My honors senior thesis, a creative project entitled Anything Else, is a collection of fourteen poems that reflects on trauma, loss, interpersonal relationships, and nature. Many of the poems are dramatic monologues, allowing me to portray a range of extreme voices, including a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima, a U.S. veteran of the Iraq War, and murderer Perry Smith. Although I consider myself a free verse writer, preferring to work without regular meter or rhyme, one of the poems is written in iambic pentameter. In addition, I took material from the Yahoo! Answers website and composed it as a found poem, adding to the diversity of the manuscript. A number of questions are explored across the variety of speakers, themes, and forms of poems included here, often coming back to the question of whether or not there is anything else.

Lucretius wrote his six-book philosophical epic poem De Rerum Natura a few decades before the fall of the Roman Republic and the start of the principate and the reign of Augustus in 27 BC, in a time of great social and political upheaval. This thesis examines Lucretius’ appropriation and correction of traditional Roman social and political rhetoric as part of his therapeutic philosophical programme, which aims to alleviate fear and anxiety through a rational understanding of nature. Specifically, this thesis examines Lucretius’ innovative use of foedus, a charged Roman word with many powerful connotations which is generally translated as “treaty”, “pact” or “covenant”. More than just an agreement, a foedus represented a divinely sanctioned ritualized contract between Rome and another polity, one which could not be broken without grave spiritual and political repercussions. They were an integral part of Roman life and culture and were strongly associated with imperialism, ambition, religion and sacrifice, and so Lucretius’ decision to adopt that word for the unthinking, unchanging, atheistic, necessary laws that limit and guide nature – despite his explicit condemnation of exactly those values foedus represents – is at first glance mystifying. As this thesis will show, however, foedus turns out to be an exceedingly apt choice, infusing almost every aspect of Lucretius’ Epicurean work with subtle complexity and meaning and contributing strongly to his polemical, therapeutic, ethical and didactic agendas. This thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter examines the social, political and philosophical contexts which influenced Lucretius to adopt Epicureanism. It then delves into some of the issues surrounding his innovative use of foedus. Chapter Two attempts to answer the research question of why foedus? by comparing and contrasting the essential characteristics of Roman foedera against those of Lucretius’ foedera naturae. This in turn provides a more detailed picture of Lucretius’ philosophical system both in terms of its physical and ethical doctrines, and suggests some possible motivations for Lucretius’ choice. Chapter Three looks at the deeper significance of Lucretius’ use of foedus and its role in his therapeutic programme of correction. Driving this chapter is Lucretius’ exploitation of the etymological connection between the noun foedus (‘treaty’, ‘covenant’) and the adjective foedus, ‘foul’. Chapter Three is divided into two sections, each focusing on Lucretius’ masterful manipulation of foedus and its etymological roots – as well as generic expectations and language in general –first for polemical purposes, then for therapeutic / Graduate / ltee.323@gmail.com

Protected areas such as national parks are an important part of nature-based tourism all over the world. Over the past years there have been an increase of visitors to Sweden’s 30 national parks. Most of the visitors are domestic, however about 7% of the international tourist travel to Sweden in the purpose of visiting a national park. The aim of this thesis is to examine different factors that potentially could impact the visitor numbers. Factors such as availability for disabled, transport modes, population and visitor centers. Furthermore, the presence of certain elements is compared in a qualitative analysis. According to the results the presence of a visitor center, naturum, have a positive impact on the number of visitors. As well as national parks established after 1960. During the 1960s grater investments were made to make nature accessible for everyone. This thesis shows that there is a connection between high visitor numbers and easily accessible national parks, which could be a result of the change in the 1960s. At the same time, the most inaccessible national parks have seen an increase of visitors over the past years.

