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Exploring Sustainability Literacy through Nature Journaling in School Gardens

Description

Day-to-day decision makers on agricultural operations play a key role in maintaining both a sustainable and food secure agricultural society. This population, also defined as Principal Producers by the 2017 USDA Agricultural Census Report, has witnessed a significant decline in recent years, raising many questions surrounding why farmers are retiring…

Day-to-day decision makers on agricultural operations play a key role in maintaining both a sustainable and food secure agricultural society. This population, also defined as Principal Producers by the 2017 USDA Agricultural Census Report, has witnessed a significant decline in recent years, raising many questions surrounding why farmers are retiring faster than they can be replaced. To look closely at this phenomenon, this study focuses on the State of Ohio to hear first-hand from producers what they need to be successful through a series of semi-structured interviews. This study also maps recent changes in variables that define this issue from 2007-2017 using QGIS and USDA Agricultural Census data. The findings from this study show the recent decline of mid-sized agricultural operations and provide evidence linking declining rates of principal producer populations with specific features consistent with industrial agriculture. These findings are specific to the State of Ohio, but also raise much larger questions about which populations are experiencing more rapid rates of farm exit, and what implications these trends have for food security on a broader scale.

ContributorsMoore, Phillip (Author) / Chhetri, Nalini (Contributor) / Leonard, Bryan (Contributor) / Shrestha, Milan (Contributor)

Created2020

The State of Black Arizona: Volume 2

Description

The African-American community has played a historically significant role in the advancement of Arizona and our region. The future success of our state relies on our ability to strengthen our communities and empower them to meet and exceed their vast potential. This project between the community and the University was…

The African-American community has played a historically significant role in the advancement of Arizona and our region. The future success of our state relies on our ability to strengthen our communities and empower them to meet and exceed their vast potential. This project between the community and the University was undertaken to help advance a better understanding of the changing dynamics of Arizona’s African-American population and the critical issues that require our collective attention in terms of education, health care, the economy, culture and leadership.

ContributorsArizona State University (Author) / Arizona Community Foundation (Author) / Tucson Urban League (Author) / Glasper, Rufus (Author) / Ramakrishna, Pushpa (Author)

Created2009

Research and Development of a Blackboard Orientation Course for Face-to-Face Students Taking Online Courses at Washington State University-Everett

Description

Washington State University Everett could benefit from a Blackboard® online orientation course prior to their first credited online course. Research included results from student satisfaction surveys and focus groups. It was determined through both quantitative and qualitative data that students who opt into an online orientation course have the potential…

Washington State University Everett could benefit from a Blackboard® online orientation course prior to their first credited online course. Research included results from student satisfaction surveys and focus groups. It was determined through both quantitative and qualitative data that students who opt into an online orientation course have the potential for increased satisfaction and success with online coursework throughout their degree-completion experience. Once this determination was made, a fully-functioning Blackboard® orientation course was designed and developed. The course has been tested by faculty and is ready for Fall 2017 deployment as a voluntary online orientation for any student already admitted to WSU Everett.

ContributorsWilder, Corrie (Author) / Brumberger, Eva (Degree committee member) / D'Angelo, Barbara J. (Degree committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2017-03-20

Creating a Radio Sound Board Operation Guide for Novices

Description

The field of radio broadcast requires the cohesion of several different skill sets in order to be a success. KHEA Radio has used a traditional form of teaching, which means taking a one-on-one approach. Taking this approach has worked for years in the past and has been the only option…

The field of radio broadcast requires the cohesion of several different skill sets in order to be a success. KHEA Radio has used a traditional form of teaching, which means taking a one-on-one approach. Taking this approach has worked for years in the past and has been the only option for teaching. The down side to this method of teaching is that it requires one seasoned employee to stop their work and take the time to train a new employee. Because of the significant void in the area of instructional content for radio sound engineering, my co-worker and I had to troubleshoot this console and basically teach ourselves its functions. I saw the need for better instructional content on the Internet and in print based on my own experiences. The skills used to create the following instructional content were gained from course work at Arizona State University. The graduate department of Technical Communication makes every effort to equip students with varied skills that can be applied to different fields within the overall scheme of technical communication. This guide serves as a tool for radio broadcast novices to learn the basics of sound board operation.

