Digital Commons Network^™

How Can Event Attribution Science Underpin Financial Decisions On Loss And Damage?, Dim Coumou, Paola A. Arias, Ana Bastos, Charlotte Kendra Z. Gotangco Gonzales, Gabriele C. Hegerl, Pandora Hope, Christopher Jack, Friederike Otto, Fahad Saeed, Olivia Serdeczny, Theodore G. Shepherd, Robert Vautard

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

With climate extremes hitting nations across the globe, disproportionately burdening vulnerable developing countries, the prompt operation of the Loss and Damage fund is of paramount importance. As decisions on resource disbursement at the international level, and investment strategies at the national level, loom, the climate science community’s role in providing fair and effective evidence is crucial. Attribution science can provide useful information for decision makers, but both ethical implications and deep uncertainty cannot be ignored. Considering these aspects, we articulate a vision that integrates established attribution methods and multiple lines of evidence within a coherent logical framework.

20,000 Ft. View: An Introduction To Emergency Management, Bethany Swindell, Jamie Stacy

ATU Faculty OER Books and Materials

This book adopts a "20,000-foot view" approach, offering an essential understanding of emergency management without delving into operational specifics. It doesn't detail day-to-day practices of emergency management offices. Instead, it paints a high-level portrait of the field's core principles. This approach equips readers with a broad framework—a canvas onto which they can later add layers of specialized knowledge.

Housing Policy And Eviction: An Iterative Process., Oleksandra Maksymivna Belinova

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previously, eviction has been perceived as a legal problem rather than a social issue. Previous literature examines eviction as a social problem and the role of program administrators in policy implementation. Through a mixed-methods study of in-depth semi structured interviews and secondary descriptive analysis of eviction data, this study serves explores program administrators’ perspectives on housing policy and eviction practices and the impact these perspectives have on policy implementation and eviction prevention. The results indicate that program administrators view eviction as a legal phenomenon influenced by housing market dynamics with eviction prevention efforts limited by data collection and the lack …

Coproduction Revisited: From Theory To Practice., Brenton Clarke Hereford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coproduction, or the interaction of citizens with their public service provider, has been used in policy responses to a myriad of service delivery problems, especially policing. This dissertation uses a three-manuscript approach to revisit coproduction both as a theory and a practice. The first manuscript tracks the evolution of coproduction as a theory from three different disciplines: economics, urban theory, and public administration. In addressing the three disciplines, the manuscript explains what broadly united the coproduction literature and the differences that hindered the early development of the concept. It concludes with how the concept is used today, and how future …

Safeguarding Women's Health: Trends, Inequities, And Opportunities In Pakistan's Abortion And Post-Abortion Care Services, Ali M. Mir, Zeba Sathar, Iqbal Shah, Rehan M. Niazi, Tahira Parveen, Susheela Singh

Safe Abortion and Postabortion Care

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive study on abortion and post-abortion care in Pakistan, conducted in 2023 by the Population Council in partnership with the Guttmacher Institute. The study addresses a critical need for updated information on women's reproductive health in Pakistan, a country facing significant challenges including a high population growth rate (2.55% per annum), low contraceptive use (34% for any method, 23.4% for modern methods), and a high unmet need for family planning (17.3%). The study is the third of its kind since 2002, building on previous research conducted in 2002 and 2012. It comes at …

Project Turnkey Evaluation, Anna Rockhill, Sarah Mercurio, Franklin Holcomb Spurbeck

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

In 2020-2021 Oregon legislators approved $74.7 million to assist communities to purchase local motels and convert them into emergency shelters. The goal was to help keep people safe during COVID and to address the need for housing for victims of the wildfires in light of the deficit of appropriate shelter resources facing the state. A total of 19 projects received funding, and by 2023 all of the projects were providing services to people experiencing homelessness. Combined, this resulted in 865 new units of emergency shelter-- a 20% increase in the state’s supply. According to an analysis done by Oregon Community …

Recreational Cannabis In Louisiana: Anticipating Potential Risks For Motor Vehicle Safety In The Short And Long Term, Aimee H. Moles, Andrew Burns, Ashley Tillison, Austin L. Matthews

Reports

This document, titled Recreational Cannabis in Louisiana: Anticipating Potential Risks for Motor Vehicle Safety in the Short and Long Term, provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential impacts that cannabis legalization could have on road safety in Louisiana. The document is written to equip policymakers and concerned citizens with the necessary knowledge to navigate the complex landscape of cannabis legalization and its implications for public safety.

