Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xvi, 161 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some part col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-91).

Mute swans (Cygnus olor), an exotic species of waterfowl, have been found to negatively impact native waterbirds and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities in the Chesapeake Bay and lower Great Lakes. Mute swans were first recorded in Illinois in 1971 and their population is small, but growing. In 2008-09, I studied mute swans in central Illinois to investigate whether they negatively impacted waterbirds through aggressive actions and SAV through over-grazing. I also estimated mute swan territory size to estimate potential habitat exclusion and population growth potential. Mute swan territory size averaged 7.0 ha, allowing the current population of approximately 60 breeding pairs to increase to over 125 pairs. I did not find that mute swans reduced above-ground SAV, although I did find that below-ground biomass was reduced where mute swans fed freely. Mute swan aggression was most frequent in early spring and decreasing throughout the breeding season. Most waterbirds were found just as close or closer to mute swans as to control points, although gadwall (Anas strepera) were found farther away perhaps suggesting either avoidance or exclusion. As mute swans become more abundant in Illinois, further monitoring is necessary to prevent significant negative impacts to wetlands and waterbirds.

For my thesis I have decided to use this time, these 100 days to develop my own practice through the form of an architectural manifesto.

This report is the outcome of a Field Study project. The aim of the study was to findout how the floating deaf-mute children of migrant workers experience psychologicalproblems in Guiyang, China. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system theory was used asa theoretical frame. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 4 inner migrantcouples who have deaf-mute children receiving treatment in a Center for disabled inGuiyang. 12 professionals working with treating deaf-mute children are alsointerviewed as well as 5 deaf-mute children. In total together 21 informants areinterviewed. The result of this study shows that three main aspects influence thepsychological problems of floating deaf-mute children with migrant parents most:social welfare policy, family income conditions and the center of treatmentenvironment. This study explored the problems based on Brofenbreener’s ecologicalsystems approach, which for the author had a new perspective to research on thesituation of deaf-mute children of migrant workers in Guiyang, China.

2009 metais devyniolikoje (su padaliniais dvidešimt viename) Lietuvos žuvininkystės ūkių buvo vykdomi gulbių nebylių sankaupų gausos, formavimosi sezoninės dinamikos ir pasiskirstymo ypatumų tyrimai. Tyrimai užpildo eilę spragų ankstesniuose tyrimuose apie gulbių nebylių sankaupų formavimąsi žuvų tvenkiniuose. Sankaupų formavimosi laikotarpiu žuvų auginimo tvenkiniais naudojasi apie tris tūkstančius neperinčių gulbių nebylių. Paukščiai čia apsistoja sezoninių migracijų metu. Taip pat čia susirenka šertis nesiveisiantys individai. Gulbių buvimo žuvininkystės ūkių tvenkiniuose trukmę apsprendžia tvenkinių pripildymo (balandžio mėn.) ir nuleidimo (intensyviausiai rugsėjo antroje - spalio pirmoje pusėje) laikotarpiai. Sankaupos gausiausios pavasario pabaigoje - vasaros pradžioje, visų pirma birželio mėnesį, tačiau jų dydis atskiruose ūkiuose ženkliai svyruoja ir gali piką pasiekti ir kitais sezono laikotarpiais, ypač rudeniop. Stabiliai pagrindiniu, sankaupų dydį konkrečiuose žuvų ūkiuose apsprendžiančiu, veiksniu yra bendras tvenkinių, kuriuose buvo beriami žuvų pašarai, plotas. Ūkiuose (jų grupėse), kuriuose šio faktoriaus skaitinė reikšmė didelė, gulbių nebylių sankaupos taip pat didelės ir atvirkščiai. Tačiau atsitiktinė natūralių buveinių su gausiomis gulbių nebylių sankaupomis (pavyzdžiui Kuršių Marių) kaimynystė (geografinis faktorius), gali nusverti anksčiau minėto faktoriaus poveikį. Gulbės sankaupose naudoja didžiąją dalį konkretaus, ūkio tvenkinių (paprastai 50-70 %) –... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In 2009, research was carried out on abundance of mute swan flocks, its formation, seasonal dynamics and distribution characteristics in nineteen (with branches in twenty-one) fish farms in Lithuania. This research fills-in a number of gaps of previous studies on mute swan flocks formation in fish farm ponds. Around three thousand non breeding mute swans are using fish farming ponds during flock’s formation season. Birds stay here during seasonal migrations. Also non breeding swans gather here to moult. The duration of stay of swans in fish farm ponds is determined by the time of filling up (in April) and draining (most intensive in the second half of September and in the first half of October) of ponds. The most numerous flocks are at late spring - early summer, particularly in June, but the size of individual flocks vary considerably and may reach peak during other periods of the season, especially in autumn. The most stable factor determining size of the specific flock in fish farm ponds is area of the pond where fish are fed. Flocks are more numerous in farms (or groups of farms) in which value of this factor is higher and vice versa. However, random natural dwellings of mute swan flocks with large populations (for example neighborhood of Kuršių Marios – geographical factor) may outweigh the above factor’s impact on mute swans flock size in fish ponds. Flocks of mute swans cluster during the mobilization period and use most part of the fish farm pond (usually 50-70%) –... [to full text]

