Digital Commons Network^™

How Many Kinds Of Birds Are There And Why Does It Matter?, George F. Barrowclough, Joel Cracraft, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Estimates of global species diversity have varied widely, primarily based on variation in the numbers derived from different inventory methods of arthropods and other small invertebrates. Within vertebrates, current diversity metrics for fishes, amphibians, and reptiles are known to be poor estimators, whereas those for birds and mammals are often assumed to be relatively well established. We show that avian evolutionary diversity is significantly underestimated due to a taxonomic tradition not found in most other taxonomic groups. Using a sample of 200 species taken from a list of 9159 biological species determined primarily by morphological criteria, we applied a diagnostic, …

The Great Balancing Act: The Effect Of The America Invents Act On The Division Of Power Between The Patent And Trademark Office And The Federal Circuit, Samiyyah R. Ali

Vanderbilt Law Review

The United States Constitution grants Congress the power "(t)o promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts" by entering into a bargain that drives patent policy: Congress grants a patent to the inventor for a limited time, in exchange for the benefit to society of the invention. The Constitution empowered Congress with broad authority, and Congress has, as in many areas of the law, created several entities that shape patent policy. Despite Congress's creation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office ("PTO"), tasked with the regulation of patent applications and grants, courts-specifically semi-specialized appellate courts-have driven patent policy for …

The Constitution Of Agency Statutory Interpretation, Evan J. Criddle

Vanderbilt Law Review

No abstract provided.

Bois 412/812: Human Genetics—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Colin D. Meiklejohn

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This portfolio focuses on Human Genetics, an upper-division course taken primarily by biology majors to fulfill elective credit in their degree. This course studies the genetic basis for human variation, with the goal of placing this variation in the context of human evolutionary history and the consequences of this variation for medical understanding and treatments. In Human Genetics, students complete an original synthetic research paper on a human genetic disorder. Through writing this paper, students are expected to learn how to navigate electronic databases and online resources on human genetic diseases, and to read and synthesize the primary scientific literature. …

Plpt 496/892: Disease Dynamics & Evolution—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio, Sydney E. Everhart

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark course portfolio was developed as a component of the University of Nebraska Peer Review of Teaching. The course selected for this portfolio was a new course developed and taught as an Independent Study PLPT 496/892. The working title for the course was Disease Dynamics and Evolution. This course was designed to cover core concepts of disease ecology and pathogen emergence/evolution. Concepts were organism-agnostic and important for understanding infectious diseases of humans, animals, and plants. The course format was lecture-based and inquiry driven, using primary literature as case studies. The goal of this course was to use interesting and …

Tmfd 146: Visualization Studio—A Peer Review Of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio—Student Perceptions Of Learning To Draw The Human Form, Michael Burton

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio examines student experiences while taking Visualization Studio and illustrates the various drawing and design projects they complete. While this document illustrates the overall course experience it focuses on student perceptions of learning to draw the human form by two students. Student A, Alesha, demonstrates a high pass example and student B, Mallory, demonstrates a mid pass example.

I feel it is obvious to compare high and low pass samples but the difference between high and mid is much harder to differentiate. Key elements are highlighted to identify the differences between them. Although final course grades were close …

Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction Beyond Citizenship And Blood, Addie C. Rolnick

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Coalbed Methane Development In Wyoming And Montana: The Potential Impacts Of Montana V. Wyoming, Coalbed Methane Development, And Water Quality On The Tribes Of The Powder River And Wind River Basins, Mallory J. Irwinsky

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Starving Culture: Alaskan Native Villages’ Fight To Use Traditional Hunting And Fishing Grounds, Jeffrey W. Stowers, Jr.

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Nothing Personal (Or Subject Matter) About It: Jurisdictional Risk As An Impetus For Non-Tribal Opt-Outs From Tribal Economies, And The Need For Administrative Response, Joel Pruett

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Pretty Smart Answer: Justifying The Secretary Of The Interior’S “Seminole Fix” For The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Austin R. Vance

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Rights And Informed Consent In American Indian Communities: Legal And Ethical Issues, Naomi Palosaari

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Trespass To Culture: The Bioethics Of Indigenous Populations’ Informed Consent In Mainstream Genetic Research Paradigms, Alexandra Winters

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

Narasimha, Lord Of Transitions, Transformations, And Theater Festivals: God And Evil In Hindu Cosmology, Myth, And Practice, Lavanya Vemsani

Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

This paper focuses on the multi-faceted nature of the divine depicted in Narasimha and the unique perspectives on God and evil offered by the myths of Narasimha, which is also subliminally represented within the religious practice and performance traditions associated with Narasimha.

