Digital Commons Network^™

Efficient Machine Learning: Models And Accelerations, Zhe Li

Dissertations - ALL

One of the key enablers of the recent unprecedented success of machine learning is the adoption of very large models. Modern machine learning models typically consist of multiple cascaded layers such as deep neural networks, and at least millions to hundreds of millions of parameters (i.e., weights) for the entire model. The larger-scale model tend to enable the extraction of more complex high-level features, and therefore, lead to a significant improvement of the overall accuracy. On the other side, the layered deep structure and large model sizes also demand to increase computational capability and memory requirements. In order to achieve …

Factors Affecting The Distribution And Abundance Of Autumn Vagrant New World Warblers In Northwestern California And Southern Oregon, C. John Ralph, Jared D. Wolfe

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Birds found outside their typical range, or vagrants, have fascinated naturalists for decades. Despite broad interest in vagrancy, few attempts have been made to statistically examine the explanatory variables potentially responsible for the phenomenon. In this study, we used multiple linear regression to model the occurrence of 28 rare warbler species (family Parulidae) in autumn in northern California and southern Oregon as a function of migration distance, continental population size, distance, and bearing to both closest breeding population and breeding population center. In addition to our predictive model, we used capture data from the California coast to 300 km inland …

The Colourful Truth: The Reality Of Indigenous Overrepresentation In Juvenile Detention In Australia And The United States, Rachel Thampapillai

American Indian Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Schooling At The Intersection Of Refugee Identity And (Dis)Ability: Implications From North Korean Students With Refugee Backgrounds, Yosung Song

Dissertations - ALL

Researchers have previously found that school-age refugees and asylum-seekers are frequently characterized as experiencing physical, emotional, or psychological disabilities or disorders in schools because of the adversity that they face and a lack of adequate resources during their refugee journey. In their relocated society, many refugee students are interpreted as having disabilities or receiving special education services. While refugee experiences are often framed as causing deficits in students, the purpose of this study was to better understand the interplay of (dis)ability and refugee identity at a school that publicly proclaimed refugee experience as an asset. Grounded in a qualitative methodology, …

A Structural And Dynamic Model For The Assembly Of Replication Protein A On Single-Stranded Dna, Luke A. Yates, Ricardo J. Aramayo, Nilisha Pokhrel, Colleen C. Caldwell, Joshua A. Kaplan, Rajika L. Perera, Maria Spies, Edwin Antony, Xiaodong Zhang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Replication Protein A (RPA), the major eukaryotic single stranded DNA-binding protein, binds to exposed ssDNA to protect it from nucleases, participates in a myriad of nucleic acid transactions and coordinates the recruitment of other important players. RPA is a heterotrimer and coats long stretches of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). The precise molecular architecture of the RPA subunits and its DNA binding domains (DBDs) during assembly is poorly understood. Using cryo electron microscopy we obtained a 3D reconstruction of the RPA trimerisation core bound with ssDNA (∼55 kDa) at ∼4.7 Å resolution and a dimeric RPA assembly on ssDNA. FRET-based solution studies …

Rethinking The Federal Indian Status Test: A Look At The Supreme Court's Classification Of The Freedmen Of The Five Civilized Tribe Of Oklahoma, Clint Summers

American Indian Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Tribal Franchise: An Expression Of Tribal Sovereignty And A Potential Solution To The Problem Of Mass Disenrollment, Brent Mulvaney

American Indian Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Tribal Tools & Legal Levers For Halting Fossil Fuel Transport & Exports Through The Pacific Northwest, Mary Christina Wood

American Indian Law Journal

As alarming scientific predictions crystallize into the realities of today’s climate crisis, tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest find themselves on the front lines of a global assault launched by the fossil fuel industry. Encouraged by President Trump’s declaration of intent to unleash $50 trillion of America’s domestic fossil fuels, corporations push for massive expansion of the nation’s fossil fuel infrastructure—even as the world races towards irrevocable climate thresholds. The unprecedented onslaught hinges on the Pacific Northwest as a key link in a global market scheme. The coastal region sits as a proposed industrial gateway for huge export facilities transporting …

The Cuban Health Paradigm: An Exploratory Analysis Through Lgbtq And Hiv/Aids Individual Perspectives, Sarah Dryfoos

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

The purpose of this research project was to develop an understanding of the social, systemic, interpersonal, structural, and political dynamics of the health care system in Cuba. This was done by selecting two populations of focus; LGBTQ and HIV/AIDS positive individuals. The health care system and social determinants of health are analyzed using these two populations as lenses. While there is a plethora of information about the formal Cuban health care system, there is a dearth of literature pertaining to the social determinants, especially as it relates to LGBTQ Cubans and their quality of life and health care experience. To …

Exploring Specificity And Stability Of A Molecularly Imprinted Polymer, Stephen Robert Shepherd

Theses - ALL

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have numerous practical applications, including integration with quartz crystal microbalances to make specific, stable, chemical sensors, but most published research literature does not provide details concerning the specificity or stability of such an imprinted polymer. A polymer made from polyacrylic acid monomers, templated with benzoic acid, was tested for specificity with solutions of benzoic acid, acetic acid, phenol, and terephthalic acid passed through samples of uniform size under vacuum filtration. Additionally, MIP samples were also stored for extended periods of time in varied microclimates and then tested for performance, and consequently, stability. Initial conclusions indicate that …

Finding The Bad Actor: Challenges In Identifying Toxic Constituents In Botanical Dietary Supplements, Georgia Roberts, Dale R. Gardner, Paul Foster, Paul C. Howard, Edmund Lui, Larry Walker, Richard B. Van Breemen, Scott Auerbach, Cynthia Rider

Faculty and Student Publications (Open Access)

No abstract provided.

