Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Modeling Background Radiation Using Geochemical Data, Kara Marsac

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Aerial gamma ray surveys have many applications in geology and science in general, such as locating mining prospects, defining radioactive plumes, and detecting nuclear weapons. Unfortunately there is currently no simple way to separate the natural gamma radiation of soil and rocks from that of contaminants such as radioactive plumes. This project used geochemical data (uranium, potassium and thorium concentrations) collected from national databases, private companies, and the NURE (National Uranium Resource Evaluation) Survey, to create forward models of exposure rates measured by aerial gamma ray surveys. We developed these techniques using an area in north central Arizona known as …

Situational Assessment Using Graph Comparison, Pavan Kumar Pallapunidi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In strategic operations, the assessment of any given situation is very important and may trigger the development of a mission plan. The mission plan consists of various actions that should be executed in order to successfully mitigate the situation. For a new mission plan to be designed or implemented, the effect of the previous mission plan should be accessed. These mission plans use various sensors to collect the data which can be very large and aggregate them to obtain detailed information of the situation. In order to implement an effective mission plan the current situation has to be assessed effectively. …

Big Data And Smart Cities, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

No abstract provided.

An Experimental Analysis Of Adaptive Learning In A Multi-Subject Economy, David Martin

Business and Economics Honors Papers

The rational expectations hypothesis (REH) has long served as a foundation in macroeconomic laws of motion. However, the assumptions of REH are likely too powerful to be representative of economic actors. This research evaluates adaptive learning, a developing alternative to rational expectations, using a multi-agent macroeconomic prediction “game.” Data was gathered from a group of students, each predicting the outcome of a single economy over time. Each agent was asked to forecast output (GDP) and inflation in each period based on historic levels of output, inflation, and interest rates. These data were then analyzed under various theoretical models of adaptive …

Living On Highways, Alexa Dicken

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

“Living on Highways” is a selection comprised of ten poems from my honors thesis. The poems focus on nature and views of human reality in the context of nature, two subjects that require attention to sustainability. I find my strongest inspiration in experiences of interaction with nature, simply being outside and observing the relationship between people and nature. Written in the environmental literary tradition of poets such as Billy Collins and Emily Dickinson, “Living on Highways” situates its poems within the context of nature but comes with a focused regard on humanity’s responsibility toward the appreciation of the environment and …

Performance Study Of A Mems Low-Noise Sound Pressure Gradient Microphone Under An Ac Bias, Jonathan Michelson

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

An AC bias was introduced into microelectromechanical system (MEMS) low-noise sound pressure gradient microphone by Miles, Cui, Su and Hormentcovschi (2014), and its implications for the device's noise performance and directivity readings are discussed. The schematic involved demodulation of the microphone output with external circuitry, and subsequent computer software analysis of the microphone and circuitry outputs. Although insights into noise improvement were frustrated due to subpar noisy components used in the demodulation circuitry, the simultaneous measuring of the microphone's varying directivity patterns was shown to be achievable with this AC bias scheme.

Orgin Of Subgap Features In Transparent Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors, Zachary Lebens-Higgins, Anne Dailey, Louis Piper

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) is a transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor (TAOS) that has shown promise as transparent thin film transistors (TTFTs) in various display applications. Within a-IGZO films, states can form in the band gap that hinder TTFT performance. In order to elucidate the origin of these states, we examined the formation of the subgap states for a-IGZO thin films with various compositions. We observed a positive correlation between the subgap formation and the percentage of oxygen ruling out oxygen deficiencies as a factor in the formation of subgap states. Furthermore, metallic indium crystallites were observed to form …

The Economic Payoff Of Party Membership In China, Kevin Acker

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Because political party membership could potentially confer large economic benefits, economists have increasingly turned their attention to the role of political and social status in one’s life. The Chinese Communist party is the biggest political party in the world, and members are often motivated to join for economic reasons. Previous studies examine the relationship between Communist party membership and earnings and find positive correlation but this correlation may be partly or totally spurious, thereby generating upwards-biased estimates of the importance of political party membership – political party membership is likely to be correlated with a variety of other variables, which …

Residue, Donovan Borger

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Residue is a flash fiction piece, exploring loss, specifically the loss of the protagonist’s sons and his teeth. To write this piece, I read a large number of anthologized flash fiction pieces written by contemporary authors including David Foster Wallace, Lydia Davis, Tobias Wolff, and George Saunders with the intent of understanding and reproducing their takes on the flash fiction form while adding my own nuances. For purposes of characterization and setting, I also researched logging done on the land of what is now Algonquin Park in Ontario. My research and writing show that flash fiction functions most effectively when …

