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Climate Change And Ragweed Allergy Risk Assessment: A Study Of The Grand Forks Metropolitan Statistical Area, Shumila Rani Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays the association between anthropogenic climate change and public health is in the early stages of universal recognition. Yet one fundamental aspect that remains largely unappreciated is the impact of climate change on ragweed (Ambrosia species) biology and the ensuing pathophysiology of human systems. Ragweed pollen is one of the primary causes of seasonal pollen allergy in the world. Allergic reactions to ragweed pollen can range from mild hay fever to life-threatening asthma attacks. The aim of this thesis was to conduct a ragweed allergy risk assessment for the Grand Forks ND-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).

The study area is …

Historical Hydroclimatic Change At Theodore Roosevelt National Park: 1895 - 2011, Rhonda Jan Fietzek-Devries

Theses and Dissertations

Although numerous studies have examined hydroclimatic and climatic changes in our national parks, no previous studies have examined historical temperature, precipitation and hydroclimatic changes at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit). Documenting historical trends in temperature, precipitation and hydroclimatic variables is important for understanding present and future changes in vegetation and wildlife.

I used 117 (1895 - 2011) years of temperature and precipitation data obtained from the PRISM data network to construct the historical climatic water budget time series based upon the Thornthwaite water-budget model. Trend lines and descriptive statistics are used to analyze the monthly, seasonal and annual climatic …

The Influence Of Television And Film On Interest In Space And Science, Katrina Marie Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Entertainment media has the great potential to inspire interest in the topics it presents. The purpose of this study is to better understand how entertainment media contributes to people's interests in space and science. There is a huge variety of science communication topics in previous literature, some of which deals with television and film, but very little that specifically study how television and film can inspire interest. A historical review of pioneers in the space industry shows that many were inspired by entertainment media, which at the time consisted of science fiction novels and magazines. In order to explore the …

Exploring The Impact Of Zebra Mussels (Dreissena Polymorpha) On Residental Lakeshore Property Values In Otter Tail And Becker Counties, Minnesota, Spencer Crowley Mcgrew

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic invasive species are a major problem in Minnesota. Aquatic invasive species disrupt ecosystems, limit lake recreation, and reduce lakeshore property values. They are expensive to manage, and often impossible to eradicate once established. In this study, I am asking this question: What is the economic impact, in terms of residential shoreline property values, of the introduction of the invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) into large and popular freshwater lakes in west central Minnesota?

Past studies comparing lakeshore property values based on environmental factors such as water quality, clarity, lake size, and depth have shown that these environmental amenities are …

The Effects Of The State Agriculture Industry On Elections In South Dakota, Whitney Keleah Morsching

Theses and Dissertations

Although South Dakota has traditionally been an agriculture-based state, the state's economy has diversified immensely over the past few decades. This paper examines if the state agriculture industry has an effect on the statewide election results since 1990. Three models are used to determine the impact of farm earnings, state and national economic factors, and other control variables on the vote share of a candidate. Two ordinary least squares models focus on elections with incumbent candidates and elections with all candidates. A third model uses a probit estimation to determine the impact of the previously stated variables on the probability …

A Case Study Of Elementary Teachers' Conceptions Of Environmental Literacy In Relationship To A Tall Grass Prairie Restoration Project, Teresa Jayne Shume

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe seven elementary teachers' conceptions of environmental literacy in relationship to a tall grass prairie restoration project and to explore ways in which the tall grass prairie restoration project for third grade contributed to enhancing educational learning experiences. The research questions were: 1. What are teachers' conceptions of environmental literacy for third grade students? 2. How does the prairie restoration trip contribute to teachers' capacity to teach for environmental literacy of third grade students? 3. What is the pedagogical value of the prairie restoration project? The theoretical frameworks underpinning this study …

Is There A Disconnect? Comparing North Dakota And National Geography Standards, Lori Jean Young

Theses and Dissertations

In 1994, Geography for Life was published. From this publication the national geography and state geography standards were developed. These national standards were the basis of the state standards.

North Dakota Studies is a Grade 9-12 course offered in North Dakota high schools. This course is offered under mandate in North Dakota high schools, so a broad range of data could be obtained by contacting those teachers.

