Digital Commons Network^™

Urban Beavers At The Crossroads: How Ecological Knowledge, Sociodemographic, And Spatial Context Shape Public Perception And Coexistence Preferences, Matthew Guziejka

Dissertations and Theses

Urban beavers demonstrate synurbization by adapting to urban environments, offering ecological benefits such as biodiversity enhancement and flood mitigation, while also occasionally conflicting with infrastructure. This study examines how ecological knowledge, sociodemographics, and spatial context influence public perceptions and management preferences for urban beavers in the Tualatin River watershed, Oregon.

A voluntary survey of 176 participants from peri-urban areas assessed demographic characteristics, ecological knowledge, and attitudes toward management approaches. Spatial factors, such as proximity to watercourses and green spaces, were also analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore relationships between these factors and management preferences. Political orientation was significantly …

Cyanobacteria And Algae From Chýnov And Koněprusy Caves (Czech Republic), Michaela Wipplingerová, Jan Pokorný, Jan Kaštovský

International Journal of Speleology

Algae and cyanobacteria have been studied in two so far phycologically unexplored show caves (Chýnov and Koněprusy) in the Czech Republic. Taxa were identified morphologically using cultivation and subsequent light microscopy, while problematic cyanobacterial species were verified by sequencing the genes for 16S rRNA and 16S–23S internal transcribed spacer. A total of 13 cyanobacterial taxa were found, two Bacillariophyceae, three Xanthophyceae, four Chlorophyceae, six Trebouxiophyceae, 11 Streptophyta, and three Euglenida; many of these species were found for the first time in the caves. The darker parts of the caves were dominated by cyanobacteria, and green algae were found predominantly right …

Indigenous Futures: Decolonizing Conservation And Restoring Ecological Sovereignty, Jasmine Beach

University Honors Theses

This study examines how members of Indigenous-led conservation organizations perceive the ecological and social implications of colonial conservation ideologies in the context of contemporary grassroots strategies. By analyzing the ongoing impact of conservation frameworks in Kenya, this research highlights the role of Indigenous-led initiatives in advancing sustainable, community-driven alternatives. Using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, which integrates Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western scientific methods, the study employs qualitative, semi-structured interviews with leaders from Zawadisha, KENVO, Wildlife Works, and CER-Kenya. Findings indicate that these organizations, particularly those led by women, actively restore biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and challenge exclusionary conservation policies. …

Predicting Freshwater Spring Distribution Using Maxent Modeling: A Case Study In Groundwater Management Area 9 (Gma-9), Texas, Zayed Mallick

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Freshwater springs are one of the most vital groundwater sources and they have been a reliable water source for mining, irrigation, drinking, and farming, particularly in hot and arid regions like Groundwater Management Area-9 (GMA-9), Texas. However, excessive groundwater extraction, climate change, and environmental degradation have created tremendous stress on the sustainability of freshwater springs and as a result, they might not be able to meet the future water demand. This study uses the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the distribution of springs in GMA-9 and to identify the key topographic and climatic factors influencing their occurrence. This study …

Determining The Influence Of Habitat Complexity On Fish Diversity And Abundance In Hawaiian Coral Reefs, Gabrielle Reece Demarco

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Since AUVs maintain heightened levels of identification, advanced system complexity coverage, low taxonomic selectivity, while maintaining large sample sizes and exceptional navigational accuracies, AUVs could be beneficial in certain circumstances. However, since UVC’s tend to have higher biomass identification accuracies and AUVs lack of agility and reactivity increase unidentifiable fish (While increasing biomass coverage), its costs may not justify the means. However, with advances in camera and drone technologies, it may be possible to heighten the identification abilities of AUVs, thus offering a low-interruption solution to fish surveying

Volume 29-2 Complete Issue, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 29-2 Complete Issue

Variation In Grassland Biomass: A Spatial And Temporal Perspective, Stephen J. Walsh

