Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies To Improve Nonprofit Governance To Increase Donations, Charmaine Nicola Williams Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe leaders of nonprofit organizations rely on donors to achieve the organization’s mission, and governance practices are a key contributor to donor confidence and positive donor behavior. Some nonprofit leaders lack effective strategies to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase donations. Grounded in resource dependence theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit leaders use to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase levels of donations. The participants comprised four senior executive members of a donor-amalgamation nonprofit organization in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected from semistructured …

Occupational Risk Perceptions Among Foreign-Born Construction Workers In Central Florida, Matthew Edison Law

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic and Latino foreign-born construction workers in the United States experience higher rates of serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace than their native-born peers. Previous research has pointed to specific vulnerabilities among this population, including birthplace, age of the worker, language barriers, and education level, but little to no research has examined addressable risk factors, such as occupational risk perceptions, among this population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between birthplace, number of years working in the United States, and occupational risk perceptions while controlling for age of the worker, language barriers, and education …

Nutrient Pollution And Chlorophyll-A As A Precursor To Harmful Algal Blooms And Cyanotoxins In Rehabilitated Machado Lake, California, Michael E. Shiang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Algal blooms result in the formation of cyanotoxic conditions in a freshwater lake causing severe detrimental impacts to community and public health. Nitrogen, phosphorous, and ammonia stimulate the growth of phytoplankton biomass and algae, as measured by chlorophyll. This retrospective quantitative research study, grounded in the socioecological model, examined the relationship between nutrient pollutants and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) that forecast harmful algal blooms, a precursor to cyanotoxins. A former impaired lake, Machado Lake in California, provided an ideal setting to assess relationships among nutrient indicators and Chl-a post-lake rehabilitation. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to determine if a relationship …

Strategies To Improve Nonprofit Governance To Increase Donations, Charmaine Nicola Williams Tate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe leaders of nonprofit organizations rely on donors to achieve the organization’s mission, and governance practices are a key contributor to donor confidence and positive donor behavior. Some nonprofit leaders lack effective strategies to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase donations. Grounded in resource dependence theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that nonprofit leaders use to improve governance processes and encourage donor confidence to increase levels of donations. The participants comprised four senior executive members of a donor-amalgamation nonprofit organization in the Midwestern United States. Data were collected from semistructured …

Effective Strategies To Sustain Small African American Food Service Businesses Beyond 5 Years, Alvin West

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American small food service business owners contribute to national and local economies; however, only 45% of them sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. African American small food service business owners are concerned with the lack of effective business strategy implementation, as it is the number one predictor of actual business failure. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies African American small food service business owners used to sustain their businesses beyond 5 years. The participants were seven African American small food service business owners in the southeastern United …

Eating Change: A Critical Autoethnography Of Community Gardening And Social Identity, Jessica Gerrior

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Community gardening efforts often carry a social purpose, such as building climate resilience, alleviating hunger, or promoting food justice. Meanwhile, the identities and motivations of community gardeners reflect both personal stories and broader social narratives. The involvement of universities in community gardening projects introduces an additional dimension of power and privilege that is underexplored in scholarly literature. This research uses critical autoethnography to explore the relationship of community gardening and social identity. Guided by Chang (2008) and Anderson and Glass-Coffin (2013), a systematic, reflexive process of meaning-making was used to compose three autoethnographic accounts. Each autoethnography draws on the author’s …

Forest Bathing Increases Adolescent Mental Well-Being And Connection To Nature: A Transformative Mixed Methods Study, Jennifer Keller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Previous research has demonstrated that practicing forest bathing has significant positive effects on well-being. However, few studies have investigated whether forest bathing increases adolescent well-being despite the growing adolescent mental health crisis in the United States. Similarly, few studies have explored forest bathing’s impacts on connectedness to nature. Considering the ongoing environmental crisis, determining if forest bathing increases connectedness to nature is a critical expansion of forest bathing research, as connectedness to nature is linked to environmental care and concern. This study investigated the possibility that forest bathing, a nature-based mindfulness practice, could increase adolescent mental well-being and connectedness to …

Strategies To Secure Water For Great Salt Lake, Lisa W. Welsh, Joanna Endter-Wada, Karin M. Kettenring

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere (Wilsey et al. 2017) and plays an important role in Utah’s economy, environment, and ecology (Baxter and Butler 2020; Great Salt Lake Advisory Committee 2021). It has a long history of commercial and recreational activities including mineral production, brine shrimp harvesting, waterfowl hunting, boating, and sightseeing (Utah Department of Natural Resources 2013a, 2013b). The Great Salt Lake ecosystem supports over 10 million birds representing 338 species and acts as an important stopover for migratory birds between North and South America (Great Salt Lake Ecosystem Program; Wilsey et al. …

