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Empirical Investigation Of Samhsa’S (Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration) Model Of Wellness, Dipanjana Das

Dissertations and Theses

The quest to operationalize the construct of wellness has been elusive. Part of the difficulty resides in the way wellness has been conceptualized in the literature, using different non-overlapping models. Another drawback is that many existing models are not based on solid empirical evidence. The current study addressed these limitations by assessing the empirical validity of SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) model of wellness. We created an instrument to assess wellness based on a thorough review of the literature that serves as the basis of the SAMHSA model that can be used to assess wellness. Findings revealed …

Is The Trans-Pacific Partnership A ‘Natural’ Trade Bloc?, Matthew Ziegler

Dissertations and Theses

The Trans-Pacific Partnership began as a free trade agreement between Brunei Darussalam, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore which was enacted in 2004. Since that time, additional countries have entered into formal negotiations to expand the trade bloc, including the USA, Mexico, Peru, Australia, Malaysia, Canada, Vietnam and Japan. This paper seeks to determine whether these countries represent a ‘natural’ trade partnership by comparing and contrasting the trade complementarity index between each pair of countries within the partnership and those other countries counted in the APEC 21 countries plus India, which is a member of the RCEP trade bloc.
Previous studies …

Effects Of Temperature Stress On Coral Fluorescence And Reflectance, Andrea Gomez

Dissertations and Theses

Around the world, climate change, land-based pollution and fishing impacts are recognized as principal threats to coral reef ecosystems. Sea surface temperatures, in particular, are expected to change dramatically over the next decades and result in high coral mortality in some regions. Through controlled experiments, I examined changes in coral fluorescence and reflectance in response to water temperature alterations to assess the potential of employing these signatures as a diagnostic tool to measure coral health. At the NOAA Coral Culture and Collaborative Research Facility, I conducted controlled laboratory-based heat stress experiments on three Caribbean species of coral: Acropora cervicornis, Orbicella …

"Model Complexity And Variable Selection In Maxent Niche Models: Analyses For Rodents In Madagascar", Peter Galante

Dissertations and Theses

Ecological niche models (ENMs) characterize the relationship between localities where a species is known to occur and the abiotic characteristics of these regions. While widely used, ENMs remain subject to several outstanding issues, including those related to model complexity and violation of modeling assumptions (e.g., representative sampling). Critical in resolving these issues is a better understanding of the effectiveness of model selection techniques. Here, I compare two strategies for optimizing ENMs: an information-criterion approach (AICc) and a sequential approach that assesses model performance on withheld data. I do so for a single species using two datasets, one with all available …

Food Imports As A Hindrance To Food Security And Sustainable Development: The Cases Of Nigeria And Senegal, Dioume Astou

Dissertations and Theses

Despite the growing global acceptance of an individual’s right to adequate food and nutrition, and the state’s obligation to ensure that all its citizens are free from hunger, 805 million or one in nine people around the world today are still chronically malnourished; the majority live in developing countries. African states have had a particular problem with food insecurity. Food security on the continent has worsened since the 1970s and by the end of the century, the population in Africa is

expected to be three times its current level. Hence, food insecurity in Africa will be much more severe than …

Degradation Of Carbon Tetrachloride Using Hydrophobic Green Rust, Sheena Bowman

Dissertations and Theses

Hydrophobic green rusts (GR) were produced using aerial oxidation of solutions containing bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (BIS) and sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate (SNLS), iron (II) sulfate and sodium hydroxide. The synthesis was conduced at constant pH 8.0±0.1 for the duration of 1-3 hrs. Partition tests showed GRBIS and GRSNLS suspended in the organic phase (tetrachloroethylene). Through X-ray diffraction analysis both GRs exhibit similar patterns to Green Rust II, an inorganic form of GR. The kinetics of GR reductive dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride (CT) was investigated. CT at high concentrations was degraded at high percentages for GRBIS-3, 88.5% and GRSNLS-5, 97.6%. Their reactions were …

The Widespread Skink Mabuya Dorsivittata Reveals Complex Patterns Of Genetic Diversity In South America, Danielle Rivera

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

United States Multilateral Policy In Dealing With North Korea, Alex Guarino

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

World Bank, Agriculture And Policy: A Case Study In Ghana And Ethiopia, Steven Margel

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis tests the effectiveness of the World Bank’s agricultural-aid policy by examining case studies in Ghana and Ethiopia in the period of 2000-2010. Each study examines the policy context, project/program success, overall human development results, and threats to sustainability, of agricultural aid. The primary hypothesis of the paper is that participatory processes and inclusive institutions will prove to be decisive factors. Each case is tested against this political view of aid in addition to three additional images (Destructive, Ineffective, Effective Technical), in order to ensure a comprehensive review.

