Digital Commons Network^™

Relating Multimodal Imagery Data In 3d, Karl C. Walli

Theses

This research develops and improves the fundamental mathematical approaches and techniques required to relate imagery and imagery derived multimodal products in 3D. Image registration, in a 2D sense, will always be limited by the 3D effects of viewing geometry on the target. Therefore, effects such as occlusion, parallax, shadowing, and terrain/building elevation can often be mitigated with even a modest amounts of 3D target modeling. Additionally, the imaged scene may appear radically different based on the sensed modality of interest; this is evident from the differences in visible, infrared, polarimetric, and radar imagery of the same site. This thesis develops …

Grassland Governance And Common-Interest Communities, Anthony Schutz

Nebraska College of Law: Faculty Publications

In the United States, today’s ranches are engaging in small-scale nature-based endeavors to diversify their income base. But the geographic boundary of the land they own creates a relatively small area within which to operate, and fragmented ownership diminishes the ability of any single landowner to produce nature-based income. Collective action among nearby landowners can produce a set of resources from which all members of the group can profit. Such action can enhance the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of grasslands and the populations that use them. This article shows that common-interest communities can be used to provide and allocate …

Modeling History Dependence In Network-Behavior Coevolution, Robert J. Franzese Jr., Jude Hays, Aya Kachi

Working Papers

Spatial interdependence--the dependence of outcomes in some units on those in others--is substantively and theoretically ubiquitous and central across the social sciences. Spatial association is also omnipresent empirically. However, spatial association may arise from three importantly distinct processes: common exposure of actors to exogenous external and internal stimuli, interdependence of outcomes/behaviors across actors (contagion), and/or the putative outcomes may affect the variable along which the clustering occurs (selection). Accurate inference about any of these processes generally requires an empirical strategy that addresses all three well. From a spatial-econometric perspective, this suggests spatiotemporal empirical models with exogenous covariates (common exposure) and …

The Development And Use Of A Geographic Information System For Evaluating The Association Between Pesticide Exposure And Prostate Cancer, Kristen Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract 1 – A Geographic Information System for Evaluating Residential Pesticide Exposure and Prostate Cancer Incidence Agricultural pesticide exposure is hypothesized to be a risk factor for prostate cancer, and such exposures are of particular concern for men living in farming communities where large-scale pesticide applications occur. Prostate cancer incidence data were obtained from the State Health Registry of Iowa for the years 1996 through 2006, and county and census tract level age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated. Historical crop-specific land use records and pesticide sales data for the state of Iowa during 1990 were integrated into a geographic information system …

Rwanda Country Assessment For Youth Development Accounts, Sarah Myers Tlapek

Center for Social Development Research

Rwanda Country Assessment for Youth Development Accounts

Six Decades Of Agricultural Land Use Change In Bangladesh: Effects On Crop Diversity, Productivity, Food Availability And The Environment, 1948-2006, S Rahman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This paper provides a detailed analysis of agricultural land use change in Bangladesh over a 59-year period (1948-2006) and examines how these have impacted crop diversity, productivity, food availability and the environment. The key findings of the analysis are: first, land use intensity has increased significantly over this period, mainly from the widespread adoption of a rice-based Green Revolution technology package beginning in the early 1960s; second, contrary to expectation, crop diversity too has increased; third, although land productivity has increased significantly, declines in the productivity of fertilizers and pesticides raise doubts over sustaining agricultural growth; fourth, food availability has …

Peace Parks For Mountain Forests: The Law And Policy Of Transforming Conflict To Stewardship, Elaine C. Hsiao

Dissertations & Theses

Peace parks provide a land ethic that transcends borders and seeks to stabilize tensions between bordering States, honoring the unity of biosphere systems in its efforts to achieve peace, conservation and cooperation. In theory, peace parks recognize that humans and the biosphere are one and that natural resources, just as cultural resources, must be collaboratively protected. In the cases of inhabited border regions, peace park principles of holistic conservation, cooperation and peace require that local communities be incorporated into park management. I posit that this is all the more true for frontier communities in regions of conflict, weak governance or …

