Digital Commons Network^™

"You Need To Make The Decision You Can Live With": An Observational Study Of Anti-Abortion Centers In Tampa Bay, Anna Broich

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Anti-Abortion Centers (AACs) pose a grave threat to the reproductive health outcomes of Americans. Disguising themselves as licensed health clinics, AACs target vulnerable communities to prevent or delay abortion care through the spread of medical misinformation, contributing to abortion stigmatization. Situated in a state with a near-total abortion ban, this secret-shopper study aimed to understand the ways in which AACs in Tampa, Florida communicate anti-abortion rhetoric to pregnant people seeking abortions. Under the guise of people who suspect they are pregnant searching for abortion care, the main researcher and her assistants conducted the first phase of the study through 25 …

Recovery Of A Fly, A Louse, And Mites From A Rotting Ovenbird (Seiurus Aurocapilla) Carcass, Lawrence Hribar

Florida Field Naturalist

No abstract provided.

The Factors Affecting The Distribution Of Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpions) In Iran, Hassan Nasirian

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: The distribution of scorpions is influenced by various factors that determine their presence and abundance in different regions. Understanding these factors is crucial for comprehending scorpion ecology and predicting their potential impact on ecosystems. Objective: These subtopics aim to provide an overview of the distribution of scorpions within Iran and the factors affecting their distribution, highlighting their ecological preferences and adaptations to different regions.

Methods: Forty-nine documents were collected from well-known indexing services, including Elsevier, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Springer, and Web of Science. After carefully studying the documents, they were classified into specific topics and discussed.

Results: …

Indigenous Cultural Healing In The Pacific Northwest: The Columbia River Tribes And The Potential Return Of The Falls, Cj Senn

University Honors Theses

This thesis examines the historical, cultural, and ecological significance of Celilo Falls (Wyam), a once-sacred Indigenous site on the Columbia River, and the profound impacts of its submergence by The Dalles Dam in 1957. It looks into the history of the area as well as the potential for a return of the falls in the future. Drawing from a mixed-methods approach that includes a systematic literature review and qualitative interviews with Indigenous scholars, elders, and community members, the study explores how the loss of Celilo Falls disrupted Indigenous governance, economies, and spiritual practices. It further investigates how Celilo continues to …

Analyzing Human - Nonhuman Primate Conflict Mitigation Techniques In Mto Wa Mbu, Northern Tanzania, Lil Adams

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Human-wildlife conflict is a widespread challenge faced by those living in regular contact with wildlife that can have profound impacts on livelihood outcomes for humans, wildlife, and their shared environment (Barua et al., 2013; Blackie, 2023). Human – non-human primate conflict is particularly crucial due to primates’ high capacity to live among human populations (Chapman & Chapman, 1990; Alberts & Altmann, 2006; Reader et al., 2011; Sinha & Vijayakrishnan, 2017), and is currently on the rise due to increasing contact between human and non-human primates (Hockings, 2016; Uddin et al., 2020). To characterize and analyze techniques currently being used to …

Irish Environmental Humanities, Emily Reiff

James Joyce Literary Supplement

No abstract provided.

Political Ecologies Of The Livestock Industry, Jecca Bowen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the United States today, livestock production is dominated by an intensified, industrialized production paradigm whose growth in recent decades has utterly transformed the logistical realities and community impacts of animal agriculture. This dissertation investigates the effects of this production paradigm on livestock producers—whose decision-making is shaped by multi-scalar and often contradictory forces—as well as residents living near these large operations. To do so, I draw upon mixed-methods fieldwork, including in-depth interviews, spatial analysis, and field odor measurements in Weld and Morgan Counties in northern Colorado. I also use political ecologies of emotion, embodiment, and health to examine the complex …

Anthropogenic Litter In Freshwater Ecosystems: Effect On Ecosystem Processes And Spatial Distribution, Emily Johnson

