Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

National Forests Policy Assessment: Report To Montana Senator Jon Tester (University Of Montana, College Of Forestry And Conservation, Sept. 2008), Jim Burchfield, Martin Nie

The Past, Present, and Future of Our Public Lands: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Public Land Law Review Commission’s Report, One Third of the Nation’s Land (Martz Summer Conference, June 2-4)

1 page.

This page is an excerpt from: National Forests Policy Assessment: Report to Montana Senator Jon Tester (University of Montana, College of Forestry and Conservation, Sept. 2008). The report was written by Jim Burchfield and Martin Nie.

Reminiscences, John A. Carver Jr.

The Past, Present, and Future of Our Public Lands: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Public Land Law Review Commission’s Report, One Third of the Nation’s Land (Martz Summer Conference, June 2-4)

7 pages.

Slides: Land Use Planning, Ann Morgan

The Past, Present, and Future of Our Public Lands: Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Public Land Law Review Commission’s Report, One Third of the Nation’s Land (Martz Summer Conference, June 2-4)

Presenter: Ann Morgan, Vice President, The Wilderness Society (Denver, CO)

4 slides

Tooth Chipping Can Reveal The Diet And Bite Forces Of Fossil Hominins, Paul J. Constantino, James Jin-Wu Lee, Herzl Chai, Bernhard Zipfel, Charles Ziscovici, Brian R. Lawn, Peter W. Lucas

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Mammalian tooth enamel is often chipped, providing clear evidence for localized contacts with large hard food objects. Here, we apply a simple fracture equation to estimate peak bite forces directly from chip size. Many fossil hominins exhibit antemortem chips on their posterior teeth, indicating their use of high bite forces. The inference that these species must have consumed large hard foods such as seeds is supported by the occurrence of similar chips among known modern-day seed predators such as orangutans and peccaries. The existence of tooth chip signatures also provides a way of identifying the consumption of rarely eaten foods …

A Comparison Of Costs And Returns For Organic And Conventional Cabernet Sauvignon Grape Production In San Luis Obispo County, Amanda N. Johansen

Agribusiness

This study examined the differences in costs and profitability for established conventional and organic Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the Edna Valley region of San Luis Obispo County, California. The study used a partial budgeting approach to compare cost and profitability for established vineyards for 2009, and thus ignored transition costs. Data were obtained from UC Davis cost studies for organic and conventional grape production in other regions of California in previous years. Adjustments made to these costs to account for changes in input use, input costs and grape prices in San Luis Obispo County during the 2009 growing season.

The …

On-Farm Welfare Assessment For Regulatory Purposes: Issues And Possible Solutions, Jan Tind Sørensen, David Fraser

Assessment of Animal Welfare Collection

On-farm welfare assessment has been used mainly for non-regulatory purposes such as producer education or to qualify for voluntary welfare-assurance programs. The application of on-farm assessments in regulatory programs would require four issues to be addressed: (1) selecting criteria that are widely accepted as valid by diverse citizens, (2) setting minimum legal levels, (3) achieving the high level of fairness and objectivity required for legally binding requirements, and (4) achieving the cost-efficiency needed for widespread use of the methods. Issues 1 and 2 pose a particular problem because different citizens disagree on what they understand as good animal welfare, with …

The Use Of Horticulture And Gardening As A Special Education Tool At The High School Level, Krysta Marie Johnson

Horticulture and Crop Science

THIS REPORT CONTAINS PLANNING METHODS AND INSTALLATION PROCEDURE FOR A RAISED VEGETABLE GARDEN FOR WILSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, IN WILSONVILLE, OREGON. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE GARDEN WAS TO USE IT AS A LEARNING TOOL FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AT WILSONVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. UPON DOING MORE RESEARCH IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE GARDEN CAN ALSO BE USED AS A HEALING TOOL FOR STUDENTS WHO SUFFER FROM ATTENTION DISORDERS AND WHO HAVE EMOTIONAL AND LEARNING DISABILITIES. THE STUDENTS HAVE BECOME INVESTED IN THE GARDEN PROJECT AND LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE PROJECTS WITH THEIR CLASS.

