Digital Commons Network^™

Implications Of Spatial Population Dynamics For Abundance Estimation And Catch Apportionment Of Alaska Sablefish (Anoplopoma Fimbria), Kari Hammarsten Fenske

Fisheries

Spatial dynamics in fish populations are challenging to identify and incorporate into population dynamics models due to the large amount of data required and the uncertainty associated with spatial processes. However, ignoring spatial dynamics can result in biased population estimates and negatively affect population sustainability or the ability to meet fishery management goals. My research explored implications of spatial dynamics for the assessment and management of Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria). Sablefish are highly mobile, targeted in commercial and recreational fisheries, and documented to have spatial variation in population dynamics such as abundance and biomass. However, gaps remain in understanding the …

Compound-Specific Stable Isotopes Of Amino Acids Reveal The Influence Of Trophic Level And Primary Production Sources On Mercury Concentrations In Fishes From The Aleutian Islands, Alaska, N/A N/A

Marine Biology

Total mercury (THg) concentrations exceed thresholds of concern in some Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus; SSL) tissues from certain portions of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Here, compound-specific stable isotope analyses (CSIA) of carbon in essential amino acids ([delta]¹³CEAA values) and nitrogen in AAs ([delta]¹⁵NAA values) in fish muscle tissue was applied to quantify the proportional contributions of primary production sources and trophic positions of eight prey species (n = 474 total) that are part of SSL diets. Previous THg analyses of fish muscle, coupled with additional monomethylmercury (MMHg) analyses of a subset of samples, substantiated previous findings that fishes from …

“Women Who Speak With The Power And Authority Of God”: The Role Of Women In The Northern Indian Mission, 1964-1973, Amber Miller

Student Works

Since the Church's founding in the early 19th century, numerous historians have chronicled the story of "Lamanite" Missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most of these Indian Mission histories, however, mention little more about women than missionaries marrying Native women, and non-native women receiving blessings that they will one-day teach the "Lamanites." Although the continuing conversation of these historic missions covers a wide range of views and interpretations, the roles and contributions of women often take a subordinate position in the Indian Mission narrative. The Northern Indian Mission of 1964 to 1973 serves as a microcosm …

Shifts In Microbial Community Composition During The 2019 Pacific Marine Heatwave In The Northern Gulf Of Alaska, Jacob Cohen

Oceanography

Climate change has led to a gradual increase of sea surface temperatures in the Northern Gulf of Alaska (NGA) interspersed with marine heatwaves (MHW) that impose a rapid but temporary perturbation of sea surface temperature. MHWs have the potential to alter marine microbial community structure, which may impact the production and transfer of carbon to higher trophic levels. The year 2019 was characterized as an MHW in the North Pacific, with sea surface temperatures in the NGA reaching ~2.5 º C above average during 2019 and ~1 º C above average during 2020, while 2021 had near-average sea surface temperatures. …

A Horn Microstrip Transmission Line For The Characterization And Investigation Of Multipactor At Various Pressure And Power, Shaho Hamadamin

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

The University of New Mexico is designing, building, and testing a multipactor testbed based on a horn-microstrip transmission line to characterize and investigate the multipactor effect for a range of vacuum pressures and power. A horn-shaped, 50 Ω Al microstrip line is positioned inside a six-way cross stainless-steel chamber that is vacuumed down to low ~10−7 torr. A 100 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 sine signal is fed to a rf amplifier with a bandwidth of 250 − 105 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀, that can reach 120𝑊𝑊 average (CW) power. Two multipacting detection methods, i.e., global, and local methods, are implemented for accurate multipaction detection. The former …

Freshwater Pressures On Pacific Salmon In The Coastal Watersheds Of Alaska, Christopher J. Sergeant

Fisheries

This dissertation explores the implications of a warmer and wetter climate on the freshwater life stages of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the focal region of southern coastal Alaska. Recent trends and long-term climate change predictions support the notion that arctic and subarctic watersheds will be subject to warming air temperatures, increased rainfall in the autumn and winter, diminishing snowpack, and continued glacial recession. Such atmospheric and terrestrial changes will shift patterns of streamflow, water temperature, and habitat diversity that comprise the basic building blocks of freshwater ecosystems that support Pacific salmon. Alaska's Pacific salmon populations sustain a multi-billion-dollar economy …

