Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hot Spots In Mississippi, Taylor Jansen, Elizabeth Dugan

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Abstract

Introduction. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and approximately 10% of people 65 years and older have COPD. This study examines the association of geographic-level risk factors with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence using spatial-based analyses with the goal of identifying risk factors associated with county-level COPD and to identify communities at risk.

Methods. The study sample consisted of all N=82 counties in Mississippi and all data is reported at the county level. All measures were drawn from the 2023 Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report. A hot spot …

A Holistic Approach To Ecosystem Decline In Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, Stephanie A. Insalaco

Doctoral Dissertations

Examining the decline of an ecosystem should be done through a holistic and interdisciplinary lens to fully understand all factors which might contribute to this ecosystem imbalance. This dissertation focuses on the declining ecosystem of Mosquito Lagoon, Florida which started to see a significant decrease in health since the early 2010s due to a variety of factors. The dissertation is separated into three papers: quantifying the total decline of seagrass in Mosquito Lagoon from 2000 to 2020, the effects of this seagrass and overall ecosystem decline on stakeholders’ livelihoods, and the regrowth of seagrass in 2023 after the events of …

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …

A Multi-Metric Approach To Fay-Herriot Small Area Estimation Of Forests, Zachary Dorminey

Masters Theses

Forest managers are tasked with decisions regarding silvicultural practices that require detailed information about the environments they serve. Managing complex structures like forests demands consideration of many interrelated variables characterizing the overall condition of a forest. Success in these management initiatives includes not only maximum production from the timber assets, but also proof that these operations accord with modern sustainable practices. Small area estimates obtained from a National Forest Inventory (NFI) dataset lack necessary statistical certainty due to a relatively small sample of forest plots. These inventory datasets are spatially sparse, yet attribute-rich. Given these properties, research efforts in this …

Pathways To Active School Travel: The Influence Of Individual, Sociodemographic, And The School Neighborhood Factors, Nathaniel C. Frisbee

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis evaluates the influence of school environment, sociodemographic, and household characteristics on the likelihood that a child will use active school travel (AST). Situated within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, the research examines intrapersonal, interpersonal, environmental, and policy factors impacting AST. Data is sourced from various publicly available sources and a province-wide survey. Two studies were conducted to address the key research questions. The first study employs spatial analysis within a geographic information system (GIS) to quantify built environment attributes such as sidewalks, road length, greenness, and dwelling density. Statistical techniques reveal that student age, length of sidewalks, and outdoor …

Spatial Ecology Of Mountain Lions Throughout Their Distribution In California, Kyle D. Dougherty

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been studied extensively throughout their wide geographic distribution in the Western Hemisphere, but most research has been conducted at relatively small spatial scales. We used GPS telemetry data contributed by researchers in 16 study areas throughout California to advance understanding of mountain lion spatial ecology. First, we investigated multi-scale resource selection of mountain lions relative to spatially varying risk of intentional human-caused mortality associated with livestock depredation management. We show that individuals that proactively avoided mortality risk when selecting home ranges were able to relax their avoidance of risk when making resource selection …

Spatial Ecology Of Mountain Lions Throughout Their Distribution In California, Kyle Duncan Dougherty

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been studied extensively throughout their wide geographic distribution in the Western Hemisphere, but most research has been conducted at relatively small spatial scales. We used GPS telemetry data contributed by researchers in 16 study areas throughout California to advance understanding of mountain lion spatial ecology. First, we investigated multi-scale resource selection of mountain lions relative to spatially varying risk of intentional human-caused mortality associated with livestock depredation management. We show that individuals that proactively avoided mortality risk when selecting home ranges were able to relax their avoidance of risk when making resource selection …

Integrating Environmental, Geographic And Network Context Into Human Mobility Analysis, Milad Malekzadeh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The study of human mobility provides a clear framework for examining and predicting a wide range of human activities. Irrespective of the approach, understanding mobility is not just about tracking movement but also about comprehending the context in which it occurs. This can be achieved by incorporating and integrating a variety of data sources into our mobility data analysis. This thesis uses three data sources—WORKANDHOME GPS tracking data, mobile network data, and NYC Yellow Taxi data—to thoroughly investigate how human mobility is related to environmental factors, geographical contexts, and community structures.

