Digital Commons Network^™

Modeling Wildfire Hazard In The Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas, David Bylow

Master's Theses

Wildfire regimes are a leading driver of global environmental change affecting diverse ecosystems across the planet. The objectives of this study was to model regional wildfire potential and identify environmental, topological, and sociological factors that contribute to the ignition of regional wildfire events in the Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas. The environmental, topological, and sociological factors were used to model regional wildfire potential through multi-criteria evaluation using a method of weighted linear combination. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and geographic information systems (GIS) data were integrated to identify regional wildfire factors. Point pattern and inferential statistical analysis were used to analyze regional …

Geography And Social Structure Of Monasteries: Cultural Diffusion Or Convergent Evolution?, Constance Powell Chin

Master's Theses

At both ends of the Eurasian continent, cenobitic monasticism took root and flourished in the fourth century. This parallel development at roughly the same time in regions so different and distant from each other as Egypt and China lends itself to an interesting comparison and a large question. Is this a case of cultural diffusion, a borrowing of ideas and attitudes and perhaps even monastic rules and practices from India, which lies midway between the two? Is it instead a case of convergent evolution?

Monastic rules and behaviors, the archaeology of monasteries, and the functions of early monasteries are explored …

Maintenance Of Polish Language And Culture Among First Generation Polish Immigrants Living In The Southern San Francisco Bay Area, California., Dominika Bialek

Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis research is to investigate the extent to which first

generation Polish immigrants living in the southern San Francisco Bay Area in California maintain their native Polish language and culture. Qualitative data were collected in the form of interviews and survey questionnaires. The major findings show that in this small immigrant community (1) maintenance of Polish language and culture happens primarily at home; (2) females married to first generation Polish immigrants are more likely than others to maintain Polish language and culture; (3) the small size of the Polish community, knowledge of English at the time …

Dynamics Of Vibrio With Virulence Genes Detected In Pacific Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina Richardii) Off California: Implications For Marine Mammal Health, Stephanie Nichole Hughes

Master's Theses

Given their coastal site fidelity and opportunistic foraging behavior, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) may serve as sentinels for coastal ecosystem health. Seals using urbanized coastal habitat can acquire enteric bacteria, including Vibrio, that may affect their health. To understand Vibrio dynamics in seals, demographic and environmental factors were tested for predicting potentially virulent Vibrio in free-ranging and stranded Pacific harbor seals (P. v. richardii) off the coast of California. Vibrio prevalence did not vary with season and was greater in free-ranging seals (29%, n = 319) compared with stranded seals (17%, n = 189). Of …

The Effects Of Restored Aquatic Large Woody Debris Structures On Invertebrate Populations In The Napa River, Clayton Christopher Leal

Master's Theses

Agricultural encroachment and habitat destruction within the riparian zone of many California ecosystems have created a need for restoration of stream hydrology in order to enhance and support native flora and fauna. On the Napa River, adjacent vineyards have caused the channel to become deeply incised, so that the stream now lacks geomorphic variability and biodiversity. In order to restore channel complexity, large woody debris (LWD) structures were installed in the river in the summer of 2010. In this study I evaluated the effects of installing LWD structures within the Napa River on benthic invertebrates in the first year after …

The Role Of The Congregation In Community Service: A Philanthropic Case Study, Mark T. Mulder, Kristen Napp, Neil E. Carlson, Zig Ingraffia

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The authors discuss the Family Leadership Initiative, a collaboratively designed program to strengthen families and improve children's education in Grand Rapids, Mich. Monthly meetings were held for parents and children that included bonding time, parent education and homework support for students, and time for ministry. Initial evaluation shows high levels of satisfaction, with students reporting some academic improvements. In addition, the program provided a rare opportunity for congregations to collaborate with each other. Future success depends on whether modifications to the program strike a delicate balance that nurtures sustainability, collaboration, and responsiveness.

