Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Scituate Reservoir Mitigation Model For Assessing Flood Control During Extreme Scenarios, Supria Paul

Open Access Dissertations

Effective reservoir management is essential for mitigating downstream flooding, especially with the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events impacting major drinking water reservoirs such as the Scituate Reservoir in Rhode Island. These reservoirs provide water for large populations but can be overwhelmed by intense precipitation, flooding and land cover changes. Climate change is expected to increase precipitation in the study area located in New England, highlighting the need for improved reservoir systems, especially given the aging dams and higher risk of failures. Additionally, land cover changes, like the widespread defoliation caused by the Gypsy Moth infestations, affect water …

Light, Symbiosis, And The Biology Of Corals, Taylor R. Lindsay

Open Access Dissertations

Light is critical for the survival of most shallow water scleractinian corals. Corals are mixotrophs, acquiring energy via both feeding on water column plankton and photosynthesis via a symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates living within their tissues. Corals rely heavily on photosynthetically derived metabolites through this symbiotic relationship, intrinsically linking their biology to light availability. Corals are known to modulate their biology to maximize light capture. However, there is a limited understanding of the interaction between morphology, physiology, and energetic strategy, as well as how light may affect these relationships. In Chapter 1, we quantified the morphology, physiology and energetic …

Assessing Distribution And Density Changes Of The Ecosystem Engineers, Rockweed And Kelp, In Narragansett Bay, Ri, Rebecca Venezia

Open Access Dissertations

Climate change and anthropogenic stressors in marine costal habitats include increased sea surface temperatures (SST) and precipitation. The impacts of these stressors can affect ecosystem engineer species, which create three-dimensional habitat space in and provide various ecosystem services that modify and maintain ecosystem resources. In Narragansett Bay, RI, USA there is anecdotal evidence that the habitat forming species of kelp, Saccharina latissima, and rockweeds, Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp, are changing but few long-term studies have been conducted to verify this. We compared the historical studies from the 1960s to 2010s on seaweeds in Narraganset Bay to modern SCUBA …

Stability And Global Dynamics Of Autonomous And Nonautonomous Discrete Population Models With Stocking, Harvesting, And Cooperation, Sam Habach

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the local and global behavior of several classes of discrete population models involving stocking, harvesting, and cooperation. The study is divided into three major manuscripts, each offering new theoretical in sights, bifurcation results, and applications to real-world data.

In Manuscript 1, we study the Beverton-Holt population models with constant and proportional stocking and harvesting, as well as sigmoid Beverton-Holt models under constant stocking and harvesting, both in autonomous and non-autonomous settings. We analyze stability and explore global dynamics using established local and global dynamics theorems, bifurcation theory, and explicit solutions when available. Special attention is given to …

Coral Vision – Crustose Coralline Algae Detection With Computer Vision, Ryan Tseng

Master's Projects

Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are a group of red algae that are vital contributors to the health of coral reef ecosystems. Monitoring CCA abundance can serve as an indicator for coral reef health and improve reef conservation efforts. Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) are artificial structures that can be deployed into coral reef ecosystems and retrieved to gather ecological data without harming reef structures. Traditional methods of calculating CCA abundance require manual analysis and are labor-intensive. Recent developments in computer vision and deep learning technology have provided an avenue to fully automate this task. This research aims to train a …

Impacts Of Multiple Coastal Stressors Across Life-History Stages In The Eastern Oyster, Amaelia Zyck

Open Access Dissertations

Urbanized estuaries are characterized as a complex of biotic and abiotic stressors, which currently challenge marine life and are expected to intensify and become increasingly unpredictable under the ongoing impacts of climate change. The persistence of coastal species that inhabit these stressful environments will ultimately depend on their ability to adapt. Many of these species have complex life cycles, featuring distinct morphological and physiological developmental stages that can exhibit unique responses to environmental pressures. However, since all stages share the same genome, selective pressures acting on one stage can have cascading effects throughout the life cycle. The larval stage, being …

