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2012

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Silver And Gold Victorian Masculinities Of The Nineteenth-Century American West, Elizabeth T. Bennett Jan 2012

Silver And Gold Victorian Masculinities Of The Nineteenth-Century American West, Elizabeth T. Bennett

Theses & ETDs

In addition to precipitating the rapid expansion and early settlement of a large new territory, the California gold rush facilitated an introduction of complex mandates for proper gendered behavior to the American West. Theories of masculinity within the social sciences have only been developed in recent decades. In specific regards to anthropology, a reexamination of the male role slowly began in the 1980s, as a result of feminist scholarship a decade earlier. Within historical archaeology, the affect of "separate spheres" and cults of domesticity upon nineteenth-century women have been well-documented � meanwhile, the comparative freedom of men's public identity has …

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The Experience Of Pilgrimage Medieval And Modern Transformations, Melinda Thackrah Jan 2012

The Experience Of Pilgrimage Medieval And Modern Transformations, Melinda Thackrah

Theses & ETDs

The goal of this project was to compare and contrast medieval pilgrimage experience with contemporary pilgrimage. An additional aim was to demonstrate a transformation of the motivations for pilgrimage away from largely religion-based origins toward secular concerns. To those ends, the author undertook a pilgrimage across Spain during the summer of 2011 and experienced her own transformation while on the Camino de Santiago. The experience as a whole was explored through a series of sculptural works designed to re-imagine the experience of pilgrimage through post-modern art.

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Hate In The Time Of Cholera How The 2010 Cholera Outbreak In Haiti Threatened La Raza Dominicana, Liza Pence Wisman Jan 2012

Hate In The Time Of Cholera How The 2010 Cholera Outbreak In Haiti Threatened La Raza Dominicana, Liza Pence Wisman

Theses & ETDs

This thesis explores the effects of how Dominican national identity is defined based on its shared history and relationship with Haiti. Colonial differences, racial tensions and the threat of Haitian invasion have led to a Dominican society where race and/or ethnicity is linked to culture. La raza dominicana describes how Dominicans see themselves as white, Spanish speaking Catholic. To Dominicans, Haitians represent the opposite; they are black, of African descent, speak Creole, and practice Voodoo. Dominican identity has created the ideology of anti-Haitianism where Haitians are represented as an inferior "race" and culture, portraying them as uncivilized and immoral. This …

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Identifying Melanoma Using Computer Vision And An Artificial Neural Network, Hannah Rivers Jan 2012

Identifying Melanoma Using Computer Vision And An Artificial Neural Network, Hannah Rivers

Theses & ETDs

Melanoma is an increasingly common and very serious form of cancer, claiming almost fifty thousand lives annually. The single most important factor in successful treatment of melanoma is early detection. In this thesis, an artificial neural network designed to distinguish melanoma from dysplastic nevi was created and trained. Heuristics employed by dermatologists to diagnose melanoma were synthesized into a preprocessing method that extracts relevant features, transforming an image into a feature vector. These vectors were then passed to the artificial neural network so it could learn patterns in the data. The artificial neural network was trained on an amalgamation of …

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Embodying The Holy Spirit A Phenomenology Of Tongues, Jake Elrod Jan 2012

Embodying The Holy Spirit A Phenomenology Of Tongues, Jake Elrod

Theses & ETDs

In this ethnography, I explore the relationship between forms of transcendental experience and the conceptual construction of reality within a Pentecostal congregation in Greene, Ohio. My research focuses on Baptism of the Holy Spirit, an embodied union with God's animate force (often accompanied by glossolalia, divine communication, and spiritual healing) as an intensely life-changing experience played out in public rituals, personal testimonies, and Pentecostal theology. I will attempt to describe these forms of transcendental experience, their emergence in practice and discourse, and how these functioned to maintain a unified spiritual orientation. I will trace the role of transcendental experiences in …