Don't Get It Twisted: Why Employer Hairstyle Prohibitions Are Racially Discriminatory, Devin D. Collier

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

Appearance and grooming policies in the workplace that prohibit hairstyles worn predominately by African- American employees, including dreads, cornrows, braids, and afros, constrain African-American cultural identity and are racially discriminatory. These policies exhort African- Americans "to cover" their race and modify their hair to assimilate their looks with Anglo-American beauty ideals. These policies found in the private workplace serve no legitimate "business necessity" and are merely a proxy for unlawful race discrimination.

Plaintiffs who challenge these policies as race discrimination, however, are unable to prove a violation of Title VII because of an inability to demonstrate that African- American hairstyle …

A Deregulatory Framework For Alleviating Concentrated African-American Poverty, Benjamin Zimmer

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

America's urban poor have become more geographically concentrated and isolated, of which, African Americans comprise the majority. Governmental efforts to combat concentrated poverty have consisted primarily of new government interventions in the housing market: subsidies, mandates, and other programs and regulations designed to compel socio-economic or racial integration. All the while, a separate set of government interventions in the form of tax expenditures, education financing, and land-use controls are largely responsible for the perpetuation of concentrated African-American poverty in the first place.

It is time to consider that a successful approach to poverty de-concentration and residential integration must begin by …

A Comprehensive And Individual Perspective: A New Model For Assessing Missionary Needs In Order To Prevent Burnout, Kyra Schellenberger

Senior Honors Theses

In the last 20-30 years, missionary burnout has become a popular topic in the missionary care and support community. Although much research has been done on the issue, few studies have provided a comprehensive approach to the study and appropriate care of these missionaries. The goal of this research was to present a model that more accurately represented missionary struggles while incorporating past findings on missionary burnout. Four retired missionaries were interviewed about their experiences on the field, and their estimation of the model’s relevancy and helpfulness. Despite similar experiences amongst the participants, the responses further confirmed the individual nature …

Interrogating The Spaces Of Personal Photography : Women, Identity, And The Cultural Formation Of Photographic Practice, Christine Garceau

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Personal photographs permeate our lives from the moment we are born as they define who we are within our familial group and local communities. Archived in family albums or framed on living room walls, they continue on after our death as mnemonic artifacts referencing our gendered, raced, and ethnic identities. This dissertation examines salient instances of what women “do” with personal photographs, not only as authors and subjects but also as collectors, archivists, and family and cultural historians. This project seeks to contribute to more productive, complex discourse about how women form relationships and engage with the conventions and practices …

Habitat Associations Of The Golden-Winged Warbler In Honduras, Ruth E. Bennett

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

The global population of the Neotropical migrant Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) has declined steadily over the past fifty years. While factors influencing this decline have been well researched on the breeding grounds, little is known about the distribution and habitat requirements of this warbler on its stationary non-breeding range. Recent efforts to quantify the non-breeding habitat requirements of this warbler have focused on Colombia and Costa Rica, though the species ranges as far north as the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. To address the gap in knowledge from the northern portion of the non-breeding range, I conducted 80 serial point-count …

Assessment Of Water And Sanitation Infrastructure At Primary Schools In Rakai District, Uganda, Colin M. Casey

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

“Addressing water problems will help improve sanitation.” This relationship identified by a primary school teacher in Rakai District, Uganda, was a key component in understanding how water and sanitation technologies interact and how identified successes, challenges, and improvements would enhance schools’ water and sanitation condition. In this study, researchers and Ugandan counterparts visited 49 primary schools in Rakai District to assess the existing water and sanitation infrastructure of government and private schools. Researchers were specifically interested in learning which technologies were being used and why they were working or not. Through the development of a unique water and sanitation assessment …

Suitability Comparison Of Rainwater Harvesting And Piped Water Systems In The Dominican Republic , Ryan M. Biehl

