Digital Commons Network^™

The Extended Alpha Power Transformed Family Of Distributions: Properties And Applications, Zubair Ahmad, Muhammad Ilyas, Gholamhossein G. Hamedani

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

In this article, a new family of lifetime distributions by adding an additional parameter to the existing distributions is introduced. The new family is called, the extended alpha power transformed family of distributions. For the proposed family, explicit expressions for some mathematical properties along with estimation of parameters through Maximum likelihood Method are discussed. A special sub-model, called the extended alpha power transformed Weibull distribution is considered in detail. The proposed model is very flexible and can be used to model data with increasing, decreasing or bathtub shaped hazard rates. To access the behavior of the model parameters, a small …

Applying Unoccupied Aircraft Systems To Study Human Behavior In Marine Science And Conservation Programs, Michelle B. Nowlin, Stephen E. Roady, Everette Newton, David W. Johnston

Faculty Scholarship

The declining costs of Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS, aka drones), their ease of use, and their ability to collect high resolution data from a variety of sensors has resulted in an explosion of applications across the globe. Scientists working in the marine environment are increasingly using UAS to study a variety of topics, from counting wildlife populations in remote locations to estimating the effects of storms and sea level rise on shorelines. UAS also provide transformative potential to study the ways in which humans interact with and affect marine and coastal ecosystems, but doing so presents unique ethical and legal …

The Geography Of Crime: Placing Geographers In The Space Of Criminologists, Anthony Wv Piscitelli

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Geography of Crime consists of five articles. The first article, Exploring opportunities for geographers to explain the spatial distribution of crime, serves as a key conceptual link between each of the other four articles. This paper provides a broad introduction to the dissertation showing what gaps in the crime literature exist, especially those ripe for analysis by geographers. Three primary directions emerged as a focus of this dissertation: overarching theoretical contributions, specialized geographic quantitative techniques, and qualitative approaches centred on the concept of place.

The second article, Connecting social disorganization theory to broken windows and routine activities proposes …

Toward Using High-Frequency Coastal Radars For Calibration Of S-Ais Based Ocean Vessel Tracking Models, Ben Freidrich

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Most of the world relies on ships for transportation, shipping, and tourism. Automatic Identification System messages are transmitted from ships and provide a wealth of positional data on these open ocean vessels. This data is being utilized to determine the optimal path for ships, as well as predicting where a ship may be going in the near future. It has only been in the past decade that Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) signals have been easily received with satellites (S-AIS) so there have been few studies that look at using available information and pairing it with the new abundance of ship …

High Resolution Spatial Variability In Spring Snowmelt For An Arctic Shrub-Tundra Watershed, Branden J. Walker, Philip Marsh Dr

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Arctic tundra environments are characterized by spatially heterogeneous end-of-winter snow cover because of high winds that erode, transport and deposit snow over the winter. This spatially variable end-of-winter snow cover subsequently influences the spatial and temporal variability of snowmelt and results in a patchy snowcover over the melt period. Documenting changes in both snow cover area (SCA) and snow water equivalent (SWE) during the spring melt is essential for understanding hydrological systems, but the lack of high-resolution SCA and SWE datasets that accurately capture micro-scale changes are not commonly available, and do not exist for the Canadian Arctic. This study …

Biogeochemical And Hydrological Impacts Of A Low-Severity Wildfire In The Wetland-Dominated Zone Of Discontinuous Permafrost, Caren J. Ackley

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern regions are experiencing rapid climate warming. As these regions warm, the occurrences of naturally ignited wildfires are increasing in frequency, severity and area burned, calling for a more thorough understanding of post-fire eco-hydrological impacts. Changes in runoff chemistry, and soil moisture and thermal regimes, have been attributed to the significant loss of organic matter (OM) and exposure of deeper soils, leading to enhanced permafrost degradation, ground surface subsidence and the conversion of peat landscapes from long-term C sinks to sources. However, low-severity wildfires often result in minor OM loss. Due to the significant and immediate threats posed to the …

