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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Environmental sensitivity'
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1
Boaz, Lindsey Ellen. "Meeting the Personal Environment: Exploring Environmental Sensitivity of Appalachian College Students." The Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1590752066473921.
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Jones, Kristopher. "Sex-specific environmental sensitivity in birds." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2008. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.644894.
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In sexually dimorphic species, the larger sex is often assumed to exhibit greater vulnerability during the period of parental care, due to their assumed greater nutritional requirements. However, results in the literature are mixed regarding sex-biased environmental sensitivity, and it is uncertain to what extent these inconsistencies are due to the shortage of experimental studies in this area, or to flawed assumptions regarding the factors influencing the development of male and female offspring. In this thesis, long term data, along with experimental work were used to test whether habitat quality had sex-specific effects on nestling growth, survival to fledging, immune development, overwinter survival, and recruitment in a population of the great tit. I also investigated whether these sex-specific selective patterns relate to any observed bias in sex ratios. Consistent patterns were observed for greater female sensitivity to poor rearing conditions (relative to males) with regards to their growth; however, males showed greater vulnerability in poor conditions (relative to females) with respect to their post-fledging survival as well as their recruitment success. Investigation of sex allocation suggests that sex ratios become more male biased with improved habitat quality, which appear to correspond to the patterns of selection (e.g., survival and recruitment); however, the overall results suggest that some other factor was likely causing the mismatch observed between growth and survival. Previous work suggests that the development of immunity may influence short and long term fitness, and that males and females may show different priorities in how they allocate resources during development when exposed to harsh conditions (e.g., growth versus immunity). Therefore, I also explored whether rearing conditions had sex-specific effects on the development of immunity, and whether these differences correlate with the survival and recruitment of offspring. Though I was unable to detect any affect of sex, habitat, or their interaction on immune response, I did find that the survival of male and female nestlings varied depending on the habitat in which they were reared, and that those individuals with greater immune responses survived better: female nestlings survived relatively better than males in poorer quality habitats, whereas males survived better than females in good quality habitats, and the survival of male and female nestlings was positively associated with their immune response in those habitats in which they showed overall greater survival. Rearing environment had an opposite effect on the cell mediated immunity (CM I) of male and female nestlings, although these patterns were only evident among nestlings that survived overwinter. Among surviving females, CMI increased with declining rearing conditions, while having the opposite effect among surviving males. Since I found CMI to be important for the survival of nestlings, and found that male and female nestlings showed opposite effects of rearing environment on CMI, it seems plausible that differences in immune function may be at the root of the observed mismatch between results for growth, survival and recruitment. The results from these studies illustrate how sex-specific patterns of vulnerability may be more complex than is commonly assumed. Thus, finally, I examined the support in the literature for three different explanations for sex-specific vulnerability to poor rearing conditions using met a-regression. My results demonstrated that there is no support in the literature for hypotheses based on size or sex alone. However, met aregression revealed a joint influence of sexual size dimorphism and clutch size in explaining patterns of vulnerability. Overall, the results from this thesis suggest that there are many factors which can have sex-specific effects on offspring performance, and that predicting the effects within particular species may be very difficult.
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Lewandowski, Albert J. "Environmental sensitivity : a case study of environmental learning through nature appreciation /." The Ohio State University, 2001. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1486572165276547.
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Norbury, Timothy Adam. "The genetic and environmental components of pain sensitivity." Thesis, Imperial College London, 2007. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.444588.
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Shearer, Megan Marie. "Tibetan Buddhism and the environment: A case study of environmental sensitivity among Tibetan environmental professionals in Dharamsala, India." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2904.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate environmental sensitivity among environmental professionals in a culture that is assumed to hold an ecocentric perspective. Nine Tibetan Buddhist environmental professionals were surveyed in this study. Based on an Environmental Sensitivity Profile Insytrument, an environmental sensitivity profile for a Tibetan Buddhist environmental professional was created from the participants demographic and interview data. The most frequently defined vaqriables were environmental destruction/development, education and role models.
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McHugh, Anthony Benjamin. "Visualizing variable sensitivity in structural design." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/111524.
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Thesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2017.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-62).
Computational tools allow designers to consider vast amounts of information when designing structures; however, without intuitive ways to visualize and model this data it is of little use in the creative process. In this thesis, the context for the use of computational design tools is established through a brief review of methods of incorporating structural optimization into conceptual design. Then, a novel method of visualizing variable sensitivity is presented in a way that complements established methods of interactive optimization. The technique depends upon local sampling of the design space, which reveals the behavior of quantitative structural and architectural objectives to variations in geometric parameters. Two case studies are given to demonstrate the different forms the visualizations may take and how a designer might choose to interpret those forms. The visualization technique and design approach contribute to modern practices in high-performance structural design by revealing significant behaviors of structures during the conceptual design stage.
by Anthony Benjamin McHugh.
M. Eng.
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Taber, Victoria L. "Environmental sensitivity study on mine impact burial prediction model." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Springfield, Va. : Naval Postgraduate School ; Available from National Technical Information Service, 1999. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA361822.
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Thesis (M.S. in Meteorology and Physical Oceanography) Naval Postgraduate School, March 1999."March 1999". Thesis advisor(s): Peter C. Chu. Includes bibliographical references (p. 47-48). Also available online.
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Gass, Susan Elizabeth. "The environmental sensitivity of cold-water corals, Lophelia pertusa." Thesis, Open University, 2006. https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/portal/en/studentthesis/the-environmental-sensitivity-of-coldwater-corals-lophelia-pertusa(dc5259d3-80eb-4f6d-9c89-5f4c8152ca5d).html.