Gobally Threatened Biodiversity Of The Eastern Arc Mountains And Coastal Forests Of Kenya And Tanzania, Roy E. Gereau, Neil Cumberlidge, Claudia Hemp, Axel Hochkirch, Trevor Jones, Mercy Kariuki, Charles N. Lange, Simon P. Loader, Patrick K. Malonza, Michele Menegon, P. Kariuki Ndang’Ang’A, Francesco Rovero, Phillip Shirk

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Two New Species Of Freshwater Crabs From The Highlands Of Northern Uganda, East Africa And A Redescription Of Potamonautes Amalerensis (Rathbun, 1935) Stat. Rev. From Mount Kadam (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae), Neil Cumberlidge, Paul F. Clark

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Change Management For Small Business Leaders, Lora Elizabeth Higdon

Theses and Dissertations

Small business owners face challenges associated with leading change, and many times lack the necessary resources to manage it properly. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine what challenges leaders of small businesses face in managing change, what strategies and practices those leaders employ, and how the leaders of small businesses measure success in managing change. This study also determined what advice leaders of small businesses would suggest for managing change. Four research questions were created to assist with this process, and 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted in various cities throughout the state of Michigan. The participants …

You Are What You (Can) Eat: Cultivating Resistance Through Food, Justice, And Gardens On The South Side Of Chicago, Ida B. Kassa

Pomona Senior Theses

Though food is widely recognized as a basic necessity for humanity, disparate access to it highlights whose bodies, environments, health, nutrition, and utter existence has mattered most in American society—and whose has mattered the least. Through interviews with residents of the South Side of Chicago about the alternative food pathway they’ve forged for themselves, we learn that food becomes much more than just sustenance. Interviewees describe our present day food system as undeniably rooted in a history of enslavement and exploitation of Black and Brown bodies; they regard food justice work by communities of color as an important source of …

Food Rebellion: Contemporary Food Movements As A Reflection Of Our Agrarian Past, James Gordon

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis considers the influence of agrarian thought on contemporary food movements.

Turning Waste Into Compost In Napa, California, Liana D. Solis

Pomona Senior Theses

Two significant pieces of legislation in California have mandated that cities and counties must reduce their waste streams. Assembly Bill 341 establishes that California must divert 75% of its waste from landfills by the year 2020. The first bill that included composting, Assembly Bill 1826, was passed in 2014 and requires that commercial users enact composting beginning in 2016. These initiatives have led cities and counties to seek ways of implementing composting programs. Using the City of Napa as a case study, this thesis argues that a composting program can be integrated into any existing waste hauling service. Although there …

Christianity And The Development Of Eco-Justice, Emily C. Hill

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis investigates the role Christian communities in the United States play in eco-justice work. Eco-justice is the recognition that human rights and environmental rights are indivisible. Christianity had a deep impact on Western culture in Europe during the Medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment periods. Evangelizing and carrying out God’s will were used repeatedly as justification for the colonial escapades of European powers. The notion of a Covenant with God permeated American culture and influenced the identity of the nation and of American environmentalism. However, Christian communities were also active in resisting the exploitation of people and the Earth. Today, Christian …

Defending The Social Good Theory Of Punishment, Sydney R. Scott

Pomona Senior Theses

This paper attempts to justify punishment on the grounds that it is a benefit to the person being punished. I accept the basic premise of a previous theory of punishment, the Moral Good Theory (MGT), which states that we cannot harm anyone. Thus, punishment can only be justified if it is not a harm. The MGT claims that punishment is beneficial in that it provides a moral education to the offender. I reject the idea that punishment is morally educational and instead propose a new theory which revises and strengthens the MGT, accounting for its flaws. This new theory, the …

All’S Whale That Ends Whale: How Correctly Identifying Antarctic-Feeding Grounds Of Oceania Humpbacks Could Save An Endangered Population, Davey Holmes

Pomona Senior Theses

Although major whaling practices have ceased, increasing human involvement and influence in the world’s marine ecosystems continue to adversely effect global whale populations. It is a major concern throughout Antarctic waters, where endangered Oceania Humpback Whales (Megaptera novarangliae) annually feed. This study analyzes the extent to which a proposed marine protected area within the Ross Sea may indirectly harm the last remaining endangered population of Humpbacks. Using current satellite tracks of southern Humpback migrations, this model maps the effects of displaced Toothfish fisheries, and suggests further conservations efforts, based on New Zealand’s Precautionary Approach, to protect these vulnerable whales.