Protection And Control Of Electric Power Grid Under High Penetration Of Ders, Binod Prasad Poudel

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Modernizing power grids with communication-based technologies has introduced new challenges to the operation of the grid, especially when the communication network experiences failure or data is corrupted during the transfer. This issue is studied in this dissertation from the control and protection perspective. First, the cyber attack detection and mitigation of distributed control of microgrids is addressed when the distributed energy resources (DER) are exposed to false data injection attacks. A cyber-threat detection technique is proposed based on Kullback-Liebler divergence-based criterion. This criterion with a threshold can detect the misbehavior of a compromised DER control unit and, consequently, calculates the …

Thermokarst-Pond Plant Community Characteristics And Effects On Icewedge Degradation In The Prudhoe Bay Region, Alaska, Emily Watson-Cook

Biological Sciences

Ice-wedge thermokarst ponds are forming in many areas of the Arctic as a result of climate warming and infrastructure development. Previous research suggests that development of aquatic vegetation within these ponds may create negative feedbacks to the process of ice-wedge degradation by reducing pond-bottom temperatures and thaw depths. The objectives of this research were to characterize thermokarst-pond plant communities and to evaluate the effects of vegetation on within-pond sediment temperatures and thaw depths. Aquatic vegetation was sampled in 39 plots within 29 thermokarst ponds in the Prudhoe Bay region of Alaska. Five floristically distinct plant communities were identified: Calliergon richardsonii …

Pandemic Reflections: Stories Of National Ffa Student Leaders During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Theresa Seibel

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt by most every individual in the world, and the effects of the pandemic will have implications for years to come. Even still, it becomes necessary to capture the work and impacts of this life experience of those who lived and led during such a time. The National FFA Organization, with its student leadership, continued to deliver its mission of the organization during the pandemic. This project aimed to develop a digital narrative to contribute to the historical record of FFA officers’ experiences in the National FFA Organization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The …

Musikah V’Ḥalil, “Music And The Flute”: The Use Of Jewish Prayer In Flute And Piano Music, Kathryn L. Rudnik

Dissertations, 2020-current

Music has been a part of Jewish life since Biblical times and remains an integral part of the culture. Within Jewish music, instruments have also played an important role historically. The flute has been traced through Judaism back to Biblical times; however, it has lost prominence in modern synagogue and religious services. As Western music has developed into the twenty-first century, composers, both Jewish and Gentile, have been exposed to the music of the Jewish communities, some of whom have utilized it in their own compositions. Compositions based on Jewish prayer melodies have brought up the question of whether the …

Activist, Entrepreneur, Leader: The Influence Of Social Justice Advocacy And Entrepreneurial Orientation On Leader Self-Efficacy, Kathleen Q. Johnson

Dissertations, 2020-current

This quantitative study examined individual entrepreneurial orientation and social justice advocacy as antecedents to leader self-efficacy in the complex and dynamic context of the opioid epidemic. Throughout history, leaders have emerged in response to societal challenges; leadership is not restricted to the boundaries of hierarchical, administrative, bureaucratic organizational frameworks. Complexity leadership theory and its recognition of leadership in complex adaptive systems provides an overarching framing. Five characteristics of individual entrepreneurial orientation were incorporated: risk-taking, innovativeness, perseverance, passion and proactiveness (Santos et al., 2020). Social advocacy activity was measured using the social issues advocacy scale (Nilsson et al., 2011). The dependent …

Identifying Systems Of Support In High Schools For Gender And Sexually Diverse Youth Living In Conservative Communities: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study, Nuriyah Bender

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Within the first few months of 2022 more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced in states across the country (Human Rights Campaign, 2022). Many of these bills, some of which are now laws, discriminate against transgender students or restrict instruction and materials related to LGBTQ+ topics in schools. Gender and Sexually Diverse (GSD) students often do not feel safe in schools (Kosciw et al., 2020). Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study sought to identify the factors that helped GSD students feel the most supported in high schools in order to assist educators with actionable ways they can support students …