Teaching Financial Literacy In K-12 Schools: A Survey Of Teacher Beliefs And Knowledge, Dan Otter

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

The purpose of this study was to learn teacher attitudes and beliefs about teaching personal finance, as well as teacher understanding of a few core personal finance concepts. The population consisted of 1,120 classroom teachers from two public school districts in two states. The research questions were: (a) What are teacher attitudes and beliefs about personal finance instruction? (b) What are teacher understandings of a few core personal finance concepts? Data were gathered using a survey instrument. Questions were divided into four categories: (1) policy; (2) instruction; (3) professional development; and (4) concept knowledge. Descriptive statistical methods were used to …

24 Hour Portraits, Lee R. Cowan

Theses and Dissertations

I believe an individual can be profiled by their color preferences, but not indefinitely, for a shorter period of time, a 24-hour period of time. A person's state of mind will change continually based on their experiences. These experiences will affect their perception and preference of color. I developed a model that will map an individual's profile, a portrait, through color. Participants are given a worksheet and a list of terms describing personality traits and states of mind. The worksheet is categorized by event, time of day, duration, impact, and summed term. From midnight to midnight, a 24-hour period, the …

Dtra Pssm Global Efforts To Reduce Stockpile Threats, John Schmitt

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While international efforts to reduce the amount of military-grade weapons among civilian populations are increasing, the storage, security and management of the resulting weapon stockpiles present a new set of challenges and dangers. The United States Defense Threat Reduction Agency has a lead role within the U.S. government in making sure the solution to one problem does not create another.

Identifying Social Studies Content Embedded Inelementary Basal Readers, Wendy Taylor Workman

Theses and Dissertations

In the current educational climate of federally mandated assessments of student learning, the survival of the elementary social studies curriculum may depend on interdisciplinary instructional methods to link social studies to the accountability-favored discipline of literacy. The purpose of this content analysis study was to examine and identify social studies content embedded within a second grade and a fifth grade basal reader from the 2008 Houghton Mifflin Reading Series. Each of the basals were read and coded using the Utah State Office of Education Social Studies Standards indicators and the National Council for the Social Studies Standards as a priori …

Classification Of Pleistocene Deposits, New York City And Vicinity--Fuller (1914) Revived And Revised, John Essington Sanders, Charles Merguerian

Long Island Geologists' Abstracts

Additional information on the Long Island Geologists may be found at: http://pbisotopes.ess.sunysb.edu/lig/. Information on the Long Island Association of Professional Geologists may be found at: www.liapg.org. | Long Island Geologists is a program of the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University. Each year, the activities include one or two field trips and, on a Saturday in April, a conference on the "Geology of Long Island and Metropolitan New York." Teachers and professional geologists can receive in-service credit for participating in these events. The abstracts contained within this collection are digital representations or copies of papers presented over the years …

Field Guides That Focus On Long Island's Natural Environment, Glenn A. Richard

Long Island Geologists' Abstracts

Additional information on the Long Island Geologists may be found at: http://pbisotopes.ess.sunysb.edu/lig/. Information on the Long Island Association of Professional Geologists may be found at: www.liapg.org. | Long Island Geologists is a program of the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University. Each year, the activities include one or two field trips and, on a Saturday in April, a conference on the "Geology of Long Island and Metropolitan New York." Teachers and professional geologists can receive in-service credit for participating in these events. The abstracts contained within this collection are digital representations or copies of papers presented over the years …

An Introduction To Major University English Tests And English Language Teaching In China, Caiping Sun

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this project were to introduce (1) the four main college level English tests used in the People's Republic of China to expatriate English language educators, researchers, curriculum developers, and program designers; and (2) the college English language teaching situation in China to expatriates and give them information on where and how to apply for teaching positions there. The project produced two products to fulfill these goals. First, a paper titled an introduction to major university English tests in China: Their nature, development and importance is now ready to submit for publication. It is a paper that introduces …

Volume 47, Number 47: July 14, 2010, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Small Banks In The Capital Purchase Program, United States: Congress: Congressional Oversight Panel (Cop)

Documents

No abstract provided.