August 2017 - August 2018 Case Law On American Indians, Thomas P. Schlosser

American Indian Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Generic Pixel-To-Point Comparison For Simulated Large-Scale Ecosystem Properties And Ground-Based Observations: An Example From The Amazon Region, Anja Rammig, Jens Heinke, Florian Hofhansl, Hans Verbeeck, Timothy R. Baker, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Philippe Ciais, Hannes De Deurwaerder, Katrin Fleischer, David Galbraith

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

Comparing model output and observed data is an important step for assessing model performance and quality of simulation results. However, such comparisons are often hampered by differences in spatial scales between local point observations and large-scale simulations of grid cells or pixels. In this study, we propose a generic approach for a pixel-to-point comparison and provide statistical measures accounting for the uncertainty resulting from landscape variability and measurement errors in ecosystem variables. The basic concept of our approach is to determine the statistical properties of small-scale (within-pixel) variability and observational errors, and to use this information to correct for their …

2000 - Geology Bibliography Of California, 1854–2000

Miscellaneous Monterey and San Luis Obispo County Documents and Reports

The scope of this database is much broader in scope than the original list of consultant reports submitted to Monterey County governmental agencies and includes extensive references on regional geologic mapping, hydrogeology, economic geology, and research done in connection with the Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment.

Major sources of information include:

• Monterey County Planning Department: a database of approximately 2,000 references within the

categories of geology, soil, water resources, and water quality.

• Monterey County Water Resources Agency.

• Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.

• The American Geological Institute’s GeoRef database.

• The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Geologic Map Database. …

Gaseous State: A Historical Geography Of Natural Gas And The Capitalist State In An Age Of Climate Change, Carlo Sica

Dissertations - ALL

In the 1930s U.S., a set of social forces and crises pushed forward state energy regulation. As states struggle to end greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels, the threat of climate change demands new explanations for how energy policy emerges. In this dissertation, I explain the period of U.S. natural gas regulation between 1938 and 1978 from critical political economy and Marxist state theoretical perspectives. My main conclusion is that the capitalist state stabilizes markets for energy to serve capital with an auxiliary means of production. Based on that conclusion, I recommend that Marxist state theory be class-centered, i.e., recognize that …

Survival In The Forest Understory: Resilience And Resistance To Damage In Native And Invasive Woody Plants, Elise Hinman

Dissertations - ALL

Non-native woody plants from Europe and East Asia have invaded intact, low-light forest understories in Eastern North America. Compared to co-occurring native species, invasive species exhibit greater productivity and resource use efficiency, but the extent to which plants are subject to tradeoffs between productivity and survival is unknown. Herbivory and freezing events are common sources of damage in the forest understory, and non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) and defense compounds support resilience and resistance to damage. In this dissertation, I evaluated the hypothesis that invasive species maintain high productivity at the expense of storage and defense, reducing their survival under severe damage. …

“Is That Okay With You?”: Examining A Simulated Discussion About Accommodations Between University Students Identified As Having A Disability And A Standardized Faculty Member, Justin E. Freedman

Dissertations - ALL

Postsecondary students identified as having a disability in the United States are commonly expected to discuss the use of disability-related accommodations with faculty members. Researchers have previously used surveys and interviews to examine what students report about discussing accommodations with faculty members. However, little is known about how students advocate in the moment when communicating with faculty members about accommodations. In this study, I designed a clinical simulation to examine how 15 university students identified as having a disability engaged in and reflected upon a meeting with a standardized faculty member – an actor who I trained to communicate questions …

Structurally Supported Cell-Laden Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Regeneration, Stephen William Sawyer

Dissertations - ALL

Due to challenges associated with current clinical techniques used to treat bone defects, there has been an increased focus on finding a tissue engineered solution. However, while great progress in this field has been achieved, researchers have yet to suitably combine the proper biological and structural environments needed to serve as a complete bone tissue substitute that is comparable to modern clinical solutions.

