Digital Commons Network^™

A Place-Based Study Of Alaskan Animals, Emma Heslop

Education

In the spring of 2020, my second-grade class, located in Fairbanks, AK, dived into a place-based exploration of Alaskan animals. The aim of the project was to increase students’ connections and understanding of the state where they live (Alaska) and the animals that they share it with. Through a backwards design, inquiry-based instructional model, my students met state standards with an integrated-subject approach. With art, guest speakers, research, and field trips my students learned about the Animals that share Alaska with us, their environments, and their adaptations. Students used informational writing published on digital mediums to share their knowledge with …

Recommendations For Training Of Substitute Teachers In The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, Lulu R. Chamblee

Education

With increasing importance placed on student growth and achievement scores, increasing teacher absenteeism, and increasing amounts of time students spend being taught by substitute teachers, it is surprising that the preparation of substitute teachers does not reflect the significance of the job they have in relation to these trends. Research shows that training can increase substitute teacher effectiveness, which may positively affect student growth and achievement. The purpose of this project was to determine what the substitute teacher onboarding process was, including employment requirements and required training, for substitute teachers in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District and to make recommendations …

Geochemical, Spatial, And Temporal Relationships Of The Intrusives And Meta-Intrusives Of The Pogo Deposit, Eastern Interior, Ak, William D. Thompson

Geosciences

The Pogo deposit is an intrusion-related gold deposit (IRGD) located approximately 90 km southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. It consists mainly of shallowly NW dipping quartz veins hosted in amphibolite facies paragneiss and predominately granite orthogneiss bodies. To date the deposit has produced over 4 million ounces of gold. U-Pb zircon dating of the orthogneisses shows they have Devonian-Mississippian protolith ages. Dates from the metamorphic zircons, established by microprobe Th data and cathodoluminescence studies, constrain a mid-Cretaceous metamorphic event to ~116 Ma. Recrystallization of kyanite to sillimanite and zircon recrystallization indicates this was a large fluid flux event that predated mineralization …

Paleocene Depositional History Of The Cretaceous-Paleogene Impact Basin, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Katherine E. O'Malley

Geosciences

In the spring of 2016, the International Ocean Discovery Program set out on Expedition 364 to recover core from the peak ring of Chicxulub Impact Crater at Site M0077. In total, 829 m of core was collected spanning granite to Paleogene sedimentary rocks. From this core, we have a well-preserved record of the Paleocene, which represents ~10 million years post impact in just under 10 m of sedimentary rock record. This has presented an incredible research opportunity, as we have gained invaluable information on how the environment responded and recovered from the global catastrophe that was the Chicxulub Impact. The …

Feasibility Of Multiple Camera Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry Techniques For Rivers In Alaska, Eric N. Lamesjerant

Engineering

Alaska is characterized by sparse hydrologic data. Non-intrusive gauging is one method of increasing the data available but is limited in its current application. This study seeks to assess the feasibility of using commercially available software and multiple cameras to diversify the conditions for which large-scale particle image velocimetry may be applied. Using available software and the deployment of multiple cameras, stereoscopically determined discharge is compared with discharge determined using an acoustic Doppler current profiler and accepted single camera practices currently in use with large-scale particle image velocimetry. The results indicate that the use of commercial software and multiple cameras …

Needs Of Individuals Living With Hepatitis Delta Virus And Their Caregivers, 2016-2019., Priyanka Kumar, Catherine Freeland, Sierra Bodor, Sean Farrell, Chari Cohen, Rosemary Frasso Phd, Msc, Cph

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) is a serious coinfection of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that is estimated to affect between 48 to 72 million people worldwide. Data are limited on the informational needs of people living with HDV. The Hepatitis B Foundation, a US-based nonprofit organization that provides support to people living with HBV and HDV, receives emails (queries) as part of a helpline, a service to provide information, resources, and support to people affected by HBV and HDV.

