Digital Commons Network^™

A Shared Connection: Vulnerability As A Link Between Humans In The Natural World, Kristian Chad Hargis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

If I look with new eyes while walking

I may see nature differently.

When mind and heart behold no names,

create no boundaries,

the conversation becomes intersubjective.

A two-way path is formed and we walk together

along the river’s vulnerable edge.

Flowing through our ups and downs

connecting our similarities and embracing our differences.

Like stripped bark from a downed tree

we are exposed to a new understanding.

Exploring Critical Thinking And Negotiation Of Meaning Through Minecraftedu: A Case Study Of Elementary Language Learners, Sarah Rich

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Critical thinking and problem solving are identified as 21^st century skills crucial to the process of foreign language acquisition, and include negotiating and co-constructing meaning in order to effectively communicate with others (Committee for Economic Development, 2006). The purpose of this study was to replicate earlier research in which university-aged French language learners participated in task-based activities within the social game environment of SecondLife to produce discourse representing critical thinking and negotiation of meaning. Through purposeful modifications, this replication study investigated the collective discourse produced by a group of elementary-aged English Language Learners (ELLs) engaged in task-based activities within …

Deposit Insurance: Theories And Facts, Charles W. Calomiris, Matthew Jaremski

Documents

No abstract provided.

Population: Fifth Migration, Crain Content Studio Cleveland

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

No abstract provided.

The Revolution Will Be Computed: Fantasy, Apple Computer, And The Ethos Of Silicon Valley, Misti Yang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

My thesis undertakes a rhetorical analysis of the discourse surrounding the development of the personal computer and Apple Computer as a case study in Silicon Valley discourse. The analysis spans twenty years (1964-1984) starting with San Francisco-area computer hobbyist clubs and ending with the release of Macintosh by Apple Computer. Symbolic convergence theory (SCT) and fantasy theme analysis (FTA) provide the primary methodology for my work. Because SCT/FTA developed from small group communication research, they are fitting tools for understanding how small groups of people impassioned about building something new can impact public discourse. I connect SCT/FTA with a materialist …

Are Government-Sponsored Pension Privatization Efforts Leading To Better Beneficiary Outcomes?, Dylan Iadanza

Business/Business Administration

This paper seeks to inform readers on the history and the performance of tying state-sponsored retirement plans to the market. In the late 1970’s and 1980’s, many Latin American university students participated in an exchange program affiliated with the University of Chicago. After completing their studies under notable free-market economists such as Milton Friedman and Arnold Harberger, these students returned home and took prominent positions in governments- mainly in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. In Chile, the students developed a plan known as el ladrillo (“the brick”). In 1981, their retirement system was completely privatized. Mutual funds, called Administradoras de Fondos …

Design For Mosquito Abundance, Diversity, And Phenology Sampling Within The National Ecological Observatory Network, D. Hoekman, Y. P. Springer, C. M. Barker, R. Barrera, M. S. Blackmore, W. E. Bradshaw, D. H. Foley, H. S. Ginsberg, M. H. Hayden, C. M. Holzapfel, S. A. Juliano, L. D. Kramer, S. L. Ladeau, Todd P. Livdahl, C. G. Moore, R. S. Nasci, W. K. Reisen, H. M. Savage

Biology

The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) intends to monitor mosquito populations across its broad geographical range of sites because of their prevalence in food webs, sensitivity to abiotic factors, and relevance for human health. We describe the design of mosquito population sampling in the context of NEON's long-term continental scale monitoring program, emphasizing the sampling design schedule, priorities, and collection methods. Freely available NEON data and associated field and laboratory samples, will increase our understanding of how mosquito abundance, demography, diversity, and phenology are responding to land use and climate change.

Erratum: In the paper by Hoekman et al. (“Design …

Material Matters, Thomas George Holmes

Dissertations

Material Matters is a collection of original poems written by Thomas G. Holmes, while a doctoral student at The University of Southern Mississippi. The poems explore the materiality of writing.

Survey Of Macrofungi Species Richness Pattern Along An Elevational Gradient In The Monteverde Cloud Forest, May 2016, Laura Yesenia Pérez Olivera

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Given that there is an extensive diversity in organisms and landscape in Costa Rica, this study focuses on the species richness of macrofungi along an elevational gradient in Monteverde, Costa Rica. I assessed a 200m elevational gradient from 1550m to 1750m of the trails of the Estación Biológica. Using a GPS and altimeter, I recorded the location and elevation of each macrofungi found along the trails. The data gathered from these walks was then used to create a map with ArcMap10.2 that visualizes the species richness along 8 altitudinal bands of 25m of the total elevational gradient. I found a …

Amateur Paleontological Societies And Fossil Clubs, Interactions With Professional Paleontologists, And Social Paleontology In The United States, Bruce J. Macfadden, Lisa Lundgren, Kent J. Crippen, Betty A. Dunckel, Shari Ellis

