You are here
Search results
(1 - 20 of 19,238)
Pages
- Title
- Barriers and Facilitators to the Utilization of the ACT SMART Implementation Toolkit in Community Agencies : A Qualitative Study
- Creator
- Sridhar, Aksheya
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Evidence-based practices (EBPs) have been shown to improve outcomes for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Wong et al., 2015). Research suggests that the utilization of these practices in community settings is varied (Paynter & Keen, 2015; Pickard, Meza, Drahota, & Brikho, 2018); however, the utilization of implementation guides may bridge the gap between research and practice (Drahota et al., 2017). The Autism Community Toolkit: Systems to Measure and Adopt Research-Based...
Show moreEvidence-based practices (EBPs) have been shown to improve outcomes for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Wong et al., 2015). Research suggests that the utilization of these practices in community settings is varied (Paynter & Keen, 2015; Pickard, Meza, Drahota, & Brikho, 2018); however, the utilization of implementation guides may bridge the gap between research and practice (Drahota et al., 2017). The Autism Community Toolkit: Systems to Measure and Adopt Research-Based Treatments (ACT SMART Toolkit; Drahota, Meza, & Martinez, 2014) is a web-based implementation toolkit developed to guide ASD implementation teams through the phases of EBP implementation in community agencies. This study examined the barriers and facilitators (collectively termed “determinants”) to the utilization of this toolkit, based on the perspectives of implementation teams at six ASD community agencies. Two independent coders utilized the adapted EPIS model (Drahota et al., 2017; Moulin et al., 2019) and the Technology Acceptance Model 3 (Venkatesh & Bala, 2008), to guide thematic analyses of participant interviews. Salient determinants were identified, and analyses highlighted two themes: (a) Inner Context Determinants to use of the toolkit (e.g., funding), and (b) Innovation Determinants (e.g., facilitation teams). Finally, determinants that differed across adapted EPIS phases of the toolkit were identified. Findings highlight areas of improvement for the ACT SMART Implementation Toolkit, as well as factors to facilitate the use of this implementation guide. Additionally, findings may inform the development, refinement, and utilization of implementation guides with the aim of increasing the uptake of evidence-based practices in community agencies providing services to children with autism spectrum disorder.
Show less
- Title
- Relational and contextual antecedents of emotion regulation : integrating the easi model into existing emotional labor models
- Creator
- Marquez, Sergio Miguel
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Emotional labor research within organizational psychology has largely benefitted by adopting process models of emotion regulation into emotional labor models. However, relational, contextual moderators and antecedents of the emotional labor process are sorely missing from extant research. This study sought to further explicate the role of these factors on emotion regulation using the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) process model. Using a simulated negotiation scenario, this study...
Show moreEmotional labor research within organizational psychology has largely benefitted by adopting process models of emotion regulation into emotional labor models. However, relational, contextual moderators and antecedents of the emotional labor process are sorely missing from extant research. This study sought to further explicate the role of these factors on emotion regulation using the Emotions as Social Information (EASI) process model. Using a simulated negotiation scenario, this study investigated the role of information processing (mediation by relative power, manipulated through number of opponents engaged) and opponent's affect (angry vs. happy) on subsequent emotion regulation strategy adopted. Utilizing a sample of 326 undergraduate psychology students, results suggest that participants experienced emotion contagion and drew meaningful inferences about own performance from their opponent's affect. However, only affective reactions -- not performance inference -- were related to participants' emotion regulation. Further, relative power did not mediate the relationship between number of opponents and information processing. Exploratory analyses instead suggest information processing, epistemic motivation, experienced power, and relative power moderate the relationship between affective reactions and performance inference and subsequent emotion regulation. Theoretical and practical implications of results are discussed, along with future suggestions for following research.
Show less
- Title
- Well-being from a social justice perspective : a narrative study on female adolescents from Coyhaique, Chile
- Creator
- Bilbao-Nieva, Maria Isidora
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Well-being is a targeted goal for public policies, interventions, and social programs around the world. Definitions and operationalizations of well-being are multiple and have been focusing on objective or subjective aspects. Researchers have found differences in what is deemed valuable in different countries, and the concept of well-being also varies depending upon intersecting factors such as age, gender, and social class. For these reasons, it is crucial to understand well-being within a...
