Detecting Invasive Insects Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

A key aspect to controlling and reducing the effects invasive insect specieshave on agriculture is to obtain knowledge about the migration patterns of thesespecies. Current state-of-the-art methods of studying these migration patternsinvolve a mark-release-recapture technique, in which insects are released afterbeing marked and researchers attempt to recapture them later. However, thisapproach involves a human researcher manually searching for these insects inlarge fields and results in very low recapture rates. This thesis proposes anautomated system for detecting released insects using an unmanned aerialvehicle. Our system utilizes ultraviolet lighting technology, digital cameras, andlightweight computer vision algorithms to more quickly and accurately detectinsects compared to the state of the art. The efficiency and accuracy that thissystem provides will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of invasiveinsect species migration patterns. Our experimental results demonstrate that oursystem can detect real target insects in field conditions with high precision andrecall rates. Additionally, insect GPS coordinates can be localized using an imagereprojection algorithm, resulting in a generated map of the test field with insectlocations

Preparing Millennials for Leadership: Understanding how Leadership Transitions Well Between Generations

There are measurable differences between those in the Generation X and Millenial generational cohorts. This study has been conducted to aid in identifying specific leadership tendencies that may cause challenging leadership transition in a large health cate organization. Research was completed to understand the differences in values and tendencies between members of these two cohorts. Following this research, two separate focus groups were conducted to discuss the differences and identify areas of opportunify in improving the leadership activities of both Generation X and Millennial leader at the organization. Finally, recommendations regarding ways to improve leadership transition were compiled and presented

The synthesis of a mobile computerized health testing system

M.S.Joseph J. Talavag

This or that?: Object individuation in domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)

Functioning in our everyday lives requires that humans rely on organizing and categorizing our world. This ability to categorize rests on object individuation, the ability to track the identity of objects when they leave and reenter sight. Objects can be individuated using three types of information: spatiotemporal, object property and object kind. Surprisingly, noun comprehension may affect infants’ use of object kind information (Xu 1999; Xu 2002). However, research using a comparative approach suggests that the ability to use kind information to aid in object individuation may not be unique to humans: great apes, rhesus monkeys and dogs all successfully individuate objects using spatiotemporal and property/kind information (Brauer & Call 2011; Phillips & Santos 2005; Uller 1997). Little is known about non-linguistic animals’ ability to individuate objects using kind information alone. Here we explore the effect of a language cue on dogs’ ability to use kind information for object individuation. We recruited 24 dogs to participate in a violation of expectation paradigm and subsequently analyzed mean looking times in expected versus unexpected outcomes. Results did not support our predictions: dogs looked equally long at expected and unexpected outcomes for all individuation cues. However, our methodology may have lacked appropriate controls, thus future research into this topic is warranted

The History of the Referendum in New Mexico

The purpose of this thesis is to describe the history and operation of the referendum in New Mexico. A resume of the history of the referendum in the United States has also been included to provide a background for understanding New Mexico\u27s experience with this direct form of government. The thesis reveals that the law has been used only in a few instances, and that the people, far from using it in a reckless manner, have been conservative. Furthermore, the law in New Mexico is so difficult to operate because of the high percentages required, that only special interests with money enough to hire petition-takers can afford to make use of it. Thus far, the general public on its own initiative has not used it on a single occasion to prevent a law from going into effect

American Social Contract: Retirement, Insurance and Financial Viability

Since the election of 2004, one burning question has dominated any discussion of the long-term macroeconomic policy of this country. That question is: will social security remain viable in its current form? Economists weigh in on a spectrum that ranges from the opinion that social security is not in any trouble to the opinion that social security payments are in immediate peril. This research indicates that, while relatively minor changes of the type the country has undertaken for the last two decades may be necessary, social security is by no means in what any intelligent analyst would consider peril

Detecting Invasive Insects with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

A key aspect to controlling and reducing the effects invasive insect species have on agriculture is to obtain knowledge about the migration patterns of these species. Current state-of-the-art methods of studying these migration patterns involve a mark-release-recapture technique, in which insects are released after being marked and researchers attempt to recapture them later. However, this approach involves a human researcher manually searching for these insects in large fields and results in very low recapture rates. In this paper, we propose an automated system for detecting released insects using an unmanned aerial vehicle. This system utilizes ultraviolet lighting technology, digital cameras, and lightweight computer vision algorithms to more quickly and accurately detect insects compared to the current state of the art. The efficiency and accuracy that this system provides will allow for a more comprehensive understanding of invasive insect species migration patterns. Our experimental results demonstrate that our system can detect real target insects in field conditions with high precision and recall rates.Comment: IEEE ICRA 2019. 7 page

Team Teaching an Interdisciplinary Short-Term Study Abroad Experience: Innovations in Course Design and Collaboration

A great deal of research has indicated that study abroad courses offer meaningful and impactful learning experiences for university students. Accordingly, when it comes to course design, it is essential that the study abroad is carefully planned, executed, and delivered in order to maximize the benefits for students. Collaboration is also critical for a successful learning experience. This paper examines an innovative course design which was used successfully in an interdisciplinary, team- taught class for undergraduate and graduate student athletes. The model developed is generalizable to other student populations. The use of this model notably increased student engagement and reflective learning