Success Factors of Women in Leadership Roles and Breaking through the Glass Ceiling: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

While literature that which focuses on the barriers that women encounter to grow in their careers exists, there seems to be a lack of research focusing on the success factors that positively impact women in leadership roles and their ability to break through the glass ceiling. The information provided in this phenomenological qualitative study is twofold. This study explored the experiences of female leaders to assist with empowering and guiding women who want to grow in their careers, as well as to allow women already in leadership roles to recognize the challenges they may encounter, along with how they can remain successful in their careers while balancing their professional and personal lives. The researcher completed a comprehensive analysis of the factors that focused on women in leadership roles and their ability to break through the glass ceiling to land successful leadership roles in the private sector. Findings of this study revealed that the following were the most significant components that best described the factors that may help women be successful while climbing the career ladder: (a) training, (b) mentoring, (c) networking, (d) ability to balance careers in leadership and their personal life, (e) organizational policies and practices that assist women, (f) demonstrating leadership capacity, and (g) ability to remember one’s self-worth

From Romance into Reality: Influences of Medieval Romance Literature on the Architecture and Design of Later Medieval English Castles and Elite Landscapes

This PhD provides an original reassessment of the extent to which medieval Romance literature influenced late medieval English castles, and their landscape, architecture, structuration and design. Drawing a perspective from buildings archaeology, this research brings together multiple avenues of research within medieval studies, including medieval literature, chivalry, socio-political history and castle studies, in order to argue that Romance literature definitely did impact the medieval ´elite secular built environment, which, in previous studies, has remained mostly speculative or inconclusive. This Romantic influence is identified in broad, generalized architectural trends, as well as within unique features at individual sites. This research also addresses personal aspirations and self-associations underlying and motivating these Romantic influences within their socio-political and geographical contexts. The first four chapters of this thesis explore topical themes of castle studies, medieval Romance literature and contemporary chivalric values to provide necessary background information and highlight the interrelated nature of these disparate aspects of medieval culture. Building upon the information from these foundation chapters, three case study chapters identify, assess and discuss specific examples of Romanticized medieval architecture that I have classified into three distinct subheadings: that within broad trends of Romanticized chivalric structuration, specific spaces and features in the surrounding castle landscape, and finally, through individualised instances with site-specific features. These case studies are followed by a discussion to contextualize and summarize the Romantic influences within medieval ´elite society and its built environment, as well as the lasting impacts of Romance and chivalry which have continued to shape English national identity

Evaluation and Mapping of Sustainable Water and Wastewater Treatment with Membrane Processes in South Africa and Sweden

Membrane technology is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 of clean water and sanitation for all. Despite its numerous benefits, high capital and operating costs pose major challenges. Recent research has focused on sustainable materials as membranes and more effective cleaning regimes to reduce costs and improve membrane lifespan. While South Africa and Sweden have both begun using membrane technology for water and wastewater treatment, it remains relatively rare. Collaborations through SASUF aim to evaluate and share best practices. Although MBRs have produced high-quality effluent in South Africa, cost, maintenance, and membrane replacement, as well as river pollution, remain major considerations. In contrast, Sweden has seen large-scale membrane installations in drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. Establishing working membrane references is crucial to the success of membrane technology, which is well-established globally but often requires local adaptations. Collaborations between the two countries are essential to support this approach by sharing knowledge and learning from each other

Exploring the Niche of \u3ci\u3eRickettsia montanensis\u3c/i\u3e (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) Infection of the American Dog Tick (Acari: Ixodidae), Using Multiple Species Distribution Model Approaches

