Digital Commons Network^™

Advertising: A View From Around The Globe, Kelsey Cario

Honors Capstones

Through research and direct observation I have written this capstone to portray the differences in advertising around the world. In an effort to exemplify marketing strategy and promotion this thesis focuses on a myriad of cultural differences that impact the way consumers are attracted to products and how they make purchasing decisions. It grasps advertising differences amongst the United States and Europe, more specifically the United Kingdom and France. In order to accurately decipher the marketing differences the thesis works to show the history of advertising, how culture broadly influences advertising, different advertising mediums and how they are used in …

The Un Response To The Turkish Cypriot Declaration Of Independence And Its Impact On The Cyprus Problem, Michael Barnes

Honors Capstones

This paper examines what role the UN played in the ethnic conflict between Greek and Turkish Cypriots after the Turkish Cypriots declared independence in 1983. The UN has been actively involved with ethnic conflict in the past 50 years and will continue to do so into the future. Examining the UN's policy towards the Turkish Cypriot secession will contribute to the understanding of the role the UN will play in future ethnic conflicts. How did the UN respond to the Turkish Cypriot Declaration of Independence and what impact did that response have on negotiations involving Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and …

On Trade Policies And Wage Disparity In Egypt: Evidence From Microeconomic Data, Chahir Zaki

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This working paper assesses the extent to which trade barriers, including traditional tariff barriers, non-tariff measures, and red tape, affect wage disparity and employment in Egypt. Using a microeconomic dataset, the author assesses to what extent different trade barriers affected wage disparity and employment in Egypt. This disparity is studied in three dimensions: on gender (males vs. females), qualification (blue vs. white collar workers), and regional (urban vs. rural workers). Findings show that both non-tariff measures and red tape barriers have a higher impact than traditional tariffs on wage disparity and that women, urban workers, and blue collar workers are …

The Intractable Obscenity Problem 2.0: The Emerging Circuit Split Over The Constitutionality Of "Local Community Standards" Online, Matthew Dawson

Catholic University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Sexuality Among Evangelical College Women, Rachel Keener Killam, Heather Davediuk Gingrich

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

While some studies have examined the attitudes and perceptions of women with regard to their sexuality, none have investigated evangelical, female college students. This study explored attitudes and perceptions among eight evangelical Christian college women attending an evangelical university in the Western United States. Qualitative interviews were conducted and transcripts analyzed to determine underlying themes. Themes that emerged were (a) shame, (b) (c) fear, (d) ambivalence, (e) ignorance, (f ) lack of sexual subjectivity and agency, (g) presence of sexual subjectivity and agency, (h) same-sex attraction, (i) female sexuality as God-given and natural, and (j) the importance of open dialogue …

Community As A Redistricting Principle: Consulting Media Markets In Drawing District Lines, Jason C. Miller

Indiana Law Journal

With the 2011 redistricting process poised to commence across the country, debates are raging as to who should draw district lines, how to keep those individuals from drawing them for partisan advantage, and the best way to draw minority districts. This paper addresses the largely overlooked area of media markets. Districts drawn to conform with media markets experience higher voter turnout. Moreover, linking a city and its economically-connected suburbs together is simply common sense. Discussing the impact of district conformity, or lack thereof, with media market boundaries on campaign strategy, news reporting, voter participation, grassroots organizing, and candidate recruitment, this …

Images Of Force: The Power Of Maps In Community Development, Jill M. Fraley

Scholarly Articles

Recent trends in critical geography have drawn attention to the secret political lives of maps. Beneath a veneer of abstraction and scientific neutrality, maps are deeply political devices, embedding within them perspectives on what is important in a community, what are assets and what are liabilities, what is central and what is marginal. By drawing on the historical example of the mapping work of the Tennessee Valley Authority in the United States, this article examines the power of maps in community development, land use planning and natural resource allocation. This examination yields a lesson in the significance of the maps …

La Educación De Las Niñas En Países En Desarrollo: Aspectos Destacados De La Investigación Del Population Council, Cynthia B. Lloyd