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This study examined the occurrence of Lophelia pertusa on North Sea oil infrastructure and its environmental sensitivity to oil and gas activities. Underwater videos from industry platform surveys were examined to identify L. pertusa, detail its occurrence at two sites (Heather and North Alwyn A (NAA)), and to look for evidence of exposure to drilling muds and cuttings (discharges). In addition, live corals were exposed to 4-h sedimentation events of increasing rates and polyp behaviour analysed. Sediment removal mechanisms were also examined. Finally, skeletal characteristics and trace metal concentrations were measured in skeletons sampled from platform sites exposed to drilling discharges and control sites. The results showed a newly established sub-population of L. pertusa in the northern North Sea. L. pertusa was identified on 14 platforms and 947 colonies were recorded on Heather and NAA between 59 to 132 m depth coinciding with the presence of year round Atlantic water. Original recruits were likely from the northeast Atlantic and are now annually self-recruiting to the platforms. Additional video from Tern in 1993, 1994, 1998, and 2002 provided the first in situ colony growth rate (26 ± 5 mm yr-1) for L. pertusa. Visual evidence of contamination from drilling discharges was limited to colonies close to drilling discharge points where partial and complete colonies were dead. Polyp behaviour was negatively affected only at the highest sedimentation rates (12-19 mg cm-2 min-1), which are likely to be significantly higher than in situ rates, and polyps cleared sediment with ciliary currents and ingestion, which may be an indiscriminate feeding response. Corals exposed to discharges had shorter and narrower corallites compared to controls but other causal factors merit consideration such as genetics and hydrography. Further results showed that polyps bud annually and reach their maximum height in their first year, while the theca thickens at a constant rate, thus implying that the innermost growth band likely represents the first year of growth. Relatively depleted δ13C and δ18O along the inner growth band, which indicates fast calcification, supported this result. Copper and barium in coral skeletons including visible detrital inclusions were significantly higher in exposed versus control colonies. Chromium and barium along the growth axis, avoiding detrital inclusions, showed one exposed polyp from a colony living two meters above the cuttings pile on North West Hutton (NWH) with higher barium compared to control colonies. Short-lived barium spikes were observed in two polyps from a control colony sampled from North Cormorant. It is hypothesised that the NWH coral may have been exposed to dissolved barium released during cuttings resuspension, while barium spikes in the control colony may result from natural fluctuations in seawater barium, thus advocating that L. pertusa can act as an archive of the marine environment.
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Kaplan, Christopher Francis. "Environmental Virtue Ethics and the Virtue of Ecological Sensitivity." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/579285.
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What traits and virtues must a person possess to be considered environmentally virtuous? And further, must we recognize new human excellences specific to environmental contexts, or can the traditional virtues be 'extended' to apply to environmental interactions and relationships? Current disagreement in the environmental virtue ethics literature over how to identify and ratify environmental virtue represents a significant issue in the literature because its answer impinges upon other areas of an environmental virtue ethic's framework, including the acquisition and sufficiency of virtue, environmental practical wisdom, and the normative resources available to an environmental virtue ethic. Ronald Sandler, a proponent of non-extensionist environmental virtue ethics, has suggested the recognition of a novel human virtue called "ecological sensitivity".¹ However, Sandler left open at the time exactly what character dispositions and traits constitute that virtue, and how it ought to be fully understood. The thesis presented here attempts to identify the dispositions, attitudes, and traits that constitute ecological sensitivity (or eco-sensitivity).
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Sanderson, Kristin Alayne. "Planting the seeds of environmental sensitivity using children's literature." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2805.
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This project is aimed at helping children in elementary grades 1-6 develop a deep awareness of and empathy for the environment through children's fictional literature. This project takes a selection of children's books that encourage feelings of love, respect, and concern for the environment, and pairs them with an array of activities that put children more in touch with our planet and its problems. This combination of shared stories and related activities may be influential in developing environmental sensitivity in young children.
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Licona, Núñez Miguel José. "Design sensitivity of highly damped structural systems." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/47414.
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Thesis (Civ. E.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 83).
by Miguel José Licona Núñez.
Civ.E.
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McClure, John Douglas. "Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis in atmospheric dispersion models." Thesis, University of Glasgow, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.270992.
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Davis, Stephen D. 1976. "High sensitivity lithium fluoride as a detector for environmental dosimetry." Thesis, McGill University, 2003. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=78347.
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A new thermoluminescence dosimetry system for environmental applications was tested, which used high sensitivity lithium fluoride (TLD-100H). The energy response of the bare thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) was measured for photon beams with mean energies from 24 keV to 1.1 MeV, and the results were compared with standard lithium fluoride (TLD-100). The energy response was also measured for TLD-100H card-mounted dosimeters encapsulated in Teflon RTM, used as part of the Harshaw Type 8855 environmental dosimeter. The EGSnrc Monte Carlo system was used to calculate the dose to the TLDs in both the bare chip holder and the 8855 dosimeter, in order to calculate the thermoluminescence per unit of absorbed dose to the TLDs. The results were broadly consistent with existing data, with the response of both TLD materials correlating with the ionization density of the photon beams.
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Plank, Steven J. S. "The DRIFT Dark Matter Project : directionality, sensitivity, and environmental backgrounds." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/3128.
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It is now largely accepted that dark matter, and more specifically, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), constitute the majority of the mass in our Universe. Within this thesis are presented: (i) an overview of the motivation and evidence for the existence of dark matter; (ii) a detailed discussion of direct detection techniques and a worldwide review of WIMP search experiments; and (iii) new experimental measurements and complementary detailed numerical simulations, carried out by the author, to determine the performance of DRIFT experimental technology. Collectively, this work explores the capability of DRIFT technology to detect dark matter, and in doing so, to resolve one of the key open questions of contemporary science. The DRIFT programme consists of an array of direct dark matter search detectors located in the Boulby mine. An important limitation to the experiment is the neutron and gamma-ray background. Experimental work presented here has determined the U and Th content of the cavern rock to be 66±6 ppb and 145±13 ppb respectively, clarifying ambiguities in previous estimations. Through the use of a Monte Carlo simulation the neutron and gamma-ray background experienced by DRIFT has been determined and the experimental implications assessed. In addition, the activity of the main neutron calibration source used to calibrate DRIFT modules has been measured and was found to be 11600 n s−1±5% on the date of exposure, resolving an earlier discrepancy. Analysis of experimental data has confirmed that the technology employed by DRIFT detectors has the capability to provide directional information of recoiling nuclei at the low energies of interest to dark matter searches. A Monte Carlo simulation has then been employed to determine the WIMP-nucleon sensitivity achievable using DRIFT detectors of the present performance, also examining what would be achievable if this was supplemented by a realistic active neutron veto detector. It is found that a CS2-filled DRIFT type detector running at a 500 NIP threshold ( 16 keV and 27 keV for C and S recoils respectively) for 300 kg years, and surrounded by the proposed veto scheme, would expect to observe a background of six un-vetoed events. The minimum positive signal above this background (90% C.L.) would correspond to a WIMP-nucleon sensitivity limit of 1.75×10−9 pb. This identifies the realistic limit of what can be achieved using gaseous CS2 as a target medium. An investigation into the limits achievable using a similar array in which DRIFT modules act as self-vetoing detectors is also examined providing insight into the future development and operation of the DRIFT programme.