The Geographical Bulletin

During a sampling period extending from May 07 through August 13, 1985, plant biomass, soil temperature, soil moisture, and other selected biophysical variables were collected on a weekly basis at 12 sample sites distributed along a 200 km east-west trending transect in west-central Oklahoma. Correlation coefficients showed temporal and spatial relationships between dry mean biomass and the relative location of sample sites along the transect, Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate location of each sample site, sample site elevation, and sample week (-0.43, +0.43, -0.54, and +0.42, respectively). A multiple regression analysis showed that 84.5 percent of the variation in plant biomass …

Influence Of Inselbergs On Bat Diversity In Afrotropical Ecosystems, Amanda Lee Grunwald

Dissertations and Theses

Humans are altering biological communities on local to global scales, driving profound changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, significant gaps and biases in biodiversity data hinder our understanding of ecosystem interactions, making it challenging to develop effective, data-driven policies to protect remaining biodiversity. Bats, the second most species-rich groups of mammals, have a global distribution, and perform a broad array of vital ecosystem functions. Their diversity peaks in the tropics, where they often constitute more than 50% of mammal species diversity. The Afrotropics host substantial bat diversity, yet have historically been perceived as having lower species richness compared to …

Living Labs: How Experimental Forests Offer Insights Into Small Mammal Population Dynamics, Nicholas Gosling

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Unraveling Algerian Bat Coronaviruses: From Initial Detection To Genome Recovery And Co-Infection Discovery, Safia Zeghbib, Zsófia Tauber, Tamás Görföl, Karimane Malek Zeghbib, Mourad Ahmim, Gábor Kemenesi

School of Biomedical Sciences

IntroductionBats, known as main reservoirs for coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, carry these viruses asymptomatically thanks to their unique immune systems. These viruses can spill over to humans through direct contact or intermediate hosts, as observed in the cases of SARS and COVID-19. Despite the significant public health implications, research on bat-related viral zoonoses remains inadequate in Algeria due to insufficient surveillance and funding. Additionally, the ecological diversity of Algerian bats is still largely unexplored, resulting in knowledge gaps. Therefore, investigating bat coronaviruses within the One Health framework in Algeria provides a holistic approach to understanding and mitigating the …

A Media Ecology Review, Lance Strate

Communication Research Trends

No abstract provided.

Calculating 3d Rugosity Maps For Complex Habitat Scans, Kindrat Beregovyi, Jennifer A. Dijkstra, Thomas Butkiewicz

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Advances in 3D scanning and reconstruction techniques, such as structure-from-motion, have resulted in an abundance of increasingly-detailed 3D habitat models. However, many existing methods for calculating structural complexity of these models use 2.5D techniques that fail to capture the details of truly 3D models with overlapping features. This paper presents novel algorithms that extend traditional rugosity metrics to generate multi-scale rugosity maps for complex 3D models. Models are repeatedly subdivided for local analysis using multiple 3D grids, which are jittered to smooth results and suppress extreme values from edge cases and poorly-fit reference planes. A rugosity-minimizing technique is introduced to …

A Long-Term Study Of Algal Blooms In Alexandria's Ecosystems: A Review, Samia K. Mikhail, Wagdy Labib

Blue Economy

Coastal ecosystems in Alexandria are facing significant stress, primarily due to the intrusion of discharged wastewaters of different origins. Over the past three decades, there has been a noticeable increase in the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) across Alexandria marine, brackish, and freshwater environments. Unfortunately, the situation is deteriorating, and HABs have become chronic issues characterized by frequent occurrences of various causative species. This phenomenon has spread widely affecting previously uninfected coastal areas with high frequency and diverse patterns of occurrence. This article provides an overview of the state of visible HABs associated with incidents of fish and/or invertebrate …

Thermophilic Microbiota Of Fifth Water Hot Springs: A Genomic Perspective, Ethan Powers, Zack Galbraith, Trever Thurgood