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has a long history and has been supported as an appropriate technology and relatively cheap source of domestic water supply. This study compares the suitability of RWH and piped water systems in three rural Dominican communities seeking to improve their water systems. Ethnographic methods considering the views of residents and feasibility and cost analysis of the options were used to conclude that RWH is not a feasible or cost-effective solution for domestic water needs of all households in the communities studied. RWH investment is best left to individual households that can implement informal RWH with incremental increases …

Upgrading An Intermittent & Branched Water Network To A Continuous & Looped Network: A Case Study In Coastal Peru, Jennifer A. O'Neill

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

This case study sought to determine how the potable water network of Cerro Prieto, Peru could be improved. The network as it exists now is branched and operated intermittently, exposing residents to water contamination risks and inconvenience. Using EPANET, it was found that the as-built network can support continuous water service, all points could stay over 10 psi, and the current water consumption rate could be maintained. To keep all points over 20 psi, the height of elevated water tank must be increased 6 feet, and the pump switched on whenever the tank drains. It was also found that almost …

Minear Teaches The Art Of Teaching Singing, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Hildebrandt Teaches Lessons About Tornadoes, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Expulsion Of The Roma: Is France Violating Eu Freedom Of Movement And Playing By French Rules Or Can It Proceed With Collective Roma Expulsions Free Of Charge, Diana E. Mahoney

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Outings In The Queer South: Representations Of Male Homosexuality In The Short Fiction Of Eudora Welty, Ramona Wanlass

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates Welty's four short story collections and treats the stories as separate entities that are intimately connected to each other by a theme that evolves over and yet transcends the forty odd years that seem to separate them--namely Welty's theme of male homosexual desire. I will examine Welty's story collections using a theoretical framework that incorporates a history of homosexuality in the South and investigates such themes as travel, identity, reactions to heterosexual coupling, and traces Welty's own experiences through the experiences of her fictional male characters. Welty's work spans several decades but in a discussion of her …

Encountering The Marvelous In Marie De France, Robert Edward Mccain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an examination of the marvelous encounter in the Lais of Marie de France, a collection of twelve short narratives attributed to the twelfth century. Four of the lais – Guigemar, Bisclavret, Lanval, and Yonec - were selected for close analysis of the marvelous motifs and themes that are central to each story. Beginning with a summary of some of the proposed sources of the lais, many of which are Celtic in origin, the analysis subsequently examines the language of the text that describes the encounters between the feudal and "Other" world. In particular, the words poür, pensis, …

Hope In Environmental Philosophy, Lisa Kretz

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Ecological philosophy requires a significant orientation to the role of hope in both theory and practice. I trace the limited presence of hope in ecological philosophy, and outline reasons why environmental hopelessness is a threat. I articulate and problematize recent environmental publications on the topic of hope, the most important worry being that current literature fails to provide the necessary psychological grounding for hopeful action. I turn to the psychology of hope to provide direction for conceptualizing hope and actualizing hoped for states of affairs. If positive moral action is the goal, hope is a vital concept for underwriting ecological …

Imagine Holgate: Transit-Oriented Community Vision Plan, Tara Sulzen, Chad Armstrong, Joshua Shaklee, Alex Steinberger, Michael Weidmann

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

The Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail (PMLR) line will open in 2015 and bring change to the Brooklyn neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. The Imagine Holgate project engaged the public in a visioning process to learn the community aspirations for future transit-oriented development in the Station Area around the southeast 17th Avenue and Holgate Boulevard Station on the PMLR line. This Transit-Oriented Community Vision Plan provides an overview of existing conditions in the Station Area, including a brief history of the Brooklyn neighborhood, a snapshot of Station Area demographics and the regulatory environment and market conditions for development in the area. Please visit …

Introduction To Public Participation Geographic Information Systems Special Issue, Michelle M. Thompson, Kelly D. Owens

Planning and Urban Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Drugs, Guns, Police And Spatial-Temporal Analysis, Kristen N. Berg

USF St. Petersburg campus Honors Program Theses (Undergraduate)

