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Browsing by Author "Lulla, Vijay"
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Item Exploring spatial allocation techniques for the placement of food pantries: Madison County, Indiana(2017-02-01) Ashraf, Maria; Banerjee, Aniruddha; Wilson, Jeffery S.; Dwyer, Owen J.; Lulla, VijayThe thesis highlights the effectiveness of using location allocation model to find the optimum location of food pantries such that it serves maximum food insecure households. Since most households do not have personal means of transportation, the model makes sure that the food pantries are accessible at a walkable distance from the households. To reduce the shortage of food that the food pantries often face, the pantries are located near the food rescue sites like grocery stores, restaurants and institutional canteens. In this way, extra edible food with myriad choices can be diverted to the food insecure population at a walkable distance . Reducing food loss and food insecurity helps us move towards a better , more sustainable future.Item From Hometown to Practice: Mapping and Analyzing the Medical Student Pipeline at the Indiana University School of Medicine(2019-10) Fancher, Laurie Michelle; Wilson, Jeffrey; Kochhar, Komal; Lulla, VijayIndiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) teaches approximately 350 medical students each year. These students come from varied backgrounds and eventually end up practicing in a vast array of clinical specialties and settings. It is extremely important to monitor specialties and practice locations to understand exactly how IUSM is fulfilling physician workforce needs. This knowledge can help policymakers and school administrators shape programs and policies to better fulfill physician workforce needs. Geographic information technologies provide a framework to organize, analyze and visualize medical student data. Maps are a convenient and easily understandable method of conveying information with a location-based component. This project represents a step towards creating a coherent student database visualized with maps. Using data about the graduating classes from 2011-2018, a database was created that linked together geographic information of students from the various segments of their medical education such as residency, fellowship, and practice location. ArcGIS 10.5 was used to produce maps visualizing segments of this database. These maps also served to answer questions about the medical student graduates at IUSM, such as how many came from an in-state location and how many practice in-state. SPSS 25 was also used to compare results of various segments of the medical education pipeline. The database proves to be an incredibly necessary tool for keeping track of all IUSM graduates. Coherent, clean, and complete data is necessary for researchers at all levels as well as administrators. Keeping data up to date and centralized is essential and this project provides an easily updateable and useable format. The maps created from this database are also useful in showing trends across the graduates of IUSM, such as the Indiana counties that the graduates are most likely to practice in or the likelihood of practicing in specific shortage areas.Item A GIS Approach to Understanding Mississippian Settlement Patterns in the Central Illinois River Valley(2020-07) Swoveland, Kayla Jan; Wilson, Jeffery; Wilson, Jeremy; Lulla, VijayGeographic Information Science (GIS) technologies have helped to further the research of archaeologists almost since the inception of the field. Archaeologists have long made observations rooted in what would become GIS, but it wasn’t until the early 21st century that science was able to back up these observations. From the seemingly simple task of organizing and storing spatial data to more robust statistical and spatial calculations, GIS has quickly become a valuable tool used by archeologists to better understand past populations. This research applied GIS to help understand the regional distribution of settlement locations from the Mississippian Period (AD 1050-1450) in the central Illinois River Valley (CIRV) of west-central Illinois. Settlement distribution was examined in two contexts, first in the context of larger, more “metropolitan” site placement in relation to smaller, more transitory sites. Secondly, site distribution was examined to see what, if any, pattern existed between site placement and a set of ecological factors. The results found that while smaller sites were prevalent around many of the larger sites, a few metropolitan sites did have a larger number of smaller sites surrounding them, supporting the idea of certain Mississippian sites serving as hubs. Additionally, it was demonstrated that several different types of GIS based analyses were particularly effective in helping to identify these patterns, thus solidifying and improving the role of GIS in the field of archaeology.Item The Indiana Pacers Bikeshare Program – An Opportunity to Explore Research Questions in Geography, Transportation, and Public Health(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Lulla, Vijay; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Banerjee, Aniruddha; Troped, PhilipThe Indiana Pacers Bikeshare program is funded by the Herb and Simon Family Foundation and overseen by the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc., (ICT) a non-profit organization which provides access to bikes for a small fee to travel around the Indianapolis downtown area. There are twenty six stations and 250 bikes collated across the