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Stronger Regulations On Air Pollution Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Rates, Yue Sun

Population Health Research Brief Series

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there are large disparities in CVD death rates across the country. Air pollution also plays an important role in shaping geographic disparities in CVD mortality, as air pollutants can become absorbed in human circulation systems, and cause inflammation, damage nervous systems, and trigger poor CVD outcomes. This brief reports the results of a study that used data on air pollution and from death certificates to estimate the association between fine particulate matter and cardiovascular disease mortality rates in the U.S. in 2016-2018. Results show that cutting …

Determining The Extent Of Pioneer Mangrove Acidification On Intertidal Oyster Reefs, Cindy Whitten, Andres Alatorre, Nicole Campbell, Savanna Freeman, Sydney Henderson, Kate Mclendon, Connor Wright, June Davison, Madison Ganci, Katherine Harris

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) stretches 251 kilometers along Florida’s east coast and is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America. Mosquito Lagoon, the northernmost portion of the IRL, is home to mangroves and intertidal oyster reefs that provide numerous ecosystem services. These two habitats are overlapping as climate change drives mangroves poleward. Scientists have documented mangrove expansion and the transition of oyster reef habitat to mangrove islands. Past studies have shown large, adult mangrove stands drive soil acidification. The goal of this study was to understand if stand-alone, or pioneer, Rhizophora mangle (red mangroves) and Avicennia germinans …

University Business Students As Charity Trustees: A Win-Win For All?, Carl Evans, Nigel Jackson

Plymouth Business School

Charities are facing a crisis in recruiting board trustees. Additionally, boards have been criticised for lacking diversity and being unrepresentative of society. The purpose of this paper is to propose a solution to the problem of trustee recruitment, by considering university business students as trustees. Through an analysis of advertised trustee jobs, the proposal is evaluated against degree subject benchmark statements. The findings identify some key person characteristics specified by charities when recruiting trustees. The generic criteria could be met by most students and many of the personal skills are developed by students while at university. However, to address some …

The Fierce Green Fire: Vol. 14 Issue 10, Wofford College Environmental Studies Program

The Fierce Green Fire

No abstract provided.

Wofford Today Winter 2023, Wofford College. Office Of Marketing And Communications

Wofford Today

No abstract provided.

The Financial Implications Of Specialization, Diversification, Or Alternative Enterprises On Small Farms: Evidence From Tennessee, Aditya R. Khanal, Renu Ojha

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

In response to survival challenges, small farms in the United States undertake decisions to minimize downside risk or maximize gross revenue. Using primary survey data of small farms in Tennessee, we examined farmers’ strategic decisions on specialization or other forms of diversification and estimated the impacts of these decisions on farm financial performance. We found that farmer’s age, farmland holdings, use of a smartphone in farm-related activities, and off-farm work significantly influenced these strategic decisions. Our multinomial endogenous switching regression estimates suggested that small farms could attain significantly higher performance, around 45% higher gross farm income and a 30% higher …

Effects Of Sewage Sludge Treatments On Plant Nutrients, Heavy Metals And Tall Fescue(Festuca Arundinacea Schreb.), Ali̇ Riza Ongun, Mahmut Tepeci̇k, Hüseyi̇n Hüsnü Kayikçioğlu, Sezai̇ Deli̇bacak, Tanay Bi̇ri̇şçi̇, Erden Aktaş, Ayşe Kalayci Önaç, Gökhan Balik

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of anaerobically stabilized sewage sludge (SS) converted into 90% dryness granules at different doses of control, 3% SS, 6% SS, and 9% SS on elemental composition of Festuca arundinacea Schreb. and physicochemical properties of soil. Color measurements were made with the CIE L* a* b* method unit; the highest color (4.10) and the highest coating score (5.7) were calculated for the 6% SS treatment. The highest biomass (9.11 g) was obtained from the 3% SS and the lowest (7.67 g) from the 9% SS dose. Plant height measurements were listed as follows: …

The Status And Prospects Of Phytoremediation Of Heavy Metals, Aniruddha Acharya, Enrique Perez, Miller Maddox-Mandolini, Hania De La Fuente

Faculty Publications - Biological Sciences

The release of heavy metals into the agricultural soil and waterbodies has been accelerated due to anthropogenic activities. They are not usually required for biological functions thus, their accumulation in biological system poses serious threat to health and environment globally. Phytoremediation offers a safe, inexpensive, and ecologically sustainable technique to clean habitats contaminated with heavy metals. Though several plants have been identified and used as a potential candidate for such phytoremediation, the technique is still at its formative stage and has been mostly confined to laboratory and greenhouses. However, recently several field studies have shown promising results that can propel …