METHODS: Query content was analyzed to assess the impact of HDV at the individual level. A total of 65 HDV-related …

Comprehensive Molecular Characterization Of Pan-Cancer Biomarkers, Yifan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US. Enormous efforts have been devoted to understanding and treat the disease. Overall cancer mortality rate declines in recent years. Meanwhile, the common biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of the general development of cancer remain to be elucidated. Here, we developed computational approaches to integrate multilayer genomic data for better understanding and characterizing cancer. First, utilizing high-through whole-exome sequencing and RNA sequencing data, we developed a systems biology method that combined somatic mutations and gene expression to uncover biomarkers for breast cancer survival prediction. Our method overlaid somatic mutations on …

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Perovskite Promising Materials For Next Generation Solar Cells, Gailan Asad Kazem Al-Dainy

Theses and Dissertations

Scientists and engineers are developing photovoltaic devices as promising clean energy tools. Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites have attracted considerable attention as next-generation thin film solar cells due to their high efficiency, solution processability, easy processing, and low-cost fabrication. Moreover, perovskite exhibits outstanding optoelectronic properties. These unique properties have led to a rapid rise in their power conversion efficiency (PCE) as single-junction from 3.9% to certified 23.4% in just about 9 years. However, the stability of perovskite solar cell (PSC) -based devices is still an issue, therefore, it is important to increase both the efficiency and stability of PSC devices. Based on …

Paleoseismic Studies Using Geophysical Techniques: Sand Blow Features In Eastern Arkansas, Rauf R. Hussein

Theses and Dissertations

Damaging earthquakes including pre-historical, historical and recent demand paleoseismic studies to improve seismic risk assessment of future destructive earthquakes. Such large earthquakes could damage many structures, kill scores of people and leave others homeless, and devastate the economy. In this study, extensive research efforts are described to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in detecting and identifying specific geological features that are related to historic and prehistoric earthquakes. These features are preserved in the near surface soil and manifested as sand blows, buried paleo-surfaces, venting dikes, and structural faults. They are related to severe cyclic …

Newsroom, Georgia Southern University

Newsroom (2006-2023)

• Mechanical engineering graduate is ready for duty
• Georgia Southern professor receives University System of Georgia Hall of Fame Faculty Award

Housing News, Georgia Southern University

Auxiliary Services (2013-2021)

• November 2020 Golden Feather Award Winners and Nominees

Farms, Llc V. Isom Respondent's Brief Dckt. 48012

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

Setting The Scene Game Preview, Georgia Southern University

Athletics: News & Publications

• Setting the Scene Game Preview

Automated Remote Security Scoring Engine (Arsse): Gamification Of Cyber Security Education, Arsh Chauhan

Computer Science

The goal of this project is to create an easy to use, extensible, and engaging method to compute scores interactively during a practical cyber security education. Gamification has been shown to be an effective teaching tool and has been used in the offensive cybersecurity education space (via Capture The Flag competitions and challenges such as hackthebox.eu) but there has not been an open-source effort to bring this idea to the defensive side (blue team) aspect of cybersecurity. The Automated Remote Security Scoring Engine (ARSSE, pronounced "Arsh") uses a combination of well maintained open-source tools and custom connectors to facilitate an …

Measuring The Impact Of Cooperative Rewards On Ai, Dain Harmon

Computer Science

We consider the effects of varying individualistic and team rewards on learning for a Deep Q-Network AI in a multi-agent system, using a synthetic team game ‘Futlol’ designed for this purpose. Experimental results with this game using the OpenSpiel framework indicate that mixed reward structures result in lower win rates. It is unclear if this is due to faster learning on simpler reward structures or a flaw in the nature of the reward system.

The Ranch(Er), Wendy Connelley

Art

THE RANCH(ER) is a thesis project to fulfill the requirements of an MFA degree in visual fine-arts. This project focused on exploring my connection between the land, the ranch and its tools, and generations of ancestors living and working a small family ranch. I give voice to the seldom-vocal rancher and the isolation, hardships, and tenderness of ranch life. I have chosen as subjects for this exhibition objects that are utilitarian and are items woven into the cultural fabric of ranchers and their families. They are icons of generational identity. Rather than creating purely traditional functional objects such as cups …

Legacy Junk: Mfa Other Exhibition, Allison Juneau

Art

I recently purchased a tract of raw land with the intention of building a cabin, and wasn't terribly surprised to find the land came with some impressive piles of junk. I was frankly enamored of these objects, abandoned but not destroyed by the previous owner. They had a potentially useful quality that resonated with other aspects of the Fairbanks community; transfer sites, the airplane graveyard behind the airport, old couches and tables and wooden spools that littered the yards of countless homes. This rural detritus represents a confluence of natural and cultural forces that Alaskans experience every day. I wish …

