Digital Commons Network^™

How Might Ecologists Make The World Safe For Biodiversity Without Getting Fired?, David Johns

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

This essay raises the following questions: What if conservation success depends less on speaking truth to power than on organizing a political force that can bring more pressure to bear on decision makers than their opponents? But what if natural scientists, by virtue of their knowledge, passion, commitment, are pretty much the only group that can be trusted with the fate of biodiversity and leading humankind out of their destructive ways? What if begging policy makers to do the right thing means barren oceans, the end of many species, and the end of wild places (not to mention a more …

Information And Employee Evaluation: Evidence From A Randomized Intervention In Public Schools, Jonah E. Rockoff, Douglas O. Staiger, Thomas J. Kane, Eric S. Taylor

Dartmouth Scholarship

We examine how employers learn about worker productivity in a randomized pilot experiment which provided objective estimates of teacher performance to school principals. We test several hypotheses that support a simple Bayesian learning model with imperfect information. First, the correlation between performance estimates and prior beliefs rises with more precise objective estimates and more precise subjective priors. Second, new information exerts greater influence on posterior beliefs when it is more precise and when priors are less precise. Employer learning affects job separation and productivity in schools, increasing turnover for teachers with low performance estimates and producing small test score improvements. …

Designbridge: Integrating Transportation Into Service Learning Design/Build Projects, Juli Brode, Nico Larco, John Roswell

TREC Final Reports

This proposal develops transportation-related projects through the work of designBridge. This active, student-based organization is composed of members from the University of Oregon’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts working cooperatively with participants from the UO’s Planning, Public Policy and Management, Landscape Architecture, Geography, and Art departments. The program provides an opportunity for students to gain valuable, real-world experience by encouraging them to explore significant design issues in the community, to seek appropriate solutions to transportation problems, and to develop professional skills. Students are engaged in all phases of the design and building process, from the first client meeting through …

The Influence Of Market Proximity On National Forest Hazardous Fuels Treatments, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Susan Charnley, Cassandra Moseley

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service's focus on hazardous fuels reduction has increased since the adoption of the National Fire Plan in 2001. However, appropriations for hazardous fuels reduction still lag behind wildfire suppression spending. Offsetting fuels treatment costs through biomass utilization or by using innovative administrative mechanisms such as stewardship contracting are two approaches to stretching appropriated dollars further across the landscape. We use fuels treatment data (n = 8,451 locations) to ask how wood- processing infrastructure influences where and how much hazardous fuels treatments, biomass utilization, and stewardship contracting occur on national forests in Oregon and Washington. …

Long-Term Integrated Studies Show Complex And Surprising Effects Of Climate Change In The Northern Hardwood Forest, Peter M. Groffman, Lindsay E. Rustad, Pamela H. Templer, John L. Campbell, Lynn M. Christenson, Nina K. Lany, Anne M. Socci, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Paul G. Schaberg, Geoffrey W. Wilson, Charles T. Driscoll, Timothy J. Fahey, Melany C. Fisk, Christine L. Goodale, Mark B. Green, Steven P. Hamburg, Chris E. Johnson, Mryon J. Mitchell, Jennifer L. Morse, Linda H. Pardo, Nicholas L. Rodenhouse

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evaluations of the local effects of global change are often confounded by the interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors that overshadow the effects of climate changes on ecosystems. Long-term watershed and natural elevation gradient studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest and in the surrounding region show surprising results demonstrating the effects of climate change on hydrologic variables (e.g., evapotranspiration, streamflow, soil moisture); the importance of changes in phenology on water, carbon, and nitrogen fluxes during critical seasonal transition periods; winter climate change effects on plant and animal community composition and ecosystem services; and the effects of anthropogenic disturbances and …

Chapter 11: Genome-Wide Association Studies, William S. Bush, Jason H. Moore

Dartmouth Scholarship

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have evolved over the last ten years into a powerful tool for investigating the genetic architecture of human disease. In this work, we review the key concepts underlying GWAS, including the architecture of common diseases, the structure of common human genetic variation, technologies for capturing genetic information, study designs, and the statistical methods used for data analysis. We also look forward to the future beyond GWAS.