Socioeconomic Geographies And Municipal Decision Making Of New York's Climate Smart Communities Program, Stephen Corbisiero

Digital and Data Studies Student Scholarship

Nearly all of New York’s residents live in a municipality designated as a Climate Smart Community, but few are familiar with one of the state’s major legislative accomplishments. The initiative allows municipalities to earn points toward a climate smart certification by implementing sustainable technologies in their communities, which in turn makes them eligible for increased grant funding from New York State. As climate change begins to have a greater impact on human and natural life, investing in green infrastructure has never been more important. New York’s Climate Smart Communities program is widespread, but adoption rates vary greatly throughout the state …

Soil Legacy Nutrients Contribute To The Decreasing Stoichiometric Ratio Of N And P Loading From The Mississippi River Basin, Zihao Bian, Hanqin Tian, Shufen Pan, Hao Shi, Chaoqun Lu, Christopher Anderson, Wei Jun Cai, Charles S. Hopkinson, Dubravko Justic, Latif Kalin, Steven Lohrenz, Steven Mcnulty, Naiqing Pan, Ge Sun, Zhuonan Wang, Yuanzhi Yao, Yongfa You

Faculty Publications

Human-induced nitrogen–phosphorus (N, P) imbalance in terrestrial ecosystems can lead to disproportionate N and P loading to aquatic ecosystems, subsequently shifting the elemental ratio in estuaries and coastal oceans and impacting both the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The N:P ratio of nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River Basin increased before the late 1980s driven by the enhanced usage of N fertilizer over P fertilizer, whereafter the N:P loading ratio started to decrease although the N:P ratio of fertilizer application did not exhibit a similar trend. Here, we hypothesize that different release rates of …

Comparing City Park Perspectives: Users Vs Organizers, Kalli Hull

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Green spaces and parks are an essential aspect of a healthy community. Incorporating parks into the landscape of a city can benefit the community. Understanding the relationship between park management and park users is important for creating the most effective use of space and accessibility. This project looks at the comprehensive viewpoints of both park managers and park users through a series of interviews and reviews of previous research and literature. Logan City, Utah is used as the location of interest for collecting and determining outcomes. This project displays the key findings of the priorities and viewpoints of both park …

Genetic And Environmental Drivers Of Migratory Behavior In Western Burrowing Owls And Implications For Conservation And Management, Kelly Barr, Christen M. Bossu, Rachel A. Bay, Eric C. Anderson, Jim Belthoff, Lynne A. Trulio, Debra Chromczak, Colleen L. Wisinski, Thomas B. Smith, Kristen C. Ruegg

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Migration is driven by a combination of environmental and genetic factors, but many questions remain about those drivers. Potential interactions between genetic and environmental variants associated with different migratory phenotypes are rarely the focus of study. We pair low coverage whole genome resequencing with a de novo genome assembly to examine population structure, inbreeding, and the environmental factors associated with genetic differentiation between migratory and resident breeding phenotypes in a species of conservation concern, the western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea). Our analyses reveal a dichotomy in gene flow depending on whether the population is resident or migratory, …

Avian Functional Diversity Response To Changes In Forest Structure And Degradation In Northern New England, Michael Christopher Thompson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Exploitative forest harvesting has led to widespread economic degradation of forests across the northeastern United States. Tree species composition and structure vary across degradation categories, which may lead to differences in wildlife communities and the ecosystem functions wildlife provide. Avian communities in particular respond quickly to changes in habitat, are easy to survey, and contribute to a variety of important ecosystem functions. Here, we investigated the relationship between economic degradation and avian functional diversity focusing on the ecosystem functions of seed dispersal, nutrient cycling, and pest control. We found that avian functional diversity responded to degradation in a unimodal manner …

Intercomparison Of Planetary Boundary Layer Over El Paso-Juarez Region Using Vaisala Ceilometers, Vianey Arvilla

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Vaisala ceilometers (models CL 31 and Cl 51) were used to monitor and study the planetary boundary layer (PBL). There were four ceilometer stations that we connected to create the Paso del Norte ceilometer network. These stations are located at: UTEP, Socorro, Ivanhoe, and Juarez. This network has been automatized and its hourly averaged mean boundary layer height data is being downloaded into a computer accessible to TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and to the public. In this study, data from each ceilometer was used to produce scatter plots. These scatter plots were analyzed to obtain the PBL heights …