Annual Research Symposium

Geothermal hot springs provide unique microbial habitats characterized by extreme temperatures, variable pH, and diverse geochemical conditions. This study investigates the microbial diversity of three hot spring locations in Diamond Fork Canyon, Utah—Diamond Fork Warm Springs, Fifth Water Hot Springs, and Monk’s Hollow Trailhead—using Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Samples were collected in triplicate and analyzed to identify the bacterial composition, with a focus on potential opportunistic pathogens. Our results revealed a diverse microbial community, including members of Pseudomonas, Comamonas, Helicobacter, and Flavobacterium, some of which are known for biofilm formation, antibiotic …

Associations Between Atmospheric Ozone, Pm2.5 And Prevalence Of Diabetes In Georgia, United States, Kingsley A. Kalu, Jingjing Yin, Atin Adhikari

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Objective:

This study examines the association between two air pollutants (PM_2.5 and ozone), and the prevalence of adult diabetes mellitus in relation to various confounding factors.

Methods:

We collected diabetes prevalence data from the 2015 County Health Ranking and Georgia Health Data Hub. A negative binomial regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between the county-level dependent variable “adult diabetes” (for adults aged> 18 years diagnosed with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes) and two independent county-level variables: percentage of days ³ NAAQS for ozone and PM_2.5 concentration levels while controlling for confounders.

Results:

At the county …

Farm Chemicals As Indicators Of Sediment Sources In Iowa Rivers, Edward N. Nealson, George P. Malanson

The Geographical Bulletin

Determination of the source of sediment in rivers and streams is important in order to effectively implement a program to reduce its concentration. This project uses agricultural chemicals as indicators of current sources of sediment from farm fields in the Cedar River, Iowa watershed. We hypothesized that the relations of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorous yields to precipitation would indicate whether sediment originated from erosion of fields or from channel bank erosion of floodplains. The changes in sediment, nitrate, and phosphorus in the channel in response to rainfall events were determined. In simple regressions, all three variables have similar slopes when …

Determining The Physiological And Behavioral Tolerance To Hypoxia In Two Species Of Rockfish (Sebastes Spp.), Makenna Chan

Theses

In the eastern North Pacific, the oxygen minimum zone naturally shoals seasonally and impacts demersal fish habitat along the continental margins and on offshore seamounts. This hypoxic layer has been shoaling in recent decades, likely affecting the habitat and distribution of commercially-important fish species such as rockfishes (genus Sebastes). Respirometry and shuttle box behavioral experiments were used to determine the hypoxia sensitivities of two rockfish species with contrasting movement patterns and habitat use: cowcod (Sebastes levis) and bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis). Although both species inhabit similar deep-water, rocky-reef habitat, they have different lifestyles, in which cowcod …

Wearable Penile Devices: The Techring, Gal Saffati, Daniela Orozco Rendon, Riley Daily, Mohit Khera, John P Mulhall

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The integration of wearable technology into healthcare has transformed patient monitoring, particularly in urology. Wearable penile devices (WPDs), such as the FirmTech TechRing, offer real-time data on erectile function, providing critical insights into nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) patterns that can indicate underlying health issues. This piece highlights the potential of the FirmTech TechRing, a WPD, to advance erectile function monitoring by providing real-time data on NPT and intra-coital activity. It explores its promise in detecting early dysfunction, assessing cardiovascular risk, and enhancing proactive health management. By measuring parameters like firmness, girth expansion, and the frequency of erections, the TechRing enables …

Development And Validation Of Rapid Edna Detection Method For Yellow Mud Turtle, Kinosternon Flavescens: A Field Study In South Texas, Usa, Sakib Tahmid Rishan, Richard Kline, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

The conservation of freshwater turtle species depends on precise and effective monitoring techniques. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a potential method for identifying cryptic and elusive turtle species in aquatic ecosystems. eDNA analysis can help to identify key regions for conservation efforts and monitor changes in population levels over time. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a rapid eDNA detection method for the yellow mud turtle (Kinosternon flavescens, an indicator species that is endangered in some states in the USA), which inhabits local oxbow lakes (e.g., resacas) in Cameron County, South Texas. A species-specific nested PCR …