The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae), is a vector for several human diseasecausing pathogens such as tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and the understudied spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) infection caused by Rickettsia montanensis. It is important for public health planning and intervention to understand the distribution of this tick and pathogen encounter risk. Risk is often described in terms of vector distribution, but greatest risk may be concentrated where more vectors are positive for a given pathogen. When assessing species distributions, the choice of modeling framework and spatial layers used to make predictions are important. We first updated the modeled distribution of D. variabilis and R. montanensis using maximum entropy (MaxEnt), refining bioclimatic data inputs, and including soil variables. We then compared geospatial predictions from five species distribution modeling frameworks. In contrast to previous work, we additionally assessed whether the R. montanensis positive D. variabilis distribution is nested within a larger overall D. variabilis distribution, representing a fitness cost hypothesis. We found that 1) adding soil layers improved the accuracy of the MaxEnt model; 2) the predicted ‘infected niche’ was smaller than the overall predicted niche across all models; and 3) each model predicted different sizes of suitable niche, at different levels of probability. Importantly, the models were not directly comparable in output style, which could create confusion in interpretation when developing planning tools. The random forest (RF) model had the best measured validity and fit, suggesting it may be most appropriate to these data

A 3-Month interdisciplinary Process Drama Program to Build Social Skills in Pre-Schoolers with ASD: A Feasibility Study

Objectives: To test the feasibility and effect of an interdisciplinary process drama program targeting social skill development in 3-5 year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) characteristics To develop a paradigm for testing brain-behavior relationships related to social skills in these children using EEG and testing its ability to detect intervention-related changes. Background: Social skill deficits are a hallmark cause of disability in ASD. Such disability is of critical concern given the rising prevalence (1 in 54 Utah children) of ASD. [1] As children learn through social experiences, difficulty in social interactions can limit development and ability to succeed in school and eventually employment. One possible contributor to social interaction difficulties in ASD is a deficit in theory of mind (ToM), the ability to understand others\u27 perspectives, proposed to rely on memories of cognitive and emotional events that allow one to experience others\u27 situations as if they were one\u27s own. [2.3] Children with ASD have deficits in ToM [2,3] and show aberrant neural activation patterns in areas most typically activated during ToM tasks in healthy children. [4,5] An effective intervention fostering generalizable social skill development in children with ASD remains elusive. We propose to address this need with an interdisciplinary process drama intervention involving collaboration among occupational therapists (OT), theatre faculty/teachers, and speech language pathologists (SLP) to improve social interactions in preschoolers with ASD. Process drama may be an excellent medium for fostering social skill development due to the ability to create specific learning experiences in an autotelic manner [6] in which people experience the embodied cognition and emotions without conscious commitment to abstract social skill improvement goals. The scenes can emphasize social and emotional cues and explicit identification of scene-related feelings for the formation of social cognitive and emotional memories that can be recalled as the basis for later social functioning.[3] Process drama programs foster communication development in typically developing children [7] and a few studies have shown such programs enhance social skills of children aged 8-17 with ASD [8,9] However, targeting process drama intervention in preschool children may have the greatest potential for effect on ToM and subsequent social skill development. The overpruning hypothesis [10] proposes that ASD results from abnormal neural pruning in widespread neural networks, with weaker long-range connections being more vulnerable to major disruption. As neural connections strengthen through experience,[11] providing interventions targeting desired processing will strengthen associated connections making them less susceptible to pruning and resulting in preserved function. Peak synaptic density for auditory and prefrontal cortices, both involved in social skills, occurs between age 3-5 years [11], suggesting an optimal period for strengthening connections through intervention. Impact: The deficits in social skills of people with ASD significantly affect their ability to function in society. These deficits take a large toll on families and on independence and employability of the individual. Finding effective interventions to facilitate social skills would have a large impact on society by reducing disability in this prevalent population. Results: The primary goal of the proposed study is to gather preliminary data on potential utility of an interdisciplinary process drama intervention to improve social skills in children with ASD. We will address the following specific aims: 1) determine the feasibility of: a) the protocol for collecting neural activation data via EEG on preschoolers with ASD characteristics; b) conducting a 3 month, 3x/week process drama intervention program led by a collaborative team of theatre teachers, OTs and SLPs aimed at improving social skills. 2) Determine preliminary effects of this interdisciplinary intervention on: a) increasing positive social behaviors; b) changes in neural activation during social tasks