Show moreWell-being is a targeted goal for public policies, interventions, and social programs around the world. Definitions and operationalizations of well-being are multiple and have been focusing on objective or subjective aspects. Researchers have found differences in what is deemed valuable in different countries, and the concept of well-being also varies depending upon intersecting factors such as age, gender, and social class. For these reasons, it is crucial to understand well-being within a context and specific population. Yet, most research has focused on developed countries and adults. There is almost no research devoted to understanding the well-being of adolescent girls from Latin American countries. This study uses a qualitative methodology based on narrative inquiry. It aims is to understand how eight teenage girls from Coyhaique, Chile, define and experience well-being within the life domains in which they operate. By focusing on their living conditions, the study explores how these contribute to or impede their well-being, maintaining a social justice perspective of well-being. The results show that the participants gave critical importance to the relationships they establish at the different life domains in which they operate. Also, they described how numerous threats to their safety hinder their well-being. To promote well-being within this population, efforts should focus on ensuring safety by protecting them from violence and promoting positive and healthy relationships with adults and peers.
Show less
- Title
- Quantifying the "nutrient landscape" in the great lakes region : mapping and analyzing nutrient sources and groundwater nitrate
- Creator
- Hamlin, Quercus Florence
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Since the mid-19th century, the rise of industrial agriculture and growing population has significantly altered nutrient cycling. These changes are from multiple sources, such as chemical fertilizers, livestock waste, and human waste. Excess nutrients have led to a suite of water quality problems that damage human and animal health, ecology, and economics. In this thesis, I begin to quantify the "Nutrient Landscape", a term I use to refer to the set of processes and properties that drive...
Show moreSince the mid-19th century, the rise of industrial agriculture and growing population has significantly altered nutrient cycling. These changes are from multiple sources, such as chemical fertilizers, livestock waste, and human waste. Excess nutrients have led to a suite of water quality problems that damage human and animal health, ecology, and economics. In this thesis, I begin to quantify the "Nutrient Landscape", a term I use to refer to the set of processes and properties that drive cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus throughout our modern environment.To understand the "Nutrient Landscape", I first develop algorithms utilizing broadly available data to estimate nutrient inputs from seven distinct sources across the U.S. portion of the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin at 30 meter resolution. Chapter I's mapping effort, referred to as the Spatially Explicit Nutrient Source Estimate map (SENSEmap), provides new information for management and modeling, as well as a classification system to categorize watersheds based on their nutrient source composition. Second, I examine the groundwater component of the "Nutrient Landscape" by exploring a dataset of over 300,000 nitrate samples from drinking water wells using Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis to determine drivers of elevated concentration. This analysis revealed high nitrate concentrations result from a combination of hazardous land use and vulnerable geology. The data products and findings in this thesis provide a quantitative framework for informing management strategies and driving the next generation of nutrient modeling.
Show less
- Title
- Unlocking the forest inventory and analysis database : applications to nation-wide forest health monitoring
- Creator
- Stanke, Hunter
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) is a US Department of Agriculture Forest Service program that aims to monitor changes in forests across the US. FIA hosts one of the largest ecological datasets in the world, though its complexity limits access for many potential users. rFIA is an R package designed to simplify the estimation of forest attributes using data collected by the FIA Program. Specifically, rFIA improves access to the spatio-temporal estimation capacity of the FIA Database via...
Show moreForest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) is a US Department of Agriculture Forest Service program that aims to monitor changes in forests across the US. FIA hosts one of the largest ecological datasets in the world, though its complexity limits access for many potential users. rFIA is an R package designed to simplify the estimation of forest attributes using data collected by the FIA Program. Specifically, rFIA improves access to the spatio-temporal estimation capacity of the FIA Database via space-time indexed summaries of forest variables within user-defined population boundaries. The package implements multiple design-based estimators, and has been validated against official estimates and sampling errors produced by the FIA Program. The package has been made open-source is freely available for download from the Comprehensive R Archive Network.In recent decades, forests of the western US have experienced unprecedented change in climate and forest disturbance regimes, and widespread shifts in forest composition, structure, and function are expected in response. However, large-scale, comprehensive assessments of tree population performance have yet to be conducted in the region. We develop an index of forest population performance based on repeated censuses of field plots, and apply this index to assess the status of the most abundant tree species in the western US. Our study provides empirical evidence to suggest tree species in the western US are exhibiting strong divergence in population performance, with over half (70%) of species experiencing range-wide population decline. We found spatial variation in population performance across the ranges of all species, indicating range shifts are already underway. Our results further indicate that species decline can seldom be attributed to a single forest disturbance agent, highlighting the importance of considering multiple risks factors in broad-scale forest management.