Microplastics Detection, Characterization, And Cytotoxicity Evaluation Via Lab-On-Chip, Liyuan Gong

Open Access Dissertations

Microplastics (MPs) pose a growing challenge to the ecological system, prompting increasing research efforts in diverse directions. Accurate characterization of MPs is essential for understanding their properties, relying on efficient sampling and detection techniques. Additionally, studying the cytotoxic effects of MPs is critical for evaluating their impact on biological systems. Lab-on-chip (LoC) systems offer significant advantages for precise particle manipulation and compatibility with advanced analytical instrumentation, making them valuable for MP detection and characterization. Microfluidic-based on-chip cell-culturing systems provide a controllable, physiologically relevant microenvironment for more realistic in vitro tissue modeling. By leveraging advanced LoC concepts and integrating state-of-the-art machine …

Investigating Mono-Driver Versus Multi-Driver Oncogenesis Via Alterations To Cell Signaling Pathways, Abygail Chapdelaine

Open Access Dissertations

The latest edition of Global Cancer Statistics released by the American Cancer Society reported approximately 20 million newly diagnosed cancer cases worldwide in 2022 with 9.7 million deaths. This ranks cancer as the second leading cause of death worldwide. For the majority of cancer patients, the standard treatment approach is chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, and while this has been successful in some patients, a lack of specificity to cancer cells causes severe side-effects when these agents damage healthy cells. Despite extensive efforts that have gone into developing targeted cancer therapeutics that block functions specific to cancer, they have not been …

Analysis Of Early Interventions To Retain Underrepresented Students In Computer Science, Michael Conti

Open Access Dissertations

Computer science, like many STEM disciplines, faces persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining women and individuals from racially and ethnically minoritized backgrounds. This study examines whether targeted interventions can produce sustained improvements in academic performance and sense of belonging among these underrepresented groups. By analyzing longitudinal data, this research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions in promoting equity and persistence in computer science education.

Using An Ecological And Cultural Lens To Examine The 1st Year Persistence And Science Identity Development Of At-Risk Biology Students Experiencing Multiple Equity-Minded High Impact Practices, Aura Fajardo Grandidge

Open Access Dissertations

In this study, I used an ecological and a cultural perspective to examine the first-year experiences of two cohorts of biology students exposed to multiple equity-minded High Impact Practices (HIPs) designed to promote their persistence and science identity development.

In chapter 1, I applied Graham et al.’s Persistence Framework (2013) and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (1977) to investigate the bridges and barriers to persistence that biology students face while experiencing either an equity minded learning community, a first-year seminar, a course-based research experience, and/or an active learning introductory biology course. Using a mixed methods approach that focused on phenomenology, I …

The Chemical Ecology Of A Caribbean Boulder Coral During Restoration And The Interplay Between Fish Predation And Microbiome Variation, Catherine E. Raker

Open Access Dissertations

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on the planet. In recent decades, however, climate change and other global threats have caused severe declines in live coral cover worldwide. Coral propagation, or “gardening,” is a popular strategy to attempt to restore healthy corals to degraded reefs. Slow-growing boulder corals are often restored using microfragmentation, where cutting coral colonies into roughly 1 cm² fragments can increase their growth rates up to 5x. However, extreme early mortality of fragments has been observed in the field, which has been at least partially attributed to predation. It has been …

“What’S Supp” Developing An In Vitro Model For Healthy Oral Biofilms, Alex Labossiere

Open Access Dissertations

The study of oral plaque has largely been influenced by the study of pathogens. Here in Chapter 1, I will discuss how this pathogenic focus has been dominant until the onset of microbiome research and begin to explain microbiomes in the context of supragingival plaque in homeostatic communities. From there we will then discuss the possible roots where dysbiosis may arise from plaque to cause disease and ways in which we can study healthy supragingival plaque by in vitro models.