Key Objectives and Scope: The primary purpose of this document is to evaluate the potential risks associated with recreational cannabis legalization on motor vehicle safety, drawing on data and experiences from Canada and states …

Aging In Newton: A Community Needs Assessment, Claire Wickersham, Katherine Burnes, Shu Xu, Caitlin E. Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

This report presents the results of a comprehensive examination of issues relating to aging in Newton. A needs assessment was undertaken to support planning on the part of the City of Newton and the Department of Older Adult Services. Results presented here focus on the characteristics and needs of Newton residents who are aged 60 and older. Data was collected via key informant interviews, focus groups with residents and stakeholders and a mailed survey of residents aged 60 and older. Respondents to the community survey included 2,869 Newton residents, which resulted in a response rate of more than 50%. As …

Book Review: Poor Atlanta: Poverty, Race, And The Limits Of Sunbelt Development, Michael Camp

Georgia Library Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Carceral Degrees: Successful Postsecondary Educational Pathways For Students Impacted By The Criminal Justice System In Maine, Mara Sanchez Phd

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The benefits of postsecondary degrees are striking for populations who have experienced incarceration, yet little is understood about how this population succeeds with educational attainment upon release from incarceration. This qualitative collective case study examined to what extent and how six formerly incarcerated individuals who started educational programming while incarcerated successfully persisted with postsecondary degrees after being released back into Maine communities. This study found that participants related education to self-care or treatment, described their own education journeys as different, or taking a different path, and felt motivated to persist with education despite external expectations, which one participant labeled “transformational …

A Study Of The Impact And Mitigation Strategies For Community-Defined Historic Places At Immediate (Within Three Decades) Risk Of Sea Level Rise, Isaac Quaye

All Theses

The rising sea level casts formidable threats on community-based historic places within coastal communities. These community-defined historic places derive their meaning from local values and are more recognized within the local community. Unlike recognized iconic historic places, these resources are confronted with inadequate resources to address the impacts of punctuated climate events. This study investigates the imminent threats posed by sea level rise (SLR) to community-defined historic places within the next three decades (2025) and explores mitigation strategies proposed by stakeholders. The study used a GIS-based (enhanced bathtub model) to model the impact of coastal inundation on three historic places …

Transforming Grassland Conservation: Challenges And Opportunities Across Law, Policy, And Human Dimensions, Conor D. Barnes

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Great Plains social-ecological systems are facing growing pressure from complex, ‘wicked’ problems. Addressing these problems will require integrating ecological resilience and complex systems thinking concepts into our legal framework in order to better reflect the changing ecological reality of the Great Plains and promote flexibility and adaptability in the face of that change. In this dissertation, I examine how past and present policy priorities have affected social-ecological systems on the Great Plains, and how ecological resilience and complex systems thinking might be applied to grassland management policy. In Chapter 2, I examine the rapid progress made in the adoption of …

Further Developing Drought Early Warning Information Systems Using Mixed-Methods And Multiple Streams Of Data, Caily Claire Schwartz

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Drought is a complex phenomenon with varying degrees of impacts and monitoring methods. No drought is alike, creating a challenge for both water managers and communities. No area is immune to a drought. Due to the cyclical nature of drought events, clear information to those impacted is necessary to reduce risk and move towards proactive responses, as opposed to reactive responses. To better provide communication and mitigation tools, Drought Early Warning Information Systems (DEWIS) have been developed in various regions and contexts. To improve early warning, an understanding of the end user’s perceptions of risk, and the applicability of data …