Morality Of A Carbon Tax: Transition To A Sustainable Economy, Timothy Lamendola

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

A carbon tax is needed to address the negative externalities caused by carbon emissions. Increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have a direct and negative impact on net social benefit to current and future generations. Our current human population has a moral obligation to future generations and, therefore, is responsible for excess burning of fossil fuels. This essential carbon tax is needed to help wean humans off their fossil fuel reliance. One should not be concerned with the economic losses this could cause because an economy based off unlimited growth is unsustainable and must be altered. A new, sustainable …

Characteristics Of Stem Success: A Survival Analysis Model Of Factors Influencing Time To Graduation Among Undergraduate Stem Majors, Riley K. Acton

Business and Economics Honors Papers

Producing more graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as well as ensuring students complete college in a timely manner are both areas of national public policy interest. In order to improve these two outcomes, it is imperative to understand what factors lead undergraduate students to persist in, and ultimately graduate with STEM degrees. This paper uses data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, provided by The National Center of Education Statistics, to model the time to baccalaureate degree among STEM majors using a Cox proportional hazard model.

Hampton Roads Must Rise To Challenge In Reducing Effects Of Climate Change, Daily Press

News Items

No abstract provided.

The Plight Of The Lucluc: Examining The Deadly Mystery Of Nodding Syndrome, Ethan K. Mcgann

Senior Honors Theses

Nodding syndrome (NS) is an emerging epidemic neurological disease that is shrouded in mystery. It is currently only found in the post-conflict regions of South Sudan, northern Uganda, and Tanzania. NS occurs in children from the ages of five to fifteen and is characterized by a loss of motor control in the neck muscles. Seizure episodes can range in intensity from atonic to tonic-clonic, and the onset of the first episode generally marks the beginning of a decline in the child’s physical and mental health. NS is a progressive disease that generally results in physical wasting, stunted growth, behavioral difficulties, …

Estimating The Recreational Value Of Portland’S Forest Park, Randall Bluffstone, Ryan Burchett, Kahtan Eiwaz, Emma Ingebretsen, Peter Schaffer, Steve Toth, Szeto Yan Weng, Jordan Drinkhouse, Dat Huynh, Charles Maxwell, Joel Schutte, Tiffany Tram, Thananan Yupparit

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Using the travel cost method, this study estimates the per-trip value and total annual value of recreational visits to Portland’s Forest Park. Based on the opportunity cost of visitors’ time and the estimated costs of travel, we derive a demand function for visits to Forest Park on the assumption that visitors value their trips to Forest Park at least as highly as the alternative uses of their time and money. The Portland Parks and Recreation Department supplied survey data for 2277 Forest Park visitors, of which we use 1626 observations.

We find that a truncated negative binomial regression best fits …

Effects Of Physical Characteristics Of Urban Storm Sewersheds On Water Quality In Bloomington, Il, Alicia Terese O'Hare

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing urbanization has consequences for surface water quality. Stormwater is a large component of urban water degradation that is poorly understood. Precipitation is quickly transported via underground pipes, from the land to the stream without following water's natural flow path. Studies have correlated detention ponds with improved water quality and impervious surface cover with degraded water quality. However, other physical characteristics within a storm sewer shed including the presence of sump pumps, area and pipe miles may also affect the stormwater quality. We chose 18 storm sewer systems in Bloomington, IL. We measured pH, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, chloride, nitrate, …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2015, 135th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: “Nebraska Biocontainment Unit Planning and Response to Ebola,” Ebola team, University of nebraska medical Center

Applied Science and Technology

Earth Science

Teaching of Science and Math

Junior Academy, Junior High Competition

2015 - The Twentieth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Twentieth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 16, 2015. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Recent Periods Of Financial Turbulence On The Russian Stock Market And Their Effect On Price Correlation And Value At Risk, Alexander Logoveev, Gregory Cherinko

Undergraduate Economic Review

The aim of this article is to observe and analyze the recent periods of financial turbulence on the Russian stock market and determine their influence on the correlation coefficients between asset prices and the Value at Risk measure for a portfolio. Our task was to describe the previously observed phenomenon of correlation enlargement during times of financial crises deemed in our research as separate Black Swans. Based on up-to-date financial data analysis we determined correlation trends that can be useful in risk management and applied the Value at Risk method.

Helping A Microfinance Institution Select Its Clients: A Risk Analysis Using Social Networks, Sayantan Mitra, Varunavi Newar

Black & Gold

This paper formulates an objective mathematical model for a Microfinance Institution (MFI) to measure the credit worthiness associated with a potential client. We use concepts from network theory to determine the credit worthiness of an individual in relation to other households in the community. We use the concept of eigenvector centrality to evaluate the relative credit worthiness in the network. The latter part of the model focuses on the absolute measures of credit worthiness such as income, ownership of assets and risk of the proposed investment. This model would help MFIs reduce the risk of borrowing by ensuring that there …

Analysis Of Spatial Variability Of Near-Surface Soil Moisture To Increase Rainfall-Runoff Modelling Accuracy In Sw Hungary, P. Hegedüs, S. Czigány, E. Pirkhoffer, L. Balatonyi, Robert Hickey

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Between September 5, 2008 and September 5, 2009, near-surface soil moisture time series were collected in the northern part of a 1.7 km2 watershed in SWHungary at 14 monitoring locations using a portable TDR-300 soil moisture sensor. The objectives of this study are to increase the accuracy of soil moisture measurement at watershed scale, to improve flood forecasting accuracy, and to optimize soil moisture sensor density.

