Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Relationship Between Political Regime Type And Cancer Mortality, Jessica Estevez

Academic Festival

This paper aims to establish a relationship between political regime type and public health outcomes. Looking specifically at cancer mortality, I employed a mixed-methods research approach to examine a potential relationship. I hypothesized that there would be a strong relationship between cancer mortality rates and regime types showing that democratic regimes have better outcomes due to democratic countries prioritizing public health more than autocracies. Initially, the paper provides an overview of the global cancer burden and outlines the political regime types in Canada and Russia, juxtaposed with their respective freedom scores. I then conducted statistical analysis, including regression analysis, to …

Water Security And Justice: Community Pfas Exposure In Monongalia County, Selena A. Melendez, Ilan Rice, Grace Dever

Undergraduate Scholarship

Water security and justice is the right of all people to have reasonable access to clean and safe water. Pollution in the form of toxic discharge from various industries poses a significant risk to public and environmental health. Among these toxic pollutants are per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals” that compromise water quality in our communities. Despite the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 aimed at ensuring clean drinking water for WV, there is still an alarming pattern of neglect and injustice to communities related to race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, and language barriers . Non-compliance …

A Cold Laboratory Hyperspectral Imaging System To Map Grain Size And Ice Layer Distributions In Firn Cores, Ian E. Mcdowell, Kaitlin M. Keegan, S. Mckenzie Skiles, Christopher P. Donahue, Erich C. Osterberg, Robert L. Hawley, Hans-Peter Marshall

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are covered in a layer of porous firn. Knowledge of firn structure improves our understanding of ice sheet mass balance, supra- and englacial hydrology, and ice core paleoclimate records. While macroscale firn properties, such as firn density, are relatively easy to measure in the field or lab, more intensive measurements of microstructural properties are necessary to reduce uncertainty in remote sensing observations of mass balance, model meltwater infiltration, and constrain ice age – gas age differences in ice cores. Additionally, as the duration and extent of surface melting increases, refreezing meltwater will greatly alter …

Spectral Properties Of Wetlands In Michigan Using Remote Sensing To Identify And Classify Wetlands In Roscommon County, Michigan, Kolin Williamson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biological, geological, and physical. These are only a handful of the many environmental aspects that wetlands functions maintain and protect. Unfortunately, wetlands within the United States have been razed at an alarming rate. The State of Michigan has not gone through this unscathed either, loosing over 1000 acres of wetland a year. One of the most important tools to prevent this destruction are the maps and programs that show where these essential ecosystems are located. The current, federally-created maps and imaging software in use by environmental consultants and contractors may not be up to date which can pose challenges for …

Net Fluxes Of Broadband Shortwave And Photosynthetically Active Radiation Complement Ndvi And Near Infrared Reflectance Of Vegetation To Explain Gross Photosynthesis Variability Across Ecosystems And Climate, Kanishka Mallick, Joseph Verfaillie, Tianxin Wang, Ariane Arias Ortiz, Daphne Szutu, Koong Yi, Yanghui Kang, Robert Shortt, Tian Hu, Mauro Sulis, Zoltan Szantoi, Gilles Boulet, Joshua B. Fisher, Dennis Baldocchi

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

A significant challenge in global change research is understanding how vegetation interacts with the environment to influence ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP) through carbon assimilation. One emerging objective is to consistently predict GPP fluctuations worldwide by establishing a robust scaling relationship between GPP measured at flux towers and satellite spectral reflectance data. However, a major hurdle in achieving this goal is the discrepancy in spatial resolution between early satellite measurements and eddy flux measurements. By using a large set of growing season data covering 100 site-years in North and Central America, we explored the potential of transforming incident and reflected …

The Lived Experiences Of Immigrant Families Who Have A Child With A Disability: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Korin Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences for immigrant families in the United States who have a child with disabilities. The central question guiding this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study is: What is the lived experience of immigrant families who have a child with disabilities? The theory guiding this study is Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory as it provides a lens to examine the influence and impact the ecological systems have on immigrant families' perceptions of raising a child with disabilities. This study included ten participants who immigrated to the United States from around the world. Data was …

Welfare-Based Human Rights Diffusion In Global Social Policy: Examining An Extended Spiral Model To Survey Welfare Norms, Kendra L. Duran

