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An Ecological And Physiological Assessment Of Feather Mite-Bird Symbioses, Kevin James Krajcir

Student Theses and Dissertations

Feather mites are ectosymbiotic arthropods that reside primarily on the wing and tail feathers of most birds. Despite our growing understanding of feather mite biology, previous studies of the nature of the feather mite-avian host relationship report mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism. Such inconsistencies are likely due to narrow study designs that fail to capture the possibility of context dependency in this interaction. To provide some clarity surrounding the nature of this symbiotic system, we explored how geographical, climatic, and ecological contexts relate to variation in feather mite abundance and how that abundance, consequently, associates with multiple metrics of host condition …

Designing Cemeteries For Personal Expressions In The San Francisco Bay Area, Jodwin Surio

Landscape Architecture Masters & Design Theses - Archive

Our country’s largest cities have become more racially and ethnically diverse than they were in 2010 (US News, 2020). Differences are present and yet, our cemeteries, originally catering to a predominantly Caucasian market (Sloane, 1991), remain Eurocentric in design (Jones, 2011). The purpose of this master’s design thesis is to determine the design principles and elements necessary for a cemetery that is transformed by the personal expressions exhibited by visitors after the day of burial. The study focuses specifically on cemeteries in the San Francisco Bay Area. The findings were used to develop a new kind of cemetery typology that …

Air Quality Impacts From Mineral Dust, Fireworks, And Urban Pollution Revealed By Trace Element Chemistry And Strontium Isotopes Ratios In The Wasatch Front, Utah, Usa, Micah J. Marcy

Theses and Dissertations

Airborne particulate matter (PM) in urban areas is derived from a combination of natural and anthropogenic sources. To identify PM sources and their effects on air quality, we collected PM using active filter samplers over a two-year period in the urban Wasatch Front, northern Utah, an area affected by multiple pollution sources. Filters from active samplers and other PM samples were analyzed for major and trace element concentrations and 87Sr/86Sr ratios. We identified wind-blown mineral dust from dry lake beds, winter inversions, and fireworks as primary PM sources affecting air quality in the Wasatch Front. Dust contributes Al, Be, Ca, …

Everyday Consumption In Twenty-First-Century Brazilian Fiction, Lígia Bezerra

Purdue Studies in Romance Literatures

Everyday Consumption in Twenty-First-Century Brazilian Fiction is the first in-depth study to map out the representation of consumption in contemporary Brazilian prose, highlighting how our interactions with commodities connect seemingly disconnected areas of everyday life, such as eating habits, the growth of prosperity theology, and ideas of success and failure. It is also the first text to provide a pluralistic perspective on the representation of consumption in this fiction that moves beyond the concern with aesthetic judgment of culture based on binaries such as good/bad or elevated/degraded that have largely informed criticism on this body of literary work. Current Brazilian …

Spatio-Temporal Changes In Vegetation In The Last Two Decades (2001–2020) In The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region, Yuan Zou, Wei Chen, Siliang Li, Tiejun Wang, Le Yu, Min Xu, Ramesh P. Singh, Cong-Qiang Liu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

In terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation is sensitive to climate change and human activities. Its spatial-temporal changes also affect the ecological and social environment. In this paper, we considered the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region to study the spatio-temporal vegetation patterns. The detailed analysis of a moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were carried out through the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Our results show a slow and tortuous upward trend in the average leaf area index (LAI) in the study region for the periods 2001–2020. Specifically, Beijing had the highest LAI value, with an average of 1.64 over twenty years, followed by Hebei (1.30) and …

‘Thus Says The Lady:’ Gender, Politics, And The Army Of Mary (1971-2007), Brittany N. Fugate

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses a group that was excommunicated from the Catholic church known as the Army of Mary. The group was founded in 1971 by a Quebec woman named Marie-Paule Giguère. The group formally excommunicated in 2007, which included a group of nuns from Hot Springs, Arkansas known as Our Lady of Charity and Refuge. This thesis will discuss the history of the group, what led to the excommunication of them, and examining how gender and politics both play a role in how the group was handled.