Spatial Big Data Analytics: The New Boundaries Of Retail Location Decision-Making, Joseph M. Aversa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines the current state and evolution of retail location decision-making (RLDM) in Canada. The major objectives are: (i) To explore the type and scale of location decisions that retail firms are currently undertaking; (ii) To identify the availability and use of technology and Spatial Big Data (SBD) within the decision-making process; (iii) To identify the awareness, availability, use, adoption and development of SBD; and, (iv) To assess the implications of SBD in RLDM. These objectives were investigated by using a three stage multi-method research process. First, an online survey of retail location decision makers across a range of …

Policy, Plans And Processes For Developing And Improving The Use Of Hazard Maps In Climate Change Adaptation For Yukon Communities, Stephanie Pike

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Climate change has quickly become one of the most commonly discussed topics in northern Canada. Communities located in Canada’s north are facing impacts to every aspect of life. Hazard mapping is one of the tools used to predict risk from climate change impacts and thus assist communities in adaptation planning. The Northern Climate ExChange in Yukon has developed hazard maps for seven communities across Yukon. While hazard maps are a useful tool, in order for them to reach their maximum potential, users need to be well educated and trained to use them. Capacity and communication are arguably the most significant …

Use Of Pre-Industrial Baselines To Assess Sources And Pathways Of Metals In Surface Sediment Of Floodplain Lakes In The Peace-Athabasca Delta (Alberta, Canada), Tanner Owca

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The effects of natural resources exploitation in northern Canada on downstream aquatic ecosystems is a concern. Assessing these effects requires comprehensive monitoring practices to better inform stakeholders and environmental stewardship decisions. Here, a monitoring approach is developed and applied to assess metals concentrations in lake surface sediments of the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD), northern Alberta, Canada. Since the ecological integrity of the PAD is strongly tied to river floodwaters that are critical for replenishing the delta, and the PAD is located downstream of the Alberta oil sands, concerns have been raised over the potential transport of metal contaminants to the PAD …

Connectedness To Nature And Pro-Environmental Behaviour From Early Adolescence To Adulthood: A Comparison Of Urban And Rural Canada, Daniel Anderson

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Previous research has demonstrated that emotional connectedness to nature (ECN) is one of the strongest predictors of pro-environmental behaviour (PEB). This study investigated the influence of age, gender and living context on ECN and PEB in two Canadian samples.

Study participants completed an environmental survey, which assessed demographic data as well as their levels of ECN and PEB. Project I, which contained 1251 participants, investigated what group factors (age, urban vs. rural living context, male vs. female) contributed to ECN and PEB, as well as whether ECN mediated the relationship between age and PEB. Project II, which contained 84 adolescents, …

Development And Application Of Hydrological And Limnological Monitoring In Lake-Rich Landscapes Of Canada’S Subarctic National Parks, Hilary Emma White

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Arctic and subarctic environments are being adversely influenced by human-caused climate change across our entire planet. Canada’s northern freshwater ecosystems are influenced by a variety of environmental stressors and are particularly sensitive to climate change, since small shifts in climate have the potential to substantially alter their hydrological, limnological, and biogeochemical conditions. Some other indirect effects on northern freshwater landscapes are the expansion of vegetation as well as changes in wildlife and waterfowl populations and distribution. It is, therefore, critical to understand the observed and predicted influences of climate change and other environmental stressors on these northern freshwater environments dominant …

The Legitimation & Networked Unification Of #Nodapl: Diverse Discourses Of Value Validate A Collective Identity, Jacqueline Marie Ouellette

