Digital Commons Network^™

Western Travellers In The Land Of The Buddha Legitimising Travel Through The Religionification Of Tourism, François Thibeault

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

On the one hand, tourism has developed to such a point that it now shapes other social realities in global society. On the other hand, pilgrimage phenomena are thriving in the twenty-first century, as they become both more globalised and more particularised. This paper shows that drawing oppositions between pilgrimage and tourism assumes an exclusive, dichotomous view that is misleading. Instead, I insist on an understanding of the reciprocal influence between religion and tourism in which neither of the two spheres subjects itself to the other. The argument is based on the understandings and discourses of legitimation that Westerners travelling …

Governance And Management Of Religious Tourism In India, Kiran Shinde

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism constitutes the dominant form of tourism in India and yet little is known about how it is governed and managed. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of governance and management of religious tourism. It first provides an overview of policy framework and governance mechanisms that are relevant for religious tourism. Then a market profile is presented to examine how the religious tourism economy intersects with the state-apparatus of policies and institutions. To better explain the complexities of religious tourism, the paper employs the axis of formal-informal economy: the informal end is where the religious tourism …

India’S Buddhist Circuit(S): A Growing Investment Market For A “Rising” Asia, David Geary

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

With the growing economic rise of Asia most of the international spotlight has focused on the rapid growth and industrialisation spearheaded by China and India, with little attention on the role of India’s robust religious tourism market that remains a vital part of its economic growth. In recent years, the development and promotion of religious circuits has become a cornerstone of India’s tourism marketing campaign that aims to capture both domestic and foreign exchange earnings. To explore the relationship between tourism and India’s religious circuits further, this article examines the role of India’s Buddhist circuit and how a series of …

At The Confluence Of Leisure And Devotion: Hindu Pilgrimage And Domestic Tourism In India, Knut Aukland

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In this article I draw on a wide range of studies including my own field research to provide a bird’s-eye perspective of the various points of connection, confluence and overlap between Hindu pilgrimage and domestic tourism in contemporary India. This serves three aims. First, it presents an overview of the contemporary scene in India which lends itself to comparison. Second, it illustrates the ways in which a pilgrimage tradition can be explored via tourism, as opposed to something contrasted with tourism. Thus, I hope to demonstrate the many potential research avenues beyond asking who is a pilgrim and who is …

Pilgrimage-Tourism: Common Themes In Different Religions, Noga Collins-Kreiner

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The paper discusses common themes in different religions regarding pilgrimage-tourism and has four main goals. First, it shows that the boundaries between pilgrimage and tourism have become blurred. Second, it characterises the different changes that have taken place in pilgrimage research in recent years. Third, it re-examines three different pilgrimage case-studies in an effort to draw conclusions pertaining to the ‘pilgrimagetourism nexus’; and fourth, it highlights discrepancies between the ‘old’ paradigm, predicated on the assumption that religious elements lie at the core of pilgrimage, and the results of more recent research on secular models of travel, highlighting alternative and complementary …

Introduction: On Dragons And Elephants: Religion In Domestic And International Tourism In China And India, Michael Stausberg, Knut Aukland

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This introductory essay explores some of the commonalities and differences that emerge from reading this thematic issue on religion and tourism in China and India. Economic growth has led to an explosion in domestic tourism activity in both countries, and the respective states are deeply involved in this development. The Indian state sees tourism as a means to create jobs, revenue and regional development. While this is also true for the Chinese state, it further treats tourism as a means to control and manage religion. In both countries, official tourism development can lead to complete makeovers of particular sites as …

Spring Commencement Program, May 4, 2018, Coastal Carolina University

Commencement Programs

Program of Commencement Exercises at Coastal Carolina University.

