Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating Awareness Of Horticulture Therapy In The Omaha Area, Hannah Shepley

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Horticulture therapy, where gardens, landscapes, and other plant materials are used to increase overall wellness or reach defined therapeutic goals, has a body of research which supports its effectiveness. To assess potential clients' knowledge and interest in utilizing horticulture therapy, a survey was conducted. UNO college students were asked for their input for these questions. Furthermore, businesses that were potential horticulture therapy providers were contacted and asked six questions regarding any current or future horticulture therapy programs offered at their facilities. Afterwards, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension office of Douglas-Sarpy County was contacted and asked about any involvement in horticulture …

Relationships Between Teachers' Past Experiences Learning Mathematics And Their Pedagogical Practices And Beliefs, Caci M. Jensen

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This creative project centered around the cyclical pattern of mathematics anxiety currently prevalent in our schools. A high percentage of elementary teachers carry mathematics anxiety and beliefs around mathematics that effect their pedagogical practices day-to-day. This anxiety transfers to their students effecting their future choices in mathematics. This project was conducted in case studies with six teachers from a rural charter school. Journey maps, semi-structured interviews, surveys, and observations were used to collect the data.

Metal Contamination And Food Web Changes Alter Exposure To Upper Trophic Levels In Upper Blackfoot River Basin Streams, Montana, Jack E. Landers, Sean Sullivan, Lisa Eby, Andrew C. Wilcox, Heiko Langner

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Reduced invertebrate abundance and diversity are common responses to metals contamination in mining-impacted streams. The resulting changes in community composition may have implications for metals accumulation and transfer through the food web. We investigated how changes in invertebrate community composition (abundance, species richness, and food web complexity) influence metals bioaccumulation and exposure risk to upper trophic levels along a contamination gradient in the upper Blackfoot River Basin, Montana. Invertebrate species richness exhibited the strongest decline with increasing sediment metals concentrations, driven by the loss of metals-sensitive taxa. These changes in invertebrate community composition resulted in a decline in the proportion …

Energy Management In Regional Directorates For Environmental Protection Registered In The Eco-Management And Audit Scheme (Emas) – Selected Aspects, Marzena Hajduk-Stelmachowicz

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

The article is an attempt to fill the cognitive gap regarding energy management in state administration organizations that operate the EMAS (eco-management and audit scheme). The paper presents result of environmental declarations (validated between July and September 2017) analyzes of all Regional Environmental Protection Directorates appearing in the EMAS register (as of 1 March 2018). The aim of the study is to characterize the energy management models used in all environmental protection directorates in the context of improving energy efficiency. Despite the similar nature of the tasks performed by each regional directorate for environmental protection, their approach to energy management …

Vertical And Horizontal Technology Transfer And Firm Innovativeness, Karina Sachpazidu-Wójcicka

Studia i Materiały Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytet Warszawski

The paper discusses the relationship between vertical and horizontal technology transfer and firms innovativeness. The main aim of the survey is to determine the relationship between vertical and horizontal technology transfer and innovativeness in surveyed enterprises, what has been investigated empirically. The specific objectives of the article relate to examining which specific dimensions of vertical and horizontal technology transfer influence firms innovativeness positively and which are the most important channels of vertical and horizontal technology transfer in firms innovativeness. The study is based on a survey on firms (n = 100) located in Poland. Data was collected during 100 interviews …

Research Practices And Needs Of Indigenous Studies Scholars At Dartmouth College: A Report Coordinated By Ithaka S+R, Ridie Ghezzi, J. Wendel Cox, Julia W. Logan, Amy L. Witzel

Dartmouth Library Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of The Global-Mindedness Of Freshmen And Senior Students At Northern Michigan University, Anthony Barnes