Janus: From Workflows To Semantic Provenance And Linked Open Data, Paolo Missier, Satya S. Sahoo, Jun Zhao, Carole Goble, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

Data provenance graphs are form of metadata that can be used to establish a variety of properties of data products that undergo sequences of transformations, typically specified as workflows. Their usefulness for answering user provenance queries is limited, however, unless the graphs are enhanced with domain-specific annotations. In this paper we propose a model and architecture for semantic, domain-aware provenance, and demonstrate its usefulness in answering typical user queries. Furthermore, we discuss the additional benefits and the technical implications of publishing provenance graphs as a form of Linked Data. A prototype implementation of the model is available for data produced …

Design, Planning, And Evaluation Of Upgraded Cattle Handling Facility, Lindsey Kaeli Tulloch

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, planning, and evaluation of a livestock handling facility for Tulloch Ranches. The facility will be an upgrade to the facility currently used at the ranch in Pine Valley, California. The design parameters for the facility were narrowed down to the following: 1. Must reduce stress to animals during handling. 2. Must be cost effective to save labor and maintenance. 3. Must show improvement from the current set- up. The above parameters combine to form a system that enables the handlers of Tulloch Ranches to manage and work cattle in a more calm and humane …

Provenance Management In Parasite Research, Vinh Nguyen, Priti Parikh, Satya S. Sahoo, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

The objective of this research is to create a semantic problem solving environment (PSE) for human parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. As a part of the PSE, we are trying to manage provenance of the experiment data as it is generated. It requires to capture the provenance which is often collected through web forms used by biologists to input the information about experiments they conduct. We have created Parasite Experiment Ontology (PEO) that represents provenance information used in the project. We have modified the back end which processes the data gathered from biologists, generates RDF triples and serializes them into the triple …

Fire: Ecology & Prevention, Justin R. Frey

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Thrombin And Exercise Similarly Influence Expression Of Cell Cycle Genes In Cultured Putative Endothelial Progenitor Cells, Michael M. Lockard, Sarah Witkowski, Nathan T. Jenkins, Espen E. Spangenburg, Thomas O. Obisesan, James M. Hagberg

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Acute exercise and exercise training may influence putative endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) number and colony forming units (CFU-ECs), although the mechanisms remain unclear. This study examined the effects of in vitro thrombin supplementation and acute exercise on CFU-EC gene expression, associated with cellular proliferation and differentiation. The effect of habitual physical activity was evaluated through analysis of EPCs from chronically high- and low-active men. Participants were healthy high- and low-active men (n = 23), aged 55-80 yr. Circulating CD34+/VEGFR2+ number, CFU-ECs, plasma prothrombin fragment (F1+2), and thrombin-antithrombin III were measured at rest and after 30 min of exercise. Gene expression …

A Comprehensive Index For Assessing Environmental Stress In Animals, Terry L. Mader, Leslie J. Johnson, John B. Gaghan Dr

Nebraska Cooperative Extension: Faculty and Staff Publications

Numerous models and indices exist that attempt to characterize the effect of environmental factors on the comfort of animals and humans. Heat and cold indices have been utilized to adjust ambient temperature (Ta) for the effects of relative humidity (RH) or wind speed (WS) or both for the purposes of obtaining a “feels-like” or apparent temperature. However, no model has been found that incorporates adjustments for RH, WS, and radiation (RAD) over conditions that encompass hot and cold environmental conditions. The objective of this study was to develop a comprehensive climate index (CCI) that has application under a wide range …

Evaluating Microfossil Content Of Dental Calculus From Brazilian Sambaquis, Verônica Wesolowski, Sheila Maria Ferraz Mendonça De Souza, Karl Reinhard, Gregório Ceccantini

Karl Reinhard Publications

To date, limited numbers of dental calculus samples have been analyzed by researchers in diverse parts of the world. The combined analyses of these have provided some general guidelines for the analysis of calculus that is non-destructive to archaeological teeth. There is still a need for a quantitative study of large numbers of calculus samples to establish protocols, assess the level of contamination, evaluate the quantity of microfossils in dental calculus, and to compare analysis results with the literature concerning the biology of calculus formation. We analyzed dental calculus from 53 teeth from four Brazilian sambaquis. Sambaquis are the shellmounds …

Lidar Remote Sensing Variables Predict Breeding Habitat Of A Neotropical Migrant Bird, Scott J. Goetz, Daniel Steinberg, Matthew G. G. Betts, Richard T. Holmes

Dartmouth Scholarship

A topic of recurring interest in ecological research is the degree to which vegetation structure influences the distribution and abundance of species. Here we test the applicability of remote sensing, particularly novel use of waveform lidar measurements, for quantifying the habitat heterogeneity of a contiguous northern hardwoods forest in the northeastern United States. We apply these results to predict the breeding habitat quality, an indicator of reproductive output of a well-studied Neotropical migrant songbird, the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens). We found that using canopy vertical structure metrics provided unique information for models of habitat quality and spatial patterns of …

Effect Of Visual Input On Vowel Production In English Speakers, Amanda C. Richardson