Non-Attorney Social Security Disability Representatives And The Unauthorized Practice Of Law, Drew A. Swank

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

The label “non-attorney representative” is an oxymoron.  Attorneys—members of state bars who have specialized training in the law—represent people; laypersons who attempt to do so can be charged in most states with a misdemeanor or felony offense.  And yet before federal administrative agencies, it is a common, everyday occurrence.  This article not only explores why that is, but more importantly examines the consequences for both individuals and our federal administrative justice system.  Focusing on the Social Security Administration, this article examines how the agency has failed to implement the safeguards other agencies have to ensure the competency and ethics of …

Reinvigorating The 1l Curriculum: Sequenced “Writing Across The Curriculum” Assignments As The Foundation For Producing Practice-Ready Law Graduates, Suzanne J. Schmitz, Alice M. Noble-Allgire

Southern Illinois University Law Journal

Study after study lists written legal analysis as one of the most critical skills of a lawyer; yet it is often under-developed in the traditional law school curriculum.  This article describes an integrative, sequenced “Writing Across the Curriculum” (WAC) program to help first-year law students master legal analysis and writing by systematically developing these skills though writing assignments in doctrinal courses, thereby enhancing the instruction that students receive in the Lawyering Skills course. The article discusses the key components of the program—writing assignments sequenced to build skills incrementally from simple to complex; prompt and consistent feedback based upon a competency …

Race And The Criminal Justice System: A Study Of Racial Bias And Racial Injustice, Nicole C. Haug

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Comprehensive Study Of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, And Comparison, Per Maximilian Gasseholm

Social Sciences

Today complimentary medicine is being increasingly sought out. Ayurveda and TCM, are among the oldest systems of medicine and have been developed for over thousands of years in India and China respectively. This paper details the philosophies, medical theories, anatomy, diagnosis, and treatments of both of these systems, including a comparison. Both of these modalities of healing operate with a microcosm – macrocosm paradigm. This makes them fundamentally similar, and compatible with each other. Ayurveda uses Tridoshic theory to apply treatments ranging from diet, massage, meditation, yoga among other therapies to bring Vata, Pitta, and Kapha into balance. TCM is …

Climate Change And The Spread Of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Courtney B. Reed

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Cross-Cultural Cannibalism Throughout Human History, Melissa Cochran

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Examining Social Media Use In Fashion: The Need For Industry Standards, Hillary Preece

Journalism

Social media is an evolving platform used by the fashion industry to generate discussion, brand recognition, and improve consumer relations through interactivity and networking. The following study examines the current uses and standards of industry professionals regarding the different social media platforms to determine effective practice. The innovative new instruments in public relations strategy provide key benefits and widespread impact for users, designers, firms and publications that are transforming relationships and brands in the fashion industry.

As a means of guiding the literary research and the collection of expert opinion, Bourdieu’s Social Capital Theory (1985) says, “the profits which accrue …

The Creation Of Student-Run Public Relations Firms: A Historical Look At Student-Run Firms, Hannah Hazdovac

Journalism

This study explores the history and background of student-run public relations firms on

college campuses and the benefits, if any, that students receive as a result of working

in such a firm. The public relations industry estimated at growing 18 percent between

2006 and 2016 (Todd, 2009). Even with the sudden expansion of the public relations

industry, and subsequently, public relations education, evidence suggests that recent

public relations graduates often times do meet entry-level outcome expectancies of

employers, leaving a need for a change in curriculum (Creedon, Dostal, Gael, Smith &

Walker, 1999). It is becoming increasingly more important to …

Effects Of Grazing Vs. Resting On Soil Chemistry And Plant Community Dynamics For The Central Coast Of California In 2012, Jessica Combs

Animal Science

No abstract provided.