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Pengiran, Tengah Dayangku Siti Nur Ashikin. "The neurology of gluten sensitivity." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2013. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/13347/.
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Classical coeliac disease (CD) is a well-defined syndrome of small bowel villous atrophy associated with abdominal pain, malabsorption, and weight loss as a result of gluten-sensitivity, reversed rapidly by gluten exclusion diet. Disease associations include dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), Addison’s disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroid disease and a variety of neurological disorders. This thesis aims to investigate the hypothesis of the existence of a gluten sensitive neurological disease CD with coexistent neurological dysfunction is only rarely reported in a neurological setting. 23 cases were reported from the British Neurological Surveillance Unit (BNSU) over 24 months and 13 locally over 31 months. 18 sets of notes (50%) were reviewed. These patients comprise a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders including epilepsy, myelopathy, axonal neuropathy and migraine. Neurological disorders in patients with confirmed gluten sensitivity may occur simply by chance. In a cohort of 801 CD patients, 54 neurological disorders were identified in 177 patients including stroke (2.9%), migraine (2.7%), epilepsy (2.6%) and carpal tunnel syndrome (2.0%). More detailed investigation of 35 patients with DH and 53 patients with CD, confirmed a low prevalence of idiopathic neurological abnormalities (DH 11%; CD 25%). Analysis of sera from these patients did not identify the presence of anti-neuronal antibodies. A novel anti-spinal antibody was identified in over 50% of the subjects with DH but this requires further characterisation. It has been postulated that patients with idiopathic neurological disease and anti-gliadin antibody (AGA) seropositivity are gluten sensitive. However, AGA lacks disease specificity being found in 10% of healthy blood donors. Screening of 49 unselected multiple sclerosis cases found IgG AGA in 12% of patients and 13% of blood donors confirming that AGA (especially IgG isotype) can be a non-specific finding. AGA, other food antibodies and tissue transglutaminase antibody (TTG) were measured in patients with idiopathic ataxia (20), hereditary ataxia (7) and idiopathic peripheral neuropathy (32). None of the cases was positive for IgA TTG making occult CD unlikely. Cerebellar ataxia with positive AGA (so-called ‘gluten ataxia’) was rare (4 cases in 2 years from a population of 2 million). All food antibodies tested (AGA, hen’s egg albumen, and cow’s milk lactoglobulin), particularly IgG, were a common finding in both ataxia and peripheral neuropathy groups. This study found no evidence for gluten neurotoxicity. Serological tests, particularly AGA, need to be interpreted with caution. Further study is required regarding the nature of the association between neurological illness and gluten sensitivity.
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Jammalamadaka, Phani Rama Krishna 1980. "Uncertainty and sensitivity in regional earthquake loss estimation." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/85388.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-180).
by Phani Rama Krishna Jammalamadaka.
S.M.
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Sunderlal, Shinara. "Treble in the Environment: Incorporating Music into Environmental Education." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2017. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pitzer_theses/77.
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In this era where global sustainability is challenged, environmental education plays a vital role in building environmental awareness. Other roles of environmental education include the promotion of responsible citizenship and the fostering of environmental advocacy in children. As a way to strengthen these goals of environmental education, this thesis explores the dynamic uses of music to compound on the fields impact. I argue that the benefits of music outlined suggest music’s power to heighten environmental sensitivity from a young age. I use narratives from the environmental education, music, education, and psychology discourses to demonstrate the theoretical advantages of music in conjunction with environmental education. I also conduct my own research with Pitzer’s Leadership in Environmental Education Partnership, to put the theories into action. As a result, I find music to be an antecedent to the development of environmental sensitivity; music is not only instrumental in promoting environmental citizenship, but can be a way to achieve an environmental revolution by inspiring communities to mobilize for change.
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Hudelson, Timothy J. "Environmental, Chemical, and Genetic Reduction of Ethylene Sensitivity in Crop Plants." DigitalCommons@USU, 2006. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6710.
