Digital Commons Network^™

What Does One Billion Dollars Look Like?: Visualizing Extreme Wealth, William Mahoney Luckman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The word “billion” is a mathematical abstraction related to “big,” but it is difficult to understand the vast difference in value between one million and one billion; even harder to understand the vast difference in purchasing power between one billion dollars, and the average U.S. yearly income. Perhaps most difficult to conceive of is what that purchasing power and huge mass of capital translates to in terms of power. This project blends design, text, facts, and figures into an interactive narrative website that helps the user better understand their position in relation to extreme wealth: https://whatdoesonebilliondollarslooklike.website/

The site incorporates …

Digitizing Delphi: Educating Audiences Through Virtual Reconstruction, Kate Koury

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Implementing a 3D model into a virtual space allows the general public to engage critically with archaeological processes. There are many unseen decisions that go into reconstructing an ancient temple. Analysis of available materials and techniques, predictions of how objects were used, decisions of what sources to reference, puzzle piecing broken remains together, and even educated guesses used to fill gaps in information often go unobserved by the public. This work will educate users about those choices by allowing the side-by-side comparison of conflicting theories on the reconstruction of the Tholos at Delphi, which is an ideal site because of …

The Santa Clara, 2024-01-19, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

The Comparison Of Different Wetland Fish Assemblages Over Time, Robert Edward Adelstein

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services. Historically, we have drained and filled 73% of wetlands for agricultural use throughout the United States from the 1780s to the 1980s (Dahl, 1990). A nationwide focus on restoring wetlands has since occurred. Literature on restored/mitigated wetlands is rife with examples that do and do not support the same ecosystem services as natural wetlands (Langston, 1997; Meil, 2014). Restoration of wetlands occurred at the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area (GBWMA) over several decades. Various sections of the wetland were classified by age, water depth, and vegetation. One hypothesis was that differences in fish assemblage would …

Implementing Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education With The Food-Energy-Water (Few) Nexus, C. B. Romulo, S. Venkataraman, S. Caplow, S. Ajgaonkar, C. R. Allen, A. Anandhi, S. W. Anderson, C. B. Azzarello, K. Brundiers, E. Blavascunas, J. M. Dauer, D. L. Druckenbrod, E. Fairchild, L. R. Horne, K. Lee, M. Mwale, J. Mischler, E. Pappo, N. S. Patel, N. D. Sintov, C. S. Ramsdell, S. G. Vincent

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2024 Report To The Governor And Legislature On Utah's Land Water & Air, Janet Quinney Lawson Institute For Land, Water & Air

Reports

This report serves as a 2024 snapshot of key issues and concerns with Utah’s shared resources. It highlights a collection of data that is available to provide context to these issues and identifies areas where more study is needed. Addressing these challenges will enable Utah policymakers to make informed decisions for the future. Under the authorship of 52 researchers and with the support of 47 advisory board members, this report includes 6 chapters (Land, Water, Air, Forests and Rangelands, Bear Lake, and Metrics) that address the focus areas of the report.

Cataloguing Minerals, Part One: Historical Cataloguing Practices And The Logics Of Colonialism, Selby Hearth, Carrie Robbins, Marianne Weldon, Aha Anderson, Rosa Bieber-Stanley, April Chernila, Helen Christ, Hannah Cosgrove, Morgan Hanson-Rosenberg, Carly Hill, Maya Hofstetter, Emily Lazo, Izzie Ludlow, Samantha Lyster, Rachel Myers, Jasper Nash, Georgia Reed, Julia Saint- Amour

Geology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Mineral wealth has motivated and funded extractive empires, often at the expense of local communities, workers, natural environments, and public health. Yet those connections are not recorded in traditional mineral catalogues, which divorce specimens from context. This article examines the roots of those omissions and situates mineral cataloguing in the larger body of literature on knowledge organization systems and their relation to power. We examine how colonial ideologies of land and people become entrenched in mineral cataloguing practices, and how this reinforces the ways that contemporary geologists think about their work. We argue that revising mineral cataloguing practices is a …

Entomological Observations On A Decomposing Pig (Sus Scrofa) In Nebraska: Late Spring To Early Summer, Leon G. Higley, J. Obafunwa, W. Belcher

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Are Academia And Industry Listening To Each Other? A Citation Analysis Of Ux Research Methods Resources, Abigail Bakke, Leonard Dibono

English Department Publications

Technical and Professional Communication (TPC) has been facing concerns of viability, in both its relationship with industry and its ability to build a relevant and valid body of research. TPC’s disconnection with industry may be reflected in its relationship to UX as well, despite both fields’ shared values. To better understand how TPC and User Experience (UX) are relating to each other, we conducted a citation analysis of a sample of SIGDOC papers and a sample of Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) practitioner articles focused on research methods. The SIGDOC papers tended to cite TPC sources, while the NN/g articles cited …

Snapshot Usa 2021: A Third Coordinated National Camera Trap Survey Of The United States, J. F. Benson Et Al.

