Digital Commons Network^™

Mobile Application Luggage Tracking System Using Gps Module And Nodemcu, Nurul Fitriah Abdulham, Noorhayati Mohamed Noor

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

In this paper, a mobile application for luggage tracking system to track a misplaced or stolen luggage is designed. The application is to help traveller to track their misplaced luggage or stolen in public places. The luggage tracking system is a prototype of device tracker using a GPS and NodeMCU which will be kept inside a luggage. The device will be tracked via GPS satellites and send the data to the GPS module, and the luggage's owner will be informed of its whereabouts through the mobile application. The luggage tracking system uses wireless communication, which is Wi-Fi with the assistance …

Attributes To High-Risk Locations For Road Accidents At Inter-Urban Expressway, Sharifah Zuraidah Syed Abdul Jalil, S. Sarifah Radiah Shariff, Saiful Aman Sulaiman, Hanafi Mohd Wazir

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Road accidents occurred everywhere along the expressway, especially at the inter-urban expressway, due to its high accessibility to wide-ranging highway networks. This study uses dataset from Shah Alam Expressway from 2013 to 2017 to determine the pattern of road accidents which includes the identification of high-risk locations at the expressway as well as the attributes to the accidents at those locations. In order to determine the high-risk location, the weightage point method and accident crash frequency method have been adopted. From the two methods applied, three popular identical sites have been identified as high-risk locations at both the westbound and …

Prediction Of Employee Promotion Using Hybrid Sampling Method With Machine Learning Architecture, Shahidan Shafie, Soek Peng Ooi, Khai Wah Khaw

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Employee promotion plays an important role in an organization. It aids to inspire employees to grow and develop their skills, thus increase employee loyalty and reduce the turnover rate. This study predicts employee job promotion based on employee promotion data by using a hybrid sampling method with machine learning. The purpose of this study is to accelerate the promotion process and share the important features that might be determined when promoting an employee. In this study, there are eight machine learning algorithms have been used, such as Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, …

The Application Of Critic-Topsis Method In Solving The Material Handling Equipment Selection Problem, Nurul Anis Yazid, Nurul Izza Sabtu, Nur Umairah Syahirah Azmiral, Nor Faradilah Mahad

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Material handling equipment (MHE) is mechanical equipment required to transport materials or products between places. Selecting the best MHE is a crucial aspect of every industry due to a large amount of capital involved in the process. The idea behind Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is it can address and deal with conflicting parts in the MHE selection process. The Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods are proposed in this study to solve the MHE selection problem. This study aims to solve the MHE selection problem using the CRITIC-TOPSIS …

Awareness Towards Social Security Protection Among Food Delivery Riders In Selangor And Kuala Lumpur, Nina Naquiah Ahmad Nizar, Siti Zaharah Ishak, Adibah Shuib, Wan Mazlina Wan Mohamed, Saiful Aman Sulaiman, Mohd Irwanhakim Zainal, Mohd Nasir Taib

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Online food delivery services (OFDS) which are commonly endeavored by food delivery workers have become revolutionary today. However, the alarming rates of road accidents among them resulted in the announcement of obligatory contributions towards the Social Security Protection scheme in Malaysia, starting 1st October 2021. The Self-Employment Social Security Scheme was introduced to provide protection for individuals who are selfemployed under the provisions of the Self-Employment Social Security Act 2017. A survey was conducted among 50 food delivery riders around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on awareness of the scheme, exploring delivery rider demographic characteristics, awareness on benefits of the protection …

Aloe Barbadensis Rinds Employ Physical And Chemical Defense Mechanisms Against Insect Herbivores With Varying Success, Zachary Johnson, Ishveen Kaur, Fernando Castillo, Rupesh R. Kariyat, Debasish Bandyopadhyay

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Plants deter herbivory through a suite of physical and chemical defenses. While most studies have focused on understanding one or the other, efficient plant defense against herbivory is often cumulative. To examine this, we used Aloe barbadensis (Asphodelaceae) as a model, since in natural settings, the species is found to be well-defended against insect herbivores. To start with, we hypothesized that the epicuticular wax potentially plays an important role in herbivore defense as the major physical defense. To test our hypothesis, we conducted bioactivity-guided extraction and polarity-based fractionation of A. barbadensis rinds. We then mixed them into an artificial diet, …