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Ethylene is an endogenously synthesized plant hormone that dissipates quickly in field conditions and seldom exceeds five nmol mol-1. Ethylene can accumulate to 1000 times this level in closed environments. The best-known effects of ethylene are its impacts on fruit ripening and senescence, yet ethylene influences growth and development throughout the plant life cycle. At low, continuous concentrations (20 to 50 nmol mol-1), ethylene reduces yield of many plants. Clean-air treatment during critical stages of floral development, silver thiosulfate (STS), and 1-methylcyclopropene (1- MCP) may delay flower senescence and reduce the detrimental effects of ethylene on peas and tomatoes grown in continuous ethylene. There is evidence of species differences in ethylene sensitivity, but limited information on cultivar differences. To address these issues, ethylene sensitivity of two dwarf tomato cultivars, Micro-Tom and Micro-Tina, and one dwarf pea cultivar, Earligreen, was examined. Ethylene by temperature interactions were examined in tomatoes at 0, 20, and 40 nmol mol-1 ethylene and 22 and 28°C. Three-day-long clean-air treatments were applied to tomatoes from germination through fruit set to identify the most ethylene-sensitive stage of floral development. The actions and toxicities of STS and 1-MCP were compared. Ethylene sensitivities of the two closely related dwarf tomato cultivars were examined. At 22°C, the 20 and 40 nmol mol-1 red fruit yields were 51 and 11 % of control. At 28°C, yields were 37 and 4% of control. Vegetative growth at 20 and 40 nmol mol-1 was 96 and 91 % of control, at both temperatures. Three-day-long clean-air treatments from days 22 to 33 (axillary flower opening) improved fruit set and final yield. Floral bud abortion in elevated ethylene occurred primarily at or before microsporogenesis. Floral bud initiation and vegetative development were not significantly affected. Tomato plants grown in continuous 70 nmol mol-1 ethylene conditions retained only 3% of the total number of floral buds initiated. STS-treated plants retained 50 to 54% of their floral buds. Leaf area of plants subjected to 100 nmol mol-1 ethylene was 26% of control, and plants subjected to 200 nmol mol-1 ethylene were 21 % of control. When plants were treated daily for 10 hours with 35 nmol mol-1 l-MCP, leaf area improved to 81 and 64% of control. Manipulating temperature had neither a statistically nor a biologically significant effect on ethylene sensitivity. Ethylene reduced yield primarily by arresting floral bud development and causing early floral bud senescence. Both STS and 1-MCP looked promising for improving yield in high ethylene environments, but concentrations and durations of application need to be further refined. Yield of Micro-Tom was significantly less sensitive to ethylene than Micro-Tina. These results indicate that solving ethylene sensitivity issues in controlled environments may be accommodated by cultivar choice as well as timely control of environmental ethylene, chemical inhibitors, and genetic manipulation.
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Lin, J., and Phillip R. Scheuerman. "Differential Sensitivity of Bacterial Strains to Protozoan Predation in Lake Water." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 1989. https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/2886.
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Sethusha, Mantsose Jane. "How primary school learners conceptualize the environment and environmental education." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2006. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10022007-134249/.
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Jones, Sandra Joyce. "How an after school environmental science club can increase environmental knowledge: Awareness and sensitivity towards the environment for third and fourth grade students." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2008. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3377.
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Children today are disconnected from the natural environment around them, sometimes finding it annoying, lacking in excitement, and little use to them. Their attention and focus are spent inside watching TV, playing games on computers or a variety of other electronic devices. The purpose of this project was to see if after-school exposure to an Enirovnmental Science Club on the school grounds can impact student attitudes toward our local environment and to increase these third and fourth grade students' knowledge and awareness of their environment.
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Olayé, Ralph Ajéran 1975. "Sensitivity of infrastructure performance to initial design and construction standards." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/43523.
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Syck, Megan Paige. "Sensitivity to Oral Food Allergies in Subjects with Allergic Rhinitis and Eczema." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1623167438325618.
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Li, Pui-Wa. "Investigation of sensitivity of surface deformation to subsurface properties and reservoir operations." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/74466.
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Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 60).
An experimental study is performed to understand the sensitivity of ground deformation to subsurface properties and operations of oil and gas fields. Ground deformation, or more severely subsidence, may pose concerns for human settlements situated above the reservoir. This Masters thesis will study a realistic sample problem on its surface deformation sensitivity, in hopes of providing a sound basis for future characterization of subsurface properties and the forecast of surface deformation due to oil and gas production. Iteratively coupled simulations are performed to test how sensitive the surface deformation is to changing subsurface parameters. To test the validity of such coupled simulator, comparison of the displacement results with those of another commercially available software is also carried out. Results show that the change of surface displacement particularly in the vertical direction tends to be within the range of detection of satellites, of which data will serve as the input of future inversions with the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF).
by Pui-Wa Li.
S.M.
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Butler, Ethan E. "American Maize: Climate Change, Adaptation, and Spatio-Temporal Variation in Temperature Sensitivity." Thesis, Harvard University, 2015. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:17463972.
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Agricultural production is vulnerable to climate change. However, this vulnerability can be reduced by adapting food crops to a hotter climate. Many studies have ignored adaptation when quantifying the effect of climate change on crop yield, which has likely overestimated yield losses. Therefore, it is necessary to quantify agriculture's adaptive potential to climate change. Such work is challenging because there are no historical analogues to current or future warming. In place of such a precedent this work explores the varying sensitivity of maize yield to elevated temperatures through a suite of multiple linear regression models. These models use high resolution yield and crop development data available since 1981 in the United States to account for overlooked features of maize physiology and agricultural management. The results of these models substantially alter estimates of how crops will respond to a warming environment.
The studies here illustrate how finer scale details can be incorporated into broader regional models. Temperature sensitivity is found to vary with local climatology indicating that maize cultivars are adapted to their particular environment. Incorporating this historical adaptation into estimates of yield loss substantially reduces the effect of a modest warming. A physiological basis for spatial adaptation is apparent when maize development data are incorporated into the model -- cooler regions accelerate through sensitive development phases faster than hotter areas. The development data also suggest that crop development has been adapted to the seasonal cycle and that a non-trivial portion of the temporal trend in maize yield has resulted from management adjustments. Finally, the importance of spatio-temporal variation in temperature sensitivity is highlighted through case studies of recent years with record-setting yield losses. Spatial and/or temporal variation in temperature sensitivity is necessary to reduce bias in estimates of yield loss in these years.
This work builds from previous conclusions regarding the negative effects of hot temperatures, and suggests that while hotter temperatures will harm maize yields there are steps that farmers might take to manage and reduce these losses. Taken together these results quantify how extant adaptation may help to ameliorate yield losses in a hotter future.Earth and Planetary Sciences
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Purvis, Jeremy. "Sensitivity analysis of pavement thickness design software for local roads in Iowa." Thesis, University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2611.
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The main objectives of this research are to: 1) identify the most critical design input parameters, and 2) determine the minimum pavement thickness.
To minimize the life-cycle cost of building and maintaining pavements, it is critical to determine the most appropriate pavement material and thickness for a given traffic level, subgrade condition and environmental factor. The AASHTO 1993 guide for design of pavement structure is most commonly used by states for designing pavement thickness for low-volume roads. Statewide urban design and specifications (SUDAS) currently utilizes a simplified version of the AASHTO 1993 pavement design guide in Iowa, which is very conservative based on placement of the pavement on natural subgrade, distribution of truck classifications, and other design parameters. Therefore, there is a need for a modified pavement design methodology to be used for determining local road pavement thickness in Iowa.
