Digital Commons Network^™

Spatial Patterns Of Watershed Impervious Cover Relativeto Stream Location, J.D. Wickham, T.G. Wade, D.J. Norton

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The urban stream syndrome may not be limited to streams in urbanized watersheds. We measured thespatial pattern of impervious cover in ∼82,800 small watersheds across the conterminous United Statesby comparing watershed-based and stream-based measures of imperviousness. The watershed-basedmeasure was the commonly used watershed percentage impervious cover. The stream-based measurewas the percentage of watershed stream length flowing through impervious cover. Spatial pattern ofimpervious cover was classified on a watershed basis as proximal to streams, distal to streams, and uni-form by comparing the two measures of impervious cover. We used a classification threshold of ±5%to assign watersheds to the three classes (i.e., …

Wildfire Effects On Extractable Elements In Ash From A Pinus Pinaster Forest In Portugal, Paulo Pereira, Xavier Ubeda, Deborah Martin, Jorge Mataix-Solera, Artemi Cerda, Maria Burguet

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The aim of this work is to study the effects of a wildfire on water-extractable elements in ash from a Pinus pinaster forest located in Portugal. The pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium (Ca²⁺), magnesium (Mg²⁺), sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), sodium and potassium adsorption ratio (SPAR), aluminium (Al³⁺), manganese (Mn²⁺), iron (Fe²⁺), zinc (Zn²⁺), sulphur (S), silica (Si) and phosphorous (P) were analysed in ash sampled from a sloped area burned in a wildfire and from litter from a contiguous unburned area, with similar morphological …

Eastern Michigan University Undergraduate Catalog, 2014-2015, Office Of The Registrar

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

A Resilience-Based Approach To The Conservation Of Valley Oak In A Southern California Landscape, James J. Hayes, Shannon Donnelly

Geography and Geology Faculty Publications

Conservation thinking will benefit from the incorporation of a resilience perspective of landscapes as social-ecological systems that are continually changing due to both internal dynamics and in response to external factors such as a changing climate. The examination of two valley oak stands in Southern California provides an example of the necessity of this systems perspective where each stand is responding differently as a result of interactions with other parts of the landscape. One stand is experiencing regeneration failure similar to other stands across the state, and is exhibiting shifts in spatial pattern as a response to changing conditions. A …

#Democracy: The Internet And Support For Democracy In Central And Eastern Europe, Matthew Alan Placek

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since 1989, the countries in central and eastern Europe have undergone a tremendous amount of societal and political change. While previous studies have noted the importance of citizen support for democracy in providing a base for regime stability in these new democracies, there is considerable debate in what influences these values. One possible mechanism of attitude change is mass media. Previous studies in political science have noted the importance of mass media in influencing citizen attitudes and behavior. Though this research has uncovered a plethora of effects that the media can have, the extant literature has mostly focused on this …

2014 Presentation Abstracts, Grand Valley State University

Academic Conference Fund Abstracts

No abstract provided.

2014 Author Recognition Bibliography, Grand Valley State University Libraries

Author Recognition Archives

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Corruption & External Political Efficacy: Regime Stability & Democratic Legitimacy, Sean Stanley Bentzen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Do perceptions of corruption affect external political efficacy? If so, how? This paper investigates whether perceptions of corruption contribute to external efficacy on the aggregate, country level, and on the individual level. This paper seeks to expand the scope of the current corruption and efficacy literatures by examining, on the aggregate level, ninety five countries, and on the individual level, all available barometer surveys from the period of 2000-2012. Methods of analysis include time series, standard OLS, and hierarchical, or multilevel, modeling. In addition to the primary research question, this paper investigates the potential interactions between perceptions of corruption and …

In A Foreign Land: Stories Of African Immigrants And Their Children In Jackson, Ms, Renee N. Ombaba

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My research focuses on the characteristics of African community in Jackson, MS and the factors that contribute to the development and continued existence of African community in the U.S. South. I specifically look at African community as a subregion of the South and draw conclusions about African community and its connections to the larger Southern region of the United States. African community in Jackson, MS develops through the shared experiences of African immigrants who now share the geographical space of the Jackson metropolitan area. This research will show how African members identify their communities and how their children identify and …