The Yup'ik Relationships Of Qiluliuryaraq (Processing Intestine), Ellen Carrlee

Anthropology

This project explores multiple Native cultural contexts that intersect in the use and understanding of intestine. Gut (tissues of internal organs including stomach, intestine, bladder and esophagus) as a raw material was historically used by many circumpolar cultures to make items like drums, raincoats, hats, windows, sails, containers, and hunting floats. These items are abundant in museum collections, but rarely seen today in cultural practice or the art market. Intestine is a natural material that was replaced by synthetic materials, but its dual physical properties of protection and permeability are the only features replicated by plastics. Examination of intestine as …

Ethnoarchaeology Of The Middle Tanana Valley, Alaska, Gerad M. Smith

Anthropology

This study explores the shifting anthropological constructs of identity for the Middle Tanana people through time. It first summarizes this theme through contemporary regional Native American internal and external influences. A discussion is then given on how these constructs became formed through historical processes. Next, it provides an in-depth look into how identity became shaped prior to the Euro-American influence through an ethnographic reconstruction. These are framed in a way to form relevant hypotheses to study the regional prehistoric archaeological record. The Historical Linguistics analytical approach used here confirms that there is very little, if any, evidence in the languages …

Changing Glaciers In The Brooks Range And Western Chugach Mountains, Alaska: Mass Loss, Runoff Increase, And Supraglacial Volcanic Tephra Coverage, Jason Geck

Geosciences

Glaciers in Alaska cover over ~87,000 km² (~ 6 % of the state) with most glaciers thinning and retreating at an increasing rate. The thinning and retreating of glaciers worldwide can have an immediate socio-economic implication in addition to the longer-term glacier meltwater contribution to sea level rise. This dissertation investigated Alaskan glaciers in the Brooks Range for mass loss and area reductions over the period 1970-2001 (Chapter 2), historic mass balance and runoff for Eklutna Glacier, located in western Chugach Mountains, using a temperature index model over 1984-2019 period (Chapter 3), and the persistence of tephra from a volcanic …

Modeling Permafrost Dynamics And Water Balance Of Arctic Watersheds In A Changing Climate, Matvey Vladimirovich Debolskiy

Geosciences

Changes in climate across the Arctic in recent decades and especially the increase of near-surface air temperature promote signicant changes in key natural components of the Arctic including permafrost (defined as soil experiencing subzero temperature for more than two consecutive years). Recent borehole observations exhibit signicant increase in ground temperatures below the depths of seasonal variations. Modeling studies on a global scale suggest a steady decrease in area underlain by near-surface permafrost in the northern hemisphere in recent decades. Global projections for the next century predict further permafrost degradation depending on the greenhouse gas concentration trajectory. Permafrost degradation is not …

Effects Of Sea Ice Seasonal Evolution And Oil Properties On Crude Oil Upward Migration Through Sea Ice, Marc Oggier

Geosciences

Sea ice plays an essential role in polar ecosystems as a habitat for organisms at the base of the food web. Receding Arctic perennial sea ice, potential oil and gas reserves, and increasing industrial activities in the Arctic are likely to increase oil extraction and transport in the maritime Arctic. Despite a decrease in summer sea ice extent, Arctic waters remain covered with sea ice for much of the year, increasing the risk of an oil spill in and under Arctic sea ice. This dissertation addresses the need for a quantitative understanding of the timing of and constraints on oil …

Review And Case Study Of Electric Submersible Pump Performance With Dispersions, Dexter Bryant Ellexson

Engineering

Centrifugal pump performance is very sensitive to fluid viscosity, gas fraction, and flow pattern in impeller channels. Viscous oil reduces the head and rate capacity of the pump. High gas fraction reduces the head capacity of the pump at high rates and leads to unstable surging at low rates. If the flow pattern in the impeller transitions to an elongated bubble the pump can gas-lock causing loss of production and excessive heat buildup. The complex geometry and 3-dimensional flow in a pump stage make the analysis of flow in a pump difficult without simplifying assumptions. Empirical and mechanistic models have …