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

A medida que más niñas asisten a la escuela en la adolescencia, la importancia de las experiencias escolares y la calidad de las escuelas para la salud reproductiva y sexual de las adolescentes, así como para una exitosa transición a la edad adulta, es clara. La investigación del Population Council sobre educación busca comprender mejor los patrones y las tendencias en la educación para niñas y más particularmente la relación entre las experiencias escolares, la calidad de las escuelas, y las diversas consecuencias para los adolescentes. Promoción de transiciones a la vida adulta: Sanas, seguras y productivas N° 24 resume …

Anatomical, Physical, And Mechanical Properties Of Eldar Pine (Pinus Eldarica Medw.) Grown In The Kelardasht Region, Majid Kiaei

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The aim of this study was to determine some of the anatomical, physical, and mechanical properties of 35-year-old Pinus eldarica Medw. wood. For this purpose, 3 normal pine trees were randomly cut down from the Garagpas-Kelardasht site located in the northern part of Iran. Disks and logs of wood were cut at breast height. The testing samples were prepared along the radial axis from the pith to the bark to determine anatomical and physical properties such as annual ring width, tracheid length, oven-dry density, basic density, and volume shrinkage, and mature wood was used to measure mechanical strength characteristics such …

Stratigraphy, Sedimentology And Palynology Of The Neogene-Pleistocene(?) Rocks Around Akçaşehir- Tire-İzmir (Küçük Menderes Graben, Western Anatolia), Tahi̇r Emre, Meti̇n Tavlan, Mehmet Serkan Akki̇raz, İsmai̇l İşi̇ntek

Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences

The basement rocks located in the central part of the southern edge of the Küçük Menderes Graben, around Akçaşehir-Tire are composed of marbles, schists, gneisses and metagabbros of the Ödemiş-Kiraz submassif of the Menderes Massif, and schists, marbles and meta-olistostromes of the Cycladic Complex. The basement is unconformably overlain by Neogene-Quaternary continental sediments. These continental basin fills are comprised of the Ayaklıkırı Formation, the Aydoğdu Formation and alluvium that unconformably overlies them. The Lower-Upper Miocene Ayaklıkırı Formation consists of lacustrine and fluvial deposits. The Plio-Pleistocene (?) Aydoğdu Formation is made up of alluvial fan deposits. Vast plains of alluvium cover …

New Records In The Alien Flora Of Romania (Artemisia Argyi, A. Lavandulaefolia) And Europe (A. Lancea), Culita Sirbu, Adrian Oprea

Turkish Journal of Botany

Artemisia lancea Vaniot, A. argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot, and A. lavandulaefolia DC., all native from eastern Asia, are reported as new alien taxa from Romania. A. lancea has not been recorded so far in Europe, while A. argyi and A. lavandulaefolia are naturalised in the European part of the former USSR. All 3 species were collected in the Socola railway yard in northeastern Romania; the specimens were deposited in the IASI Herbarium, at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iaşi. Their introduction was accidental, through the rail transport from the former USSR. The 3 species are perennial herbs, …

The Rule Of Law Through Its Economies Of Appearances: The Making Of The African Warlord, Kamari Maxine Clarke

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

The global reach of international law is now becoming relevant to the micromanagement of daily life. In postcolonial African states, everyday actions and their meanings are being opened up by the expansion of national jurisdiction into international jurisdiction. In relation to these changing technologies of managing shifting regimes of power, this article explores the ways that the spectacle of the rule of law is linked to the spectacle of capitalism. By examining the workings of victim and witness testimonies in the Special Court of Sierra Leone, I examine the ways that spectacles of law and articulations of suffering displace the …

Human Rights -- Latin America, Indigenous Peoples -- Latin America, Neoliberalism -- Latin America, Ethnicity.Gov: Global Governance, Indigenous Peoples, And The Right To Prior Consultation In Social Minefields, César Rodríguez-Garavito

