Matching Items (291)
Description
Community-based volunteer organizations are critical to natural resource management in the United States. However, due to volunteer involvement, these organizations struggle with collective action problems: coping with free riding, solving commitment problems, arranging for the supply of new institutions, and monitoring individual compliance with sets of rules. In this study, we explore how volunteer organizations can overcome these challenges. To explore how they overcome these challenges, we use the Institutional Analysis and Development framework and the Institutional Design Principles. These frameworks help us understand the impact of natural resource conditions, community attributes, and the rules in use impact volunteer organizations. For this research, we focused on lake organizations in Wisconsin. We collected our data through semi-structured interviews with thirty-one lake organizations and public data. The data were analyzed using constant comparison and linear regression, followed by qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). We reinforce the importance of considering the system holistically when managing a resource the natural resource conditions, the community attributes, and the rules in use. Our study shows the importance of graduated sanctions and low-cost conflict resolution on social-ecological system outcomes. Volunteer-based resource management are an effective way to tailor management strategies to the natural resource condition and the community attributes.
ContributorsWhittaker, Dane (Author) / Janssen, Marco (Contributor) / Janssen,Marco (Contributor) / Leonard, Bryan (Contributor) / Solomon, Chris (Contributor)
Created2020-04-24
Description
Many of the derived features of the human skeleton can be divided into two adaptive suites: traits related to bipedalism and traits related to encephalization. The cervical spine connects these adaptive suites and is itself unique in its marked lordosis. I approach human cervical evolution from three directions: the functional significance of cervical curvature, the identification of cervical lordosis in osteological material, and the representation of the cervical spine in the hominin fossil record.
ContributorsFatica, Lawrence Martin (Author) / Kimbel, William (Thesis director) / Reed, Kaye (Committee member) / Schwartz, Gary (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Background
The transmission dynamics of Tuberculosis (TB) involve complex epidemiological and socio-economical interactions between individuals living in highly distinct regional conditions. The level of exogenous reinfection and first time infection rates within high-incidence settings may influence the impact of control programs on TB prevalence. The impact that effective population size and the distribution of individuals’ residence times in different patches have on TB transmission and control are studied using selected scenarios where risk is defined by the estimated or perceive first time infection and/or exogenous re-infection rates.
Methods
This study aims at enhancing the understanding of TB dynamics, within simplified, two patch, risk-defined environments, in the presence of short term mobility and variations in reinfection and infection rates via a mathematical model. The modeling framework captures the role of individuals’ ‘daily’ dynamics within and between places of residency, work or business via the average proportion of time spent in residence and as visitors to TB-risk environments (patches). As a result, the effective population size of Patch i (home of i-residents) at time t must account for visitors and residents of Patch i, at time t.
Results
The study identifies critical social behaviors mechanisms that can facilitate or eliminate TB infection in vulnerable populations. The results suggest that short-term mobility between heterogeneous patches contributes to significant overall increases in TB prevalence when risk is considered only in terms of direct new infection transmission, compared to the effect of exogenous reinfection. Although, the role of exogenous reinfection increases the risk that come from large movement of individuals, due to catastrophes or conflict, to TB-free areas.
Conclusions
The study highlights that allowing infected individuals to move from high to low TB prevalence areas (for example via the sharing of treatment and isolation facilities) may lead to a reduction in the total TB prevalence in the overall population. The higher the population size heterogeneity between distinct risk patches, the larger the benefit (low overall prevalence) under the same “traveling” patterns. Policies need to account for population specific factors (such as risks that are inherent with high levels of migration, local and regional mobility patterns, and first time infection rates) in order to be long lasting, effective and results in low number of drug resistant cases.
The transmission dynamics of Tuberculosis (TB) involve complex epidemiological and socio-economical interactions between individuals living in highly distinct regional conditions. The level of exogenous reinfection and first time infection rates within high-incidence settings may influence the impact of control programs on TB prevalence. The impact that effective population size and the distribution of individuals’ residence times in different patches have on TB transmission and control are studied using selected scenarios where risk is defined by the estimated or perceive first time infection and/or exogenous re-infection rates.
Methods
This study aims at enhancing the understanding of TB dynamics, within simplified, two patch, risk-defined environments, in the presence of short term mobility and variations in reinfection and infection rates via a mathematical model. The modeling framework captures the role of individuals’ ‘daily’ dynamics within and between places of residency, work or business via the average proportion of time spent in residence and as visitors to TB-risk environments (patches). As a result, the effective population size of Patch i (home of i-residents) at time t must account for visitors and residents of Patch i, at time t.
Results
The study identifies critical social behaviors mechanisms that can facilitate or eliminate TB infection in vulnerable populations. The results suggest that short-term mobility between heterogeneous patches contributes to significant overall increases in TB prevalence when risk is considered only in terms of direct new infection transmission, compared to the effect of exogenous reinfection. Although, the role of exogenous reinfection increases the risk that come from large movement of individuals, due to catastrophes or conflict, to TB-free areas.