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

NoDAPL was, first and foremost, an Indigenous-led resistance against the construction of a pipeline in North Dakota. It was also a movement that built solidarity, bridging networks between international Indigenous peoples, Black Lives Matter activists, veterans, and feminists. This discourse analysis of social media and digital texts addresses the networked publics, collective identities, social capital, and intersectionality in applying Van Leeuwen’s (2007) understanding of legitimation. In doing so, the practice of reproducing and extending the values, themes, and images of various algorithmic imaginaries will be explored, as they relate to network homophily, identity construction, and mobilization. This study will argue …

Maple Syrup And Climate Change In Ontario: Assessing Transdisciplinary Research Across Multiple, Related Projects, Kendra Serbinski

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The aim of this research was to critically evaluate the transdisciplinary process being utilized on the SSHRC and related research projects being led by Dr. Brenda Murphy. The approach was two-fold: first, a document analysis was performed using secondary data, and second, a questionnaire was conducted based on six themes that emerged from the literature. These themes were: Degree of Collaboration, The Value of Working Together over Time, Mutual Learning, Integration of Team Members, Complexity of the Problem Being Investigated and Bridging the Research-Societal Gap. Based on findings in the literature and responses to the questionnaire the themes were assessed …

A Multitrophic Perspective On Biodiversity–Ecosystem Functioning Research, Nico Eisenhauer, Holger Schielzeth, Andrew D. Barnes, Kathryn Barry, Aletta Bonn, Ulrich Brose, Helge Bruelheide, Nina Buchmann, Francois Buscott, Anne Ebeling, Olga Ferlian, Grégoire T. Freschet, Darren P. Giling, Stephan Hättenschwiler, Helmut Hillebrand, Jes Hines, Forest Isbell, Eva Koller-France, Birgitta König-Ries, Hans De Kroon, Sebastian T. Meyer, Alexandru Milcu, Jörg Müller, Charles A. Nock, Jana S. Petermann, Christiane Roscher, Christoph Scherber, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Bernhard Schmid, Andreas Schuldt, Teja Tscharntke, Manfred Türke, Nicole M. Van Dam, Fons Van Der Plas, Anja Vogel, Cameron Wagg, David A. Wardle, Alexandra Weigelt, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Christian Wirth, Malte Jochum

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Concern about the functional consequences of unprecedented loss in biodiversity has prompted biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research to become one of the most active fields of ecological research in the past 25 years. Hundreds of experiments have manipulated biodiversity as an independent variable and found compelling support that the functioning of ecosystems increases with the diversity of their ecological communities. This research has also identified some of the mechanisms underlying BEF relationships, some context-dependencies of the strength of relationships, as well as implications for various ecosystem services that mankind depends upon. In this paper, we argue that a multitrophic perspective of …

Island Invasion: The Silent Crisis In Hawaii, Sophia Janssen

Pomona Senior Theses

Keeping out invasive species may, upon first review, seem like a trivial environmental cry from ecologists and deep environmentalists; a belated wish to return to an undeveloped world where nature was pristine. However invasive species create problems that impact all of us and can have far more severe consequences than changing a stunning landscape. These problems are heightened in islands like Hawaii, where the fragile ecosystems have developed over centuries of evolution and adaptation. The introduction of a disease-carrying mosquito can put the people of Hawaii at risk to many vector-born illnesses and create an epidemic, taking human life. The …

How Can California Best Promote Electric Vehicle Adoption? The Effect Of Public Charging Station Availability On Ev Adoption, Viraj Singh

Pomona Senior Theses

To promote higher air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Californian government is investing heavily in developing public charging infrastructure to meet its electric vehicle adoption goal of five million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030. This thesis investigates the effect of public charging infrastructure availability on electric vehicle adoption at the zip code level in California. The analysis considers other factors that may influence electric vehicle adoption such as education level, income, commute time, gas prices, and public transportation rate. The findings suggest that public charging infrastructure availability does significantly positively correlate with electric vehicle registrations. Linear …

Facilitating Experience Through Fabrication And Blue Biophilic Design, Teague Scanlon

Pomona Senior Theses

The way humans currently interact with the atmosphere and oceans around us is unsustainable, with pollution entering our waters faster than we are collecting it, and the sea level rising faster than we are building coastal barriers to protect our current infrastructure. This thesis explores the common methodology for communicating climate change and its future effects, and highlights an opportunity for using infrastructure to facilitate interaction with the urban-aquatic interface. By promoting experiential contact with the natural spaces that are most at risk to climate change’s impacts, a sense of stewardship for those spaces will spur behavioral change and activism. …

Evaluating Soil Loss From Ephemeral Gullies With Photogrammetry, Chinthaka B. Weerasekara

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

No abstract provided.