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

This article explores law's protagonism and effects in contemporary conflicts over development, natural resource extraction, and indigenous peoples' rights. It focuses on the sociolegal site where these conflicts have been most visible and acute: consultations with indigenous peoples prior to the undertaking of economic projects that affect them. I argue that legal disputes over prior consultation are part of a broader process of juridification of ethnic claims, which I call "ethnicity.gov." I examine the plurality of public and private regulations involved in this process and trace their affinity with the procedural logic of neoliberal global governance. I further argue that …

Model For Predicting The Impact Upon Economic Development Resulting From Highway Improvement Projects, Eric Thompson, Kanou Comlavi, Mallory Dimmit

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) has an interest in integrating state economic development impact as another factor in prioritizing transportation investments. Such efforts require the development of a comprehensive model that can be used to estimate a consistent final measure of economic development impact that can be readily integrated into existing prioritization formulas. This report summarizes the efforts of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bureau of Business Research (UNL-BBR) to develop such a model, by measuring the impact of expressway, viaduct, and other major investments projects around the state. Specifically, UNL-BBR developed an economic model to predict the economic impact …

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Vegetation Classification [Map], United States National Park Service

United States National Park Service: Publications

Colo vegetation map of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Strong City, Kansas, USA, from the Tallgrass Prairie NP Vegetation Mapping Project, created between April and June 2011. Includes a color-coded vegetation classification.

Homestead National Monument, Vegetation Mapping Project [Poster], Kelly Kindscher, Hayley Kilroy, Jennifer Delisle, Quinn Long, Hillary Loring, Kevin Dobbs, Jim Drake

United States National Park Service: Publications

Homestead National Monument was created in 1936 to celebrate the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted 160 acres of free land to claimants. This was one of the most significant and enduring events in the westward expansion of the United States. The site is the first tract homesteaded under the act by Daniel Freemen, and encompasses 184 acres in Gage County, west of Beatrice, Nebraska.

This unique site also hosts the oldest prairie restoration in the National Park system and the second-oldest tallgrass prairie restoration known. This park unit also has a small remnant of native tallgrass …

Forest Structure And Aboveground Biomass In The Southwestern United States From Modis And Misr, Mark Chopping, Crystal B. Schaaf, Feng Zhao, Anne W. Nolin, Gretchen G. Moisen, John V. Martonchik, Michael Bull

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Red band bidirectional reflectance factor data from the NASA MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired over the southwestern United States were interpreted through a simple geometric–optical (GO) canopy reflectance model to provide maps of fractional crown cover (dimensionless), mean canopy height (m), and aboveground woody biomass (Mg ha⁻¹) on a 250 m grid. Model adjustment was performed after dynamic injection of a background contribution predicted via the kernel weights of a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model. Accuracy was assessed with respect to similar maps obtained with data from the NASA Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and to contemporaneous …

A History Of Nasa Remote Sensing Contributions To Archaeology, Marco J. Giardino

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

During its long history of developing and deploying remote sensing instruments, NASA has provided scientific data that have benefitted a variety of scientific applications among them archaeology. Multispectral and hyperspectral instruments mounted on orbiting and sub-orbital platforms have provided new and important information for the discovery, delineation and analysis of archaeological sites worldwide. Since the early 1970s, several of the ten NASA centers have collaborated with archaeologists to refine and validate the use of active and passive remote sensing for archaeological use. The Stennis Space Center (SSC), located in Mississippi USA has been the NASA leader in archaeological research. Together …

Variability In Surface Brdf At Different Spatial Scales (30 M–500 M) Over A Mixed Agricultural Landscape As Retrieved From Airborne And Satellite Spectral Measurements, Miguel O. Román, Charles K. Gatebe, Crystal Schaaf, Rajesh Poudyal, Zhuosen Wang, Michael King

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Over the past decade, the role of multiangle remote sensing has been central to the development of algorithms for the retrieval of global land surface properties including models of the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF), albedo, land cover/dynamics, burned area extent, as well as other key surface biophysical quantities impacted by the anisotropic reflectance characteristics of vegetation. In this study, a new retrieval strategy for fine-to-moderate resolution multiangle observations was developed, based on the operational sequence used to retrieve the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 5 reflectance and BRDF/albedo products. The algorithm makes use of a semiempirical kernel-driven bidirectional …