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Interaction Of Time And Environment And Environment On Sheepshead Minnow, Morgan Molina-Marin Jan 2012

Interaction Of Time And Environment And Environment On Sheepshead Minnow, Morgan Molina-Marin

Theses & ETDs

The sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus) is known for being a hardy, social species ideal for study in both the wild and the laboratory and has been used as a biological standardization in toxicology studies. The species' means of marking territory, locomotion, and communication have been studied for over forty years. A more recent study showed a potential link between environmental stability and activity levels in fishes as the result of a drive to survive. However, that study did not encompass the Cyprinodontidae, and a definitive assessment of diurnal activity is lacking in this group. Accordingly, I studied time of …

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Attacn Hyperoxaluria With Progress Towards The Synthesis Of The Novel Ligand Bn2tcma, Katriana Nugent Jan 2012

Attacn Hyperoxaluria With Progress Towards The Synthesis Of The Novel Ligand Bn2tcma, Katriana Nugent

Theses & ETDs

The enzymes oxalate oxidase (oxox) and oxalate decarboxylase (oxdc) are manganese-containing supercupins that have the unique ability to degrade oxalate. These oxalate-degrading enzymes are present in plants, fungi, and bacteria but not in mammals. Both overconsumption of oxalate rich foods and increased endogenous oxalate production as a result of inborn errors of glyoxalate metabolism result in a disorder called hyperoxaluria. The consequences of hyperoxaluria, renal failure and cardiac conditions, are detrimental if left untreated. Hyperoxaluria is detected in an enzymatic assay that utilizes oxalate oxidase to measure urinary oxalate. A lower cost alternative would be to utilize a small molecular …

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Dwelling An Exploration Of Home And Memory, Eugenie Fortier Jan 2012

Dwelling An Exploration Of Home And Memory, Eugenie Fortier

Theses & ETDs

In my thesis, I visually deconstruct the home through the lens of memory. Elements of remembrance, such as fragmentation, disintegration, repetition, and compartmentalization, thus become prominent guides for the formal qualities of the two- and three-dimensional work. Seemingly following the trend of disillusionment of the home that was sparked by the anti-domestic feminist art of the 1970s, my work questions the nostalgia often associated with the home. This allows the resulting art to flirt with the uncanny. In this sense, the home almost transforms into a puzzle that is continuously undone and reconfigured in an attempt to find its essential …

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United States Public Policy Regarding Genetically Modified Foods, Jennifer A. Zimmerman Jan 2012

United States Public Policy Regarding Genetically Modified Foods, Jennifer A. Zimmerman

Theses & ETDs

Genetically modified foods are produced, sold and consumed in the United States, and are undifferentiated from conventional foods. Policy discrepancies in the US, EU and Japan may stem from public opinion, agricultural system design, and other social and economic factors. The purpose was to investigate the current system for labeling foods derived from genetically modified organisms, and to determine if this was desirable by those affected. Through examination of scientific studies on the safety and potential effects of genetically modified foods, evaluation of public opinion poll and survey results, and comparison of the laws and regulatory bodies governing food labeling …

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Vegetarian Shrimp The Effects Of Attractants In Alternative Plant-Based Diets On Growth Rates Of Juvenile Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) (Boone, 1931), Megan White-Domain Jan 2012

Vegetarian Shrimp The Effects Of Attractants In Alternative Plant-Based Diets On Growth Rates Of Juvenile Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) (Boone, 1931), Megan White-Domain

Theses & ETDs

Shrimp aquaculture is a growing industry with many related environmental impacts. One such impact is the harvest of wild fish stocks for the production of aquaculture feed ingredients (fish meal and fish oil) to feed shrimp raised in aquaculture systems. Alternative feeds are being developed using alternative plant-based protein and lipid sources. However, despite progress in reducing marine-based resources for the main protein source in alternative feeds, the requirement of attractants in the diets of Pacific white shrimp maintains dependence on wild fish stocks. The current research examines the role of attractants in plant-based diets by conducting growth trials with …