Cryptic Population Structure And Differentiation In Three Species Of Alaska Claytonia, Robert W. Gabbitas

Biological Sciences

Beringia is an extensive geographic region noted for high levels of taxonomic complexity among closely related species. Three such species distributed across Beringia (Claytonia arctica, C. scammaniana, and C. sarmentosa,) exhibit low morphological differentiation between the species, while C. scammaniana includes two additional described morphologies of questionable taxonomic standing, C. "noatakensis" and C. "porsildii". Taxonomic boundaries within this group have been historically disagreed upon and are susceptible to confounding factors such as isolation-by-distance (IBD), discontinuous sampling of continuous variation, and low sequence divergence and morphological differentiation. To assist in species delimitation, multiple approaches combining phylogenomics and spatially explicit population genetics …

Development Of An Active Vacuum Insulation Panel For Use In Building Applications, Haley D. Nelson

Engineering

Vacuum insulation panels, or VIPs, are among the highest performing forms of building insulation available on the commercial market, with some per inch R-values advertised as 60°F·ft²·hr/(BTU·inch). Though there is strong market demand for high-performing forms of insulation, the adoption of VIPs is hindered by their relatively high costs, uncertain service lifespans, sensitivity to internal pressure changes, susceptibility to thermal bridging along their edges, and other issues. Particularly in building applications, typical VIPs are often passed over in favor of insulation types that can be easily customized on-site, are produced to larger dimensions, and are not as vulnerable to damage …

Toward An Informal Informed Classrooms: Professional Musicians' Informal Music Learning Experiences, Rachel M. Smith

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Authors have studied informal music learning with different age groups. Lucy Green (2005) studied the topic with adolescents and identified it an intuitive and natural way children learn. Chad West and Radio Cremata (2016) studied informal music learning at the collegiate level, and Martina Vasil (2019) studied secondary music teachers who implemented informal music learning strategies in their teaching practices. Informal music learning in adults is relatively under-explored compared to adolescent and collegiate age groups. Utilizing lenses drawn from John Dewey’s curricular ideas to help students find meaning in learning and motivation as viewed through Self-Determination Theory, I sought to …

Two Studies On Binary Program Stylometry: A White-Box Analysis And A Deep Learning Analysis On Some Crypto Ransomware, Alexander Mitchell

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Computer programmers often leave their individual programming styles in source code. Recent studies show that contrary to a popular belief, many of such programming styles can survive, in controlled environments, code compilation into binary. From the binary programming styles can be effectively retrieved for enhanced binary authorship attribution; such binary authorship attribution is often called binary program stylometry. In this thesis, we first perform a white-box impact analysis of various factors in code compilation on programming styles. For the MS Windows platform, we study the impact of multiple compilers, including gcc, Clang, and MSVC, their optimization levels, symbol stripping, and …

Registered Nurse-Led Annual Wellness Visits In Rural Health Clinics: A Program Evaluation Of A New Role, Tina Switzer

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The passage of the Patient Portability and Affordable Care Act had a goal of increasing access for preventive care. The Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) has been a free yearly, comprehensive preventive care opportunity for most Medicare beneficiaries since 2011. Because of the time intensive nature of these visits, the overall national completion rate for them has been low as providers often perceive time and resource constraints. Registered Nurses (RNs) have the skill set to complete these visits with minimal provider involvement. Rural residents often face health care access barriers and outcome disparities, and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) are a …

Improving Access For Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Patients: A Health Policy Analysis, Malinda B. Whitfield

Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNP) Final Projects, 2020-current

The Medicare Inpatient Psychiatric Services (IPS) policy, originally developed in the 1960s and without any significant or meaningful updates since the 1980’s, is physician specific, does not reflect the current model of care for psychiatric inpatients, and is restrictive for psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) practice. The policy is complex, consists of outdated regulations, and results in millions of dollars in compliance costs for Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities (IPFs) annually (NABH, 2019). Although clearly an important part of the inpatient psychiatric services team, PMHNPs are not identified or defined in the policy (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services [CMS], 2019). …

Design And Operation Of Ice Roads, Steven Daly, Billy Connor, Jessica Garron, Svetlana Stuefer, Nathan Belz, Kevin Bjella