The research begins with an evaluation of the effects …

Wasted Space: Using Parking Lots & Vacant Land To Improve Neighborhood Completeness, Ryan Martyn

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This study conducts a spatial analysis of Portland, Oregon, focusing on leveraging underutilized areas like parking lots and vacant land—termed "wasted space"—to improve the city's completeness. Central to this investigation is the concept of a "complete neighborhood," characterized by access to daily necessities within convenient active transportation trip. This comprehensive idea encompasses walkability, equitable access to services, and sustainability.

This paper aims to redefine the concept of a complete neighborhood with precision and delve into its implications. The research looks at five regional, town, and neighborhood centers as defined by the city of Portland. These centers act as pivotal hubs …

Timeless Teachings & Unbridled Possibilities, Ruijie Tai

Masters Theses

I am looking at is process of TRANSLATING AND BRIDGING.

Qi, traditionally understood as the vital force that flows through and animates living beings and the environment, lies at the edge of our perceptual capabilities.

The notion that what we cannot "see" holds significant influence over our world suggests that there are aspects of reality and forces at play beyond our direct sensory experience. AI, with its capacity for analyzing vast amounts of data and recognizing patterns beyond human capability, offers a unique tool for exploring these unseen forces.

The potential of AI to perceive and understand Qi could open …

Sexual Abuse: A Multi-Faceted Problem, Marcus Venable

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

On average, US citizens have experienced approximately 400,000 sexual assaults per year, which results in enormous immediate and long-term consequences for individuals, as well as society in general.

In the U.S., the principal method of combatting this crime has been the creation of Sex Offender Registries used to notify the public of the identity and location of convicted sex offenders who may be living in proximity to their residence. In addition to the Registry, laws have been passed forbidding convicted sex offenders from residing within buffer zones around areas of high child concentration [schools/parks/etc.].

The efficacy and consequences of these …

Generating Channel Morphology Data Through Arcgis Pro, Ethan Manigbas

Symposium of Student Scholars

River cross-sections are often extracted using field surveys at measured intervals. This field-oriented approach allows for a tangible relationship between the data and its collector but at the expense of finance, time, labor, and potentially the environment. With the advancement of geospatial tools, such data can be found online, extracted, and even analyzed with contemporary Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in a completely virtual setting, transcending the need for fieldwork in select project topics. We tested this approach with the help of ArcGIS Pro software on the Vishnu Springs headwater stream located in the Western Illinois region of the Upper Mississippi …

Politics Of Urban Design: Racist Agendas Built Into The Environment, Chassidy Titley

Senior Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Assessing Publication Trends In Selected Giscience Journals, Levente Juhasz

GIS Center

No abstract provided.

A Spatial Decision Support System For Rent Estimation Of Retail Spaces In Manhattan Using Geographically Weighted Regression And Spatial Regression, Andie M. Migden Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This report outlines an automated, three-phase Spatial Decision Support System that creates models to estimate rent of retail spaces across Manhattan. First, enrich data with predictors. Second, optimize spatially aware neighborhood-level models by combining GWR, spatial regression, and non-spatial regression. Finally, visualize results in an Esri-based WebApp.

