Digital Commons Network^™

Midwest Opportunity Zones: A Regional And Comparative Analysis Of Tract Selection, Breana R. Spinler

Honors Thesis

Opportunity Zones were implemented within the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 to bring jobs and investment to low-income communities. States were given authority to choose which of their census tracts would be given Opportunity Zone status, and previous research has been conducted to investigate if selected tracts were the ones with the most distress. This study expands upon past national research to investigate state-level Opportunity Zone tract selections and processes by using a sample of seven Midwest states. The results provide an explanation for national studies seeing variance in levels of Opportunity Zone distress by state, and it …

Durations Of Dockless E-Scooter Trips Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic In Austin, Tx: An Analysis Using Hazard-Based Duration Models, Amin Azimian, Junfeng Jiao

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The pandemic arising from the 2019 coronavirus disease has significantly affected all facets of human life across the world, including economies and transportation systems, thereby changing people’s travel behaviors. This research was aimed at exploring the relationship between socio-economic factors and e-scooter trip durations before and during the pandemic. We developed a hazard-based duration approach and estimated multiple spatial and non-spatial models on the basis of 2019 and 2020 dockless e-scooter data collected from the City of Austin’s Open Data Portal. The results indicated an overall increase in e-scooter trip durations after the pandemic. Moreover, analysis of variables revealed potential …

A Gravity Model Integrating Land-Use And Transportation Policies For Sustainable Development: Case Study Of Fresno, California, Chih-Hao Wang, Na Chen

Mineta Transportation Institute

The idea of urban compaction has been long proposed and promoted to address the problem of urban sprawl in many American cities. However, there are still rare successful cases of such implementation in the United States. This study uses a classic gravity model, TELEM (Transpiration, Economic, and Land-Use Model) to examine to what extent a land-use or transportation policy must be regulated to make the urban compaction occur in a typical auto-dependent city—Fresno, California. Five scenarios are considered (BL, L1, L2, T1, and T2), in which the baseline (BL) is a natural growth scenario. Without any policy interventions, the city …

Using Thermal Remote Sensing To Quantify Impact Of Traffic On Urban Heat Islands During Covid, My-Thu Tran, Bo Yang

Mineta Transportation Institute

A three-month lockdown in the U.S. at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 greatly reduced the traffic volume in many cities, especially large metropolitan areas such as the San Francisco Bay Area. This research explores the impact of transportation on climate change by using remote sensing technology and statistical analysis during the COVID-19 lockdown. Using thermal satellite data, this research measures the intensity of the urban heat island, the main driver for climate change during the urbanization process. The research team acquired morning and afternoon MODIS data in the same periods in 2019 before the pandemic and 2020 …

Development And Pilot Testing Of Internet-Delivered, Family-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Anxiety And Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders In Autistic Youth, Andrew G Guzick, Sophie C Schneider, Amanda B Perozo Garcia, Minjee Kook, Rebecca L Greenberg, David Riddle, Morgan Mcneel, Servando Rodriguez-Barajas, Michelle Yang, Blake Upshaw, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Cognitive behavioral therapy adapted for autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD has a strong evidence base, but few have access. A 12-week family-based, Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program for 7-15 year-old autistic youth with anxiety and/or OCD was developed as a potential method to address this problem. Quantitative and qualitative feedback from stakeholders (parents, youth, clinicians) was gathered on an initial draft of content before conducting a pilot trial. This feedback suggested high quality, engagement, usability, and informativeness of the material. Suggestions were incorporated into the treatment program that was tested in a pilot trial. Eight families were randomized …

Poland And The Ukraine War: A Geopolitical Analysis, Thomas Pitney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Poland’s geopolitical role has enhanced since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. As such, Poland’s ambitions have increasingly important implications for regional, European, and global security. The paper attempts to address this phenomenon by posing the following research question: how does Poland pursue its interests in the Ukraine War? Employing qualitative methods on data collected from three formal interviews, one virtual interview, one informal interview, four statements from Poland’s leaders, and a variety of secondary sources, the study aims to answer this question modeling Gyula Csurgai’s (2019) geopolitical analysis framework. The research question is addressed in two ways. …

Youth Perceptions And Constructions Of Urban Space In Morocco, Hadwynne Gross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Moroccan urban spaces are influenced by 800 years of history, and in particular, legacies of colonialism. This research seeks to examine urban space in Morocco through the lens of youth between the ages of 18 and 25 in the capital city of Rabat. Inspired by the book The Image of the City by Kevin Lynch, this research uses a variety of qualitative methods, namely a semi- structured interview and two mental mapping exercises, to explore how youth in Rabat perceive the city’s ability to both adhere to its historical roots and adapt to a rapidly changing world. Exploring urban geography …