Indianapolis downtown area. There are two ways of using the bikeshare: a 24-hour pass or an annual membership. A user is entitled to unlimited 30-minute rides during the duration of the pass or membership. Each bicycle is equipped with a GPS unit. B-Cycle, a company that handles the implementation of the bikeshare system, collects GPS data of trips when the bike is in motion. In collaboration with ICT, our research team has acquired data from initiation of the program in April 2014 to the end of 2015. The dataset is large with slightly over 13 million records. Our research team is planning, at least, four projects based on this dataset: evaluating associations between built environment and bike use patterns, estimating physical activity accumulated during bikeshare use, differences in use by different membership types, and optimal placement of existing stations and planning for expansion of new stations.Item Intact landscape promotes gene flow and low genetic structuring in the threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake(Wiley, 2021-06) Kudla, Nathan; McCluskey, Eric M.; Lulla, Vijay; Grundel, Ralph; Moore, Jennifer A.; Geography, School of Liberal ArtsGenetic structuring of wild populations is dependent on environmental, ecological, and life-history factors. The specific role environmental context plays in genetic structuring is important to conservation practitioners working with rare species across areas with varying degrees of fragmentation. We investigated fine-scale genetic patterns of the federally threatened Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) on a relatively undisturbed island in northern Michigan, USA. This species often persists in habitat islands throughout much of its distribution due to extensive habitat loss and distance-limited dispersal. We found that the entire island population exhibited weak genetic structuring with spatially segregated variation in effective migration and genetic diversity. The low level of genetic structuring contrasts with previous studies in the southern part of the species' range at comparable fine scales (~7 km), in which much higher levels of structuring were documented. The island population's genetic structuring more closely resembles that of populations from Ontario, Canada, that occupy similarly intact habitats. Intrapopulation variation in effective migration and genetic diversity likely corresponds to the presence of large inland lakes acting as barriers and more human activity in the southern portion of the island. The observed genetic structuring in this intact landscape suggests that the Eastern Massasauga is capable of sufficient interpatch movements to reduce overall genetic structuring and colonize new habitats. Landscape mosaics with multiple habitat patches and localized barriers (e.g., large water bodies or roads) will promote gene flow and natural colonization for this declining species.Item Leveraging the NEON Airborne Observation Platform for socio-environmental systems research(Wiley, 2021) Ordway, Elsa M.; Elmore, Andrew J.; Kolstoe, Sonja; Quinn, John E.; Swanwick, Rachel; Cattau, Megan; Taillie, Dylan; Guinn, Steven M.; Chadwick, K. Dana; Atkins, Jeff W.; Blake, Rachael E.; Chapman, Melissa; Cobourn, Kelly; Goulden, Tristan; Helmus, Matthew R.; Hondula, Kelly; Hritz, Carrie; Jensen, Jennifer; Julian, Jason P.; Kuwayama, Yusuke; Lulla, Vijay; O’Leary, Donal; Nelson, Donald R.; Ocón, Jonathan P.; Pau, Stephanie; Ponce-Campos, Guillermo E.; Portillo-Quintero, Carlos; Pricope, Narcisa G.; Rivero, Rosanna G.; Schneider, Laura; Steele, Meredith; Tulbure, Mirela G.; Williamson, Matthew A.; Wilson, Cyril; Geography, School of Liberal ArtsDuring the 21st century, human–environment interactions will increasingly expose both systems to risks, but also yield opportunities for improvement as we gain insight into these complex, coupled systems. Human–environment interactions operate over multiple spatial and temporal scales, requiring large data volumes of multi-resolution information for analysis. Climate change, land-use change, urbanization, and wildfires, for example, can affect regions differently depending on ecological and socioeconomic structures. The relative scarcity of data on both humans and natural systems at the relevant extent can be prohibitive when pursuing inquiries into these complex relationships. We explore the value of multitemporal, high-density, and high-resolution LiDAR, imaging spectroscopy, and digital camera data from the National Ecological Observatory Network’s Airborne Observation Platform (NEON AOP) for Socio-Environmental Systems (SES) research. In addition to providing an overview of NEON AOP datasets and outlining specific applications for addressing SES questions, we highlight current challenges and provide recommendations for the SES research community to improve and expand its use of this platform for SES research. The coordinated, nationwide AOP remote sensing data, collected annually over the next 30 yr, offer exciting opportunities for cross-site analyses and comparison, upscaling metrics derived from LiDAR and hyperspectral datasets across larger spatial extents, and addressing questions across diverse scales. Integrating AOP data with other SES datasets will allow researchers to investigate complex systems and provide urgently needed policy recommendations for socio-environmental challenges. We urge the SES research community to further explore questions and theories in social and economic disciplines that might leverage NEON AOP data.Item Measurement and Modeling of Ground-Level Ozone Concentration in