Anthropogenic contaminants in the marine environment often biodegrade slowly, bioaccumulate in organisms, and can cause reproductive, immune, and developmental effects on wildlife; however, their effects on cetacean health and behavior have not been extensively studied. This study aims to expand knowledge concerning concentrations and biological effects of endocrine disrupting contaminants and essential and non-essential inorganic elements in stranded cetaceans. We evaluated tissue samples and pathology data from 66 odontocetes that stranded in the southeastern United States during 2012– 2017. Using mass spectrometry blubber samples were analyzed for five endocrine disrupting contaminants (atrazine, bisphenol-A, diethyl phthalate, nonylphenol ethoxylate, triclosan), and liver samples were analyzed for 12 inorganic elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Mg, Mn, Fe, Pb, Hg, Se, Tl, Zn). Results from this study demonstrate that exposure to certain contaminants may be associated with subtle or sublethal cellular changes in free-ranging marine mammals that could contribute to health declines or stranding. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Non-Anglophone voices in literature can lead to a better understanding of the intricate relationships shown by Ashley Dawson tying capitalism, slow violence, and uneven development to climate change. There is skepticism that science fiction (sf) in particular can properly present climate issues in the anthropocentric era that we live in today, but scholars such as Shelley Streeby argue against such perceptions. Science fiction writers that use magical realism, such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Nalo Hopkinson, as ecological sf have already accomplished the task of creating speculative works that fit in perfectly under the umbrella of “serious fictions.” These writers work from a non-Anglophone perspective or from a minority group within a Western society, allowing for different modes of thinking to play a part in these bigger discourses. Writers, educators, and other scholars need to reestablish humanity’s kinship with nature. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2019. / Florida Atlantic University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) FL, USA, is an Estuary of National Significance due to its economic and high biodiversity. Microbial populations are understudied in the IRL despite their numerous ecological services. A two-year, nineteen-site Lagoon-Wide Survey (LWS) was conducted to provide the first 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data on the microbiome of the sediment in the IRL and determine how the microbiome changed in response to environmental and anthropogenic factors. The most influential variables that explained the variability between microbiomes were porewater salinity, total organic matter (TOM), and copper (Cu). These results correlated with some of the anthropogenic pressures the IRL faces such as freshwater discharges from St. Lucie Estuary (SLE), trace metal contamination, and the accumulation of fine-grained, highly organic sediment known as “IRL muck” (muck). Research then focused on determining the microbial differences between three sets of sample types: sediment from the IRL versus the SLE; sediment that had three muck characteristics versus those with zero; and high TOM sediment that had high Cu versus high TOM sediment that had low Cu. Differentially abundant prokaryotes between sample types were determined with novel indicator analysis techniques. One technique tested the effectiveness of an indicator list to separate samples based upon the product of the sensitivity and specificity of partitioning around medoids clustering in comparison to metadata classifications. The other technique allowed for the tracking of changes in the entire indicator microbiome. These new indicator analysis techniques were created using the original LWS data and tested to determine how sediment microbiomes responded during two opportunistic surveys: dredging of muck from an IRL tributary (Eau Gallie River) and Hurricane Irma. These studies have filled the knowledge gap regarding the unknown microbiome of the IRL and how sediment microbiomes respond to extreme events such as dredging and a hurricane. They also led to the development of new indicator analysis techniques that can be used by to track changes in the entire indicator microbiome. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

With the rapid advancements in technology, researchers are seeking new ways to incorporate modern high-tech solutions such as virtual reality into treatment paradigms for stress. The current experiment explores the beneficial effects of immersing an individual into virtual reality after a stressful encounter. I examined the potential restorative effects of three unique immersive virtual reality environments by inducing stress and negative affect in sixty-nine participants and then randomly assigning them to freely explore one of three environments (a virtual nature setting, a virtual urban cityscape, or a neutral environment composed of solid geometric shapes) for ten minutes. Participants who explored the nature environment were found to have significantly improved affect (as measured by a standardized questionnaire), and significantly lower stress levels (as measured by self-report and skin-conductance levels) compared to those who explored the urban and geometric environments. The results suggest that virtual nature has restorative properties similar to real nature, and that simply immersing participants into a virtual nature setting can reduce stress. These results also suggest that the content of the virtual reality experience (i.e., whether it contains nature) is important in promoting restoration, and that in the absence of nature, stress levels remain unchanged.

With the rapid advancements in technology, researchers are seeking new ways to incorporate modern high-tech solutions such as virtual reality into treatment paradigms for stress. The current experiment explores the beneficial effects of immersing an individual into virtual reality after a stressful encounter. I examined the potential restorative effects of three unique immersive virtual reality environments by inducing stress and negative affect in sixty-nine participants and then randomly assigning them to freely explore one of three environments (a virtual nature setting, a virtual urban cityscape, or a neutral environment composed of solid geometric shapes) for ten minutes. Participants who explored the nature environment were found to have significantly improved affect (as measured by a standardized questionnaire), and significantly lower stress levels (as measured by self-report and skin-conductance levels) compared to those who explored the urban and geometric environments. The results suggest that virtual nature has restorative properties similar to real nature, and that simply immersing participants into a virtual nature setting can reduce stress. These results also suggest that the content of the virtual reality experience (i.e., whether it contains nature) is important in promoting restoration, and that in the absence of nature, stress levels remain unchanged.