The Growth And Governance Of American Classical And Christian Schools, Cassidy Syftestad Klutts

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Classical and Christian education has proliferated across education sectors over the last decade. As a result, school leaders must implement these timeless philosophies of education and navigate such high demand. This dissertation seeks to equip relevant parties with research about what drives their skyrocketing enrollment and how to support school leaders and their governing boards. My first chapter uses in-person focus groups to understand the school choices of 25 parents whose children are enrolled in Texas-based classical charter schools. I explore the ways in which parents found their children’s school; what made them enroll their children; and whether they are …

Political Constructions Of People Who Use Drugs In The Philippines: A Qualitative Content Analysis, Gideon Lasco

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Background

This paper examines the political constructions of people who use drugs in the Philippines throughout the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte (2016–2022), during which the government engaged in a ‘war on drugs’ and promoted a punitive drug regime.

Methods

Building on and drawing inspiration from the global drug policy scholarship that has looked at the ways in which drugs are framed and problematised in various domains, this study used qualitative content analysis to review 96 documents from national government agencies - including strategic action plans, directives, memorandums, guidelines, annual reports, and legislative measures.

Results

Foremost, the study finds that various …

Redefining Missing In The Third Space Of Sovereignty: Collaborative Governance On Idaho's Missing And Murdered Indigenous Persons Policy, Melanie Fillmore

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This three-article dissertation addresses how Indigenous and non-Indigenous state and non-state policy actors collaborating on Idaho missing and murdered Indigenous persons (MMIP) policy shift the Integrative Framework for Collaborative Governance (IFCG) policy context to the ‘third space of sovereignty’ (Bruyneel, 2007). In a space of competing narratives of authority across time, and space, paper one addresses how Indigenous and non-Indigenous policy actors are shaped by the “drivers” of collaboration. The second paper addresses three key configurations of collaborative governance regimes. The third paper reassesses the scope of Idaho MMIP through a comparison of MMIP cases in 2021 and 2023 as …

Impact Of Placement Disruption On School Outcomes In Maltreated Youth, Mallory Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

School attendance is a crucial component of a youth’s ability to access resources and attain educational success. Maltreated youth are at increased risk for school absences, poor school performance, impairment in cognitive processes, and development of psychopathology. Disruption from their known systems (i.e., family, social, school) as a result of removal from home creates unique and substantial barriers for maltreated youth in attending and engaging in school. The present study used a sample of maltreated youth and binomial logistic regression analyses to determine if the number of lifetime placements impacts school outcome variables of school attendance, classroom behavior, and academic …

Explaining The Wealth Gap In Chattanooga Through Housing Policy Design: Do Chattanooga Housing Policies Contribute To The Wealth Gap?, Kendall Davis

Honors Theses

Some scholars contend various public policies have continued to play a role in the creation and persistence of racial wealth inequalities particularly in housing. This thesis explains the wealth gap in Chattanooga through housing policy design and answers the question: Do Chattanooga housing policies contribute to the wealth gap? The thesis also explores local Chattanooga policies believed to influence the wealth gap such as the destruction of the Big Nine, the redevelopment of the Golden Gateway, and the many City of Chattanooga zoning codes (redlining). In addition, this thesis will examine federal policies that have contributed to the wealth gap …

Evolving Community Preparedness: Analysis Of United States Pandemic Health Disaster Readiness, Jessy Rugeyo

Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown substantial gaps in counties' preparedness and response capacity across the United States. This study analyzes the relationship between county-level pandemic preparedness and confirmed COVID-19 cases using secondary data from the FEMA's National Household Survey (NHS) and county-level COVID-19 data from the CDC. The data show a negative relationship between preparedness levels and COVID-19 positive rates, highlighting the necessity of proactive readiness measures. Individual risk assessment, motivation for preparedness, and socioeconomic variables have a major influence on confirmed cases. Higher levels of education, income, and preparedness are associated with lower positive rates, emphasizing the importance of …