Master's Theses

The rapid increase of plastic production and disposal into the environment has resulted in anthropogenic litter (i.e., trash; AL) becoming a global problem. In aquatic ecosystems, macro- and microplastics are long-lived, mobile, and interact with the physical and chemical components of aquatic ecosystems. Our objectives were to: (1) assess the impact of microplastic pollution on the ecosystem processes of ecosystem metabolism and N2 flux in an oligotrophic lake and (2) to assess the abundance and assemblage of anthropogenic litter in a large urban river. For objective (1), we added microplastics at a range of concentrations to littoral mesocosms. Ecosystem metabolism …

Race To The Bottom: Is Seabed Mining Worth The Cost?, Linda Nhon

GNSI Publications

There is a recent resurgence in seabed mining, particularly in the potential excavation of polymetallic nodules (PMN) for cobalt, nickel, and copper in response to the tight competition for critical minerals between the United States and China. From the 1970s to the 1980s, increased government funding in the seabed mining industry sparked a surge of academic research and international collaboration in deep-ocean exploration. Although not the sole driver of this ballooning interest, Project Azorian—the CIA’s audacious mission aboard the Glomar Explorer to recover the sunken Soviet nuclear submarine K-129—was undeniably catalytic in generating enthusiasm. Purportedly constructed by the aviation mogul …

How Does Climate Change Affect The Bird Migration Season And Number Of Bird Strikes?, Moe Myint Paing Soe, Justin Yan Yu Koh, Hong Kai Immanuel Quek, Fonzie Rey Raymundo Torres

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

While it is wildly accepted that climate change has led to a shift in bird migration seasons and patterns, how does this change affect the occurrence of strikes between birds and aircraft? Analysing bird strike data from the FAA's Wildlife Strike Database and average annual temperature variations in the United States, we seek to find out if climate change has had an impact on bird strikes between 1990 and 2015 using multiple linear regression. Understanding the wider effects of climate change on the daily operation of aircraft would highlight if there were a need to update wildlife hazard management methods, …

Thinking About Complexity In Latin America: Contributions Of Neutrosophy In Dialogue With Edgar Morin, Noel Batista-Hernández, Maikel Yelandi Leyva-Vázquez, Alenna Rosa Batista-Barallobre

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Smarandache’s neutrosophic logic—and its broader philosophical umbrella of MultiAlism, which insists that any assertion must be considered together with its neutral and anti-assertive counterparts—offers powerful methodological tools to operationalize Edgar Morin’s complexity thinking. While Morin contributes the principles of dialogic, recursiveness and the hologrammatic approach, his continental framework can be difficult to apply empirically. Neutrosophy and MultiAlism formalize contradiction, uncertainty and multidimensionality, thereby bridging theory and practice. In Latin America, where complexity thinking is widely adopted to address realities marked by inequality and instability, this integration enables rigorous modelling of non-linear phenomena. Applications such as Neutrosophic QCA (NsQCA), Neutrosophic Cognitive …

The Distribution Of The Pentatomoidea In The Northeastern Quarter Of The United States (Hemiptera), J. E. Mcpherson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

The distributions of the pentatomoids occurring in the northeastern quarter of the United States as listed by Van Duzee in 1917 are updated.

Deprivation And Family-Level Determinants For Paediatric Dental Extractions Under General Anaesthetic: An Ecological Study, Joelle Booth, Martha Paisi, Robert Witton, Robert Nelder, G J Melendez-Torres

Peninsula Dental School

Introduction Extraction of carious teeth is one of the most common reasons children in England are admitted to hospital.Aims To identify whether the Index Of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and family-level determinants are associated with the number of children requiring dental extractions under general anaesthetic (DGA) and the number of teeth extracted. A secondary aim was to determine whether family-level associations provide additional insight into DGA beyond the IMD alone.Methods An ecological analysis was conducted using service provider data (made available by Plymouth City Council) on the number of children (aged 0-16 years) who had a DGA and the number of …