All NMU Master's Theses

Our global society has become increasingly interconnected. It is therefore necessary, no matter who you are or where you live, to be globally-minded and understand that now more than ever the consequences of our actions will have global implications. Although studies have been done to measure the global-mindedness of university students, and more specifically pre-service teachers, research was needed to compare the global-mindedness between freshmen and senior pre-service teachers. This quantitative study measured the global-mindedness of freshmen and senior university students at Northern Michigan University using the global-mindedness survey (GMS) designed by Hett (1993). The results showed no statistically significant …

Trash Talk: The Effects Of Plastic Pollution On Seabirds In Narragansett Bay, Erin A. O'Neill

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Plastic pollution in the ocean is a global concern with more than 8 million tons of plastic dumped into our oceans every year. This policy paper assesses plastic pollution in Narragansett Bay and the negative implications it holds on local seabird populations. Also, essential background information on plastic production and throwaway culture is provided. Moreover, the biological significance of seabirds is described, highlighting the vital role such populations play in local ecosystems such as Narragansett Bay. This paper contributes research to the global issue of plastic pollution by observing declining native wildlife life populations, such as seabirds, on a local …

Burning Libraries: A Community Response, Thomas H. Mcgovern

Publications and Research

Archaeology is increasingly seen as a global change science as well as a provider of community heritage resources. Rapid climate change is destroying archaeological sites at an unprecedented rate, and community- based response is urgently needed.

Patterns Of Genetic Structure In The American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius): Influence Of Distance And Migration And Implications For Monitoring And Management, Michaela Brinkmeyer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Genetic structure is useful for inferring patterns of selection, gene flow and connectivity, and can define management units that aid in interpretation of spatially-specific trends and species management. American kestrels (Falco sparverius) are a widespread, generalist species with fully migratory, partial migrant, and resident populations. In many parts of their range, kestrels show evidence of declining population trends; however, it has been difficult to identify threats to kestrels because of differences in regional trends. We used a genome-wide sequencing approach to investigate the genetic structure of American kestrels, test hypotheses about the processes that influence genetic structuring of …

Crustal Composition Beneath Southern Idaho: Insights From Teleseismic Receiver Functions, Thomas Branson Harper

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Receiver functions derived from teleseismic earthquakes contain seismic amplitude and velocity information that relate to compositional changes within the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. The receiver function waveform is a combination of P-S converted waves that have reverberated within the lithosphere. Although the largest seismic velocity boundary is found at the base of the crust, I explore the use of lower amplitude receiver function arrivals that represent smaller velocity contrasts within the crust. In my thesis, I calculate and model receiver functions via a Metropolis algorithm approach to extract seismic velocity distributions in the lithosphere. I use the results to …

Inducing Development: Social Remittances And The Expansion Of Oil Palm In The Philippines, Marvin Joseph F. Montefrio, Yasmin Y. Ortiga, Ma. Rose Cristy B. Josol

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper investigates the relationship between social remittances andland-use change in the context of South–South migration. Focusingon the cyclical movement of Filipino oil palm workers between thePhilippine province of Palawan and the Malaysian State of Sabah, weshow how migrants transmit social remittances, such as ideas of pros-perity associated with oil palm development and knowledge of pro-duction practices and land impacts of oil palm plantations. Thesesocial remittances affect farmers’ decisions to engage in oil palmdevelopment within the migrants’ home province, possibly transform-ing subsistence agricultural systems into large-scale, monocrop planta-tions. We argue that such land development outcomes are anunderstudied aspect of how …

Keeping Pace With Relative Sea Level Rise: Marsh Platform Monitoring Shows Minimal Sediment Deficit Along The Louisiana Coast, Kelly Marie Sanks

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recent reports estimate that the marshes of the Mississippi Delta receive just 30% of the sediment necessary to sustain current land area1. An extensive monitoring campaign by the USGS and LCPRA provides direct measurements of sediment accumulation, subsidence rates, and deposit characteristics along the coast over the past 10 years2, allowing us to directly evaluate this sediment balance. By interpolating bulk density, organic fraction, and vertical accretion rates from 273 sites, a direct measurement of organic and inorganic sediment accumulation can be made. Results show that a total of 82 MT/year of sediment is delivered to the coast. Using a …