Although cycling becomes more and more popular, many people are still deterred from cycling by various aspects including a lack of perceived safety [1 ]. To o:ffer preferable infrastructure and, hence, to better promote cycling. it is therefore crucial to examine how cyclists evahmte their routes, and to figure out what makes an infrastructure seem unsafe or unattractive. Some studies have already identified i.mportant route criteria 1ike safety or comfort, and have connected them to certain route attributes. High traffic volumes and cycling on no or poor cycling facilities are experienced as stressful by cyclists [2], [3], and they try to avoid these routes in order to reduce possible interactions with motor vehicles [4]. In contrast, a separated cycling facility, low speed, and low traflic volumes are evaluated as safe and stress-ftee [2], [5]. Furthennore, cyclists prefer oomfortable routes, that is, routes with low gradient and few stops and traffic lights as weil as attractive routes with a green and pleasant su:rrounding [6], [7]. Most ofthe studies investigated those criteria deductively, that is, the researchers analyzed the results theorydriven and in terms of predetermined criteria. In a previous study, we examined them in an inductive and qualitative approach that allowed us to collect criteria with the participants' individual wording and content [8]. We found that cyclists evaluate their route attributes in terms of Mental Comfort, possible interactions with other road users, Physical Comfort, the Base of Use of the infrastructure, and the pleasanlness of the surrounding. Safety and stress were found to be sub-aspects of Mental Comfort, whereas Interaction was associated with attention and concentration due to other road users. The term comfort, however, was mentioned by participants only in terms of physical comfort. The aim of the present study is to validate these evaluation criteria found in our previous study, and to connect them to certain route attributes using the experimental approach of a bicycle simulator in combination with qualitative surveys.

Den här examensuppsatsen tar upp problemet med elever som upplever ängslan att tala ett främmande språk, i detta fall engelska, så kallat foreign language anxiety (FLA). Syftet är ökad kunskap om vad som orsakar FLA, vilka konsekvenser det medför och hur dessa kan hanteras i klassrumsmiljö. Resultatet kan förhoppningsvis vara av betydelse för andra studenter och lärare och även öppna upp för vidare forskning i framtiden.Studien är genomförd med ämnesdidaktisk inriktning med teoretiska perspektiv, tidigare forskning och kvalitativa intervjuer med elever för att få fram deras erfarenhet av problemet. Resultatet visar att deltagarna inte har haft någon eller bristfällig träning i att tala engelska i hemlandet och detta förorsakar ofta stress på lektionerna i Sverige. De intervjuade eleverna har trots svårigheterna lyckats komma över nybörjarstadiet tack vare egna strategier som t.ex. att de är aktiva på fritiden med kontakt med språket via olika medier. Några av dem använder också sina barn som resurs, t.ex. vid läxläsning. Slutligen har resultatet från studien analyserats och diskuterats i förhållande till teorier och tidigare forskning.

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