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Power Centres: A Collaborative Development Proposal For Addressing Poverty And Related Challenges In Rural Communities In Kenya, Kennedy Okello Miruka, Kennedy Okello Miruka

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

In Homa Bay County, Kenya, a community-led development initiative called the Power Centre is transforming the fight against poverty and powerlessness. Grounded in principles of decolonization and participatory action, this project addresses the root causes of marginalization by empowering residents of Kokal Village to become active agents of change. Through a robust mixed-methods research approach, the project identifies systemic challenges and leverages existing social networks to build a sustainable, locally-owned model for development. The Power Centre implements a three-pronged strategy, focusing on increasing community participation, strengthening existing groups, and fostering collaborative networks to weave a robust support system. By addressing …

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam: Impacts At Play For Egypt, Chemp Carpenter

Undergraduate Review

As fresh water is required for human survival, access to water resources greatly benefits human societies. Over the last 50 years, there has been an increase in dam construction around the world. Dams are built to store water and regulate a river's flow, as well as to raise the water level upstream to facilitate flow into a channel. Furthermore, they offer numerous benefits, including controlling floods, improving irrigation, acting as storage, being a water supplier, and generating electricity. Nonetheless, dams also pose serious hazards. Ethiopia began construction on a 6000-megawatt dam called The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in 2011, …

Bone Traces And Modifications From Feeding By Dermestes Maculatus, B. V. Adams, Leon G. Higley

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

That Dermestes maculatus feeding can leave marks on bones is established in the literature - that D. maculatus routinely mark bones is not. Our results here, exposing fleshed bones to D. maculatus adults and immatures for almost two months after complete tissue removal, indicate that under natural conditions D. maculatus do not feed on bones. The key issue seems to be the ability of D. maculatus to seek new food sources versus being confined (and eventually starving) on bones. In a natural setting, once a food supply is exhausted, D. maculatus would seek new food …

Predicting Waste Management Behaviors Using An Extended Theory Of Reasoned Action Model, Alvin Patrick M. Valentin, Phoemela Bianca S.D. Bonifacio, Sofia Isabelle Corinne O. Castro, Jerica Charity A. Cruz, Talisha Isabelle L. Sy, Elmer Lewis O. Trinidad

Quantitative Methods and Information Technology Faculty Publications

Rapid urbanization has resulted in a significant increase in the amount of waste generated, which threatens the health and safety of millions of people worldwide. For our cities to become environmentally sustainable, proper waste management has become essential. A major source of pollution resulting from improper waste management are developing countries, such as the Philippines which is a top contributor to plastic wastes in oceans. Existing studies in this context focus on the effectiveness of specific waste management programs, and there is an opportunity to extend theories to improve our understanding of the waste management behaviors of households. Using an …

Inhabiting Numbers: Weaving, Polyphony, And Embodied Mathematics, Kristine Barrett

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Inhabiting Numbers: Polyphony as Woven Sound explores connections between vocal polyphony and textile practices, specifically weaving and spinning. Rather than consider music and weaving as separate from one another, the following paper presents the ways in which they are deeply intertwined and mutually constitutive forms of cultural expression. The technical modes of thinking produced through repetition inherent in both—particularly as practices utilizing complex mathematical structures—produce ways of thinking unique to each. Through practice, I suggest these technical modes of making transit across different materials and mediums—in both explicit and implicit ways. The music created through the interweaving of multiple voices …

Probable Extirpation Of The Jackrabbit (Lepus Californicus) From Arkansas, D.B. Sasse

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) was first documented in Arkansas during the modern era in Franklin County in 1927. Over the next few decades records were reported from multiple counties in northwest Arkansas and the species was locally common in Benton, Crawford, and Washington counties in the 1950s. The last Arkansas record documented in the scientific literature was from 1968 and since then there have only been three credible reports, with the last being from the late 1980s. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission solicited reports of jackrabbits from the public and failed to find evidence of them from a …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2024, 144th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Aeronautics and Space Science Poster Session

Anthropology: Humans Past and Present

Maiben Lecture: "Platte Basin Timelapse: A Watershed in Motion," Grant Reiner

Applied Science and Technology

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

Earh Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Physics

Science Education

Contributors, Beth Buyserie, Travis N. Thurston

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

No abstract provided.