Linguistics Honors Projects

This study analyzes whether there should be a visual component to a model of speech perception and production by comparing the jaw opening, advancement, and rounding of American English and non-English vowels in the presence and absence of a visual stimulus. Surprisingly, jaw opening did not change production, but the presence of the visual stimulus was found to be a significant factor in participants’ vowel advancement for non-English vowels. This may be explained by lip rounding, but requires further research in order to develop a full understanding of the impact of visual input on vowel production to be used in …

The Economic Importance Of Draught Oxen On Small Farms In Namibia's Eastern Caprivi Region, Andrew B. Conroy, Mogos Yakob Teweldmehidin

Natural Resources & the Environment

The main aim of this study was to analyse and document the value of smallholder farmers’ use of Draught Animal Power (DAP) systems in the Eastern Caprivi Region and to test the economic viability of DAP usage versus using tractors. This study applied Rapid Rural Appraisal techniques (RRA), including a survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 312 farmers at their farms and data was gathered on the use of and economics related to the draught animal power system. Crop enterprise budgets, project reports, expert opinions and group discussions were analysed. The research found that the use of animal power performs …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Modis Satellite-Derived Start Of Growing Season For Jurisdictional Determination Of East Texas Bottomland Hardwood Wetlands, Karen Malone, Hans Michael Williams, I-Kuai Hung, Daniel Unger

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Crucial to the determination of a jurisdictional wetland is the definition of “growing season”. Satellite imagery is being utilized in other ecological applications, but is lagging in wetland growing season determination. Both cost and temporal limitations historically have restrained use of satellite imagery in assessing the start up of the growing season. Multiple commercial satellites are available that provide high resolution imagery, but the cost are prohibitive for most studies. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) jointly manage the Landsat and the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite programs. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper …

Distance-Based Measures Of Inconsistency And Incoherency For Description Logics, Yue Ma, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Inconsistency and incoherency are two sorts of erroneous information in a DL ontology which have been widely discussed in ontology-based applications. For example, they have been used to detect modeling errors during ontology construction. To provide more informative metrics which can tell the differences between inconsistent ontologies and between incoherent terminologies, there has been some work on measuring inconsistency of an ontology and on measuring incoherency of a terminology. However, most of them merely focus either on measuring inconsistency or on measuring incoherency and no clear ideas of how to extend them to allow for the other. In this paper, …

Some Trust Issues In Social Networks And Sensor Networks, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Pramod Anantharam, Cory Andrew Henson, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

Trust and reputation are becoming increasingly important in diverse areas such as search, e-commerce, social media, semantic sensor networks, etc. We review past work and explore future research issues relevant to trust in social/sensor networks and interactions. We advocate a balanced, iterative approach to trust that marries both theory and practice. On the theoretical side, we investigate models of trust to analyze and specify the nature of trust and trust computation. On the practical side, we propose to uncover aspects that provide a basis for trust formation and techniques to extract trust information from concrete social/sensor networks and interactions. We …

Cross-Sector Review Of Drivers And Available 3rs Approaches For Acute Systemic Toxicity Testing, Troy Seidle, Sally Robinson, Tom Holmes, Stuart Creton, Pilar Prieto, Julia Scheel, Magda Chlebus

Experimentation Collection

Acute systemic toxicity studies are carried out in many sectors in which synthetic chemicals are manufactured or used and are among the most criticized of all toxicology tests on both scientific and ethical grounds. A review of the drivers for acute toxicity testing within the pharmaceutical industry led to a paradigm shift whereby in vivo acute toxicity data are no longer routinely required in advance of human clinical trials. Based on this experience, the following review was undertaken to identify (1) regulatory and scientific drivers for acute toxicity testing in other industrial sectors, (2) activities aimed at replacing, reducing, or …

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) Occurrence In The Moray Firth, North-East Scotland, Kevin P. Robinson, Sonja Eisfeld, Marina Costa, Mark P. Simmonds

Ecology Collection

The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is regarded as notably rare or absent from the northern North Sea, but recent evidence suggests a rising frequency of the species in these waters with increasing regional sea temperatures. The following paper documents the presence of D. delphis in the Moray Firth in north-east Scotland and provides the first evidence for the sustained occurrence of these delphinids in this region during the warmer summer months at least. Sightings were collated during systematic surveys of the outer Moray Firth between 2001 and 2009 by independent research teams from the CRRU and WDCS. A total …

Toward A Synthesis Of Conservation And Animal Welfare Science, David Fraser

Conservation Biology and Animal Welfare Collection

Conservation biology and animal welfare science are multidisciplinary fields of research that address social concerns about animals. Conservation biology focuses on wild animals, works at the level of populations, ecological systems and genetic types, and deals with threats to biodiversity and ecological integrity. Animal welfare science typically focuses on captive (often domestic) animals, works at the level of individuals and groups, and deals with threats to the animals’ health and quality of life. However, there are many areas of existing or potential overlap: (i) many real-life problems, such as environmental contamination, urban development and transportation, create problems for animals that …

Urban Farm: Naturally Grown Local Food, Stephanie Shepard

Interior Design Program: Terminal Projects

There are many things to be said for the benefits of urban farming. From feeding the hungry, to providing an educational experience for a community that otherwise has no agricultural knowledge, to reducing heat island effect, the gain is almost immeasurable.