Distribution, Ecology, Morphology, And Status Of The Inyo Mountains Salamander (Batrachoseps Campi), Christopher J. Norment

Western North American Naturalist

Between 2009 and 2019, I studied the distribution and ecology of the Inyo Mountains salamander (IMS; Batrachoseps campi). The IMS is a rarely studied species endemic to the Inyo Mountains of California, and 1 of only 2 extant salamanders whose range is restricted to desert ecosystems. I found 2 new localities, increasing the documented localities to 21. I calculated a minimum convex polygon distributional range size of 458 km2 and estimated that in the Inyo Mountains there are ca. 15,200 linear meters of IMS riparian habitat, the most common habitat for the species. IMS occurred across an elevation gradient …

Social Capital And Mental Health Among Chinese Older Adults, Yuekang Li

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to develop our understanding of social capital by exploring the dimensions and profiles of social capital among Chinese older adults and the factors and health conditions associated with social capital in later life. The approach was secondary analyses of the China Family Panel Study (CFPS), a nationally representative survey of the Chinese population. It is the intent of this work to offer applicable guidance on policy and project design regarding health promotion for the aging population through social intervention. Aim 1 explores the dimensions and associative factors of social capital of Chinese older adults. It was found …

Macro Barriers To Business And Innovation In Developing Economies: Evidence From Egyptian, Moroccan, And Tunisian Smes, Nizar Becheikh, Mohammed Bouaddi

Faculty Journal Articles

Investing in knowledge and innovation is recognised as a key driver of economic growth in any country. This paper contributes to the thin literature on innovation determinants in developing economies by empirically examining the impact of macro-level obstacles to business on small and medium-sized enterprises’ innovations in three Arab countries, namely, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. While R&D emerged as the main factor that impacts positively and significantly the likelihood that firms innovate and succeed in producing a diverse set of product and process innovations, different combinations of other factors proved to affect innovation in each of the three countries.

Characterization Of Smoke Particles Toward Improved Remote Sensing Retrievals And Chemical Transport Modeling, Chenchong Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Wildfires increase in extent, intensity, and frequency across the globe over the recent decades. The uncontrolled fires trigger cascading effects on local ecosystems and the fire emissions pose a higher risk to air quality and climate. Wildfire emissions contain a variety of trace gases and particulate matters. The particle-phase emissions, especially those light-absorbing species including black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC), significantly affect the regional and global climate by modulating the radiative transfer phenomena in the atmosphere. A great discrepancy still exists between model- and observation-based estimates of aerosol-radiation interactions (ARI). The discrepancy is partially attributed to the mischaracterizations …

The Vulnerability Of A Poor Urban Neighborhood To Extreme Weather Disasters And The Role Of Ecosocial Work: The Case Of Tongja-Dong Jjokbang-Chon In Seoul, South Korea, Joonmo Kang

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

his study is an inquiry into the vulnerability of poor older adults living in the Tongja-dong jjokbang-chon, one of the last remaining informal settlements in Seoul, South Korea, to climate change-related disasters, particularly heat waves and cold waves; climate change’s impact on their livelihoods; and the role of social work in responding to these challenges. Even though the harsh living conditions and the sufferings of those living in jjokbang-chon residents during extreme weather is constantly highlighted in the media, there is a dearth of empirical research focusing on the vulnerabilities of marginalized communities living in jjokbang-chon to extreme weather and …

A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis To Explore Diabetes Self-Care Factors In A Rural Sample, Laurie Abbott, Lucinda Graven, Glenna Schluck, Jennifer Lemacks

Faculty Publications

Diabetes is a public health problem that requires management to avoid health sequelae. Little is known about the determinants that influence diabetes self-care activities among rural populations. The purpose of this analysis was to explore the relationships among diabetes self-care activities, diabetes knowledge, perceived diabetes self-management, diabetes fatalism, and social support among an underserved rural group in the southern United States. A diabetes health promotion program was tested during a cluster randomized trial that tested a disease risk reduction program among adults living with prediabetes and diabetes. A structural equation model was fit to test psychosocial factors that influence diabetes …

Road Traffic Accidents And Environmental Risk Factors In Erbil City, Hayman Mohammed Saeed Rashid, Kameran Hassan Ismail

Polytechnic Journal

Motorization has improved the lives of people and societies; these benefits have to go with a value. Though the number of lives lost in road accidents in high-income nations points to a downward style in recent decades, for many of the world's population, the liability of road-traffic injury in terms of social and economic costs is rising considerably. This study aims to determine the prevalence of the environmental factors associated with the outcomes in Erbil city. A community-based cross-sectional descriptive household visits survey study was carried out from March-November 2021 and was composed of 3743 individuals selected through a multi‐stage …

Assessing The Risk Of Land Subsidence In The Lower Limpopo River Basin, Mozambique With Remote Sensing, Gabriella Zuccolotto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Land subsidence is a threat to coastal cities around the world. In the lower Limpopo River Basin, the presence of compaction-prone alluvial sediments, groundwater use, and reports of saltwater intrusion suggest that subsidence could be occurring. Using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) from Sentinel-1, combined with in-situ sea level and river height measurements, this study aims to determine if land subsidence could contribute to increased saltwater intrusion. InSAR results indicate that subsidence in the lower Limpopo River valley has occurred at an average rate of -2.98 cm/yr based on data from the dry seasons (May to October) of 2017-2021. River …

