Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Reducing Dna Extraction Costs Through Factorial Design For The Dnadvance Kit, Carson J. Neal, Zachery D. Zbinden, Michael E. Douglas, Marlis R. Douglas

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

Extracting DNA is essential in wildlife genetic studies, and numerous methods are available. However, the process is costly and time-consuming for non-model organisms, including most wildlife species. Therefore, we optimized a cost-efficient protocol to extract DNA from the muscle tissue of White-tailed Deer using the DNAdvance kit (Beckman Coulter), a magnetic-bead-based approach. We devised a 3 × 3 factorial design using combinations of tissue mass (10 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg) and reaction volume (25%, 33%, and 50% of the manufacturer's recommended volumes). DNA was extracted for N = 81 tissue sub-samples (9 replicates/treatment).

Results

Our target yield …

Digital Footprint Management: Youth And Social Media On Protecting Your Online Identity And Reputation, Jorge Aguiar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Fifty percent (50%) of youth between the ages of 8 and 17 have been discovered to use the internet and social media services on a daily basis. This (50%) also demonstrates the rising issues between digital footprints, cyberbullying, and cybercrime rates against these types of youth. It was discovered that youths, between the ages of 8 and 17 years old, are savvy with technology, based on gender, grade, and socioeconomic status, but also lack the awareness of their own digital footprint and how to manage it. Researchers have discovered that issuing cybersecurity awareness school lesson plans and parental controls may …

Personalities Of Victims: A Look Into What Makes The Human Mind More Susceptible To Social Engineering, Matthew Ulloa

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Social engineering is a frequent attack used to steal information from victims. This attack has plagued businesses worldwide for many years and continues to get worse every year as it deals with the human aspect of cyber security, something often ignored in cyberspace. Humans have been deemed as the weakest link in cyber security. Previous researchers have taken it upon themselves to discover links between the human mind and social engineering. This graduate research paper was conducted on the foundation of these research papers, based on the Five Factor Model of Personalities (FFM) and susceptibility to social engineering. This research …

An Exploration Of The Experiences That Influenced Black Males To Become Information Technology Professionals, Ronnie Mcmillian

Dissertations

Historically, the United States (U.S.) has led the world in the development of innovative high-tech solutions that increased employment opportunities, wages, productivity, and the economic growth of our nation. However, STEM workers are in great need to fill the millions of vacancies in the STEM workforce. Despite the increasing demand for STEM professionals, racial minorities, especially Blacks, continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in STEM. In order to adequately address the STEM workforce problem and remain competitive globally, the U.S. must motivate a much larger cross-section of its population to enter STEM fields. Since Blacks are disproportionately underrepresented in STEM, they …

Data Security In The Apple Ecosystem: An Evaluation, Kayrene Woods

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of data security within the Apple ecosystem, focusing on the company’s privacy policies, user perceptions, and the effectiveness of its App Store review processes. Employing an interdisciplinary methodology, the research examines Apple’s commitment to data protection, emphasizing transparency and user trust. A survey of user experiences revealed varying levels of engagement and understanding of Apple’s privacy practices, with only 32.8% of respondents having read the Privacy Policy and mixed opinions on its clarity. Additionally, concerns persist about third-party app security, with 39.7% of users expressing apprehension and skepticism about Apple’s App Store review process. …

Notes For Contributors To Space & Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Damon Coletta

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Accomplishing Robotic Autonomy: The Complexities Of Sociotechnical Care And Agency In The Laboratory, Yifan Xu, Elliott Hauser

Human-Machine Communication

Effective ethical interventions in emerging technologies such as robotic autonomy demand situated understandings of the practices that shape them. Drawing upon a year of participatory ethnography, this study examines the sociomaterial practices used to accomplish robotic agency in an engineering research laboratory. Ironically, the robot was often a helpless, even pathetic, figure. Roboticists displayed an attitude of surprisingly genuine, diligent, and self-effacing care toward the robot as they helped enable it to perform basic competencies such as picking up a bottle. Using a practice theory, we show how roboticists’ care practices, motivated and sustained by anticipatory narratives of robotic agency, …

Rethinking Autonomy In The Digital Age: Between Human Exceptionalism, Hybridity And Conviviality, Anne Hoss

Human-Machine Communication

In the humanities and social sciences, there is a long tradition of discourses on the relationship between automats and human autonomy. Socio-technological transformation processes of the past decades have revitalized related discussions. At the same time, based on ideas of either human exceptionalism or hybridity, current debates tend to focus on ontological questions and comparisons between humans and machines. This paper aims to widen recent discursive foci by introducing Ivan Illich’s work which highlights institutions, power structures, and the social shaping of technology as key factors of humanartifact relations and autonomous action. It will be argued that Illich’s approach contributes …

Integrating Humanities Into Cybersecurity Education: Enhancing Ethical, Historical, And Sociopolitical Understanding In Technical Training, Joseph Frusci

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The increasing complexity of cybersecurity challenges necessitates a holistic educational approach that integrates both technical skills and humanistic perspectives. This article examines the importance of infusing humanities disciplines such as history, ethics, political science, sociology, law, and anthropology—into cybersecurity education. Through a pilot course developed for Staten Island Technical High School, aligned with the New York State K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards, students were introduced to an interdisciplinary curriculum that combined technical cybersecurity training with historical analysis, ethical reasoning, and sociopolitical context. The results of pre- and post-course assessments demonstrated significant improvements in critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and …

