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Exploring Energy Systems and Supplementation of Beta-Alanine in Athletic Populations
No full textThis review of literature examined the performance effects of beta-alanine supplementation in an athletic population. For the purpose of this study “athletic population” was defined as anyone who is exercising and supplementing beta-alanine, the goal was to determine if there was improvement in athletic performance within each of the three energy systems. Energy systems were defined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as the phosphocreatine system, glycolysis system, and oxidative system. The research that was included determined how much beta-alanine was supplemented, the duration of supplementation, and whether it increased performance. A cost analysis was based on an average of three leading retailers for the supplementation of beta-alanine. In conclusion, there is evidence to indicate that beta-alanine supplementation increases performance within two of the three systems, but would encompass the entire range given for the glycolysis system and would slightly range in the lower end with the oxidative system. There was no determination regarding how much of an increase in performance was seen. With the analysis of cost compared with increased performance given the range of dosages and length of supplementation in the various studies it would cost approximately 25.20 a month to see an increase in performance
Propagation of Insecure Coding in Configuration Scripts
Get PDFInfrastructure as code (IaC) is the practice of automatically managing configurations following the recommended software development practices. With the rise of cloud computing and automation, IaC tools, such as, Ansible are becoming increasingly popular amongst practitioners. Despite the popularity of IaC tools, insecure coding patterns (ICPs), such as hard-coded passwords, can be unintentionally introduced into IaC scripts, which eventually can propagate across other repositories with IaC scripts. In our research, we investigate if ICPs in IaC scripts are propagated from one repository to multiple repositories in the open source software (OSS) ecosystem. We use a tool called Security Linter for Infrastructure as Code (SLIC) to analyze and identify ICPs in repositories that are cloned from other repositories. We compare the resulting output from the SLIC tool to determine the propagation of ICPs for IaC scripts in OSS. We use graph theory to determine if ICPs have propagated from one repository to other repositories. Based on preliminary findings we recommend practitioners take the utmost security consideration for ICPs in IaC scripts as they can propagate from one repository to another, creating large-scale propagation of ICPs in the OSS IaC ecosystem
Physical and digital play: impact on children's development
Get PDFWhile play seems to be such a simple thing children engage in, it is an essential part of the development of a child. There are many types of play children can engage in and looking directly at physical and digital play will help understand the negative and positive impacts of play on the development of a child. When conducting a literature review on this topic, I included key terms that were specifically focused on the types of play as well as how play positively and negatively contributes to development; I avoided topics that did not include the impact on development. I found qualitative research and secondary articles that specifically covered my topic. Understanding the importance of how different types of play can impact a child’s development will hopefully help people to be more supportive of children engaging in play. Most people see play as just a normal thing children do, but looking further into play creates an understanding that play can impact a child’s development
*WINNER* Use of Adversarial Machine Learning for Avoiding Occupancy Detection from Smart Meter
No full textMore and more conventional electromechanical meters are being replaced with smart meters because of their substantial benefits, such as providing faster bi-directional communication between utility services and end users, enabling direct load control for demand response, energy saving and so on. However, the fine-grained usage data provided by the smart meters raises additional security and privacy concerns for users and companies. Occupancy detection is one such example which causes privacy violation of smart meter users. Detecting the occupancy of a home is straightforward with the time of use information as there is a strong correlation between occupancy and electricity usage. However, most of the existing privacy preserving solutions use crypto-graphical techniques that are computationally expensive for resource restrained smart meters. In this work, our major contributions are twofold. First, we validate the viability of an occupancy detection attack based on a machine learning technique called the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) method and demonstrate improved results. In addition, we introduce an Adversarial Machine Occupancy Detection Avoidance (AMODA) framework as a counter attack in order to prevent abuse of energy consumption. Essentially, the proposed privacy-preserving framework is designed to mask the real-time or near real-time electricity usage information using calculated optimum noise without compromising the users’ billing systems functionality. Our results show that the proposed privacy-aware billing technique upholds users’ privacy strongly
*WINNER* Rocking and Rolling Downhill: Boulder Distribution Patterns on a Martian Terraced Fan, Xanthe Terra
No full textTerraced fans are a relatively rare subset of fan-shaped features on Mars that display radial, stepped topography and concave-up profiles. This study focuses on the Camichel Crater fan located in the Xanthe Terra region. Features common on terraced fans are boulders, large rocky detrital fragments visible in high-resolution images. Hypotheses for boulder origins include: (1) impact processes; (2) erosion of steep slopes; (3) preferential removal of finer-grained material through erosion; (4) transport via laminar debris flows; and/or (5) transport via turbulent flood events. The purpose of this project is to conduct high-resolution geologic mapping and test competing hypotheses by analyzing boulder distributions on the fan surface. High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images were used to evaluate small-scale features on the fan surface. HiRISE images have a resolution of 0.3 to 0.6 m/pixel; thus, boulders with a diameter of > 0.8 m were mapped in ArcGIS Pro at a scale of 1:3,400. Geologic mapping to identify depositional units was conducted at a scale of 1:4,000. Results show boulders can be linked to erosional and depositional processes. Boulders mapped on the Camichel Crater fan are primarily associated with steep topographic scarps adjacent to feeder channel walls or terrace edges, likely a result of over-steepening and erosion. In distal fan units, however, high boulder distributions in the light-toned unit suggest flow competence and boulder transport during deposition. Future work will compare patterns to boulder distribution patterns in terrestrial fan settings such as alluvial fans and Gilbert-type deltas
Using Fanghanel’s (2007) Framework to Explore the Micro, Meso, and Macro Factors Influencing Undergraduate Student Mentoring Programs
Get PDFSuccessful undergraduate mentoring programs have the potential to help at-risk students achieve academic success, retention, and ultimately graduation (Terrion & Leonard, 2007). Mentoring involves the provision of general guidance, support, and, in some instances, helping a student learn something new. Studies show mentoring also promotes students’ sense of well-being by challenging the negative opinions they may have of themselves and demonstrating that they can have positive relationships with adults (Coles, 2011). In most instances, the success of such mentoring programs at the university level not only relies on the effectiveness of the mentor-mentee relationship, but also the effectiveness of the coordinator of the program (Pfund, 2016). However, the role that the coordinator plays in the effectiveness of these programs is less understood.In order to better understand these dynamics, this exploratory, theoretical case study will use Fanghanel’s (2007) framework (i.e., Micro, Meso, and Macro levels) to draw conclusions from observational data collected from one semester on two undergraduate mentoring programs from the coordinator’s perspective. Specifically, the results of this analysis indicate that at the Micro level, issues pertaining to approach, networking, training, and expectations are important, whereas at the Meso and Macro level, feedback, logistics, listening, and holistic planning are valuable. The implications from this study provide actionable items that can be used to improve undergraduate mentoring programs from the perspective of the coordinator’s responsibilities. Conclusions for this study will provide avenues for future research that explores the mentees' perspectives on the effectiveness of these approaches
Transformations of Fairy Tales from the Italian Original to Versions by The Brothers Grimm and Walt Disney
No full textMy topic encompasses fairy tales and princesses, beauties and beasts across the Atlantic and across time. Fairy tales and how they transformed from original tales to today's modernized versions.