Prior research has shown that students exposed to 3-D geographic technologies have better spatial abilities than students without a technologic background. A recent study showed that adults wanted to know more about geography …

Modeling The Effects Of The Local Environment On A Received Gnss Signal, Marshall E. Haker

Theses and Dissertations

There is an ongoing need in the GNSS community for the development of high-fidelity simulators which generate data that replicates what can truly be expected from a challenging environment such as an urban canyon or an indoor environment. The algorithm developed for use in the research in this dissertation, the Signal Decomposition and Parameterization Algorithm (SDPA), is presented in order to respond to this need. This algorithm is designed to decompose a signal received using a GNSS recording and playback system and output parameters that can be used to reconstruct the effects on the signal of the environment local to …

Civic Education In The Preservice Classroom: A Study Of Gaming, Sarah Elizabeth Sumners

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to better understand social studies teacher education through preservice professional development that incorporates an online gaming and simulation component. Examination of the impact of online gaming and simulations on the self-efficacy and content knowledge of preservice teachers in the methods course was undertaken. This study employed a mixed methods approach with primacy given to quantitative statistical analyses of data collected pre and post using a content knowledge assessment (AP Government and Politics practice test) and two self-efficacy assessments (SSTEBI-PSSTE and TSES). Results from a repeated measures ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in preservice social …

Multi-Scale Population Genetic Analysis Of Cogongrass (Imperata Cylindrica) In The Southeastern United States: Introduction History, Range Expansion, And Hybridization, Rima D. Lucardi

Theses and Dissertations

Biological invasions are a significant area of research due to perceived negative environmental and economic impacts. The study of biological invasions has identified three broad components involved in successful invasions: propagule pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions. Propagule pressure is the product of introduced propagules and the frequency of those introductions, and is considered a driver in all stages of invasion. Data to quantify propagule pressure is often unavailable, and therefore, this research approached genetic information to produce estimates of propagule pressure in the successful invasion of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) in the United States. The following research utilized molecular methodologies to …

Effects Of Television Weather Broadcasters On Viewers During Severe Weather: To Be Or Not To Be On-Screen, Amanda Marie Lea

Theses and Dissertations

An association was tested between the presence of a television weather broadcaster on-screen and viewers’ likelihood to seek shelter, measured via risk perception and preventative behavior. Social networking websites were used to recruit respondents. Four clips of archived severe weather videos, one pair (on-screen and off-screen broadcaster) using the reflectivity product and another pair (on-screen and off-screen broadcaster) using velocity product, were presented to participants. Viewers’ trust and weather salience were also quantified for additional interactions. A relationship between viewers’ risk perception (preflectivity = 0.821, pvelocity = 0.625) and preventative behavior (preflectivity = 0.217, pvelocity = 0.236) and the presence …

Hearth And Home: Life In And Around A "Kitchen" From Ancient Judah As Excavated At Tell Halif, Tim Frank

Theses and Dissertations

A room with many well-preserved artifacts was excavated at Tell Halif in a level associated with Ancient Judah. By using analogy the use of these artifacts can be compared with that of other similar objects. Analogy is at the heart of archaeological interpretation and allows a more explicit determination of the possible uses of artifacts and their patterning. The artifacts serve as evidence for reconstructing life in and around an archaeologically excavated space. By discerning the patterns of artifact distribution we can interpret how the space might have been used. The room excavated at Tell Halif has strong evidence for …

Online Communities Of Practice And Teachers Perceived Sense Of Efficacy: A Mixed Methods Study Of National Association Of Agricultural Educators Communities Of Practice Users, Robin Mclean

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this convergent design mixed methods study was to assess the perceived sense of efficacy of teachers who use the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) Communities of Practice, an online community for pre-service teachers, secondary educators, and university professors in agricultural education. The convergent design used the quantitative Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale and a qualitative case study with the data collected in parallel, analyzed separately and then merged at the end of the study for comparisons. Significant differences in perceived self-efficacy were not noted between mentor and neighbor users within the community. Communities of Practice content …

Thin Soils And Sacbes: The Soil Resources Of Uci, Yucatan, Mexico, Zachary S. Larsen

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to use pedological evidence in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems, and soil physical and chemical analyses as means to better understand the agricultural landscape surrounding the ancient Maya city of Uci. Specifically, the query of this thesis is to determine whether there is an association between settlement density and soil resources, and what relationship if any there is between the ancient sacbe of Uci and its surrounding agricultural potential. Stable carbon isotope analysis of the humin fraction of the soil organic matter was conducted on several profiles from karst depressions known as rejolladas near …

A Corpus-Based Evaluation Of The Common European Framework Vocabulary For French Teaching And Learning, Francoise S. Kusseling

Theses and Dissertations

The CEFR French profiles have been widely used to teach and evaluate language instruction over the past decade. The profiles were specifications of vocabulary that have been largely untested from a corpus-based, empirical perspective. The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the CEFR profiles by comparing their content with two sizable contemporary corpora. This study quantified and described the vocabulary overlap and uniqueness across all three of these resources. Four areas of overlap and three areas of uniqueness were analyzed and identified. Slightly over 40% of the lexical content was common to the three resources studied. Additionally, 16.3% was …

