Information about the location and strength of low frequency electromechanical modes in power systems reflects the stability of the system. Highly recommended and used techniques like Prony analysis and eigenanalysis require ring down from a disturbance and tedious matrix calculations, respectively, for mode estimation. This work proposes the use of the Least Mean Squares (LMS) adaptive filtering algorithms and its combination with other algorithms for estimating and tracking the modes with respect to time. The mode of interest in this work was the 0.26 Hz mode. An Adaptive Step Size Least Mean Squares (ASLMS) algorithm was introduced in this work to reduce variability in mode estimation for non-stationary environments. The ASLMS algorithms achieved quicker convergence than LMS algorithms. A combination of the ASLMS and the LMS algorithm called the Error Tracking (ET) algorithm was tested, based on the running error in the estimate, to reduce variability while also maintaining reasonable convergence time. The ET algorithm achieved high accuracy, less variable performance and quicker convergence of estimates compared to all the other algorithms. The ET algorithm tracked the 0.26 Hz mode in both the simulated data and the real time data with the least amount of error.

This work is an investigation of the role of viewpoint aspect in highlighting and fore grounding information in discourse, and in structuring narrative discourse within a Gwich'in narrative. The purpose is to contribute to a clearer understanding of how aspect functions cross-linguistically. The focus of the analysis is on the perfective/imperfective contrast which involves speaker choice. The findings are that there is an interesting correlation between shift in narrative episode and shift in viewpoint aspect, and additionally, that the use of the perfective does highlight and mark significant information in the narrative. The study also examines the narrative in terms of proposed universals in narrative structure, as outlined by Labov, but does not find enough evidence to support his claims in Gwich'in.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality among Alaska Native people are the highest of any ethnic or racial group in the United States. First-degree relatives (FDRs), which include parents, siblings, and children of CRC patients, are at increased risk. There is a paucity of data on predictors of screening adherence among Alaska Native FDRs, and the extent to which screening outreach is occurring within the Alaska Tribal Health System (ATHS) for FDRs. There is also a lack of data available on barriers and facilitators to increasing screening outreach efforts in this population. This study assessed the prevalence of CRC screening outreach to FDRs at Alaska tribal health organizations (THOS), use of family history information, barriers to CRC screening, and potential tools to improve CRC screening throughout the Alaska Tribal Health System (ATHS). The study also included a process evaluation of the Alaska Native CRC Family Outreach Program (2000-2012) based in Anchorage, Alaska. The process evaluation investigated the program's formation, evolution, and successes and challenges through a series of key informant interviews with program stakeholders. Lastly, an outcome evaluation was conducted of the Alaska Native CRC Family Outreach Program to assess predictors of screening adherence and results of screening among Alaska Native FDR program participants. The study found that CRC screening outreach was common in the ATHS, but significant barriers still exist. These barriers were especially notable for outreach to FDRs, including a lack of dedicated staff and resources. Key results of the process evaluation of the Alaska Native CRC Family Outreach Program included an incremental approach that led to a unique outreach program and revealed the need for dedicated staff to provide culturally competent patient navigation. Challenges identified included differing FDR outreach responses, health system data access and coordination, and relying on unstable grant funding for program sustainability. The outcome evaluation of the Alaska Native CRC Family Outreach Program found despite increasing programmatic outreach and FDR screening rates, a large proportion of Alaska Native FDRs were still due for screening. This was especially true among rural-dwelling and older FDRs. This study found that overall, CRC screening and awareness are increasing among the Alaska Native population, including among FDRs. However, many Alaska Native FDRs remain unscreened. There is a critical need for more research into FDR barriers and facilitators to CRC screening, as well as how the ATHS can more systematically promote screening among this increased-risk population and reduce morbidity and mortality due to this preventable disease.

