Digital Commons Network^™

“Albertania” And “Egbenema”, Expanding Biodiversity In The Oculatellaceae (Cyanobacteria)., Mildred Akagha

Masters Theses

To conduct molecular studies of cyanobacteria of Lagos, Nigeria, a total of eight soil/subaerial samples were collected in Lagos State, Nigeria, and used to isolate cyanobacterial cultures that were characterized microscopically, sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed. Within the resulting set of cultures, a number of Synechococcales were observed, particularly belonging to Oculatellaceae. “Egbenema” and two new putative species of the recently described genus Albertania were found. Both genera belong to a supported clade within the Oculatellaceae that includes Trichotorquatus and Komarkovaea. The two new putative species of Albertania, “A. egbensis” and “A. latericola”, were from the same sample, but phylogenetically were …

Comparison Of Water Column Properties Derived From An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle And Satellite Based Sources In Lake Michigan, David Bennion

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are an emerging technology increasingly being employed in geoscience and ecosystem research in the Great Lakes, capitalizing on their ability to sample large areas fitted with a variety of sensors. Previous to AUV use, chlorophyll measurements were either collected at discrete locations accessed by boats or derived from satellite remote sensing data. An advantage of AUVs is the ability to detect the presence of subsurface formations such as a deep chlorophyll layer or directly measure features such as the extent of the photic zone, which provides the opportunity to compare these in situ measured features to …

Hpv Vaccination In Florida: Where We Are, Where We Need To Be And How To Get There, Thanuja Neerukonda, Alexandra Witt, Neeharika Makani, Dhruv Patel

West Florida Division GME Research Day 2023

No abstract provided.

Ms Environmental Biology Capstone Project, Kaily Meek

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Hybrid zones play notable roles in ecological and evolutionary processes and can be impacted by environmental and anthropogenic factors. Increased anthropogenic disturbance is expected to spatially shift these zones and alter hybridization frequencies in many avian taxa, including the red- and yellow-shafted Northern Flickers. These taxa have low levels of genomic divergence and distinct plumage characteristics that vary between red-shafted, yellow-shafted, and hybrid individuals, allowing hybrids to be effectively scored genetically or morphologically. The Flicker hybrid zone has been extensively studied across the Great Plains from a historical and contemporary perspective, however, urbanization and human influences on Flicker hybridization are …

Understory Arthropod Diversity In A Mixed Dryland Ecosystem, Hawai‘I, Matthew J. Madeiros, William P. Haines, Clare E. Aslan, Aaron B. Shiels, Asa Aue, Christina T. Liang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Tropical drylands are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and fewer than 10% of tropical dry forests in Hawai‘i remain intact. Terrestrial arthropods comprise most of the endemic fauna on many islands, including Hawai‘i, where they provide ecosystem services such as pollination, decomposition, and a reliable prey base for predators. The objective of our study was to measure understory arthropod diversity and relative abundances in two common habitat types within dryland Hawai‘i—a non-native grassland, dominated by Cenchrus setaceus (fountain grass) with few native shrubs, and a native woodland, dominated by Metrosideros polymorpha (‘ōhi‘a). We used generalized additive models to examine …

Drought Influences Annual Survival Of Painted Turtles In Western Nebraska, Allyson N. Beard, Larkin Powell

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Aquatic habitats in the Great Plains of North America have increased risk of droughts under climate forecasts. Droughts have the potential to influence the population dynamics of pond turtles, and long-term studies are useful to assess the impact of climatic variation on turtles. We compiled twelve years of mark-recapture data for painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) captured in a pond in Keith County, Nebraska during 2005–2016 that included two periods of drought. We used a robust design analysis to investigate influences on population size, annual survival, temporary immigration, and capture probability. Estimates of the annual population size ranged from 92 (CI: …

Sandhill Crane Lead Poisonings Linked To A Wetland Restoration, Andrew J. Caven, Joshua D. Wiese

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Toward the end of the 2018 spring sandhill crane migration on the Platte River in Nebraska, we detected 7 dead cranes near a recently restored wetland within 200 m of the river’s main channel. Topographic recontouring of the soils had occurred in January of 2018 and the area was not yet revegetated. The area had formerly hosted an excavated pond where hunting occurred for many years prior to the 1991 ban on lead ammunition for waterfowl harvest. Two of the cranes with no physical signs of trauma were submitted for necropsy. The cause of death in both cases as lead …