According to the United States Census Bureau, 35.9 million people live below the poverty line in America. Requests for emergency food assistance has increased by an average of 14% a year since 2004 and about 20% of those requests generally go unmet. In addition, national food banks report that 23.3 million people turned to their services in 2009, an …

Linked Sensor Data, Harshal Kamlesh Patni, Cory Andrew Henson, Amit P. Sheth

Kno.e.sis Publications

A number of government, corporate, and academic organizations are collecting enormous amounts of data provided by environmental sensors. However, this data is too often locked within organizations and underutilized by the greater community. In this paper, we present a framework to make this sensor data openly accessible by publishing it on the Linked Open Data (LOD) Cloud. This is accomplished by converting raw sensor observations to RDF and linking with other datasets on LOD. With such a framework, organizations can make large amounts of sensor data openly accessible, thus allowing greater opportunity for utilization and analysis.

A Longitudinal Study Of Neurocognitive Deficits And Functional Outcome In Bipolar Disorder, Brian D. Leany

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bipolar disorder is an affective disorder that, in addition to being characterized by depressive and expansive mood symptoms, often presents with neuropsychological deficits. Bipolar disorder not only impairs an individual’s cognitive abilities, but these cognitive impairments may also impact day-to-day activities causing functional impairment. In other psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, it has been shown that the neuropsychological deficits are predictive of poor, long term treatment outcome and functioning. However, while bipolar disorder affects nearly 1 - 2% of the U.S. population (Keck, McElroy, & Arnold, 2001), little is known about the extent that neurocognitive deficits may play in the …

Use Of An Animal Model To Explore Prenatal Predictors Of Insulin And Glucose Metabolism In Southwestern Alaskan Yupiit, Julie Jo Kachinski

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Compared to other North American indigenous populations, Southwest Alaskan Yupiit exhibit very low rates of type 2 diabetes despite the occurrence of common risk factors. Contemporary Yupiit obtain a substantial portion of their calories from traditional foods, which contain high amounts of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Epidemiological and experimental animal research has linked glucose and insulin homeostasis with a diet high in omega-3s. This study used an experimental animal model to explore potential diabetes protective effects (for adult offspring) of prenatal maternal nutrition modeled on traditional locally-obtained Yupiit diets. The results of this study showed that the adult offspring whose …

Transforming Space Into Place: Development, Rock Climbing, And Interpretation In Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 1960-2010, Megan Sharp Weatherly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Though Americans tend to view wilderness as separate from nature, environmental historians have argued that wilderness is a cultural construct more than a quantifiable geographic category. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA), a 195,000-acre tract located west of Las Vegas, Nevada, is one such cultural construction. Since 1960, this BLM-managed parcel has served as a local and regional expression of broader, national trends in outdoor recreation, interpretation, and development and thereby forced visitors to engage (often unknowingly) in a cultural dialogue about consumerism, technology, and identity. With information from newspapers, archival collections, oral histories, and government documents, this thesis …

Enhanced Food Marketing To Children On The Internet: A Content Analysis, Sarah A. Ochsner

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In light of the continuing epidemic of childhood obesity, aggressive food marketing strategies have come under increased scrutiny as a possible contributing factor. It has been acknowledged in numerous studies, that poor nutrient quality of food and beverages dominate children's programming. The growth in child-specific media envoys has further increased favorable opportunities to market food and beverages to children, notably less regulated and parentally unsupervised. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 65% of children aged 6-11 have home access to the Internet; and today, the majority of food manufacturers operate websites appealing to children. The Institute of Medicine issued a …

Object-Based Segmentation And Classification Of One Meter Imagery For Use In Forest Management Plans, W. Kevin Wells

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research developed an ArcGIS Python model that extracts polygons from aerial imagery and assigns each polygon a vegetation type based on a modified set of landcover classes from the Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project. The model showed an ability to generate polygons that accurately represent vegetation community boundaries across a large landscape. The model is for use by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands to assist in the preparation of forest management plans. The model was judged useful because it was easy to use, it met a designated 50% threshold of useable polygons, and it met …