Preliminary Analyses Of Population Structure In The Pennsylvania Population Of Ursus Americanus And Genetic Estimates Of Probability Of Identity, James Neugebauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pennsylvania black bear population are around 15,000 to 17,000 individuals with some of the largest hunter-harvested males in the county. Microsatellites are an important tool that provide insight into populations that can be used for monitoring, management decisions, and DNA testing for wildlife law enforcement through DNA matching. This study provides a preliminary analysis of population structure in Pennsylvania and determines the validity of using a panel of 8 microsatellite markers for forensic cases. 85 black bears from three geographic regions in Pennsylvania were sampled. This study identified an average expected heterozygosity of 0.794, P_ID of 3.2x10^-10, …

Weathering The Storm: Navigating Urban Ecologies Of Communication In Times Of Crisis, Austin Hestdalen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project explores cities as urban ecologies of communication in which crises emerge and are given significance within the dialogic relations cultivated among public actors attempting to make a living, together, within the shared historical-cultural contexts of everyday life. To describe cities as urban ecologies of communication is to describe them in terms of urban communication and its interdisciplinary foundations in the study of rhetoric, philosophy, planning, policy, architecture, sociology, geography, and media. The first chapter introduces the challenges of urban risk and crisis management within the complex ecologies of communication constituted by cities and reviews how ‘risk’ and ‘crisis’ …

The Effects Of Digital Game-Based Instruction On Knowledge Acquisition And Retention Of Genetics Content, Brinley Kantorski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Digital educational games have been a part of the educational landscape since the early 1970s. Since then, there has been a proliferation in the quantity, format, type, and quality of digital educational games available to classroom teachers. Despite this, the body of literature surrounding the effectiveness of these digital educational games remains highly fragmented and lacks unifying themes. While some literature exists to support the use of digital educational games in immediate knowledge acquisition, little research has been done on how digital educational games impact the retention of knowledge in the long term. As such, this study examines how the …

Using Heritage Sites At Bahariya Oasis On The Tourism Urban Development, Medhat Ahmed Shabaan Samra

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Throughout the tourism planning process for the Bahariya Oasis area, the current study aims to prepare this area to become an applicable model that converts the values of cultural heritage resources into economic values within the tourism industry and the establishment of tourism projects in this area. The Bahariya Oasis area is characterized by many Valuable regions that have not been included on the tourism map by the Egyptian government. To achieve those objectives, the researcher adopted the 'Analytic-Descriptive Approach', as it is suitable for this study throughout reviewing the literature related to the research subject, describing the current situation, …

Review Of: A Geography Of The Hutterites Of North America—Simon M. Evans, Royden Loewen

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Imagine a complex academic book without a subtitle: straightforward, lucid, accessible. These qualities describe Simon Evans’ final word on Hutterites of the western plains of Canada and the United States. It’s an historical geography, distinctive from the more numerous social scientific studies of the Hutterites. It methodically traces the dispersion of an 1870s Dakota settlement into Manitoba and Alberta during World War I, and then into Montana and Saskatchewan after World War II, with small representations in Washington State and British Columbia. Along the way, Evans deepens his analysis and interlaces theological consideration, demographic change, ecological intrusion, marketplace engagement, political …

Common Ground: An Examination Of Rural Planning And The Growing Amish Presence In Missouri, Krista Evans

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

How do rural communities in Missouri balance the potentially conflicting land use and economic planning needs between incoming and growing Amish populations and non-Amish populations? This qualitative research addresses a gap in the literature by examining the growing Amish population in rural America through the lens of community planning. A comparative case study was conducted in three Amish communities in Missouri and included interviews with public officials who engage in planning and planning-related tasks and an Amish leader at each case site. This project finds that Amish growth and expansion is resulting in both community conflicts and collaborative efforts in …

Social-Religious Change In The Church Of God In Christ, Mennonite: An Analysis Of Shifting Emphases In The 'Holdeman Church' Based On The Periodical Messenger Of Truth, Ronald Jantz

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This study examines cultural change within the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite (“Holdemans”). In this analysis, I contrast the religious culture of the Holdeman people with that of rural, middle America in order to understand the changes and the degree to which the Holdeman people have been assimilated into the prevailing rural culture. The Holdeman people live a form of Biblical Christianity in which decisions about both practical and spiritual matters are made by consulting the Scriptures. Yet, higher levels of income, more education, advanced technologies, and the transition from farming occupations to small businesses are all affecting both …

Title Page And Table Of Contents 10(1), Japas Editors

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

No abstract provided.