Effects Of Habitat Management On Rodent Diversity, Abundance, And Virus Infection Dynamics, Nathaniel Mull, Amy Schexnayder, Abigail Stolt, Tarja Sironen, Kristian M. Forbes

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

As anthropogenic factors continue to degrade natural areas, habitat management is needed to restore and maintain biodiversity. However, the impacts of different habitat management regimes on ecosystems have largely focused on vegetation analyses, with limited evaluation of downstream effects on wildlife. We compared the effects of grassland management regimes (prescribed burning, cutting/haying, or no active management) on rodent communities and the viruses they hosted. Rodents were trapped in 13 existing grassland sites in Northwest Arkansas, USA during 2020 and 2021. Rodent blood samples were screened for antibodies against three common rodent-borne virus groups: orthohantaviruses, arenaviruses, and orthopoxviruses. We captured 616 …

Short Warm Distribution Tails Accelerate The Increase Of Humid-Heat Extremes Under Global Warming, Paul Loikith, Yianna Sotirios Bekris, J. D. Neelin

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Humid-heat extremes threaten human health and are increasing in frequency with global warming, so elucidating factors affecting their rate of change is critical. We investigate the role of wet-bulb temperature (TW) frequency distribution tail shape on the rate of increase in extreme TW threshold exceedances under 2°C global warming. Results indicate that non-Gaussian TW distribution tails are common worldwide across extensive, spatially coherent regions. More rapid increases in the number of days exceeding the historical 95th percentile are projected in locations with shorter-than-Gaussian warm side tails. Asymmetry in the specific humidity distribution, one component of TW, is more closely correlated …

24/7 Clean Energy, Todd S. Aagaard

Faculty Publications

In the face of the rapidly escalating climate crisis, the electricity sector is moving toward renewable energy. To date, policies and strategies have focused on increasing overall renewable energy generation, with little regard for timing and location. The result has been a misalignment of supply and demand in renewable energy markets. Renewable power projects produce energy when and where it is least expensive, leaving supply scarce at other times and places. Consumers, meanwhile, continue to use power when and where they need it. This mismatch increases the electricity grid’s dependence on fossil fuel–fired electricity to meet electricity demand at times …

Pregnancy Loss: A Qualitative Exploration Of An Experience Stigmatized In The Workplace, Stephanie L. Gilbert, Jennifer K. Dimoff, Jacquelyn M. Brady, Roderick Macleod, Taegen Mcphee

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Pregnancy loss is often stigmatized and is considered to be a taboo topic in the workplace, causing employees to suffer in silence. Yet, pregnancy loss is unequivocally a workplace issue – it can occur at work and influence work outcomes, such as performance, job attitudes, and employee wellbeing. Unfortunately, there is little research examining the intersection between work and pregnancy loss, leaving employers with little evidence-based guidance on how to support employees during and after pregnancy loss. The purpose of this qualitative study of working women (N = 29) is to provide insight into the ways by which work influences, …

Dipole Cooperativity And Polarization Frustration Determine The Secondary Structure Distribution Of Short Alanine Peptides In Water, Ying Yuan, Feng Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

The physical driving forces for secondary structure preferences of hydrated alanine peptide are investigated with B3LYP-D3(BJ) and the adaptive force matching (AFM) method. The AFM fit to the DFT surface, ALA2022, provides excellent agreement with the nuclear magnetic resonance scalar coupling constants from experiments. In turn, the model is used to gain insight into the physical driving forces behind secondary structure preferences of hydrated peptides. DFT calculations with and without the Conductor-like Screening Model (COSMO) show that the α helix is stabilized by solvent polarization due to dipole cooperativity. The two adjacent amide groups in β strand form a near-planar …

Simulating A Flexible Water Model As Rigid: Best Practices And Lessons Learned, Raymond Weldon, Feng Wang

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Two ways to create rigid versions of flexible models are explored. The rigid model can assume the Model’s Geometry (MG) as if the molecule is not interacting with any other molecules or the ensemble averaged geometry (EG) under a particular thermodynamic condition. Although the MG model is more straightforward to create, it leads to relatively poor performance. The EG model behaves similarly to the corresponding flexible model (the FL model) and, in some cases, agrees even better with experiments. While the difference between the EG and the FL models is mostly a result of flexibility, the MG and EG models …