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Considerable interest exists among lifelong learners in the USA about fossils and the science of paleontology. Unlike some other science-related groups, e.g., astronomy and ornithology, interest in fossils among amateur paleontologists is primarily focused within local clubs and societies with little national coordination. This paper presents the results of formative evaluation of the FOSSIL project, conducted after the project “Kickoff” meeting held at the NAPC (North American Paleontological Convention) in 2014. FOSSIL is developing a national networked community of practice that includes amateur and professional paleontologists. Our research indicates that more than 60 amateur fossil clubs and societies exist in …

Eighth Grade Mathematics Intervention: Improving Student Self-Esteem And Content Knowledge Of Targeted Mathematic Skills, Stephanie Hart

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

By eighth grade some students believe they are “not good” and never will be successful at mathematics. Discouraged by poor grades, negative feedback from teachers or demoralized by repeated academic failure, these students disengage from their mathematics classwork. In some cases, mathematics intervention classes are a last chance to get them back on track to qualify for Algebra I in 9^th grade. The purpose of this study is to identify strategies to reengage students by increasing their academic content knowledge in mathematics and boosting their self-esteem and sense of belonging in the school setting. The review of the literature …

Session One: Learning From Souther History And Culture

Mercer Law Review

No abstract provided.

Review Of "Perspectives Européennes Des Études Littéraires Francophones" By C. Coste And D. Lançon, Alexandra Gueydan-Turek

French & Francophone Studies Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Lost In Translation: How Practical Considerations In Kirtsaeng Demand International Exhaustion In Patent Law, Dustin M. Knight

Law Student Publications

This comment's purpose is to explore whether the principles announced in Kirtsaeng should apply to the patent exhaustion doctrine. Part I begins by examining the history of patent exhaustion jurisprudence. It also introduces the competing theories international exhaustion and territorial exhaustion. Part II analyzes the effect of the recent Supreme Court decision in Kirtsaeng on the exhaustion doctrine in copyright. Part III contends that exhaustion doctrine polices the same practical problems in copyright as it does in patent law. Finally, the conclusion argues for an extension of the Kirtsaeng holding to the patent exhaustion doctrine.

Nation Branding, Nirmalya Kumar, Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp

Asian Management Insights

Emerging nations need national champions, and national champions need strong support from the state.

Achieving Excellence In Strategy Execution Through Some Uncommon Practices, Robin Speculand

Asian Management Insights

When good strategies fail in execution, it’s time to consider some uncommon practices.

Closing The Achievement Gap: Assessing Best Practices In Rhode Island After-School Programs, Joseph Korzeb

Senior Honors Projects

There is a saturation of scholarly research affirming the existence of a gap in academic achievement between students in need and students of privilege in the United States. However, there is a current debate to decide the most effective intervention strategies that should be employed to close this achievement gap. This study will examine the role that after-school programs play in closing the gap. Specifically, this study will investigate best practice components for after-school programs and will attempt to determine if select after-school programs in Rhode Island provide proven best practices for students in need.

This study attempts to define …

Welcoming The Stranger: African Refugees And Israel’S Asylum Regime, David Kimelman

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This paper will explore the Israeli asylum regime and its development since the state’s inception and will discuss the rationales and motives behind national policy and public perception of asylum seekers. Over the last decade, Israel’s asylum regime has been significantly upgraded to meet the growing needs of the state to manage an unprecedented flow of asylum seekers entering into the country. Upon arriving in Israel, however, asylum seekers have found a state that is reluctant to take them in and a citizenry unwelcoming to outsiders perceived as a divisive “other.” This “otherness” is perceived as a danger to many …

At Risk: Conflict Resources And The Right To Water In Sub-Saharan Africa, Madeleine Durbin

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This paper examines the relationship between water and natural resource extraction to expand the understanding of conflict resources to include water stress as a human rights violation. My research question asks how the human right to water can further our conceptualization of conflict resources and conflict risk. If we understand conflict resources broadly as those whose exploitation leads to human rights violations, then any resource extraction resulting in water stress should be considered a conflict resource, as it violates the human right to water and could lead to increased conflict risk. I examine diamonds and coltan as “widely accepted” conflict …

The Effect Of The Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program On Participants’ Diet Quality: Does Supermarket Access Matter?, Rachel Ann Spencer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project assesses the effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) within the context of supermarket access. EFNEP is a national community nutrition education program that strives to give participants the tools to live healthier lives. Analysis was performed on participants from 16 Arkansas counties that completed EFNEP during 2013 or 2014. The program outcome is measured in terms of the change in Healthy Eating Index (HEI) as calculated from 24-hour diet recalls at program entry and exit. Supermarket locations were obtained from the USDA Food Nutrition Service’s SNAP Retail Locator and represent the food environment near …

Fire And Fuels: Vegetation Change Over Time In The Zuni Mountains, New Mexico, Luke Wylie