Show less
- Title
- The roles of land and off-farm employment in youth and young adult outmigration : evidence from rural Zambia
- Creator
- Bellinger, Megan
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Migration is a prominent policy issue in many African countries, and youth and young adult (YYA) migration can be particularly important for the future vitality of rural and urban communities. However, there is limited empirical evidence on how agricultural land-related factors and off-farm employment are associated with rural-to-rural and rural-to-urban outmigration by YYA. We use data from nationally representative panel surveys from Zambia to estimate logit and multinomial logit models to...
Show moreMigration is a prominent policy issue in many African countries, and youth and young adult (YYA) migration can be particularly important for the future vitality of rural and urban communities. However, there is limited empirical evidence on how agricultural land-related factors and off-farm employment are associated with rural-to-rural and rural-to-urban outmigration by YYA. We use data from nationally representative panel surveys from Zambia to estimate logit and multinomial logit models to investigate these issues. Results show that for young adults (ages 25-35), and to a lesser extent for youth (ages 15-24), employment in the off-farm economy is associated with a reduced likelihood of outmigration to both rural and urban areas - possibly because this method of income diversification reduces the need or desire for the geographic income diversification that can be achieved through migration. Results related to agricultural land factors are substantially more variable than results related to employment in the off-farm economy. We find that indicators of land market activity, perceived land availability in a village, and indicators of land tenure security have nuanced and varied associations with outmigration depending on destination type, migration type, and age group. The land related results suggest that careful policy and programs design is needed to accommodate the differential impacts that land market activity, land access perceptions, and tenure security may have on groups such as YYA who are important for the long term productivity and vitality of their communities.
Show less
- Title
- Sentiment mapping : point pattern analysis of sentiment classified twitter data
- Creator
- Camacho, Kenneth
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Varieties of sentiment analysis and point pattern analysis are being applied to social media data to address a broad range of questions, but they are rarely used in tandem. This study outlines a methodology that combines these two approaches to analyze the spatial distribution of sentiment classified opinions f\rom social media data. Twitter postings on natural gas were downloaded and classified using a variety of sentiment analysis methods into positive, negative, and neutral categories. The...
Show moreVarieties of sentiment analysis and point pattern analysis are being applied to social media data to address a broad range of questions, but they are rarely used in tandem. This study outlines a methodology that combines these two approaches to analyze the spatial distribution of sentiment classified opinions f\rom social media data. Twitter postings on natural gas were downloaded and classified using a variety of sentiment analysis methods into positive, negative, and neutral categories. The classifications were then converted into spatial points using the location data associated with the tweets, whereby point pattern analysis techniques were applied to the points to examine the patterns of positive and negative tweet locations with respect to a background rate of neutral tweets across the contiguous Unites States. Basic temporal visualizations were also constructed to explore the variations in sentiment over time. Considerations are discussed on the accuracy limitations of sentiment analysis and the potential for a variety of applications using these techniques. With careful implementation, this methodology can open the door to a range of spatiotemporal analyses of social media sentiment.
Show less
- Title
- The contribution of fluvial processes to the formation of cryoplanation terraces : the role of periglacial sorted stripes
- Creator
- Mitchell, Raven Jezell
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
The mechanisms of material excavation and removal from large periglacial landforms known as cryoplanation terraces (CTs) have been debated for over a century. These unknowns hinder acceptance of a unified understanding of CT formation. The research reported in this thesis links sorted stripes-a type of periglacial patterned ground frequently encountered on CT treads-to the hydrologic connectivity of periglacial hillslopes, which has not been considered in the context of CT development....
Show moreThe mechanisms of material excavation and removal from large periglacial landforms known as cryoplanation terraces (CTs) have been debated for over a century. These unknowns hinder acceptance of a unified understanding of CT formation. The research reported in this thesis links sorted stripes-a type of periglacial patterned ground frequently encountered on CT treads-to the hydrologic connectivity of periglacial hillslopes, which has not been considered in the context of CT development. Traditional interpretations hold that the presence of sorted patterned ground indicates geomorphic quiescence, a view that has contributed to the dismissal of these features as a factor in the creation of periglacial topography. This thesis addresses the geomorphic role of sorted stripes as fluvial features by investigating their hydrologic effectiveness in removing weathered material from CT treads. Process-focused investigations and watershed morphometric analysis were conducted on thee cryoplanation terraces in an active upland periglacial environment near Atlin, British Columbia, Canada. Results demonstrate the landscape-scale spatial organization and geomorphic effectiveness of sorted stripe networks for transporting water and suspended sediment across CT surfaces. A qualitative model of sediment production and transportation is presented that: 1) outlines erosional processes responsible for CT formation; and 2) defines the distinct hydrologic-geomorphic imprint imparted by sorted stripes on periglacial hillslopes.