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A Semiotic Analysis Of Ritual, Place, & Costume In The Performance Art Of Nate Hill, Juliana Hardesty Jan 2012

A Semiotic Analysis Of Ritual, Place, & Costume In The Performance Art Of Nate Hill, Juliana Hardesty

Theses & ETDs

Combining semiotic analysis with theater anthropology and performance theory, I seek to unpack the work of contemporary American performance artist Nate Hill. His character-based acts "Death Bear" and "Punch Me Panda" attempt to render service unto the people of New York City, both on its streets and in their homes. This creates an interesting dialectical relationship in his work to space and place--a relationship I explore in order to argue for the efficacy of his services in producing spontaneous cathartic moments for the public. I also attempt to update/modify typologies regarding ritual process and liminal space as established by Richard …

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Empathy Enhancement In Text Based Computer Mediated Communication, Sivens J. Glaude Jan 2012

Empathy Enhancement In Text Based Computer Mediated Communication, Sivens J. Glaude

Theses & ETDs

Empathy, defined as "the ability to put oneself into the mental shoes of another person to understand her emotions and feelings" (Goldmann was cited in Decety & Lamm, 2006, p. 1147 ), is a fundamental part of human behaviors such as communication, cooperation, and altruism. Many of the signals we use to understand the emotions of others, or to be empathetic, are based off of nonverbal behavior such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures. However, traditional text based communication lacks many of the nonverbal cues we normally use to communicate emotions during face-to-face interactions. Media richness theory states …

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Subcloning And Characterization Of C. Elegans Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase-3, Justin Spengler Jan 2012

Subcloning And Characterization Of C. Elegans Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase-3, Justin Spengler

Theses & ETDs

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) is an enzyme which converts glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) into 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate using NAD+ and Pi as substrates. Due to the involvement of GAPDH in glycolysis, it can be found almost universally among organisms. C. elegans contains 4 GPD genes, and these proteins have not been characterized kinetically. GPD-3 was chosen for this study due to its involvement in longevity in adult worms. The gpd-3 gene was inserted into the vector pTYB11, and the GPD-3 protein was overexpressed in E. coli cells. The GPD-3 purification was unsuccessful due to inefficient cleavage of the purification tag, so a preparation of endogenous …

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Thinking About Thinking Metacognition In Dolphins, Judith Lobo Jan 2012

Thinking About Thinking Metacognition In Dolphins, Judith Lobo

Theses & ETDs

Metacognition is the ability to think about thinking. It is a level of cognition that enables us to be self-reflecting, self-monitoring, and to pry through the contents of our own minds. Metacognition has been found in some non-human species such as the rhesus monkey. There has been one study on dolphin metacognition, however, the results can be explained through associative learning rather than metacognition. The current study sought to elicit metacognitive behavior in one spotted and four bottlenose male dolphins. The dolphins were presented with an apparatus that consisted of a transparent base with two opaque plastic buckets placed on …

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The Ethical And Practical Limitations Of The Use Of Anthropology In The Military, Morgan Dolan Jan 2012

The Ethical And Practical Limitations Of The Use Of Anthropology In The Military, Morgan Dolan

Theses & ETDs

The development of the Human Terrain System was a unique step in the United States military's counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan because it sought to combine social scientists and anthropological expertise in order to provide the military with a better understanding the cultural environments in which it was operating. This led to a debate in the anthropological community over the ethical soundness of the Human Terrain System and on a larger scale, over the engagement of anthropologists and the United States military. In order to better understand the context of this debate, this thesis examined the historical intersection of …

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What Is The Extinction Of The Condor To A Child Who Has Never Seen A Wren? The Effect Of Charismatic Minifauna On The Environmental Behaviors Of High School Students, Aidan Bailey Jan 2012