AIDC Project Reports

This manual provides for the safe and efficient design, construction, maintenance, and operation of ice roads over freshwater. As such, it provides the parties responsible for the ice road guidelines for ensuring the safe operation of the ice road including route selection, minimum ice thicknesses, repair strategies, maximum vehicle weights and speed, and proper signage. The information provided in the manual represents best practices compiled from existing literature and from those who have experience working on ice roads. While every scenario cannot be foreseen, the information contained in this manual should provide sufficient knowledge to extrapolate safe solutions which are …

Spatio-Temporal Variation Of Some Physico-Chemical Parameters Of Water In Lower Seybouse River (Northeastern Algeria), Adem Fraga, Amel Ketif, Karima Sifi, Aziz Laifa

Journal of Bioresource Management

Oued Seybouse is one of the most important rivers in Algeria. It runs for about 240 km, flows through sevenwilayas (Guelma, Annaba, Souk Ahras, El Tarf, Oum El Bouaghi, Constantine and Skikda) and 68 municipalities, 30 of which are fully included in its basin, and only partially for the others. OuedSeybouse’s water is exposed to multiple sources of pollution, as it directly receives industrial and urban discharges throughout its course. Also agriculture, which is intensively practiced in the lower valley of Seybouse, contributes to the pollution of this watercourse. In this context, we set out to assess the physical-chemical quality …

Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices Of Women Attending Primary Health Care Centers Toward Breast Self-Examination In Al-Karkh Baghdad, 2018, Hind Ahmed Abd Alaziz

Muthanna Medical Journal

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent form of cancer in Iraq, accounting for 21% of all female cancers. It is considered to be a progressive disease with a poor prognosis if detected late. The low level of knowledge and practice of breast self-examination is an important method of prevention. The objective of this study to assess knowledge of Iraqi women at Baghdad-Alkarkh about breast cancer risk factor and their practices of breast self-examination. The aim of the study to assess knowledge of a sample of Iraqi women at Baghdad-Alkarkh about breast cancer risk factors and their practices of breast …

2022 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Harding University Commencement on December 17.

Commencement Speaker: Susan Hutchinson

On The Effects Of Geometrical And Fluid Conditions On Thermal-Hydraulics Of Miniature Heat Sinks, Mahyar Pourghasemi

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

During the past three years, miniature heat sinks have been integrated into the cooling loop of devices such as MW-class gyrotron resonators and high-power laser arrays. These applications involve high cooling rates in the range of 20-25 MW/m². Liquid metals such as Na and NaK offer very high thermal conductivity in the range of 16-79 W/mK, while their dynamic viscosities are only slightly higher than water viscosity. They can also be used in applications with operating temperatures varying from 25 ^oC to as high as 800 ^oC due to their very high boiling points. Several research …

Cyber-Secure Distributed Control Of Microgrids With Improved Communication And Control Protocols, Jee Won Choi

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

This dissertation proposes a cyber-secure distributed control of microgrids with improved communication and control protocols. The finite-time event-triggered control protocol for islanded AC and DC secondary control is introduced. For AC microgrids, the proposed strategy can effectively perform frequency restoration and voltage regulations while sharing the active and reactive power among the distributed generators (DGs) based on their power ratings. For DC microgrids, the proposed control protocol can provide accurate current sharing and critical bus voltage regulation. The finite-time control enables a system to reach a consensus in a finite period of time enhanced from asymptotic convergence. The event-triggered communication …

Perinatal Exercise Effectiveness To Prevent Offspring High-Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension, Eric Leslie

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

The effectiveness of perinatal exercise (i.e., exercise by mothers immediately prior to, throughout, and after pregnancy) to attenuate high-altitude pulmonary hypertension and associated health consequences in the offspring exposed to chronic hypoxia in early life was investigated. Four groups were used to compare the effects of perinatal exercise to offspring exposed to low altitude (i.e., normoxic) conditions or simulated 4500 meters of high altitude (i.e., hypoxic) as well as their respective, sedentary controls. Offspring in the hypoxic groups had lower body weights and tail lengths as well as higher hematocrits, right ventricular systolic pressures, and right heart weights. The hypoxic …