Refining The Use Of Stable Isotope Analysis In Detecting Wildlife Laundering, Kevin Guilfoyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The international wildlife trade has caused significant declines in wild populations. Captive breeding can reduce the pressure on wild populations caused by overcollection, but if not properly monitored, wildlife laundering can lead to further population declines. Improving the forensic ability to detect wildlife laundering will assist in monitoring the wildlife trade and enforcing regulations, thereby aiding recovery of wild populations. Stable isotope analysis has grown in importance as a forensic tool, but improvements are needed. Here, stable isotope analysis (δ13C) on eggshells of captive bred and wild sourced island apple snails (Pomacea maculata) distinguished between the two; eggshells of captive …

Overtourism In Dichotomies: Uncovering Dynamic And Non-Dynamic Costs And Benefits In Three Tourism Destinations, Aarash Baktash

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

The phenomenon of overtourism, characterized by its multifaceted impacts on destinations, has emerged as a major concern in the tourism industry. This dissertation aims to explore the dynamics of overtourism, emphasizing the dual impacts of main-source tourism markets on destinations in terms of their economic, social, and environmental consequences. Unlike existing literature, which focuses primarily on the negative aspects of overtourism, the present study illustrates the nuanced interaction between tourism markets by highlighting both their potential benefits and disadvantages. This study offers an in-depth analysis of cost and benefit factors based on a priori and a posteriori segmentation methodologies, combined …

Dormant Propagules In Demographic Studies: A Recurrent Bias And Potential Solutions, Federico Borghesi

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

In the face of unprecedented anthropogenic change, we increasingly turn to emergent technologies and extensive data sets for solutions that complement much needed systemic changes in our societies. These technological solutions, however, must be approached with care. We must recognize and address biases in the way data has been accumulated. In demographic studies, dormant life stages, such as seed banks, and other cryptic factors have often been neglected. The potential consequences of these omissions have been extensively described in the literature. In the first chapter, I analyze patterns of seed bank omissions in demographic models, finding unjustified omissions are widespread …

State Level Mental Health Education Compared To Suicide-Related Behavior In Adolescents, 2019, Sonia Rao

Honors Theses

Objective: Determining correlations between state level mental and emotional health (M&E) education and suicide prevention (SP) education to suicide-related behaviors (I.e. feeling sad or hopeless, suicide ideation, making a suicide plan, suicide attempt, suicide attempt treated by medical personnel, and death by suicide) within high school adolescents aged 15-19 within the United States in 2019.

Methods: State level education policies, M&E and SP, were retrieved from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). Self-reported adolescent suicide related behaviors were retrieved from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Data on deaths by suicide of youth aged 15-19 …

Multisensory Experiences In Archaeological Landscapes—Sound, Vision, And Movement In Gis And Virtual Reality, Heather Richards-Rissetto, Kristy Primeau, David E. Witt, Graham Goodwin

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

Archaeologists are employing a variety of digital tools to develop new methodological frameworks that combine computational and experiential approaches which is leading to new multisensory research. In this article, we explore vision, sound, and movement at the ancient Maya city of Copan from a multisensory and multiscalar perspective bridging concepts and approaches from different archaeological paradigms. Our methods and interpretations employ theory-inspired variables from proxemics and semiotics to develop a methodological framework that combines computation with sensory perception. Using GIS, 3D, and acoustic tools we create multisensory experiences in VR with spatial sound using an immersive headset (Oculus Rift) and …

Futures On Dry Ground: Anthropology And Coastal Planning, Theodore Hilton, Sheehan Moore

Publications and Research

Around the world, governments, industry, and other actors are creating plans to save coasts from environmental crisis. Louisiana is one prominent example: levees and other measures protect oil and gas infrastructure from inundation as the wetlands buffer rapidly erodes—in large part due to that same industry. The state’s primary answer to land loss is a $50 billion Coastal Master Plan. To illuminate such responses in Louisiana and globally, this article reviews emerging literature and frames an anthropology of coastal planning around three themes: (1) novel orientations toward time and space, (2) the reproduction of power and capital in the name …

Volume 35 - From Subsidiarity To Peace On Earth: Another Approach To Synodality, The Ecumencial Association Of Nigerian Theologians

Bulletin of Ecumenical Theology

Volume 35 of The Bulletin of Ecumenical Theology is available for purchase by contacting Dr. Peter Osuji at Duquesne University. After two years, issues are made freely available through the Duquesne Scholarship Collection.