Master's Theses

The Zuni Mountains are a region that has been dramatically changed by human interference. Anthropogenically, fire suppression practices have allowed a buildup of fuels and caused a change in the fire-adapted ponderosa pine ecosystem such that the new ecosystem now incorporates many fire-intolerant species. As a result, the low-severity fires that the ecosystem once depended on to regenerate the forest are much reduced, and these low-severity fires are now replaced by crown-level infernos that threaten the forest and nearby towns. In order to combat these effects, land managers are implementing fuel reduction practices and are striving to better understand the …

Alluvial Sedimentation Associated With Logging In Low Gradient Watersheds In Desoto National Forest, Mississippi, Andrew W. Simmons

Master's Theses

Forestry and related businesses are an important factor of Mississippi’s economy, contributing between $11 and $14 billion annually (Mississippi Forestry Commission, 2006). The timber industry is not only important in Mississippi but is an important sector of the economy throughout the Gulf Coast region. While providing positive economic benefits to the region, the forestry industry can also negatively affect soil properties, hillslope stability, and increase sedimentation rates in local streams and rivers. The aim of this research is to determine if forestry removal causes an increase of soil erosion and how it affects floodplain sedimentation in the low gradient watershed …

Mississippi College Towns: Assessing The Geography Of Collegiate Culture, Jordan Glynn Moore

Master's Theses

This study assesses the appearance of collegiate culture on the landscape of college towns in Mississippi. The research will add to the understanding of this phenomenon by contributing more focused studies of college towns not yet explored. Refining and adding to the concept of a “college town” by identifying physical and cultural factors that characterize it will open opportunities and provide options that will serve as a gateway for more pointed cross-disciplinary research. Not only are these towns havens for geographic research, but also for cross-disciplinary research pursuits due to their unique cultural characteristics. Using U.S. Census-derived maps and a …

Crops Or Crafts? Changes In Land Use In The Imbabura Valley Of Ecuador, Christopher Richard Hair

Master's Theses

In rural societies where urbanization and modernization are contributing to rapid growth, changes in land use can both reflect and bring about broader changes within a community. This study seeks to investigate changes in land use in the Imbabura valley of Ecuador from the perspective of the local inhabitants. To accomplish this, three data collection techniques were employed: repeat photography, ethnographic interviews, and archival research. Repeat photography involves re-photographing historic photographs from the original site. A combination of 35 historic photographs taken in the 1950s were re-photographed during the summer of 2015. The resulting repeat photo pairs were used in …

Multimodal Transportation Planning Curriculum For Urban Planning Programs, Kristine M. Williams, Tia Claridge, Alexandria Carroll

TREC Final Reports

Integrated multimodal transportation and land use planning is critical to advancing mode choice, public health and safety, and livability objectives. Communities across the U.S. are seeking to redefine their planning process accordingly. In response, university graduate urban planning and engineering programs are beginning to address multimodal planning and sustainable transportation, but most do not yet offer a robust curriculum on these topics. To help address this need, the University of South Florida (USF), Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) developed a curriculum for a course on multimodal transportation planning and its role in advancing livability and related objectives. The course …

Advanced Gis: Smart Transportation, Christopher Bone, Ken Kato, Jacob Bartruff, Marc Schlossberg

TREC Final Reports

As sensors have become cheaper and more common, they have found an increasingly important role in transportation. However, curriculum to prepare students who will be working with these technologies as developers and planners has not developed at the same rate. The goal of this project was to develop a college course focused around sensors and smart transportation to be offered to undergrad and graduate students at the University of Oregon. The class focused on the practical application and the theoretical consequences of these developments. The class was offered in the spring term of 2015 to a group of undergraduate and …

Coordination Or Consolidation? Accountable Care Organizations And Antitrust Policy Under The Medicare Shared Savings Program, Michael J. Montgomery

UC Law Journal

The U.S. health care system is expensive, fragmented, poorly organized, and fails too often to deliver high quality care that is both accessible and cost efficient. In 2014, Americans spent an estimated $3.1 trillion on health care, averaging $9695 per capita and accounting for 17.8% of gross domestic product (“GDP”). Over the course of the next decade, these figures are projected to increase by an average of 5.8% per year, reaching an estimated $5.4 trillion and 19.8% of GDP by 2024. In an effort to curb this unsustainable trend of rising health care costs, Congress enacted the Medicare Shared Savings …

Sinophone Studies And Beyond : An Interview With Shu-Mei Shih, Te Hsing Shan

Journal of Modern Literature in Chinese 現代中文文學學報

No abstract provided.

Encouraging Word : The Pastor's Role In Increasing Biblical Literacy In The Local Congregation, Todd A. Leach

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Three Essays On The Impacts Of Air Pollution And Environmental Policy, Jordan Stanley

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation analyzes the effects of United States environmental policy - specifically that which regards air pollution - on health, labor market, and environmental outcomes. The first chapter examines the potential long-term effects of childhood exposure to atmospheric lead. The outcome of interest is crime, and the policy analyzed is the leaded gasoline phaseout. The second chapter seeks to investigate the effects of environmental regulation on labor markets. Nonattainment status designation creates variation in regulatory levels across counties based on a county’s air quality for a given pollutant, in this case ozone. The third chapter provides analysis of the design …