Digital Commons Network^™

The Digital Age: Nonmetropolitan Nebraskans’ Use Of Technology 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie I. Reimers-Hild

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Over the past decade, people have increasingly used the Internet for shopping, social networking, government services, learning and education. Are rural Nebraskans using the Internet for these applications? What do they believe are the benefits and drawbacks of these applications? In addition, people are increasingly using mobile devices to connect to the Internet. Are rural Nebraskans using their cell phones to access the Internet? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these questions.

This report details 2,490 responses to the 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll, the sixteenth annual effort to understand rural Nebraskans’ perceptions. Respondents were asked a series of questions …

Late Holocene History Of Dune Activity Along The Elkhorn River In Northeastern Nebraska, Rebecca A. Young

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The Nebraska Sand Hills have been an important study area for dune activation and the nature of prehistoric drought events in the Great Plains. However, little has been done to understand the impact of these droughts to smaller dune fields along the eastern margin of the Great Plains. This study focuses on the Stanton dune field which is found about 145 km east of the Sand Hills along the southern edge of the Elkhorn River valley in northeastern Nebraska. With a wetter and slightly cooler climate regime than that of the Nebraska Sand Hills and most other central Great Plains …

Small Wars Logistics: The Intervention In Haiti, 1915–1934, Jenna Schutz

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tailored to a unit’s size, scope, and mission, logistics or the practical art of transporting and supplying military forces via air, land, and sea is at the heart of any military operation. During the late nineteenth century the United States became increasingly involved in low intensity conflicts throughout Latin America and the Philippines. The nature of small wars required not only military provisions, but also supplies to help stabilize countries. The 1915 intervention in Haiti by the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy is a prime case study for the flexible bifurcation of logistical efforts to support military and civic operations. …

Great Plains Quarterly Volume 31/Number 3/ Summer 2011

Great Plains Quarterly (through 2013)

Contents

Book Reviews

Book Notes

Notes and News

List Of Sources, Cresting Toward The Sea Change: Literature Review Of Cataloging And Classification, 2009-2010, Sue Ann Gardner

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

This list of sources is meant to accompany the literature review on cataloging and classification covering 2009 and 2010, “Cresting toward the Sea Change,” that is published in the April 2012 issue of Library Resources and Technical Services (volume 56, number 2). It contains citations to English-language journal articles, books, book chapters, conference papers, manuscripts, newsletter and magazine articles, selected news items, reference sources, text books, dissertations and theses, and one poster. Not cited are book reviews, blogs, blog posts, podcasts, videos, and presentation materials. Many more sources are listed here than were discussed in the literature review.

The citations …

Abrupt Holocene Climate Change As An Important Factor For Human Migration In West Greenland, William J. D'Andrea, Yongsong Huang, Sherilyn C. Fritz, N. John Anderson

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

West Greenland has had multiple episodes of human colonization and cultural transitions over the past 4,500 y. However, the explanations for these large-scale human migrations are varied, including climatic factors, resistance to adaptation, economic marginalization, mercantile exploration, and hostile neighborhood interactions. Evaluating the potential role of climate change is complicated by the lack of quantitative paleoclimate reconstructions near settlement areas and by the relative stability of Holocene temperature derived from ice cores atop the Greenland ice sheet. Here we present high-resolution records of temperature over the past 5,600 y based on alkenone unsaturation in sediments of two lakes in West …

Detecting Spatiotemporal Changes Of Corn Developmental Stages In The U.S. Corn Belt Using Modis Wdrvi Data, Toshihiro Sakamoto, Brian D. Wardlow, Anatoly A. Gitelson

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The dates of crop developmental stages are important variables for many applications including assessment of the impact of abnormal weather on crop yield. Time-series 250-m vegetation-index (VI) data acquired from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provide valuable information for monitoring the spatiotemporal changes of corn growth across large geographic areas. The goal of this study is to evaluate the performance of a new crop phenology detection method, namely, two-step filtering (TSF), for revealing the spatiotemporal pattern of specific corn developmental stages (early vegetative: V2.5; silking: R1; dent: R5; mature: R6) over an eight-year period (2001–2008) across Iowa, Illinois, and …

Probabilistic Weather Forecasting In R, Chris Fraley, Adrian Raftery, Tilmann Gneiting, Mclean Sloughter, Veronica Berrocol