ContributorsGarcia, Gerardo (Author) / D'Angelo, Barbara J. (Degree committee member) / Maid, Barry M. (Degree committee member) / Lauer, Claire (Degree committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2017-02-16

Usability Study for YourBrandPartner.com

Description

YourBrandPartner.com exists to provide content to those seeking specific advice and information on purchasing custom promotional items. For this investigation, I conducted a usability test with a select user group to identify user experience issues. The primary goal of this research was to conduct general usability testing through large group survey…

YourBrandPartner.com exists to provide content to those seeking specific advice and information on purchasing custom promotional items. For this investigation, I conducted a usability test with a select user group to identify user experience issues. The primary goal of this research was to conduct general usability testing through large group survey and a small in-person usability testing group. I designed surveys and tests to investigate if users experienced difficulties in finding the information they were looking for on the website. Based on the results of this study, I recommend reviewing the visual design of the website, increasing site speed, creating a better experience between the blog and e- commerce interactions, and creating an environment that is more accommodating of where the user is in the buying process. This full report includes expanded participant feedback, methodology behind the study, and full recommendations for improvement.

ContributorsWood, Amy (Author) / D'Angelo, Barbara J. (Degree committee member) / Batova, Tatiana (Degree committee member) / Maid, Barry M. (Degree committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2017-04-18

Understanding Parents' Health Information Needs When Their Child is Newly Diagnosed With Cancer

Description

The purpose of this applied project was to research and recommend to Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) improvements to their website in order to provide parents whose child has been newly diagnosed with cancer the most clear and appropriate health information. I conducted a study in order to analyze and evaluate…

The purpose of this applied project was to research and recommend to Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) improvements to their website in order to provide parents whose child has been newly diagnosed with cancer the most clear and appropriate health information. I conducted a study in order to analyze and evaluate the health information content currently provided to parents at PCH. This was done by through qualitative coding methods on both printed documents provided by The Emily Center Library, as well as interviews conducted with three Hematology/Oncology nurses at PCH. Additionally, I researched the current literature surrounding this topic in order to provide a background of information. Based on the results, I recommended that PCH offer parents a comprehensive cancer database in which all provided information would be searchable via their website. This database would also allow them to expand on their two topic focuses: home care and emotional support. Additionally, I recommended that parents are provided information on how to identify credible and non- credible sources on the Internet so that they can find information that is truly medically valuable when searching for information on their own. Lastly, I offered future recommendations that will require continued research so that PCH’s provided health information can continue to grow and improve.

ContributorsAudet, Tessa (Author) / Batova, Tatiana (Degree committee member) / D'Angelo, Barbara J. (Degree committee member) / Brumberger, Eva (Degree committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2017-04-17

Theoretical Model of Solar Photovoltaic Air Conditioning with Ice Thermal Storage

Description

An investigation is undertaken of a prototype building-integrated solar photovoltaic-powered thermal storage system and air conditioning unit. The study verifies previous thermodynamic and economic conclusions and provides a more thorough analysis. A parameterized model was created for optimization of the system under various conditions. The model was used to evaluate…

An investigation is undertaken of a prototype building-integrated solar photovoltaic-powered thermal storage system and air conditioning unit. The study verifies previous thermodynamic and economic conclusions and provides a more thorough analysis. A parameterized model was created for optimization of the system under various conditions. The model was used to evaluate energy and cost savings to determine viability of the system in several circumstances, such as a residence in Phoenix with typical cooling demand. The proposed design involves a modified chest freezer as a thermal storage tank with coils acting as the evaporator for the refrigeration cycle. Surrounding the coils, the tank contains small containers of water for high-density energy storage submerged in a low freezing-point solution of propylene glycol. The cooling power of excess photovoltaic and off-peak grid power that is generated by the air conditioning compressor is stored in the thermal storage tank by freezing the pure water. It is extracted by pumping the glycol across the ice containers and into an air handler to cool the building. Featured results of the modeling include the determination of an optimized system for a super-peak rate plan, grid-connected Phoenix house that has a 4-ton cooling load and requires a corresponding new air conditioner at 4.5 kW of power draw. Optimized for the highest payback over a ten year period, the system should consist of a thermal storage tank containing 454 liters (120 gallons) of water, a 3-ton rated air conditioning unit, requiring 2.7 kW, which is smaller than conventionally needed, and no solar photovoltaic array. The monthly summer savings would be $45.The upfront cost would be $5489, compared to a conventional system upfront cost of $5400, for a payback period of 0.33 years. Over ten years, this system will provide $2600 of savings. To optimize the system for the highest savings over a twenty year period, a thermal storage tank containing 272 liters (72 gallons) of water, a 40-m2 photovoltaic array with 15% efficiency, and a 3.5-ton, 3.1-kW rated air conditioning unit should be installed for an upfront cost of $19,900. This would provide monthly summer savings of $225 and 1062 kWh grid electricity, with a payback period of only 11 years and a total cost savings of $12,300 over twenty years. In comparison, a system with the same size photovoltaic array but without storage would result in a payback period of 16 years. Results are also determined for other cooling requirements and installation sizes, such that the viability of this type of system in different conditions can be discussed. The use of this model for determining the optimized system configuration given different constraints is also described.