Biodiversidad De Plantas En La Reserva Natural Urbana Punta Popper En Río Grande: Una Propuesta Para Senderos Para La Gestión De La Conservación Y Métodos De Campo Replicables En Un Etorno Educativo, Lili Weir

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Patagonian Steppe is an ecoregion that is rich in plant biodiversity (both native and introduced), and the Urban Nature Reserves like Punta Popper in Río Grande provide an opportunity to preserve these sensitive species and educate the public, especially students, about the value of this trophic level. However, many beautiful species are being affected by human activities in the Reserve: such as the mismanagement of the trail systems which has led to erosion of the sand dunes, and the pressures of rapid urban expansion contributing to trash pollution. It is essential that stakeholder communities have access to information and …

Considerations For Solar Development: Comprehensive Assessment Of Solar Production Benefits And Consequences In Portugal, Jonathan Ramos Marcuse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this paper, the potential for solar energy development in Portugal is explored, with a focus on the Alentejo region of Portugal. The Fernando Pessoa Photovoltaic plant that is approved for construction in the Santiago do Cacém municipality is analyzed. The size of the plant and the location are considered when studying the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the project. The possibility of a centralized solar array in Sines is also explored as an alternative, taking into account the environmental and social impacts on local communities. Additionally, the feasibility and benefits of implementing a decentralized energy grid, utilizing scattered …

Consumo Verde ¿Para Quién?: Las Tierras, Cosmovisiones, Y Personas Escondidas Detrás De La Fiebre Del Oro Blanco / Green Consumption, For Who?: The Lands, World Views, And People Hidden Behind The White Gold Rush., Gabriel Gómez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La “Transición energética” a consumo verde ha sido reconocida globalmente como el camino necesario para evitar lo peor de la crisis climática, pero es una solución que depende en un aumento del litio. La manera más usada para extraer el litio genera impactos destructivos en los ambientes que contienen el recurso, y en Sudamérica, donde los habitantes son mayormente indígena. Usando las comunidades de Salinas Grandes y Laguna de Guayatayoc en Jujuy, Argentina como un caso práctico, este proyecto propone analizar cómo el discurso hegemónico del consumo verde invisibiliza a gente indígena, y cómo estas comunidades resisten entendimientos occidentales y …

U.S. Government Information Resources For Accountability On U.S. Assistance To Ukraine, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides detailed coverage of U.S. Government information resources documenting accountability for U.S. civilian and military assistance to Ukraine. Includes U.S. laws, agencies involved in U.S. arms export policy, Defense Department resources and data, Defense Dept. Inspector General reports, Government Accountability Office reports, congressional committee hearings, a letter from a congressional committee to the Secretaries of Defense and State and U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, congressional debate, and congressional recorded votes.

A Look Into Dhs-Sponsored Community Programs, Daniel Cook

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The Center for Prevention Partnership and Programs (CP3) is the arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that works to prevent acts of targeted violence and terrorism (TVT). This is accomplished through partnering with local and state organizations, law enforcement agencies, and universities to construct prevention frameworks, best practice reviews, and innovative solutions to attempt to make the United States safer from individuals who are at risk for radicalizing toward violence. For these organizations, CP3 provides technical, financial, and educational assistance. Beyond that, community partners work to find develop programs and execute solutions that are specific to the needs …

Public Support: A Missing Variable In The Trade Policy Equation, Jill O’Donnell

Yeutter Institute International Trade Policy Review

As Canada considers launching free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with Ecuador, the government wants to know what Canadians think. Ottawa makes it easy for citizens to weigh in, inviting Canadians to “join the discussion” and submit their “views, reflections and priorities” on the potential FTA through a Global Affairs Canada web page that is clear, inviting, and user-friendly. Under a section titled, “Who should participate?” the first answer given is “individuals.”

Although the Biden administration has been clear that it will not seek new FTA negotiations, taking a page from Canada’s public consultation playbook may be instructive, at least when …

Partnering To Advance Equity In Coastal Resilience: Lessons Learned For Research And Practice Collaborations For On-The-Ground Projects, Marina Saitgalina, Jennifer Whytlaw, Nicole Hutton, Tom Allen, Joshua Behr, Wie Yusuf

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

No abstract provided.

Advancing An Agenda For Social Equity And Coastal Resilience Through A Multi-Sectoral, Multi-Disciplinary And Applied Research Lens, Wie Yusuf, Marina Saitgalina, Jennifer Whytlaw, Nicole Hutton, Tom Allen, Joshua Behr

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

No abstract provided.