Decadal Land Surface Phenology And Water Quality In The Headwaters Illinois River Watershed, Justin Ray Rollans

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over 25 percent of the world’s population either lives on or obtains water from karst aquifers. The complex interactions between subsurface karst geologic features, the constant motion of the plant life cycle, and significant water resource demand all suggest the need to better define those interactions. The relationship of historical land surface phenology and water quality in karst topography were investigated in the Headwaters Illinois River watershed in Northwest Arkansas (NWA). This area represents high vulnerability to surface water and groundwater contamination, with both natural and anthropogenic processes such as over application of broil litter for enhanced cattle browse, affecting …

On Site Determination Of Trace Metals In Estuarine Sediments By Field-Portable-Xrf., Andrew Turner, Alex Taylor

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer and mobile test stand have been employed to examine the feasibility of on site measurements of trace metals in estuarine sediment. In the laboratory, the instrument was able to detect the trace metals: As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn; and the geochemical proxy metals: Ca, Fe, K and Rb; in both fresh and freeze-dried surficial samples from the Tamar and Tavy estuaries, southwest England, that had been emplaced in polyethylene bags over the detector window. The presence of interstitial water in fresh samples acted as both a diluent of sediment mass and an …

A Systems Perspective Of Changes Within Pastoralist Populations In And Around Sibiloi National Park, Kenya, Cody Willnerd

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In recent years, pastoralist settlement around Sibiloi National Park in Kenya has increased illegal grazing within the park’s boundaries. This issue stems from a myriad of causes, such as; food aid, sedentism, better access to healthcare, lack of grazing land, increase in number of droughts and increase in number of livestock head. The region has a significant lack of research on the topic and a systems perspective will be constructed in this research paper. The systems perspective will be constructed with the use of past literature and interviews answered by those who live in the East Turkana region. Findings have …

The Use Of Explicit Comprehension Strategies During Oral Instruction Of Informational Text Structures And The Effect On First-Graders' Listening Comprehension, Noelle E. Converse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study evaluated the effect of an explicit comprehension read-aloud routine of science content on first grade students’ listening comprehension.The read-aloud routine taught the structures common in the informational text (compare, contrast, and compare-contrast) and found in first grade science big books with the goal of improving understanding of the science content. Students who received the intervention showed improvements in their ability to understand the compare-contrast text structures compared to students who were taught the same content without the routine or students who were taught typical science read-aloud content without the routine. Observations revealed that teachers who were most consistent …

The Firece Green Fire: Vol. 9 Issue 12, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Drones And "Butterflies": A Low-Cost Uav System For Rapid Detection And Identification Of Unconventional Minefields, Timothy Desmet, Alex Nikulin, William Frazer, Jasper Baur, Jacob Abramowitz, Daniel Finan, Sean Denara, Nicholas Aglietti, Gabriel Campos

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Aerially-deployed plastic landmines in post-conflict nations present unique detection and disposal challenges. Their small size, randomized distribution during deployment, and low-metal content make these mines more difficult to identify using traditional methods of electromagnetic mine detection. Perhaps the most notorious of these mines is the Sovietera PFM-1 “butterfly mine,” widely used during the decade-long Soviet-Afghan conflict between 1979 and 1989. Predominantly used by the Soviet forces to block otherwise inaccessible mountain passages, many PFM-1 minefields remain in place due to the high associated costs of access and demining. While the total number of deployed PFM-1 mines in Afghanistan is poorly …

The Setonian, November 29, 2018, Seton Hall University

2018

No abstract provided.

Minutes, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty Meeting, Thursday, November 29, 2018, College Of Liberal Arts Faculty, Rollins College

The College of Liberal Arts Faculty Minutes

No abstract provided.