A survey was performed to identify the minimum thicknesses of asphalt and concrete pavements and the pavement design methods for low-volume roads. The survey was completed by State DOT's. StreePave, WinPas, and I-Pave software packages were used to compare their impacts on the pavement thickness design.
The most critical input parameters were identified and their typical values for local roads in Iowa were used to run the existing StreePave, WinPas, and I-Pave pavement design software packages.
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Ziehn, Tilo. "Development and application of global sensitivity analysis methods in environmental and safety engineering." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2008. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5848/.
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As computing power increases and data relating to elementary chemical and physical processes improves, the use of computational modelling as a design tool in environmental and safety engineering is becoming increasingly important. Sensitivity analysis (SA) and uncertainty analysis (UA) can help to gain a better physical insight into the model and they can highlight possible discrepancies between experimental results and model predictions. Global methods are the best approach for this purpose, however using current methodologies their calculation consumes large amounts of computational effort.
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VERDIANI, GIULIA. "Sviluppo di un Sistema Informativo Territoriale per la caratterizzazione dell’impatto ambientale di piani e opere attraverso l’analisi delle direttive comunitarie e del recepimento dei loro principi nella normativa italiana." Doctoral thesis, Università di Siena, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11365/1012796.
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This thesis describe the development of a database to support the environmental impact assessment
procedure.
This subject was addressed through an initial analysis of the regulations governing the environment
protection and the environmental impact assessment of a work or project, analyzing first the framework at a
community level, and then the various laws and directives regulating this issue in Italy, and particularly in
Tuscany.
Subsequently, the usefulness of the application of Geographical Information Systems to the procedure of
environmental impact assessment was examined, identifying the strengths and limitations. Then, the theme
of the design of a database was analyzed in dept and described in detail, analyzing in particular the
usefulness of a database in the various phases that make up the environmental impact assessment
procedure. The methodological approach used was based on the identification of the potential and the
abilities of a territory to incorporate the realization of a project or a work , determining the constraints and
the limiting factors in relation to its characteristics and the state of its resources. In agreement with this
method of evaluation, a series of themes were identified for a specific area, from which to draw the relevant
information for the purpose of the assessment procedure and for draw up a specific database for the area of
interest.
The project chosen for the development of the database and for its application concerns the morphological
restoration of the former lignite mine of S. Barbara a Cavriglia (AR), in order to make it useful again for
production and residential purposes. The Centre for GeoTechnologies of University of Siena and Enel society
both collaborate to the project.
To project the database, a requirements analysis was necessary in order to identify the properties and
functionality of the database, identifying the types of information needed for a first design. Then, the areas
characterized by the Environmental Impact Study were schematized (for example Soil and Subsoil Theme,
Water Theme, Cultural Heritage Theme…), relating to the reorganization plan of the former mine of S.
Barbara and, for each area, the types of information needed have been identified.
The design of the database was performed through a first conceptual design phase, which was followed by a
phase of logical and physical design. In the three steps of the design, only entirely open source software
have been used. For conceptual design the Open Model Sphere tool was used, which also allowed a first
translation of the conceptual model to a logical scheme. The database was then implemented, from a
physical point of view, using PostgreSQl with spatial extention PostGIS, in order to interface with spatial
data.
The database was then implemented exclusively for the territorial area corresponding to the area affected by
the project of rehabilitation of the former mine. On the basis of the previously identified areas, and
especially after the analysis of the Environmental Impact Study of the project, all the map data,
freely distributed by various agencies (authorization to the free consultation, extraction and reproduction
after the source is acknowledged), were collected. These data are considered to be necessary for a
Environmental Impact Study regardless of the type of project subjected to study.
After the implementation of the database, a methodology to be able to classify the territory of interest on
the basis of the environmental sensitivity criterion was identified, in relation to the different areas identified in
the Environmental Impact Study. The procedures have been developed by interfacing the database designed
with the use of GIS open source software Quantum GIS. In particular, considering the consistent availability
of freely distributed map data relating to the cultural heritage, a methodology for the classification of area
based on the environmental sensitivity related to its archaeological risk has been identified.
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Dodson, Jacob Christopher. "Guided Wave Structural Health Monitoring with Environmental Considerations." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27070.
Full textAbstract:
Damage detection in mechanical and aerospace structures is critical to maintaining safe
and optimal performance. The early detection of damage increases safety and reduces cost
of maintenance and repair. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) integrates sensor networks
and structures to autonomously interrogate the structure and detect damage. The
development of robust SHM systems is becoming more vital as aerospace structures are
becoming more complex. New SHM methods that can determine the health of the structure
without using traditional non-destructive evaluation techniques will decrease the cost
and time associated with these investigations. The primary SHM method uses the signals
recorded on a pristine structure as a reference and compares operational signals to the
baseline measurement. One of the current limitations of baseline SHM is that environmental
factors, such as temperature and stress, can change the system response so the
algorithm indicates damage when there is none. Many structures which can benefit from
SHM have multiple components and often have connections and interfaces that also can
change under environmental conditions, thus changing the dynamics of the system.
This dissertation addresses some of the current limitations of SHM. First the changes
that temperature variations and applied stress create on Lamb wave propagation velocity
in plates is analytically modeled and validated. Two methods are developed for the
analytical derivative of the Lamb wave velocity; the first uses assumes a thermoelastic material
while the second expands thermoelastic theory to include thermal expansion and
the associated stresses. A model is developed so the baseline measurement can be compensated
to eliminate the false positives due to environmental conditions without storage
of dispersion curves or baseline signals at each environmental state. Next, a wave based
instantaneous baseline method is presented which uses the comparison of simultaneously
captured real time signals and can be used to eliminate the influence of environmental effects
on damage detection. Finally, wave transmission and conversion across interfaces in
prestressed bars is modeled to provide a better understanding of how the coupled axial
and flexural dynamics of a non-ideal preloaded interface change with applied load.Ph. D.