Ecological And Environmental Changes And Protection Measures Of Lakes In China, Ganlin Zhang, Xiaohong Gu, Tao Zhao, Yunlin Zhang, Ligang Xu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Lakes (including artificial reservoirs) are important surface water resources, and they are also an important part of the earth surface system consisting of "mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grassland and desert". Based on the lake survey data and long-term monitoring data collected by the Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences as well as other institutions, this paper systematically analyzed the overall status and long-term trends of the ecological and environmental changes of natural and artificial lakes in China, focused on the ecological and environmental status and changes of typical lakes in the five major lake zones …

Achievement Of Wetland Protection And Restoration And Development Strategies In China, Hui Zhu, Haitao Wu, Xiaoxu Xing, Tian Xie, Changchun Song, Guodong Wang, Ming Jiang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Wetland provides various ecological functions, and wetland protection and restoration directly affect national security, sustainability of economy and society, as well as human well-being. This study has systematically summarized the current status of wetland resource and the achievement of wetland protection in China, and the conclusions will provide scientific support for the policy making in wetland protection and management. The area of wetland in China was 41.2×104 km2 based on remote sensing monitoring in 2020, which lead the first in Asia. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the area of wetland has showed a …

Changes And Protection Suggestions In Water Resources And Ecological Environment In Arid Region Of Northwest China, Yaning Chen, Zhongqin Li, Jianhua Xu, Yanjun Shen, Xiaoxu Xing, Tian Xie, Zhi Li, Linshan Yang, Haiyan Xi, Chenggang Zhu, Gonghuan Fang, Jianhua Si, Yuanming Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The arid region of Northwest China is one of the driest regions in the world and is characterized with severe water scarcity. Water shortage is the most critical natural factor limiting the high-quality economic and social development and ecological security in the arid region of Northwest China. Based on the long-term monitoring data from the field stations of Chinese Academy of Sciences, observation data of meteorological stations, water resources bulletin and the remote sensing data, this study systematically analyzes the basic characteristics of water resources and ecological environment in the arid region of Northwest China, assesses the changing trends of …

Past Achievements And Future Strategies Of Eco-Environmental Construction In Mega Urban Agglomerations In Eastern China, Lina Tang, Ting Lan, Xiaoxu Xing, Tian Xie, Weifeng Li, Chuanglin Fang, Yanni Cao, Yaoyang Xu, Dingkai Chen, Lin Wang, Zhifeng Wu, Zhibang Xu, Weiqi Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Yangtze River Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area are the three largest urban agglomerations in China, and have been increasingly becoming the core engines of China's economic growth. Nevertheless, rapid regional urbanization accompanying high-intensity human activities has also brought enormous social and environmental pressure in these urban agglomerations, posing a grand challenge to urban and regional sustainability. This study conducts a cross-urban agglomeration comparison of the ecological and environmental changes over the past two decades. Using a combination of remotely sensed data, in-situ monitoring data, and environmental statistic data, the changes in four dimensions are quantified, namely …

Thoughts And Suggestions On Oasis Ecological Construction And Agricultural Development In Hexi Corridor, Wenzhi Zhao, Heng Ren, Jun Du, Rong Yang, Qiyue Yang, Hu Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Oasisization is an external manifestation of the temporal and spatial evolution of oasis in arid areas, and the regional water carrying capacity is the key to restricting oasis agriculture and ecological protection in arid areas. The Hexi Corridor is not only an important passage from the east to the west in China, but also an important carrier of regional development; it is not only an important ecological barrier in Northwest China, but also a typical irrigated agricultural area. After more than 60 years of construction, the Hexi Corridor has made remarkable achievements in social progress, traffic conditions, ecological construction and …

Peace Studies And The Limits To Growth, Selina Gallo-Cruz

The Journal of Social Encounters

150 Peace Studies and the Limits to Growth Selina Gallo-Cruz Scientists have issued increasingly dire warnings about the present and future danger posed by ecological overshoot. Peace scholars’ entrée into this discourse is often through a concern over extractive politics, a central locus for how conflicts are bound up in environmental destruction at the hands of the same industries responsible for ecological decline. Policy and practical responses to the urgent need to scale down production lag behind reality, however, and a global growth-based economy continues to prevail. Here, I explore the dilemmas faced by peace studies scholars who may want …

The Multiple Paths Of Extraction, Dispossession, And Conflict In Mozambique: From Tete’S Coal Mines To Cabo Delgado’S Lng Projects, Ruy Llera Blanes, Ana Carolina Rodrigues, Euclides Gonçalves

The Journal of Social Encounters

When it comes to extractive processes, conflict, and peacebuilding, the case of Mozambique has recently taken center stage due to the emergence of an Islamic insurgency movement in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in its northern province of Cabo Delgado. This is but one part of a complex process of highly conflictual extractivist projects unfolding in the country. In this article, we argue that, beyond the specific case of LNG, there is a logic of continuity and accumulation regarding extraction-related grievances that, over the years, has generated community resentment in natural resource rich areas. Multiple accumulating forms of dispossession …

How Have Researchers Defined Institutions, Politics, Organizations And Governance In Research Related To Epidemic And Pandemic Response? A Scoping Review To Map Current Concepts, Austin Wu, Shivangi Khanna, Shelly Keidar, Peter Berman, Laura Jane Brubacher