To achieve the goal of creating a model bone tissue substitute which could eventually serve as a viable therapy for bone trauma, be it caused by congenital medical conditions, age related diseases or high impact forces, three …

Deconvolution Of Membrane Protein-Detergent Complex Interactions, Aaron Wolfe

Dissertations - ALL

Membrane proteins are important in many biological functions such as cell-cell recognition, transport, and signaling; yet the study of these proteins is stunted due to their excessive aggregation in aqueous solutions. Detergents have been extensively exploited to mitigate this aggregation, and accomplish this by protecting the hydrophobic exterior of the membrane protein with their hydrophobic tails, while the polar heads of the detergents interact with the surrounding aqueous environment. Although detergents are of fundamental importance in many membrane protein studies, their selection is primarily done by trial and error screening. In this thesis, I will describe a method to utilize …

Ecohydrology Of Natural And Restored Wetlands In A Glacial Plain, Kyotaek Hwang

Dissertations - ALL

More than half of wetland area in the U.S. have been converted to other land use types for agricultural use and development. Limited understanding of ecological services provided to society by wetlands is another reason for the massive wetland loss in the past. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and the 1989 federal mandate of “no net wetland loss” supported increased efforts for wetland restoration and creation to compensate for two centuries of ecosystem degradation. Hydrology is a critical driver for wetland formation and sustainability, yet few studies have investigated the ecosystem benefits of restored or constructed wetlands relative …

Reappraisal Of The Toxicity Test Method Using The Green Alga Ulva Pertusa Kjellman (Chlorophyta),, Mt Brown

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This study was aimed to develop an objective way of quantifying the reproductive status of the green macroalga, Ulva pertusa using a vital stain and programmed automated analysis (by Image J program). The EC50 values (with 95% CI), the concentrations of toxicants inducing a reduction of 50% in sporulation after 96 h exposure, from the newly developed method were similar to those obtained by the conventional method: 0.651 (0.598–0.705) mg l-1 for Cd, 0.144 (0.110–0.162) mg l-1 for Cu, 0.180 (0.165–0.195) mg l-1 for atrazine, 0.076 (0.049–0.094) mg l-1 for diuron and 30.6 (26.5–34.4) ml l-1 for DMSO, respectively. When …

Protein Kinase A And High-Osmolarity Glycerol Response Pathways Cooperatively Control Cell Wall Carbohydrate Mobilization In Aspergillus Fumigatus, Leandro Jose De Assis, Adriana Manfiolli, Eliciane Mattos, João H.T.Marilhano Fabri, Iran Malavazi, Ilse D. Jacobsen, Matthias Brock, Robert A. Cramer, Arsa Thammahong, Daisuke Hagiwara, Laure Nicolas Annick Ries, Gustavo Henrique Goldman

School of Biomedical Sciences

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic human pathogen causing allergic reactions or systemic infections such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, especially in immunocompromised patients. The fungal cell wall is the main component responsible for recognition by the immune system, due to the specific composition of polysaccharide carbohydrates exposed on the surface of the fungal cell wall called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Key enzymes in the fungal cell wall biosynthesis are a good target for fungal drug development. This report elucidates the cooperation between the HOG and PKA pathways in the mobilization of carbohydrates for fungal cell wall biosynthesis. We suggest that the …

Seen But Not Heard: Personal Narratives Of Systemic Failure Within The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Kalinda Jones, Anthony Ferguson, Christian Ramirez, Michael Owens

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Constellar Theory In Multicultural Education Pedagogy, Antonio Garcia

Journal of Multicultural Affairs

The majority of education and social science ideas subscribe to a hierarchical ideology that not only necessitates but also obligates an always-already dialectic. Such a dialectical fetish and intellectual relegation is grounded in Marxist ideology, which has influenced a vast majority of cultural studies and social science theories. Constellar Theory challenges the hierarchical model ideology in concept and pedagogy to complicate and exhibit a more intricate matrix of considerations to move the multicultural education discourse in possible new directions.

Assessing Mechanistic Reasoning: Supporting Systems Tracing, Paul J. Weinberg

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Reasoning about mechanism is central to disciplined inquiry in science and engineering and should thus be one of the foundations of a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. In addition, mechanistic reasoning is one of the core competencies listed in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Engineering Concepts and Practices (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Mechanistic explanations focus on the processes that underlie cause–effect relationships and consider how the activities of system components affect one another.

While some assessment work has been accomplished in engineering education, to date mechanistic reasoning is an area where limited assessment development has been accomplished for …

Recognizing "X": A Comparative Analysis Of The California Gender Recognition Act--Identifying The Limitations And Conceptualizing Possible Solutions, Mark Angelo Simpliciano

California Western Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Internet Of Bodies: Life And Death In The Age Of Ai, Eleonore Pauwels, Sarah W. Denton

California Western Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Emerging Artificial Intelligence Wellness Landscape: Benefits And Potential Areas Of Ethical Concern, Lydia Kostopoulos

California Western Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ethical Issues Of Artificial Intelligence In Medicine, Tokio Matsuzaki

California Western Law Review

No abstract provided.

Unvarnished Inhumanity: America’S Factory Farm Industry, Caitlin Rowley

Honors Program Theses and Projects

As exposed through a variance of media outlets, the United States is often inept in its endorsement of farm animal welfare laws; while incidents depicting the cruel mistreatment of farm animals are plentiful, the federal government enforces only two laws that address the issue directly. The 28 Hour Law and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, however pure in intent, are severely limited in scope, and according to reports from the USDA, handling violations are frequent yet rarely result in longstanding consequences. Consequently, this research provides a comprehensive overview of the activity within the factory farm industry so that, in …