Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Association Of Diurnal Temperature Range With Pediatric Influenza Hospitalization Rates In The United States, 2009 – 2019, Khang Duy Tran

Public Health Theses

Introduction: Climate change may have a negative impact on respiratory illnesses, such as influenza. Diurnal temperature range (DTR), an indicator of climate change, is the difference between the maximum and minimum temperature within a day or a week. As the climate warms, global DTR decreases, though there might be regions where DTR increases instead. Previous literature conducted in non-U.S. regions found both positive and negative associations between DTR and influenza infections. A group especially vulnerable to the effects of DTR are children less than 5 years of age due to their less-developed thermoregulation capability. This study thus aimed to explore …

Diversity, Phylogenetics And Life Cycles Of Diplostomoidean (Digenea: Diplostomoidea) Of The Upper Midwest, Jakson Martens

Theses and Dissertations

The superfamily Diplostomoidea Poirier, 1886 consists of a diverse, globally distributed group of parasitic flatworms parasitic as adults in reptiles, birds, mammals, and very rarely, fish. The superfamily Diplostomoidea has a tumultuous history full of genus synonymizations and resurrections. Currently, the superfamily consists of 39 genera parasitizing primarily piscivorous animals as adults to include birds, reptiles, and mammals. This group of parasitic worms remains a highly active area of research and has recently undergone several major systematic changes including the abandonment of a subfamily-based system. Additionally, the influx of data entries in GenBank has lead to confusing nomenclature and misidentifications …

Activity Patterns Of The Critically Endangered Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys Mawii), Cora Dyslin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Central American River Turtle (Dermatemys mawii) is native to southern Mexico, eastern Guatemala, and Belize and is primarily restricted to watersheds that drain into the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Hunting, both for personal consumption and market meat, has been the primary driver of declines, and the species is now classified as critically endangered. Results from past studies that have used netting and visual surveys to detect D. mawii suggest that the species is chiefly nocturnal. However, it is unclear to what extent the perception of nocturnality has been biased by the timing of survey efforts …

“Am I Sick Or Just Discarded?”: Psychiatry, Health Care Reform, And The Rise Of Geriatrics In America, 1931-1954, Sophie E. Edelstein

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

Between 1931 and 1941, the United States population over the age of sixty-five increased by over 35 percent. These individuals, however, did not receive increased support. Rather, American politicians and society at large labeled the elderly a ‘burden,’ and passed off their care to the overworked medical personnel of state and federal mental institutions. Sparked by clinical exposure to the influx of elderly patients to mental institutions, Massachusetts psychiatrist David Rothschild identified an erroneous assumption in care practices for senile patients. In many cases, physicians preemptively diagnosed those admitted to state and federal institutions with some form of senile dementia, …

Personality And Parental Care In The Corkwing Wrasse (Symphodus Melops), Benjamin Ellis

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Parental care in many species is a repeatable aspect of the behavioural phenotype, in some cases covarying with other behavioural traits within wider behavioural syndromes. It is well understood that in several freshwater fishes, recreational and commercial fisheries often (directly or indirectly) impact traits concerning parental care adversely, in some cases through selection on covarying behavioural traits. In contrast, studies on commercially fished marine species that exhibit parental care are scarce. The corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) is a marine fish with complex reproductive behaviour, with parental males exhibiting nest building and parental care behaviours. This species is also subject to …

A Biodiversity Survey Of The Soil Crusts Of The Geographically Isolated San Nicholas Island, California, Usa And Description Of Species In Three Genera (Atlanticothix, Pycnacronema, Konicacronema) Previously Restricted To Brazil Using A Polyphasic Approach To Cyanobacterial Taxonomy, Brian Jusko

Masters Theses

San Nicholas Island, California, USA is a geographically-isolated island that experiences a semiarid climate and exhibits significant topographic and geologic diversity. Access to the island is restricted to the public and, as a result, only one previous study has been done on the algal biodiversity of its biological soil crusts. The previous study used morphology as the sole basis of species identification, and it was the aim of this study to corroborate and expand upon the results by including molecular data. Using 16S rRNA and 16S–23S ITS sequences and phylogenetic analyses, a diverse set of taxa were identified and are …