Cerebrovascular Reactivity Mri As A Biomarker For Cerebral Small Vessel Disease–Related Cognitive Decline: Multi-Site Validation In The Markvcid Consortium, Peiying Liu, Zixuan Lin, Kaisha Hazel, George Pottanat, Cuimei Xu, Dengrong Jiang, Jay J. Pillai, Emma Lucke, Christopher E. Bauer, Brian T. Gold, Steven M. Greenburg, Karl G. Helmer, Kay Jann, Gregory Jicha, Joel Kramer, Pauline Maillard, Rachel M. Mulavelil, Pavel Rodriguez, Claudia L. Satizabal, Kristin Schwab, Sudha Seshadri, Herpreet Singh, Ángel G. Velarde Dediós, Danny J. J. Wang, Rita R. Kalyani, Abhay Moghekar, Paul B. Rosenberg, Sevil Yasar, Marilyn Albert, Hanzhang Lu

Neurology Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) represent a major factor in cognitive decline in older adults. The present study examined the relationship between cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive function in a multi-site study, using a predefined hypothesis.

METHODS: We conducted the study in a total of three analysis sites and 263 subjects. Each site performed an identical CVR MRI procedure using 5% carbon dioxide inhalation. A global cognitive measure of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and an executive function measure of item response theory (IRT) score were used as outcomes.

RESULTS: CVR …

The Effects Of Grading Equity Practices On Students: Do Student Perceptions Of And Teachers’ Exposure To Grading Equity Practices Matter?, Sarah Ruth Morris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines grading practices within schools, tracing the evolution from traditional to modern approaches and highlighting the social dimensions and debates surrounding grading. Through a mixed-methods study spanning three empirical chapters, it explores students' and teachers' perceptions of grading practices, the impact of professional development (PD) on teachers' approaches to grading equity, and the resultant effects on student outcomes. Chapter Two reveals students' preferences for practices that recognize effort and support academic growth, alongside a tension between Pre-AP students' resistance and the support from students under high stress. Chapter Three finds that while PD can shift teachers' views …

Learning From Burning: Connecting Fire Managers And Fire Scientists, Coleman Lloyd Little

All Theses

The fire community is one of transparency and learning, and embedded in its culture is an openness of sharing successes and failures in order to learn and adapt. United by a shared desire to effectively understand and utilize controlled burns to successfully extinguish wildfires and research their lasting effects, fire managers and fire scientists coexist in partnerships commonly referred to as knowledge exchange networks. This research examines one such network, the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists (CAFMS), through the experiences of some of its members, serving to develop an understanding of how the consortium functions as a knowledge …

Health Professional Regulation And Provision Of Quality Health Services; Cross Sectional Analysis Of Private Health Care Providers In Wajir County, Kenya, Ali Ahmed Mohamed Qadar, Wanja Mwaura-Tenambergen, Eunice Muthoni, Luke Wahome Kinyua

Population Health, East Africa

Background: Health professional regulatory bodies oversee and enforce standards in healthcare to safeguard patient safety and prevent harm. However, international consistency in these regulations remains limited. The Kenya health sector relies on various bodies to enforce standards among professionals and institutions, albeit constrained by financial and human resources that hinder effective oversight. This study aimed to assess how regulatory practicessuch as licensing, training oversight, inspection of practice, and quality assurance mechanisms- affect the quality of healthcare provided by private providers.