December 2023 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Environment And Sustainability: December 2023, Environment And Sustainability, Office Of The President

Environment and Sustainability Archives

• AKU’s Honourable Mention at the 2023 IHF Awards

• 7% energy savings at Stadium Road

• FMIC’s new solar water heater

• 2 Electric Shuttles for campus commuting

• AKU at COP28

• And much more…

Trends Of Autumn Phenology In Response To Environmental And Meteorological Variables, Meagan Renee Maguire

Masters Theses

Previous studies have identified that changes in plant phenology are most likely induced by climate variability. One such change is the end of season (EOS) for deciduous forests in the United States. In essence, the EOS represents the end of plant productivity for a given year; the phase in which plant dormancy is reached. However, our wealth of knowledge on plant phenology largely overlooks the phases that occur in autumn, especially the EOS, with many previous studies focusing on spring phenology. This study uses remote sensing MODIS aerial imagery data and historical meteorological data to analyze any relationships that may …

Beyond The Plate: Leisure Studies As A Recipe For Food Justice, Julia M. Montano

Undergraduate Honors Theses

To address the issues that have been derived from the dominant forces in our food systems, movements such as food justice strive to find solutions through decolonization and addressing barriers to accessing healthy, affordable and culturally representative food. One group of individuals that are heavily involved in, and impacted by, food justice are college students. This study seeks to explore the extent to which college students’ involvement in food justice is shaped by their free time. With this research, I strive to bring in the voices of college students, while also bridging a gap in the field by bringing leisure …

Respectful Research: Working With Indigenous Peoples In Psychological, Anthropological And Cross-Cultural Sciences, Gesa Solveig Duden, Daniel Bagheri Sarvestani

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Indigenous peoples today face a wide range of constantly evolving political, epistemic and socio-cultural forms of contemporary colonial violence. Modern discourses and research practices both continue to promote Eurocentric narratives while marginalizing non-Western Indigenous perspectives. In our research project focusing on Maya Ch’orti cultural identities in the context of Indigenous peoples’ rights movements, we aimed to follow Indigenous Rights guidelines on how to conduct respectful, collaborative research with instead of on or about Indigenous peoples, thereby exploring forms of subjective epistemologies. In the present article, we provide a description of our endeavour and practices as well as of the challenges …

Can The Philippines Achieve Its Co2 Reduction Commitment With Renewable Energy?, James Benedict Cuesta, Edward Josh Cruzado, Princess Camila Martinez, Stephanie Noling, Arlene B. Inocencio, Albert Lamberte, Alellie B. Sobreviñas, Marites M. Tiongco

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

The Philippines always aims to achieve economic growth, which requires expanding economic activities, resulting in increased pollution (Stern, 2017). The country signified its intention to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 75% in COP26 (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC], 2021). Part of its strategy to combat CO2 emissions is by increasing its share of renewable energy (RE) sources to at least 35% of the total energy matrix (Department of Energy [DOE], 2021). The Philippines’ ability to reach its COP26 commitment through a scenario approach on the effects of increasing GDP and share of RE to CO2 emissions …

An Overview Of Sustainability Content In Higher Education: Applications For University Landscape Architecture Programs, Hye Yeon Park

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Higher education institutions worldwide have recognized the importance of integrating sustainability into their programs, with over 600 universities offering courses focused on sustainable development. This trend has led to the emergence of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This multidimensional approach aims to empower individuals to create a sustainable future by integrating environmental, social, and economic systems. In particular, ESD has been implemented in various aspects of higher education, such as course content, teaching methodologies, curriculum design, and faculty roles.

Design and planning education are critical components of shaping future decision-makers who will positively and negatively impact society and the environment. …

Human Dimensions Of Woody Encroachment Management In Nebraska, Emily Rowen

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

Woody plant encroachment (WPE) is a social-ecological problem that will challenge conservation professionals and agricultural producers to adapt their management strategies. This research first examined WPE from the perspective of individual conservation professionals through an online survey. Conservation professionals’ attitudes about adaptation to vegetation transitions, such as WPE, were of interest because these attitudes are one measure of how prepared this group is to respond to WPE. Hypothesized predictors of adaptation attitude were tested through linear regression modeling. These predictors included ecological change, observation of WPE, or risk perception. It was found that risk perception was the strongest predictor of …

Development Of Scope Of Services For Procurement Of Professional Consultant Services On Transportation Projects – A Study Of South Carolina Department Of Transportation, Ajay Jadhav