Development of Alaska's maritime resources requires design of efficient, reliable, safe facilities by coastal engineers who have a thorough knowledge of site specific wave climate: wave height, length, period, direction, and storm duration. Unfortunately, lack of wave information and validated hindcast models along the Alaskan coast often results in costly overdesigned facilities or underdesigned coastal structures which have a high risk of performance failure. To expand the nearshore wave climate availability, use of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to estimate wave parameters was evaluated. SAR data were examined in raw and filtered forms, and the extracted wave climate compared to field measured data at three sites. Based on this comparison, the applications and limitations of SAR estimated parameters were established and incorporation of the information into current design practice was addressed. SAR based spectra were dominated by low frequency spectral peaks, likely due to random noise associated with SAR images, as these peaks were not present in the field measured spectra. Due to discrepancies between SAR and measured spectra, wave height, and storm duration could not be determined. Although error ranged from 12.5% to over 100% for SAR estimated wave lengths, the fact that wave lengths, although inaccurate, could be determined from SAR is promising. SAR based wave direction compared favorably to theoretical propagation directions which affirms the potential of wave parameter extraction from SAR data. However, directional field data were not available for comparison. Due to the current errors associated with SAR based wave estimations, SAR estimated wave climate cannot be incorporated into coastal design practice at this time. Research results suggest SAR data still hold great potential for estimating wave parameters. Examination of SAR based wave climate in an extensively monitored, open ocean setting would be beneficial, and the influence of environmental factors on SAR imaging of waves warrants additional investigation. Furthermore, development of a tandem SAR platform with temporal resolution on the order of seconds would be useful for wave period estimation and interferometric wave height determination. After this background research has been accomplished, another evaluation of SAR based nearshore wave climate would be worthwhile.

A web application user interface and function library were developed to enable a user to program a ground robot to navigate autonomously. The user interface includes modules for generating a grid of obstacles from a map image, setting waypoints for a path through the map, and programming a robot in a code editor to navigate autonomously. The algorithm used for navigation is an A* algorithm modified with obstacle padding to accommodate the width of the robot and path smoothing to simplify the paths. The user interface and functions were designed to be simple so that users without technical backgrounds can use them, and by doing so they can engage in the development process of human-centered robots. The navigation functions were successful in finding paths in test configurations, and the performance of the algorithms was fast enough for user interactivity up to a certain limit of grid cell sizes.

The Triassic Shublik Formation of the Alaska North Slope is a world-class resource rock and has been identified as the major source of many of the conventional hydrocarbon accumulations on the North Slope, including Prudhoe Bay. Recent interest in the Shublik as a potential shale resource play has highlighted the need for robust hydraulic fracture modeling and simulation of the interval, but little geologic information is available because of the remote nature of the region and the complex character of the Shublik. In this study, a methodology was developed for identifying the critical variables needed for accurate planning of a hydraulic fracturing treatment in a play like the Shublik where much of the geology remains unconstrained. These identified critical variables can be used to develop a proxy model that can be used in lieu of a numerical simulator. This study was conducted in two stages. The first stage used 2-level fractional factorial design to identify the statistical significance of the input variables on the simulated fracture geometry. This stage was conducted in three phases, each phase incorporating progressively more complex assumptions about geology. Using the three most significant variables identified from first stage, the second stage of this study applies Box-Behnken experimental design and response surface methodology for quantifying functional relationships between input variables and the predicted fracture geometry. A pseudo 3D numerical simulator (Fracpro PT) and MATLAB were used to develop proxy models. These proxy models, typically a polynomial equation, are an easier alternative to Fracpro PT and can predict the fracture geometry with very less computational time. The use of experimental design drastically reduces the number of simulations required to evaluate large number of variables. With only 137 simulations, 26 variables were ranked based on their statistical significance and a non-linear proxy model was developed. Predicted values of the fracture geometry obtained using the proxy models were in good agreement with the simulated values of the fracture geometry (R2 value of 99.39% for fracture length, R2 value of 99.54% for fracture height and R2 value of 98.17% for fracture width).