Show less
- Title
- Effects of 16- and 18-carbon fatty acids on nutrient digestibility and production responses of lactating dairy cattle
- Creator
- Burch, Alycia Marie
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Addition of fat supplements to dairy cow diets is common practice due to increases in yields of milk and milk fat. This thesis contains two studies that evaluated the effects of palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), and oleic acids (cis-9 C18:1) on lactating dairy cows. The first experiment used three commercially available products to make custom blends containing 60% C16:0 + 30% C18:0 (PA+SA) and 60% C16:0 + 30% cis-9 C18:1 (PA+OA) supplied at 1.5% diet dry matter (DM) and a non-FA...
Show moreAddition of fat supplements to dairy cow diets is common practice due to increases in yields of milk and milk fat. This thesis contains two studies that evaluated the effects of palmitic (C16:0), stearic (C18:0), and oleic acids (cis-9 C18:1) on lactating dairy cows. The first experiment used three commercially available products to make custom blends containing 60% C16:0 + 30% C18:0 (PA+SA) and 60% C16:0 + 30% cis-9 C18:1 (PA+OA) supplied at 1.5% diet dry matter (DM) and a non-FA supplemented control (CON) diet fed to low- and high-producing dairy cows. The PA+OA treatment increased yields of milk, milk fat, and energy corrected milk (ECM) compared with CON for high-producing cows. In contrast, the PA+SA treatment increased yields of milk fat, milk protein, ECM, and 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM) compared with the PA+OA treatment in low-producing cows. The second experiment evaluated different ratios of C16:0 + cis-9 C18:1 in low fat (LF; average 2.40% FA content) and high fat (HF; average 3.28% FA content) diets. Fatty acid (FA) treatments were products consisting of 80% C16:0 + 10% cis-9 C18:1 (PA) and 60% C16:0 + 30% cis-9 C18:1 (PA+OA) supplemented at 1.5% diet DM and a non-FA supplemented control (CON) diet. Interactions were observed between basal diet and FA treatment with FA treatments increasing yields of milk and lactose in the LF diet but not in the HF diet. The HF diet increased yields of milk fat and FCM and tended to increase ECM. FA treatments increased yields of milk fat, ECM, and FCM, but were not different from each other. Results from this work can help further feeding decisions for nutritionists and producers.
Show less
- Title
- Community empowerment and sustainability of the common forest of Cheran, Mexico
- Creator
- Gonzalez Camacho, Aldo Fabian
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
In Mexico, approximately 80% of the forest is commonly owned by local communities and its management is decentralized. Evidence suggests that in many cases, decentralization is ineffective in reaching positive social and environmental outcomes due to a lack of power for local actors. This research aims to investigate how community empowerment impacts the sustainability of common forest. During the 2000 015B, the indigenous community of Cheran lost a third of its forest to foreign loggers...
Show moreIn Mexico, approximately 80% of the forest is commonly owned by local communities and its management is decentralized. Evidence suggests that in many cases, decentralization is ineffective in reaching positive social and environmental outcomes due to a lack of power for local actors. This research aims to investigate how community empowerment impacts the sustainability of common forest. During the 2000 015B, the indigenous community of Cheran lost a third of its forest to foreign loggers linked to criminal organizations. Given the lack of response by authorities, in 2011 the community conducted an armed resistance against the intruders and recovered control over their territory. Then, they completed a legal process that ended in the establishment of a traditional self-governance system. I investigated three research questions: 1) What kind of power did the community gain in relation to natural resources management? 2) How have the institutions for the sustainable management of common pool resources (CPRs) evolved after 2011? and 3) How has forest land-cover changed from 2005 to date? To answer the first two research questions, I conducted a qualitative case study. I found that the community in fact gained authority over the management of the forest and improved their institutions to better resemble Ostrom's principles for sustainable management of CPRs. To answer the third research question, I performed a semi-automated land cover change assessment between 2005 and 2020. The area covered with healthy forest reached its lowest point in Cheran in 2014 but has been recovering ever since. This study provides empirical evidence suggesting that community empowerment in decentralized forest management can facilitate the creation of robust forest institutions and reduce deforestation.