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study addresses a gap in research concerning welfare-based human rights diffusion, rights that are also referred to as Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ESCR). This project finds that when states ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), global social policies are created, grow worldwide, and receive greater attention from advocacy organizations. Even so, it is not understood how global social policies affect a state’s compliance with its ICESCR commitment, nor how global social policies affect welfare-based human rights diffusion. Seeking to address this gap in theory and praxis, this research utilizes an extended case study …

Living A Better Story: The Lived Narrative Apologetic In The Book Of Acts, Cedric Lemar Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Is it possible to articulate an apologetic practice from the account of Luke-Acts, which is not among the current popular Christian apologetic practices within contemporary apologetic scholarship? Can one consider the narratives in this history of Acts as a description of apologetic methodology, a sort of a first Christian apologetic practice demonstrated by Jesus and then replicated by His disciples? The answer is yes. The historical work of Luke offers an early apologetic practice in which the story of Scripture, the narrative of God, witnessed incarnationally through the life of Jesus and continued by the early church. Like Scripture, the …

Early Forgiveness Intervention In Substance Abuse Recovery, Susan Janos

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent statistics have shown significant increases in substance abuse in the United Sates indicated by rising overdose deaths and hospital stays nationwide. This study was conducted to determine if early forgiveness intervention by chaplains and clergy affects the decisions of individuals struggling with substance abuse in considering forgiveness as a pathway to recovery. Based on the success of the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery program and recent studies, this research addressed forgiveness as a pathway to recovery for those struggling with substance abuse. Forgiveness was considered in one or more of five areas: forgiveness of self, forgiveness of others, forgiveness from …

The Shaffer Thesis Arthur Harvey Shaffer: American Founding History And History Education, C. C. Mathis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Historian Arthur Harvey Shaffer (1936-2002) argued that the post-Revolution historians created a New England-centric nationalist history perspective of the American founding. He further argued they established a model of nationalist American history education to instill a virtuous national character and ensure the stability of the new republic. Though current trends show an increasing number of scholars reassessing New England primacy in American colonial and revolutionary era histories, Shaffer’s historical perspective and pedagogy appears overlooked. Shaffer’s historical perspective and pedagogy can be integrated into a unique historical lens for insight into the link between American history scholarship, history education, and national …

Reinventing Holistic Healthcare: Pastoral Perspectives Of Biblical Insights For The American Healthcare System, Leanne Michelle Bergey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to examine pastoral perspectives of Biblical healthcare. These perspectives are essential to consider due to the long history of the connection between spirituality and healthcare and the church’s successful intervention worldwide for increasing healthcare outcomes. Since the church has been successful worldwide at creating faith-based organizations that meet community needs, it is vital that research focus on how churches might continue this success within the United States. This study used semi-structured interviews to examine the research questions of 1) What is the Biblical responsibility of healthcare? 2) How does culture influence the role …

A Mediation Analysis For Agency And Turnover Intentions: A Cross-Sectional Inquiry For Army Talent Management, Joshua P. Cowin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study contributed to theoretical and practical implications for retention. Targeting a population of mid-career soldiers in the United States Army, the predictor variable of interest was agency and its relationship with turnover intentions. The Army was a good candidate organization for this study because contemporary recruitment pressures and higher-than-average attrition rates place increasing importance on the effectiveness of organizational retention efforts. Accordingly, this study aligned research questions with a mediation model wherein agency influenced the relationships affective commitment, needs-supply fit, and career satisfaction held with turnover intentions. The hypotheses for this study were: (a) that agency significantly influenced turnover …

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Soil Quality Degradation And Emissions In The State Of Iowa (Usa), Elena A. Mikhailova, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman, Gregory C. Post

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The concept of soil quality (SQ) is defined as the soil's capacity to function, which is commonly assessed at the field scale. Soil quality is composed of inherent (soil suitability) and dynamic (soil health, SH) SQ, which can also be analyzed using geospatial tools as a SQ continuum (SQC). This study proposes an innovative spatiotemporal analysis of SQ degradation and emissions from land developments using the state of Iowa (IA) in the United States of America (USA) as a case study. The SQ degradation was linked to anthropogenic soil (SD) and land degradation (LD) in the state. More than 88% …

Stem Smart Goal Planning For Elementary Educators In Rural North Texas: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Katherine Marie Mccandless