This study sought to analyze the spatial patterns of drug and gun related crimes in the City of St. Petersburg, Florida by using Geographic Information Systems procedures. Hot Spot analysis and crime density were employed as two alternative measures of crime rates. Using ArcGIS, the records of drug and gun related crimes from August 1, 2010 to August 1, 2011, of St. Petersburg, Florida, were mapped. Data was provided by the St. Petersburg Police Department. Using this data we analyzed which census tracts have the most gun and drug activity associated with them. An overall density map of crime was …

Rhetorical Agency And Survivance: American Indians In College Composition, Rebecca Lynn Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

American Indian writers in college have a distinct cultural background related to rhetorical agency and language. Particularly for Indian students who grew up on reservations, the effects of official federal policies regarding the use of English for assimilation remain significant. However, in writing classes, we have an opportunity to reverse course and to specifically teach toward what Scott Lyons calls rhetorical sovereignty.

In this project, four American Indian college students demonstrate agency with writing. All four students grew up on federal Indian reservations (Standing Rock and White Earth), and at the time of this study, were enrolled in their first …

Mapping And Analyzing Conservation Reserve Program (Crp) Enrollment Patterns From 1991 To 2011 In Nelson County, North Dakota, Using Remote Sensing And Gis Techniques, Nicholas Lee Roehrdanz

Theses and Dissertations

Since its inception in 1985, the federally managed Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has contributed to land-use/land-cover change (LUCC) in areas throughout North Dakota. Concurrently, the Devils Lake Basin and surrounding Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in North Dakota has experienced pervasive lake and wetland flooding. Unsurprisingly, a clustering of CRP enrollment in certain counties within the basin has occurred, seemingly coinciding with the flooding. Analysis of historical county-level CRP enrollment data pertaining to counties in North Dakota revealed that Nelson County, which is partially within the basin, has developed as a CRP hotspot in the state and has had the greatest …

Setting A Stoot Hert Tae A Stey Brae: Fifty Years Of The Study Of Scottish Literature, 1962-2012, Murray Pittock

Studies in Scottish Literature

No abstract provided.

Scottish Literature And "Engl. Lit.", Leith Davis

Studies in Scottish Literature

No abstract provided.

Building A Simple General Model Of Municipal Water Conservation Policy For Communities Overlying The Ogallala Aquifer, Jeffrey A. Edwards, R. Gary Pumphrey, Lucia Barbato, Lyubov A. Kurkalova, Mark L. Burkley

Natural Resources Journal

No abstract provided.

Personal Identity Changes Of Female Cancer Survivors In Southern Appalachia, Kathryn L. Duvall, Kelly A. Dorgan, Sadie P. Hutson

ETSU Faculty Works

Navigating personal identity changes through the cancer journey can be challenging, especially for women in a culture that places emphasis on traditional gender roles and values close-knit families. Drawing on a story circule approach, this study examined the intersecting identities of female cancer survivors in southern Appalachia. Stories of 29 female Appalachian cancer survivors from Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia were collected via a mixed methods approach in either a day-long story circule (N-26) or an in-depth interview (N=3). Transcripts from both phases were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim; NVivo 8.0 facilitated qualitative content analysis of the data. Inductive analysis revealed …

Centering The Immigrant In The Inter/National Imagination (Part Iii): Aoki, Rawls, And Immigration, Robert S. Chang

Faculty Articles

Fifteen years ago, Keith Aoki and Professor Robert Chang published "Centering the Immigrant in the Inter/National Imagination" in an early LatCrit symposium. Fifteen years later Professor Chang uses the occasion of the current Symposium to revisit conversations with Keith about centering the immigrant in political theory, as he addresses the issue of immigration, the rights of immigrants, and what is to be our national self-conception. What follows is a sketch that shows how centering the immigrant exposes the inattention paid to the immigrant and the issue of immigration in social contract theory. It focuses on how the immigrant might be …