Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Environmental Elitism Vs. Environmental Justice: How Egyptian Ngos Shape Environmental Injustices Between The Elite And The Rest, Sarah Sensamaust

Archived Theses and Dissertations

[abstract not provided]

An Emerging Triangle: Climate Change, Migration And Human Rights: The Case Of New Zealand,Tuvalu And Kiribati, Sarah Stefanos

Archived Theses and Dissertations

Three important global issues - climate change, migration, and human rights- form an emerging triangle because of their interrelatedness. However, critical analysis of the relationship between these three issues apart from an as yet legally meaningless discourse about an imminent global catastrophe of 250 million 'climate refugees' has been limited. This paper examines the climate change, migration, and human rights triangle through the lens of the Pacific, where some of the states most severely threatened by climate change can be found. Extremely small Pacific states whose inhabitants have lived on coral reef islands (called atolls) for more than 2000 years, …

Movements, Resource Selection, And Risk Analyses For Parasitic Disease In An Expanding Moose Population In The Northern Great Plains, James J. Maskey Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Little is known regarding moose ecology in North Dakota, and a decline in moose in northeastern North Dakota may be linked to parasites of white-tailed deer (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis and Fascioloides magna). I investigated the ecology of moose, including the potential effects of parasitic disease. I used global positioning system collars to estimate home ranges and habitat selection and collected fecal samples for diet estimates. I reviewed historical data and examined livers moose for evidence of F. magna infection. I examined 3730 white-tailed deer for P. tenuis and investigated whether prevalence had increased since 1991. I modeled the relationship …

The Forum: Second Thoughts On Presidential Politics, Janet Ruane, Karen A. Cerulo

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In this essay, we confront the "conventional wisdoms" promoted throughout this long presidential campaign. By conventional wisdoms, we mean the common knowledge of politics - the things that commentators and analysts forward as taken-for-granted assertions and beliefs. We will revisit just a few of the campaign season's conventional wisdoms and review them with a sociological eye. In so doing, we find that in politics, as in most other areas, conventional wisdom can be a risky source of knowledge.

Volunteer Functions, Satisfaction, Commitment, And Intention To Leave Government Volunteering, Gisela R. Salas

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Traditionally, volunteerism has been deeply embedded in United States history with citizens showing a high level of social participation. In the United States there are 60.8 million volunteers, however, the supply of volunteer labor has been insufficient to meet the demands of organizations with recent reports showing a decrease. Trends as far back as the 1980s indicated that budgetary constraints coupled with increasing demands makes volunteering the logical alternative to sustain service delivery.

Many community, civic, and governmental organizations need and use volunteers to accomplish their missions. One of the greatest challenges, however, is ensuring that the volunteers remain satisfied …

De-Humanizing The Library Redux, Allen K. Lanham

Allen K. Lanham

No abstract provided.

The Environmental And Economic Benefits Of Highway Access Management: A Multivariate Analysis Using System Dynamics, Dan Andersen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Better management of highway operations can be achieved, in part, by controlling vehicular access to adjacent properties and cross streets. This tactic, referred to as access management, has proven safety and operational benefits. However, doubts remain regarding its environmental and economic benefits.

I hypothesize that one environmental indicator, carbon emissions, will decrease with proper access management. Controlling access increases the speed at which vehicles travel, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. My hypothesis relative to financial impacts is that access management will neither help nor harm businesses. Controlling access can reduce travel time which has the effect of increasing …

Bystanders' Reactions Towards Co-Punishment Events In The Taiwanese Military: Examining The Moderating Effects Of Organizational Norms, Shu-Cheng S. Chi, Hsin-Hsin Lo, Tsai Ming-Hong, Brian P. Niehoff

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The present study examined bystanders' justice perceptions about co-punishment events. In a sample of 169 logistic officers in the Taiwanese military, responsibility attributions (i.e. liability attributed to co-punished persons) had a negative relationship with perceived harshness, and a positive relationship with perceived procedural justice. In addition, the effects of responsibility attributions on procedural justice were weaker if the person perceived stronger rather than weaker organizational norms of co-punishment.

Global Analysis Of An Expectations Augmented Evolutionary Dynamics, Angelo Antoci, Antonio Gay, Massimiliano Landi, Pier Luigi Sacco

Research Collection School Of Economics

We consider a deterministic evolutionary model where players form expectations about future play. Players are not fully rational and have expectations that change over time in response to current payoffs and feedback from the past. We provide a complete characterization of the qualitative dynamics so induced for a two strategy population game, and relate our findings to standard evolutionary dynamics and equilibrium selection when agents have rational forward looking expectations.