What Is The Extinction Of The Condor To A Child Who Has Never Seen A Wren? The Effect Of Charismatic Minifauna On The Environmental Behaviors Of High School Students, Aidan Bailey

Theses & ETDs

Large exotic mammals, or "charismatic megafauna," have been the subject of popular campaigns conveying environmental messages with the goal of inspiring pro-environmental attitudes, behaviors and support, both political and financial. Examples include the Polar Bear and the World Wildlife Fund's Giant Panda. However, the species selected are usually mammalian and are less likely to serve as indicator species, under-representing the delicate minifauna that is commonly found around us. This study investigates the potential for "charismatic minifauna," attractive, small, common local animals, to generate change in environmental behaviors in high school students. The author compared a minifauna-themed program, which focused on …

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The Local Consumed Recreating Native-Place On China's Hilltop Herb Farm, Rebecca Catherine Christoforo Jan 2012

The Local Consumed Recreating Native-Place On China's Hilltop Herb Farm, Rebecca Catherine Christoforo

Theses & ETDs

In China today, the ease of movement through sociogeographic space has led to an estranged relationship between individuals and their ancestral homelands, and thus a sense of alienation for many urban Chinese. In part to amend this problem, millions of domestic urban tourists seek rural recreation every year. This thesis, using one eco-agritourism venue in Anhui as a case study, examines the changing conditions of 'native-place' as it becomes a commodity, and asks: what are the authentic qualities of the 'local' in a globalizing China?

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In Grain Liberation From Self Through Iterations In Wood, Suzanne Olvey Jan 2012

In Grain Liberation From Self Through Iterations In Wood, Suzanne Olvey

Theses & ETDs

Stemming from Buddhist philosophies of detachment and non-self, I created paintings, sculptures and prints over the course of this thesis project to relinquish my ego as an artist while, simultaneously, creating a visual aid for the audience to meditate on similar concepts. Like many Modernist artists like Motherwell, Marden and Calder, my work is an exploration of medium, while maintaining a contemporary graphic quality. Rather than inventing predetermined compositions, the grain of the wood surface or the paint material become as important as the artist in this process, dictating lines or creating their own. Because I follow lines that exist …

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A Giant's Strength A Multisited Spatial Biography In 19th Century Florida, Elizabeth Ann Usherwood Jan 2012

A Giant's Strength A Multisited Spatial Biography In 19th Century Florida, Elizabeth Ann Usherwood

Theses & ETDs

This thesis argues for a new methodological approach in historical archaeology: a multisited spatial biography of an individual which traces the life of an individual through time and space. Through the case study of Luis Fatio Pacheco, a 19th century African American man, this thesis illustrates how methodology can contribute to a vindicationist approach of African Diaspora archaeology through an individual's life. By looking at Luis Fatio Pacheco's homespaces, or the places he would have considered home, additionally complexity is illuminated in the historical record. This methodology helps connect his life experiences to the larger collective memory of "African America." …

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Learning Under Stress Separating The Effects Of Allopregnanolone And Fluoxetine In Carassius Auratus, Jeremy David Evans Jan 2012

Learning Under Stress Separating The Effects Of Allopregnanolone And Fluoxetine In Carassius Auratus, Jeremy David Evans

Theses & ETDs

This thesis compares the cognitive and affective effects of two anxiolytic compounds in the goldfish, Carassius auratus: fluoxetine (Prozac�), an antidepressant, and allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid native to the brain of vertebrates. There is a literature review on the role of the interactions of stress, the endocrine system, and the brain in both goldfish and humans to stage the hypotheses in question, ultimately predicting a decline in cognition in fish exposed to the anxiolytics unless they are also presented with exogenous stress. The results of the scototaxic trials indicate a significant increase in exploratory behavior in only the allopregnanolone group over …

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Owner Perceptions Of Dog Emotions, Kirstin Ohlsen Jan 2012