Integrative Approaches To Climate Resilience Planning: Application Of A Plan Evaluation Framework, Maulsri Jha

Dissertations and Theses

In the last two decades, urban governments have streamlined and prioritized the creation and implementation of climate resilience plans to cater to the communities' vulnerabilities. Existing research illustrates that there is a gap in understanding how, or if, empirical (evidence-based) data are incorporated into the design and implementation of such plans and the extent to which their inclusion impacts outcomes in terms of vulnerability reduction. There is also a gap in the systematic study of their outcomes in terms of community resilience, and whether equity and environmental justice are promoted as priorities.

The purpose of the research is to understand …

Optimising The National Strategy For Progressive Employment Absorption To Ensure The Rights And Responsibilities Of Citizens In Indonesia, Rizda Ardyati, Afridah Ikrimah

Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan

Indonesia is experiencing a demographic transition phenomenon. This can be seen from the results of the 2010 population census, which showed a positive trend in the productive age population, namely 15-64 years. In that year, the proportion reached 66% of the total population. The potential growth of Indonesia's productive population can be an engine of sustainable economic growth or a source of social conflict between classes in the future, if the government cannot handle this potential, it will become a problem related to fulfilling the rights of citizens to get decent work, because instead of being absorbed into the workforce, …

Behavioral Ecology And Physiology Of Spotted Turtles (Clemmys Guttata) In A Fragmented And Polluted Landscape, Jessica Rojas Lindberg

Master's Theses

Turtles are one of the most threatened groups of animals across the globe. This is especially true for freshwater turtles that rely on multiple habitats to fulfill their life history requirements. Wetlands are a crucial habitat type for many freshwater turtle species, and this ecosystem has been susceptible to conversion, fragmentation, and pollution. In turn, these hazards to wetland habitats threaten already declining freshwater turtle populations. The spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) is a species of freshwater turtle that is particularly at-risk due to life history traits as well as habitat fragmentation and pollution. This study aims to investigate the effects …

Barriers To The Enforcement Of Environmental Law: An Effect Of Free Market Domination And Regional Autonomy In Indonesia, Jean Claude Geofrey Mahoro, F.X. Adji Samekto

Hasanuddin Law Review

This paper discusses different issues relating to the enforcement of environmental law in Indonesia in the long way of the Indonesian government to sustainable development. To reach reliable conclusion, socio-legal approach was employed in this paper. Throughout the work the researcher analyses environmental philosophies including anthropocentrism, biocentrism and ecocentrism. This phenomenon does not only pose responsibility to the government but also to private individuals or companies in their operations in order not to leave burdens to the shoulders of future generations. This ideology was not well ensured in the free-market economy and regional autonomy as the proliferated regulations were not …

Faunistic Study Of Some Fouling Species Associated With Pearl Oysters, Including A New Record For The Egyptian Mediterranean Sea, Khaled M. Abdelsalam, Noha H. Elebiary

Blue Economy

The objective of this study is to redescribe four marine fouling species on Al Dhahab Island in front of Miyami Beach, Alexandria, that are associated with the pearl oyster Pinctada radiata (Leach, 1814). During June 2021, eighteen shells of P. radiata oysters were collected by scuba diving. Analyzed fouling communities revealed that a total of 106 taxa were associated with the studied shells, among these two polychaetes (Lepidonotus carinulatus and Eurysyllis tuberculata), one bivalve (Septifer cumingii), and one isopod (Munna sp.) were recorded. The fourth species, identified as Uromunna petiti (Amar, 1948), constitutes a new record for the Egyptian Mediterranean …

‘Heimat’—More Than A Sense Of Home: Reviving A Medieval Concept For Communication Research, Holger Schramm, Nicole Liebers, Priska Breves

Communication Research Trends

No abstract provided.