Maximum Likelihood And Gaussian Estimation Of Continuous Time Models In Finance, Peter C. B. Phillips, Jun Yu

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper overviews maximum likelihood and Gaussian methods of estimating continuous time models used in finance. Since the exact likelihood can be constructed only in special cases, much attention has been devoted to the development of methods designed to approximate the likelihood. These approaches range from crude Euler-type approximations and higher order stochastic Taylor series expansions to more complex polynomial-based expansions and infill approximations to the likelihood based on a continuous time data record. The methods are discussed, their properties are outlined and their relative finite sample performance compared in a simulation experiment with the nonlinear CIR diffusion model, which …

Compared To What? A Comment On "A Robust Transformation Procedure For Interpreting Political Text" By Martin And Vanberg, Kenneth Benoit, Michael Laver

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In “A Robust Transformation Procedure,” Martin and Vanberg (2007, hereafter MV) propose a new method for rescaling the raw virgin text scores produced by the “Wordscores” procedure of Laver, Benoit, and Garry (2003, hereafter LBG). Their alternative method addresses two deficiencies they argue exist with the transformation of virgin text scores proposed by LBG: First, that the LBG transformation is sensitive to the selection of virgin texts, and second, that it distorts the reference metric by failing to recover the original reference scores when reference texts are scored and transformed as if they were virgin texts. Their proposed alternative is …

New Live Chat; Pubmed Advaced Search, Vol.6 (6) November - December 2008, Houston Academy Of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library

The Insider (2003-2008)

No abstract provided.

Agenda-Setting And The Media: A Look At Child Welfare Legislation, 1995-2005, Tamara Temoney

Theses and Dissertations

This project used a content analysis methodology to determine the agenda-setting capacity of the media to influence child welfare legislation in a state legislature. With a foundation in agenda-setting theory, this study identifies how the coverage of child abuse and neglect in the print media impacts decision-makers to introduce legislation related to child abuse and neglect. Through a comparison of the issues covered in the newspaper with the issues receiving legislative attention, this study showed that media influence varies by topic, with some topics being more open to media affects than others. A second component of this study analyzed how …

Environmental Evaluation Of A Quaternary Wastewater Treatment Wetland, Olivia Demeo, '09

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment have become a sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful traditional wastewater treatment methods. This case study evaluated the Schroeder Wildlife Sanctuary, a wetland area constructed for removal of nutrients from wastewater. An environmental evaluation of the wetland was completed that addressed three parameters: the water quality of wetland effluent, the avian biodiversity within the sanctuary, and an assessment of community outreach and education initiatives. Water quality testing was conducted using rudimentary LaMotte and Hach testing kits. The data was contrary to the literature and showed no nutrient removal occurring. However, the results were inconclusive because the …

Growing Food Justice In West Bloomington, Illinois, Daniel Burke, '09

Outstanding Senior Seminar Papers

In some places in the United States, guns are more accessible than tomatoes. In a nation where food is in relative abundance, how can this be? Food security is the ready availability of nutritious and safe food and the assured ability to obtain it through normal sources (Morris et al 1992). Food justice asserts that no one should live without enough food because of economic constraints or social inequities. In this way, food justice frames the lack of healthy food sources in poor communities as a human rights issue (People's Grocery 2008). However, in some communities, access to fresh, healthy …

Autism Fast Start Checklist, Tina Taylor, Leeann Whiffen

Faculty Publications

This Fast Start Checklist was created to help parents in Utah who are concerned that their child is exhibiting signs of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It serves as a general guideline for obtaining support through the evaluation and initial treatment process and is not intended to be all-inclusive. Early Intervention and school personnel can guide parents to these resources as they collaborate to determine the best route for serving children who exhibit signs of ASD. Parents should be encouraged to not try to do everything on this list, as they are provided as points to consider. This checklist is …

Breaking Protocol: The Failure Of The Bush Administration To Ratify The Kyoto Protocol As A State Crime, Jacquelynn A. Doyon

Masters Theses

Using the Kyoto Protocol as a centrifugal focus point, this research conceptualizes the failure of the United States to act on global warming as a state crime. The decision of the United States not to ratify the protocol was largely based on economic justifications. However, the actions taken following the Kyoto Protocol indicate that the US government was instead dedicated more to their own economical interests, rather than those of the state was a whole. Through the exploration of possible economic and political motivations, the research identifies ulterior motives of the Bush administration that have proved to be detrimental to …

Perils On The High Seas: The Effects Of Submersion And Containment On Human Decomposition In Saltwater, Celene Aundrea Sotkowy

Masters Theses

Forensic analysis of decomposing human remains in a submerged and contained aquatic environment is an area of research that lacks systematic evaluation and hinders the ability to accurately determine time since death/submersion. Expanding our understanding of how submersion and containment affects the known taphonomic agents pursuant to aquatic environments will contribute to the knowledge base on human decomposition in a multitude of environments.