Owner Perceptions Of Dog Emotions, Kirstin Ohlsen

Theses & ETDs

This study investigated owner perceptions of dog emotions and its relations to anthropomorphic tendencies. Participants answered questionnaires about particular emotions, anthropomorphic attitudes, and beliefs about an interaction that could possibly involve guilt. Some also participated in a filmed interaction where the dog was left alone with a forbidden treat. There was a positive correlation between anthropomorphic attitudes and beliefs about dog emotions. There were also gender differences. Women were more likely than men to both anthropomorphize their dogs and perceive more complex emotions. The possibility of complex emotions such as guilt in dogs was discussed. Understanding the motivations and emotions …

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"You Always See Something, But You Never See All" Narative Devices And The Reader's Role In James Joyce's A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man And Andrei Bely's Kotik Letaev, Jacqueline Aldrich Jan 2012

"You Always See Something, But You Never See All" Narative Devices And The Reader's Role In James Joyce's A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man And Andrei Bely's Kotik Letaev, Jacqueline Aldrich

Theses & ETDs

This thesis examines the roles that narration and genre play in the generation and reception of texts, through James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Andrei Bely's Kotik Letaev. The two works are known as "semiautobiographical novels," existing in a middle ground between fiction and autobiography. The works' child narrators utilize the language as their artistic medium in order to assert their agency. These narrators are ambiguous and shifting, which is defamiliarizing to the reader and serves to emphasize the division between what is real and what is fictional. These devices all trouble the distinctions …

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Rewilding Towards A Neo-Shamanic Phenomenological Consciousness, Bradley Bryant Jan 2012

Rewilding Towards A Neo-Shamanic Phenomenological Consciousness, Bradley Bryant

Theses & ETDs

Thesis analyzes the connections between domestication and its consequences in regards to the health of the human species. Rewilding, as I observe, is a neo-shamanic holistic health practice which has been adopted, consciously as well as unconsciously, by anarcho-primitivist intentional communities; more consciously as a strategy geared towards developing individual and communal autonomy via the dissolution of power relations, therefore as a philosophy of political resistance; more unconsciously as the experiential/phenomenal recovery of ancient shamanic preventative/curative healing methods, which are 'holistic' in the sense that treatment is aimed at the "whole" human � mind, body, and spirit, rather than a …

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Talking Back Effects Of Training Session Occurrence On Captive Dolphin Vocal Behavior, Jennie Caskey Jan 2012

Talking Back Effects Of Training Session Occurrence On Captive Dolphin Vocal Behavior, Jennie Caskey

Theses & ETDs

In 1961, John Lilly's claim that dolphins were "kind, cooperative, intelligent�" beings that were likely candidates for inter-species communication was met with incredulity in the scientific and popular communities of the time. However, in the decades since, both inter-species communication and dolphin cognitive and behavioral research have progressed significantly, and evidence suggests that dolphins do, in fact, possess the traits and mechanisms that have so far been shown to correlate with the most successful inter-species communication. Dolphins, as a family, are highly gregarious, and utilize contextually flexible vocal behaviors to coordinate, communicate, and perceive their environment. Historically, they have had …

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Who Benefits? Policies Of Inclusion And Exclusion In International Pharmaceutical Bioprospecting Contracts, Katherine Scussel Jan 2012

Who Benefits? Policies Of Inclusion And Exclusion In International Pharmaceutical Bioprospecting Contracts, Katherine Scussel

Theses & ETDs

Bioprospecting is the transfer of plants, animals, and microbes and traditional knowledge about these organisms from biodiversity-rich nations to developed nations in exchange for compensation in the form of contracts promising benefits sharing, intellectual property rights, or development projects. This process, meant to transform what has historically been a one-way extraction of resources into a multidirectional flow of benefits, has been posited as a way to give local or indigenous peoples living in biologically-diverse regions compensation for the conservation of their resources. However, this market-mediated strategy, promising methods of participation and inclusion, inevitably sets up relationships of exclusion and exploitation …

