How Holocaust Memories Continue To Divide The Serbs And The Croats, Matthew James Hone

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In Holocaust and genocide education, we frequently and rightly stress remembrance in order to honor the victims of the past as well as to safeguard our future from repeated transgressions. However, there are parts of the world where remembering or “misremembering” atrocities accentuates the fracturing of communities. In the Balkans, the festering wounds that have been inflicted throughout history never seem to truly heal, as the past, both real and fictionalized, drives contemporary and competing realities. This is noticeably evident with the modern-day rifts separating ethnic Croats and ethnic Serbs, which despite recent political inroads and relative stability, persist in …

Gains, Losses, And Judges: Framing And The Judiciary, Jeffrey J. Rachlinski, Andrew J. Wistrich

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

Losses hurt more than foregone gains-an asymmetry that psychologists call "loss aversion." Losses cause more regret than foregone gains, and people struggle harder to avoid losses than to obtain equivalent gains. Loss aversion produces a variety of anomalous behaviors: people's preferences depend upon the initial reference point (reference-dependent choice); people are overly focused on maintaining the status quo (status quo bias); people attach more value to goods they own than to identical goods that they do not (endowment effect); and people take excessive risks to avoid sure losses (risk seeking in the face of losses). These phenomena are so pervasive …