Canopy Spectral Invariants, Part 2: Application To Classification Of Forest Types From Hyperspectral Data, M.A. Schull, Y. Knyazikhin, L. Xu, A. Samanta, P.L. Carmona, L. Lepine, J.P. Jenkins, S. Ganguly, R.B. Myneni

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Many studies have been conducted to demonstrate the ability of hyperspectral data to discriminate plant dominant species. Most of them have employed the use of empirically based techniques, which are site specific, requires some initial training based on characteristics of known leaf and/or canopy spectra and therefore may not be extendable to operational use or adapted to changing or unknown land cover. In this paper we propose a physically based approach for separation of dominant forest type using hyperspectral data. The radiative transfer theory of canopy spectral invariants underlies the approach, which facilitates parameterization of the canopy reflectance in terms …

Mapping Biomass And Stress In The Sierra Nevada Using Lidar And Hyperspectral Data Fusion, Anu Swatantran, Ralph Dubayah, Dar A. Roberts, Michelle Hofton, J. Bryan Blair

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

In this paper, we explored fusion of structural metrics from the Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) and spectral characteristics from the Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) for biomass estimation in the Sierra Nevada. In addition, we combined the two sensors to map species-specific biomass and stress at landscape scale. Multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) was used to classify vegetation from AVIRIS images and obtain sub-pixel fractions of green vegetation, non-photosynthetic vegetation, soil, and shade. LVIS metrics, AVIRIS spectral indices, and MESMA fractions were compared with field measures of biomass using linear and stepwise regressions at stand (1 ha) …

Retrieval Of Canopy Height Using Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (Modis) Data, Zhuosen Wang, Crystal B. Schaaf, Philip Lewis, Yuri Knyazikhin, Mitchell A. Schull, Alan H. Strahler, Tian Yao, Ranga B. Myneni, Mark J. Chopping, Bryan J. Blair

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

In this study we use the 500 m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) product to develop multivariate linear regression models that estimate canopy heights over study sites at Howland Forest, Maine, Harvard Forest, Massachusetts and La Selva Forest, Costa Rica using (1) directional escape probabilities that are spectrally independent and (2) the directional spectral reflectances used to derive the directional escape probabilities. These measures of canopy architecture are compared with canopy height information retrieved from the airborne Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS). Both the escape probability and the directional reflectance approaches achieve good results, with …

Comparison Of Ceres Surface Radiation Fluxes With Surface Observations Over Loess Plateau, Hongru Yan, Jianping Huang, Patrick Minnis, Tianhe Wang, Jianrong Bi

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

Surface energy budget is an important factor in weather and climate processes. To estimate the errors in satellite-retrieved surface radiation budget over the interior of China, instantaneous-footprint surface radiation fluxes from the Terra/Aqua FLASHFlux SSF product are compared with the measurements taken at the Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University (SACOL) from July 2008 to March 2010. Validation is performed separately for different conditions: clear-sky and cloudy-sky, daytime and nighttime for four seasons. Differences between the FLASHFlux CERES shortwave radiation flux and surface measurements have larger standard deviations in cloudy-sky conditions than in clear-sky conditions, indicating that cloud …

Satellite Remote Sensing For Developing Time And Space Resolved Estimates Of Ambient Particulate In Cleveland, Oh, Naresh Kumar, Allen D. Chu, Andrew D. Foster, Thomas Peters, Robert Willis

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

This article empirically demonstrates the use of fine resolution satellite-based aerosol optical depth (AOD) to develop time and space resolved estimates of ambient particulate matter (PM) ≤2.5 μm and ≤10 μm in aerodynamic diameters (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, respectively). AOD was computed at three different spatial resolutions, i.e., 2 km (means 2 km × 2 km area at nadir), 5 km, and 10 km, by using the data from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. Multiresolution AOD from MODIS (AODMODIS) was compared with the in situ measurements of AOD by NASA’s AErosol RObotic …

Effective Selectors? Interlibrary Loan Patrons As Monograph Purchasers: A Comparative Examination Of Price And Circulation-Related Performance, David C. Tyler, Joyce C. Melvin, Yang Xu, Marylou Epp, Anita M. Kreps

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

In the library literature, a great deal of interest in patron-driven collection development has recently been expressed, especially in those programs that link acquisitions with interlibrary loan. However, the implementation of such programs has been limited, at least in part because of concerns over the potential for wasteful spending. The authors will attempt to address this common concern by assessing whether monies spent via a patron-driven acquisitions program were more or less effective than monies spent via traditional modes of acquisition.