The Future Of Meat Substitutes For Sustainable Food System: Insights From Chinese Consumer Preference And Role Of Agenda Setting, Wenxuan Guo

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The future of meat substitutes for China's sustainable food system was examined in this dissertation. Influence of media agenda-setting, consumer perception, preferences, and experts' opinions towards sustainable meat systems were investigated by text mining, online questionnaire survey, and stakeholder in-depth interviews. Integration of the agenda-setting concerning meat substitutes with the 2022 Chinese government dietary policy and the influence of articles in mainstream news is recommended. The research findings contribute to bridging the gap between policy formulation, agenda-setting, and public perception and suggest that media provide information consistently with the national food policy and provide education and knowledge correctly and clearly. …

Digital Sustainable Livelihoods And Displacement: A Study Of Myanmar Mixed Migrants In Mae Sot, Thailand, Thinn Nadi Soe

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study explores how digital tools enhance sustainable livelihoods for Myanmar mixed migrants in Thailand and examines how digital resources integrate into livelihood strategies for self-reliance and socio-economic well-being using a modified Sustainable Livelihood Framework. Insights from key informants’ experiences, and stakeholder perspectives reveal that mixed migrants leverage strong human and social capital, showing adaptability and resilience, which can lead to sustainable livelihoods with digital engagement. However, major challenges in financial stability, digital access, natural resources, and social inclusion require further support.

Identities Of Women In Indian Art And History, Nalini Rao

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The stereotypical image of Indian women portrayed in the art of stone sculpture is often interpreted as images of beauty that are sensuous, religious as well depict social life. There are historical reasons for depicting her as such. This paper inquires into the changing depiction and social forces that influenced feminine imagery. This paper examines the portrayal of beauty through idealization of female body which has evolved over the centuries in India. It also aims to understand their changing status and explores issues of feminine identity, status, and empowerment largely in ancient and medieval India. It also provides a brief …

Perceptions Of Trail Safety In Humboldt County, California: An Analysis Of Safety Concerns, Factors That Impact Trail Use, And The Value People Place On Trails, Natalie C. Arroyo

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Trails in Humboldt County, California that are used for both transportation and recreation have myriad community benefits. However, people’s concerns about feeling safe can affect trail use, design, and development, as well as how trails are valued and perceived by residents. There has been a lack of information in Humboldt County about trail safety perceptions despite it being a factor that repeatedly arises in infrastructure planning and funding conversations. My research was focused on answering the following questions: (1) How do Humboldt County trail users perceive their safety on and near trails? (2) What factors affect these perceptions about safety, …

Carnivore And Ungulate Occurrence In A Fire-Prone Region, Sara J. Moriarty-Graves

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Increasing fire size and severity in the western United States causes changes to ecosystems, species’ habitat use, and interspecific interactions. Wide-ranging carnivore and ungulate mammalian species and their interactions may be influenced by an increase in fire activity in northern California. Depending on the fire characteristics, ungulates may benefit from burned habitat due to an increase in forage availability, while carnivore species may be differentially impacted, but ultimately driven by bottom-up processes from a shift in prey availability. I used a three-step approach to estimate the single-species occupancy of four large mammal species: mountain lion (Puma concolor), coyote …

Changes And Relationships Of Soil Aluminum, Organic Matter, And Hydrogen Ion Concentration With Rye Cover Crop, Arron Wilder

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Soil acidity is a common agricultural problem worldwide, as approximately 50% of all potentially arable soils are affected by pH limitations. At soil pH 3+) is considered to be the chemical form of aluminum in acid soil that hinders plant growth the most. Potentially, soil organic matter (SOM) can ameliorate the toxic effects of Al³⁺ on plants and microbes by binding with Al³⁺, thus preventing Al³⁺ (and other species of aluminum) from interacting in the rhizosphere. Increasing SOM also increases soil health indicators (i.e., microbial activity, soil water holding capacity, aggregate stability, porosity, etc.) while the …

Environmental Monitoring Report: For Work Performed: July 1, 2021 Through June 30, 2022, Tennessee. Department Of Environment And Conservation

Environmental Monitoring Reports

This FY2022 EMR presents results for 20 independent projects, originally defined in TDEC’s FY2022 Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) and subsequently completed over the course of FY2022 period of performance.

Sustainability Hub Newsletter - January 2023, Jacqueline Jergensen, Neyda Gilman, Jennifer Embree

Library Sustainability Resources

The January 2023 Issue of the Sustainability Hub Newsletter shares sustainable New Year's Resolutions, additions to our documentary collection, a new environmental justice mapping tool, information on the Sustainability Hub Interest Group, and a student petition for EV Chargers on campus! Also read our announcements and upcoming events!