The R Journal

This article describes two R packages for probabilistic weather forecasting, ensembleBMA, which offers ensemble post-processing via Bayesian model averaging (BMA), and Prob ForecastGOP, which implements the geostatistical output perturbation (GOP) method. BMA forecasting models use mixture distributions, in which each component corresponds to an ensemble member, and the form of the component distribution depends on the weather parameter (temperature, quantitative precipitation or wind speed). The model parameters are estimated from training data. The GOP technique uses geostatistical methods to produce probabilistic fore casts of entire weather fields for temperature or pressure, based on a single numerical forecast on …

Transboundary Water Issues In The Kura-Araks River Basin, Marianna Khachaturyan, Karina A. Schoengold

Cornhusker Economics

Water resources that are shared across boundaries by different states or countries are referred to as “transboundary” or “international” water resources. Worldwide, there are about 263 international basins that are shared by two or more countries, with 40 percent of the world population living on these international basins (Giordano and Wolf, 2003). This is an increase from the 214 basins that were identified in 1978, due to better mapping technology and newly emerging nations. For example, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 created 15 new independent nations and simultaneously created new transboundary water resources.

Extensiveness And Perceptions Of Lecture Demonstrations In The High School Chemistry Classroom, Daniel S. Price

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

            While lecture demonstrations have been conducted in chemistry classrooms for hundreds of years, little research exists to document the frequency with which such demonstrations are employed or their effect on learners’ motivation and performance.  A mixed-methods research study was performed, using quantitative and qualitative survey data, along with qualitative data from follow-up interviews and structured correspondence, to determine the extent to which lecture demonstrations are used in high school chemistry instruction, and the perceived effects of viewing such demonstrations on students’ performance on course assignments and on motivation to excel in current and future chemistry courses.  Fifty-two randomly selected chemistry …

Dean Of The Range: George Edward Lemmon, Open Range Cattle Ranching And The Development Of The Northern Great Plains, Nathan B. Sanderson

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

George Edward Lemmon (1857-1945) lived a life full of significant achievements and played an integral role in the growth and settlement of the northern Great Plains.  A renowned cowboy and cattleman, Lemmon saddle-handled more cattle than any man who ever lived, bossed one of the nation’s largest roundups, operated an 865,000-acre lease on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation and later became an inaugural member of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.  Part of his early success came as a result of trespassing—illegally grazing thousands of cattle—on the Great Sioux Reservation.  Due to his unparalleled cattle-handling skills and reputation as one …

Meatpacking And Immigration: Industrial Innovation And Community Change In Dakota County, Nebraska, 1960–2000, Dustin Kipp

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Latino immigration to the Midwest during the twentieth century has received significant attention from historians, but most have focused on the early and middle decades of the century. The later decades of the twentieth century, when a significant new wave of Latino immigration brought many new arrivals to small rural communities have received less attention. This study examines the intersection of the restructuring of the meatpacking industry and Latino immigration to rural Midwestern communities from 1960 to 2000. Dakota County, Nebraska--home to the flagship operation of Iowa Beef Packers, Inc. (IBP) from 1964 until the company was sold to Tyson, …

Economic And Fiscal Impact Of Omaha’S Henry Doorly Zoo On Omaha And Nebraska The 2010 Update, Eric Thompson

Bureau of Business Research Publications

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo is among the largest and most affordable zoos to visit in North America. The nationally-known Zoo further makes a significant contribution to the economy of the City of Omaha and the State of Nebraska. The Zoo attracted 1.45 million visitors, and their spending, in 2010 including many visitors from outside of Omaha and outside of the State of Nebraska.

This study estimates the economic impact of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo during 2010. The Zoo generated an economic impact on the city and state economy by 1) attracting new visitors to Omaha and Nebraska, 2) encouraging existing …

Optimizing The Urban Landscape, Kristin S. Harbert

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

While road infrastructure is at the forefront of the thesis, patterns of Omaha’s road history were studied to get an understanding of the deeper issue. The research suggested that the problem with road infrastructure is largely based in the creation of arterial streets. Wid­ening roads and creating additional arterial streets initially reduces costs and reduces delays, however the perceived benefits are far less than the actual cost: more home-sprawl, more business-sprawl, more big-boxes, more strip malls, new construction, more cars. On the other hand, if the congestion can be managed rather than cre­ating arterial streets, the opposite occurs: initial increased …

Sustainable Development, Matthew Gulsvig

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

The goal of this thesis is to research, design and document an architectural project that address the realities of the current and future social, environmental and economic issues of the United States. Specifically, the intent of this venture is to produce a project which can obtain two levels of self-sufficiency within a dense urban context. The first level of self-sufficiency would be obtained by not requiring the acquisition of energy from nonrenewable external sources. The second level of self-sufficiency would provide the permanent occupants the means to sustain the basic needs of life without requiring financial support from externals sources. …