In response to this limited knowledge base, this thesis reviews ten marine and air incidents occurring along the coast of British Columbia, Canada in which the bodies of eighteen individuals were recovered from inside the submerged wreckage …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Female Surfers: Recreation Specialization, Motivations, And Perspectives, Tiyanya Anna Nourbakhsh

Master's Theses

This current study utilized recreation specialization and leisure motivation theory to explore the meanings, perspectives, and behaviors among female surfers. Despite numerous studies previously published regarding recreation specialization and leisure motivation related to activity participation, little research has been conducted on the activity of surfing from a female perspective. Data for this study were collected using in-depth, semi- structured interviews of nine women surfers from the California Central Coast. Content analyses of the data involved coding and identifying key themes, patterns, and categories. The dominant themes significant within recreation specialization included past participation (e.g., preceding activities to eventual participation and …

The Constant Cycle: Day To Day Critical Action Of The Quipped Project, Jennifer M. Medves, Sarita Verma, Teresa Broers

The Qualitative Report

Action research in the critical paradigm involves a process of continual refection in and on action including the research process itself. In the second in a series of several papers we report on the day-to-day management of the QUIPPED project. The aim was to facilitate patient centered care through inter-professional collaboration with health care learners at a Canadian university. Reflections of the continuum from early conceptualization of the project in 2004 through to lessons learned in 2008 are described. Key components include the importance of team development, overall coordination, and attention to logistical and structural issues are explored. The importance …

Chapter 1. What Is Meritocracy?, Richard T. Longoria

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Lis Open Access E-Journal -Where Are You?, Izabella Taler

Publications and Research

Access to published information is of interest to many users. Library and information science (LIS) professionals are especially interested in gaining access and guiding users to all available information. Though they are often dependent on traditional subscription-based library resources, moving away from the costly ones and replacing them with usage of available open access sources, presents practitioners with a significant budget consideration in today's shrinking economy. This paper examines the availability of current LIS open access e-journals; their presence in well- and less-well known abstracting and indexing sources, their inclusion in standard library bibliographic tools as well as coverage by …

Rrh Library Newsletter, December 2008, Libraries At Rochester Regional Health

Rochester Regional Health authored publications and proceedings

Newsletter sections include: Noteworthy Health Topics of 2008

Leap And Play: Encouraging Creative Thinking In Little Ones, Melaine M. Baehre

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project outlines the process of developing activities that foster the creativity leap skills in young children. The end product is a book of ten activities, which utilized the creativity leap skills from Making the Creative Leap Beyond by Torrance and Safter (1999). The contents of the guidebook also incorporates parts of Growing Up Creative: Nurturing a Lifetime of Creativity by Teresa Amabile (1989).

Developing A Virtual Community Of Practice Framework For A Dispersed Group Of Innovation Practitioners, Ami S. Henriques

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project lays the groundwork for establishing a virtual community of practice (VCoP) for innovation professionals within my organization across 8 countries and multiple business units. The literature review includes definitions of communities of practice, how they vary from other types of groups and teams, the benefits they provide to the organization and to the individual, as well best practices and considerations for building and launching a VCoP. The deliverable is a proposal that will be submitted to the global leadership of the organization for review and approval.

A Novel Experience; The Creation Of A Short Work Of Fiction, Shawn A. Hess

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This is a project about developing a short fictional work or novel. The purpose of the project is to facilitate more effective writing through practice and also, to develop the skill of storytelling or narration. The project describes, in detail, the processes I utilized in order to create the content of the novel as well as the steps I took in assembling the finished product that is the novel. This document contains suggestions, tips and recommendations on how the project could be replicated however; the project is based on developing a skill so each person’s interpretations of the items will …

The Issues, The Process, The Parties: A Political Guide For Educated Dummies, April Margarella

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project was about the creation of a simplified guide booklet, which introduces the fundamental basics of the American Political System. The content of the book was developed based on the issues, process and parties that make up a United States election.

An Innovation Culture Assessment Plan For A Department Of A Fortune 500 Company, Vincenzo Piscopo

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project presents an approach to assess the creative climate of a department of a Fortune 500 organization. This project includes a review of the approaches other organizations have taken to assess innovation climate, an evaluation of the approach the focal company currently uses and finally, a plan to assess the innovation climate for a department of the focal company. The proposed plan incorporates learnings from the reviewed literature, best practices from companies such as ?What If!, and institutions such as International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC), and my perspective on my experience with innovation in Corporate America.

Creating The Future: Conceptualizing A How-To Guide To Creative Problem Solving, Paul D. Reali

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project conceptualized a business-market book that would serve as a how-to

guide to Creative Problem Solving (CPS), filling a perceived gap in the current literature.

The conceptualization is culminated in a formal book proposal created to publishing

industry standards, which includes an annotated outline of the entire work and sample

chapters. While conceptualizing the book, current CPS models were re-conceptualized as

well, resulting in a proposed new approach to CPS which describes each process stage as

a competency, to be called the Creative Problem Solving: Competencies Model. The

competencies are briefly described, in anticipation of future research. The model’s …

Increasing Member Involvement In Volunteer Organizations, Courtney Belluccio

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This project focused on understanding current member motivation and involvement in the two organizations; Outdoor Activities Unlimited Club of Monroe Community College and the Genesee Valley Region Adirondack Club Younger Members. As a leader in both organizations it was intended to understand member motivation and involvement in an attempt to increase both. Through three months of events, meetings, and communication both membership and motivation have increased. Members have various reasons for joining clubs pertaining to the outdoors and there are cycles in the feeling of member responsibility and convenience as people’s lives change.