Treatment Of Plastic Wastes Using Plasma Gasification Technology, Zachary Homolka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Plasma gasification (PG) complements traditional recycling when applied to contaminated or mixed plastics. Without PG these plastics cost recyclers more to process than they are worth on the market, and sometimes they are landfilled or incinerated instead of being recycled. Plasma gasification can take plastic not suitable for traditional recycling and break it down into high-quality syngas for use in electricity generation, chemical manufacturing, or hydrogen production. The technology can be implemented without changing the behavior of consumers, which is a major advantage over attempting to decrease contamination or reduce use of low-value plastic. Due to high capital requirements and …

Improving Access To Clean Water In Rural Ecuador: The Connection Between Willingness To Pay And Population Health, Micalea Leaska

Capstone Collection

Climate change is affecting social and environmental determinants of health through access to safe drinking water, safely managed sanitation systems, and access to health care services and the ability for individuals to break free from unsuitable circumstances. Ecological disturbances such as those caused by climate change can cause a shift in host vectors or a change in habitat that results in a greater likelihood of the pathogen coming in contact with humans. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services and their accessibility to populations can directly impact a community’s vulnerability to diseases and limiting factors to increase economic growth. If rural …

Mapa De Cambios Climáticos Proyectados 2016 - 2039 En Las Fronteras Amazónicas Entre Ucayali Y Madre De Dios (Perú) Y Acre (Brasil), Gtaso, David S. Salisbury Et Al.

Geography and the Environment Maps

Mapa de Cambios Climáticos Proyectados 2016 - 2039 en las Fronteras Amazónicas entre Ucayali y Madre de Dios (Perú) y Acre (Brasil)

Map of Projected Climate Changes 2016 - 2039 in the Amazonian Borders between Ucayali and Madre de Dios (Peru) and Acre (Brazil)

The Sea Turtle As A Marketing Symbol For The Anti-Plastics Movement, Hannah Chiu

Pitzer Senior Theses

The anti-plastic straw movement uses the sea turtle to bring an empathetic symbol to broaden the scope of the plastics problem in the ocean, giving the public a powerful visual image for the first time in the history of the anti-plastics movement. In this thesis, I build on existing conversations on charismatic megafauna and flagship species, to explore the emerging anti-plastic straw movement and its use of the sea turtle as a symbol. I also provide an analysis of the imagery and comments on social media sites of green marketing companies and non-governmental organizations. These social media sites, such as …

Mapping Land Use Around The San Francisco Bay: A Look At Environmental Justice Through S. F. Bay Conservation And Development Commission’S Permitting History, Aviva R. Wolf-Jacobs

Pitzer Senior Theses

Planning and regulatory environmental agency San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) plays an important role in the permitting of development around the San Francisco Bay. As the agency works to add an environmental justice amendment to its primary policy document, this research explores the S.F. Bay Area’s history of approved development project proposal permits, and the associated patterns of land use and environmental justice implications in order to support the proposed change in permitting policy. By classifying all major permits found within BCDC’s internal permit database into groups based on the type of land use associated with the …

Campaigning On An Environmental Justice Platform: Irmalinda Osuna For Upland City Council, District 3, Jenny Bekenstein

Pitzer Senior Theses

After successfully organizing around preserving Cabrillo Park in Upland and feeling a lack of local political representation, Irmalinda Osuna ran for Upland City Council in the 2018 midterm elections. As one of the many female candidates in the 2018 elections, Irmalinda led a grassroots, community-led political campaign in which she advocated for environmental justice and the preservation of parks, a more inclusive community, increased civic participation, a more efficient use of technology in politics, and support for small businesses.