In chapter 2, I will discuss molecular commensalism and how it can be viewed as a tool to further understand …

Non-Coding Rnas As Regulators Of Coral Biology, Jill Ashey

Open Access Dissertations

Coral reef ecosystems face increasing threats from climate change, yet knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that underlie coral acclimatization, resilience, and development remains incomplete. Among these mechanisms, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), specifically microRNAs (miRNAs), are emerging as key regulators of gene expression in response to environmental and developmental cues. This dissertation explores the diversity, function, and dynamics of ncRNAs in scleractinian corals across ecological, physiological, and developmental contexts. In Chapter 1, I present the first comprehensive analysis of ncRNAs - specifically long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), miRNAs, and piwi-RNAs (piRNAs) - in three reef-building coral species from Mo’orea, French Polynesia: Acropora pulchra, …

Electro-Vascular Dynamics During Auditory Processing: Variation Along The Schizotypy Continuum, John P. Mclinden

Open Access Dissertations

Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) are complementary noninvasive neuroimaging modalities that have contributed greatly to our understanding of the mechanisms of auditory processing. As an emerging technology, fNIRS has produced promising insights into the mechanisms of auditory processing, although considerable work remains to characterize hemodynamic responses in auditory tasks. In addition, the complementary nature of EEG and fNIRS and the relationships between the signals they record have been underexplored. In particular, nonlinear interactions between these signals remain under-characterized, despite the potential benefit to future multimodal neuroimaging studies. A challenge in understanding these interactions is the influence of systemic …

The Clarke Museum, Josue Bermudez

IdeaFest 2025

This year, I had the opportunity to work with the Clarke Historical Museum, one of the largest in Humboldt County. I helped set up exhibits, worked on projects, and participated in community events. Through this, I learned how a small community preserves and shares its history. Balancing this with college was challenging, but the support from Josh and the Clarke staff made it manageable. This experience deepened my appreciation for public history and inspired me to pursue future work that connects education, culture, and community engagement.

Identifying Optimal Temperature Ranges That Support Juvenile Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) Growth In The Klamath Basin, Isabelle Shirah

IdeaFest 2025

This project looks at yearly temperature ranges and growth metrics for fish sampled at three sites along the Klamath basin.

Impacts Of Weather On Insect And Arthropod Diversity And Abundance, Megan Solimine

IdeaFest 2025

This project examines the effects of weather on insect and arthropod diversity and abundance in Arcata, California. Data captured was keyed out to taxonomic family, then Jaccard's Index and beta diversity tests were used to identify differences between sites.

Basque Cultural Exploration, Adam Ibarra

IdeaFest 2025

This project is a Cultural Exploration that I completed in 2024 as part of my Cultural Psychology class at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. I wanted to immerse myself in Basque Culture as I am a Basque Diaspora born in the U.S. but have grown up largely disconnected from Basque Culture. I attended Palm Sunday at the Notre Dame Des Victoires in San Francisco, CA, participating in the events preceding Easter. I also visited the Basque Cultural Center on Palm Sunday and interviewed Alain Camou, the manager at the restaurant in the Cultural Center, about Basque Culture. I hope that presenting …

Assessing Uncertainties In A Flow Injection Analysis Method For Trace Concentrations Of Iron In Seawater, Elijah J. Vestal, Liam W. Hodgson, Noah S. Schuhmann, Brooke I. Stafford, Claire P. Till

IdeaFest 2025

Iron is an essential nutrient in biological systems, and is the limiting nutrient in about ⅓ of the surface ocean. We investigate the flow injection method of Lohan et al., 2006, with modifications described in Biller et al., 2013 to analyze nanomolar concentrations of iron in seawater. In this work we focus on quantifying and understanding the uncertainties in the measurements and the signal of the blank by adjusting the method in four distinct ways.

