Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Permafrost Thaw On Nitrogen Availability And Plant Soil Interaction In A Boreal Alaska Lowland, Rebecca Anne Finger

Biological Sciences

Permafrost thaw in boreal peatlands causes an ecosystem state change as black spruce forests with permafrost transition into saturated, non-forested collapse scar bogs or fens. Previous studies have suggested that permafrost thaw can increase soil nitrogen (N) bioavailability. However, it is unclear whether these changes in N availability are directly related to changes in N pools or mineralization rates in surface soils (active layer dynamics), or whether increasing N can be attributed to N mobilization from thawing permafrost soil organic matter at depth. I examined plant species composition and aspects of N cycling along triplicate permafrost-thaw gradients in interior Alaskan …

Evidence Based Falls Management Program In The Nursing Home, Deloris Jacobs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The cost of fall injuries for both nursing homes and patients can be staggering. Facilities can incur large financial penalties following notices of severe deficiencies from regulatory agencies and will incur substantial legal fees in the event of a wrongful injury or death lawsuit. Patients injured in falls are at risk of increased financial costs for care in the nursing home as well as a lower quality of life. They are likely to incur co-pay or coinsurance costs for care by physicians and other professional services, and costs for rehabilitative services, out of pocket expenses, medical equipment, prescription drugs, and …

A Transformational Leadership Program: A Necessity In Today’S Healthcare Environment, Kristin J. Pickerell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

A Transformational Leadership Program: A Necessity in Today’s Healthcare Environment

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to enhance the transformational leadership capabilities of the nursing leaders in a small community hospital by implementing a leadership development course.

Background

Effective nurse leaders are critical in today’s fast-changing and uncertain healthcare environment. Competent leaders positively influence the nursing work environment, staff retention, patient safety, financial viability and quality outcomes. The development of a transformational skill set needed for a nurse leader to successfully lead a team to high-quality patient care.

Methods

Pre/post intervention design, using the Leadership Practices Inventory with …

Trophic Dynamics In A Changing Arctic: Interactions Between Ptarmigan And Willows In Northern Alaska, Katie Christie

Biological Sciences

Shrubs have been expanding in the Arctic over the past century, with important consequences for ecosystem functioning, plant community composition, and wildlife habitat. Herbivores have the capacity to strongly moderate the growth and biomass of shrubs, and therefore need to be considered when attempting to understand and project future changes to Arctic ecosystems. Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus, L. muta) are common and widespread in many tundra regions, and feed on shrubs throughout their life cycle. Ptarmigan are likely to be an important herbivore in northern Alaska where shrub expansion is rapidly occurring; however, little is known about their spatial and temporal …

Car Talk, Jody Record

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

On Ice, Honoring Vets, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Alaska Native Perceptions Of Food, Health, And Community Well-Being: Challenging Nutritional Colonialism, Melanie Lindholm

Arctic and Northern Studies

Alaska Native populations have undergone relatively rapid changes in nearly every aspect of life over the past half century. Overall lifestyles have shifted from subsistence-based to wage-based, from traditional to Western, and from self-sustainability to reliance on Outside sources. My research investigates the effects of these changes on health and well-being. The literature appears to lack concern for and documentation of Native peoples' perceptions of the changes in food systems and effects on their communities. Additionally, there is a lack of studies specific to Alaska Native individual perceptions of health and well-being. Therefore, my research aims to help identify social …

The Integrated Hydrologic And Societal Impacts Of A Warming Climate In Interior Alaska, Charles E. Jones

Engineering

In this dissertation, interdisciplinary research methods were used to examine how changes in hydrology associated with climate affect Alaskans. Partnerships were established with residents of Fairbanks and Tanana to develop scientific investigations relevant to rural Alaskans. In chapter 2, local knowledge was incorporated into scientific models to identify a socialecological threshold used to model potential driftwood harvest from the Yukon River. Anecdotal evidence and subsistence calendar records were combined with scientific data to model the harvest rates of driftwood. Modeling results estimate that between 1980 and 2010 hydrologic factors alone were responsible for a 29% decrease in the annual wood …

