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Geospatial Techniques for Assessing Select Wildfire Variables in California
Get PDFThis research highlights various geospatial techniques to gain insights from
remote sensing data and vector, raster, multidimensional, and statistical processing tools
to assess aspects of wildfire in California. The first chapter summarizes the results of 98
Mann-Kendall time series trend tests for wildfire occurrence and severity, including a
comparison of 6 different severity metrics. A database capturing large wildfire perimeters
(> 1,000 acres; n=2,857) in the state of California in the United States is used to
document trends in fire occurrence (as frequency of large wildfires per year) and fire
severity (using total annual area burned [AAB] as a proxy) per ecoregion for the study
period 1950 – 2020. Fire severity was also assessed with five additional metrics based on
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) annual burn mosaics over a subset of the
study period (1984 – 2020), based on data availability: annual area burned at high
severity (AABHS), the annual area burned at low to moderate severity (AABLMS), the
mean burn severity class per ecoregion (SEVmean), the proportion of total annual area
burned at low to moderate severity (LMSprop), and the proportion of total annual area
burned at high severity (HSprop). Approximately 20.67% of the total area of California has
been burned by large wildfires during the study period; of this, approximately 8.01% of
the total area of California has been burned repeatedly. However, large wildfires are not
occurring more frequently across the entire state as originally postulated, but rather these
increases in occurrence are centered in the Sierra Nevada and Klamath mountain regions.
Mountainous ecoregions are the driving force behind public sentiments in California and
the state’s wildfire trends, characterized by both increased large wildfire severity and, in
some cases, large wildfire frequency, with a likely influence from an increasing incidence
of lightning and dry lightning strikes in these regions induced by climate change. Using
six metrics – Total AAB, AABHS, AABLMS, SEVmean, LMSprop, and HSprop – to assess
wildfire severity rather than solely relying on total AAB as a proxy allows for a more
nuanced analysis that reveals that even though more area is burning at a higher severity in
California as a whole and in select ecoregions, more area is burning across the state in
general, and a greater proportion of this increase in burned area is attributed to low to
moderate severity fires, rather than high severity fires.
The second chapter explores another important wildfire phenomena, smoke, and
more specifically smoke plumes that rise high into the atmosphere and travel large
distances, which can have numerous effects. Deficient information on smoke plume rise
can result in large uncertainties on air quality and climate model simulations of aerosol
vertical profiles and smoke plume dispersion. Using MODIS and VIIRS fire pixels for
context, top of smoke plume heights for northern California on September 9, 2020 were
collected and measured from MISR, CALIOP, AOCH, MAIAC, and GFAS data products
and were compared to results derived from the meteorological and air quality model
presented in Li et al. 2021 and Li et al. 2023. Results from MAIAC and GFAS
consistently plot smoke plume heights near the terrain surface or omit smoke particles
altogether over the dense smoke plume visible in true-color imagery, as each of these
schemes are inherently limited by MODIS cloud and smoke misclassification issues.
Conversely, predictions from the WRF/CMAQ air quality model, retrievals of MISR,
AOCH, and CALIOP compare favorably to one another and appear to identify stratified
injected smoke layers more adeptly in the troposphere compared to MAIAC and GFAS.