How Do Polar Ice Sheets And Sea Level Behave Under A Changing Climate?, Sandra Passchier

Sustainability Seminar Series

Nearly 3 billion people live within 100 km of the coastline, many in large urban centers. In predictions of sea level rise, the future role of polar ice sheets is one of the most critical uncertainties under the present extreme rise in greenhouse forcing of the climate system. This talk will show how geoscientists address the Earth system processes involved in melting ice sheets under warmer climates, and introduce the objectives of an upcoming deepsea drilling expedition to the area with greatest ice loss in West Antarctica.

25 Year Club: 37th Year Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 37th Year Annual Gala

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

• Reception
• Welcome
• Dinner Buffet
• Recognition of Employee with 50 Years of WMU Service
• 1993 in Review
• Remarks
• Induction of New Club Members

Curricular Report No. 2018-19-3 From The Graduate Council To The Faculty Senate: Curricular Changes, University Of Rhode Island Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Bills

No abstract provided.

Academic Senate - Meeting Minutes, 11/27/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Using The Theory Of Planned Behavior To Understand University Students Recycling Behavior, Vanessa Sonnenfeld

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Improving recycling behavior is an important means to reducing the ever-increasing amount of waste sent to landfills. When discussing sustainable behaviors, such as recycling, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) can be used to explain why people make the decisions they do. The Theory of Planned Behavior utilizes attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control to be the predictors of behavioral intention. Once we can better explain why students decide to recycle or not to recycle we can utilize this data to increase recycling rates. The Theory of Planned Behavior was used as a basis for this study in order …

Higher Education In Bangladesh: An Inquiry Into Educational Equity At Notre Dame University Bangladesh (Ndub), Subal Lawrence Rozairo

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated educational equity at the University of Notre Dame Bangladesh (NDUB), a coeducational Catholic institution founded in 2014 in Dhaka, by the Holy Cross Order. Educational equity in higher education is pivotal to advancing social justice in Bangladesh, a developing country with a long history of oppression and social justice challenges. Participants included 3 top university administrators, 20 professors, and 30 minority students selected to via snowball sampling. Open- and closed-ended survey items focused on institutional policy, and on administrators’, professors’, and students’ perceptions/perspectives on educational equity as a dimension of social justice at NDUB. In addition, …

Walkable Urban Design Attributes And Japanese Older Adults' Body Mass Index: Mediation Effects Of Physical Activity And Sedentary Behavior, Mohammad Javad Koohsari, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Tomoki Nakaya, Ai Shibata, Kaori Ishii, Akitomo Yasunaga, Ellen W. Stowe, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Koichiro Oka

Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to examine associations between objectively measured walkable urban design attributes with Japanese older adults’ body mass index (BMI) and to test whether objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary behavior mediated such associations.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Participants: Participants were 297 older residents (aged 65-84 years) randomly selected from the registry of residential addresses.

Measures: Walkable urban design attributes, including population density, availability of physical activity facilities, intersection density, and access to public transportation stations, were calculated using geographic information systems. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and BMI were measured objectively. …

Les Humanités Environnementales Dans Un Monde Post-Vérité, Amanda M. Di Battista, Paul Huebener

The Goose

Éditorial pour The Goose volume 15, numéro 1 (2017).

The Relative Effects Of Forest Amount, Forest Configuration, And Urban Matrix Quality On Forest Breeding Birds, Alexandra V. Shoffner, Andrew M. Wilson, Wenwu Tang, Sara A. Gagné

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Urbanization modifies landscape structure in three major ways that impact avian diversity in remnant habitat: habitat amount is reduced and habitat configuration and matrix quality are altered. The relative effects of these three components of landscape structure are relatively well-studied in agricultural landscapes, but little is known about the relative effect of urban matrix quality. We addressed this gap by investigating the relative effects of forest amount, forest configuration, and matrix quality, indicated by degree of urbanization and agriculture amount, on the diversity of three guilds of forest birds using data from 13,763 point counts from Pennsylvania, USA. Forest amount …