Design, Fabrication And Manufacturing Analysis Of A Rollover Protection System, Nikolas Paris

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, fabrication and manufacturing analysis of a rollover protection system specifically designed for early body style Ford Broncos (1966-1977). The rollover protection system, or roll cage, is an integral safety feature on vehicles which commonly encounter extreme terrain conditions. Many vehicles which attempt to traverse terrain such as this are not always properly equipped with a rollover protection system. This is the case with the early body style Ford Bronco. This system will be designed to market the niche of early bronco parts.

Pervious Pavement Infiltrometer, Madeline Musgrove

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This project tests infiltration rates on three different slabs of pervious pavement. A methodology was put in place to ensure that all three slabs were tested the same way. The test that is used for the infiltration rates is a constant head test. A steel ring is placed on the surface of the pervious pavement and sealed with Plumbers Putty around the bottom of the ring. A mark is then sketched on the inside of the ring at 2 inches above the surface of the pavement for a constant backpressure that is equal in all scenarios. Five gallons of water …

12th Meeting Of The States Parties To The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (2012), Apmbc

Global CWD Repository

The 12MSP was a formal meeting of the 160 States which had, as of the time of the meeting, accepted the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. It was held in accordance with Article 11 of the Convention and pursuant to the decisions of the 2009 Second Review Conference and the 2011 Eleventh Meeting of the States Parties (11MSP).

The 12MSP was important because it took place at the mid-way point between the 2009 Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World and the Convention’s Third Review Conference in …

A Clinical Approach To Myopathy, Sara Khan

Pakistan Journal of Neurological Sciences (PJNS)

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Weight Loss On Changes In Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Overweight And Obese Women With Urinary Incontinence, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Leslee L. Subak, Sanae Nakagawa, Eric Vittinghoff, Rena R. Wing, John W. Kusek, William H. Herman, Delia Smith West, Miriam Kuppermann

Publications and Research

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of change in weight and change in urinary incontinence (UI) frequency on changes in preference-based measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL) among overweight and obese women with UI participating in a weight loss trial.

METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal cohort analysis of 338 overweight and obese women with UI enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing a behavioral weight loss intervention to an educational control condition. At baseline, 6, and 18 months, health utilities were estimated using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3), a transformation of the SF-36 to the preference-based SF-6D, and …

Town Of Cohasset Senior Center Study, Jan Mutchler, Hayley Gravette, Caitlin Coyle

Gerontology Institute Publications

The Town of Cohasset is considering the construction of a new Senior Center that will provide the opportunity for expanded programming within a dedicated building. In support of planning efforts by the Town of Cohasset, a study was conducted by the Gerontology Institute of the McCormack Graduate School at UMass Boston. The study addresses the need for, and probable utilization of, a new Senior Center, and includes consideration of the recreational, educational and health-related programs that are likely to be offered through the new Center. Results of the study presented in this report respond to three questions: First, what are …

Hoffman Triangle 2012: Neighborhood Profile Report, Michelle M. Thompson, Josh Baer, Rachael Bauer, Frank Carter, Patrick Coyle, Alex Depriest, Malissa Dietsch, Lawrence Guimont, Kevin Harrison, Nelson Hollings, Annabeth Mccall, Tara Mckeefry, Valerie Mcmillan, Brooke Perry, Adarian Pike, Kevin Potter

Planning and Urban Studies Reports and Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Palace Full Of Wetlands Enthusiasts, Kim Diana Connolly

Other Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Social And Environmental Enrichments On Leg Strength And Welfare Of Tom Turkeys, Patricia A. Weber

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Two trials (T1, T2) were conducted to determine the effects of enrichment: A) broiler chick addition on early mortality and B) providing environmental enrichments on leg strength and welfare of tom turkeys. Trial 1A utilized 248 1d poults and 8 3d broiler chicks. Four pens of 32 poults were placed for the control. Four pens of 30 poults and two 3d broiler chicks were placed for the trt group. Trial 2A utilized 296 1d poults and 24 3d broiler chicks. Four trts were randomly divided among 16 pens (20 birds/pen). Trt 1 brooders were placed with assistance finding resources. Trt …