These observed differences highlight the difficulty in distinguishing between high
altitude, optically thick smoke plumes and clouds during events with heavy atmospheric
particle loads and the importance this limitation has on the sensitivity and effectiveness
of different smoke plume height retrieval methods
The Geographic Roots of Cultural and Liturgical Differences Amongst American Catholics
Get PDFThis paper addresses the geographic components of American Catholicism from 1972-2020. The study found significant, previously undiscussed geographic variations in the character and expression of the Catholic faith within the United States. This project fills a geography-sized gap in existing literature, which hitherto has only discussed regional differences at the broadest geographic scale. This paper found significant spatial variations amongst Catholic settlement and growth patterns, regional ancestral composition, age, rural/urban divisions, as well as inter-regional migration. Relationships and intersections between the variables were also examined, as well as the temporal evolution of these spatially distributed attributes. The study found that the modern Catholic Church in America was far from spatially uniform, varying across regions in a myriad of ways. Additionally, an examination on sociopolitical attitudinal differences between Catholics of different regions towards controversies within the Church is conducted using statistics from studies undertaken throughout the late 20th and 21st centuries. Opensource data on the locations of parishes categorized by liturgical styles were examined to discern spatial differences in traditionalist and modernist approaches to the Mass, as well as the distribution of parishes offering the Traditional Latin Mass. Data from the General Social Survey, Pew Research Center, county-level religious censuses of the United States, as well as a variety of survey data on Catholics from the previous thirty years were examined at the smallest geographic scale possible. The results of county, state, diocese, and census-division level analysis found that previous assessments of the geographic trends and characteristics of Catholics were missing key nuances which were only discernable by examining the data at these scales
ENSEMBLE-BASED OUTLIER DETECTION
Get PDFOutlier detection is the process of detecting observations that do not conform to the norm of the dataset. Outlier detection is an unsupervised and thus ill-posed problem. This makes the outlier detection task particularly challenging. Ensembles have the potential to address the ill-posed nature of outlier detection. Ensemble techniques have proven to be effective for classification and clustering task yet anomaly ensembles have only recently been studied. In this dissertation, I present strategies to develop robust and accurate ensemble methods including neural network-based approaches for detecting outliers. Specifically, I introduce (i) Soul, a framework for building selective outlier ensembles that has shown potential for minimizing the negative impact of poor components in an ensemble, (ii) BAE, an unsupervised boosting-based ensemble approach that is proposed to overcome limitations of using autoencoders in outlier detection, and (iii) \ExVAE, an exemplar-based variational autoencoder with a novel application in the field of outlier detection, tailor-made to tackle the challenges posed in this domain
The Basal Ganglia’s Relationship with Autistic Repetitive Motor Behaviors and Sex Assigned at Birth
Get PDFThis project aimed to investigate the relationship between the volume of the caudate nucleus (CN) and repetitive motor behaviors (RMB) in an autistic sample, and whether sex assigned at birth moderates this relationship. Additionally, we explored the potential interactions of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) with the caudate and RMB. We used structural MRI data and the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R) to measure CN volume and RMB, respectively. Our analysis revealed that only scan age and estimated full-scale IQ were significantly related to CN volume, while RMB and sex assigned at birth did not have a significant relationship. We also found a significant negative correlation between CN volume and estimated full-scale IQ. The independent samples t-tests revealed no significant difference between AFAB and AMAB groups in terms of RMB, but there was a difference in all normalized structural volumes, with a greater mean for the AMAB group. However, after controlling for confounding factors, sex assigned at birth was not significantly related to CN volume. Age was significantly correlated with RMB, with reported RMB decreasing as age increased; this relationship was further affected by sex assigned at birth. Our findings suggest that CN volume is related to estimated full-scale IQ in autistic individuals, but not to RMB or sex assigned at birth
A Study of Korea Art Songs by Female Composers: Soon-Ae Kim, Young-Ja Lee, Eunhye Kim, and Wonju Lee