Small Mammal Community Structure And Bait Preference In Missouri Prairie Patches, Sofia L. Orlando

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Ecological community studies provide insights on how species interact with biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem. Community assembly is dynamic and often mediated by stochastic processes or deterministic properties. Establishing patterns in community composition could help to predict the suitability of a patch, which is crucial in endangered ecosystems. Small mammals are a model indicator for community change as their populations experience perplexing fluctuations. Many mechanisms have been proposed to drive small mammal species composition, but inconsistencies in past studies warrant further investigation. A previous study on prairie patches in Missouri revealed that there was an unknown catalyst for …

Biodiversity Of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), Vectors Of Important Arboviral Diseases At Different Altitudes In The Central Part Of Iran, Azim Paksa, Mozaffar Vahedi, Saideh Yousefi, Nasrollah Saberi, Sara Rahimi, Masoumeh Amin

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Risk assessment and vector control programs rely on a comprehensive knowledge of mosquito diversity in different areas. The present study aims to evaluate mosquito biodiversity in different areas of Sirjan County, Kerman Province, as one of the most important economic zones of Iran. Totally 4538 mosquitoes representing 19 species and four genera were collected and identified. Results showed that Culiseta longiareolata and Culex quinquefacsiatus were constant, Culex destricola, Culex pusillus, Culex pipiens and Culex laticinctus were common and the other captured species were accidental species in Sirjan County. In this study, Aedes vittatus was recorded for the first time in …

Condition Factor And Length-Weight Relationships Evaluation Of 15 Oxynoemacheilus Species (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) From Iran, Atta Mouludi-Saleh, Soheil Eagderi, Erdoğan Çi̇çek, Edris Ghaderi

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between the length and weight (LWR) of 15 Oxynoemacheilus species i.e. Oxynoemacheilus bergianus, O. brandtii, O. chomanicus, O. euphraticus, O. elsae, O. frenatus, O. karunensis, O. kiabii, O. kurdistanicus, O. longipinnis, O. parvinae, O. persa, O. marunensis, O. zagrosensis, and O. zarzianus from Iranian inland waters. LWRs with high coefficients of determination were calculated for all species. The values of the slope parameter (b) ranged from 2.225 in O. brandtii to 3.575 in O. euphraticus. Fulton's condition factor (K$_{F}$) ranged from 0.673 in O. persa to 1.407 in O. kiabili …

Long-Term Prescription Opioid Use, Cancer Stage, And Economic Burden Among Older Cancer Survivors With Non-Cancer Chronic Pain Conditions, Rudi Safarudin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Opioids are commonly prescribed to treat pain conditions, which are highly prevalent among older adults (≥65 years). Recent evidence shows that opioids may have carcinogenic effects through immunosuppression and free-radical pathways, which could promote cancer growth. Two population-based studies have reported an association of opioid use with incident cancer. Many individuals with non-cancer chronic pain conditions (NCPCs) may use opioids for a long term. However, the association of long-term prescription opioid (LPO) use with cancer stage at diagnosis is still unknown. Furthermore, evidence suggests that individuals with cancer and pre-existing NCPCs may persistently use opioids, even in the absence of …

Exploring The Usage Of Acid Mine Drainage Sludge As A Soil Amendment For Reclaimed Mine Lands, Brady Watters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a form of water pollution generated when water and oxygen come into contact with sulfide minerals, forming metal ions, sulfuric acid, and sulphates in solution. AMD is characterized by its toxic metals content and low pH, both of which are an environmental concern. The treatment of AMD separates the contaminants into a high-water content sludge. This sludge is a pure waste product under current evaluation for alternative uses as well as improvements to storage and treatment processes. This thesis focused on analyzing the potential for AMD sludge to be used in recently reclaimed lands as …