This dissertation focuses on personal privacy in human-robot interaction, which we call "privacy-sensitive robotics." Our understanding of "privacy" is very broad, including not just information privacy but also physical, psychological, and social privacy. We begin by surveying the scholarly literature on privacy and talking about why it applies to interactions...
Silene rectiramea (Grand Canyon campion) is a rare endemic plant species found only in Grand Canyon National Park. There is limited biological and ecological information available about this plant species and the extent of its distribution is unknown. Silene rectiramea is currently not included in a National Park Service monitoring...
A variety of stakeholders require information about marine systems. In the open ocean, pilots of marine vessels require knowledge about environmental conditions for safe passage and route planning. On the coastline, communities rely on information about nearshore dynamics to increase safety from coastal hazards such as nearshore pollutants, coastal erosion,...
This dissertation focuses on the application of diatom frustules, the biosilica shell of an algae possessing physical and photonic properties capable of enhancing optical signals, for the enhancement of optical sensing. In this work, we incorporate diatom frustules into biosensors for signal enhancement and improved target molecule detection. The potential...
Illuminated contour lines, where line width and color are varied based on an angle of illumination, date back to the mid-nineteenth century, but their effectiveness compared to conventional contour lines has not been fully examined. Currently, illuminated contour lines are not widely used in computer-based cartography because they are not...
Recent studies have indicated that nickel gallium alloys can be effective for the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. To simplify the characterization of NiGa catalysts, we are developing model systems using NiGa thin films. We prepared NiGa thin films by RF magnetron sputtering using an equiatomic alloy target, followed...
The development of nanomaterials and the potential enhancement of their chemical, mechanical, electrical, and optical properties have led to the investigation of methods for their synthesis at lower cost with enhanced performance for next generation devices. Along with the pursuit of new materials that exhibit properties of interest, industry requires...
The purpose of this study was to identify if differences existed in perceived barrier factors and perceived attitude factors toward distance education between faculty and administrators in the decision stage and those in the implementation stage of distance education technology adoption. Information was gathered from teaching faculty and program leaders...
Land use alters the physical and biological structure of stream ecosystems and potentially alters their capacity to process nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient that has nearly doubled in abundance on the biosphere
during the past century from human activities. In this dissertation, I quantified uptake and transformation of nitrate (NO₃⁻)...
The capability of the marine red macroalga Portieria hornemannii to remove and detoxify the nitroaromatic explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in a seawater environment was evaluated using an axenic microplantlet suspension culture system. Microplantlets were challenged with TNT dissolved in seawater at concentrations of 1 to 50 mg L-1 in well-mixed photobioreactors...