Discourse At The Edge: Enterprise Discourse In Ireland, Brendan O'Rourke

Conference papers

Ireland is an economy, society and culture at the edge. It is at the edge of Europe and at the edge of both USA/UK and more mainland European or EU variants of capitalism. More recently it has been at the edge of economic crisis. Yet enterprise discourse is still central in Ireland. Enterprise discourse in Ireland is influenced by global and European Union (EU) developments. However, Irish enterprise discourse is not merely a ‘local adoption’. For example, high Irish economic growth rates during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ period have coincided with the development of the EU’s enterprise policy, thus giving the …

Development Of Daily Precipitation Projections For The United States Based On Probabilistic Downscaling, Justin T. Schoof, Sc Pryor, J Surprenant

Publications

No abstract provided.

Soundings 2010-07, N/A N/A

Soundings

No abstract provided.

Domestic Architectural Production In Northwest Mexico, Elizabeth Arwen Bagwell

Anthropology ETDs

This study examines the organization of architectural production at Cueva Bringas and Cueva el Aguaje, two prehispanic coursed-adobe cliff dwellings in the Northern Sierra (Casas Grandes) region of northeastern Sonora, Mexico. Since there are no archaeological models of the organization of domestic architectural production, an ethnographic study was completed to establish a set of expectations for this data set. The results of this study found that architecture is primarily built by groups whose members are not part of the household intending to occupy the structure. In addition, architectural production varies by gender of the producer, level of complexity, production step, …

Multidisciplinary Assessment And Documentation Of Past And Present Human Impacts On The Neotropical Forests Of Petén, Guatemala, Christopher Stephen Balzotti

Theses and Dissertations

Tropical forests provide important habitat for a tremendous diversity of plant and animal species. However, limitations in measuring and monitoring the structure and function of tropical forests has caused these systems to remain poorly understood. Remote-sensing technology has provided a powerful tool for quantification of structural patterns and associating these with resource use. Satellite and aerial platforms can be used to collect remotely sensed images of tropical forests that can be applied to ecological research and management. Chapter 1 of this article highlights the resources available for tropical forest remote sensing and presents a case-study that demonstrates its application to …

Pollen Evidence Of Historical Forest Disturbance On The Wasatch Plateau, Utah, Jesse L. Morris, Andrea R. Brunelle, A. Steven Munson

Western North American Naturalist

Environmental indicators from lake sediments provide excellent opportunities to improve understanding of forest disturbance processes and corresponding changes in forest composition. Our research provides a methodology for assessing recent, historic, and prehistoric disturbances using lacustrine sediment records. We collected sediment cores from Blue Lake, a small subalpine lake on the Wasatch Plateau in central Utah. These cores record environmental changes caused by both spruce beetle (Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby) and human (logging and livestock grazing) modification. We observed deteriorated insect remains in the lake sediments. These remains correspond temporally with a historic spruce beetle outbreak, though alkaline conditions in the …

First Reports Of Draba Pennellii And Draba Pedicellata (Cruciferae) In Utah, And New Distribution Records For Draba Kassii, Draba Novolympica, And Hackelia Ibapensis (Boraginaceae)., James G. Harris

Western North American Naturalist

The discovery of Draba pennellii Rollins and D. pedicellata (Rollins & R.A. Price) Windham var. pedicellata, both previously known only from Nevada, is reported here from the Deep Creek Mountains of western Utah. The documentation of significant populations of D. pennellii and D. pedicellata var. pedicellata in Utah is important for accurate botanical inventories and floristic studies in both Utah and Nevada. New distribution records for D. kassii S.L. Welsh, D. novolympica Payson & St. John, and Hackelia ibapensis L.M. Shultz & J.S. Shultz are described, and the significance of these range extensions and new populations is discussed.