Monitoring Land-Cover Change In The Las Vegas Valley: A Study Of Five Change Detection Methods In An Urban Environment, Bonnie Diane Weidemann

Theses and Dissertations

Change detection is currently a topic of great interest to theoretic geographic researchers. The necessity to map, monitor, and model land cover change is also important to a variety of applied fields as varied as urban planning and military intelligence. This research compares five algorithms to map urban land cover change in the greater Las Vegas, Nevada metropolitan area. Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery acquired on May 1990 and May 2000 was used as the primary data. The change detection methods yielded simple maps of change vs. no change. These algorithms included image differencing, image ratioing, image regression, vegetation index differencing, …

Internal Wave Generation Over Rough, Sloped Topography: An Experimental Study, Lauren Elizabeth Eberly

Theses and Dissertations

Internal waves exist everywhere in stratified fluids - fluids whose density changes with depth. The two largest bodies of stratified fluid are the atmosphere and ocean. Internal waves are generated from a variety of mechanisms. One common mechanism is wind forcing over repeated sinusoidal topography, like a series of hills. When modeling these waves, linear theory has been employed due to its ease and low computational cost. However, recent research has shown that non-linear effects, such as boundary layer separation, may have a dramatic impact on wave generation. This research has consisted of experimentation on sloped, sinusoidal hills. As of …

Spatial Dimensions Of Conflict-Induced Internally Displaced Population In The Puttalam District Of Sri Lanka From 1980 To 2012, Deepthi Lekani Waidyasekera

Theses and Dissertations

During and after the Sri Lankan civil conflict of 1983-2009, the island’s Internally Displaced Population (IDP) became a key constituency requiring the central government4s attention. Thus, it is important to ask: What are the spatial dimensions and socio-economic implications of Sri Lanka’s Puttalam District IDPs? Archival and contemporary sources from various disciplines were utilized when reviewing the literature and revealed widely divergent opinions about the historical geography and the current initiatives regarding IDPs. The research study’s mixed method approach combined qualitative and quantitative techniques. Data collection extensively relied upon secondary sources from the Sri Lankan government and the United Nations. …

Arts And Education: An Investigation Into The Impact Of The Arts Academy On High School Students, Nigel Sangster

Theses and Dissertations

The broad topical area of my research study involved an investigation of the impact of the arts academy on the students of Cooper Ruth Performing and Fine Arts Middle-High School (pseudonym), using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Being a proponent of the arts, one of the premises of my research was to bring about a greater sense of awareness in my school and school district, that the arts were not "frills" in the educational processes of children (Perrin, 1994). Focus was given to various strands of the arts disciplines in my efforts to substantiate the significance of the overarching question …

Successful Emergent Literacy Head Start Teachers Of Urban African American Boys Living In Poverty, John Michael Holland

Theses and Dissertations

This integrated methods study used a sequential explanatory design to explore the culturally relevant teaching beliefs of successful emergent literacy Head Start teachers of urban African American boys living in poverty. The study utilized emergent literacy gain scores as a measure of success, a survey of culturally relevant teaching beliefs to describe variation in beliefs within the sample, and two rounds of interviews to explore the context of teacher agency with urban African American boys living in poverty. The four teachers interviewed expressed culturally relevant beliefs integral to their teaching practices. These beliefs were conveyed through descriptions of relationships with …

‘Some Can’T Be That Simple’: Flannery O’Connor’S Debt To French Symbolism, Evan Howell

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I trace the influence of French Symbolist poetry on the works of Flannery O’Connor. Many of O’Connor’s influences are well-known and documented, including Catholicism, the South, modern fiction, and her battle with lupus. However, I argue that Symbolism, via its influence on Modernist literature, is another major influence. In particular, I focus on several aspects of O’Connor’s writing: the recurrence of the same symbol across multiple works, the central location of symbols in several stories, the use of private symbols of the author’s invention, and use of symbol, rather than language, to convey transcendence. Aided by the …

Discovering How Community Organizing Leads To Social Change: Developing Formal Practice Theory For Social Workers Engaged In Empowering Community Organizing, Shane Brady

Theses and Dissertations

Community organizing as an area of social work practice has historic roots in challenging inequality, building capacity, and meeting the needs of local peoples through taking collective action. While the literature of community organizing is rich in conceptual frameworks, practice approaches, and case studies, it lacks the level of formal theory that exists in clinical social work. Formal practice theories provide social workers with evidence informed guidance about “what to do”, “how to do it”, and “what to expect”; however, social workers engaging in community organizing have little formal practice theory. The results of this study build the beginning foundation …