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of educators setting pre-STEMs SMART goals and implementation at the elementary classroom level in rural North Texas districts. The pre-STEM areas are important to develop and intervene early as they are foundational building blocks later to STEM education and professional opportunities for the rural population. The study's central research question was: What are the experiences of elementary educators in planning STEM SMART goals? The theory guiding the study is Locke's goal-setting theory (1968), based on his five tenets. The tenets of Locke's theory were used to guide …

Social Isolation In Older Adults: A Qualitative Study, Jacqueline M. Rich

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Population aging is a worldwide trend linked to scientific developments such as vaccinations and medical advancements, including improvements in cancer treatment and a lower fertility rate than experienced by previous generations. This phenomenon is poised to instigate one of the biggest social revolutions of the twenty-first century. The consequences of an aging population affect housing, transportation, labor markets, and the demand for goods and services. It also influences interpersonal relationships, including family structures and friendships. This upward drift of improved longevity increases the possibility of developing physical and psychological ailments that can contribute to lifestyle changes and subsequently increase the …

The Geodynamic Significance Of Continental Uhp Exhumation: New Constraints From The Tso Morari Complex, Nw Himalaya, Anna K. Bidgood, Andrew J. Parsons, Nick M.W. Roberts, Dave Waters, Simon Tapster, Phillip Gopon

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The burial and exhumation of continental crust to and from ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) is an important orogenic process, often interpreted with respect to the onset and/or subduction dynamics of continent-continent collision. Here, we investigate the timing and significance of UHP metamorphism and exhumation of the Tso Morari complex, North-West Himalaya. We present new petrochronological analyses of mafic eclogites and their host-rock gneisses, combining U-Pb zircon, rutile and xenotime geochronology (high-precision CA-ID-TIMS and high-spatial resolution LA-ICP-MS), garnet element maps, and petrographic observations. Zircon from mafic eclogite have a CA-ID-TIMS age of 46.91 ± 0.07 Ma, with REE profiles indicative of growth at …

Characteristic Of Dual Polarization Sentinel-1 For Estimation Of Seawater Intrusion On Kalianda Coast, South Lampung: A Preliminary Study, Choirunnisa Salsabila, Mochamad Firman Ghazali, Ananda Dermawan, Lauditta Zahra, Ni Made Mega Melliana, Mila Aulia

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Seawater intrusion can increase soil salinity, which occurs due to flooding, evaporation, and land cover changes in coastal areas. This research aims to map and observe the characteristics of seawater intrusion in Way Urang, Kalianda, South Lampung, using Dual-polarization of Sentinel-1 SAR imagery with VV, VH, VV+VH, and (VV+VH)/2 polarization. There were 28 samples used in this research which were divided into two types, GCP (ground control point) and ICP (independent check point). GCP samples are used to create a seawater intrusion estimation model using the regression method, while ICP samples are used to test the validation model using the …

The Men Who Could Speak Japanese: The Navy Japanese Language School At Boulder, Colorado (1942-1946) And The Legacy Of World War Ii Japanese-Language Officers, Katherine White

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

On their last day of class at the US Navy Japanese Language School (USNJLS or JLS), Captain Roger Pineau and his fellow classmates waited in a room on the second floor of the University of Colorado library. They had spent the last eleven months immersed in a rigorous study of the Japanese language, and today their teachers had promised a sample of what they would experience as Japanese-language officers in the Pacific War. The six students sat intently as their conversation sensei (teacher) entered the classroom, removed a Japanese newspaper from his briefcase, placed his pocket watch on the table, …

143 Wing (Rcaf) Typhoons Over Normandy: Some Operational, Geographical And Archaeological Perspectives, David G. Passmore, David Capps-Tunwell

Canadian Military History

This article presents the first attempt to conduct a geographical analysis of every air-to-ground attack conducted by a tactical fighter-bomber wing over the period 1 May–31 August 1944 in support of Operation Overlord. Ninety-five per cent of the 606 attacks made by 143 Wing Typhoons on single or multiple targets can be resolved to a map reference or place name, and their chronology and distribution reveal new insights into the Wing’s operational history. Commemorative and heritage perspectives are also highlighted for attacks on targets in woodland settings where archaeological survey of bomb craters can be linked to specific raids.