Mississippi Motoring: Mom And Pops And Entrepreneurs, Erin Elizabeth Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the 21st century, motorists driving "off the beaten path" and not on the interstate now have the treat of gaining insight into a local area's foodways when they stop to eat. From tamales to the local fried experiment, gas stations have evolved to provide one stop shopping for the day tripper or sustenance and social interaction within a locale. The state of Mississippi has somewhat escaped the national burger or sandwich chain connected to the service station and instead has a "mom and pop" kitchen serving up often informal and local flavors. How do these establishments make a go …

Uneven Ground: Figurations Of The Rural Modern In The U.S. South, 1890-1945, Benjamin S. Child

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

New modernist studies has opened wide the discussion about what modernism means, when it begins, and, compellingly for the purposes of this project, where it occurs. Exploring intersections between modernization, modernism, labor, and segregation in the agricultural South, this dissertation demonstrates how the effects of nascent industrialization, emergent technologies, and "modern" thought are animated by figures and spaces associated with--or performing--versions of rurality. The project is divided into three major sections. In the first, I suggest that the contradictions of African American life in the post-Reconstruction world are parsed in the period's literature through the presence of a veiled georgic …

The Representativeness Of Traditionally Underrepresented Populations In Appointed Policy-Level State Government Leadership Positions In North Carolina 1973-2012: "Who Gets In, Who Stays In, Who Gets Appointed, And Who Gets Disappointed.", Steven Eric Hairston

Dissertations

This study applies the theory of representative bureaucracy to state level political appointees over the course of five gubernatorial administrations in North Carolina. The theory of representative bureaucracy holds that the demographic diversity of the workforce of public sector organizations or bureaucracies (passive representation) leads to policy decisions and outcomes that reflect the beliefs and interests of the groups that are represented (active representation), including underrepresented populations (e.g. minorities and women) that have historically been disadvantaged. Using measures of representativeness, the study determines the extent to which members of underrepresented populations have been appointed to leadership positions by each of …

Racial Hierarchy And Mental Health Outcomes Among Rich Nations, Jamie D. Daniels

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This study examined the relationship between racial diversity and mental health outcomes among wealthy nations. It hypothesized that status anxieties would be more pronounced in those countries marked by greater diversity—a measure of social stratification or hierarchy. Lower status as measured by class has been shown in numerous studies to predict mental health outcomes, like risk of depression and psychosis for individuals. On a population level research has also found a relationship between income inequality—the degree of distance between the rich and the poor—and mental health outcomes. Regression analyses of the prevalence of mental illness against racial diversity showed no …

Clarissa's Suffering: Theorizing Sympathy And Physical Pain In The Eighteenth Century, Audrey Hungerpiller

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines theories of pain in the eighteenth century, and what it meant to sympathize with the pain of another. I begin briefly with the theories of Descartes and his adherents before focusing on David Hartley and John Locke. Physicians and natural philosophers of the period understood pain as a pure mechanism of the nervous system, confined to the tubelike fibers that run through the body. Naturally everyone feels pain by some means, whether illness or injury, so men ought to be able to sympathize with the afflictions of others. Yet, according to Adam Smith in The Theory of …

The Grouping Of The Germanic Languages: A Critical Review, Michael-Christopher Todd Highlander

Theses and Dissertations

The literature regarding the grouping of the Germanic languages will be reviewed and a potential solution to the problems of the division of the Germanic language will be proposed. This is however quite a complex task. Most of the Germanic languages share a great number of similarities, and individual languages often have features common to more than one group. Old Saxon, Old Low Franconian, and Old English are examples of languages that make the grouping much more complex than it appears on the surface. The grouping Germanic languages has been debated by linguists since the 19th century, and there are …

Scenic Design: A Compilation, Kelly Meredith Paysinger Hart

Theses and Dissertations

Scenic Design: A Compilation ventures into the process of creating three productions including, Boeing Boeing, Fusions and Three Sisters. Exploring the foundations of each design, the content covers all aspects from the beginning to the implementation of each production. Supported through historical research, inspiration, function of space and the endless possibilities of creation, this thesis will reveal the growth of each design in great detail. Theatre is about collaboration, creating a world from a script and transforming it into an art of performance and design.