Perceptions Of Educators In Selected Nebraska School Districts Regarding The Impact Of Professional Learning Communities In Their Schools, Thomas W. Kiburz

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the multiple-site study was to explore educator’s perceptions of the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that had been operating in three school districts using in-depth interviews. The goal of this research was to describe from the educator’s perspective what they perceived, thought and observed about the PLCs functioning in their school building, and whether or not the PLCs had any noticeable effect on professional development, school improvement efforts, and student achievement in their building. Educators were also asked the question of why they thought that PLCs were effective.

This multiple-site case study is important to Nebraska educators because …

Inform Form Perform, Nathaniel Holland

Architecture Masters of Science Program: Theses

Architecture as a profession has always concerned itself with finding beauty in built forms. In the digital age beauty is changing; information controls our lives and true beauty is found in the way we interpret it. Architects have developed and employed parametric design strategies to both interpret this information and increase their production. Though these strategies have improved architectural design, they are not being used to their full extent in the design process. I propose taking the use of computers in aiding architectural design one step further; site information and program data should INFORM the project, driving the creation of …

Analysis And Interpretation Of Factors Leading To Increased Aids Prevalence In Sub-Saharan Africa, William Kalhorn

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

My thesis research project focuses on the major factors that are contributing to the worst disease epidemic on the planet today. I have aimed to determine what may be some of the most important factors contributing to highly variable difference in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are among the regions of East, West, and South Africa.  The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been growing and expanding to new areas of the world since the first case arose in 1959 in what is now called Kinshasa, Congo (Avert, 2011). The AIDS/HIV epidemic is believed to have originated on the African continent, and this is where …

An Assessment Of Stable Hydrogen-Isotope Analysis Methods To Assign Geographic Origin To Migratory Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Carla Marie Ahlschwede

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Stable-hydrogen isotopes are becoming an increasingly popular method of studying migratory birds, though sample preparation methods may affect results.  In this study I examined feathers from red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) to determine the relationship between measure of δD due to inter-feather variation or drying methods, assessed the accuracy of results by using two birds of known-origin and estimated possible natal origins of migratory red-tailed hawks.  Two feathers per individual were taken from 81 wild hawks caught at Hitchcock Nature Center near Crescent IA and from 2 rescued red-tailed hawks, Raptor Recovery Nebraska near Eagle, NE. 119 of the …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Malaria In Paraguay, Nicole M. Wayant

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that has afflicted humans for thousands of years. Today it is considered a re-emerging disease. Malaria is most prevalent in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The disease has been linked to several environmental parameters, including precipitation, temperature, and deforestation. However, these relationships have mainly been studied in Africa and have not been explored in other parts of the world. The study area for this thesis was the South American country of Paraguay.

Paraguay has experienced an oscillation in malaria cases over the past 20 years, with monthly cases ranging from 0 to 1,200. …

Assessing Seasonal Features Of Tropical Forests Using Remote Sensing, Roberto Bonifaz-Alfonzo

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tropical forests are key components of the biogeochemical cycles, complex in structure, diversity and dynamics, also, tropical regions have been deforested and modified by human activities particularly for agriculture. Understanding the inter-annual and intra-annual variation dynamics of tropical regions could give valuable information on temporal characteristics of ecosystems behavior which is important for mapping and monitoring. This dissertation assesses seasonal and inter-annual changes in the tropical land cover that may be related to changes in the natural environment and/or human activities. Research was focused on the Mayan forest located in southern Mexico and Northwest Guatemala, one of the northern-most important …

Industrial Diversity And Economic Performance: A Spatial Analysis, Hoa Phu Duy Tran

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the linkage between industrial diversity and economic growth in the 48 contiguous states of the United States.  The period of analysis is 1992 through 2009.  Five diversity indices are considered and economic growth is measured as the growth rate of nonfarm earnings.  Other variables thought to influence economic growth are included in the analysis.  They are the growth rate of nonfarm employment, capital, and farm earnings.  Tests for the endogeneity of variables are conducted and the need for instrumental variable estimation methods is demonstrated.