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Göhler, Maren [Verfasser], Sabine [Akademischer Betreuer] Attinger, and Anke [Akademischer Betreuer] Hildebrandt. "Sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of environmental models / Maren Göhler. Gutachter: Sabine Attinger ; Anke Hildebrandt." Jena : Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Jena, 2014. http://d-nb.info/1062536290/34.
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West, Jeffery D. "An examination of environmental sensitivity levels in a diverse group of high school students /." Available to subscribers only, 2006. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1240707211&sid=16&Fmt=2&clientId=1509&RQT=309&VName=PQD.
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Karaca, Erdem 1976. "Regional earthquake loss estimation : role of transportation network, sensitivity and uncertainty, and risk mitigation." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30350.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 287-292).
Large earthquakes near densely populated areas such as the 1994 Northridge and 1995 Kobe events have caused extensive damage to the physical infrastructure and losses to the regional and national economies. Economic losses are due in part to direct damage and in part to business interruption caused by non- functioning infrastructure and interdependencies among industrial sectors. We developed a regional earthquake loss methodology that emphasizes economic interdependencies at regional and national scales and the mediating role of the transportation network. In an application to the Central U.S. under threat from earthquakes from the New Madrid Seismic Zone, we (1) evaluate regional and national losses from scenario earthquakes, (2) quantify uncertainty on the losses through loss risk curves including contributions from seismicity, attenuation, fragilities, etc. and (3) assess the effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies. The loss assessment methodology includes spatial interactions (through the transportation network) and business interaction (through an input-output model) and extends geographically to the entire conterminous U.S. The losses reflect damage to buildings and transportation components, reduced functionality, changes in the level of economic activity in different economic sectors and geographical regions, and the speed of the reconstruction/recovery process. Evaluation of losses for a number of scenario earthquakes indicates that losses from business interruption may be as significant as infrastructure repair costs. The overall loss is also contributed by the increase in transportation costs due to network damage.
(cont.) As part of the uncertainty evaluation, we assess the sensitivity of earthquake losses to various component models and model parameters. Using a detailed model of regional seismicity, scenario earthquake building losses, and a relation between business losses and building losses, we develop risk curves for building losses, business losses, and total economic losses. The results underline the importance of considering uncertainty in risk assessment. Finally, we investigate the effectiveness of alternative loss mitigation strategies such as retrofitting of buildings or bridges and faster recovery of functionality for various occupancy classes or bridges. For a number of cases, we develop loss risk curves for mitigated conditions and calculate expected annual losses, which might be used for rational decision making e.g. through cost-benefit comparison.
by Erdem Karaca.
Ph.D.
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Turgeman, Yaniv Jacob. "Microbial mediations : cyber-biological extensions of human sensitivity to natural and made ecologies." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/99304.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, 2015.Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2015.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Title as it appears in MIT Commencement Exercises program, June 5, 2015: Designing for sensitivity.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 129-139).
As natural and human made environments become increasingly monitored and modulated by embedded digital technologies, we are presented with a staggering flow of information reverberating between the scales of the made, the grown, and ourselves. In this thesis, I use two projects as cases for interrogating the material, computational, and biological architecture mediating this information. Common to these projects is the move towards a novel cyber-biological system, which couples physical and digital processes, and utilizes microbiota as natural and programmable agents. I posit that microbes are well suited to mediating between humans and our environments, especially when they are exploited for informing on, or intervening in, phenomena that occur in temporal and spatial scales towards which we are not sensitive. In the thesis, I theoretically frame cyber-biological systems as instantiations of a post-ecological cybernetic vision, collapsing the divide between the made and the natural. As creative interventions, I describe projects designed to provide community and individual access to participate in this hybridized ecology, and suggest future research to explore microbes as sensors, living visualizations, and deployable interventions. The projects I discuss figure the microbiome as an enabling substrate for the extension of our sensitivity to natural ecosystems (Waterfly), the built urban environment (Underworlds), ultimately suggesting a similar extension of sensitivity to our bodies (Everybiome). My analysis of these projects culminates with ideas for future research (Biological Homeostat, Biovisualizations). By exploring realized cyber-biological systems alongside more speculative ones, I establish scientific and technological challenges in their deployment and future development. Through a critical analysis of these projects, I crystallize a design attitude towards creating sensitivity to environments, and juxtapose it with the optimization-oriented problem solving common to the discourse on "responsive" and "smart" environments. Ultimately, I aim to contribute an interdisciplinary synthesis of a scientific paradigm that is emerging between the domains of biological engineering, computation, and the design of our built environment. In promoting new connections between bits, bricks, and biology, I hope to inform contemporary practices of how we design technologies that extend the reach of our senses to the phenomena in our hybridizing made and natural world.
by Yaniv Jacob Turgeman.
S.M.
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Matheny, Ashley Michelle. "Quantifying the Sensitivity of Land-Surface Models to Hydrodynamic Stress Limitations on Transpiration." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1364572098.
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Miller, Ryan Craig. "A rangeland watershed management spatial decision support system: Design, implementation, and sensitivity analysis." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280563.
Full textAbstract:
A prototype spatial decision support system for rangeland watershed management was developed to simplify the process of incorporating advances in technology into the decision process. The application utilizes an open framework by using Web services that are components that communicate using text-based messages, thus eliminating proprietary protocols. This new framework provides an extensible, accessible, and interoperable approach for spatial decision support systems. An important input into the SDSS is digital elevation data where data are produced using different methods, and with different accuracies and resolutions. Six digital elevation models were compared with survey data to evaluate accuracies at different locations in the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. The sensitivity of the SDSS was evaluated using six management systems that were ranked based on minimizing sediment yield. The sensitivity of the DEM, contributing source area value, and precipitation event size on management system rankings was evaluated. Results provide assistance for users in selecting these data and modeling values. This research illustrated that recent advances in information technology can be effectively utilized in watershed decision support technology. The Internet-based SDSS provides core functionality required for rangeland watershed management education and decision-making. In comparing digital elevation data of different sources and resolutions with survey data, the DEM data approximated surfaces well, with the higher resolution data producing lower root mean square error values. And finally, different digital elevation models, contributing source area values, and precipitation event sizes produced different management system rankings. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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Martinez-Rodriguez, Juan Guillermo 1958. "Sensitivity analysis across scales and watershed discretization schemes using ARDBSN hydrological model and GIS." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/282879.