Catania, Italy using Biophysical Remote Sensing and GIS(Research India Publications, 2017) Famoso, Fabio; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Monforte, Pietro; Lanzafame, Rosario; Brusca, Sebastian; Lulla, VijayThis experimental study examined spatial variation of ground level ozone (O3) in the city of Catania, Italy using thirty passive samplers deployed in a 500-m grid pattern. Significant spatial variation in ground level O3 concentrations (ranging from 12.8 to 41.7 g/m3) was detected across Catania’s urban core and periphery. Biophysical measures derived from satellite imagery and built environment characteristics from GIS were evaluated as correlates of O3 concentrations. A land use regression model based on four variables (land surface temperature, building area, residential street length, and distance to the coast) explained 74% of the variance (adjusted R2) in measured O3. The results of the study suggest that biophysical remote sensing variables are worth further investigation as predictors of ground level O3 (and potentially other air pollutants) because they provide objective measurements that can be tested across multiple locations and over time.Item Measurement and Modeling of Ground-Level Ozone Concentration in Catania, Italy using Biophysical Remote Sensing and GIS(Research India Publications, 2017) Famoso, Fabio; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Monforte, Pietro; Lanzafame, Rosario; Brusca, Sebastian; Lulla, Vijay; Geography, School of Liberal ArtsThis experimental study examined spatial variation of ground level ozone (O3) in the city of Catania, Italy using thirty passive samplers deployed in a 500-m grid pattern. Significant spatial variation in ground level O3 concentrations (ranging from 12.8 to 41.7 g/m3) was detected across Catania’s urban core and periphery. Biophysical measures derived from satellite imagery and built environment characteristics from GIS were evaluated as correlates of O3 concentrations. A land use regression model based on four variables (land surface temperature, building area, residential street length, and distance to the coast) explained 74% of the variance (adjusted R2) in measured O3. The results of the study suggest that biophysical remote sensing variables are worth further investigation as predictors of ground level O3 (and potentially other air pollutants) because they provide objective measurements that can be tested across multiple locations and over time.Item Modeling Suitable Habitat for the Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus maculosus) Utilizing Regional Data and Environmental DNA(2020-05) Fischer, Payton Nicole; Lulla, Vijay; Banerjee, Aniruddha; Wilson, Jeffrey S.The distribution of the Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus maculosus) is widespread but greatly understood. It is assumed that mudpuppy populations are declining due to poor habitat quality. However, there is not enough data to support this claim. The distribution of the mudpuppy is throughout the entire state, but only 43 of the 92 counties in Indiana have records. This project utilized habitat suitability modeling, focused on Indiana, to gain a better understanding of their distribution within the state. Data from Ohio and the Salamander Mussel (Simpsonais ambigua) were included to bolster the dataset. Environmental DNA was included to validate the model. Variables used in this analysis were Strahler Stream Order, distance to forest, percent agriculture, and tree canopy cover. Results showed that stream orders 4 to 6, a shorter distance to forest, less agriculture, and 30 to 40% of tree canopy cover was what contributed to suitable habitat. Stream order was the variable that contributed to the model the most. The areas of suitable habitat found were the HUC08 sub-watersheds in the northeastern and southwestern corners of the state. These areas included 19 counties were there were no previous records of mudpuppies. Environmental DNA showed that the negative samples were not found in suitable habitat. Further supporting the predicted area of suitable habitat. It is recommended that conservation efforts focus on the northeastern and southwestern regions. Interpreting this data to align with the regions set by the Indiana State Wildlife Action Plan shows that conservation should focus in the Great Lakes, Interior Plateau, and Valley and Hills area. It is recommended that more environmental data be conducted and that proactive conservation measures are implemented.Item Onion Cultivation System and Spatial Distribution Centers in Tahoua Region/Niger(2019-01) Mallam, Abass A.; Bein, Frederick L.; Lulla, Vijay; Banerjee, Rudy; Wilson, JeffreyOnion farming is the main irrigated crop that contributes to the economy of the Tahoua region, Niger. There are two factors that promote the outstanding potentialities of onion cultivation in Niger: the best productive variety “Violet Galmi”, and it is well adapted to storage. It is produced during both growing seasons which creates a permanent local supply of onions all year. Much of the producing areas are not accessible by road, which inhibits the marketing network. Farmers are in need of an improved transportation system in order to further develop onion production. The Violet of Galmi is grown by all the onion producers of Niger. This onion has a major importance in the socio-economic life of the Nigerien population. The consumers appreciate its cooking qualities and spicy taste. It also has a commercial advantage in the local and the sub-regional markets.
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