Short Communication: Multiscale Topographic Complexity Analysis With Pytopocomplexity, L. S.-H. Lai, Adam Booth, A. R. Duvall, E. Herzig

Geology Faculty Publications and Presentations

TopoComplexity is a Python package designed for efficient and customizable quantification of topographic complexity using four advanced methods: two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform analysis, fractal dimension estimation, rugosity index, and terrain position index calculations. This package addresses the lack of open-source software for these advanced terrain analysis techniques essential for modern geomorphology and geohazard research, enhancing data comparison and reproducibility. By assessing topographic complexity across multiple spatial scales, pyTopoComplexity allows users to identify characteristic morphological scales of studied landforms. The software repository also includes a Jupyter Notebook that integrates components from the surface-process modeling platform Landlab (Hobley et al., 2017), facilitating …

When Trees Disappear: Understory Successional Implications Of Sudden Oak Death And High-Severity Wildfire In Big Sur, California, Sam J. Balthazard

Master's Theses

The rapidly emerging disease sudden oak death, caused by the non-native pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, is transforming coastal California forests by driving extensive mortality of tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus) and increasing fire severity. As a novel disturbance, sudden oak death and its interaction with wildfire may catalyze unexpected shifts in successional trajectories and reconfigure forest understory communities. Furthermore, how tanoak influences the forest understory and how its decline might reshape understory dynamics remain poorly understood. We hypothesize that disease alone and the compounding disturbances of disease and wildfire alter successional dynamics, and that the potential functional extinction of N. …

Comparing The Effectiveness Of Low Impact Image Analysis To Traditional Vegetation Sampling In A Branford Marsh, Peter T. Porrello

Master's Theses

The growing need for non-intrusive research methods has led to a surge in passive data collection, such as audio recorders, data loggers, and camera traps, in the ecological field. This improves the capacity to observe fragile habitats without causing any harm and gives researchers new perspectives on the natural world. A non-invasive cable camera system is suggested as a means of gathering data to lessen these ecological disruptions. By taking images of the salt marsh's surface, this technique will minimize plant destruction and lower CO2 emissions brought on by foot traffic through the marsh, whilst producing data that is on …

Assessment Of Contextualized Reinforcement Pathology In A Community Sample Of Young Adult Substance Users, Ángel García-Pérez, Alba González-Roz, Roberto Secades-Villa, Gema Aonso-Diego, Sara Weidberg, Jin H Yoon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis are the most commonly used substances among young populations, often leading to polysubstance use, which correlates with problematic consumption and adverse health outcomes. The contextualized reinforcer pathology (CRP) model explains addictive behaviors through several constructs, including the following: drug demand, delay discounting (DD), and substance-free and substance-related reinforcement. Most previous studies have focused on a single CRP construct and the couse of only two substances. This study aimed to characterize three subgroups of young adults reporting past month use of alcohol only, alcohol + tobacco or cannabis, and alcohol + tobacco + cannabis, in terms …

Developmental Lead Exposure And Aggression In Male Rats: Influences Of Maternal Care And Environmental Enrichment, Shamaila Zafar, Courtney K. Williams, Jaehyun Joo, Blanca E. Himes, Jay S. Schneider

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Developmental lead (Pb) exposure results in a variety of cognitive deficits and behavioral issues including increased antisocial behavior and aggression. This study investigated the effect of developmental Pb exposure on aggression and violent behavior in male rats and the potential modulatory influences of quality of maternal care and enriched/non-enriched housing conditions. Long-Evans male rats with or without Pb exposure (perinatal or early postnatal) from low or high maternal care mothers (based on amounts of licking/grooming and arched- back nursing) were randomly assigned to live in enriched or non-enriched environments at weaning. At post- natal day 120–190, offensive aggression was assessed …

Poa Annua Ecology, Biology, And Integrated Weed Management Practices In Turfgrass, David Ervin

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Poa annua L. is one of the most widespread and troublesome weeds of turfgrass. It persists as both an annual and perennial and is adaptable to almost any static maintenance regime, including adaptation to mowing heights and evolution of herbicide resistance. This management guide is intended to provide stakeholders with a summary of new and existing knowledge on integrated Poa annua management. Here we review the basic biology and ecology, as well as practical integrated weed management (IWM) strategies developed for its control.