Rurality And Robustness: Rural Communities And Housing Insecurity Risk, Steve Garcia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores rural housing insecurity through Swope and Hernandez’s (2019) 4 C’s of housing insecurity in rural areas. Little attention has been paid to rural areas in the conversation on housing insecurity and houselessness (Gleason et al., 2021). To facilitate further discussion on this understudied issue, this exploratory study used unsupervised machine learning to group census tracts into risk levels across seven axes of data from the American Community Survey. The axes were based on housing insecurity factors found in the literature. K-medoids clustering is used to group census tracts into high, medium, and low risk of housing insecurity …

The World Reborn: A Phenomenological Study Of 12th Unnamed Cave, Tennessee Through Photogrammetry, 3d Gis, And Archaeoacoustics, Jordan L. Schaefer

Doctoral Dissertations

Traditional methods for analyzing rock art locations within caves tend to rely on two-dimensional (2D) mapping methods. While useful, these techniques do not effectively capture the phenomenology, or experiential characteristics, of caves as physical spaces. This dissertation therefore adopts a three-dimensional perspective to study the distribution of rock art inside 12th Unnamed Cave, a dark-zone cave art site in Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau region, with the goal of identifying why certain types of images appear in their respective contexts. Photogrammetry is used to produce a three-dimensional (3D) model of the cave’s interior, on which surveyed rock art locations are georeferenced for …

Understanding Land Uses And Their Manifestations Across The Rural-Urban Continua Of Rangpu, Bangladesh And Louisville, Kentucky., Md Jakirul Islam Jony Prothan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rapid urban growth accelerates various features characteristic of rural-urban environments as they change from urban cores to rural areas. This study examines land use change along a rural-urban continuum for two different cities: Louisville, USA, and Rangpur, Bangladesh. Different key land use patterns are compared within and across these different city contexts from 2000 to 2020. Land use change and comparing its spatiotemporal factors are useful metrics to better understand the patterns of development, socio-demographic change, and the uniqueness of cities. Spatial and temporal patterns of sociodemographic and biophysical components of land use provide important information for identifying transition zones …

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 …

An Interactive Web Map Of Historical Buildings Of Downtown Nacogdoches, Texas, Cari Mitchell

Undergraduate Research Conference

Objective: The goal of this project is to use GIS to create a product that allows users interested in the history of downtown Nacogdoches, Texas to explore descriptive and pictorial information about the present historical buildings within the area of interest.

Spatial Behavior Of Hospital Visits By Hand, Foot, And Mouth Disease Patients In Nanchang, China, Zeliu Zheng

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Hand foot mouth disease (HFMD) is one of the widespread transmissible diseases that target preschool children, especially in urban regions in East Asia. Understanding the travel patterns of the HFMD patients helps us understand how the spatial behaviors of patients vary across space and what are the underlying forces. It is essential for understanding the healthcare market and planning for resource allocation. Foremost, health behavior and outcome change significantly across geographic regions of various urbanicities (i.e., degrees of urbanization) due to the uneven distribution of healthcare resource. In addition, health studies in the U.S. often use hospital service areas (HSAs) …

The Ghanaian War Against Malaria: A Geospatial Approach To Malaria And Healthcare Access In Ghana, Emmanuel Aklie

Theses

This geospatial research project aims to analyze the complex factors influencing malaria incidence in Ghana, including healthcare access, cultural beliefs, and preventive measures. Using GIS mapping and spatial analysis, the study examines malaria distribution and healthcare facility locations to identify hotspots and access inequalities. Combining quantitative data from sources like Demographic and Health Surveys with qualitative methods like surveys and interviews, the project analyzes the relationship between malaria prevalence and vaccination rates, bed net usage, and cultural views on treatment. By taking a comprehensive approach focused on evidence-based insights, the research seeks to inform targeted interventions by the Ghanaian government …

Evaluating The Environmental Impacts Of U.S. Historical Oil Spill Incidents, Yiming Liu, Hua Cai

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Exposure to risks associated with the production and usage of products, particularly oil, poses significant threats to both ecological systems and human health. Notable examples include the Gulf War Oil Spill (1991) and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010). However, numerous smaller-scale oil spills, which collectively contribute to substantial oil releases, often remain overlooked. To fill this gap, our study first developed a detailed oil spill incidents database, covering 1967 to 2023. We quantified the released amount (RA) of oil spills recorded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Subsequently, we utilized life cycle impact indicators in ReCiPe to …