There is a great amount of radioactive material in the subsurface of Amchitka Island as a result from underground nuclear testing performed between 1965 and 1971. It is unknown how long it will take for the radionuclides to travel to the seafloor and the marine environment or where possible seepage zones will occur. The contaminant transport is greatly affected by the location of the transition zone (TZ) and the effective porosity, which were both determined by magnetotellurics (MT) in 2004. The hypothesis of this study was as follows: the groundwater travel times and seafloor arrival locations, can be estimated through groundwater modeling, with the location of the transition zone being estimated by magnetotellurics. An additional hypothesis is as follows: saltwater concentration for a TZ and the general subsurface characteristics can be quantified with groundwater modeling, using geophysical constraints in combination with saltwater and hydraulic head measurements. The groundwater travel times were estimated with groundwater modeling using the transition zone location as determined by MT. Shortest groundwater travel times are 1,200 and 2,100 years, at Long Shot and Cannikin respectively. At Long Shot, a decreased groundwater travel time of up to 55% could be seen when an enhanced hydraulic conductivity was included at the location of an assumed andesite sill layer. The seafloor arrival locations can be up to 1,000 and 2,100 m offshore at Long Shot and Cannikin respectively but will most likely occur closer to shore. This study was also successful at establishing the general characteristics of the subsurface by using geophysical constraints in combination with saltwater and hydraulic head measurements. The subsurface at Long Shot is isotropic or has mild anisotropy ratio of 1:2, which confirms the study by Fenske (1972). As represented in this study, this method has been shown to be valuable in determining the saltwater concentration of the TZ as determined by MT and can thus be used in further studies of islands and coastal areas.

This research began to establish alternate possible means for determining the biological affinity for fragmented skeletal remains between geographically disparate populations, specifically American-Caucasians and Southeast Asians. The goal is to determine the feasibility of developing a method that may be used in the field to differentiate the remains of U.S. servicemen from people of Southeast Asia. This technique is based upon differences in bone histomorphometric variables. The variables used in this research are the osteon area (On. Ar), Haversian canal area (H. Ar), and osteon population density (OPD). The conclusions reached in this research suggest that differences exist on the population level among these two populations. Histomorphometric differences exist on the population level among these two populations. Histomorphometric differences occur within mean Haversian canal area measurements and osteon population densities. However, it is not possible to discern which variables are principally accountable for the differences.

Science and decision making in commercial fisheries management take place in the context of uncertainty. This research demonstrates ways that local knowledge held by fishermen can be used to mitigate that uncertainty. This dissertation documents local knowledge of fishermen in Poland and Alaska, and contributes to the development of methods for utilizing that local knowledge in commercial fisheries management. Specific case study examples were developed through exploratory interviews with fishermen in the two study regions. Interviews were conducted with Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) fishermen in Poland and Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) fishermen in Alaska. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze local knowledge about ecosystems, as well as preferences held by fishermen about regulations. Cultural consensus analysis was used to quantify agreement among fishermen in Poland about the abundance and condition of cod, and generalized additive modeling was used to show how fishermen and scientists attributed different causes to similar observed phenomena. Multiple factor analysis and logistic regression were used to demonstrate how fishing characteristics influence encounters with incidental catch in the commercial fishery for halibut in Southeast Alaska. Finally, an analytic hierarchy process model was used to shed light on preferences halibut fishermen have about data collection methods on their vessels. All findings show how the inclusion of fishermen's local knowledge in fisheries management need not be limited to informal conversations or public testimony at meetings in order to be meaningfully interpretable by managers.

Monitoring the quality and quantity of freshwater rearing habitat for Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. is essential for maintaining stocks of these species. Because field-based habitat monitoring in remote areas can be expensive, time-consuming, and/or subjective, new methods are desired. The objectives of this study were (1) to develop methods for using multispectral aerial imagery to classify juvenile rearing habitat and determine the accuracy of these methods and (2) to use these methods to quantify and map juvenile salmon habitat characteristics in two study areas in the Kulukak River, Alaska. I demonstrated that a decision-based fusion approach using images acquired in the visible, near-infrared, and thermal-infrared regions classified habitat classes important for juvenile salmon with accuracies of 82.5% and 67.5% in the respective study areas. In addition, I quantified and mapped habitat variables often used in juvenile salmon studies on several scales and created habitat-suitability maps for coho salmon O. kisutch, demonstrating that both my study areas differed in habitat quantity and quality and are most likely low-quality rearing areas. This study demonstrates that airborne images can be used to determine the quality and quantity of juvenile Pacific salmon rearing habitat in small streams and thus decision support in fisheries management.