Beneficiation Of Rare Earth Minerals From Bokan Mountain: Dotson Ridge Ore, Purevbaatar Narantsetseg, Пүрэвбаатар Наранцэцэг

Engineering

The purpose of this research work was to study the beneficiation of rare earth ore of the Bokan Mountain -- Dotson Ridge deposit, located near Ketchikan, Alaska. Rare earth element (REE) composite ore samples from the Bokan Mountain -- Dotson Ridge deposit were tested using gravity concentration, magnetic separation, flotation, and leaching techniques to separate the REE. The composite ore sample was a product of a preliminary x-ray sorting process. Qualitative electron microprobe analysis of the ore showed that most of the REE minerals in the ore were silicate minerals. Since the electron microprobe analysis samples were coated with carbon …

Spartan Web Application Firewall, Brian C. Lee

Master's Projects

Computer security is an ongoing issue and attacks are growing more sophisit- cated. One category of attack utilizes cross-site scripting (XSS) to extract confiden- tial data such as a user’s login credential’s without the knowledge of either the user nor the web server by utilizing vulnerabilities on web pages and internet browsers. Many people develop their own web applications without learning about or having good coding practices or security in mind. Web application firewalls are able to help but can be enhanced to be more effective than they currently are at detecting re- flected XSS attacks by analyzing the request …

The Bg News December 17, 2014, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. December 17, 2014. Volume 94-Issue 50.

A Qualitative Study Exploring The Perceptions Of Social Workers Concerning Independent Living Programs In Conjunction With Post-Secondary Education After New Jersey Foster Youth "Age-Out" Of The Foster Care System, Patrick L. Beatty

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study is to investigate the perceptions of New Jersey social workers regarding potential barriers that may exist with foster care youth maturity development, independent living programs emphasizing foster care alumni post-secondary education achievement, and social worker departmental training relating to their understanding of independent living programs.

The design of this qualitative study focused on New Jersey Division of Children & Family volunteer participants consisting of three district office manager interviews, and three social worker focus group discussions from specific geographic locations throughout New Jersey. The interview and focus group questions were developed after comprehensive research …

Leed Certification Of Campus Buildings: A Cost-Benefit Approach, Erin Ann Hopkins

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

No comprehensive study has been done within the higher education sector to see if Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification makes sense economically. This study helps fill the gaps in the literature by providing construction costs and energy and water costs for a sample of campus LEED-certified buildings within the United States. Finding out if campus greening makes sense economically from a full lifecycle standpoint can help address possible upfront green premium barriers. This study found that there is an upfront green premium for LEED-certified campus buildings. However, when looking at LEED-certified campus buildings from a building lifecycle …

Feeding Ecology And Movement Patterns Of Juvenile Sablefish In Coastal Southeast Alaska, Karson Marie Coutré

Fisheries

Sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, is a commercially valuable groundfish species undergoing population declines in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. This study assessed the role of juvenile sablefish as consumers in coastal Southeast Alaska (St. John Baptist Bay, Baranof Island, Alaska; SJBB) to better understand their use of habitat and food resources during their early life history. Specifically, the diet of juvenile sablefish was described for multiple seasons (summer and fall) and years (2012 and 2013) from analysis of stomach contents recovered using gastric lavage. Sablefish ate a wide variety of prey taxa, and the most important prey groups were …

Growth And Maturity Of The Pacific Razor Clam In Eastern Cook Inlet, Alaska, Jamie M. Mckellar

Fisheries

In Alaska, the only road-accessible fishery for the Pacific razor clam, Siliqua patula, is located in eastern Cook Inlet, and has been monitored by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) since 1964. In recent years, a shift has been observed in size, age, and number of clam cohorts in this region, yet little is known about the early life history of razor clams in this region. This study aimed to provide information on length and age at maturity, growth rates, and spawn timing at two beaches in eastern Cook Inlet, Ninilchik and Clam Gulch, in 2009 and 2010. …