First, I consider multivariate model that relates nonfarm earnings growth to the diversity …

“A Place Of Becoming” Leadership Educators’ Experience Teaching Leadership: A Phenomenological Approach, Heath E. Harding

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This phenomenological study describes the experiences of twelve leadership educators who were teaching leadership in undergraduate leadership development programs in the Midwest.  The central research question was: What are the experiences of educators who are teaching leadership to undergraduate students at academic institutions?  Teaching leadership was defined as providing developmental opportunities (e.g. formal education, in class instruction, one-on-one, coaching, service learning, individual reflection) to increase both leader and leadership capacity.  Educators were defined as individuals who provide developmental opportunities for undergraduates.  Participants had at least three years teaching leadership at the undergraduate level and were currently teaching a course with …

Extent Of Gully Erosion In An Agricultural Field In Northeastern Nebraska At Section 35 Township 29 North Range 1 West In Cedar County, Crystal Starkel

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

My thesis project examined a gully within Section 35 Township 29 North Range 1 West. This gully has been noticed for five years and has grown substantially in those five years. The extent and causes of gully erosion were examined by considering the soil, the climate, the land management history, by measuring the gully physically, by using GIS, and by using an economic support tool was estimate soil loss. Appropriate recommendations were developed to reduce gully erosion.

Educating Young Adults About Sustainable Development, Meghan Lewis

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

This qualitative study on the types of environmental education on different age groups was conducted in Lincoln, Nebraska. The purpose of this thesis is to identify what age group and educational methods would be most effective to educate Lincoln citizens on the importance and benefits of sustainable development. Environmental education is an important aspect in implementation of new, environmentally friendly ideas.

Lincoln environmentalists are working to improve the city’s sustainability. Finding a way to consistently educate Lincoln residents on the importance and benefits of sustainable development will increase the public’s awareness of their efforts, leading to a greater interest in …

Parks And Obesity In Rural And Urban Nebraska, Michaela S. Wolf

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In order to better understand the role community design plays in obesity rates, this project studies a potential relationship between distance of parks from homes and obesity rates in four Nebraska counties. Park use may contribute to important health benefits, such as reducing risk of obesity by increasing physical activity levels. There are limitations to park use, such as crime rates and facility upkeep that are important to understand so that they might be managed and communities can reap greater benefits from their parks, including better fitness. This study examines park distance from homes as a potential limiting factor to …

Internationalization At Home? Exploring Domestic Students' Perceptions Of And Interactions With International Students At A Large Midwestern Research Institution, Sondra T. Schreiber

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this qualitative, interview-based study was to explore international and domestic student interactions and perceptions of international students from the domestic students’ point of view at a large Midwestern research institution. This study concentrated on domestic students who had not studied abroad or traveled outside the United States in order to focus on the concept of internationalization at home.

Eight students participated in the study. They were all classified as seniors (having completed 89 credit hours or more) at the time of participation. The participants’ ages ranged from 21-31 years old. The participants were asked about their interactions …

The Aputu: An Examination And Analysis Of A War Club-Form Distinctive To The Guianas, Donald Arp Jr.

Department of Anthropology: Theses and Student Research

This work examines a type of war club unique to South America and to the area of the three Guianas. The so-called block war club of the Guianas, often noted in the memoirs of explorers and soldiers in the New World, has received little academic attention. Mining firsthand accounts and what little academic attention has been focused on the clubs, this paper examines a set of clubs from the Heye Foundation Collection now housed in the National Museum of the American Indian. This thesis seeks to classify the block type club as the flared quadrilateral club, which is a more …

Three Essays On Fdi In China, Mingming Pan

College of Business: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has contributed a great deal to China’s extraordinary growth by injecting capital into the economy, creating jobs, transferring technology and knowledge, enhancing trade, bringing in competition for local enterprises, improving the quality of local labor and intermediate goods suppliers, and connecting China’s gradually opening economy to the global market. For over a decade, China has been the second largest recipient of inward FDI in the world behind the United States. In 2009, China received $95 billion, which is 8.5% of the world’s total. However, the large amount of inward FDI has been unevenly distributed across Chinese …

Levels Of Response In Experiential Conceptualizations Of Neighborhood: The Potential For Multiple Versions Of This Place Construct, Cynthia M. Williams

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In the literature, numerous theoretical perspectives have defined and interpreted what is meant by “neighborhood.” A criticism of these perspectives is a lack of a universal definition, with no one-to-one empirical counterpart. The intent of this dissertation is to develop experiential conceptualizations of the construct neighborhood. Residents, those who experience and interact on a daily bases will provide the meaning and interpretation of what is meant by neighborhood.

The “levels of response” are the means of identifying and interpreting the systematic differences in the cognitive processing involved in the construal of neighborhood. Five cognitive levels of response were identified: Affective, …