Navigating The Landscape: Perceptions, Motivations, And The Journey Of Data Professionals In Implementing Data Processes And Procedures, Willie Rivers

Dissertations

This explanatory study investigates the motivations behind data professionals' willingness or resistance to implementing data policies and procedures, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior and Psychological Ownership as frameworks. Through interviews with 21 data professionals, the research explains how factors such as perceived control, ownership, and attitudes towards data processes influence their motivation. The study tests key propositions, including the impact of perceived time burdens, bureaucratic procedures, and organizational expectations on data governance engagement. The findings underscore the critical role of control and access to information in motivating the adoption of data policies, providing insights for organizations aiming to enhance …

Letter From The Editorial Board, Joshua M. Avery, Lana Wilson, Denise Nelson, Addison Lucchi

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Simulating Interventions To Improve Reproducibility In Scientific Publications, Ben G. Fitzpatrick

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Network Analysis Of Progress In Mathematics Research, Anna Singley

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Euphemism In Ai Discourse As Colonial Harm & Effect: Learnings From Subaltern Puerto Rico, Jacqueline Oquendo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Through three integrated studies, this dissertation explores complex human-AI interactions by comparing the perceptions of two groups of U.S. citizens: subaltern Puerto Ricans and stateside Americans’ interactions with ChatGPT. This corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis or CLCDA, triangulated with 1:1 semi-structured interviews, validates scholars’ concerns about the biases inherent in generative AI. Contributing to those concerns, this dissertation reveals that ChatGPT deploys discourse strategies that, when executed, facilitate digital colonialism. Euphemistic language is prominent among its discourse strategies, replacing controversial words, phrases, and topics with more palatable ones. When prompted on events of historical significance, I find that ChatGPT’s discourse obscures …

Sulfites And Sulfates Formed By Weathering Of Early Martian Carbonates In A Sulfur Dioxide-Bearing Atmosphere, V. F. Chevrier, C. Gil-Lozano, E. Dehouck, S. T. Altheide

Space and Planetary Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite ample evidence that extensive water–rock interactions occurred under a CO₂-dominated atmosphere on early Mars, carbonate minerals are relatively rare at the surface. One possibility to explain this scarcity is that carbonates were initially abundant, but were later destroyed when atmospheric conditions changed, particularly as a result of volcanism releasing large volumes of sulfur dioxide SO₂ into the atmosphere. However, despite some early theoretical and experimental results, no study has investigated the stability of the most common carbonates (Ca, Mg and Fe) in the presence of abundant SO2 gas. Here we present the results of experiments demonstrating …

Structural Projections To The Nucleus Accumbens Link To Impulsive Components Of Human Risk Preference, Loreen Tisdall, Kelly H. Macniven, Josiah Leong, Renato Frey, Jörg Rieskamp, Ralph Hertwig, Brian Knutson, Rui Mata

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Functional responses in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) to risk- and reward-related cues can predict real-life risk-taking behavior. Since NAcc activity depends on neurotransmission from connected brain regions, projections to the NAcc may also predict risk preference. To quantify risk preference, we employed latent variables previously derived in a comprehensive, independent study examining the psychometric structure of risk preference, which yielded a general risk preference factor as well as several specific factors, including a factor capturing impulsivity. Informed by previous work, we preregistered a set of hypotheses concerning the association between different risk preference factors and fractional anisotropy (or FA, which …

Navigating Big Data Ethics: An Analysis Through Al-Attas's Islamic Worldview, Aldin Julian Azma, Saffana Lam’A Tazkiyah, Muhammad Yahya Abdurrahman

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The term "Big Data" is used to describe a collection of data that is both vast in scale and highly complex, and which is expected to continue growing in size. The indication of a secular collection, processing, and use of big data makes it imperative to consider big data from a moral responsibility and ethical perspective. This article seeks to integrate Islamic values and principles from the perspective of Syed Naquib Al Attas, with a particular focus on ethics and morals in the context of big data. This research employs a literature review methodology with a descriptive-analytical approach, Al Attas …

Drones And Ai In Modern Warfare: A Security Analysist, Tze Fung Kao

Rwanda: Post-Genocide Restoration and Peacebuilding

Abstract

Artificial intelligence’s (AI) rapid development and integration into drone systems is reshaping modern warfare, with significant implications for international security. As seen in the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian and the 2023 Israel-Hamas war, AI-enabled drones are increasingly employed for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), loitering munitions, and swarm formations. The use of AI for autonomous target identification and decision-making raises both operational advantages and ethical concerns, particularly concerning accountability and the potential for unintended escalation. This paper explores the capabilities of AI drones, focusing on their implication for global security and stability and the growing challenge of regulating such systems. The proliferation …

Advances In Biomedical Research And Treatments: What Is Acceptable?, Michael L. Clancy, Khalid M. Iskandarani, Mitchell C. Mccrea

Journal of Health Ethics

This study investigated the technology acceptance (TA) of twenty-first century biomedical treatments by adults in the United States. A new TA instrument was created, using five distinct levels: (1) Healing and Prevention, (2) Replacement Organs, (3) Enhancements-Medical, (4) Enhancements-Discretionary, and (5) Transhumans. An on-line survey produced 353 usable responses, which showed distinct patterns for each of five biomedical treatment levels. There was clear support for Levels 1–3, but very strong opposition to Levels 4–5. The TA finding draws the line between which human interventions are acceptable versus others that should be prohibited through public policies and medical guidelines.