There are many princess characters Walt Disney appropriated for the US film industry; Rapunzel, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. All have their origins with the Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales collection. Disney toned down the blood and cruelty from the Grimms' versions. My poster will focus on the depiction of Sleeping Beauty, which was first released as the classic Disney film in 1959. There have been six more film versions released since then. The Grimms had collected their tale from the Italian poet Giambattista Basile in 1634. The Grimms and Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty were very similar. The Italian original version was vastly different. My project will show changes the story underwent
Beta-Decay Spectroscopy of 96-99Kr
No full textNuclear structure studies reveal the coexistence of many different shapes of the atomic nuclei. An interesting set of nuclei to study are found around neutron number N = 60, where a preferred oblate (disk shaped) nuclear structure of the neutron-rich Kr isobaric chain is interrupted and intruded by the deformation of Rb, Sr, Y, and Zr. Here a sharp transition is observed from oblate (disk shaped) to prolate (football shaped). Studying the beta-decay of Kr through gamma-ray spectroscopy at the Isotope Separator and Accelerator facility at TRIUMF will provide a deeper understanding of the nuclear structure of the Kr isobaric chain at A = 96, 97, 98, 99. This data was obtained during a discretionary beam time for the development of neutron-rich Kr beams while using the GRIFFIN array alongside 11 beta particle scintillators. Work done towards the data analysis of this data set will be described in this poster
*WINNER* Improved taxonomic identification techniques for cutaneous microbiota of salamanders
No full textImproved taxonomic identification techniques for cutaneous microbiota of salamanders
C. Grant McCormick, Aubree J. Hill, and Dr. John H. Gunderson
Tennessee Technological University, Department of Biology
Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) and B. dendrobatidis (Bd) are fungal pathogens causing major conservation concern for amphibian populations in North America. Resistance against Bd infection has been observed in salamanders of the southeastern United States, and is likely due to their cutaneous microbiota. We hypothesize that Bd inhibitory bacterial symbionts of salamanders can be used to develop probiotic treatments for Bd and Bsal infections. We collected 110 bacterial isolates from cutaneous swab samples of wild Smoky Mountains salamanders, including multiple Bd inhibitors. However, previous attempts to taxonomically identify bacteria through traditional PCR-assisted gene sequencing techniques were largely unsuccessful. In fact, our results indicate that roughly 30% of the isolates were misidentified when only one primer pair was used. Our objective was to re-sequence the isolates’ 16s rRNA gene in a more complete way using four pairs of internal sequencing primers. Our improved PCR protocol yielded high-quality, publishable gene sequences for all isolates. Now that isolates have been accurately identified, we may begin development of a probiotic treatment containing antifungal bacteria to treat disease caused by Bd and Bsal
*WINNER* Nutrient Retention in a Reconnected Riparian Forested Wetland
No full textRestoring connections between rivers and floodplain wetlands can improve water quality downstream. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) has restored many wetlands in the Lower Mississippi River Valley by increasing floodplain-river connections. We are studying water quality changes over three years in a restored agricultural wetland in western Kentucky after reconnection with a large agricultural ditch via levee breaks. Floodwater quality is being measured over 24 h as stream water flows from the levee, through the forest, and into a remnant stream channel using 11 automated water samplers to monitor particulate and nutrient concentrations, and 23 water level loggers to estimate flow paths and discharge. Results from the first flood show nutrient and particulate concentrations were higher and more variable earlier in the flood and closer to levee breaks. Total suspended solids (TSS) concentration was a strong predictor for both total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the forest and near the remnant channel, indicating deposition of TSS is positively related to TN and TP retention. This relationship was stronger for TP than TN, and increasing N:P ratios over time show that more phosphorus was retained than nitrogen. This initial sampling event verified that nutrient retention occurs in this reconnected forest. Future work will incorporate nutrient and hydrology data from this, and subsequent floods, which will provide a more complete picture of nutrient retention provided by this reconnected wetland