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Bank Liquidity Preference Shocks And Macroeconomic Fluctuations, Kathleen Mcqueeney Jan 2012

Bank Liquidity Preference Shocks And Macroeconomic Fluctuations, Kathleen Mcqueeney

Theses & ETDs

In the years since the financial crisis in 2008, U.S. commercial banks have seen an unprecedented increase in liquidity preference. This thesis examines the relationship between bank liquidity preference and the business cycle. Shocks in bank liquidity preference are estimated and identified by considering the relationship between banks' total reserves and the loan rate and the federal funds rate. The thesis notes that a well-defined liquidity preference curve is evident in the credit market. Shifts in the curve represent shocks in bank liquidity preference. The purpose of this thesis is to measure the extent to which both negative and positive …

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Bedouin Modernization Policies In Jordan And Israel, Samantha Sementilli Jan 2012

Bedouin Modernization Policies In Jordan And Israel, Samantha Sementilli

Theses & ETDs

Bedouins throughout the Middle East are facing numerous issues, including uncertain citizenship, violence, lack of livelihood, and difficulty functioning inside the states. Socioeconomic change and the development of modern states have challenged core elements of Bedouin identity to the point that outsiders question the distinction between Bedouins and related populations. This study investigates the effects of modernization on Bedouins in Jordan and Israel. After reviewing modernization from the Ottoman Empire through modern nation states, the study examines two cases, Israel and Jordan, to explore the different avenues of modernization present in Bedouin lives. The case studies focus on legal status, …

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Diel Activity Of The Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio In Response To Weather Conditions In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Raluca Cruceanu Jan 2012

Diel Activity Of The Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio In Response To Weather Conditions In Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Raluca Cruceanu

Theses & ETDs

Oophaga pumilio is the most polymorphic poison frog. The greenish-black spotted frog with yellow undersides can only be found on Isla Col�n and is entirely specific to the area. A novelty among anurans, female Oophaga pumilio feed the larvae with unfertilized eggs. This species exhibits sophisticated parental care by both males and females. This study is the first in this line of research that has shown a statistically significant difference between hourly time intervals for diel calling activity in the dry season, and a positive correlation between calling activity and light intensity. There was no significant difference between total activity …

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Impacts Of Foraging Behavior Of Initial And Terminal Phase Sparisoma Viride On A Caribbean Coral Reef, Samantha Ortiz Jan 2012

Impacts Of Foraging Behavior Of Initial And Terminal Phase Sparisoma Viride On A Caribbean Coral Reef, Samantha Ortiz

Theses & ETDs

The stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride, is considered a major reef herbivore because the regular consumption of algae by S. viride helps prevent coral-algal phase shifts on reefs. However, recently, S. viride was accused of consuming and destroying live corals, most notably the boulder star coral, Montastraea annularis, and in some cases the finger coral, Porites porites. S. viride live coral consumption behaviors are displayed through acts of "spot" and "focused" biting, both of which are considered territorial and agonistic in nature. Live coral consumption by S. viride sometimes results in reef destruction through partial or full mortality of the corals. …

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Eco3 Can A Tri-Force Of Sustainability Reforms $Ave The Four Winds Cafe, Johannah Birney Jan 2012

Eco3 Can A Tri-Force Of Sustainability Reforms $Ave The Four Winds Cafe, Johannah Birney

Theses & ETDs

Anthropogenic climate change is threatening the survival of the global ecological community and reforms must be implemented to reduce the global carbon footprint to sustain all forms of life. This is an enormous task; however, it must be done. Restaurants, as the largest commercial energy consumer, are a hotspot for sustainability reforms on a local, national, and global level. The Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is at the forefront of the restaurant reform movement, providing quantitative analysis criteria to certify sustainable restaurants. Not only does their method reduce carbon emissions, but it also saves money, while taking advantage of a strong …

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