Efficacy And Safety Of Azithromycin Versus Placebo To Treat Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Associated With Low Procalcitonin: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Trial, Ephraim L Tsalik, Nadine G Rouphael, Ruxana T Sadikot, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Micah T Mcclain, Dana M Wilkins, Christopher W Woods, Geeta K Swamy, Emmanuel B Walter, Hana M El Sahly, Wendy A Keitel, Mark J Mulligan, Bonifride Tuyishimire, Elisavet Serti, Toshimitsu Hamasaki, Scott R Evans, Varduhi Ghazaryan, Marina S Lee, Ebbing Lautenbach, Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group, Trap-Lrti Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory tract infections are frequently treated with antibiotics, despite a viral cause in many cases. It remains unknown whether low procalcitonin concentrations can identify patients with lower respiratory tract infection who are unlikely to benefit from antibiotics. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of azithromycin versus placebo to treat lower respiratory tract infections in patients with low procalcitonin.

METHODS: We conducted a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, non-inferiority trial at five health centres in the USA. Adults aged 18 years or older with clinically suspected non-pneumonia lower respiratory tract infection and symptom duration from 24 h to 28 …

Darknet Traffic Classification And Adversarial Attacks Using Machine Learning, Nhien Rust-Nguyen, Shruti Sharma, Mark Stamp

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The anonymous nature of darknets is commonly exploited for illegal activities. Previous research has employed machine learning and deep learning techniques to automate the detection of darknet traffic in an attempt to block these criminal activities. This research aims to improve darknet traffic detection by assessing a wide variety of machine learning and deep learning techniques for the classification of such traffic and for classification of the underlying application types. We find that a Random Forest model outperforms other state-of-the-art machine learning techniques used in prior work with the CIC-Darknet2020 dataset. To evaluate the robustness of our Random Forest classifier, …

Key Drivers Of Family-Level Utility Of Pediatric Genomic Sequencing: A Qualitative Analysis To Support Preference Research, Hadley Stevens Smith, Emily S Bonkowski, Raymond Belanger Deloge, Amanda M Gutierrez, Alva M Recinos, Tara A Lavelle, David L Veenstra, Amy L Mcguire, Stacey Pereira

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Given that pediatric genomic sequencing (GS) may have implications for the health and well-being of both the child and family, a clearer understanding of the key drivers of the utility of GS from the family perspective is needed. The purpose of this study is to explore what is important to caregivers of pediatric patients regarding clinical GS, with a focus on family-level considerations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with caregivers (n = 41) of pediatric patients who had been recommended for or completed GS that explored the scope of factors caregivers considered when deciding whether to pursue GS for their child. …

Reduced Fire Severity Offers Near-Term Buffer To Climate-Driven Declines In Conifer Resilience Across The Western United States, Kimberly T. Davis, Marcos D. Robles, Kerry B. Kemp, Teresa Chapman, Philip E. Higuera, Kerry L. Metlen, Jamie L. Peeler, Andres Holz, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increasing fire severity and warmer, drier postfire conditions are making forests in the western United States (West) vulnerable to ecological transformation. Yet, the relative importance of and interactions between these drivers of forest change remain unresolved, particularly over upcoming decades. Here, we assess how the interactive impacts of changing climate and wildfire activity influenced conifer regeneration after 334 wildfires, using a dataset of postfire conifer regeneration from 10,230 field plots. Our findings highlight declining regeneration capacity across the West over the past four decades for the eight dominant conifer species studied. Postfire regeneration is sensitive to high-severity fire, which limits …

Development And Pilot Testing Of Internet-Delivered, Family-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety And Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders In Autistic Youth, Andrew G Guzick, Sophie C Schneider, Amanda B Perozo Garcia, Minjee Kook, Rebecca L Greenberg, David Riddle, Morgan Mcneel, Servando Rodriguez-Barajas, Michelle Yang, Blake Upshaw, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Cognitive behavioral therapy adapted for autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD has a strong evidence base, but few have access. A 12-week family-based, Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for 7-15 year-old autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD was developed as a potential method to address this problem. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from stakeholders (parents, youth, clinicians) was gathered on an initial draft of content before conducting a pilot trial. This feedback suggested high quality, engagement, usability, and informativeness of the material. Suggestions were incorporated into the treatment program that was tested in a pilot trial. Eight families were randomized …