9. Uses, Benefits, And Limitations Of Ai Chatbots: Implementing Chatgpt In The First-Year Writing Classroom, Walker Smith, Cora Alward, Jacob Morris, Lydia Peach, Veronica Pulley, Parker Routt, Kolby Sanders, Josh Vogeler

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

This essay shares the findings of a Spring 2023 honors composition course in which students conducted their own primary research project to investigate the uses and limitations of ChatGPT for first-year writers. By experimenting with integrating ChatGPT into various stages of their writing and revision processes, the students identified the strengths and weaknesses of the writing tool. Then, they observed and interviewed faculty as they graded different versions of essay drafts with varying levels of ChatGPT assistance. Ultimately, they found that ChatGPT was incredibly useful for certain small-scale tasks, but posed significant risks, especially for students with less experience in …

5. Navigating Benefits And Concerns When Discussing Genai Tools With Faculty And Staff, Reed Hepler

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

The author works as a Digital Initiatives Librarian and is earning a second Master's Degree in Instructional Design and Technology. He viewed ChatGPT immediately as yet another potentially useful technology. When educators at his institution promoted differing viewpoints regarding ChatGPT and other Al tools, he set out to demonstrate a method of Al integration similar to that of other technological tools. Using the Technology Consumer or Producer model and his own experience, he presented, discussed, and wrote about ChatGPT, its ethical issues, and its uses and impact on education. Reed shares his insights regarding creating instruction and training for educators. …

Land Acknowledgement/Foreword, Tazin Daniels

Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions

In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, the emergence of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Al) stands as a beacon of both innovation and introspection, heralding a new era in teaching and learning. This book serves as a guide for college instructors who find themselves at the cusp of this technological revolution-those who are intrigued yet perhaps apprehensive, eager to explore yet unsure where to begin. As we begin this journey, it is vital to acknowledge the spectrum of emotions that accompany its integration into academia: from excitement and curiosity to caution and concern. Recognizing and normalizing these feelings is the …

Post-Glacial Landscape Evolution Of The Lower St. Croix River Valley: The Enigma Of Glacial Lake Grantsburg, The Osceola Bench, And The St. Croix Dells, Hunter Delikowski

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The St. Croix River valley (SCRV) is the product of dyssynchronous glacial advance and retreat of several glacial lobes during regional deglaciation of the Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene transition. Additionally, the SCRV has been dramatically shaped by multiple proglacial lake drainage episodes. Therefore, the SCRV is an important case study to understanding the impacts of proglacial lake spillover processes. However, the magnitude, frequency, timing, duration, and geomorphic impacts of these floods remain enigmatic. We focus on a specific reach of the SCRV, which we name the Lower SCRV for the purpose of this study. The lower SCRV contains several anomalous landforms …

Forensic Archaeology Protocols For Wildfires And Fire Related Scenes, Erik Schulz

Nebraska Anthropologist

Forensic Archaeology Protocols for Wildfires and Fire-Related Scenes

Forensic archaeology is a relatively new area of study and focuses on the medical legal aspects of archaeology. This paper will focus on how forensic archaeology should be used for wildfire and other fire-related fatalities or investigations, what happens to bone when exposed to heat, what protocols should be in place and how an excavation should look, and finally the challenges of fire-related investigations. This report will focus on the larger scale of the investigation and will be using several sources from different wildfire and fire fatality reports.