Editorial (p.5)

Ecumenical and Interfaith Environmentalism in Nigeria: Path to Environmental Sustainability and Peaceful Society, Chidiebere Obiodu (p.6)

Fratelli Tutti: Islamic And Christian Religious Education In Nigeria, Patricia E. Idoko (p.35)

The Christian Association of Nigeria, Violence and Insecurity: Responses from the Christian Council of Nigeria, Vincent A. Olusakin & Clifford Meesua Sibani (p.53)

The Living Faith of the Dead and the Dead Faith of the Living: …

Effects Of Prescribed Fire On Planted Oak Growth And Survival In Restored Savannas, Allison Earl

Masters Theses

Most oak savannas in the Midwestern United States have been lost to agriculture and habitat degradation. Because of their rarity and ability to support high plant and animal diversity, savannas are often a target for restoration. Oak savanna restoration frequently relies on direct planting of oak seedlings to establish the necessary tree canopy. Returning fire to the system is critical to the herbaceous component of the savanna, but managers risk damaging or killing trees if burning is introduced too soon. I studied growth and physiological responses of three oak species (Quercus alba, Q. macrocarpa, and Q. velutina …

Implications Of Intraspecific Variation In Soil Microbes On Solidago Performance, Yazeed Alshammari

Masters Theses

This study explored the implications of intraspecific variation in soil microbes on the performance of Solidago altissima, a North American species that has become invasive across several continents. This research explored how different clones of Solidago altissima were associated with bacterial and fungal soil microbial communities, which influenced plant performance. In a common garden of 24 Solidago altissima clones, I analyzed the relationship between soil microbial communities, foliar chemistry, clone genetic relatedness, and plant performance. My methods included analysis of soil microbial communities (bacterial and fungal), genetic distances among clones to assess relatedness, and measures of plant performance (light …

History, Annotated Gazetteer, And Bibliography Of Sarawak Ornithology, Frederick H. Sheldon, Dency F. Gawain, Daisy G. S. Kho, Rosalina Regai, Subir B. Shakya, Chin Aik Yeap

Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University

Sarawak is Malaysia’s largest state, covering most of northern Borneo. It has a remarkable history of scientific bird study, starting in the 1840s and growing ever since. To set the stage for the gazetteer, which is the core of this paper, we start with a review of this history and discuss various forces that have influenced the direction of bird research in the state. Following this introduction comes the gazetteer, which is an annotated list of c. 865 sites in Sarawak where birds have been collected, studied, or regularly observed. The gazetteer provides the latitude, longitude, and elevation of each …

Environmental Factors And Breast Cancer Mortality, Joel Collazo Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is a public health problem in the United States that impacts diverse ethnic female groups in different ways regarding incidence and mortality. Much is known about the factors increasing the risk of developing breast cancer, but little is known about those that increase the chances of dying from it, other than access to health care, screening, and appropriate treatment. This study aimed to understand the association between exposure to Environmental Protection Agency-regulated air pollutants and breast cancer mortality, including how the interaction between these air contaminants impacts the outcome of interest, considering median income, education level, and percentage …

Understanding The Drivers Of Body Condition In Female Elk: Implications For Nutritional Ecology On Changing Landscapes, Nicole P. Bealer

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Ungulate body condition is often understood to reflect the nutritional resources on the landscape but is ultimately influenced by more than forage because body condition integrates both energetic costs and benefits. Factors driving variation in female body condition can be classified in both individual vs. environmental and bottom-up vs. top-down frameworks. My research evaluates how individual vs. environmental and bottom-up vs. top-down frameworks explain variation in ingesta-free body fat (IFBF) in female elk (Cervus canadensis). I used seven years (2015-2021) of IFBF data from monitored and recaptured female elk (n = 139) in the Ya Ha Tinda (YHT) population in …

Hibernation Behavior And Winter Feeding Of Northern Myotis In Coastal Populations After White-Nose Syndrome Invasion, Casey Jo Pendergast

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) is a bat species suffering massive population declines due to the effects of white nose syndrome, a severe and pervasive disease threatening extinction across the species range. A remnant population of northern myotis capable of persisting despite infection with the disease has been identified across three coastal islands: Long Island, NY; Martha’s Vineyard, MA; and Nantucket, MA. This study looked to uncover the mechanisms for survival by characterizing activity of northern myotis and potential prey species throughout the hibernation season. Bat activity was monitored during the 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20 winter seasons at known foraging …

