Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond Bivariate Correlations: Three-Block Partial Least Squares Illustrated With Vegetation, Soil, And Topography, Daehyun Kim, Thomas J. Dewitt, Cesar S. B. Costa, John A. Kupfer, Ryan W. Mcewan, J. Anthony Stallins

Geography Faculty Publications

Ecologists, particularly those engaged in biogeomorphic studies, often seek to connect data from three or more domains. Using three-block partial least squares regression, we present a procedure to quantify and define bi-variance and tri-variance of data blocks related to plant communities, their soil parameters, and topography. Bi-variance indicates the total amount of covariation between these three domains taken in pairs, whereas tri-variance refers to the common variance shared by all domains. We characterized relationships among three domains (plant communities, soil properties, topography) for a salt marsh, four coastal dunes, and two temperate forests spanning several regions in the world. We …

Lithium In Drinking Water And Suicide Mortality: Interplay With Lithium Prescriptions, Marco Helbich, Michael Leitner, Nestor D. Kapusta

Faculty Publications

Background: Little is known about the effects of lithium intake through drinking water on suicide. This intake originates either from natural rock and soil elution and/or accumulation of lithium-based pharmaceuticals in ground water. Aims: To examine the interplay between natural lithium in drinking water, prescribed lithium-based pharmaceuticals and suicide in Austria. Method: Spatial Bayesian regressions for males, females and pooled suicide mortality rates were estimated. Results: Although the expected inverse association between lithium levels in drinking water and suicide mortality was confirmed for males and for total suicide rates, the relationship for females was not significant. The models do not …

Comparative Analysis Of Meissner's Corpuscles In The Fingertips Of Primates, A. Verendeev, C. Thomas, S. C. Mcfarlin, William D. Hopkins, Kimberley A. Phillips, Chet C. Sherwood

Psychology Faculty Research

Meissner's corpuscles (MCs) are tactile mechanoreceptors found in the glabrous skin of primates, including fingertips. These receptors are characterized by sensitivity to light touch, and therefore might be associated with the evolution of manipulative abilities of the hands in primates. We examined MCs in different primate species, including common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus, n = 5), baboon (Papio anubis, n = 2), rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta, n = 3), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes, n = 3), bonobo (Pan paniscus, n = 1) and human (Homo sapiens, n = 8). Fingertips …

Localized Ecological And Educational Effects Of Environmental Service-Learning In Portland, Oregon, Steven Matthew Braun

Dissertations and Theses

Environmental service-learning is an intentional educational experience(s) wherein learners engage in meaningful activities designed to serve the environment. Environmental service-learning activities vary according to their learning and service goals and include ecomanagement, persuasion, legal action, economic action and political action. The purpose of this mixed methods research was to explore the ecological and educational impacts of grades 6-12 environmental education, with special attention to environmental service-learning throughout Portland, Oregon.

Ecological impacts considered restoration and conservation outcomes of several environmental service-learning programs including plant communities, soils, litter removal and trail maintenance. Educational outcomes considered aspects of environmental literacy including locus of …

Chapter Eight: Ethnoarchaeology Of Foraging And The Case Of Vanishing Agriculturalists In The Amazon Basin, Pei-Lin Yu

Anthropology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Debates about ancient Amazonian social organization have evaluated characterizations from a range of sources that include ethnographically documented foraging societies and archaeological discoveries suggestive of sedentized agriculturists. This study uses qualitative ethnoarchaeological data about foraging and small-scale horticulture among the Pumé of Venezuela, and Lewis Binford’s quantified database of foraging groups and environmental parameters, to develop a testable model that predicts the conditions under which Amazon Basin foragers would (or would not) intensify subsistence to the point of incorporating maize and other cultivars; as well as the conditions for reversing the process. Specific expectations for the archaeological and paleoenvironmental record …

Socioecological Processes In The Science Of Planetary Change, Cynthia Twyford Fowler, Cynthia Fowler

Faculty Scholarship

This presentation seeks to further understandings of human encounters with socioecological change and also of socioecological processes in the science of planetary change. In this presentation, I interpret the space-time involvements of two social groups. Using one filter, I do basic science by examining the ways Sumbanese construct the monsoonal landscapes which they communicate about, within which they move, and where they interact with other constituents of their environments. Using an alternate filter, I engage critical theory by deconstructing the ways scientists’ visualize changing landscapes with the aid of geospatial technologies. Whose purposes do geospatial scientists serve in documenting the …

Microhabitat Use Affects Brain Size And Structure In Intertidal Gobies, Gemma E. White, Culum Brown