Full textAbstract:
The goal of this study is to assess ARDBSN model performance across watershed sizes, and to assess the effect of using different mapset resolutions and basin configurations on runoff volume. Arid basin (ARDBSN) (Lane, 1982) is a distributed parameter, continuous hydrologic simulation model designed to simulate the effects of land-use practices on runoff volume, soil erosion and sediment yield on rangeland watersheds. Four subwatersheds located within the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, were used in this study. Subwatershed areas ranged from 1.4 to 630 hectares. A large-scale GIS database (1:5000) developed for the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, and one of the most common mapset scales (1:24 000) used in GIS analysis, were used to parameterize the ARDBSN model. Four thresholds were used to discretize watershed ST-223 and WS-11. These thresholds correspond to 1.5, 2.5, 5, and 10 percent of the watershed area. Sensitivity analysis showed that Curve Number (CN) parameter was the most important in defining runoff volume and peak runoff rate. Model calibration performance was measured primarily by the coefficient of efficiency (R², Nash and Sutcliff, 1970) for total annual runoff volume and for maximum annual peak runoff rate. Runoff volumes model efficiencies obtained were very good for LH-101, LH-103, and WS-11, and reasonably good for ST-223. In general, this model trends to over predict runoff volume for small rainfall events, and under predict for large rainfall events. The number of overland flow elements delineated within the 1:24,000 and 1:5,000 scales scarcely varies. The number of channels diminishes as the threshold values decreases. Map scale has a strong effect on the length of the channel network. Overall, high resolution maps show a better runoff volume model efficiency. Watershed 11 and watershed 223 had an average model efficiency seven and six percent higher than those obtained by these subwatersheds under the 1:24,000 map scale. Considering this, the author concludes that 1:24,000 map scale can be used with high confidence in hydrologic simulation modeling in areas with similar characteristics to those of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. The results showed that watershed configuration complexity significantly alters the model results on large watersheds, and can be attributed to the improved representation of spatially distributed watershed features with increased geometric complexity.
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Diaz, Maria Eugenia. "A Modeling Approach towards Understanding Solid-Solution Interactions of Metals in Biosolids." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1279170941.
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Clutter, Jeffrey E. "Describing the Sensitivity of Spatial Patterns by Robbery Operationalization." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1543582749674871.
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Al-Hargan, Ali Abdulla Qassim Khamis. "Creation of a coastal zone information system for Qatar using remote sensing and GIS." Thesis, University of Southampton, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.241793.
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Kopera, Kristin. "Vegetation sensitivity during the mid-Holocene warming in western Ohio." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1559146757516433.
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Kucera, Aurelia. "Sperm Telomere Dynamics: Natural Variation and Sensitivity to Environmental Influences in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus)." Diss., North Dakota State University, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10365/27848.
Full textAbstract:
Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to variation in lifespan is of central importance to diverse fields including life history theory. Although the causes of aging are not fully understood, telomere dynamics (length and loss rate) is a potentially critical mechanism underlying longevity. Telomeres are highly conserved, non-coding regions of DNA at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. Telomere loss occurs throughout life due to accumulating oxidative damage and normal cell replication. When telomeres reach a critically short length, they stop dividing and functioning normally.Wilson Ornithological Society, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society, and Linz Family Endowed Ornithology Scholarship Fund
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Cohan, Daniel Shepherd. "Photochemical Formation and Cost-Efficient Abatement of Ozone: High-Order Sensitivity Analysis." Diss., Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004:, 2004. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-09152004-150617/unrestricted/cohan%5Fdaniel%5Fs%5F200412%5Fphd.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005.Russell, Armistead G., Committee Chair ; Chameides, William L., Committee Member ; Wang, Yuhang, Committee Member ; Noonan, Douglas, Committee Member ; Chang, Michael E., Committee Member. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.
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Margulis, Steven A. (Steven Adam) 1973. "Variational sensitivity analysis and data assimilation studies of the coupled land surface-atmospheric boundary layer system." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17525.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 197-205).
One of the fundamental components of Earth system science is understanding coupled land-atmosphere processes. The land plays an especially important role in the climate system principally via the regulation of surface fluxes of moisture and energy into the atmosphere. Due to the mutual dependence of these fluxes on surface and atmospheric states, the land and boundary layer comprise a coupled system with complicated interactions and feedbacks which are significant factors in modulating the variability of the weather and climate. In this thesis we develop a framework for exploratory sensitivity analysis and data assimilation in the coupled land-atmosphere system using a variational (or adjoint) approach. The framework is applied to three distinct case studies of interest. First, the variational framework is used to quantify land-atmosphere coupling and feedbacks. The model and its adjoint are used to investigate the differences in the daytime sensitivities of land surface fluxes to model states and parameters when used in coupled and uncoupled modes. Results show that the sensitivities between the two cases are significantly different because of boundary layer feedbacks. Depending on the particular case, sensitivities can be either amplified or dampened due to the presence of an interactive boundary layer. Next, we used the variational data assimilation framework to investigate the potential of estimating land and ABL states and fluxes from readily-available micrometeorological observations and radiometric surface temperature.
(cont.) Results from an application to a field experiment site showed that using both surface temperature and micrometeorology allows for the accurate estimation of land surface fluxes even during non-ideal conditions. Furthermore the assimilation scheme shows promise in diagnosing model errors that may be present due to missing process representation and/or biased parameterizations. Finally, a combined variational-ensemble framework is used to estimate boundary layer growth and entrainment fluxes. The results from our application to the field site indicate a much larger ratio of entrainment to surface fluxes compared to early literature values. The fact that the entrainment parameter is larger than first hypothesized serves to further bolster the importance of land-atmosphere coupling.
by Steven A. Margulis.
Ph.D.