Show less
- Title
- Do latex and resin canals spur plant diversification? Re-examining a classic example of escape and radiate coevolution
- Creator
- Foisy, Michael
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
The association between increased lineage diversification rates and the evolution of latex and resin canals is widely cited as a paradigmatic example of Ehrlich and Raven's 'escape-and-radiate' hypothesis of co-evolution. However, it has been nearly three decades since these plant defenses have been examined as key innovations, and updates to phylogenetic comparative methods, plant molecular systematics, and phenotypic data warrant a reassessment of this classic finding. I gathered data on...
Show moreThe association between increased lineage diversification rates and the evolution of latex and resin canals is widely cited as a paradigmatic example of Ehrlich and Raven's 'escape-and-radiate' hypothesis of co-evolution. However, it has been nearly three decades since these plant defenses have been examined as key innovations, and updates to phylogenetic comparative methods, plant molecular systematics, and phenotypic data warrant a reassessment of this classic finding. I gathered data on latex and resin canals across 345 families and 986 genera of vascular plants and conducted a multi-scale test of the association between these traits and lineage diversification rates. At a broad scale (across clades), I used sister-clade comparisons to test whether 28 canal-bearing clades had higher net diversification rates than their canal-lacking sister clades. At a finer scale (within clades), I used ancestral state reconstructions and phylogenetic models of lineage diversification rates to examine the relationship between trait evolution and the timing of diversification rate shifts in two better-characterized clades - Araceae and Papaveraceae. At both scales of analyses, I found poor support for the predicted relationship between diversification and the evolution of latex and resin canals. This re-examination reveals that there is no longer strong evidence for latex or resin canals as general, consistently replicable drivers of species diversity across plants. However, I could not rule out a relationship in all groups, and therefore argue that theoretical and empirical work aimed at understanding ecological factors that condition 'escape-and-radiate' dynamics will allow for more nuanced tests of the hypothesis in the future.
Show less
- Title
- Research gaps and opportunities for climate change adaptation in network analysis
- Creator
- Chau, Sophia Nguyen
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Mitigating the negative impacts of climate change such as sea level rise, drought, and species extinction requires effectively mobilizing social and ecological resources across geographic distances. Climate change adaptation practitioners need to understand climate change from a systems perspective, whereby the ecological and social components involved are viewed as interacting and interrelated components of a system that together yield consequences for both human and non-human life. Network...
Show moreMitigating the negative impacts of climate change such as sea level rise, drought, and species extinction requires effectively mobilizing social and ecological resources across geographic distances. Climate change adaptation practitioners need to understand climate change from a systems perspective, whereby the ecological and social components involved are viewed as interacting and interrelated components of a system that together yield consequences for both human and non-human life. Network analysis, a set of techniques that allows for quantitative and qualitative depiction of the relationships between system components and how they give rise to emergent phenomena, has the potential to help address contemporary sustainability challenges such as climate change adaptation. Adaptation practitioners have already begun using network analysis with the goal of improving their adaptation efforts, but the literature to guide their practice is young. The first chapter of my thesis addresses this problem by reviewing network analysis studies about climate change adaptation. I identified research gaps and opportunities related to the type of network analysis, adaptation sectors, geographic scale, number of systems, study objectives, and proposed network interventions. In the second chapter, I developed a framework called the metacoupled network approach that can help network analysis studies address these research gaps. Such a framework will not only guide network analysis studies in climate change adaptation but also provide a useful framework for understanding other complex social-ecological challenges.
Show less
- Title
- Kinetically modeling total ion chromatograms and extracted ion profiles to identify ignitable liquids for fire debris applications
- Creator
- Capistran, Briana Ashley
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Identification of ignitable liquids in fire debris samples is typically conducted via comparison of total ion chromatograms (TICs) of such samples to reference collections containing chromatograms of common liquids. Due to the extent of liquid evaporation in fires, reference collections often contain TICs of ignitable liquids that have been experimentally evaporated to various levels; however, such evaporations can be time intensive. A kinetic model was developed to predict evaporation rate...