Measuring Success Of Adaptive Management Of European Soaring Birds, Nick Salgado-Stanley, Frank Fogarty

IdeaFest 2025

While there has been an expansion of investment into renewable energy sources, less research has emerged concerning how to balance the economic benefit and conservation costs of new developments. One of the most economically productive wind developments in Europe rests to the north of the Strait of Gibraltar, in Tarifa, Spain. This is also one of the largest annual migration points for migratory birds traveling between Africa and Europe. Using historical data of bird collisions and employee reports of turbine stops, this study investigates the success of human observers protocol in preventing avian fatalities across a decade of migration seasons.

Drivers Of Bird Diversity: Human Activity, Distance To Forest Edge, And Canopy Cover, Edwin Ramirez

IdeaFest 2025

This study will look at the abundance and richness of birds on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus and in the Arcata Community Forest. The primary objective is to understand how various environmental factors could influence bird population in these two locations. Studying the abundance and richness of birds in urban environments, forest edges, and forest interiors could provide important insights into conservation and management strategies.

Effects Of Moonlight On Nocturnal Mesopredators Use Of Trails In The Arcata Community Forest, Miranda Jones

IdeaFest 2025

A camera trap study of mesopredator trail use in relation to moonlight in the Arcata Community Forest.

Eschscholzia Californica Shows Evidence Of Fitness Based Local And Home-Site Advantage Regardless Of Morphological Patterns, Soren A. Biel, Sage Brislen, Ernesto Chaves-Velasco, Shannon Still, Kerry Byrne, Justin Luong

IdeaFest 2025

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the state flower, varies in lifespan and phenotype across its range. It's widely used in restoration, yet local adaptation is poorly understood. We conducted two common garden studies in coastal and inland California using seeds from seven locations. After greenhouse germination, plants were grown in Santa Cruz and Davis. We measured survival, growth, reproduction, and leaf traits. Results show evidence of local adaptation in fitness (survival and seed production), though not always in morphology. This suggests local seed sourcing is crucial for maintaining genetic diversity in restoration amid climate change.

On Emerging Technologies: The Old Regime And The Proactivity, Ran Xi

Cardozo International & Comparative Law Review

Nowadays, emerging technologies are revolutionizing nearly every facet of human life, shaping legal, cultural, political, and technological landscapes. Despite various breakthroughs, emerging technologies have also brought to society legal and regulatory challenges, such as the pacing problem, regulatory silos, and the black box issue. However, existing state-centric regulation on emerging technologies results in fragmented, inconsistent, and ineffective statutes and policies. The traditional regulatory regime, due to its reactive mindset, incremental approaches, and tools of modest efficacy, fails to mitigate associated risks and harms, sometimes even impeding technological innovation. To tackle this dilemma, this Article proposes a proactive law approach with …

Land Grant Report 2023-2024, Tennessee. Higher Education Commission.

Land Grant Funding Report

No abstract provided.

A Bayesian Complex-Valued Latent Variable Model Applied To Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Chase J. Sakitis, D. Andrew Brown, Daniel B. Rowe

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

In linear regression, the coefficients are simple to estimate using the least squares method with a known design matrix for the observed measurements. However, real-world applications may encounter complications such as an unknown design matrix and complex-valued parameters. The design matrix can be estimated from prior information but can potentially cause an inverse problem when multiplying by the transpose as it is generally ill-conditioned. This can be combat by adding regularizers to the model but does not always mitigate the issues. Here, we propose our Bayesian approach to a complex-valued latent variable linear model with an application to functional magnetic …

Little Lives, Big Challenges: The Nicu's Role In Infant Brain Development, Gerardo Martinez

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Dopamine Hits To Data Bits: Harnessing Brain Chemistry To Drive The Next Generation Of Computing, Keller Bueneman

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Oops! My Brain Did It Again! How Music, Smell, And Sight Rekindle The Past, Lana Hunt

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

The Anatomy Of Art: Visual Art And The Brain, Shea Wilt

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.