Conclusions
The study highlights that allowing infected individuals to move from high to low TB prevalence areas (for example via the sharing of treatment and isolation facilities) may lead to a reduction in the total TB prevalence in the overall population. The higher the population size heterogeneity between distinct risk patches, the larger the benefit (low overall prevalence) under the same “traveling” patterns. Policies need to account for population specific factors (such as risks that are inherent with high levels of migration, local and regional mobility patterns, and first time infection rates) in order to be long lasting, effective and results in low number of drug resistant cases.
ContributorsMoreno Martinez, Victor (Author) / Espinoza Cortes, Baltazar (Author) / Barley, Kamal (Author) / Paredes Gutierrez, Marlio (Author) / Bichara, Derdei (Author) / Mubayi, Anuj (Author) / Castillo-Chavez, Carlos (Author) / Simon M. Levin Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center (Contributor) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor)
Created2017-01-11
Description
Background
The maintenance of chromosomal integrity is an essential task of every living organism and cellular repair mechanisms exist to guard against insults to DNA. Given the importance of this process, it is expected that DNA repair proteins would be evolutionarily conserved, exhibiting very minimal sequence change over time. However, BRCA1, an essential gene involved in DNA repair, has been reported to be evolving rapidly despite the fact that many protein-altering mutations within this gene convey a significantly elevated risk for breast and ovarian cancers.
Results
To obtain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary trajectory of BRCA1, we analyzed complete BRCA1 gene sequences from 23 primate species. We show that specific amino acid sites have experienced repeated selection for amino acid replacement over primate evolution. This selection has been focused specifically on humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). After examining BRCA1 polymorphisms in 7 bonobo, 44 chimpanzee, and 44 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) individuals, we find considerable variation within each of these species and evidence for recent selection in chimpanzee populations. Finally, we also sequenced and analyzed BRCA2 from 24 primate species and find that this gene has also evolved under positive selection.
Conclusions
While mutations leading to truncated forms of BRCA1 are clearly linked to cancer phenotypes in humans, there is also an underlying selective pressure in favor of amino acid-altering substitutions in this gene. A hypothesis where viruses are the drivers of this natural selection is discussed.
The maintenance of chromosomal integrity is an essential task of every living organism and cellular repair mechanisms exist to guard against insults to DNA. Given the importance of this process, it is expected that DNA repair proteins would be evolutionarily conserved, exhibiting very minimal sequence change over time. However, BRCA1, an essential gene involved in DNA repair, has been reported to be evolving rapidly despite the fact that many protein-altering mutations within this gene convey a significantly elevated risk for breast and ovarian cancers.
Results
To obtain a deeper understanding of the evolutionary trajectory of BRCA1, we analyzed complete BRCA1 gene sequences from 23 primate species. We show that specific amino acid sites have experienced repeated selection for amino acid replacement over primate evolution. This selection has been focused specifically on humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus). After examining BRCA1 polymorphisms in 7 bonobo, 44 chimpanzee, and 44 rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) individuals, we find considerable variation within each of these species and evidence for recent selection in chimpanzee populations. Finally, we also sequenced and analyzed BRCA2 from 24 primate species and find that this gene has also evolved under positive selection.
Conclusions
While mutations leading to truncated forms of BRCA1 are clearly linked to cancer phenotypes in humans, there is also an underlying selective pressure in favor of amino acid-altering substitutions in this gene. A hypothesis where viruses are the drivers of this natural selection is discussed.
ContributorsLou, Dianne I. (Author) / McBee, Ross M. (Author) / Le, Uyen Q. (Author) / Stone, Anne (Author) / Wilkerson, Gregory K. (Author) / Demogines, Ann M. (Author) / Sawyer, Sara L. (Author) / College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-07-11
Description
A comparison of the performance of CUDA versus OpenMP for Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel, and S.O.R. iterative methods for Laplace's Equation with Dirichlet boundary conditions is presented. Both the number of cores and the grid size were varied for the OpenMP program, while the grid size was varied for the CUDA program. CUDA outperforms the 8-core OpenMP program with the Jacobi and Gauss-Seidel schemes for all grid sizes, and is competitive with S.O.R for all grid sizes examined.
ContributorsProst, Spencer Arthur (Author) / Gardner, Carl (Thesis director) / Welfert, Bruno (Committee member) / Speyer, Gil (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
Menstruation has been characterized as powerful, magical, and mysterious. Historically, it was believed menstrual blood could cure leprosy, warts, birthmarks, gout, goiter, hemorrhoids, epilepsy, worms, and headaches. Menstrual blood was used as a love charm and as a means to ward off river demons or evil spirits, and could be used to honor a god (DeLaney, Lupton, & Toth, 1988, pp.8-9). Contemporary studies reveal that women around the world continue to celebrate their power to create. The World Health Organization studied attitudes of women of all socioeconomic classes in 10 countries (Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Pakistan, Philippines, United Kingdom, United States, Yugoslavia, Mexico, Korea) and found that most women saw menstruation as a positive event (DeLaney et al., 1988, p. 14). In a similar study, Mexican-American women perceived menstruation positively, as a process that "cleans" the body (DeLaney et al., 1988, p. 14).