Show moreIdentification of ignitable liquids in fire debris samples is typically conducted via comparison of total ion chromatograms (TICs) of such samples to reference collections containing chromatograms of common liquids. Due to the extent of liquid evaporation in fires, reference collections often contain TICs of ignitable liquids that have been experimentally evaporated to various levels; however, such evaporations can be time intensive. A kinetic model was developed to predict evaporation rate constants of compounds as a function of GC retention index. The model can be applied to predict chromatograms of ignitable liquids at any evaporation level, alleviating the need to perform experimental evaporations. Previous work demonstrated good predictive accuracy of the model for petroleum distillate liquids and gasoline.In this work, the kinetic model was applied to ignitable liquids of the isoparaffinic, naphthenic-paraffinic, and aromatic ASTM classes. Predicted extracted ion profiles (EIPs) were generated in addition to TICs for each liquid, and good predictive accuracy of the model was demonstrated with PPMC coefficients as high as 0.9983. Reference collections containing predicted TICs and EIPs were generated. The TICs and EIPs of single-blind samples and large-scale burn samples were compared to the reference collections; in all cases, the correct ASTM liquid class was identified. Use of the EIP reference collection for the burn samples resulted in higher correlation compared to the TIC collection due to reduced substrate interferences. Overall, this work demonstrates the utility of a kinetic model for generating predicted reference collections as a tool in the identification of ignitable liquids for fire debris applications.
Show less
- Title
- Teaching American English sounds to blind and low vision learners using assistive technology
- Creator
- Medina Gonzalez, Yeimy Maritza
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
This project was designed to improve the inclusive nature of courses on language learning and teaching through the creation of Adaptive English Phonetic tools (ADEPT) to provide better access to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols and the sounds they represent for blind and low vision learner and teachers of American English as a second or foreign language. This approach involved the integration of auditory and tactual information to facilitate the development of phonological...
Show moreThis project was designed to improve the inclusive nature of courses on language learning and teaching through the creation of Adaptive English Phonetic tools (ADEPT) to provide better access to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols and the sounds they represent for blind and low vision learner and teachers of American English as a second or foreign language. This approach involved the integration of auditory and tactual information to facilitate the development of phonological literacy based on the effectiveness of multisensory training protocols. ADEPT consists of sets of tactile IPA symbol cards, and a companion website based on the Universal Design for Learning framework. Each IPA symbol card includes the symbol, its typographical description, and a reference number associated with the website (all with corresponding Braille notations). The website includes printed and audio-recorded information on the articulation of American English consonants and vowels with recordings of each sound in isolation and in sample words. The pedagogical efficacy of these tools was tested with 21 adult learners of English in Colombia with a focus on vowel production. A pretest-posttest design involving the delayed repetition technique was used. Learners' productions of short sentences with multiple exemplars of American English vowels were audio-recorded. Native-speaker ratings revealed a significant improvement in learners' pronunciation after 10 weeks of instruction. Qualitative data included pre- and post-study interviews and the researcher's instructional notes. Learners described the auditory-tactual approach as "invaluable". Field testing of the symbol cards indicated that they should be 3D printed for sustainability. In sum, ADEPT can facilitate a collaborative learning environment for sighted and non-sighted individuals.
Show less
- Title
- La lutte pour l'integration sociale de la femme dans les oeuvres de mariama ba
- Creator
- Wanda, Sylvie Lakaine
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
La lutte pour l'integration sociale de la femme etait au coeur des preoccupations d'une societe postcoloniale senegalaise en pleine mutation. C'est ce qui a incite de nombreuses auteures a l'instar de Mariame Ba qui a travers ses ecrits a formule son combat dans la lutte pour la liberation de la femme. Cette domination masculine a l'egard de la femme s'est accentuee a travers la colonisation qui avait pour consequence de ravaler la femme au second plan en lui infligeant un complexe flagrant d...
Show moreLa lutte pour l'integration sociale de la femme etait au coeur des preoccupations d'une societe postcoloniale senegalaise en pleine mutation. C'est ce qui a incite de nombreuses auteures a l'instar de Mariame Ba qui a travers ses ecrits a formule son combat dans la lutte pour la liberation de la femme. Cette domination masculine a l'egard de la femme s'est accentuee a travers la colonisation qui avait pour consequence de ravaler la femme au second plan en lui infligeant un complexe flagrant d'inferiorite. L'indignation de l'auteure s'est faite ressentie lorsqu'elle a pris position pour combattre toutes sortes de discrimination eprouvees par la femme, en leur donnant du courage, et en les invitant a prendre leur destin en main.C'est ainsi qu'a partir des annees 1980, son combat est porteur de fruit de nos jours lorsqu'on constate de maniere incontestable l'integration de la femme dans les affaires politiques, sociales, administratives avec surtout la consecration de leurs droits a travers de nombreux instruments juridiques.