The Influence Of Radical Environmentalists On Reputation And Communication Practices Of Advocacy/Collaborative Nonprofits, Maria Zhigalina

International Crisis and Risk Communication Conference

The article focuses on features, activities and communication practices of environmental nonprofits / groups to demonstrate the importance of studying how negative reputation of the environmental sub-sector created by radical environmentalists can influence advocacy / collaborative environmental nonprofits. First, it reviews some relevant literature related to environmental organizations / groups and their external communication. Additionally, it provides some examples of radical environmentalism that have been recently discussed in the news. Finally, it describes directions for future research. It is important to understand the influence of the actions of radical environmentalists on advocacy / collaborative nonprofit organizations because it might impact …

Coastal Conflicts And Cross-Sectoral Engagement: Learning From Disputes Over Science In Coastal And Ocean Systems, Lindsey C. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations

It is widely accepted that public policy decisions that account for scientific and technical advice are likely to improve outcomes for all. With more data and information available though, it is becoming increasingly difficult to even agree on the baseline facts. This research explores the question: How do cross-sectoral engagement opportunities influence science intensive disputes over the management of coastal and ocean resources? To address this question, I studied two cases in New England: 1) marine fisheries management (Northeast Multispecies Complex aka groundfish) and 2) estuarine water quality management (Great Bay, New Hampshire). Informed by participant observation and semi-structured interviews …

Forecasting Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In A Changing Climate, Meghan Ann Hartwick

Doctoral Dissertations

The distribution, transmission and adaptation patterns of infectious diseases are changing worldwide. Though there are many potential mechanisms that can transmit infectious agents to new areas, the ability of pathogens to persist in new locations can be largely attributed to changing climate conditions, especially in temperate regions. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a naturally occurring bacteria in most marine and estuarine systems, provides a model example of these globally observed climate-related changes to disease dynamics that are occurring locally in the Northeast, US. Like many Vibrio species, pathogenicity in human hosts is believed to be limited to a subset of strains, whereas the …

Through The Eyes Of Locals: A Changing Climate In Bolivia, Jacob D. Rex

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Deforestation and Agricultural Land-Use Change in Bolivia as a Function of Socio-Economic Realities.

This research combines semi-structured interviews of key informants and local participants, as well as field observations, which were conducted between January and April of 2019 in the Departments of Santa Cruz & Chuquisaca.

A Cross Sectional Study Of Drinking Water Quality And Health Effects In The El Bua Tsáchila Community, Santo Domingo De Los Tsáchilas, Ecuador, Dannette Cook

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Background: Access to clean water and sanitation is known to decrease childhood mortality, improve health outcomes, and decrease risk of water-borne diseases. However, access to clean water is often restricted in impoverished or indigenous communities. This cross-sectional study evaluated the primary source of drinking water for forty homes, the Est. Cheche river, a local spring, and a local school in the TsáChila indigenous community of El Bua, Santo Domingo, Ecuador. This analysis focused on the presence of coliforms and E. coli in the water source (well or city/piped), the physical parameters of the water and the type of sanitation …

Problems And Possibilities Of Private Equity And Environmental Sustainability, Katherine N. Elliot

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the relationship between the American private equity industry and environmental sustainability. The connection between large financial industries and the environment is one that is often viewed negatively, especially in terms of private equity. As an industry that measures success with exponential economic growth and gaining the largest financial returns, environmental impacts are often sidelined. This paper explores the potential private equity has to incorporate environmental sustainability into the core of its business. Chapter 1 lays out the fundamentals of how the Private Equity industry operates. It also establishes what has caused firms to begin to adopt sustainability. …