Spatiotemporal Association Of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases And Deaths With Exposure To Wildfire Particulate Matter In 2020, Thomas C Mchale, David R Boulware, Kelly Searle, Leda Kobziar, Phinehas Lampman, Julio C Zuniga-Moya, Ben Papadopoulos, Andrej Spec, Naomi E Hauser, George R Thompson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Climate change is anticipated to have profound effects on human health, including in infectious diseases. Wildfires have been increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change and have been linked to worsening respiratory disease outcomes. We aimed to demonstrate whether there was an association between wildfire smoke and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in California during 2020.

METHODS: We used an ecologic cohort study with a spatial autoregressive model to test for associations between wildfire smoke, measured as particulate matter < 2.5 µg/m

RESULTS: In an adjusted analysis, we found a 1-month lag increase of 203 COVID-19 cases per 10 000 persons …

Rooted In Learning: Eco-Art Pedagogy And Place-Based Learning, Emily Van Heusen

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the integration of eco-art pedagogy and place-based learning (PBL) in secondary art education, investigating how these approaches help develop artistic practices and deepen environmental awareness among high school students. The study focuses on the implementation of a 4-week curriculum at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence, Rhode Island. This research examines how art making and place-specific learning contribute to local environmental investment, personal connection and environmental engagement. Using a mixed-method approach grounded in arts-based research (ABR) and teacher-research methodology, this study analyzes teen-created artworks, sketchbook and journal reflections, and researcher personal reflections and field notes. The research …

The Industrial Hemp Supply Chain Solution, Honovi C. Trudell Sir

Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Realistically solving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals utilizing an Industrial Hemp supply chain with economy to scale to replace petroleum based plastics and permanently offset carbon emissions produced from other continuously produced hazardous waste.

Diversity And Activity Of Ground-Dwelling Spiders (Araneae) In Four Sub-Communities In A Degraded Oak Woodland At The Chicago Botanic Garden, Cook County, Illinois, James F. Steffen, Michael L. Draney

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ground-dwelling spiders were sampled using pitfall traps over a twelve-month period from four sub-communities within a 40-ha oak woodland complex in northern Cook County, Illinois. Mesic and dry mesic oak woodland, mesic upland forest, buckthorn dominated mesic oak savanna and a mesic woodland control, where no restoration management is planned, were sampled. Fifty-five species within 44 genera and 18 families were trapped. The results suggest negative correlations between non-native spider abundance and spider species richness. Also, phenology of the various species indicates that a year-round inventory is necessary to adequately sample ground-dwelling spider assemblages. Possibilities of using Bathyphantes concolor (Wider) …

Simulation Of The Effects Of Stand Factors On Spruce Budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), W. P. Kemp, J. P. Nyrop, G. A. Simmons

The Great Lakes Entomologist

A model was developed to simulate the life history of instar-I through instar-I1 spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens). Particular emphasis was given to the redistribution phases during spring and fall and the factors affecting budworm survival. Analyses included the effects of aggregated stand types, temperature, cloud cover, open areas, and the species distribution, on redistribution mortality. Of those stand factors examined, open area and non-host percentages were the most important in regulating redistribution survival.