Evaluating Spatial Relationships Between Environmental Factors And Contextual Sociodemographic Burden And Associations With Respiratory Morbidity Among Young Children: An Indicator-Based Approach, Neil Anthony Muscatiello

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The body of public health literature related to air pollution epidemiology is extensive. Similarly, the body of literature related to social epidemiology has also expanded greatly in recent years. While studies in these sub-disciplines of epidemiology sometimes seek to control for variables more commonly studied in one or the other, fewer studies report on their combined effects. Studies which do attempt to summarize how the combined air pollution burden and contextual sociodemographic burden differentially effect health outcomes beyond their individual effects could be beneficial in understanding links between the environment and certain health outcomes such as childhood asthma. The proposed …

State Of Fine Particulate Matter (Pm2.5) And Its Chemical Constituents With Morbidity Due To Pulmonary Diseases In An Urban City Of Southern Asia, Fatim Sannoh

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Globally, air pollution has a negative impact on public health due to the continuous use of fossil fuel to power industries, industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, open burning of garbage waste and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is linked to an increase of various diseases as well as an excess of morbidity and mortality. Although air pollution affects every nation, developing countries face unique challenges. There is a dire need to reduce air pollution in developing countries, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting that large cities in low- and middle-income countries have exceptionally high levels of air pollution. …

Ground Level: Poems, Margaret Graber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Ground Level” is a full-length poetry collection situated at the intersection of ecopoetics and psychology, where the theme of “grounding” one’s self continually emerges in the midst of personal geographical changes and experiences of collective social trauma during a period of prolonged immersion in the natural world. By exploring through an array of poetic forms, structures, and experimentations including golden shovels, contrapuntals, haikus, an abecedarian, a sestina, grounding exercises, poems featuring 20th century children’s television host Fred Rogers, and a sonnet crown which also explores queerness in the 21st century Southeast, the speaker engages with a number of different methods …

Association Of Income, Education, Employment And Covid-19 Mortality In Brazil, Marcelina Machado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased mortality rates from COVID-19 in Brazil have adversely affectedvulnerable populations and placed a severe burden on its public health system as compared to other nations. Focusing on socioeconomic status as a risk factor in this retrospective cohort study, I investigated the association between Brazilian COVID-19 mortality rate, income, school enrollment rate, and employment rate after controlling for the demographics and immunization rate. This is an important issue as an increase in incidence and mortality rates affects how governmental and public health leaders can effectively control and prevent disease spread. Using the fundamental causes of disease theory as the …

Biogeography Of Functional Traits And Fire Regimes In Oak Species (Quercus) Across The United States, Ashley Selee

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This thesis is submitted in the form of two chapters. The first chapter encompasses background research, a literature review, important information, as well as motivation for our study. This first chapter provides insight into fire ecology, functional traits, and context about Quercus. The second chapter is written as a standalone paper for submission to the journal of Global Ecology and Biogeography, thus this second chapter can be read and understood independently of the first chapter. The study of biogeography is a discipline encompassing a species distribution across varying ecosystems in space and time. Biogeography allows for the synthesis of large-scale …

Association Between Greenness And Environmental Parameters Exposure And Depression Among Residents In Bangkok, Thailand: An Ecological Longitudinal Study, Wilaipak Nilsalai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Depression and mental health issues are on the rise, and it is hypothesized that environmental factors may play a role in the development of these diseases. Greenness is one of the potential factors, and this study aims to investigate the relationship between living in greener areas and depression incidence in Bangkok. This is an ecological longitudinal study using secondary data documented between 2018 and 2020, utilizing data on depression (ICD-10 F32, F33), environmental parameters (PM2.5 (µg/m3), temperature (ºC), relative humidity (RH; %), and demographic variables (population density, number of communities, number of hospitals, number of healthcare centers, and divorce rate) …

ปัจจัยบริบทแวดล้อมของการเปลี่ยนแปลงตามกาลเวลาของอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นอายุ 15-19 ปี ในประเทศไทย, ธัชณัท พันตรา