The Live Bait Trade As A Pathway Of Inland Invasive Fish Species Introductions, Hannah Mulligan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater systems are susceptible to numerous anthropogenic pathways of invasive species introductions and subsequent establishment. Once establishment occurs, invasive species not only impact biodiversity, ecosystem function, and human health, but also cost the global economy billions of dollars every year. Recreational fishing is one of the most prevalent pathways for invasive species introductions in freshwater systems due to increased propagule pressure from boating and angling activity. Within recreational fishing, the live bait trade represents a secondary pathway whereby anglers illegally release baitfish (and water) that may contain invasive species. Preventative actions, including regulations, education, and inspections have been implemented to …

Effects Of Agricultural Chemicals On Native Plants Of The Northern Great Plains, Gabrielle Bolwerk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural chemicals are ubiquitous on the Northern Great Plains landscape and have negative impacts on non-target plant communities, even at small doses. Northern Great Plains grassland plant communities may experience herbicide drift from agricultural fields or be subject to livestock pharmaceuticals in grazing lands. My research objective was to evaluate if and how native plants are affected by agricultural chemical presence at different concentrations. In Chapter 2, I studied the effect of different concentrations of three common agricultural herbicides (2,4-D, atrazine, and trifluralin) on the germination, emergence, and growth of native plant species of the Northern Great Plains. I performed …

Protein Extraction And Purification By Differential Solubilization, Barry J. Ryan, Gemma K. Kinsella, Gary T. Henehan

Books/Book Chapters/ Proceedings

The preparation of purified soluble proteins for biochemical studies is essential and the solubility of a protein of interest in various media is central to this process. Selectively altering the solubility of a protein is a rapid and economical step in protein purification and is based on exploiting the inherent physicochemical properties of a polypeptide. Precipitation of proteins, released from cells upon lysis, is often used to concentrate a protein of interest before further purification steps (e.g., ion exchange chromatography, size exclusion chromatography etc).

Recombinant proteins may be expressed in host cells as insoluble inclusion bodies due to various influences …

A Review On Potential Biofuel Yields From Cover Crops, Liangcheng Yang, Lucas D. Lamont, Shan Liu, Chunchun Guo, Shelby Stoner

Faculty Publications - Agriculture

Millions of hectares of cover crops are planted in the U.S. and European Union to manage soil erosion, soil fertility, water quality, weeds, and climate change. Although only a small percentage of cover crops are harvested, the growing cover crop planting area provides a new biomass source to the biofuel industry to produce bioenergy. Oilseed crops such as rapeseed, sunflower, and soybean are commodities and have been used to produce biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Other cover crops such as cereal rye, clover, and alfalfa, have been tested on small or pilot scales to produce cellulosic ethanol, biogas, syngas, …

The Use Of A Habitat Quality Stress Index To Evaluate Stress As An Analog For Proximate Fitness In The American Crow Within A Matrix Of Landcover Characteristics To Assess Its Potential Contribution To Disease Etiologies, Theodore Lee Grabarz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

All organisms occur within spatial and temporal environments to maximize proximate fitness (health) and thus life history outcomes. Previous work has examined the temporal and behavioral aspects of proximate fitness on life history outcomes particularly regarding highly perturbed environments (i.e., climate and land use change, resource extraction, agricultural erosion, etc.). My work focuses on the less examined spatial aspect of these perturbed environments. More specifically, this dissertation examines habitat selection and quality as the basis for understanding stress response (negative and positive feedback mechanisms) to environmental stressors within the larger context of regional or gamma (ɣ) biodiversity. Through the lens …

Connecting Antibiotic Resistance To The Environment (Care): Introducing A Novel Framework Integrating Chemical Cross-Resistance And Place-Based Engagement To The Blue Marsh Watershed In Reading, Pennsylvania, Jill Felker

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Antibiotic resistance is a serious health threat around the world. Millions of individuals are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria yearly, and thousands die from previously curable illnesses. Although antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, misuse of antibiotics accelerates the loss of their effectiveness. Public health campaigns focusing on antibiotic awareness have not effectively communicated and educated the public on this health crisis. New efforts to combat antibiotic resistance are urgently needed. This dissertation focuses on the ecological and public health components of antibiotic resistance research that must be addressed to decelerate antibiotic resistance. A new interdisciplinary theoretical framework was developed to Connect Antibiotic …

Children Tell Landscape-Lore Among Perceptions Of Place: Relating Ecocultural Digital Stories In A Conscientizing/Decolonizing Exploration, Meredith Jean Bird Miller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

We know that when children feel a sense-of-relation within local natural environments, they are more prone to feel concern for them, while nurturing well-being and resilience in themselves and in lands/waters they inhabit. Positive environmental behaviors often follow into adulthood. Our human capacities for creating sustainable solutions in response to growing repercussions of global warming and climate change may grow if more children feel a sense of belonging in the wild natural world. As educators, if we listen to and learn from students’ voices about how they engage in nature, we can create pedagogical experiences directly relevant to their lives. …