The Millennial Corporation: Strong Stakeholders, Weak Managers, Michal Barzuza, Quinn Curtis, David H. Webber

Faculty Scholarship

In a prior paper, Shareholder Value(s): Index Fund ESG Activism and The New Millennial Corporate Governance, we argued that the index funds’ sudden shift towards socially-responsible investment, after decades of ignoring or opposing it, was driven by the competition to manage growing Millennial wealth. In our view, the main contribution of that paper was identifying sharp differences between Millennials and prior generations over investment, consumption, and employment. It has now become clear that this contribution has implications far beyond index-fund environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) activism and is in fact completely transforming the corporate world, marking a fundamental shift in …

Dual Sovereignty In The U.S. Territories, Emmanuel Hiram Arnaud

Faculty Scholarship

This Essay examines the emergence and application of the “ultimate source” test and sheds light on the dual sovereign doctrine’s patently colonial framework, particularly highlighting the paternalistic relationship it has produced between federal and territorial prosecutorial authorities.

Foreword: Finding Balance In The Fight Against Gun Violence, Michael Ulrich

Faculty Scholarship

The United States is distinct among high-income countries for its problem with gun violence, with Americans 25 times more likely to be killed by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries.¹ Suicides make up a majority of annual gun deaths — though that gap is closing as homicides are on the rise — and the U.S. accounts for 35% of global firearm suicides despite making up only 4% of the world’s population.² More concerning, gun deaths are only getting worse. In 2021, firearm fatalities approached 50,000, the highest we have seen in at least 40 years.^{3 …}

Mechanisms Of The Age-Related Power Reduction In The Knee Extensor Muscles Of Men And Women, David Wrucke

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The mechanisms for the loss in limb muscle power output in old (60-79 years) and very old adults (≥80 years) and whether these mechanisms differ between older men and women are not well-understood. The aims of the thesis are to 1) compare peak power output of the knee extensor muscles between young, old, and very old adults and 2) determine the physiological mechanisms for the age-related loss of power in men compared with women. 31 young (22.9±3.0 years, 16 men), 83 old (70.4±4.9 years, 44 men), and 16 very old adults (85.8±4.2 years, 7 men) performed maximal isokinetic contractions at …

The Effect Of Endodontic Access Cavity Designs On Crack Propagation Of Mandibular Molars, Colin Kodama

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Introduction: This study aimed to develop a 3-D finite elemental analysis (FEA) model and digitally incorporate a crack into this model. After model development, this study compared the load required to propagate this crack in a mandibular molar with 3 different endodontic cavity designs using FEA. Methods: 3-D printed mandibular first molars (Endo 3DP; Acadental, Lenexa, KS) were accessed with 3 different access cavities: a traditional access cavity (TRC), a ninja access cavity (NAC), and a truss access cavity (TUC). The teeth were instrumented to EndoSequence #35/.04 in the MB and ML canals and #40/.04 in the D canal. Each …

Exploring Post-Quantum Cryptographic Schemes For Tls In 5g Nb-Iot: Feasibility And Recommendations, Kadir Sabanci

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a wireless communication technology that enables a wide range of applications, from smart cities to industrial automation. As a part of the 5G extension, NB-IoT promises to connect billions of devices with low-power and low-cost requirements. However, with the advent of quantum computers, the incoming NB-IoT era is already under threat due to conventional cryptographic algorithms that might be adapted to secure devices in NB-IoT being susceptible to be broken soon. In this context, we investigate the feasibility of using post-quantum key exchange and signature algorithms for securing NB-IoT applications. We develop a realistic …

A Novel Monte Carlo (Mc) Dose Model For Small Mlc Fields Of The Cyberknife(®) M6(Tm) Radiosurgery System Using The Egsnrc, Michael Kasper

All Publications

The multi-leaf collimator (MLC)-equipped CyberKnife® M6 radiosurgery system (CKM6) (Accuray Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) has been increasingly employed for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to treat relatively small lesions. However, achieving an accurate dose distribution in such cases is usually challenging due to the combination of numerous small fields ≤ (30 × 30) mm2 . In this study, we developed a new Monte Carlo (MC) dose model for the CKM6 system using the EGSnrc to investigate dose variations in the small fields. The dose model was verified for the static MLC fields ranging from (53.8 × 53.9) to (7.6 × 7.7) mm2 at …

Shsp Dean's Newsletter, Spring 2023, Robert W. Amler

SHSP Dean’s Newsletter

No abstract provided.