Skate Tapeworms Revisited: A Modern Approach, Veronica Mantovani Bueno

Doctoral Dissertations

Members of the rhinebothriidean family Echeneibothriidae de Beauchamp, 1905, parasitize skates exclusively and represent one of the most diverse elements of their cestode fauna. Although skates represent one of the most speciose orders of elasmobranchs, their superficial morphological homogeneity has led to a convoluted taxonomic history, hindering studies of their parasites. Recent advances in the taxonomy and systematics of skates allow for more informed assessments of the diversity, distributions, and patterns of host associations of skate cestodes. Most of the 35 species of echeneibothriids known prior to this study occur in skates distributed in the northern hemisphere, despite the fact …

Spring Commencement [Program], May 4-5, 2018, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Commencement Programs

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates.

Umsl Magazine - Spring 2018, University Of Missouri-St. Louis

UMSL Magazine and other UMSL Magazines

The University of Missouri–St. Louis publishes UMSL Magazine for alumni and friends. The magazine highlights excellence at the university. Circulation is 103,000 and the magazine is released twice a year.

Modeling Hydroclimatic Change In Southwest Louisiana Rivers, Robert Rohli

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Efficacy Of Using Geomorphology As A Surrogate To Benthic Habitat On The Miami Terrace, Kim D. Smith

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The deep-sea is a vast and relatively sparsely characterized domain. As little as 0.01% of deep-sea benthic habitats have been characterized in detail. Characterizing the distribution of organisms and environmental components of the deep-sea is pivotal to the creation and implementation of successful resource management. Benthic habitat maps are a good method to inventory and characterize deep-sea habitats. Recent advances in technology, such as multibeam sonar and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), have allowed for greater understanding of these ecosystems. As it is difficult and expensive to collect data deep-sea benthic community composition, environmental surrogates of biological data would be economically …

Computing Local Fractal Dimension Using Geographical Weighting Scheme, Shuowei Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

The fractal dimension (D) of a surface can be viewed as a summary or average statistic for characterizing the geometric complexity of that surface. The D values are useful for measuring the geometric complexity of various land cover types. Existing fractal methods only calculate a single D value for representing the whole surface. However, the geometric complexity of a surface varies across patches and a single D value is insufficient to capture these detailed variations. Previous studies have calculated local D values using a moving window technique. The main purpose of this study is to compute local D values using …

Assessing The Influence Of Precipitation On Shallow Groundwater Table Response Using A Combination Of Singular Value Decomposition And Cross-Wavelet Approaches, Peng Qi, Guangxin Zhang, Y. Jun Xu, Lei Wang, Changchun Ding, Chunyang Cheng

Faculty Publications

Identifying the spatiotemporal change of the groundwater table to precipitation at the river basin scale can be important for regional water resource management. In this study, we proposed a method that combines singular value decomposition and cross-wavelet approaches to analyze the relationship between groundwater level dynamics and precipitation. The method was applied to the Naoli River Basin, Northeast China. Moreover, the method of continuous wavelet using fast Fourier transform was also used to reveal clearly the relationship between groundwater level and heavy precipitation. The results showed that the major mode of relationship between groundwater and precipitation was divided into four …

Geofutures L Urban Integration, Adam Leicht

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Bring nature back to the city. Integrate neglected migration patterns in sprawling cities such as Atlanta. Mend urban fragmentation. The purpose is to make a cleaner environment in the city. My project looks at the Anthropocene as a fence. And how place has been fundamentally “displaced”. Resulting in a boundary or separation between man and nature. To study and research the Anthropocene (age of man) and how man has taken over as the main force behind the change of the environment. Looking through an architectural lens of ecology, how can we use this lens to help us slow down society …

Analysis Of Proportion Calculation For Domestic Product In Modern Retail Indonesia, Bagus Wicaksena, Riffa Utama

BISNIS & BIROKRASI: Jurnal Ilmu Administrasi dan Organisasi

The increasing market for retail industry in Indonesia faces a challenge poses by sellers’ preference towards the selling of domestic goods. In order to overcome this problem, the government issues a mandate for retailer to sell domestic products as high as 80% of their traded goods. This may raise ineffectiveness in terms of the implementation since the capabilities in stock management varies among retailers, added with the absence of clear technical guidance that determines the fulfilment of 80% domestic product to be traded by a retailer. As such, there is a need to provide case-based recommendations addressing the governance and …

Secured Transactions And Ip Licenses: Comparative Observations And Reform Suggestions, Andrea Tosato

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Fringe To Focus - An Inversion Of Peripheral Inhabitation, Matthew D. Mckim

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

A major issue currently facing Atlanta and many growing cities is the issue of displacement as a result of redevelopment. As cities grow and improve, homeless individuals living on the fringes of society are being forced to vacate and move on.