Comparison Of Ground-To-Air Visibility Analysis Methods, Erica Pfister-Altschul

Theses and Dissertations

When a disaster occurs, remotely sensed imagery is critical for emergency responders. Aircraft collect digital images of damaged areas to assist with damage assessment and response planning. Such airborne imagery can be transmitted directly from the plane to ground antennae and internet-connected dispersal, allowing for faster acquisition of data. However, air-to-ground transmission of images requires near-constant visibility between the aircraft transmitter and ground station antenna. This research uses GIS-based models to identify the ground station locations that can reliably receive data from aircraft, using a variety of visibility analysis methods and a comparison of their performance. A custom algorithm is …

Hydrological Influences On Ecological Zonation In A Salt Marsh Tidal Creek Basin: Crab Haul Creek, South Carolina, Usa, Elizabeth Madsen

Theses and Dissertations

Ecological zones in a salt marsh are controlled by many factors, including hydroperiod, elevation, soil salinity, groundwater flow, competition, and nutrient/oxygen availability. The primary driving factor(s) are still debated, but most models of zonation consider elevation or hydroperiod as the key factor. This project is designed to gather high-resolution aerial images from a helium balloon kite (Helikite) to improve our understanding of the influence of hydroperiod on zonation. The Helikite was used to capture aerial photographs of Crab Haul Creek Basin, the most landward salt marsh basin in North Inlet, South Carolina. Near-IR photographs were taken from 75-100m altitude to …

Understanding Destination Choice From A Cultural Distance Perspective, Hongbo Liu

Theses and Dissertations

National cultural distance is an important factor of tourists' destination choice, yet the specific role it plays in destination decision process is not well understood. This paper attempts to fill this gap. Taking potential Chinese outbound tourists as a case, this study tries to explore the impact of perceived cultural distance on tourists' international destination choice through a conditional logit model. Familiarity, geographical distance, past international travel experience and novelty-seeking tendency were examined as moderators of the relationship between perceived cultural distance and destination choice. Results show that tourist are more likely to choose culturally similar countries as destinations; geographical …

Antibiotic Usage In Relation To Resistant Bacterial Infections And Liver And Kidney Cancer Outcomes In South Carolina, Prea Thathiah

Theses and Dissertations

Antibiotics are one of the most beneficial discoveries in medicine and public health. However, the use, overuse, and misuse of these drugs have led to increases in antibiotic resistant bacterial infections (ARI). Furthermore, previous epidemiological studies have linked antibiotic use to breast cancer, but these studies have not included effects on metabolic organs, such as the liver and kidneys. This dissertation investigates the role of antibiotic use in infections and liver and kidney cancers in the state of South Carolina. Using ecological study methods and Poisson regression to determine relative risk ratios, it was found that antibiotic use is a …

Elucidating Perceived And Actual Cancer Risk In Disadvantaged Neighborhoods Differentially Impacted By Environmental Hazards To Inform Future Public Health Interventions, Lashanta J. Rice

Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, racial and ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged and medically underserved groups bear a disproportionate amount of the cancer burden. Myriad social and environmental factors attribute to these disparities including disparate exposures to environmental pollutants, which account for two percent of all cancer deaths nationally. There is empirical evidence demonstrating risk perceptions and cancer worry are shaped by race/ethnicity and social and environmental experiences. Cancer risk perceptions among Non-Whites, especially Blacks compared to Whites is lower for various reasons. Low perceived cancer risk may explain persistent cancer disparities, since protective health behaviors are higher among persons who perceive …

The Effects Of Political Control And Institutional Structure On State Ethics Commissions, William Jonathan Rauh

Theses and Dissertations

State ethics commissions serve as both oversight and enforcement bodies. However they are also quasi-judicial institutions whose members are appointed by elected officials. At best this presents problems of oversight, and at worst it implies that commissions can be actively influenced by the very individuals they are tasked with overseeing. Previous studies of ethics commissions have examined the covariates of creating ethics commissions, or have examined the internal functioning of these commissions in the pursuit of their envisioned goals. A largely ignored area of study with regard to these commissions is the degree to which elected officials can exercise influence …