Planning Policy And Public Perception In Small-Town Utah, Greg M. Platt

Theses and Dissertations

City growth policies codify community values and serve as the basis for enforcement of community standards. If these policies do not match resident preferences for growth, potential exists for communities to grow in ways which make the community undesirable. This thesis examines whether adopted city growth policies match resident preferences in small towns in Utah. Findings include a strong relationship between resident preferences and city leader preferences for growth. Also, city staffs are poor readers of public sentiment relative to growth and growth management. Some cities are more effective in enacting city policies to match resident attitudes towards growth than …

Developmental Contributions To Variation In Aspen Clones And The Influence Of Pre-Fire Succession Status On Aspen Regeneration Success, Eric A. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis includes two studies: The first examined developmental changes that take place in the physiology of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and to characterize developmental influences on patterns of phenotypic trait variation among different aged ramets within the aspen clones. We surveyed eight clones, each with 8 distinct age classes ranging from 1 to 170 yrs in age. Using regression analysis we examined the relationships between ramet age and expression of functional phenotypes. Eight of the phenotypic traits demonstrated a non-linear relationship in which large changes in phenotype occurred in the early stages of ramet development and stabilized thereafter. …

Design Of A Comprehensive Geographic Information System For The Administration Of El Camino Real De Los Tejas National Historic Trail, Jeffrey M. Williams

Faculty Publications

Stephen F. Austin State University’s Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture’s (ATCOFA) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratory were engaged by the National Park Service (NPS) National Trails System-Intermountain Region to provide GIS services supporting the NPS’s development of a Comprehensive Management Plan for El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (ELTE). The scope of work was completed under an agreement with the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Research Program at Texas A&M University. ATCOFA assisted the NPS in the coordination of local landowner and other local stakeholder contacts, conducted archival research …

Daily Eastern News: July 08, 2010, Eastern Illinois University

July

No abstract provided.

Wireless Sensor Network Approach To Aeronautical Telemetry, Oluwasegun Babatunde Tinubi

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless sensor networks have become a rapidly growing research field in recent years. They are envisioned to have a wide range of applications in military, environmental and many other fields. We examine the performance of wireless sensor network applications to aeronautical telemetry. To date, test ranges have relied on a single telemetry ground station for the reception of packets from all air borne transmitters. We researched an alternate means of achieving this same goal with fewer resources. It is a well known fact that communication power and bandwidth are the most expensive commodities in wireless communications. The telemetry world is …

Upper Elementary Boys’ Participation During Group Singing Activities In Single-Sex And Coeducational Classes, Zadda M. Bazzy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As boys in the upper elementary grades become increasingly influenced by peer pressure, many are less likely to participate in singing activities because singing is considered a "feminine" activity. The purpose of this research was to explore if there was an effect on upper elementary boys' level of participation during group singing activities when they attended music classes in a single-sex setting.

This study employed a true experimental design and a mixed method. Boys (N = 186) were videotaped during their regular coeducational music classes on two occasions to establish baseline data. Then the students were randomly assigned to …

Self-Potential Response To Rainfall Changes Over Plugged And Unplugged Sinkholes In A Covered-Karst Terrain, Peter B. Bumpus

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For the protection of wetland and water resources it would be beneficial to understand when collapse conduits function as recharge points to the underlying aquifer. Inexpensive, noninvasive methods to detect recharge are desirable. Previous studies show negative self-potential (SP) anomalies over sinkholes that correspond to the expected electrokinetic effects of groundwater flowing downward through a conduit. SP surveys are less labor-intensive than high-resolution 3D GPR and resistivity, and continuous long-term monitoring is possible. However, before SP surveys can be reliable indicators of flow, SP contributions from ET, conductivity changes, redox reactions, thermoelectric effects, cultural noise, and lateral flow must be …