Thesis advisor: Laura M. O'Dwyer / The purpose of this study was to determine which of three competing models will provide, reliable, interpretable, and responsive measures of elementary students' understanding of the nature of science (NOS). The Nature of Science Instrument-Elementary (NOSI-E), a 28-item Rasch-based instrument, was used to assess students' NOS understanding. The NOS construct was conceptualized using five construct dimensions (Empirical, Inventive, Theory-laden, Certainty and Socially & Culturally Embedded). The competing models represent three internal models for the NOS construct. One postulate is that the NOS construct is unidimensional where one latent construct explains the relationship between the 28 items of the NOSI-E. Alternatively, the NOS construct is composed of five independent unidimensional constructs (the consecutive approach). Lastly, the NOS construct is multidimensional and composed of five inter-related but separate dimensions. A validity argument was developed that hypothesized that the internal structure of the NOS construct is best represented by the multidimensional Rasch model. Four sets of analyses were performed in which the three representations were compared. These analyses addressed five validity aspects (content, substantive, generalizability, structural and external) of construct validity. The vast body of evidence supported the claim that the NOS construct is composed of five separate but inter-related dimensions that is best represented by the multidimensional Rasch model. The results of the multidimensional analyses indicated that the items of the five subscales were of excellent technical quality, exhibited no differential item functioning (based on gender), had an item hierarchy that conformed to theoretical expectations; and together formed subscales of reasonable reliability (> 0.7 on each subscale) that were responsive to change in the construct Theory-laden scores from the multidimensional model predicted students' science achievement with scores from all five NOS dimensions significantly predicting students' perceptions of the constructivist nature of their classroom learning environment. The NOSI-E instrument is a theoretically grounded scale that can measure elementary students' NOS understanding and appears suitable for use in science education research. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. 30 October 2014. / My study investigated the significance of spatiotemporal heterogeneity on the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), a long-lived, apex predator, occupying many African and some South African riverine ecosystems. The scales of study included a long-term investigation of the (indirect) impacts of anthropogenic, landscape scale (100 km2) disturbances on the population demographics of C. niloticus, over 35 years. At the intermediate scale (15 km2), indirect and direct impacts of flooding and seasonality on the health of the C. niloticus population were investigated over a three-year period. This was performed by investigating preferred habitat availability and river quality assessments, including physiochemical variables and rapid bioassessment measures, which served as the ‘smallest’ scale (with samples taken every 500 m). All scales were compared with long-term and short-term investigations into crocodile population demographics. Total crocodile population size within the study river increased over time (from 18 in 1981 to 35 in 2013), but the number of adults decreased (from 9 to 3). Human population size increased at a rate of 3300 individuals per year and anthropogenically altered habitat increased over time from 24% total coverage attributable to farmland on the banks of the Mutale River in 1977, to 66% land coverage in 2013. Increases in humaninduced habitat alterations also created shifts in preferred crocodilian habitat availability. Investigations into the effects of natural disturbances revealed that physiochemistry was seasonally variable, and changed drastically with changes in climate and runoff. The macroinvertebrate communities in the Mutale River differed in time and space for a multitude of reasons, including climate change and changes in habitat. The results of my study showed that Nile crocodiles were affected by alterations to the environment on multiple scales. The study concludes that the long-term population viability of C. niloticus is limited by a combination of these factors.

Resumo: Busca-se determinar as características da representação da natureza no romance francês do século XIX, analisando-se Paul et Virginie de Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Les travailleurs de la mer de Victor Hugo e L'Ève future de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, por meio da teoria sócio-crítica e do embate com o texto. Na primeira parte, faz-se um retrospecto da representação nas artes e na literatura, destacando-se as concepções de Aristóteles e as do Romantismo. Apresenta-se também um panorama das concepções da natureza no tempo e no espaço e reflete-se sobre as relações do homem com o mundo natural, bem como sobre as teorias a elas referentes no âmbito da história, da pintura e da literatura. Na segunda parte, analisam-se os três romances escolhidos, buscando-se neles os modos e os sentidos da representação literária da natureza. Conclui-se pela existência, nas três obras estudadas, de uma atitude ambígua do homem diante da natureza, que havia sido anteriormente detectada na história. Embora diferenciadas entre si, sob alguns aspectos, as representações da natureza no corpus estudado demonstram o registro, no universo literário, de marcas do contexto histórico, político e social em que os três romances foram escritos, publicados e usufruidos. / Abstract: In order to determine the characteristics of the representation of nature in the French romance of the Nineteenth Century, three novels were analyzed: Paul et Virginie by Bernadine de Saint-Pierre, Les travailleurs de la mer by Victor Hugo, and L'Ève future by Villiers de l'Isle-Adam. The analysis was done using the socio-critical theory and by confrontation with the text. In the first part of the study, a retrospective view of the representation in the arts and in literature is presented, with an emphasis on the Aristotelian and Romantic concepts, as is also an overview of the concepts of nature in time and space, reflecting on man's relation with the natural world, as well as on the theories related to those concepts in history, in painting and in literature. In the second part, the three novels are analyzed by searching in them for the manners and the senses of literary representation of nature. The conclusion argues that there exists, in the three novels studied, an ambiguous attitude of man towards nature which had been previously detected in history. Although different among themselves in some aspects, the representations of nature in the corpus studied show the register, in the literary universe, of signs of the historical, political, and social context in which the three novels were written, published and enjoyed.