Life History Characteristics, Management Strategies, And Environmental And Economic Factors That Contribute To The Vulnerability Of Rockfish Stocks Off Alaska, Jacqueline Patt

Fisheries

This study explored the extent to which variations in biological characteristics, environmental and economic factors, and management strategies have affected the tendency for rockfish to become overfished. The analysis used data on 5 species of rockfish that account for more than 95% of commercial catch of rockfish in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and Bering Sea and Aleutian Island (BSAI) management regions. These species are: Shortraker Rockfish (Sebastes borealis), Pacific Ocean Perch (Sebastes alutus), Northern Rockfish (Sebastes polyspinis), Dusky Rockfish (Sebastes variabilis), and Shortspine Thornyhead (Sebastolobus alascanus). Fishery management models often treat BMSY, the biomass level that maximizes sustainable yield, …

The Effects Of Barotrauma And Deepwater-Release Mechanisms On The Reproductive Viability Of Yelloweye Rockfish In Prince William Sound, Alaska, Brittany Blain

Fisheries

Previous research has shown that releasing sport-caught Yelloweye Rockfish Sebastes ruberrimus with a deepwater-release mechanism (DRM) can alleviate anatomical damage due to barotrauma. However, it is unknown if a Yelloweye Rockfish remains a viable member of the population and reproduces in subsequent years following a barotrauma event and recompression with a DRM. The objectives of my study were to: 1) determine if Yelloweye Rockfish were able to reproduce one to two years following known forced decompression and recompression event(s); and 2) evaluate if barotrauma and recompression affected the quality of developing embryos. In 2010, Yelloweye Rockfish were sampled from an …

An Examination Of Nfl’S “A Crucial Catch” Campaign: Nfl Athletes As Disease Prevention Advocates, Chyna Teresa Trible

Theses

This study investigated the National Football League's (NFL) "A Crucial Catch" campaign, identification with NFL athletes, exposure, NFL fanship, and intention to schedule a breast cancer screening and to talk about screenings with others. Participants (N = 119) were solicited through various social media outlets, and through an e-mail listserv from the School of Communication at Rochester Institute of Technology. The health belief model (Rosenstock, 1966) is used as the main theoretical framework. Hypotheses and research questions are investigated through an online survey mirroring Brown's (2011) valid survey questions investigating identification with NFL athletes. Statistically significant relationships were found between …

Identification And Evolution Of Tectonic Faults In The Greater Fairbanks Area, Alaska, Rachel A. Frohman

Geosciences

I have identified evidence for potentially active northeast-striking faults in the greater Fairbanks area and have developed a model for their evolution that defines the character of faults and timing of structural events. Seismicity, topographic data, and geological and geophysical maps show that potentially active faults correspond with previously mapped bedrock faults, topographic lows, and magnetic anomalies. Seismicity indicates that faults in Interior Alaska have low to moderate tectonic activity; geomorphic and structural analyses of mapped faults indicate they are dominantly left-lateral strike-slip, but have smaller normal or reverse components. The normal component of slip increases to the west toward …

Teaching Interdisciplinary Sustainability Science Teamwork Skills To Graduate Students Using In-Person And Web-Based Interactions, Jessie Knowlton, Kathleen E. Halvorsen, Robert Handler, Michael O'Rourke

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Interdisciplinary sustainability science teamwork skills are essential for addressing the world’s most pressing and complex sustainability problems, which inherently have social, natural, and engineering science dimensions. Further, because sustainability science problems exist at global scales, interdisciplinary science teams will need to consist of international members who communicate and work together effectively. Students trained in international interdisciplinary science skills will be able to hit the ground running when they obtain jobs requiring them to tackle sustainability problems. While many universities now have sustainability science programs, few offer courses that are interdisciplinary and international in scope. In the fall semester of 2013, …