In this thesis, the restorative effects of exposure to nature are examined through the lens of existing restoration theories. Limitations of existing theories, such as Attention Restoration Theory and Psycho-evolutionary Restoration Theory, are highlighted. To address the limitations of existing theories, an expanded theoretical framework is proposed: The expanded framework introduces a newly proposed neural mechanism and theory of restoration that build on existing theories by proposing a link to recently discovered reward systems in the ventral visual pathway. Results from six experiments provide consistent evidence to suggest that positive and negative responses to visual scenes are related to the low-level visuospatial properties of the scenes. Specifically, a discovery is made to suggest that the power of a limited visual spatial frequency range can consistently predict responses to natural, urban, and abstract scenes on measures of restoration (blink-rates, number of fixations, self-reported stress and pleasantness). This provides the first evidence to suggest that low-level visual properties of scenes may play an important role in affective and physiological responses to scenes. Furthermore, this newly discovered relationship provides a new way to objectively predict the relative restorative value of any given scene.

In the Midst of Spoils is a setting, for SATB choir and small instrumental ensemble, of the poem "Blight," by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson's poem contrasts modern man's exploitative attitude toward nature with the more reverent attitude assumed by ancient or primitive cultures. This setting is in a single movement, approximately twenty minutes in duration, consisting of fifteen distinct sections.

Psykisk ohälsa är ett stort problem och dess negativa konsekvenser drabbar individer, närstående och hela samhällen. För att komma åt problemen är det viktigt att det finns flera framgångsrika rehabiliteringsinsatser. Forskning har visat att naturen kan användas för att rehabilitera människor mot psykisk ohälsa. Syftet med examensarbetet var att undersöka de yrkesverksammas upplevelser av naturbaserad rehabilitering för individer med psykisk ohälsa. Sex semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med sju yrkesverksamma inom olika naturbaserade rehabiliteringsinsatser. Insamlad empiri analyserades därefter med hjälp av en tematisk analys. För att förstå och tolka empirin användes teorier inom socialpsykologi och en teori som berör naturens påverkan på människan. Tre huvudteman identifierades genom resultatanalysen: (1) kunskap; (2) läkning genom natur och djur; och (3) relationer. Inom huvudtemat kunskap visade resultatet att de yrkesverksammas yrkeskunskap och yrkeserfarenhet hade flertalet positiva konsekvenser i deltagarnas rehabiliteringsprocess. I det andra huvudtemat framkom insatsernas för- och nackdelar. Fördelarna var många och betydligt fler än nackdelarna. Den positiva påverkan berörde deltagarnas fysiska, psykiska, kognitiva och sociala mående och fungerande. I det sista huvudtemat framkom det att relationer hade en viktig roll i rehabiliteringsprocessen. Detta handlade om att deltagarna kom in i en gemenskap och att de yrkesverksammas förhållningssätt gentemot deltagarna var betydelsefullt för deltagarnas rehabiliteringsprocess. Naturbaserad rehabilitering, och de yrkesverksamma, kan därmed sägas vara viktiga faktorer för individers tillfrisknande. / Mental disorders is a major problem and its negative consequences affect individuals, relatives and entire communities. To address the problems, it is important that there are several successful interventions. Research has shown that nature can be used to rehabilitate people against mental disorders. The purpose of the study was to investigate the professionals' experiences of nature-based rehabilitation for individuals with mental disorders. Six semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven professionals' in various nature-based interventions. Collected empirical data were then analysed using thematic analysis. To understand and interpret the empirical data, theories in social psychology and one theory concerning the effects of nature were used. Three main themes were identified through the analysis of the results: (1) knowledge; (2) healing through nature and animals; and (3) relationships. Within the main theme knowledge, the results showed that the professionals' knowledge and experiences had a majority of positive consequences on the participants' rehabilitation process. In the second main theme, the advantages and disadvantages of the interventions emerged. The advantages were many and significantly more than the disadvantages. The positive impact affected the participants' physical, mental, cognitive, and social well-being and functioning. The last main theme emerged that relationships played an important role in the rehabilitation process. This centered about the fact that the participants entered a community and that the attitudes of the professionals towards the participants was important for the participants' rehabilitation process. Nature-based rehabilitation, and the professionals, can therefore be said to be important factors for individuals' recovery.

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The work deals with theoretical research of basis of Environmental Psychology for Outdoor Education. It answers two questions ? why in the conceptions of Outdoor Education is nature the preferred environment and what are the benefits of nature for physical, mental and social health. The answers to theses questions are in the work described through theories of environmental preference and restorative effects of nature. There are three major sections of the work. The first part discusses the basis, principles and contents of Environmental Psychology and Outdoor Education, the core terminology of the work, and the nodal points of Environmental Psyhcology and the theory of Outdoor Education. Second part describes those theories and concepts of Environmental Psychology which are related to the primary and subsidiary research questions. The third part evaluates the impacts and relevance of environmental-psychological knowledge on concepts of Outdoor Education.