Musical Geography, Colena Corbett

Theses and Dissertations

This series is a collection of poems covering a writer's journey through family and personal narratives and travels. The collection includes various poetry styles such as persona, ballad, prose, and other received contemporary forms. The work has been inspired from photographs, archival research, and personal interviews. The poems' subjects date from the late 1940's to present day and take place throughout the North Carolina region and elsewhere. The musicality is present within the poet's use of voice and familiar sounds. Subjects include: race and gender studies, the southern textile industry, Western North Carolina history, tobacco, textile production, industrial plant life, …

Design Research Using Game Design As An Instructional Strategy, Jason Paul Siko, Michael Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Game design as an instructional tool can be expensive and time-consuming, as new software requires not only capital outlay but also training for teachers and students. Therefore, researchers have looked at low-tech design platforms to accomplish the same educational goals. One such way is to use Microsoft PowerPoint as a game design tool. In the second iteration of a design study, we have changed the way a homemade PowerPoint game project is implemented in an environmental chemistry classroom by providing more structure and more opportunities for instruction and feedback on the elements of the game design. We compared the performance …

A Mentoring Program For Equipping Youths As Leaders In The Rivers Conference, Nigeria, Ugochukwu Elems

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

Young people feel neglected in the leadership process of Rivers Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, Nigeria. On the other hand, the adults think that the young people lack the experience and skills needed to occupy positions of leadership. Unfortunately, while the young people are being marginalized in the leadership process, they constitute an overwhelming majority of the membership in Rivers Conference

Method

The mentoring approach adopted for equipping the young people of Rivers Conference as leaders in this project is a modification of Jesus' model of leadership proposed by Kreider (2008, p. 113). The process will be divided into …

Back Matter, Journal Of Transportation Management Editors

Journal of Transportation Management

No abstract provided.

Making Lemonade: Nonprofit Survival During The Great Recession, Latitia Mccree

Wayne State University Theses

ABSTRACT

MAKING LEMONADE: NONPROFIT SURVIVAL DURING THE GREAT RECESSION

by

LATITIA MCCREE

May 2014

Advisor: Dr. Dapne Ntiri, Ph.D.

Major: Interdisciplinary Studies, Nonprofit Sector Studies

Degree: Master of Arts

The Great Recession that officially began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009 significantly impacted the quality of life for many US families. Jobs were permanently lost, homes were foreclosed, and personal savings were depleted. This caused many families to seek aid from nonprofit organizations. As the demand for nonprofit services rose, many nonprofit organization's revenues and resources declined.

A case study of the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit was conducted …

Mediated Histories: Representations Of Nineteenth-Century American Life At Greenfield Village And Crossroads Village, Jaclyn Millichamp

Wayne State University Theses

Living history museums are a prevalent form of history museum in which periods in history are portrayed through the use of artifacts and structures from the era, as well through the use of interpreters, which demonstrate processes from the past or discuss events with visitors. These sites have been scrutinized in the last few decades due to their constructed nature that often downplays negative aspects of the past. Since history is multi-faceted, it is impossible to present a clear recreation of history, and therefore, the creators of these sites have considerable leeway in how they choose to depict aspects of …

The New Endangered Species: Community-Anchoring Public Schools, Karen Ferrick-Roman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Often, school closures are seen as a "natural order" of events in communities with extreme economic struggles. My work challenges this premise.

In Pennsylvania, communities where schools selected for closure are often composed of rural, largely white or urban, largely minority, populations living at the margins amid the persistent yet growing economic divide. Within this milieu, communities and people at the margins are swept up in general educational trends, such as the risk of charter schools, siphoning students and funding from traditional, community-anchoring public schools and perpetuating systematic power and economic inequities, driven by political and philanthropic initiatives. The economic …

Samuel De Champlain And The French Wars Of Religion, Benjamen N. Goff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nearly all studies of Samuel de Champlain focus on his trials in New France due to the substantial number of available sources. His early life remains understudied because there are no such sources regarding these years. This essay attempts to alleviate that disparity by utilizing primary materials not typically associated with Champlain. Using late sixteenth-century France to contextualize Champlain's youth, this essay surveys three critical areas of his early life: military experiences, ties of patronage, and religious convictions. Military experience, gained during the Wars of Religion, prepared Champlain for violent encounters with Native Americans. Ties of patronage, which he began …