Veterinary Science and Medicine Collection

The ecological cognition hypothesis poses that the brains and behaviours of individuals are largely shaped by the environments in which they live and the associated challenges they must overcome during their lives. Here we examine the effect of environmental complexity on relative brain size in 4 species of intertidal gobies from differing habitats. Two species were rock pool specialists that lived on spatially complex rocky shores, while the remainder lived on dynamic, but structurally simple, sandy shores. We found that rock pool-dwelling species had relatively larger brains and telencephalons in particular, while sand-dwelling species had a larger optic tectum and …

Family Ownership And R&D Investment: The Role Of Growth Opportunities And Business Group Membership, Young Rok Choi, Shaker A. Zahra, Toru Yoshikawa, Bong H. Han

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study examines whether the influence of family ownership on R&D investment varies depending on growth opportunities and business group membership. Using data on Korean firms over ten years (1998-2007), the study shows that family ownership is negatively related to R&D investment, but the relationship becomes positive when growth opportunities are present. The moderating effect, however, differs between independent family firms and family business groups. The positive influence that growth opportunities have on promoting R&D investment is diminished for affiliates of family business groups. These findings imply that family owners invest more in R&D when their family control goals are …

A Biometric Analysis Of Mate Choice Copying In People, Jonathan Lenhardt

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Mate choice copying is the notion that a person or animal, after observing another choosing a romantic or sexual partner, will perceive that partner as more attractive and possibly attempt to acquire that same partner for themselves. Using measurement of pupil size in response to the presentation of pictures of men and women both alone and with a neutral or admiring partner, it was hypothesized that such a biometric measure could substantiate previous research that has supported the evidence of mate choice copying in people. This study's methodology complements that of previous studies utilizing questionnaires to measure the attractiveness of …

The Relationship Between Manuscript Title Structure And Success: Editorial Decisions And Citation Performance For An Ecological Journal, Charles W. Fox, C. Sean Burns

Entomology Faculty Publications

A poorly chosen article title may make a paper difficult to discover or discourage readership when discovered, reducing an article's impact. Yet, it is unclear how the structure of a manuscript's title influences readership and impact. We used manuscript tracking data for all manuscripts submitted to the journal Functional Ecology from 2004 to 2013 and citation data for papers published in this journal from 1987 to 2011 to examine how title features changed and whether a manuscript's title structure was predictive of success during the manuscript review process and/or impact (citation) after publication. Titles of manuscripts submitted to Functional Ecology …

Using Network Models To Predict Steelhead Abundance, Middle Fork John Day, Or, Monica R. Blanchard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

It is important in the management of threatened and endangered species to have informed population estimates. Population estimates are used to gage whether or not recovery goals are being met. When assessing Pacific salmonids this assessment involves sampling a small subset of the population and then scaling up to estimate larger populations units. This is complicated by the fact that fish populations are not evenly distributed along river systems but respond to fluctuating physical and biological stream properties. We used rapid assessment survey methods and the River Styles classification to explore fish-habitat relationships. River Styles is a classification system that …

Variable Models For Organization Of Earthworking Communities In Upper Purus, Southwestern Amazonia: Archaeological And Ethnographic Perspectives, Sanna Saunaluoma, Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

No abstract provided.

Spatially-Weighted Ethnic Density And Residential Segregation: Effects On Health Status Among Older Mexican Americans, Sung Han Rhew

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research suggests that living in communities with high densities of persons from their own ethnic group improves the overall health of older Mexican Americans. One hypothesis is that residing in high ethnic density areas allows characteristics of Mexican culture such as strong social ties and social cohesion, to have a beneficial effect. The majority of investigations focused on ethnic density effects, however, have utilized relatively loose interpretations of what constitutes the appropriate social-geographic area to be studied. Moreover it is not clear how certain dimensions of residential segregation are protective or harmful toward health, particularly when measuring ethnic residential segregation …

Fauna Census Of Intertidal Cliffs, Mangapwani, Zanzibar, Emily Jankowski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Due to their extreme variations in condition over the course of a day, intertidal zones are challenging environments. Organisms that live there must be prepared to cope with both exposure and submersion, not to mention the temperature variations that accompany these conditions. The differing tolerances and adaptations of various organisms to these conditions generally cause patterns of vertical zonation to occur in the intertidal zone, especially when the shore is steep and rocky. Understanding the ecology of shore environments is important to future conservation and management efforts. This study was conducted on a beach in Mangapwani, Zanzibar at at 6˚ …

Gordillo, Gastón. Rubble: The Afterlife Of Destruction. Durham: Duke University Press, 2014., Ismael Vaccaro Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