Evaluation Of Soybean Hulls And Feed Additives In Finishing Beef Diets, Curtis J. Bittner

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Replacing the amount of corn in finishing diets with ethanol byproducts, such as distillers grains, has been well researched and improves performance. However, research when including soybean hulls (SBH) in feedlot finishing diets with distillers grains is limited. Two feedlot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of SBH on animal performance and carcass characteristics in finishing diets. Dietary concentrations of SBH used were 0, 12.5, 25, and 37.5% of diet DM, in both experiments. Modified distillers grains plus solubles was included in the diet at 25% for Exp.1 while Exp. 2 contained an inclusion level of 40% wet distillers …

Grazing Cover Crops As An Alternative To Fallow And The Interaction Between Corn Processing Method And Condensed Distillers Solubles, Alex H. Titlow

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recently, producers in dryland wheat farming regions have made a shift from the typical winter wheat fallow rotation to a no-till system paired with cover crops. Cover crops have been shown to minimize these problems associated with the conventional fallow and possibly provide a source of forage. A 2-year grazing study was conducted to evaluate forage quality and utilization of cover crops (CC) planted to replace fallow in no-till wheat systems compared to crested wheatgrass pastures (CWP). Hand clipped and diet samples were greater in digestibility and CP for CC compared to CWP. The NDF and ADF content of the …

Structure-Function Analysis Of A Protein Encoded By The Bhv-1 Latency Related Gene, Devis Sinani

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Bovine herpes virus 1 (BHV-1) is a significant viral pathogen in cattle that induces a myriad of clinical symptoms. These symptoms include: conjunctivitis, upper respiratory tract infections, genital disorders, and abortions. BHV-1 infection can also lead to transient immune-suppression, which predisposes cattle to secondary bacterial infection leading to life-threatening pneumonia referred to as bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Following acute infection, BHV-1 establishes latency in sensory neurons within trigeminal ganglia. Reactivation of the virus can occur periodically, resulting in virus transmission. The latency-related (LR) RNA is the only abundantly expressed transcript in latently infected sensory neurons and it encodes several proteins, …

Switchgrass Potential On Reclaimed Surface Mines For Biofuel Production In West Virginia, Michael A. Marra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The high cost and environmental risks associated with non-renewable energy sources has caused an increased interest in, and development of renewable biofuels. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a warm season perennial grass, has been investigated as a source of biofuel feedstock due to its high biomass production on marginal soils, its tolerance of harsh growing conditions, and its ability to provide habitat for wildlife and soil conservation cover. West Virginia contains vast expanses of reclaimed surface mine lands and could potentially benefit from the production of switchgrass as a biofuel feedstock. Furthermore, switchgrass production could satisfy Surface Mining Reclamation and Control …

Zircon Geochronology Of Ash Beds In The Marcellus Shale Of The Appalachian Basin, Jessica M. Hayward

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Volcanic ash horizons, produced by arc magmatism in the Acadian orogeny, are interbedded with the Marcellus Shale and Onondaga Limestone of the Appalachian basin. Zircon grains from the ash layers are suitable for SIMS U-Th-Pb geochronology due to their resistant behavior against weathering and ability to record age of the eruptions.;A total of 24 Tioga ash layers within cores of the Middle Devonian Marcellus and Onondaga from six wells located in West Virginia and Pennsylvania were collected for U-Pb dating. The ash horizons were recognized as thinly laminated tuffaceous shale with graded beds of white mica and pyrite, ranging in …

Decentralized Synergetic Control Of Power Systems, Taoridi Ademoye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this dissertation is to design decentralized controllers to enhance the transient stability of power systems. Due to the nonlinearities and complexities of the system, nonlinear control design techniques are required to improve its dynamic performance. In this dissertation a synergetic control technique is being proposed to design supplementary controller that is added to the exciter of the generation unit of the system. Although this method has been previously applied to a Single Infinite Machine Bus (SMIB) system with high degree of success, it has not been employed to systems with multi machine. Also, the method has good …