The Ghana case showed a lack of participation in forming the …

Intra- And Inter-Seasonal Variability Of Supra-Glacial 1 Streams And Lakes Over The West Greenland Ice Sheet 2 From High-Resolution Satellite Optical Data, Michael Gregory Brown

Dissertations and Theses

The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is one of the largest glacial ice masses on Earth, second only to the Antarctic ice sheet. The surface hydrology of the GrIS plays a crucial role on the surface energy and mass balance budgets of the ice sheet as a whole. Surface water, known as supra-glacial water, is seasonally found in the ablation zone and feeds the en-glacial and sub-glacial hydrological environments of the ice sheet. The spatial distribution of surface streams is poorly understood and their temporal variability is (to our knowledge) unknown. One of the reasons for the lack of knowledge on …

Factors Affecting Developing Planning In Africa: The Need For Local Input, Ismael Sow

Dissertations and Theses

Africa has become synonymous with poverty, diseases, and despair. The continent is home to the highest number of extremely poor people in the world. Throughout the world, especially in the last few decades, many countries in the so-called South have succeeded in lifting their people out of poverty. The continent, with the exception of a few African countries, has failed to design and implement sound economic plans to bring prosperity to a billion Africans. This thesis proposes that for African countries to develop, ways should be found to include indigenous input into development planning. This assumption is based on both …

Lessons From The Arab Spring: Pathways To Democracy After The Revolution In Tunisia, Egpypt And Libya, Manal Abd-El-Hafez

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Hazardous Effects Of Ship Scrapping And Recycling On Workers' Rights And The Environment, Maytee Gomez Salgueiro

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

U.S. Drug Policy And Supply-Side Strategies: Assessing Effectiveness And Results, Michelle Keck, Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

Political Science Faculty Publications

The illegal drug trade in North America continues to prosper despite a 45-year war on drugs. Border enforcement is a key U.S. policy tool for preventing the flow of illegal drugs, and the U.S.-Mexico border has become the frontline in the war. Several scholars have questioned the ability of states, with their inflexible bureaucracies, tight budgets, and electorates, to effectively stop drug trafficking networks, which have considerable advantages, including flexibility, transnational connections, and market forces on their side. This article uses statistical data to determine if border enforcement along the southern U.S. border influences the illegal drug supply.

Abstracts 2015: Highlights Of Student Research And Creative Endeavors, Columbus State University

Abstracts: Highlights of Student Research and Creative Endeavors

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Factors Associated With Urban Deer–Vehicle Collisions, Erin C. Mccance, Richard K. Baydack, David J. Walker, Derek N. Leask

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Increasing populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in urban areas have resulted in an increase in deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs). Deer–vehicle collisions represent a human–wildlife conflict of serious concern, given that they result, most notably, in significant risk to human safety, deer mortality, and costly vehicle damage. Although many communities have developed databases that track the frequency and location of DVCs, there is a need for analysis of the factors that affect DVC locations in urban areas. Data on deer movement patterns across roads in urban areas are valuable to reduce the occurrence of DVCs on existing roads and …

Arresting Contagion: Science, Policy, And Conflicts Over Animal Disease Control, David D. Vail

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Self-Reported Experiences Of Climate Change In Nigeria: The Role Of Personal And Socio-Environmental, Idowu Ajibade, Frederick Ato Armah, Vincent Kuuire, Isaac Luginaah, Gordon Mcbean

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study, we examined the individual and socio-environmental factors that mediate differential self-reported experiences of climate change in coastal communities in Lagos, Nigeria. Binary complementary log-log multivariate regression was used to model residents’ experiences of changing rainfall patterns, ocean surges, and flood events. An analysis of both compositional and contextual factors showed that there were urban communities where vulnerability to flooding tends to be clustered, and that this was not fully explained by the characteristics of the people of whom the community was composed. This study, thus, underscores the importance and complex nature of the interaction between personal and …

Engaging Vulnerable Populations Using Participatory Mapping: Lessons Learned And Guidelines For Community Advocates And Transportation Planners, Laxmi Ramasubramanian

Publications and Research

Towards A Theory Of Gis Program Management, Jochen Albrecht

Publications and Research

After a brief flurry of monographs on business and organizational aspects of GIS in the 1990s, little attention has been paid to a systematic approach in support of GIS Program management. Most existing efforts in both public and private enterprises are based on anecdotal evidence. This chapter outlines a range of research questions and the beginning efforts to study modern GIS management practices and help develop a body of knowledge that can be used for the accreditation of GIS Programs and the certification of GIS Program managers.

Lateral Tracheal And Esophageal Displacement In Avialae And Morphological Implications For Theropoda (Dinosauria : Saurischia), Jeremy Joseph Klingler

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research examines the evolution, phylogenetic distribution, and functional explanations for a peculiar and often overlooked character seen in birds, herein called tracheal and esophageal displacement. Of special interest to this study is examining whether the trait was present in non-avian theropod dinosaurs. This study found that essentially all birds are characterized by a laterally displaced trachea and/or esophagus. The displacement may occur gradually along the neck, or it may happen immediately upon exiting the oropharynx. Displacement of these organs is the result of a heavily modified neck wherein muscles that create mobility restrictions in lizards, alligators, and mammals (e.g., …

Drawing Testimony, Coming To Writing: Ebe Cagli Seidenberg’S Le Sabbie Del Silenzio And Il Tempo Dei Dioscuri, Eveljn Ferraro

Modern Languages & Literature

This essay considers the question of how “coming to writing” describes the creative process, how mourning becomes language, and how the emptiness of silence turns into word, in relation to the life and literary work of Italian Jewish writer Ebe Cagli Seidenberg. In other words, how did Cagli’s exile to the U.S. facilitate her voice? And how did language become, for her, nothing less than a form of “country”? In examining her journey to testimonial writing, I contend that visual imagery—a combination of visual artifacts and visual memories—plays a major role in getting past the wall of silence, overcoming the …

Food Systems Law From Farm To Fork And Beyond, Stephanie Tai

Seton Hall Law Review

No abstract provided.