Show less
- Title
- Perceptions of decision support system success : lessons from the north central region
- Creator
- Young, Laura
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Decision support systems (DSSs) have been utilized extensively to enhance problem-framing, structure decisions around complex natural resource issues, increase learning, and enrich group collaboration. However, these tools are rarely evaluated for their actual impact on decision-making. Challenges commonly encountered by developers include low rates of adoption, limited end-user participation in DSS development, and issues with securing long-term maintenance. This research explores the extent...
Show moreDecision support systems (DSSs) have been utilized extensively to enhance problem-framing, structure decisions around complex natural resource issues, increase learning, and enrich group collaboration. However, these tools are rarely evaluated for their actual impact on decision-making. Challenges commonly encountered by developers include low rates of adoption, limited end-user participation in DSS development, and issues with securing long-term maintenance. This research explores the extent to which four DSSs have been successfully deployed to facilitate decision-making and support agricultural conservation within the North Central Region of the U.S. The Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework, the Daily Erosion Project, the Great Lakes Watershed Management System, and the Runoff Risk Advisory Forecast have been utilized in multiple states to improve land management and conservation.Conducting interviews with both developers and end-users of these systems, I demonstrated that these DSSs are used to improve conservation planning, enable performance-based conservation, prioritize outreach activities, and enhance farmer engagement. However, adoption has been mixed. Some DSSs are embedded within routine planning practices and others indicate few users. Lack of consistent funding and the potential to lose key personnel that either possess the technical knowledge or social influence to maintain and promote the system threaten DSS sustainability. Despite challenges, the process of developing and deploying DSSs provided value to stakeholders, fostering collaboration among diverse sets of organizations.
Show less
- Title
- Balancing value and values : an examination of the sustainability of U.S. food hubs using the national food hub survey
- Creator
- Hardy, Jill
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Most scholars and practitioners agree that a food hub's identity must include social and environmental mission goals and activities that challenge the dominant food system. In practice, there are limits to the resources food hubs can expend on addressing such missions. Simply, if a food hub does not maintain financial viability, it is unlikely it will continue to exist to address social and environmental issues. Using data from the 2015 and 2017 National Food Hub Survey, this research uses...
Show moreMost scholars and practitioners agree that a food hub's identity must include social and environmental mission goals and activities that challenge the dominant food system. In practice, there are limits to the resources food hubs can expend on addressing such missions. Simply, if a food hub does not maintain financial viability, it is unlikely it will continue to exist to address social and environmental issues. Using data from the 2015 and 2017 National Food Hub Survey, this research uses multiple linear regression to examine the effect of mission related goals on financial viability. Findings suggest that food hubs whose missions highly relate to improving health in their community have a financial advantage over hubs whose missions do not. However, when missions are strongly related to increasing healthy or fresh food access specifically to economically disadvantaged communities, financial viability may suffer. Supplementing revenue with grants and generating non-sales revenue from multiple, diverse grant and fundraising sources acts to offset the impact of intense mission activities on the bottom line, but only when an established hub has been operating for multiple years. This research adds to the quantitative research linking food hub financial viability with business operations and complements qualitative work on food hub's social missions. In addition, this research provides guidance to food hub funders, planners, and operators as they grapple with the challenges of balancing profit and purpose.
Show less
- Title
- Understanding how induced luteolysis in dairy cattle affect corpora lutea characteristics and fertility
- Creator
- Minela, Thaina
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Efficient manipulation of estrous cycle via exogenous treatments is critical for fertility in dairy cows following timed artificial insemination (TAI) programs. Luteolysis is a key event that warrants reproductive success in manipulated estrous cycles. The main objective of this thesis was to characterize luteolysis following different doses of cloprostenol sodium (CLO) and its effects on luteal blood flow (LBF) and fertility of lactating dairy cows. The first objective was to determine the...