Introduction To Gis Using Open Source Software, 1st Ed, Frank Donnelly

Open Educational Resources

This tutorial was created to accompany the GIS Practicum, a day-long workshop offered by the Newman Library at Baruch College CUNY that introduces participants to geographic information systems (GIS) using the open source software QGIS. The practicum introduces GIS as a concept for envisioning information and as a tool for conducting geographic analyses and creating maps. Participants learn how to navigate a GIS interface, how to prepare layers and conduct a basic geographic analysis, and how to create thematic maps. This tutorial was written using QGIS version 1.5 "Tethys", a cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux) desktop GIS software package.

A Synergetic Use Of Satellite Imagery From Sar And Optical Sensors To Improve Coastal Flood Mapping In The Gulf Of Mexico, Naira Chaouch, Marouane Temimi, Scott Hagen, John Weishampel, Stephen Medeiros, Reza Khanbilvardi

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

This work proposes a method for detecting inundation between semi-diurnal low and high water conditions in the northern Gulf of Mexico using high-resolution satellite imagery. Radarsat 1, Landsat imagery and aerial photography from the Apalachicola region in Florida were used to demonstrate and validate the algorithm. A change detection approach was implemented through the analysis of red, green and blue (RGB) false colour composites image to emphasise differences in high and low tide inundation patterns. To alleviate the effect of inherent speckle in the SAR images, we also applied ancillary optical data. The flood-prone area for the site was delineated …

The Evolutionary Origins Of Syngnathidae: Pipefishes And Seahorses, A. B. Wilson, J. W. Orr

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Despite their importance as evolutionary and ecological model systems, the phylogenetic relationships among gasterosteiforms remain poorly understood, complicating efforts to understand the evolutionary origins of the exceptional morphological and behavioural diversity of this group. The present review summarizes current knowledge on the origin and evolution of syngnathids, a gasterosteiform family with a highly developed form of male parental care, combining inferences based on morphological and molecular data with paleontological evidence documenting the evolutionary history of the group. Molecular methods have provided new tools for the study of syngnathid relationships and have played an important role in recent conservation efforts. Despite …

Can We Manage For Resilience? The Integration Of Resilience Thinking Into Natural Resource Management In The United States, Melinda Harm Benson, Ahjond S. Garmestani

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The concept of resilience is now frequently invoked by natural resource agencies in the US. This reflects growing trends within ecology, conservation biology, and other disciplines acknowledging that social–ecological systems require management approaches recognizing their complexity. In this paper, we examine the concept of resilience and the manner in which some legal and regulatory frameworks governing federal natural resource agencies have difficulty accommodating it. We then use the U.S. Forest Service’s employment of resilience as an illustration of the challenges ahead.

Prototyping An Online Wetland Ecosystem Services Model Using Open Model Sharing Standards, Min Feng, Shuguang Liu, Ned H. Euliss Jr., Claudia Young, David M. Mushet

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Great interest currently exists for developing ecosystem models to forecast how ecosystem services may change under alternative land use and climate futures. Ecosystem services are diverse and include supporting services or functions (e.g., primary production, nutrient cycling), provisioning services (e.g., wildlife, groundwater), regulating services (e.g., water purification, floodwater retention), and even cultural services (e.g., ecotourism, cultural heritage). Hence, the knowledge base necessary to quantify ecosystem services is broad and derived from many diverse scientific disciplines. Building the required interdisciplinary models is especially challenging as modelers from different locations and times may develop the disciplinary models needed for ecosystem simulations, and …