Low Elevation Coastal Zone (Lecz) Population Social Vulnerability And Risk: A Spatial Analysis Based On The 2015-16 National Family Health Survey (Nfhs-4) Of India, Paradorn Wongchanapai

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background & Problem Statement:

This study assessed social vulnerability and risk to hydroclimate hazards of Indian urban and rural populations in the Low Elevation Coastal Zone (LECZ), a contiguous coastal area with elevations less than 10 meters. The LECZ is considered an at-risk area as hydroclimate hazards tend to be heightened. Moreover, being the most populous country in the world, any hydroclimate hazards that hit the LECZ would disproportionately impact a large number of Indian populations. Understanding the social vulnerability and risk of the LECZ populations can help mitigate and prevent potential adverse outcomes for the populations.

Importantly, this study …

Inventory Of Western United States Glaciers- 2020, Shrinidhi Ambinakudige, Bernard Abubakari

College of Arts and Sciences Publications and Scholarship

The dataset employed for delineating glacier boundaries in the Western United States comprises a compilation of original Sentinel-2 images obtained from the European Space Agency's Copernicus website. These images were instrumental in generating the glacier inventory. Additionally, the dataset includes a Python and R script specifically crafted for processing and classifying Sentinel images. The outcome of this process is represented in an ESRI shapefile, which contains an inventory of glaciers extracted from Sentinel images.

The Natural Geographical Features And Their Role In The Construction Of The Israeli Settlements In The West Bank, Muhammad Abu Asida, Murad Bin Jalloul

Journal of the Arab American University مجلة الجامعة العربية الامريكية للبحوث

The properties that influence and control the nature of the geographical distribution of the population clusters can be divided into natural, human, and strategic. This study aimed to demonstrate the impact of the prevailing natural geographic factors on the selection and determination of the locations where the Israeli settlements are concentrated in the West Bank. Terrain, climate conditions, soil, and water resources are all factors that affect and control the nature and distribution of the settlement in any geographical region. This study utilized a historical, inductive, and descriptive-analytical approach. This study concluded that Israel established a network of settlements in …

Road Extraction On Remote Sensing Imagery: Historical Mapping Of The Brazilian Amazon, Jonas Paiva Botelho Jr

MSU Graduate Theses

This work proposes an artificial intelligence model based on U-Net architecture to map road networks in the Brazilian Amazon. Over the years, the Amazon region has been heavily exploited, leading to increased deforestation rates, contributing to CO2 emissions, amplifying global warming, and causing a disturbance in local fauna and flora. The expansion into the forest by illegal miners, loggers, and land grabbers can be tracked down by the construction of roads, which we can refer to as the arteries of deforestation. Previous works on the matter proposed algorithms that use high-resolution imagery to map roads precisely. However, this work approach …

Mapping Accessibility To Emergency Care Using Public Transportation, Bach Tran

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Intro: Public transit offers various advantages for both communities and individuals in terms of mobility and has the potential to serve as a practical alternative to private motorized transportation. Timely and convenient public transit becomes a lifeline for people who cannot access other types of transportation, especially when it comes to emergency care. Method: We built a private network analysis within ArcGIS Pro using coordinate data from hospitals and stand-alone emergency rooms as designated by the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) and public transit data from Orlando, FL. Establishing the accessible time as 30 minutes, we computed and visualized …

A Tale Of Two Working Landscapes, Sage C. Sutcliffe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Airbnb Valuation: A Machine Learning Approach, Katherine Wyatt

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis uses a geospatially-enhanced, machine learning approach to investigate variations in rental success on the peer-to-peer property sharing website Airbnb.com. Geographic factors, listing attributes and amenities, customer response metrics, and host attributes are included in decision tree modeling to predict the short-term probability of receiving a review. The most important variables in increasing model accuracy are assessed and variations in the importance of these variables investigated using Shapley values.