My thesis aims to identify areas where struggling people are at a heightened risk of being further displaced by the rapid redevelopment of ‘fringe’ areas. It seeks to provide a proactive response to mitigate the harm, while aiding in an active rehabilitation process for effected peripheral communities. I am proposing the concept of temporary centers that can be established …

Building Community Among Distance Learning Graduate Students​, Erin Meyer

Leadership Education Capstones

No abstract provided.

Development Of The Wrf-Co2 4d-Var Assimilation System V1.0, Tao Zheng, Nancy H. F. French, Martin Baxter

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Regional atmospheric CO2 inversions commonly use Lagrangian particle trajectory model simulations to calculate the required influence function, which quantifies the sensitivity of a receptor to flux sources. In this paper, an adjoint-based four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) assimilation system, WRF-CO2 4D-Var, is developed to provide an alternative approach. This system is developed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) modeling system, including the system coupled to chemistry (WRF-Chem), with tangent linear and adjoint codes (WRFPLUS), and with data assimilation (WRFDA), all in version 3.6. In WRF-CO2 4D-Var, CO2 is modeled as a tracer and its feedback to meteorology is ignored. This …

Begging For Change: Begging Restrictions Throughout Washington, Sara Rankin, Jocelyn Tillisch, Drew Sena, Judith Olson

Homeless Rights Advocacy Project

The act of panhandling, commonly known as begging, is a form of speech protected by the United States Constitution. But Washington’s cities are increasingly enacting laws that criminalize begging, despite courts finding these laws unconstitutional under both the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause. This brief surveys begging restrictions, assessing their scope and legality. This report offers the first statewide analysis of laws that restrict begging.

Among the brief's key findings is that the vast majority (86%) of Washington cities criminalize begging; the majority (83%) of these laws result in a criminal charge if violated, leading to serious collateral …

A Feel For The Whole: Considering State-Specific Quality Measures For Medicare's Value-Based Programs In The Context Of Social Risk Factors And Population Health, Kimberly K. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are used as a measure for federal value-based payment programs. Using data for 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed newer risk adjustment models to calculate the standardized infection ratio (SIR) for various infections occurring in hospitals. New national baselines were set to compare performance among medical facilities and states. Despite adjustments for various facility-level factors that contribute to HAI risk, there are ongoing concerns that SIR calculations do not adequately account for non-hospital risk factors that have been linked to clinical outcomes. This explanatory study evaluates state-level data using simple linear regression to …

Community College Student Retention: Effectiveness Of Online Intervention Methods In Retaining Students On Financial Aid Probation, Victor S. Parker

Theses and Dissertations

The role of community colleges is to provide educational opportunities to all segments of a population regardless of academic proficiency or economic ability. This openess admissions policy is meant to allow equal admission to academic and career-technical programs for all students. Due to openess admissions, economically disadvantaged community college students find themselves being admissible to community colleges with uncertain financial ability to pay for community college even though it is at a lower cost than 4-year institutions. Community college students historically face more financial and social barriers than 4-year students in attaining higher education and thus have a greater need …

A Daily Vulnerability In America: Tornadoes On Our Highways With A Focus On Controlled Access Highways, Craig Douglas Croskery

Theses and Dissertations

Tornadoes are always dangerous, but inside a motor vehicle they are especially problematic due to an automobile’s smaller size and structure. Tornado fatalities in motor vehicles have not decreased in recent years despite downward trends in total tornado fatalities. Receiving tornado warnings is difficult inside a motor vehicle, particularly when alone in the vehicle. Controlled access highways are also difficult places to find shelter as access is limited to interchanges, while buildings at interchanges may not be able to withstand an intense tornado. Electronic signs and audible messages on mobile communications devices are the most suitable technologies available for reaching …