"Analyzing The Awareness And Utilization Of Digital Resources By The Library Users Of Selected Medical Deemed Universities In Maharashtra", Miss. Sima Ashok Ingole, Dr. Subhash Chavan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Digital Resource awareness was studied among Medical Deemed University Libraries students in Maharashtra. The study used a questionnaire to investigate four Medical Deemed University Libraries of Maharashtra. This study examines digital resource utilization, purpose, frequency, locality, and preference. The study indicated that Maharashtra Medical Deemed University Libraries users were moderately aware of digital medical resources and used them mainly for the education, Learning, and knowledge updating. Students use e-journals, standards, reports, patents, and trade reports. This survey explores how Maharashtra Medical Deemed University Libraries students use electronic resources.

Customers of Medical Deemed University Libraries have difficulties using digital resources because …

Entropy Regularized Reinforcement Learning Using Large Deviation Theory, Argenis Arriojas, Jacob Adamczyk, Stas Tiomkin, Rahul V. Kulkarni

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Reinforcement learning (RL) is an important field of research in machine learning that is increasingly being applied to complex optimization problems in physics. In parallel, concepts from physics have contributed to important advances in RL with developments such as entropy-regularized RL. While these developments have led to advances in both fields, obtaining analytical solutions for optimization in entropy-regularized RL is currently an open problem. In this paper, we establish a mapping between entropy-regularized RL and research in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics focusing on Markovian processes conditioned on rare events. In the long-time limit, we apply approaches from large deviation theory to …

Reliance Interests In Statutory And Constitutional Interpretation, William N. Eskridge Jr.,

Vanderbilt Law Review

People and companies rely on public law when they plan their activities; society relies on legal entitlements when it adapts to new technology, economic conditions, and social groups; legislators, administrators, and judges rely on settled law when they pass, implement, and interpret statutes (respectively). Such private, societal, and public “reliance interests” are the “dark matter” of America’s law of interpretation. They underwrite most interpretive doctrine, and their perceived force broadly and deeply affects the application of doctrine.

Reliance interests anchor the constitutional bias in favor of interpretive continuity, and they provide guardrails for the leading theories of interpretation-—namely-—textualism or original …

Water We Cannot See: Codifying A Progressive Public Trust To Protect Groundwater Resources From Depletion, Susan E. Ness

Vanderbilt Law Review

Groundwater provides a vital water supply and plays an integral role in hydrological systems by supporting biodiversity and the overall health and functioning of surface waters. Yet, the current legal landscape in the United States premises groundwater management on outdated scientific understandings of hydrology and fails to adequately protect critical groundwater resources. Moreover, states differ significantly in their groundwater management practices despite the interstate nature of many aquifers. As climate change exacerbates stress to groundwater resources, many of the United States’ largest aquifers rapidly approach depletion.

The public trust doctrine may provide a mechanism to regulate groundwater resources in the …

Spanish L2 Development In A Short-Term Domestic Immersion Program, Kara Moranski, Juan Godoy-Peñas, Bernard Issa, Mandy Faretta-Stutenberg, Harriet Wood Bowden

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This exploratory study evaluated the impact of a Spanish second language (L2) domestic immersion (DI) program that was developed expediently at a large university in the United States in response to widespread study abroad (SA) program closures due to COVID-19. Spanish language learners (n = 14) participated in an intensive, six-week summer immersion program for a total of 96 contact hours over the duration of the program. L2 development was evaluated via a conceptual replication of Issa et al. (2020), which recently provided compelling evidence of the benefits of short-term SA programs. L2 gains were measured using an acceptability …