The Industrial Impact On Wetlands In Jinja And The Nexus Of Industry, Wetlands, And Community (A Rights-Based Sustainable Development Approach), Ranger Ruffins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Uganda is a beautiful country filled with an extensive amount of natural resources, one of the most profound being wetlands. It is said that these wetlands are a crucial source of food and water for almost 3 million people (NEMA, 2012 and Oguttu et.al, 2008). They also provide many more invaluable socioeconomic benefits for the country. As Uganda experiences increasing development as well as a rapidly increasing population, the wetlands become increasingly necessary, at the same time they become increasingly threatened. It is written in the 1995 Ugandan constitution that Ugandan policy is aimed at ensuring sustainable development for the …

Animals As Neighbours: The Past And Present Of Commensal Animals By Terry O'Connor, Derek Woods

The Goose

Review of Terry O'Connor's Animals as Neighbours: The Past and Present of Commensal Animals.

Tractography Of The Spider Monkey (Ateles Geoffroyi) Corpus Callosum Using Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging, D. Platas-Neri, S. Hidalgo-Tobón, B. De Celis Alonso, F. C-P De León, J. Muñoz-Delgado, Kimberley A. Phillips

Psychology Faculty Research

The objective of this research was to describe the organization, connectivity and microstructure of the corpus callosum of the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi). Non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-tensor imaging were obtained from three subjects using a 3T Philips scanner. We hypothesized that the arrangement of fibers in spider monkeys would be similar to that observed in other non-human primates. A repeated measure (n = 3) of fractional anisotropy values was obtained of each subject and for each callosal subdivision. Measurements of the diffusion properties of corpus callosum fibers exhibited a similar pattern to those reported in the …

A Bird In The Bush: Dillon Ripley, Sálim Ali And The Transformation Of Ornithology In Sri Lanka, Arjun Guneratne

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Cultural Resources Survey Of Texas Eastern Transmission Lps Phase 1 Pipeline Anomaly Repairs On The Petr To Tivo Segment Of Line 16 In Refugio And Aransas Counties, Texas, Charles E. Bludau Jr., Tony Scott

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On behalf of Texas Eastern Transmission, LP and Edge Engineering and Science, LLC., HRA Gray & Pape, LLC, of Houston, Texas, has completed a 100% pedestrian cultural resources survey and limited shovel testing of an estimated 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) of linear area in Refugio and Aransas Counties, Texas. Texas Eastern has identified several locations along the PETR to TIVO Segment of Line 16 that require replacement of aging pipe. One of the areas requiring maintenance work is identified as “Phase 1”, for which the archaeological survey was completed in May of 2015.

The Lead Federal Agency has been identified …

A Cultural Resources Survey Of Texas Eastern Transmission Lps Phase 2 And Phase 3 Pipeline Anomaly Repairs On The Petr To Tivo Segment Of Line 16 In Refugio And Aransas Counties, Texas, Charles E. Bludau

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On behalf of Texas Eastern Transmission, LP and Edge Engineering and Science, LLC., HRA Gray & Pape, LLC, of Houston, Texas, has completed a 100% pedestrian cultural resources survey and limited shovel testing of an estimated 7.84 kilometers (4.87 miles) of linear area in Refugio and Aransas Counties, Texas. Texas Eastern has identified several locations along the PETR to TIVO Segment of Line 16 that require replacement of aging pipe. Two of the areas requiring maintenance work are identified as “Phase 2” and “Phase 3” for which the archaeological survey was completed in May of 2015.

The Lead Federal Agency …

A Cultural Resources Survey For The Donna Independent School District’S Aquatic Center And Walking Trail Project, Donna, Hidalgo County, Texas, Herbert G. Uecker, James E. Warren

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

In late April, 2015, Archaeology Consultants, Inc., performed a cultural resources survey for the Donna Independent School District Aquatic Center and Walking Trail Project in Hidalgo County, Texas. About 6.65 acres was surveyed. The location of the project area within public school district property and within a region known to contain numerous archeological sites prompted the Texas Historical Commission to recommend the survey for compliance with the Antiquities Code of Texas. The Commission issued Texas Antiquities Permit 7163 for the survey.