ContributorsMagerman, Beth Francine (Author) / Phelan, Patrick (Thesis director) / Goodnick, Stephen (Committee member) / Chhetri, Nalini (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)

Created2013-05

Laberinto Journal Vol. 12 (2019)

ContributorsDe Armas, Frederick A., 1945- (Contributor) / Worden, Bill (Professor) (Contributor) / Marek, Margaret (Contributor) / Prendergast, Ryan (Contributor) / Gasior, Bonnie L., 1971- (Contributor) / Granja Ibarreche, Xabier (Contributor) / Gil-Osle, Juan Pablo (Contributor) / ACMRS Press (Creator) / Arizona State University (Contributor) / Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (Contributor)

Created2019

Identification of structural mechanisms that modulate glycosaminoglycan affinity in various strains of decorin binding protein A

Description

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a class of complex biomolecules comprised of linear, sulfated polysaccharides whose presence on cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix involve them in many physiological phenomena as well as in interactions with pathogenic microbes. Decorin binding protein A (DBPA), a Borrelia surface lipoprotein involved in the infectivity…

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a class of complex biomolecules comprised of linear, sulfated polysaccharides whose presence on cell surfaces and in the extracellular matrix involve them in many physiological phenomena as well as in interactions with pathogenic microbes. Decorin binding protein A (DBPA), a Borrelia surface lipoprotein involved in the infectivity of Lyme disease, is responsible for binding GAGs found on decorin, a small proteoglycan present in the extracellular matrix. Different DBPA strains have notable sequence heterogeneity that results in varying levels of GAG-binding affinity. In this dissertation, the structures and GAG-binding mechanisms for three strains of DBPA (B31 and N40 DBPAs from B. burgdorferi and PBr DBPA from B. garinii) are studied to determine why each strain has a different affinity for GAGs. These three strains have similar topologies consisting of five α-helices held together by a hydrophobic core as well as two long flexible segments: a linker between helices one and two and a C-terminal tail. This structural arrangement facilitates the formation of a basic pocket below the flexible linker which is the primary GAG-binding epitope. However, this GAG-binding site can be occluded by the flexible linker, which makes the linker a negative regulator of GAG-binding. ITC and NMR titrations provide KD values that show PBr DBPA binds GAGs with higher affinity than B31 and N40 DBPAs, while N40 binds with the lowest affinity of the three. Work in this thesis demonstrates that much of the discrepancies seen in GAG affinities of the three DBPAs can be explained by the amino acid composition and conformation of the linker. Mutagenesis studies show that B31 DBPA overcomes the pocket obstruction with the BXBB motif in its linker while PBr DBPA has a retracted linker that exposes the basic pocket as well as a secondary GAG-binding site. N40 DBPA, however, does not have any evolutionary modifications to its structure to enhance GAG binding which explains its lower affinity for GAGs. GMSA and ELISA assays, along with NMR PRE experiments, confirm that structural changes in the linker do affect GAG-binding and, as a result, the linker is responsible for regulating GAG affinity.

ContributorsMorgan, Ashli M (Author) / Wang, Xu (Thesis advisor) / Allen, James (Committee member) / Yarger, Jeffery (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2015

Particle image segmentation based on Bhattacharyya distance

Description

Image segmentation is of great importance and value in many applications. In computer vision, image segmentation is the tool and process of locating objects and boundaries within images. The segmentation result may provide more meaningful image data. Generally, there are two fundamental image segmentation algorithms: discontinuity and similarity. The idea…

Image segmentation is of great importance and value in many applications. In computer vision, image segmentation is the tool and process of locating objects and boundaries within images. The segmentation result may provide more meaningful image data. Generally, there are two fundamental image segmentation algorithms: discontinuity and similarity. The idea behind discontinuity is locating the abrupt changes in intensity of images, as are often seen in edges or boundaries. Similarity subdivides an image into regions that fit the pre-defined criteria. The algorithm utilized in this thesis is the second category.

This study addresses the problem of particle image segmentation by measuring the similarity between a sampled region and an adjacent region, based on Bhattacharyya distance and an image feature extraction technique that uses distribution of local binary patterns and pattern contrasts. A boundary smoothing process is developed to improve the accuracy of the segmentation. The novel particle image segmentation algorithm is tested using four different cases of particle image velocimetry (PIV) images. The obtained experimental results of segmentations provide partitioning of the objects within 10 percent error rate. Ground-truth segmentation data, which are manually segmented image from each case, are used to calculate the error rate of the segmentations.

ContributorsHan, Dongmin (Author) / Frakes, David (Thesis advisor) / Adrian, Ronald (Committee member) / Turaga, Pavan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2015

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