Co-Location Of Seaweed Farming With Offshore Wind Energy: A Quick Scoping Review, Brianna Coffey, Cortni Borgerson, Pankaj Lal, Colette J. Feehan

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Seaweed farming is increasingly recognized as a sustainable marine resource management opportunity, but it also poses socioeconomic and environmental risks that require careful evaluation. This quick scoping review (QSR) examines the current state of knowledge on upscaling seaweed farming through co-location with offshore wind energy production. A total of 240 published records from 2001 to 2022 were analyzed, including studies on general seaweed farming and its integration with offshore wind energy, both of which have shown a significant increase in annual publication rates over time. Geographically, the majority of studies on general seaweed farming were conducted in Asia, while most …

Cataloguing Minerals, Part Two: Re-Imagining Mineral Catalogue Descriptions To Address Colonial Legacies, Carrie Robbins, Selby Hearth, Marianne Weldon, Aha Anderson, Rosa Bieber-Stanley, April Chernila, Helen Christ, Hannah Cosgrove, Morgan Hanson-Rosenberg, Carly Hill, Maya Hofstetter, Emily Lazo, Izzie Ludlow, Samantha Lyster, Rachel Myers, Jasper Nash, Georgia Reed, Julia Saint- Amour

Geology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Minerals are uniquely tied to colonialism, labour, and environment; however, those relationships have traditionally not been described in mineral catalogues – an omission that limits curators’ ability to account for mineral histories. This paper re-imagines mineral cataloguing practices to restore historical, cultural, and environmental contexts that were stripped away. We describe the roles of citations; linked data; provenience and provenance histories; non-standardized and ‘unapproved’ nomenclatures; positionality; and the need to label archival silences. We examine the risks and practical limitations that arise in attempting to turn this colonial tool against itself. In discussing these issues, we contribute to ongoing dialogues …

Investigating Inland Waterway Transport Through A Sustainable Development Perspective: A Case Study Of Magdalena River (Colombia), Natalia Calderón-Rivera

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

The development of transport systems significantly influences economies, growth, and welfare of populations. However, these systems can have negative consequences, such as water and air pollution, traffic congestion, noise, and biodiversity loss. To address these challenges, it is essential to implement strategies that mitigate negative effects while improving the environmental, social, and economic conditions of the population. In this regard, inland water transport (IWT) is globally recognized as a more sustainable transport alternative due to its high cargo load capacities and comparatively lower environmental and social impacts. In Colombia, the Magdalena River – the country’s most important river basin – …

Decoding U.S. Tort Liability In Healthcare's Black-Box Ai Era: Lessons From The European Union, Mindy Duffourc, Sara Gerke

Faculty Scholarly Works

The rapid development of sophisticated artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools in healthcare presents new possibilities for improving medical treatment and general health. Currently, such AI tools can perform a wide range of health-related tasks, from specialized autonomous systems that diagnose diabetic retinopathy to general-use generative models like ChatGPT that answer users’ health-related questions. On the other hand, significant liability concerns arise as medical professionals and consumers increasingly turn to AI for health information. This is particularly true for black-box AI because while potentially enhancing the AI’s capability and accuracy, these systems also operate without transparency, making it difficult or even impossible …

Upside-Down Logics: Falsification Of The Truth And Truthification Of The False, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This paper is about funny science, recreational mathematics, upside-down thinking, or contradictory reasoning (to think backward). Since a statement in some conditions may be true, in other conditions false, and a third type of conditions partially true and partially false. The paper presents for the first time two types of Upside-Down Logic, the first one is falsification of the Truth (when a true statement is transformed into a false one), and the second one is the opposite: Truthification of the False (when a false statement is transformed into a true one) - within the frame of Recreational Neutrosophy. All transformations …

The Enduring Power Of Giving And Caring From Cavemen To Kind Hearts: A Neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Decision Making Approach, Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

Giving and caring are not just warm and fuzzy feelings; they are the bedrock of a healthy society. By understanding the neuroscience and sociology behind these behaviors, we can cultivate a world that prioritizes cooperation, compassion, and the well-being of all its members. We used the single valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs) with the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method for evaluating the giving and caring impacts. We used TreeSoft to divide the problems as a tree. The SVNSs were used to overcome uncertain information in the evaluation process. The SVNSs were integrated with the DEMATEL method to compute the relationships between …

A Praxis Towards Social Change Based On Foucault's Conceptualization Of Experience As Relational, Lila Maureen Wakeman

Theses and Dissertations--Philosophy

This project develops a praxis towards social change based on the works of Michel Foucault. It first establishes Foucault’s philosophical assumptions, methods, and political goal of countering “objectivizing” modern Western social forces. It then draws on sources from the three major phases of Foucault’s career to trace his development of a general conceptualization of experience as relational, or as non-exhaustively co-constituted by and through three indispensable kinds of social forces: knowledge, power, and ethics. It then evaluates implications of Foucauldian experience for efforts towards social change to conceptualize a general Foucauldian praxis towards social change. The praxis aims to affect …