Regional-Scale Simulations Of Fungal Spore Aerosols Using An Emission Parameterization Adapted To Local Measurements Of Fluorescent Biological Aerosol Particles, M. Hummell, C. Hoose, M. Gallagher, D. A. Healy, J. A. Huffmann, David O'Connor, U. Poschl, C. Pohlker, N. H. Robinson, M. Schnaiter, J. R. Sodeau, M. Stengel, E. Toprak, H. Vogel

Articles

Fungal spores as a prominent type of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAP) have been incorporated into the COSMO-ART (Consortium for Small-scale Modelling- Aerosols and Reactive Trace gases) regional atmospheric model. Two literature-based emission rates for fungal spores derived from fungal spore colony counts and chemical tracer measurements were used as a parameterization baseline for this study. A third, new emission parameterization for fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAP) was adapted to field measurements from four locations across Europe. FBAP concentrations can be regarded as a lower estimate of total PBAP concentrations. Size distributions of FBAP often show a distinct mode at …

Development Programs And Livelihood Strategies Of Residents In Altos De La Florida, Colombia, Andres Felipe Florez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Colombia has a long history of internal displacement due to an ongoing armed conflict. Millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have made their way to urban areas around the country seeking safety and a new start. The municipality of Soacha, a suburb of Bogota, is the largest receptor area for IDPs in the country, and many Non-Governmental Organizations have set up operations to aid the residents of the area. Within Soacha the most vulnerable residents live in an informal settlement called Altos de la Florida Sector 3. This area has no infrastructure and a large portion of the residents are …

Internet Slang And High School Students: A Teacher’S Perspective, Thomas W. Fish

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study analyzed the perceptions of secondary education teachers on the use of Internet Slang by their high school students. The researcher analyzed educators’ perceptions in order to answer what teachers’ thoughts were on the use of Internet Slang being introduced into secondary education academic assignments. Additionally, were there negative or positive effects from the use of Internet Slang via texting, social media, and messaging on the writing skills of students? A literature review and a qualitative applied research approach with the use of document analysis via an open-ended survey were the methods for this study. This assisted the researcher …

Stewardship Contracting: Implementation Of An Innovative Resource Management Tool By Units Of The U.S. Forest Service, Cassandra J. Hemphill

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The U.S. Forest Service has an urgent need to restore forests to healthy conditions. To meet this need, in 2003 Congress authorized the agency to use the innovative stewardship contracting tool. However, eight years after authorization, implementation had not reached the expected or desired levels. This prompted this study, which asked ôWhy do some field units in the U.S. Forest Service implement and institutionalize stewardship contracting, while others do not?ö

Antipodean Owenite Or Colonial Socialist: Charles Harper, Economic Development, And Agricultural Co-Operation In Western Australia, 1890 To 1910, David J. Gilchrist

Theses

Charles Harper (1842-1912) was a Western Australian pastoralist, newspaper proprietor and influential politician. The central hypothesis advanced in this thesis is that Harper was instrumental in establishing co-operatives in Western Australia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a pragmatic means by which to overcome the economic constraints that normally confront a settler population in a frontier economy. Specifically, Harper believed that co-operatives were an important means by which to build the type of private and public physical capital that was needed to settle colonists on the large, low-yielding Western Australian landmass, and, further, to provide the required …

Focus Paddocks Trial Report - Benchmarked Result Summary 2010 - 14, Martin Harries, Geoff Anderson

Grain and other field crops published reports

This report was co-funded by GRDC through project no. DAW00213 - Putting the Focus on Profitable Crop and Pasture Sequences in WA.

Crop and pasture sequences in south-western Australia have changed in the past decade. These survey results from the Focus Paddock project provide data to help growers employ profitable and sustainable crop and pasture sequences. The project compiled information on the nature, suitability and productivity of crop and pasture sequences from 184 paddocks over five years. The results of the analyses of chemical and physical attributes of the soil, weed counts and disease management are presented here.

The survey …

Red China's "Capitalist Bomb": Inside The Chinese Neutron Bomb Program, Jonathan Ray

China Strategic Perspectives

This paper examines why China developed an enhanced radiation weapon (ERW) but did not deploy it. ERWs, better known as “neutron bombs,” are specialized nuclear weapons with reduced blast effects and enhanced radiation, making them ideal tactical and antipersonnel weapons. Declassified U.S. intelligence and Chinese press reports indicate the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was interested in an ERW in 1977 and successfully tested a device on September 29, 1988. To date, however, these sources provide no evidence of deployment. This study exploits primary source documents to reconstruct the ERW program’s history, assesses drivers behind decisions throughout the program, and …