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Lockart, Esther. "Memory Patterns: Differentiated between Environmental Sensitive Patients and Psychiatric Patients." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1993. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278534/.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of the present study was to ascertain if environmentally sensitive patients would demonstrate different memory deficit patterns than psychiatric patients on objectively measurable memory tasks. One-hundred sixteen patients were surveyed; 56 environmentally sensitive patients were compared to 60 psychiatric patients. All subjects were administered a Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised screen, the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised and the Harrell-Butler Comprehensive Neurocognitive Screen after history of head injury was ruled out. Results indicate a significantly different pattern of memory dysfunction between the environmental patients and the psychiatric patients, indicating two different etiologies. A screening device derived from the coefficients from a Canonical Analysis is proposed to distinguish between the two populations in the absence of blood serum levels of environmental toxins or poisons. The detrimental effects of misdiagnosis and the beneficial effects of accurate diagnosis of environmental illness are discussed.
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KHANAL, NABIN. "GENERALIZED SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM VULNERABILITY TO DELIBERATE INTRUSIONS." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1123791754.
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Fuentes, Antonio. "An Analysis of Sensitivity in Economic Forecasting for Pavement Management Systems." DigitalCommons@USU, 2015. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4279.
Full textAbstract:
The research presented in this thesis investigates the effect the data collection process has on the results of the economic analysis in pavement management systems. The incorporation of pavement management systems into software packages has enabled local governments to easily implement and maintain an asset management plan. However a general standard has yet to be set, enabling local governments to select from several methods of data collection.
In this research, two pavement management system software packages with different data collection methods are analyzed on the common estimated recommended M&R cost provided by their respective economic analysis. The Transportation Asset Management Software (TAMS) software package developed by the Utah LTAP Center at Utah State University consists of a data collection process composed of nine asphalt pavement distress observations. The Micro PAVERTM software package developed by the Army Corps of Engineers consists of a data collection process composed of 20 asphalt pavement distress observations.
A Latin-hypercube sample set was input into each software package, as well as actual local government pavement condition data for the City of Smithfield, Utah and the City of Tremonton, Utah. This resulted in six total data sets for analysis, three entered and analyzed in TAMS and three entered and analyzed in Micro PAVERTM. These sample sets were then statistically modeled to determine the effect each distress variable had on the response produced by the economic analysis of estimated recommended M&R costs.
Due to the different methodologies of pavement condition data collection, two different statistical approaches were utilized during the sensitivity analysis. The TAMS data sets consisted of a general linear regression model, while the Micro PAVERTM data sets consisted of an analysis of covariance model. It was determined that each data set had varying results in terms of sensitive pavement distresses; however the common sensitive distress in all of the data sets was that of alligator cracking/fatigue. This research also investigates the possibility of utilizing statistically produced models as a direct cost estimator given pavement condition data.
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Kent, Robert A. "Phytoplankton differential sensitivity to pesticide stress: Predicting vulnerability and identifying response mechanisms in freshwater algae exposed to the insecticide fenitrothion." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1991. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/7595.
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Axenic batch cultures of twelve freshwater phytoplankton species were used to study the molecular, cellular and population effects of the organophosphorus insecticide fenitrothion (O,O-Dimethyl-O-nitro-m-tolyl phosphorothioate) on algae. The unicellular chlorophytes Ankistrodesmus falcatus, Chlamydomonas segnis, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, Chlorella vulgaris, Cosmarium sp., Pediastrum sp., Scenedesmus obliquus, Selenastrum capricomutum and Staurastrum sp., the bacillariophyte Navicula sp., and the cyanophyte Anabaena sp. were exposed to three treatment levels of fenitrothion. Differential algistasis was observed among the species exposed to fenitrothion over short and long-term durations. Effects on growth included an extension in lag-phase and/or alterations in growth rate and/or final standing crop. At the molecular level, alterations in the fatty acid composition of total lipids suggest that fenitrothion disrupts lipid synthesis and membrane structure. We hypothesize that fenitrothion prevented normal mitotic divisional processes from occurring. Uninhibited biomolecular synthesis resulted in an accumulation of macromolecules and subsequent cell weight augmentation. The ecological implications of the observed effects were discussed. In addition to effects studies, selected properties of the test algae (cell size functions, lipid content and fenitrothion bioaccumulation capacity) were measured and examined for their relationship to fenitrothion sensitivity. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
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Flanagan, Linda Sue. "Using therapy dogs with troubled middle school children to improve social skills and teach environmental sensitivity." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3227.
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The objective of this project is to impove the social skills of troubled middle school children by teaching them humane dog care as well as the handling and training skills of dogs. The hope is to use therapy dogs as a link to the local environment and the development of environmental sensitivity; and to improve the academic status and decrease any negative behaviors displayed by these children. Includes lesson plans.
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Koubová, Veronika. "Firm´s Location Sensitivity to the European Union´s Environmental Policies. Pollution haven Hypothesis or Hypothesis?" Master's thesis, Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2010. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-73331.
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Hale, James David. "Elucidating the drivers, contextual sensitivity and resilience of urban ecological systems." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2015. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/6238/.
Full textAbstract:
As the global population urbanises, the benefits derived from contact with nature increasingly depend upon the presence of diverse urban ecological communities. These may be threatened by changes in land-cover and the intensification of land-use. A key question is how to design and manage cities to retain desirable species, habitats and processes. Addressing this question is challenging, due to the dominant role of humans in shaping spatially and temporally complex urban landscapes. Earlier research identified ecological patterns along urban–rural gradients, often using simplified measures of built form and disturbance. The central theme within this thesis is that we require a more mechanistic understanding of the processes that created today‘s ecological patterns, which recognises the interactions between social and ecological sub-systems. Using bats (Chiroptera) as a case study group, I identified a broadly negative association between bat activity and built density. Urban tree networks appeared beneficial for one species, and further work revealed that their role in facilitating movement depended upon the size of gaps in tree lines and their illumination level. Resilience analyses were used to map diverse dependencies between the functioning of urban bat habitats and human social factors; illustrating the value of a more mechanistic systems-based approach.