Get PDFMy research will contribute to a deeper understanding of Korean art song, particularly those composed by the four renowned female composers: Soon-Ae Kim (1920–2007), Young-Ja Lee (b. 1931), Eunhye Kim (b. 1956), and Wonju Lee (b. 1979). This study examines the history of Korean art song and its corresponding Korean poetry in chapter I. Chapter II offers a brief history of Korean female musicians since the Joseon Dynasty and examines the four selected modern female composers, ranging from the first-generation composers to the most recent composers. Chapter III of this research provides a brief overview of the Korean alphabet, Hangeul and the Korean International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), so that non-Korean singers can read and sing Korean easily and correctly. Chapter IV offers an analysis of the Korean art songs composed by the four prominent Korean female composers. It also provides biographies of poets, English translations and Korean IPA of poems, musical analyses, and performance practice/guides. This study will provide value to scholars and students who look for information on Korean art song history, modern Korean poetry history, the history of Korean female musicians, Korean alphabet (Hangeul), Korean IPA, and the four selected Korean female composers—Soon-Ae Kim, Young-Ja Lee, Eunhye Kim, and Wonju Lee—and their art songs
An Exploration of Test Ideals and Rings of Finite Cohen-Macaulay Type
Get PDFTest ideals and trace ideals have both proven to be invaluable tools for detecting and
measuring singularities. Test ideals along with tight closure have been used to prove
important theorems for equicharacteristic rings and have found applications outside their
original purpose, such as in complex analytic geometry. In this thesis, I present an overview
of the history of the notions of trace ideals, tight closure, and test ideals. Along the way,
I demonstrate the importance of these concepts by presenting notable results, such as the
theorem that every ideal of a regular ring is tightly closed. Later, I generalize the results
about computing the trace ideals for a module given by a matrix factorization from [Benali,
Pothagoni, R.G. 2021] and give a simplified proof of Lemma 4.1 in that paper
Sustainable Solution to Improve the Resiliency of Base Course over Soft Subgrades with Geogrids
No full textThis work is embargoed by the author and will not be publicly available until December 2028.Geogrids play a pivotal role in modern roadway construction by enhancing the stability and durability of subgrades, thus extending the lifespan of paved roads. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms underlying geogrid stabilization remain enigmatic, impeding their effective integration into pavement design. To accurately assess the impact of geogrids, it is imperative to replicate the complex stress conditions experienced by moving vehicles, encompassing both shear and normal forces. Existing laboratory and field tests, while valuable, often concentrate on single-point loading, inadvertently promoting ground compaction rather than authentically simulating real traffic loads. Furthermore, the established methods for ascertaining the elastic modulus and deformation characteristics in the presence of geogrids have yielded inconsistent results, rendering the quantification of their benefits a formidable challenge. This study endeavors to bridge existing knowledge gaps by offering a comprehensive understanding of the role of geogrids in pavement stabilization under simulated moving vehicle loads. This research delves into the mechanisms behind geogrid stabilization, aiming to uncover the precise methods through which geogrids amplify pavement performance under the dynamic loading conditions associated with vehicular traffic. The investigation centers on revealing the interaction between geogrids and soil, the complex nature of load transfer mechanisms, and the behavior of soil deformations. To gain deeper insights into the dynamic interplay between geogrids and soil under simulated moving vehicle loads, the study develops Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations. Recognizing that pavements often consist of multiple layers, with varying effects depending on the placement of geogrids. This study considers multi-layer systems and investigates how geogrids impact the interaction between different pavement layers under dynamic loading conditions. Furthermore, the study delves into the distinct behaviors exhibited by different geogrid types under dynamic loading conditions. How these geogrid variations influence the plastic properties of pavements and their capacity to withstand the rigors of moving vehicle loads is investigated. This research aims to advance the understanding of geogrid stabilization mechanisms in roadway construction under the dynamic loading conditions induced by moving vehicles. By combining experimental investigations with numerical simulations, valuable insights are intended to be provided for facilitating a more precise pavement design. This involves a comprehensive consideration of the advantages and constraints inherent in geogrid reinforcement within real-world scenarios. Ultimately, the findings from this study have the potential to enhance the sustainability and resilience of road construction practices, ushering in a new era of innovation in the field.2028-12-1
Professional Mental Help-Seeking: A Mixed-Methods Study of First-Generation Iranian Americans
Get PDFThis work is embargoed by the author and will not be publicly available until December 2025.Background. Cultural beliefs, knowledge about mental illness, and stigma toward mental illnesses could have important impacts on mental help-seeking attitudes, intentions, and behaviors among immigrants. there have been limited studies assessing mental health literacy, mental help-seeking attitudes and intentions, and mental health stigma among immigrants, especially Iranian Americans. Therefore, the specific aims of this mixed-methods study included: 1) to examine the levels of acculturation, mental health literacy (MHL), mental health stigma (MHS), professional mental help-seeking attitudes (PMHSA), and professional mental help-seeking intention (PMHSI), 2) to examine relationships of acculturation, MHS, MHL, PMHSA, and PMHSI, 3) to examine the factors associated with professional