ContributorsAzmat, Alia (Author) / Burleson, Mary (Thesis director) / Roberts, Nicole (Committee member) / Trevathan, Wenda (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
The purpose of this thesis is to accurately simulate in 3D the HH901 jet in the Mystic Mountain Formation of the Carina Nebula. Astronomers present a narrow-band Wide Field Camera image of Carina and the morphology of some astrophysical jets, including HH901. The simulation attempts to replicate features of the jet, among which are pulses, bow shock, terminal Mach disk, and Kelvin-Helmholtz rollup. We use the gas dynamical equations to solve for density, velocity, and temperature. The numerical methods used to solve the equations are third-order WENO (weighted essentially non-oscillatory) and third-order Runge-Kutta. Graphs of density and radiative cooling demonstrate the effect of adding wind (nonzero ambient velocity). The paper discusses the altering of the ambient velocity and final time to fit the shape of the jet in the Hubble image. The suggested next steps are simulating the other HH901 jet and comparing the jets’ atomic makeups to advance understanding of astrophysical jets.
ContributorsBuyer, Michael (Author) / Gardner, Carl (Thesis director) / Jones, Jeremiah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Computer Science and Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Copper demand is surging in the U.S. and around the world as countries embrace new forms of energy to combat climate change. But copper mining – while a key strategy to address supply shortages – can serve as a vehicle for injustice by imposing socio-ecological burdens for nearby communities. Due to the growing demand for copper with resulting justice issues, more research is needed to evaluate governance for the mining sector using an environmental justice lens. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a key environmental regulation that governs mining in the U.S. Therefore, I used a qualitative case study approach to examine how NEPA requirements shape engagement in public comment opportunities. I selected the Resolution Copper Mine as a case study because of its potential to support the energy transition but pose a significant dilemma for justice: the mine is anticipated to generate 25 percent of the U.S. copper demand each year but disturb lands that hold spiritual significance for Native American Tribes. I used the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to analyze institutional dynamics and evaluate the NEPA process for public participation using a procedural justice lens. Drawing on interview data and document analysis, the results show that process rules such as a land exchange bill and the lengths of comment opportunities were among the key barriers for participation. Socioeconomic conditions of communities including access to social resources (i.e. access to internet and technical assistance) and institutional trust posed further barriers for participation. Hence, this study suggests that federal decision-makers should aim to better integrate procedural justice into the NEPA process.
ContributorsLewis, Sydney (Author) / Kellner, Elke (Thesis director) / Janssen, Marco (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
The goal of this thesis is to extend the astrophysical jet model created by Dr.
Gardner and Dr. Jones to model the surface brightness of astrophysical jets. We attempt to accomplish this goal by modeling the astrophysical jet HH30 in the spectral emission lines [SII] 6716Å, [OI] 6300Å, and [NII] 6583Å. In order to do so, we used the jet model to simulate the temperature and density of the jet to match observational data by Hartigan and Morse (2007). From these results, we derived the emissivities in these emission lines using Cloudy by Ferland et al. (2013). Then we used the emissivities to determine the surface brightness of the jet in these lines. We found that the simulated surface brightness agreed with the observational surface brightness and we conclude that the model could successfully be extended to model the surface brightness of a jet.
Gardner and Dr. Jones to model the surface brightness of astrophysical jets. We attempt to accomplish this goal by modeling the astrophysical jet HH30 in the spectral emission lines [SII] 6716Å, [OI] 6300Å, and [NII] 6583Å. In order to do so, we used the jet model to simulate the temperature and density of the jet to match observational data by Hartigan and Morse (2007). From these results, we derived the emissivities in these emission lines using Cloudy by Ferland et al. (2013). Then we used the emissivities to determine the surface brightness of the jet in these lines. We found that the simulated surface brightness agreed with the observational surface brightness and we conclude that the model could successfully be extended to model the surface brightness of a jet.
ContributorsVargas, Perry Bialek (Author) / Gardner, Carl (Thesis director) / Scannapieco, Evan (Committee member) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Grief reaches across all human differences and boundaries. Grief, when it does not resolve on its own, is known as complicated grief. Parents of children who die are at increased risk for experiencing complicated grief. This case study seeks commonalities and possible contributing factors for the creation of a non-profit in reaction to the death of a child. This study finds that previous achievements such as completing a marathon or graduating from a graduate program may indicate the presence of characteristics like resilience that result in the creation of a non-profit.
ContributorsGood, Jennifer Rose (Author) / Bozeman, Barry (Thesis director) / Gaughan, Monica (Committee member) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Economics Program in CLAS (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12