The survey included a search of the Commission’s Texas Archeological Sites Atlas for previous surveys and recorded archaeological sites …

Tweeting About Sexism: The Well-Being Benefits Of A Social Media Collective Action., Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although collective action has psychological benefits in non-gendered contexts (e.g., Drury et al., 2005), the benefits for women taking action against gender discrimination are unclear. This study examined how a popular, yet unexplored potential form of collective action, namely tweeting about sexism, affects women’s well-being. Women read about sexism and were randomly assigned to tweet, or to one of three control groups. Content analyses showed tweets exhibited collective intent and action. Analyses of linguistic markers suggested public tweeters used more cognitive complexity in their language than private tweeters. Profile analyses showed that compared to controls, only public tweeters showed decreasing …

Rebound Hardness Results For Raw Material Located Near Pinnacle Point, South Africa And The Implications Thereof, Christopher M. Shelton

Sociology & Anthropology Theses - Archive

The focus of this study is to test our ability to glean ancient human behavioral ecology data through a specific form of raw material mechanical properties testing. Through the quantitative analysis of raw material in regards to knapping quality (hereafter referred to as knappability), collection processes and choice patterns of a study group can be inferred. More precisely, this study serves to test the viability of the use of the Schmidt hammer as a means of determining knappability, with the area in and around Pinnacle Point (Western Cape, South Africa) as the focus area and silcrete and quartzite as the …

The Effects Of Parental Monitoring And Parent-Child Relationships Quality On Children's Academic Engagement In Mother-Headed, Single-Parent Families, Benjamin Robert Malczyk

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Using a sample of 110 mother-headed single-parent families, this longitudinal study examined the relationship between pre-adolescent students’ academic engagement and three variables: Parental monitoring, parent-child attachment, and observed child-parent relationship quality. Special interest resided in the extent to which observed relationship quality or attachment moderated the relationship between parental monitoring and academic engagement.

Settlement History And Interaction In The Manialtepec Basin Of Oaxaca's Central Coast, Victoria Menchaca

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the focus of over 70 years* of archaeological research, Oaxaca, Mexico, is one of Mesoamerica*s best understood regions. Yet, despite the volume of work in Oaxaca, information about one of its key resource areas, the central Pacific coast, remains limited. Specifically, the ambiguous role of Oaxaca*s Central Coast in interregional relationships during pre-Hispanic times to the sites of Monte Alban and Tututepec has been a chronic problem and major source of debate for decades. The purpose of this thesis is to begin clarifying the role of Oaxaca*s Central Coast in interregional networks and its pre-Hispanic history. Analysis utilized surface …

The Argument For Moving Away From Residential Placement For Most Juvenile Offenders, Marika Dawkins-Cavazos

Criminal Justice Faculty Publications

This paper examines the theoretical and empirical argument or moving away from residential placement for juvenile offenders. To that end, the use ofres1dential placement for Juvenile offenders and incarceration for adult offenders are compared to shed light on the inconsistencies between rhetoric and actual practices as related to the deterrence theory. While residential placement and incarceration are generally regarded as two separate mechanisms, the literature suggests that residential placement is counterproductive and the U.S. must continue to reassess its approach to juvenile offending.

The Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide Applied To Male Prisoners, Jon T. Mandracchia, Phillip N. Smith

Faculty Publications

The interpersonal theory of suicide proposes that severe suicide ideation is caused by the combination of thwarted belongingness (TB) and perceived burdensomeness (PB), yet few studies have actually examined their interaction. Further, no studies have examined this proposal in male prisoners, a particularly at-risk group. To address this gap, the current study surveyed 399 male prisoners. TB and PB interacted to predict suicide ideation while controlling for depression and hopelessness. High levels of both TB and PB were associated with more severe suicide ideation. The interpersonal theory may aid in the detection, prevention, and treatment of suicide risk in prisoners.

Longitudinal Variation In Environmental Impact At Rock Climbing Areas In The Red River Gorge Limits Of Acceptable Change Study Area, Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky, Nicholas Walendziak

Online Theses and Dissertations

Recreation ecology began in the 1960s to measure the impacts of recreation on ecosystems. Area of environmental impact is an important objective to assess recreational impact. However, few researchers have examined the trends of these impacts over time. This study measures the environmental area of impact at eight climbing areas, in Red River Gorge, Kentucky, over a six year period, to determine impact trends. The results of this research will help recreation ecologists and land managers understand environmental impacts over time, and possibly predict future impact scenarios. The hypothesis of this research is the total mean area of impact at …

Three Essays On Public Organizations, Changgeun Yun

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Organizations play key roles in modern societies. The importance of organizations for a society requires an understanding of organizations. In order to fully understand public organizations, it is necessary to recognize how organizational settings affect subjects of organizations and organizing. Although public and private organizations interrelate with each other, the two types are not identical. In this dissertation, I attempt to describe public organizations in their own setting by discussing three important topics in public organization theory: (1) innovation adoption in the public sector; (2) representative bureaucracy; and (3) decline and death of public organizations.

In Chapter II, I scrutinize …