The fictive world created by Oxford Professor J. R. R. Tolkien is intimately linked with his own views of the world. His love for the natural world shines through his works and has given rise to multiple scholars focusing on Tolkien and ecology. This study falls under that category and is an ecological interpretation of The Lord of the Rings and presents the argument that Tolkien divides his characters into three types. These types are representations of different approaches to nature: nature as a tool for human progress, nature as our ideal existence and nature as an equal part of the world. The significance of the study is the focus on the three wizards in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White and Radagast the Brown, as representatives of different ecological positions. The study centres on the argument that Gandalf is a representative of nature as an equal part of the world. A balanced, holistic view of nature and humanity is put forward by J. R. R. Tolkien as the correct way for humanity to view nature. Furthermore, Gandalf as a character shows how humanity is supposed to act in terms of natural protection and preservation.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo discutir a relação homem-natureza no Tesouro Descoberto no Máximo Rio Amazonas, obra escrita pelo jesuíta João Daniel, em meados do século XVIII. Expulso pelo ministério pombalino em 1757, o jesuíta, nos catorze anos em que ficou preso em Portugal, escreveu uma extensa obra sobre a região amazônica, na qual traça um panorama de sua natureza, suas populações e sua cultura. Seus escritos, entretanto, têm por objetivo apresentar um programa de reformas nos métodos de aproveitamento das riquezas naturais da região no intuito de fomentar o aumento do Estado. Seu projeto conta com duplo alicerce: os tesouros descobertos na região e a experiência que serve de guia para o desenvolvimento dos métodos mais adequados de usufruto dos tesouros. / This paper aims to discuss the relationship between men and nature in \"Tesouro Descoberto no Máximo Rio Amazonas\", a book written by the Jesuit João Daniel, in the middle of the eighteenth century. Banned by the pombaline ministry in 1757, João Daniel, during the fourteen years while he was arrested in Portugal, wrote an extensive work on the Amazon region, which depicts its nature, people and culture. His writings, however, aim to present a program of reforms in the methods of exploitation of that region\'s natural resources in order to foment the growth of the state. His project is based on two principles: the treasures discovered in the region and the experience that serves as a guide for the development of more appropriate methods of using the mentioned treasures.

Em Memórias póstumas de Brás Cubas, percebe-se uma referência frequente à natureza. Pela análise das situações em que ela se apresenta, podese notar que lhe são atribuídas funções e papéis variados e que, portanto, não é possível que se a defina como unidade. Ora o narrador a imputa o domínio de forças metafísicas, ora a determinação dos sentimentos humanos. De modo geral, o narrador recorre à natureza quando se evidencia o caráter condenável de sua conduta, sugerindo que suas ações não poderiam ter-se dado de outro modo, em vista de forças naturais. Em contraste com os contextos históricos apresentados na narrativa, os argumentos naturalistas de Brás Cubas são pouco convincentes, o que põe em relevo o cinismo irônico do defunto autor, de modo que seus pretextos e justificativas infundadas acabem por acusá-lo. Na tentativa de embasar seu discurso, o narrador distorce e se apropria de teorias e correntes de pensamento, como Positivismo, Naturalismo, Darwinismo Social. Ao instrumentalizar-se de conceitos filosóficos e teorias sociais, o romance redunda na paródia desconstrutiva destes e do próprio narrador. O modo como essa instrumentalização cômico-irônica se dá é o que se procurou demonstrar com este trabalho. / In Memórias póstumas de Brás Cubas, it can be noted a frequent reference to nature. Analyzing the situations in which it is presented, one can perceive that different roles and functions are ascribed to it; thus, as a consequence, it cannot be defined as a unity. At times the narrator makes it responsible for metaphysical forces, at other times he attributes to nature the power to determine human feelings. In general, Brás Cubas recurs to nature when the condemnable character of his conduct is evident, suggesting that his actions could not have been otherwise due to natural forces. In contrast with the historical contexts presented in the narrative, Brás Cubas naturalist arguments are little convincing, what highlights the self-accusing sarcasm of the dead author, in a way that his flimsy pretexts and justification end up turning against him. In the attempt to ground his discourse, the narrator distorts and makes use of theories and systems of thought, such as Positivism, Naturalism and Social Darwinism. By doing so, the novel results in a deconstructive parody of these systems and of the author himself. Demonstrating the way it happens in the narrative is the aim of this research.

Thesis advisor: Marc L. Snapper / A survey of silicon-based reactions and potential for Lewis base catalysis was presented. An efficient site- and enantioselective catalytic silylation of triols is disclosed. The protocol is applied to total syntheses of cleroindicins D, F and C. Catalytic kinetic resolution of β-hydroxyketones is disclosed. A readily available amino acid-based catalyst promotes the kinetic resolution with high efficiency. A presentation of catalytic enantioselective tosylation of syn-1,2-diols is disclosed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Chemistry.