Alaska Sea Energy: A Guide For Hydroponic Development, Daniel Blair-Madrid

Rural Development

This guide has been created to help those unfamiliar with the benefits of growing food with hydroponics to gain a deeper understanding of how such techniques can help rural communities with issues of food sovereignty and provide healthy fresh food through every season. It also includes input from communities participating in the project. Rural coastal communities in particular have a unique opportunity of combining both hydroponic techniques and ocean-based fertilization to maximize sustainable food production, thereby reducing reliance on imported food. The instructions contained within this guide will describe various types of hydroponic systems, recommendations for equipment, and how to …

Nome Eskimo Community Tribal Council Resource Guide, Kendra Kookruk Nichols-Takak

Rural Development

The Nome Eskimo Community Tribal Council Resource is a digital manual composed of information for newly elected tribal leaders so they can provide the best guidance to the Tribe, develop leadership skills, and serve the community. The purpose of this project is to ensure that current and future tribal council members and presidents have access to information necessary to make decisions on important issues using best practices for governance and leadership. The resource guide includes roles and responsibilities as well as local and statewide resources in various areas of governance including child welfare, land, natural resources, and education. It is …

A Bayesian Mixed Multistate Open-Robust Design Mark-Recapture Model To Estimate Heterogeneity In Transition Rates In An Imperfectly Detected System, Janelle J. Badger

Mathematics and Statistics

Multistate mark-recapture models have long been used to assess ecological and demographic parameters such as survival, phenology, and breeding rates by estimating transition rates among a series of latent or observable states. Here, we introduce a Bayesian mixed multistate open robust design mark recapture model (MSORD), with random intercepts and slopes to explore individual heterogeneity in transition rates and individual responses to covariates. We fit this model to simulated data sets to test whether the model could accurately and precisely estimate five parameters, set to known values a priori, under varying sampling schemes. To assess the behavior of the model …

I Hear What You're Saying: Evaluating The Couple Validation Training (Cvt), A Brief Behavioral Intervention, Jessica Mckay

Psychology

Couple distress has strong implications for individual, couple, and family functioning. Research has found couple relationship education to be an effective tool in alleviating couple distress, thus improving the quality of couple communication and problem-solving skills. Couple relationship education has been shown to be more cost-effective and less likely to provoke the typical fears couples face when considering couple therapy, increasing the likelihood of receiving needed help. This study used a brief, highly structured behavioral intervention to teach partners to identify and code effective and ineffective ways of communicating. The primary research question sought to determine whether learning a structured …

The Reproductive Biology Of Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes Ruberrimus) In Prince William Sound And The Northern Gulf Of Alaska, Donald E. Arthur

Fisheries

Over the last half century, Yelloweye Rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus have experienced dramatic declines along the West Coast of the United States and British Columbia. Efforts have been made throughout the species' range to rebuild and sustainably manage stocks, including the introduction of a Statewide Rockfish Initiative by the State of Alaska, which intends to develop management strategies for Yelloweye Rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska. To support this effort and address information gaps in Yelloweye Rockfish reproductive biology throughout their range, I estimated important reproductive parameters and life history information for Yelloweye Rockfish in Prince William Sound and the Northern …

Spawning Migration Characteristics And Ecology Of Eulachon (Thaleichthys Pacificus), Robert E. Spangler

Fisheries

Eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus has experienced dramatic reductions in their distribution and abundance along the west coast of North America. This prompted the listing of this species as "Threatened" under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 for populations found in the southern portions of their range, but not in Alaska. Key gaps in knowledge of Eulachon spawning ecology exist that impede population monitoring efforts and habitat protection. Currently, many monitoring efforts ignore estuaries as possible spawning habitat leading to inaccurate estimates of population abundance and trends. Furthermore, estuaries are not designated as critical spawning habitat for Eulachon. This is …

Sea Otter Diet Composition With Respect To Recolonization, Life History, And Season In Southern Southeast Alaska, Nicole Laroche

Fisheries

Until translocation efforts in the 1960s, sea otters (Enhydra lutris) were absent from Southeast Alaska due to extirpation by the fur trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. About 400 sea otters were reintroduced to six Southeast Alaska locations, including two sites near Prince of Wales Island in southern Southeast Alaska. The most recent US Fish and Wildlife Service population count, completed in 2012, estimated that about 25,000 sea otters inhabited Southeast Alaska. Sea otters will reduce invertebrate prey biomass when recolonizing an area. By quantifying sea otter diets and caloric intake according to recolonization patterns, we can better understand …