All Dissertations

Project Scoping Process (PSP) is one of the significant steps that starts at the very beginning of the project life cycle. During project initiation phase, project scoping is kicked off which includes documenting a list of project-specific goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, and deadlines. The scoping phase duration depends on the project complexity and involves various stakeholders, establishing team, confirming the project purpose and need, initiating the environmental revie process, determining the level of environmental documentation and permit requirements, conducting survey, identifying project risks and tools to mitigate them, and evaluating public involvement strategies. A well-defined PSP is therefore essential for …

Single-Cell Analysis In Hypersaline Brines Predicts A Water-Activity Limit Of Microbial Anabolic Activity, Emily R. Paris, Nestor Arandia-Gorostidi, Benjamin Klempay, Jeff S. Bowman, Alexandra Pontefract, Claire E. Elbon, Jennifer B. Glass, Ellery D. Ingall, Peter T. Doran, Sanjoy M. Som, Britney E. Schmidt, Anne E. Dekas

Faculty Publications

Hypersaline brines provide excellent opportunities to study extreme microbial life. Here, we investigated anabolic activity in nearly 6000 individual cells from solar saltern sites with water activities (aw) ranging from 0.982 to 0.409 (seawater to extreme brine). Average anabolic activity decreased exponentially with aw, with nuanced trends evident at the single-cell level: The proportion of active cells remained high (>50%) even after NaCl saturation, and subsets of cells spiked in activity as aw decreased. Intracommunity heterogeneity in activity increased as seawater transitioned to brine, suggesting increased phenotypic heterogeneity with increased physiological stress. No microbial activity was detected in the …

Invasion Control Tangled In Knots: How An Oberlin Student And The Outside World Tackled The Knotweed Problem, Michael E. Harvey

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Issue 38

The Synapse: Intercollegiate science magazine

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Role Of Information Literacy Instruction In Student Co-Creation Of Community-Based Research Products, Robyn Hall

Communications in Information Literacy

Supported by institutional commitments to community engagement, undergraduate students at universities across North America are participating in community-based research projects. These experiential learning activities allow students to collaborate with community partners to address issues in their communities, often resulting in co-creating research products that seek to have a real-world impact. This article reports on ways that academic librarians can support students engaged in these activities, informed by interview data gathered from university administrators and faculty members from across Canada with expertise in conducting and overseeing students' participation in research connected to university–community partnerships. This growing area of scholarly activity in …

An Exploration Of Two Information Literacy Open Learning Object Repositories: Value, Content, And Engagement, Tiffanie Lynn Ford-Baxter

Communications in Information Literacy

Information literacy (IL) open learning object repositories (LORs) provide a space for librarians to find and exchange instruction resources and lessons. Given many librarians enter the workforce with little or no formal training or educational opportunities to learn about pedagogy, these repositories are indispensable resources to the Library and Information Science field. This study explored the contents of two popular IL LORs, Project Cora and the Association of College and Research Libraries Framework for Information Literacy Sandbox, to uncover how users engage with the resources and how the repositories differ. This study's findings suggest that while resources within the LORs …

The Potential Of Tropical Montane Cloud Forest Epiphytes To Acclimate To A Drier Microclimate., Emily Anders

Master's Theses and Capstones

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCF) are characterized by frequent cloud immersion and host a rich community of canopy epiphytes. Epiphytes rely on atmospheric inputs of water, making them susceptible to reductions in cloud immersion. We used an experimental cloud reduction experiment in a Peruvian TMCF to examine the potential of five functional groups of vascular epiphytes (orchids, ferns, shrubs, bromeliads, and succulents) to acclimate to reduced cloud immersion via plasticity in morphological and physiological traits related to water use, water storage, and productivity. Complementary data for vascular and nonvascular epiphyte growth and dieback collected over a 3-year period provided additional …

Expanding Recognition And Inclusion Of Animal-Free Organic Agriculture In The Sustainable Agriculture Movement, Mona Seymour

Urban and Environmental Studies Faculty Works

Animal-free organic agriculture resides at the margins of sustainable agriculture discourse, practice, and imaginaries, which center animal-based forms of farming. However, the concerns and goals of sustainable agriculture are overwhelmingly consistent with those of many forms of animal-free organic agriculture (AFOA), described as organic farming sans animal production, labor, and byproducts. Despite this sidelining, AFOA has great potential to contribute to a more robust sustainable agriculture movement. In order to emphasize the continuities between animal-based and animal-free sustainable agriculture, this Perspective identifies a number of key similarities between animal-free and animal-based sustainable farming, including mutual foci on soil health and …