Restoring Fort Frontenac In 3d: Effective Usage Of 3d Technology For Heritage Visualization, Mitsuyoshi Yabe

Theses

My thesis is composed of three elements: 3D modeling, web design, and heritage visualization. My goal is to use computer graphics design to inform and create an interest in historical visualization by rebuilding Fort Frontenac using 3D modeling and interactive design. The final model will be integrated into an interactive website to learn more about the fort's historic importance. It is apparent that using computer graphics can save time and money when it comes to historical visualization. Visitors do not have to travel to the actual archaeological buildings. They can simply use the Web in their own home to learn …

Research And Inhabited Image (Ria): A Spatial Hypothesis, Sveva Avveduto, Fabio Fornasari

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This paper discusses the possibility of representing research activity as a narrative path starting from an experimentation field. The aim is to test and verify connections between social space and the construction of images of the world through the building and perception of specific language in the narrative dimension of research. The field work we present has been carried out as an installation art in Borromini’s Crypt in Rome, and is the example of rendering the story-dimension of research through a medium, a narrative technology in constant progress and evolution. In this way research activity can be presented as ascent …

The Gold War Of Romania: Sustainable Development Or Irreversible Damage?, Alexandra Manea

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Driving Innovation: How Stronger Laws Pull Safer Chemicals Into The Market, Baskut Tuncak

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Download Entire Issue- Jefferson Interprofessional Education And Care Newsletter, Fall, 2014, Volume 5, Issue 2

Collaborative Healthcare: Interprofessional Practice, Education and Evaluation (JCIPE)

Download entire issue- Jefferson Interprofessional Education and Care Newsletter, Fall, 2014, Volume 5, Issue 2

Developing An Open Educational Resource For Interprofessional Education (Ipe), Susanne P. Boyle, Bsc, Msc, Phd, Fhea, Matthew Ramirez, Lynn Sheridan

Collaborative Healthcare: Interprofessional Practice, Education and Evaluation (JCIPE)

A recent review of pre-qualifying interprofessional education in the UK reported the practical challenges of synchronising interprofessional education1. Whilst it was noted that online interprofessional courses were developed primarily to overcome timetabling conflicts of students and clinicians from various health professions, it was recognised that a blended learning approach with appropriate student support could enable an effective interprofessional education experience with lower running costs and reduced disruption. It was found, however, that despite the ubiquity of e-learning in interprofessional education there seemed to be less sharing than expected1.

Opinion Expression On Social Networking Sites - Testing An Adapted Spiral Of Silence Model For Political Discussion On Facebook, Katharina Lang

Open Access Dissertations

This study used a quasi-experimental approach to test an adapted model of Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann’s (1974) Spiral of Silence theory. Noelle-Neumann’s (1974) concept has been widely studied and applied to a variety of communication situations, mostly using hypothetical scenarios (“train tests”) and face-to-face interactions. The present research applied the Spiral of Silence concept to political opinion expression on the social networking site Facebook. Two groups of participants were assigned to either a hypothetical interaction condition using a “train test” or to a real interaction condition. Participants in the real interaction condition were asked to join a Facebook group, where they were …

Monitor’S Report Regarding Compliance By Defendant Wells Fargo & Company And Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. For The Measurement Periods Ended March 31, 2014 And June 30, 2014, United States Of America, Et Al. V. Bank Of America Corp., Et Al.

National Mortgage Settlements Digital Archive

No abstract provided.

Monitor’S Report Regarding Compliance By Defendant J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. For The Measurement Periods Ended March 31, 2014 And June 30, 2014, United States Of America, Et Al. V. Bank Of America Corp., Et Al.

National Mortgage Settlements Digital Archive

No abstract provided.

Monitor’S Report Regarding Compliance By Defendant Citimortgage, Inc. For The Measurement Periods Ended March 31, 2014 And June 30, 2014, United States Of America, Et Al. V. Bank Of America Corp., Et Al.

National Mortgage Settlements Digital Archive

No abstract provided.