Sustainable Utilisation And Management Of Food Waste For High-Value Products, Amit Jaiswal

Articles

Welcome to the Special Issue on “Sustainable Utilisation and Management of Food Waste for High-Value Products”. This Special Issue focuses on one of the most critical challenges facing our world today—the efficient management and utilisation of food waste. It presents a variety of scientific investigations from renowned scholars and researchers worldwide to address this challenge, covering an array of topics ranging from fundamental research to real-world applications. Food waste is a global dilemma that requires urgent attention. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption worldwide, or around 1.3 billion tons, is …

Five Years Measuring The Muck: Evaluating Interannual Variability Of Nutrient Loads From Tidal Flooding, Alfonso Macías-Tapia, Margaret R. Mulholland, Corday R. Selden, J. Derek Loftis, Peter W. Bernhardt

OES Faculty Publications

Due to sea level rise, tidal flooding is now common in low-lying coastal systems around the world. Yet, the contribution of tidal flooding to non-point source nutrient loads and their impact on the quality of adjacent waters remains poorly constrained. Here, we quantified dissolved nutrient loading and Enterococcus abundance during annual autumnal king tides (i.e., perigean spring tides), between 2017 and 2021, in a sub-watershed of the lower Chesapeake Bay. To calculate nutrient loading from tidal flooding, we used geospatial inundation depths from a street-level hydrodynamic model to estimate floodwater volumes during each of the five sampling events and the …

Acidification Of Northeastern Usa Lakes From Rising Anthropogenic-Sourced Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide And Its Effects On Aluminum Speciation, Karen H. Johannesson, Jaxon Dii Horne, Anant Misra, Catherine Aliperta, Orpheus V. Meletis, Robert C. Santore, Christopher D. White, Georgia Mavrommati, David J. Burdige

OES Faculty Publications

The impact of rising atmospheric CO₂ (pCO₂^atm) from anthropogenic activities on pH, dissolved inorganic carbon, carbonate mineral saturation, and aluminum (Al) speciation is evaluated for 18 northeastern USA lakes using polythermal, sliding activity reaction path models. pCO₂^atm was forced using two scenarios from the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report in which pCO₂^atm attains either 600 or 1,100 ppm in 2,100. Results suggest pH will decrease 0.15 and 0.32 pH units, _aCO^2-₃ will decrease 24% and 49%, and Ω_aragonite will decrease 21% and 45%, respectively. These changes are of the same …

Novel Reproductive Data On Blue Sucker, Cycleptus Elongatus (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), From Northeastern Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, D.G. Cloutman, E.M. Leis, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Nothing has been published in the scientific literature concerning the reproductive biology of the Blue Sucker, Cycleptus elongatus in Arkansas. We examined seven female C. elongatus collected in late February 2021 and 2022 and again in early March 2023 from the Black River, Lawrence County. Egg mass (g) averaged 15.8% of the total weight of these gravid females. It appears that this sucker can spawn as early as February in this population. This is the first time information on female reproduction in this species has been published from any population of C. elongatus in the state.

New Geographic Distributional Records For Two Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes: Petromyzontidae) In Arkansas, With Notes On Histopathology, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison, E.M. Leis, D.G. Cloutman, A.C. Camus

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The recent update (2nd edition) of the Fishes of Arkansas includes what is known, to date, on the geographic distribution of five species of lampreys that occur in the state. Here, we provide new distributional records on two of those species, the chestnut lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus) and southern brook lamprey (I. gagei), as well as documenting host-parasite information (histopathology) caused by the former species.

Winter Dynamics Of Storm Water Management Ponds And Winter Tolerance In Three Aquatic Plant Species, Patrick Strzalkowski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The vast majority of the research into the performance of stormwater management ponds (SWMPs) has been performed in warm regions or during the warmer seasons in temperate regions. It is presumed that SWMPs are inactive in the winter as any potential stormwater is trapped in snow and ice. The main goal of this thesis was to test this presumption and to study the dynamics and performance of three SWMPs during the winter. Remote water level loggers were installed into the three SWMPs and daily grab samples from the influents and effluents were taken and analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), chloride, …

Contrasting Seasonal Cycling Of Arsenic In A Series Of Subarctic Shield Lakes With Different Morphometric Properties, Jeremy Harbinson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The subarctic shield near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NWT), is populated with thousands of small lakes (<1.5 km²) and several large lakes. Historic mining activities in the region have left a legacy of environmental impacts and widespread arsenic (As) contamination in both aquatic and terrestrial environments. In particular, several small subarctic lakes near Yellowknife have been previously documented to be contaminated with high levels of As. Subarctic lakes are characterized by seasonal ice-cover that can persist for more than half of the year, yet little is known about the under-ice spatial and seasonal dynamics of As cycling. The objective of …