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การวิจัยนี้ เป็นการศึกษาแบบ Ecological study ที่ผสมผสานระหว่าง Multiple-group กับ Time-trend design โดยมีวัตถุประสงค์ เพื่ออธิบายอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นอายุ 15-19 ปี ระดับอำเภอในประเทศไทยทางภูมิศาสตร์ วัตถุประสงค์เฉพาะ: (ก) เพื่อระบุจุดร้อน จุดเย็น และค่าผิดปกติเชิงพื้นที่ (ข) ระบุความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นฯ และปัจจัยบริบทเชิงพื้นที่ และ (ค) ตรวจสอบว่าความสัมพันธ์ที่ระบุแตกต่างกันไปตามพื้นที่และเวลาหรือไม่ ดำเนินการศึกษาใน 878 อำเภอทั่วประเทศ ยกเว้นในเขตกรุงเทพมหานคร และระยะเวลาการศึกษาคือช่วง 10 ปี ระหว่างปี พ.ศ. 2552-2561 ใช้ซอฟต์แวร์ Arc GIS Pro 3.0 เพื่อวิเคราะห์และสร้างแผนที่อัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นฯ และตรวจสอบรูปแบบเชิงพื้น จุดร้อน จุดเย็น และค่าความผิดปกติ ใช้ Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) เพื่อประเมินความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นและปัจจัยบริบทแวดล้อม การวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลแบ่งเป็น 2 ช่วง คือ ช่วงปี 2552-2554 และช่วงปี 2556-2561 ผลการศึกษาพบว่า อัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นอายุ 15-19 ปี ระดับอำเภอในประเทศไทย ทั้งสองช่วงเวลามีรูปแบบกระจายแบบไม่เป็นระเบียบหรือกระจายแบบไม่มีทิศทาง (random) และพบกลุ่มอำเภอเล็ก ๆ ที่มีนัยสำคัญของอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นสูง (จุดร้อน) หรือต่ำ (จุดเย็น) ในปี พ.ศ. 2552-2554 และปี พ.ศ. 2556-2561 โมเดล GWR อธิบายความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างปัจจัยบริบทเชิงพื้นที่และอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่น ได้ดีกว่าโมเดล OLS ช่วงปี 2552-2554 โมเดล GWR อธิบายความแปรผันของอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นระดับอำเภอได้ร้อยละ 23.6 พื้นที่ทางภูมิศาสตร์ที่มีตัวแปรอิสระทำนายอัตราคลอดในวัยรุ่นที่แข็งแกร่งและอ่อนแอในประเทศไทย ได้แก่ ความเหลื่อมล้ำทางรายได้ ค่าใช้จ่ายเฉลี่ยต่อคนต่อเดือน วัยรุ่นได้รับการศึกษาภาคบังคับ …

Rapid Scoping Review Of The Epidemiological Evidence For Mercury Exposure And Prevalence Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Rebecca Mattingly

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

This rapid scoping review examines the current body of epidemiologic research evaluating the potential linkage between environmental exposure to mercury and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of all neurodegenerative disease in the United States and was the seventh leading cause of death in Kentucky in 2020. The exact etiology of AD needs further investigation; however, environmental factors such as pesticides, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury have been correlated with development of AD lesions, cognitive decline, and AD. Mercury is a toxic metal that can be found in air, water, and soil, both from natural and human-made sources. …

Roadway Density And Lung Cancer Histology In Kentucky, Mahala Pettus

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

The purpose of this article was to examine the relationship between a proxy measure of exposure to automotive exhaust – roadway density – and risk for adenocarcinoma lung cancer. Using data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry and the Kentucky Geoportal Data Clearinghouse, we conducted a cross-sectional study of the distribution of adult lung cancer cases by histological type across the state of Kentucky. The north-central region of Kentucky has a higher prevalence of adenocarcinomas and greater roadway density. Among adenocarcinoma cases in Kentucky, there are more non-smokers than other types of tobacco use. As smoking rates decrease in Kentucky, and …

Bouncing Back: Resilience And Its Limits In Late-Age Composing, Louise Wetherbee Phelps

English Faculty Publications

This essay is one of a series on my mother’s late-age composing, studying a writing project she started at age 70 and worked on for more than 25 years. Her intention was to integrate extensive reading, personal experience, and cultural observations to explain changes in parenting (and, by extension, education and enculturation of the next generation) from her childhood in the 1920s through the 2000s. When she died at 97, she left behind a 75-page draft, but was unable to complete her plans for revisions and an ending. I focus here on identifying the multiple factors in the ecology of …