Benchmarking Spatial Co-Localization Methods For Single-Cell Multiplex Imaging Data With Applications To High-Grade Serous Ovarian And Triple Negative Breast Cancer., Alex C. Soupir, Ishaan V. Gadiyar, Bryan R. Helm, Coleman R. Harris, Simon N. Vandekar, Lauren C. Peres, Robert J. Coffey, Julia Wrobel, Siyuan Ma, Brooke L. Fridley

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Single-cell multiplex imaging (scMI) measures cell locations and phenotypes within a tissue and can be used to understand the tumor microenvironment. In scMI studies, it is often of interest to quantify spatial co-localization of immune cells and its association with clinical outcomes; however, it remains unknown which of the many available spatial indices have adequate power to detect spatial within-sample co-localization and its association with patient outcomes, such as survival. In this study, the performance of six frequentist metrics of spatial co-localization used in scMI studies were evaluated. Simulated data was used to assess the power and type I error …

A Proposed Mhealth Intervention To Address Patient Barriers To Colposcopy Attendance: Qualitative Interview Study Of Clinic Staff And Patient Perspectives, Jennifer Hemler, Rachel Wagner, Brittany Sullivan, Myneka Macenat, Erin Tagai, Jazmarie Vega, Enrique Hernandez, Suzanne Miller, Kuang-Yi Wen, Charletta Ayers, Mark Einstein, Shawna Hudson, Racquel Kohler

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer disparities persist among minoritized women due to infrequent screening and poor follow-up. Structural and psychosocial barriers to following up with colposcopy are problematic for minoritized women. Evidence-based interventions using patient navigation and tailored telephone counseling, including the Tailored Communication for Cervical Cancer Risk (TC3), have modestly improved colposcopy attendance. However, the efficacious TC3 intervention is human resource-intense and could have greater reach if adapted for mobile health, which increases convenience and access to health information.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe feedback from clinic staff members involved in colposcopy processes and patients referred for colposcopy regarding adaptions …

Changes In Vertical Stratification Of Neotropical Nymphalid Butterflies At Forest Edges Are Not Directly Caused By Light And Temperature Conditions, Brian K. Oye, Ryan I. Hill

Pacific Faculty Work

Habitat fragmentation and land use changes threaten neotropical habitats and alter patterns of diversity at forest edges. Like other arthropod assemblages, neotropical fruit-feeding butterfly communities show strong vertical stratification within forests, with some recent work showing its potential role in speciation. At forest edges, species considered to be forest canopy specialists have been observed descending to the forest understory, with the similarity in light conditions between the canopy and understory strata at edges hypothesized to be responsible for this phenomenon. We conducted a study using standardized sampling to document and quantify this edge effect, characterize edge and forest strata, and …

Geospatial Analysis Of Social Variables Of The Health Opportunity Index And Stroke Prevalence In Health And Human Services Region 3, Wanderimam R. Tuktur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparities exist in stroke prevalence and outcome. There is sparsity of ecological studies at the census tract level that elucidate neighborhood predictors of stroke prevalence in states across U.S. Health and Human Services Region 3 (HHS Region 3: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia). This study was conducted to explore the geospatial relationship between the 13 indicators of the Health Opportunity Index (HOI) and stroke prevalence at the census tract level in HHS Region 3 using four HOI indicator profiles: (a) neighborhood and built environment profile, (b) social and community context profile, (c) resource profile, …

The Continuing Search For A Better Mouse Trap: Two Tests Of A Practical, Low-Cost Camera Trap For Detecting And Observing Small Mammals, Raymond D. Dueser, John H. Porter, Nancy D. Moncrief

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The advent of digital wildlife cameras has led to a dramatic increase in the use of camera traps for mammalian biodiversity surveys, ecological studies and occupancy analyses. For cryptic mammals such as mice and shrews, whose small sizes pose many challenges for unconstrained digital photography, use of camera traps remains relatively infrequent. Here we use a practical, low-cost small mammal camera platform (the “MouseCam”) that is easy and inexpensive to fabricate and deploy and requires little maintenance beyond camera service. We tested the MouseCam in two applications: a study of small mammal species composition on two transects across a barrier …