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In recent years, the literature on public health interventions and health outcomes in the context of epidemic and pandemic response has grown immensely. However, relatively few of these studies have situated their findings within the institutional, political, organizational and governmental (IPOG) context in which interventions and outcomes exist. This conceptual mapping scoping study synthesized the published literature on the impact of IPOG factors on epidemic and pandemic response and critically examined definitions and uses of the terms IPOG in this literature. This research involved a comprehensive search of four databases across the social, health and biomedical sciences as well as …

Chatgpt As Metamorphosis Designer For The Future Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai): A Conceptual Investigation, Amarjit Kumar Singh (Library Assistant), Dr. Pankaj Mathur (Deputy Librarian)

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to explore ChatGPT’s potential as an innovative designer tool for the future development of artificial intelligence. Specifically, this conceptual investigation aims to analyze ChatGPT’s capabilities as a tool for designing and developing near about human intelligent systems for futuristic used and developed in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Also with the helps of this paper, researchers are analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT as a tool, and identify possible areas for improvement in its development and implementation. This investigation focused on the various features and functions of ChatGPT that …

Open Science-Related Policies In Europe, Shima Moradi, Sajede Abdi

Other Topics

This study aims to review the open science (OS) policy documents, identify their subject areas, and distinguish the topics of OS support policies in seven European countries, providing a platform for practical cooperation between countries in science popularization. With a qualitative– inductive approach, all pertinent policy documents in OS were collected through documentary study, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify OS policies for each country. Finally, forty-six policy documents extracted up to December 2020 were thematically analyzed through a qualitative–inductive case study. All selected countries had developed OS policies, and these supportive policies were generally related to the three …

Daoism And Design: Mapping The Conflict In Syria, Ned Beechinor Marsh, Heather S. Gregg

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

In contemporary military operations, some problems are so complex they do not give way to linear solutions but require problem management instead. Combining the fundamentals of Dao De Jing philosophy with the US military design process offers a new perspective to analyze complex security problems, devise management strategies, and plan military operations. Applying this new approach to the complex security environment in Syria allows for a nonlinear mapping of long-term goals and a new perspective on relationships between key actors, environmental factors that restrict changes in the security environment, and where planners should focus their attention.

Partnering To Advance Equity In Coastal Resilience: Lessons Learned For Research And Practice Collaborations For On-The-Ground Projects, Ren-Neasha Blake Gilmore, Marina Saitgalina, Jennifer Whytlaw, Nicole Hutton, Tom Allen, Joshua Behr, Wie Yusuf

Presentations, Lectures, Posters, Reports

No abstract provided.

Rural Gentrification And The Spillover Effect: Integrated Transportation, Housing, And Land Use Challenges And Strategies In Gateway Communities, Danya Rumore, Philip Stoker

TREC Final Reports

Small towns and cities near national parks, public lands, and other natural amenities throughout the West are experiencing rapid growth and increased visitation. These “gateway communities” comprise a significant portion of the rural West, constituting about 31% of all communities and more than 60% of those under 25,000 people. Our prior NITC-funded research shows that growth and increased tourism create a range of “big city challenges” for gateway communities, particularly a significant increase in housing prices, which pushes the local workforce to outlying areas and other rural communities. As a result, despite being small towns, many developed gateway communities have …

Planning, Preserving, And Increasing Accessibility: A Reflection On Going “Car-Free”, Abigail J. Weizer

City and Regional Planning

This paper studies the accessibility of car-free areas to those with mobility impairments by examining three car-free and car-lite experiments in California. Whether slowly converted to car-free with long-term, careful planning, or expeditiously changed to car-free during the COVID-19 pandemic, these three car-free experiments show the shortcomings of planning for accessibility in car-free spaces, and how instead of improving accessibility, current planning practice often hinders it. This paper offers a deep-dive into the drawbacks and benefits of going car-free and the ethical and legal reasons why urban planners, designers, and policymakers must consider the accessibility of a space before planning …

Place Still Matters: Social Vulnerabilities, Place-Level Disadvantage, And Food Insecurity During Covid-19, Kevin M. Fitzpatrick, Casey Harris, Don Willis, Amber Obermaier, Grant Drawve

Sociology and Criminology Faculty Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 variants continue to create public health danger impacting mortality and morbidity across the United States. The spillover effects of COVID-19 on the economy and social institutions pose a significant threat to broader wellbeing, including the food security of millions across the country. We aim to explore whether the context of place matters above and beyond individual and social vulnerabilities for food insecurity. To do so, we employ a multi-level framework using data from a survey of over 10,000 U.S. adults from March 2020 with American Community Survey (ACS) and John Hopkins COVID Dashboard county-level data. We find nearly two …