From Marginalization To National Sensation: The Phenomenon Of Disability In Victorian Popular Culture, Mary O'Callaghan

Undergraduate Library Research Awards

No abstract provided.

Analyzing Land Suitability For Industrial Areas In Pekanbaru City Using The Smce Method And Geographical Information Systems, Siti Aisyah, Muhammad Dimyati

Jurnal Geografi Lingkungan Tropik (Journal of Geography of Tropical Environments)

Domestic industrial growth continues to increase in line with population growth and the development of new areas, both in the city center and on the outskirts of the city. The location of Riau Province, which is close to Malaysia and Singapore, makes it an attractive investment destination, supported by Riau's abundant natural resources. Pekanbaru City, as the capital of Riau Province, consisting of 12 regencies/cities, serves as the center of government and economy. Among the 27 integrated industrial estates, there are two locations in Riau Province determined by the central government in the 2020-2024 RPJMN, namely Tanjung Buton in Siak …

The Indiana Statesman, April 25, 2024, Indiana State University

Student Newspaper

Terre Haute celebrates Earth Day; USDA to limit added sugars in school meals; Garcia goes to Germany: ISU student awarded Fulbright; Supply chain students win case competition along with $1,000

Mapping The Boy Scouts In Central Minnesota, Michael Oehler

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The purpose of this project is to display important information about the local Boy Scouts of America in a simple and easy to understand format. It is primarily a map of units in the area, but also contains other important geographic data such as schools, school districts, and chartered partners in Central Minnesota. The map was built in ArcGIS Pro in cooperation with Gerry Granum of the BSA.

Mapping Racial Covenants In Stearns County, Mn, Jonathan D. Carlson

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Over the past year, CSB and SJU Honors students uncovered previously unknown racial covenants included in property deeds in Stearns county. Racial covenants prevent people of certain races from owning or occupying property, thus creating segregated neighborhoods. The Great River Covenants Project (https://greatrivercovenants.org/) was created to educate the public about this work. Using Geographic Information Systems, I created maps to show the location of the covenants and when they appeared in neighborhoods through the decades of 1920 to 1960.

Vista: April 25, 2024, University Of San Diego

USD Vista (1965-)

No abstract provided.

Annual Graduate Faculty Meeting [Program], April 25, 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

Annual Graduate Faculty Meeting & Awards Ceremony Programs

No abstract provided.

Before The Dam Breaks: How Transparency In Negotiations Influence The Outcome Of Large Scale Hydroelectric Projects, Merrick Adams

Symposium on Research and Creative Expression (SORCE)

The negotiation phase of hydroelectric dam development is vital to ensuring a satisfying outcome for most people, but those who will be affected are often left out of this process, resulting in human rights violations and wasted resources. Organizations that attempt to moderate these negotiations and make them more equitable often fail to insulate themselves from the influence of private industries and governments, which results in policy outcomes that are highly unpopular. Given the increasing demand for hydroelectric power, it is clear that a more just and independent negotiation process is necessary to avoid human rights violations and improve efficiency. …

Trade And Flow Of Value In Global Value Chains, Peijie Wang, Zhiyuan Liu

Plymouth Business School

This paper examines flow of value that goes with trade flows in global value chains (GVCs) by a residence-based domestic value-added trade measure. Accordingly, the paper puts forward a concept of residence-based domestic value-added exports from activity domains and develops a corresponding trade measure. Export activities of G20 economies are scrutinized empirically, with which sizeable differences are observed between figures in the proposed residence-based domestic value-added trade measure and the conventional domestic value-added trade measure. This calls for new measures, to which the present study responds. It has been demonstrated that the developed G20 gains persistently in residence-based domestic value-added …

In Deep Water: Understanding West Virginia’S Flooding Crisis, Molly Hardy, Chelsea Kline, Kennedy Lawson

CRC Research Symposium

Flooding has impacted all 55 counties in West Virginia (WV), resulting in 27 federally declared disasters between 1996 and 2017. Over the past 52 years, more than 282 West Virginians have lost their lives due to floods. From 2010 to 2021 alone, the state experienced over 1,600 flood events. A state flood protection plan is in place, but it has been updated once since 2004. Despite this, flooding remains the most prevalent and widespread disaster in WV—one that is growing more frequent and severe due to the accelerating effects of climate change.

To better understand the issue, we conducted a …

Second April 2024 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.