Spatial Single-Cell Identification Of Cell Layers Within Mouse Brain Using A Novel Spatially Resolved Transcriptomics Technology, Radha Swaminathan

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Spatially resolved transcriptomics technologies investigate gene expression in the context of a tissue. While imaging-based technologies enable gene expression quantification at a single-cell level, only two NGS-based technologies are currently capable of single-cell resolution. Both Stereo-seq and Seq-Scope involve two rounds of sequencing: one to sequence the location of spatial barcodes and the other to obtain sequence of cDNA. Thus, the objective of the research study is to develop a technology that can capture transcripts from every cell of a tissue without the need for two rounds of sequencing. To this end, a capture surface or barcoded array (similar to …

Medicinal Bismuth: Bismuth-Organic Frameworks As Pharmaceutically Privileged Compounds, Shaila A. Shetu, Luis M. Sanchez-Palestino, Gildardo Rivera-Sanchez, Debasish Bandyopadhyay

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

Historically organometallic compounds have been used to cure certain diseases with limited applications. Although bismuth belongs to the category of heavy metals, many of its derivatives have found applications in modern drug discovery research, mainly because of its low toxicity and higher bioavailability. Being an eco-friendly mild Lewis acid, compounds having bismuth as a central atom are capable of binding several proteins in humans and other species. Bismuth complexes demonstrated antibacterial potential in syphilis, diarrhea, gastritis, and colitis. Apart from antibacterial activities, bismuth compounds exhibited anticancer, antileishmanial, and some extent of antifungal and other medicinal properties. This article discusses major …

Towards Robust Channel Dynamics: Photoionization In Nitrogen And Air, Justin K. Smith

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In present photoionization models used in computational studies, there is a lack of experimental data and several assumptions pertaining to photo-electron production in the gas. It is widely accepted that wavelengths between 98 nm and 102.5 nm are the primary contributors to photoionization of oxygen in an air plasma. In air, the collisional kinetics of nitrogen provide the photons, which results in the ionization of oxygen. Photoionization rate measurements from a low current corona discharge in synthetic air mixtures are reported to provide new empirical data. In addition, this provides a method to estimate the scaling parameter w/a. Concurrently, vacuum …

Reinforcement Learning-Based Demand Response Management In Smart Grid Systems With Prosumers, Jenilee Jao

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

In this thesis, we introduce a reinforcement learning-based price-driven Demand Response Management (DRM) mechanism in smart grid systems consisting of prosumers. Our proposed approach accounts for the prosumers behavioral characteristics and models the emerging interactions among all the involved actors in the smart grid system, i.e., prosumers, Energy Management System (EMS) and utility companies. In particular, an off-policy reinforcement learning is introduced enabling the EMS to determine the optimal price that should be announced to the prosumers on an hourly-basis towards minimizing the overall systems cost. In this process, the utility companies hourly-based wholesale price and the prosumers energy generation …

Research Infrastructure Core Facilities At Research Centers In Minority Institutions: Part I-Research Resources Management, Operation, And Best Practices, Paul B Tchounwou, Mohamad Malouhi, Elizabeth O Ofili, Emma Fernández-Repollet, Daniel F Sarpong, Renato J Aguilera, Xiaoxin Chen, Asok Dasmahapatra, Song Gao, Cimona V Hinton, Robert Holt, Vladimir Kolesnichenko, Michael D Powell, Fatima Merchant, Kinfe K Redda, Abiel Roche-Lima, Cecilia M Shikuma, Jacqueline J Stevens, Jose A Torres, Robert T Trotter, James Wachira, Paul Wang, Kristen J Wells, Jason White, Yanyuan Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program fosters the development and implementation of innovative research aimed at improving minority health and reducing or eliminating health disparities. Currently, there are 21 RCMI Specialized (U54) Centers that share the same framework, comprising four required core components, namely the Administrative, Research Infrastructure, Investigator Development, and Community Engagement Cores. The Research Infrastructure Core (RIC) is fundamentally important for biomedical and health disparities research as a critical function domain. This paper aims to assess the research resources and services provided and evaluate the best practices in …