Methods: The study targeted 108 healthcare providers from 36 private health facilities, primarily nurses and clinical officers. A sample of …

Engaging Survivors In Transnational Justice Governance: Global, National And Local Perspectives From Uganda's Post Lra Insurgency, Dennis Jjuuko

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The end of the Second World War established the Nuremberg trials and the Tokyo tribunal while the United Nations (UN) system established ad-hoc tribunals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and multilateralism facilitated the creation of the present-day International Criminal Court (ICC). These trials and tribunals established liberal approaches to transnational justice governance. Despite the dominance of a liberal universalist justice framework, non-liberal justice approaches have also emerged. Considered as alternative customized justice structures, including South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Rwanda’s Gacaca Courts, these community emergent approaches emphasize a transformative approach to addressing legacies of civil conflict …

Rural Oral Health Access Disparities In New York State, Renae Williams Atkinson Dmd, Ms, Stacy Mcilduff Cfre, Hayward Derek Horton Phd

The New York State Dental Journal

Disparities in access to dental care for those whose primary/only dental insurance is Medicaid is a known issue. The infamous case of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver from Maryland brought this great need for access to private dental care through Medicaid to the fore. Yet, to this date, there has been no resource to address this great need.

Dentists accepting Medicaid fall into two categories: those who practice in federally qualified health centers (FQHC), and those who practice privately. FQHCs are known anecdotally to have long waitlists, delaying access to needed care (as in the case of Driver). This is compounded by …

American Rescue Plan Act (Arpa) Local Government Investments In Nevada, Sean Curry, Madison Dwyer, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Economic Development & Workforce

This fact sheet examines data from the Brooking Institution’s Local Government ARPA Investment Tracker, an online database that tracks the spending of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars at the local government level. This fact sheet examines ARPA spending data from six Nevadan cities and counties: Washoe, NV; City of North Las Vegas, NV; City of Las Vegas, NV; City of Reno NV; City of Henderson, NV; and Clark County, NV.

A Cross-Country Analysis Of China’S Belt And Road Initiative, Leah Shoff

International Studies (MA) Theses

China established The Belt and Road Initiative in 2013 to unite the global economy as well as bolter their own political and economic interests. Though the initiative is relatively new, it is important to understand how the Belt and Road Initiative could impact the global economy. This program is open to any country in the world that seeks to improve its infrastructure. However, critics of China’s proposal have questioned whether countries participating in the program gain economically. Through evaluating the relationship between GDP, time, and other significant data provided by the IMF, a cross-country comparison between Pakistan and the Philippines …

Disparities Surrounding The Availability Of Feminine Hygiene Products In The Workplace, Marlene Ventura

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Menstrual inequality in the workplace continues to exist, affecting financial welfare, mental health, physical health, and access to care. Women have been enduring disparities related to menstruation, including stigma, shame, and period poverty, which are often exacerbated in the workplace. This study aims to explore the experiences of women who do not have access to free feminine hygiene products in the workplace.

The researcher conducted one-to-one interviews in person with employed women (n=9). The questions were semi-structured and based on a survey with nineteen questions addressing areas of menstrual inequality in the workplace. Seven themes were identified: 1) work performance, …

Human Rights Violations Against Legal Immigrants In Minnesota, John Ewu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite legal entitlements to protections under the International Bill of Human Rights, legal immigrants in Minnesota face human rights violations, including discrimination, harassment, and denial of essential services. These violations hinder their well-being, social integration, and economic stability, exacerbate existing disparities, and their ability to provide for their families and secure legal representation. The purpose of this study was to provide information that could be used in considering policy reforms to improve the treatment of immigrants in Minnesota. This was achieved by exploring how Mexican, Somali, and Hmong legal immigrants experienced human rights violations in Minnesota as a vulnerable population …

Mda At Your Service: My License Expired, And I’M Overwhelmed, Kristin Johnson Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Michigan Public Health Code allows a 60-day grace period for license renewal with late fees and CE requirements. For health insurance options, MDA Insurance provides assistance and quotes. Attend the MDA Health Insurance Seminar on Oct. 25 for more insights. Engage in organized dentistry via local society meetings, the MDA Leadership Forum, and the LEAD Program. MDA Insurance offers Medicare support, including educational events on Sept. 13 and 27. For more details, contact relevant MDA representatives.