Spanish, Nahua, And Maya Narratives On The 1585 Relación Geográfica Map Of Santiago Atitlán, Kaitlan Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The 1585 Relación Geográfica Map of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala gives scholars a rare glimpse of sixteenth- century southern Guatemala. The map displays the use of Spanish, Nahua, and Maya perspectives. The coexistence of indigenous Nahua versus Spanish or European iconographies and narratives is a theme constantly explored in the studies of the Relaciones Geográficas maps. However, the opposition of two different indigenous narratives and iconographies, as well as Spanish, is not. This project examines the convergences and conflicts among these narratives and iconographies as evidenced on the map and in the accompanying text. The individual discussion of each narrative is …

Virginia Transportation Funding: An Analysis Of Enhancing The Secondary Highway System Construction Allocation Model Using Brian D. Taylor’S Geographical Equity Criteria, Wendell Point

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this research is Virginia’s Secondary Highway Construction System funding allocations and its impact on statewide deficient lane miles reduction. The research question guiding this study is: “Which of the four allocation models -- the current Secondary Highway System allocation model or one of three alternatives of this model based on Brian D. Taylor’s geographic equity categories (outcome, opportunity, and market) best maximizes statewide deficient lane miles reductions?” Taylor defines each of these geographic equity categories (independent variables for this study) for all levels of government. While Taylor’s research focus has been on equity as it relates to …

How Six Secondary Science Teachers Make Curricular And Pedagogical Decisions: Influencing Factors, Wade V. Forester

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Eastern Shore Stories: Technology, Place, And Local Culture, Patricia Bloxom

Theses and Dissertations

The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a narrow peninsula separating the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. Residents of the rural counties of Accomack and Northampton County share a strong sense of cultural identity based on geography, rooted in a distinct communal sense of place reinforced by an agricultural lifestyle. Storytelling around dinner tables and on front porches at dusk, speeches at high school graduations, family recipes talked through in a grandmother’s kitchen – it is through oral language that Eastern Shore people have primarily shared the knowledge that sustains their sense of communal identity. Oral knowledge of farming techniques …

Transfer Seminars: The Impact On Transfer Student Collegiate Adjustment, Amanda Farina

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to investigate the impact transfer seminars at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey had on transfer students' adjustment to college. The study explored the college goals/outcomes, and study strategies students used both before and after taking the transfer seminar. This study utilized archival data from 328 surveys collected since 2003. Students were administered a survey at the beginning of the transfer seminar course and then again at the end of the semester. Results from the data analysis showed some statistically significant changes from pre to post survey. Most notably, students were concerned about …

In-Text And Out-Of-Text Engagement: Interactional Features In Students' Academic Writing And Academic Engagement, Florette Press

Theses and Dissertations

While student engagement theory recognizes writing as an engaging activity, there have been few studies that explore the levels of engagement within college students' academic writing. Analyses of in-text interactions between writers and their imagined reader(s) can uncover writers' attitudes about themselves as writers and as participants in the academic community. This study looked specifically at students' in-text interaction in the context of overall student engagement. Making a connection between interactional features in writing and overall student engagement provided a new perspective by which professors and administrators can evaluate students' academic integration. This study combined text analysis and interviews with …

Identifying Factors And Quantifying Their Impact On Transportation Costs Of Pre-Processes Biomass, Daniela Sofia Gonzales

Theses and Dissertations

This research presents a rail transportation cost analysis of bulk agricultural commodities (such as grain and wood chips) with similar characteristics as pre-processed biomass. This study analyzes the cost factors that affect rail pricing for shipments of bulk-commodities (such as grain) from the Midwest to various regions in the US using regression analysis theories. The rail cost equations developed from the regression analysis were used to compare the trade-offs that exist between truck, rail and barge transportation of pre-processed biomass.

Logging Cost And Productivity Associated With Labor And Mechanization In The Eastern United States, Dustin Wayne Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Forty-eight harvesting contractors over 13 state submitted data on cost and production over a period from 2003-2006. Within this group, 30 harvesting contractors submitted data for all four years in the study period. Discussions of logging development is presented in Chapter II focusing on labor and equipment. Data analysis focused on production estimates and cost information from a firm size and regional standpoint in Chapter IV. Analysis of consecutive data in Chapter V focused on shifts over time in labor, equipment and related cost categories. Contractors in the Coastal Plains were most numerous and demonstrated a distinct difference in sub-groups. …