Show moreEfficient manipulation of estrous cycle via exogenous treatments is critical for fertility in dairy cows following timed artificial insemination (TAI) programs. Luteolysis is a key event that warrants reproductive success in manipulated estrous cycles. The main objective of this thesis was to characterize luteolysis following different doses of cloprostenol sodium (CLO) and its effects on luteal blood flow (LBF) and fertility of lactating dairy cows. The first objective was to determine the effect of luteolytic and sub-luteolytic doses of CLO in dairy heifers with an early and mid-cycle corpus luteum (CL). Measurement of LBF was indicative of complete, and partial luteolysis following various doses of CLO. Heifers receiving multiple doses of CLO had complete disappearance of LBF 4 d post-treatment. The second objective was to assess the effects of different CLO dose strategies during TAI programs on pregnancy rates per AI (PR/AI) in lactating dairy cows. We also aimed to verify the association between LBF around TAI with PR/AI in cows that had a d 7 and 14 CL. Cows were treated with a single full dose, two full doses 24 h apart or a double dose of CLO. There was no evidence of differences in PR/AI between CLO doses. But, 3rd+ parity cows treated with a single full dose of CLO had greater pregnancy loss form d 24 to 34 post-AI. Treatment with double dose of CLO resulted in similar PR/AI independent on synchronization status. Amount of LBF at 2 and 4 d post-treatment was a predictor of PR/AI 34 d post-AI. Cows with decreased LBF of both d 7 and 14 CL below a median cutoff had greater PR/AI 24 d post-AI. Multiparous cows treated with double doses of CLO avoided lower fertility in non-synchronized cows and greater pregnancy losses compared to cows treated with a single full dose.
Show less
- Title
- Heat transfer model for sugar beet storage pile
- Creator
- Shaaban, Mona Shaaban Mahmoud
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Harvested sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) are stored in cold regions in large piles exposed to ambient weather conditions and fluctuate temperatures during the winter storage period, which lasts for four months. To better understand the impact of air temperature on the pile temperature. A two-dimensional (2D) heat transfer steady-state model was designed to predict the temperature profile of the pile. To validate the model, temperatures obtained from the model were compared with the...
Show moreHarvested sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) are stored in cold regions in large piles exposed to ambient weather conditions and fluctuate temperatures during the winter storage period, which lasts for four months. To better understand the impact of air temperature on the pile temperature. A two-dimensional (2D) heat transfer steady-state model was designed to predict the temperature profile of the pile. To validate the model, temperatures obtained from the model were compared with the temperatures measured from onsite commercial piles during the storage seasons from November 2011 to January 2012 in the first season and from November 2012 to February 2013 in the second season in Reese, MI.The model tended to underestimate the pile temperature (°C). The mean difference between measured and modeled temperature values was significant (P 2264 0.05). Daily rate of sugar loss (kg/metric ton/day) based on measured and modeled temperatures were calculated and compared for model accuracy. The mean of the daily sugar loss based on the modeled pile temperature was significantly (P22640.05). Additionally, three zones (upper, middle and lower) of the pile were studied for the model accuracy. There was a significant difference between the modeled and measured the pile temperature between the three zones in the second season, whereas the first season didn't show difference between the temperatures of the upper and the middle zones (P2264 0.05). Moreover, a comparison of predicted sugar loss as a function of pile geometry was conducted under 2012 air temperature and 3°C increase in air temperature.
Show less
- Title
- Improving establishment of container-grown deciduous shade trees
- Creator
- Rouse, Riley Page
- Date
- 2020
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Container-grown shade trees make up an increasing proportion of nursery stock, yet arborists report concerns about root defects associated with trees grown in smooth-sided containers, such as circling roots, persisting in the landscape post-transplant. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of root modifications at planting on establishment, survival, and growth of container-grown October Glory® red maple, columnar tulip poplar, and 'Bloodgood' London planetrees. Modifying...
Show moreContainer-grown shade trees make up an increasing proportion of nursery stock, yet arborists report concerns about root defects associated with trees grown in smooth-sided containers, such as circling roots, persisting in the landscape post-transplant. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of root modifications at planting on establishment, survival, and growth of container-grown October Glory® red maple, columnar tulip poplar, and 'Bloodgood' London planetrees. Modifying roots before planting increased leaf scorch for tulip poplar and red maple trees. Nearly all trees bare-rooted before planting in July had severe die-back. Survival was excellent for all red maples and planetrees planted in May regardless of treatment. Survival for tulip poplar trees that were bare-rooted in May was 50%; all tulip poplars that were bare-rooted in July died. Bare-rooting increased tree stress immediately after planting, however, leaf water potential values for the rest of 2018 and throughout 2019 suggest that water status of trees with modified root systems achieved an equilibrium by reducing whole-tree water loss as functional leaf area was reduced. Root biomass outside the original root-ball did not differ among root modification treatments two years post-transplant. However, bare-rooting reduced the proportion of circling roots compared to control trees for all species. Shaving reduced circling roots compared to control trees for tulip poplar and planetrees. For practitioners interested in trialing these techniques, we advise performing root modifications in the dormant season and avoiding species known to be difficult to transplant bareroot (e.g., oaks, hackberry, tulip poplar).
Show less