Candidate Interventions For Integrating Hypertension And Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Care In Primary Health Settings: Hearts 2.0 Phase 1, Andres Rosende, Mark D Huffman, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: HEARTS in the Americas is the regional adaptation of the WHO Global HEARTS Initiative, aimed at helping countries enhance hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk management in primary care settings. Its core implementation tool, the HEARTS Clinical Pathway, has been adopted by 28 countries. To improve the care of hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease (CKD), HEARTS 2.0 was developed as a three-phase process to integrate evidence-based interventions into a unified care pathway, ensuring consistency across fragmented guidelines. This paper focuses on Phase 1, highlighting targeted interventions to improve and update the HEARTS Clinical Pathway.

METHODS: First, the coordinating …

A Checklist Of Illinois Centipedes (Chilopoda), Gerald Summers, J. A. Beatty, Nanette Magnuson

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Records for 45 centipede species occurring in Illinois are given with a brief discussion of general habitat features and the effects of certain environmental factors on specific distribution patterns. The chilopod fauna of Illinois includes species from southeastern, western, and northern physiographic regions and represents a richer mixture of chilopod species than is found in any adjacent state.

Instar Head Widths, Individual Biomass, And Development Rate Of Forest Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma Disstria (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), At Two Densities In The Laboratory, Jocelyn M. Muggli, William E. Miller

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Two colonies of forest tent caterpillar were reared at different densities on trembling aspen foliage in an environment chamber programmed for natural temperatures. Based on direct observation of molting, both colonies underwent five instars which overlapped negligibly in head width. Instar head widths were relatively stable between colonies, but individual biomass was sensitive to the different densities. Instars 3-5 in the less dense colony were heavier than those of the more dense by factors of 1.3-1.9. Development to 10-20% of larvae spinning cocoons took 40 days in the less dense colony and 45 days in the more dense. Size of …

Discrimination Of Sprat Species (Clupeonella Spp.) In The Caspian Sea And The Sea Of Marmara Using Otolith Shape Analysis, Mohammad Reza Shariati, Mohammad Sadegh Alavi-Yeganeh, Mehdi Ghanbarifardi, Gülşah Saç, Müfi̇t Özuluğ, Erdoğan Çi̇çek

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study evaluates the discriminating power of sagittal otolith shape among three species of the genus Clupeonella endemic to the Caspian Sea (Clupeonella grimmi, Clupeonella caspia, and Clupeonella engrauliformis) and one species from the Sea of Marmara (Clupeonella Cultriventris). Identification of these species is challenging due to their morphological similarities, and the taxonomic validity of C. caspia and C. cultriventris remains ambiguous because of their resemblance. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were utilized to examine the morphological characteristics of otoliths. Stereomicroscope images were used to calculate six shape indices: rectangularity, roundness, ellipticity, circularity, aspect ratio, and form factor. The outline …

Pollinator Plant Communities Within Restored Montane Longleaf Pine Ecosystems, Hanen Van Rossem

Master's Theses

Historically the fire-dependent and biodiverse longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem was the dominant ecosystem of the Southeastern US. This ecosystem’s range was massively reduced due to land conversion and fire exclusion, causing the decline of many native species. Efforts to restore and protect longleaf pine stands are now ongoing with the goal of expanding habitat and refuge for threatened species. Differences in restoration practices and prior land use may influence the extent to which restored habitat patches can support pollinators and their plants. This study compared pollinator plant biodiversity between restored neighboring montane longleaf pine stands that differed in …

Sex, Skulls, And Selection: An Exploration Of Blakely Island's Deer Population And Their Ecology Through Genetic Sex Differentiation Of Juvenile Crania, Blair P. Graves

Honors Projects

As an isolated landmass with no natural predators, Blakely Island serves as an effective study site for the study of evolutionary factors relating to insular populations of large mammals. A disparity in the adult sex ratio of local deer has been observed, but the demographics of juveniles must still be ascertained through genetic methods. This study aims to further research concerning the development of a replicable and non-toxic procedure through which undergraduate students can identify the sex of numerous juvenile deer crania. Specifically, differing decalcification lengths, DNA extraction kit methods, and amelogenin primer sets were evaluated for relative success in …