According to our results, in 10 of 13 cases, a strong correlation exists between the measured soil moisture data of Station 5 and all other monitoring stations; Station 5 is considered representative for the …

Medicare: Program, Procedures And Recommendations, Sarah Wyman

Honors Theses

My thesis is formatted in the style of a political brief, based upon the program Medicare. This report discusses the question of whether the Medicare program is performing effectively. It discusses the origins and development of Medicare, its mission and reason for the program. Included is the staffing of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a center within the Department of Health and Human Services. It discusses the historical, current, and projected funding through FY 2015. Most notably it contains the program performance ratings of Medicare from the White House, CBO, OMB, and CMS. Medicare is a program that …

Courtship In The Borderlands: Hollistic Intimate Space Creation Within Courtship Ideaologies, Alejandro Sánchez

The Compass

While telling me the story of how she met her husband, Mrs. Aguilar told me “I really feel bad for your generation, they are missing out on falling in love.” She was referring to the courtship practices, or the social regulation and cultural markers between two individuals who create a social relation developing a “relationship.”1 She was comparingthe courtship practices of her generation to that of mine and her statement is reflective of the changes in the cultural environment. From courting, a “relationship” can develop. Its dimensions are defined by the mediation between cultural norms and the agent, and can …

Strategies For Leaders To Counter Social Loafing Through The Use Of Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Literature Review, Richard Hildreth

The Compass

Social loafing (SL) is a counterintuitive phenomenon that describes a decrease of efficiency observed in both small groups and large organizations. Research over the past century has increased our understanding of SL and identified antecedent factors that appear to reduce or exacerbate its effect. Subsequent organizational models have beenconceived and evolved, starting with organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), which led toward contextualperformance (CP), and recently to contextual and citizenship performance (CCP). Each type of model can provide valuable insight explaining employee behavior and under which contexts SL occurs. Research shows that OCB has improves organizational productivity and competitiveness, due to organizational …

Oak Regeneration In An Eastern Pennsylvania Forest: Is Prescribed Fire Needed?, Samanatha M. Ebert

The Compass

Fire has shaped the American landscape as much as any other natural or anthropogenic disturbance such as flooding, glaciers, and tornadoes, or logging. Native Americans used fire for thousand of years to facilitate farming, travel, and hunting. Since the 1930s, the United States Forest Service has instituted and maintained a policy of firesuppression. This has changed the composition of American forests allowing shade- tolerant later successional species to thrive, but fire-adapted species are declining. This study establishes a baseline of tree composition of State Game Lands 210 in Dauphin County in Eastern Pennsylvania forest in preparation for the proposed controlled …

The Compass, Issue 2 - Forward By Provost Nodine, Arcadia University Honors Program

The Compass

Forward by Dr. Barbara Nodine, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, for Issue 2 of The Compass, a scholarly journal edited and produced by students in the Arcadia University Honors Program.

The Compass, Issue 2, Arcadia University Honors Program

The Compass

Issue 2 of The Compass, a scholarly journal edited and produced by students in the Arcadia University Honors Program.

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2015, Jason L. Johnson

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

Welcome to the Twenty-Second SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair! On display today are 103 presentations involving 169 student researchers, writers, performers, and artists, and 40 faculty sponsors encompassing scholarly activity from the Departments of: Accounting, Computer Science, and Entrepreneurship; Art, Communication, and Theatre; Biological Sciences; Chemistry and Physics; Education; Engineering Technology; Finance, Management, and Marketing; Language and Literature; Music; Nursing and Allied Health; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Psychology; and Social Sciences.

How The University Of California Runs One Repository For Ten Campuses, Katie Fortney

Inaugural CSU IR Conference, 2015

Katie Fortney, JD, MLIS, Copyright Policy & Education Officer, Office of Scholarly Communication, University of California http://osc.universityofcalifornia.edu/

Implementing Metaarchive And Lockss At Digital Commons @Cal Poly, Michele Wyngard

Inaugural CSU IR Conference, 2015

Michele Wyngard, Digital Repository Coordinator, CSU Cal Poly

Using Google Tag Manager And Google Analytics, (Code{4}Lib Journal), Suzanna Conrad

Inaugural CSU IR Conference, 2015

Suzanna Conrad, Digital Initiatives Librarian, Cal Poly Pomona