Neocolonialism In Cape Town: The Municipal Spatial Development Framework (Msdf) Through Critical Theory, Emily Dionne

Capstone Collection

Once the apartheid system in South Africa ended in the early 1990s, spatial planning in Cape Town needed to be reassessed to address its historically-racialized use. Led by city planners, this assessment resulted in the 1996 Municipal Spatial Development Framework (MSDF) Technical Report. Yet, there ended up being a disconnect between planning and implementation, and by the late 2000s, economic growth and development had largely remained in the historically-white areas of the city. Meanwhile, historically-Black neighborhoods and communities of color remained systemically neglected. In 2012, a new MSDF was approved to address the shortcomings of these efforts. While some integration …

Manual Of Sustainable Urban Practices Towards Long-Term Conservation, Haley Kilmer

Capstone Collection

This paper analyzes how urban living and design can be detrimental to the surrounding ecosystems and how it is directly affecting the biodiversity loss of an area. To answer this question, I first did extensive background research on urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss as it relates to urban ecosystems. Then, the public’s perceptions were collected through surveys and interviews in order to make meaningful suggestions in the construction of an interactive, biological corridor map. The results showed that increasing the biodiversity of an urban area can help to mitigate many of the common environmental challenges associated with living in …

Perspectives On Sustainability In Short-Term Faculty-Led Programs, Amanda Staton

Capstone Collection

Sustainability is a relatively new topic to the field of International Education. Despite this, its importance is tantamount for the continuation of the industry for future generations. The industry’s significant negative environmental impacts from international student mobility poses a real barrier to the continuation of the industry due to climate change. This research emerged due to the lack of existing research on sustainability in Study Abroad, especially short-term faculty-led programs, which are currently the most popular modality of Study Abroad. Short-term faculty-led programs currently hold a reputation in existing literature for being the most unsustainable form of Study Aboard with …

Strategies Of Adaptation And Coping To Climate Change Impacts Among Women Farmers In Guinayangan, Quezon, Philippines: A Life History And Comparative Approach, Miranda Salters

Capstone Collection

The unique struggles and needs of marginalized communities must be considered in a local context prior to addressing climate change mitigation on a global scale. The study uses life history interviews and focus group discussions to capture the challenges, diverse adaptation strategies, and coping mechanisms of women farmers from upland and coastal areas of Guinayangan, Quezon, Philippines. These perspectives may initiate advocacy efforts for increased support so that these agricultural livelihoods can continue to feed populations in the future, as climate change persists. Results suggest that both women from upland and coastal areas experience similar climate vulnerabilities, but the way …

Sustainable Avitourism On Curieuse Island In The Seychelles, Chesley Davis

Capstone Collection

In Seychelles, tourism is a vital part of the country’s overall economy. Increasingly, sustainable tourism is essential to conserve environments and wildlife, meet the needs of local communities and the state, and ensure the longevity of high-quality experiences for international visitors to the country. This project assesses sustainability of avitourism on Curieuse Island. The Seychelles has many endemic and pelagic birds that draw tourists from around the world, including the Seychelles Black Parrot, Seychelles Magpie Robin, and Seychelles Flycatcher. This is a mixed methods research project that entails bird biodiversity surveys, examination of birding databases, and personal observations. This study …

Digital Health Companies - Efforts To Innovate For Health Equity, Patricia Martell

Master's Projects and Capstones

INTRODUCTION: To achieve greater health equity, we should look to the ways in which digital technology can positively impact healthcare service and delivery. While there is an incredible opportunity to improve healthcare with digital technology, the potential to exacerbate existing health inequities also must be considered. One important and influential player in the healthcare ecosystem is the digital health innovator. These are companies looking to improve how healthcare is performed and delivered. It is imperative that while they respond to the market forces driving change, they also work to deliver products that can benefit everyone.

METHODS: A literature review was …

Modern Day Colonization: Gentrification As A Public Health Emergency And Its Impact On Health, Safety, And Wellbeing, Theresa Hayes

Master's Projects and Capstones

This paper analyzes the impact of gentrification in the San Francisco Bay Area, specifically in Oakland, and its relationship to the health and wellbeing of communities. It highlights the public health consequences of gentrification, presents recommendations for policies that will mitigate this impact, and encourages behavior change among newcomers as well as long-term residents. To provide an understanding of gentrification and the Bay Area landscape in which it occurs, a comprehensive literature review was conducted and an exhaustive web search was undertaken to obtain all pertinent information related to the topic. Based on the research, recommendations to combat gentrification now …

Hoffmeier's "The Prophets Of Israel: Walking The Ancient Paths" (Book Review), Karen Keesing

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.