mental help-seeking intention (PMHSI) based on acculturation, MHS, MHL, PMHSA, and sociodemographic characteristics, 4) to explore facilitators and barriers to professional mental help-seeking behaviors.Methods. The concurrent mixed-methods study design was applied to investigate the study aims. The quantitative component of the study used a cross-sectional design guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior and Andersen Behavioral Model. The qualitative component of the study applied a descriptive qualitative design to gain a rich description of participants’ perspectives. Participants were recruited from social media platforms and public community organizations. A total of 207 participants completed the anonymous survey using Qualtrics or paper-based questionnaires. One subsample of 207 Iranian Americans who had completed the quantitative survey and expressed their consent to participate in the qualitative interviews was purposefully selected for semi-structured qualitative interviews (n = 20). The quantitative data analysis included bivariate and multivariate statistical procedures using Pearson correlation and logistic regression. Qualitative data analysis took place during an iterative process using six phases of thematic analysis. Results. Our findings from the quantitative component of the study showed that younger first-generation Iranian Americans living in Western states in the U.S., and those with positive attitudes towards professional mental help, had a greater intention to seek professional mental health services. Surprisingly, those who had better mental health literacy, held more stigmatizing attitudes toward people with mental illnesses. In addition, Iranian Americans who received financial assistance from their family were more willing to seek mental health services. Our findings from the qualitative component of the study identified three major themes: 1) factors related to mental health services, 2) knowledge and attitudes about seeking professional help, and 3) cultural factors and norms. Overall, the themes highlighted factors that hinder and facilitate professional mental help-seeking behaviors among first-generation Iranian Americans. Conclusion. Our findings elucidate valuable insights into the complex dynamics between sociodemographic factors, acculturation, MHL, MHS, PMHSA and PMHSI among first-generation Iranian Americans. Our study also highlights the intricate relationship between MHL and stigma, suggesting that strategies to improve MHL may not necessarily lead to mitigating stigma within the Iranian American community. Therefore, integrating anti-stigma contact-based approaches to mental health literacy programs could effectively reduce stigma while facilitating the process of mental help-seeking. This study also highlights the importance of mental health providers being knowledgeable about the facilitators and barriers to professional mental health help-seeking behaviors among this population. Additionally, culturally appropriate education and increased awareness about mental health services could improve the utilization of these services. Finally, enhancing the cultural acceptability, accessibility, and approachability of mental health services could be essential in efficiently addressing the specific needs of this population.2025-12-1
The Neuropathological Effects of Zinc and Copper Supplementation on a Dual Transgenic (hAPP/htau) Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Get PDFAn imbalance of metals in the brain have shown to influence Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) neuropathology and behavioral deficits both in mice and humans. Previous studies have shown that excess zinc supplementation exacerbates AD neuropathology and behavioral deficits. One reason for this could be that an excess of zinc may lead to a copper deficiency which results in neurological and behavioral problems. This study investigated the neuropathological effect of zinc+copper supplementation on a dual transgenic (hAPP/htau) mouse model of AD. Wildtype and dual transgenic mice were given regular lixit, zinc, and zinc+copper water. The relative density of AD related proteins in the brain were semi-quantified via western blotting. Amyloid and tau accumulation per brain region was assessed through histological analyses. The results of this study showed that wildtype mice showed higher levels of free zinc in the brain than the dual transgenic mice. A significant amount of this free zinc was found in hippocampal regions. Dual transgenic mice on zinc+copper water showed significantly fewer amyloid plaques and significantly more tau tangles than dual transgenic mice on regular lixit and zinc water in specific brain regions. A significantly greater number of plaques and tangles were seen in cortical regions compared to hippocampal regions. This suggests that zinc+copper supplementation may ameliorate amyloid pathology but exacerbate tau pathology in AD mice and that zinc may bind to misfolded AD proteins resulting in less free zinc
Persons from the Interior
No full textThis thesis is a collection of prose poems which intend to take part in the discourse of prose / poetry, lineation (and the lack thereof), fragment, and the relationship of a signifier to its signified. Themes in the thesis, among others, are: domestic life, war, colonialism, resonant childhood experiences, the death of loved ones, inner knowledge, and the (im)material. Some recurring motifs are: fish, architecture, dogs, vegetables, cats, bodies of water, hunting, surgery, pollution, and the act of recording / being recorded.This thesis has been embargoed for 10 years. It will not be available until May 2032 at the earliest