The Choreopolitics Of Liberation And Decolonization, Harrison M. Goodall Iii

Pomona Senior Theses

This thesis examines dance as a means of social and political revolt in the AIDS epidemic. The course of the AIDS epidemic within the United States was inexorably shaped by the way dancers and choreographers used their art form to rebel against concepts of masculinity, sexuality and disease transmission. Through confronting their audiences with the reality of their loss and humanizing themselves and their loved ones that passed away, dancers were able to change the image of the epidemic and push for necessary political and social reform. This paper also analyzes the ways that norms of masculinity and the stigma …

Banned From The Only Democracy In The Middle East: Targeted Exclusion At Israel’S External Border Crossings, Alexandra Goss

Pomona Senior Theses

Despite seemingly discriminatory practices at the border directed towards US citizens, no formal academic work has been conducted on the subject. This study is the first of its kind, which examines the phenomenon of the denying and banning of US citizens from the external Israeli border crossings. It draws upon the cases of 110 US citizens who have been banned or denied from the external Israeli border crossings from 1987-2015. This study finds that denial is often associated with Palestinian Americans, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Black Americans and Americans who personally identify as activists or are considered by border officials …

Spatial Biodiversity Patterns Of Fish Within The Aransas Bay Complex, Texas, Bridgette F. Froeschke, Megan M. Reese Robillard, Gregory W. Stunz

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The goal of this study was to consider the effects of habitat type and environmental conditions on the biodiversity of fishes within the Aransas Bay Complex, Texas and provide a management framework and an ecosystem examination of Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). A stratified, randomized experimental design was used to collect fishes from seagrass, oyster, and non-vegetated habitats within the Aransas Bay Complex from February through May 2010 over large spatial scales at the “bay-complex” level. We developed a biodiversity habitat model using Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). Fitted functions from the “best” fit BRT habitat model indicated that fish biodiversity was …

Parasites From The Red Lionfish, Pterois Volitans From The Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg, Carlos F. Ruiz, Stephen S. Curran, Stephen A. Bullard

Gulf and Caribbean Research

No abstract provided.

Nesting Behaviors Of Sharp-Tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus Phasianellus) Using Camera Technology, Rebecca Ann Kludt

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing energy development and grassland conversion pose several issues for Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in western North Dakota. Nest attendance patterns can serve as one of the first indicators of stress induced by landscape changes. Nest camera monitoring allows researchers to observe nest attendance patterns; however, little is known about how behavioral responses to cameras influence nest survival. Our study objectives were to determine (1) how characteristics of the hen, nest and landscape influence nest attendance patterns of Sharp-tailed Grouse, and (2) if behaviors resulting from camera monitoring influence daily nest survival rates. Nest attendance was lower at sites with …

An Aircraft Evacuation Simulation Baseline Using Des For Passenger Path Planning, Xiaoqing Deng

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This paper introduced a Discrete Event Simulation (DES) model that simulates passengers’ evacuation paths and decision-making processes during aircraft certification. The model was built using ARENA® 14, which is a DES simulation tool. This model used A380 cabin configuration with capacity of 538 passengers. Each passenger was considered as an independent human being with variations in walking speed, decision-making processes, and evacuation path. This model generated total evacuation time and presented total congestion conditions of each gate. Federal Regulation has suggested that all passengers in the airplane should finish the evacuation within 90 seconds. The model was validated with the …

Willard Rouse Jillson And The Crystal Cave Of Sloans Valley, Kentucky, Gary A. O'Dell

Faculty Research at Morehead State University

Willard Rouse Jillson and the Crystal Cave of Sloans Valley, Kentucky NSS News (National Speleological Society) 77(August 2019), 12-24 With nearly 25 miles of passages, Sloans Valley Cave in the southeastern part of the state is the 4th longest cave in Kentucky and ranks #23 in the United States. The imposing karst window known as Great Rock Sink has historically been the most popular access point and the area within, known as Crystal Cave, was operated as a show cave until submerged in early 1951 by the impoundment of Lake Cumberland. This presentation traces the exploration history of Sloans Valley, …