Estimating Feral Swine Abundance And Their Effects On Native Wildlife In The Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Matthew Ryan Ivey

Theses and Dissertations

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). They cause millions in damage annually to agriculture, and likely negatively affect native wildlife species. Using camera traps, I monitored 36 forest patches within the MAV to assess the effects of swine invasions on native wildlife species richness. I also modified the double-observer point count technique into a new method for estimating swine abundance with camera traps. Feral swine suppressed native vertebrate richness by 26% when compared to uninvaded patches. I validated the new double-observer technique by determining if it could detect an abundance-area relationship in …

Drought-Tolerant And Short-Season Corn Hybrids To Mitigate Risk, Optimize Yield And Profit, While Increasing Water Use Efficiency, John Joseph Williams

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) aquifer is the principal water source for Mid-South irrigators, but the current rate of withdrawal from the aquifer is not sustainable. Means to increase the sustainability of the MRVAA is to improve corn’s water use efficiency (WUE) while, concurrently, maintaining or improving profitability. The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of sensor-based irrigation threshold, planting date, and hybrid on corn grain yield, WUE, and net returns above seed and irrigation cost. Season long irrigation thresholds of -50 kPa full irrigation (FI) and -125 kPa limited irrigation (LI) were used, utilizing …

An Analysis Of Grain Corn Nutritional Supplements And Relative Maturity In Mississippi, Joseph Bryan Whittenton

Theses and Dissertations

A review of available corn relative maturity groups in Mississippi shows a limited range of maturity groups in use. Research focusing on expanding the range of maturity groups was conducted in MS in 2015 and 2016. Along with expanded maturity groups, treatments of fertilizer (10-34-0), foliar zinc, and a plant hormone blend were studied to shorten the growing season. Four site years in MS were studied to determine optimal plant maturity group and treatment for length of season. The results showed decreased yield of 0.09-0.15 Mg ha-1 (1.5-2.3 bu ac-1) for each day of decreasing relative maturity in three of …

Investigating Effectiveness Of Wild Pig Policy And Legislation In The U.S., Andrew Lane Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The legislative procedures regarding wild pigs in the United States are expanding in scope and priority, however, the uniformity of legislation is entropic at best. Each state addresses the issues of wild pigs differently and treatment is based on a priority of resource concerns. An evaluation was conducted at the national level of federal, state, and local policy with regards to wild pig control. Additionally, successful and unsuccessful legislation is evaluated to determine commonalities in the social, economic, and ecological factors contributing to the success or failure of legislation. Information collected provides state legislatures with sample model legislation that can …

Serum Banking Of The Mississippi Shelter Dog Population To Estimate Seroprevalence Of Diseases Affecting Animal And Human Health, Kristina Hubbard

Theses and Dissertations

Shelter dog populations in the United States are poorly quantified and characterized, but may be effective targets for measuring the occurrence of select diseases affecting animal and human health. Dogs in this population may have increased risk for disease due to intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors. Accurate estimates of disease in this population require sound sampling strategies within a comprehensive sampling frame. Knowledge of the prevalence of disease in the Mississippi shelter dog population is important for diagnostic test interpretation, shelter allocation of resources, and public health risk assessment. A serum bank provides a valuable resource to investigate both zoonotic …

Chimes: May 4, 2018, Calvin College

Chimes

Aguilar wins senate election by Alejandra Crevier & Emily Stroble

Prof denied tenure by board by Gwyneth Findlay

Plans brew for new coffee shop in Heckman Library by Alejandra Crevier

New history prof ushers in digital humanities program by Dana Drosdick

SPIN bike rental initiative pedals to a smooth start by Molly Bruns

Changes to ecosystem preserve slated for summer by David Fitch

Student activities office celebrates 25th anniversary by Brandon Schreur