Social-ecological enabling conditions for payments for ecosystem services

The concept of “enabling conditions” centers on conditions that facilitate approaches to addressing social and ecological challenges. Although multiple fields have independently addressed the concept of enabling conditions, the literature lacks a shared understanding or integration of concepts. We propose a more synthesized understanding of enabling conditions beyond disciplinary boundaries by focusing on the enabling conditions that influence the implementation of a range of environmental policies termed payments for ecosystem services (PES). Through an analysis of key literature from different disciplinary perspectives, we examined how researchers and practitioners refer to and identify enabling conditions within the context of PES. Through our synthesis, we identified 24 distinct enabling conditions organized within 4 broad themes: biophysical, economic, governance, and social-cultural conditions. We found that the literature coalesces around certain enabling conditions, such as strong ecosystem science and existing institutions, regardless of disciplinary background or journal audience. We also observed key differences in how authors perceive the direction of influence for property type, program objectives, and number of actors. Additionally, we noted an emphasis on the importance of the contextual nature of many enabling conditions that may cause certain conditions to have a disproportionate impact on successful implementation in some circumstances. Unraveling the relative importance of specific enabling conditions in diverse contexts remains a research frontier. Ultimately, no single disciplinary perspective is likely to provide all necessary insights for PES creation, and given the intertwined nature of enabling conditions, practitioners need to consider insights from multiple dimensions. Our work suggests opportunities to better connect diverse conversations through integration of concepts, a common vocabulary, and a synthetic framework

Global state and potential scope of investments in watershed services for large cities

Investments in watershed services (IWS) programs, in which downstream water users pay upstream watershed service suppliers for actions that protect drinking water, are increasing in number and scope. IWS programs represent over $170 million of investment in over 4.3 million ha of watersheds, providing water to over 230 million people. It is not yet fully clear what factors contribute to the establishment and sustainability of IWS. We conducted a representative global analysis of 416 of the world’s largest cities, including 59 (14%) with IWS programs. Using random forest ensemble learning methods, we evaluated the relative importance of social and ecological factors as predictors of IWS presence. IWS programs are more likely present in source watersheds with more agricultural land and less protected area than otherwise similar watersheds. Our results suggest potential to expand IWS as a strategy for drinking water protection and also contribute to decisions regarding suitable program locations

Impact of Mosquito Age and Insecticide Exposure on Susceptibility of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) to Infection with Zika Virus

Zika virus (ZIKV) is primarily transmitted to humans by Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. Vector–virus interactions influencing vector competence vary and depend on biological and environmental factors. A mosquito’s chronological age may impact its immune response against virus infection. Insecticides, source reduction, and/or public education are currently the best defense against mosquitoes that transmit ZIKV. This study assessed the effects of a mosquito’s chronological age at time of infection on its response to ZIKV infection. We exposed young (6–7 d post-emergence) and old (11–12 d post-emergence) Ae. albopictus to a sublethal dose of bifenthrin prior to oral exposure to blood meals containing ZIKV (7-day incubation period). Old mosquitoes experienced a significantly (p < 0.01) higher rate of mortality than young mosquitoes. Significantly higher ZIKV body titers (p < 0.01) were observed in the old control group compared to the young control group. Significantly higher (p < 0.01) ZIKV dissemination rates and leg titers (p < 0.01) were observed in old bifenthrin-exposed mosquitoes compared to old control mosquitoes or young bifenthrin-exposed or control mosquitoes. Hence, bifenthrin exposure may increase the potential for virus transmission; however, the degree of these impacts varies with mosquito age. Impacts of insecticides should be considered in risk assessments of potential vector populations

Photometric Redshifts of Quasars

We demonstrate that the design of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) filter system and the quality of the SDSS imaging data are sufficient for determining accurate and precise photometric redshifts (``photo-z''s) of quasars. Using a sample of 2625 quasars, we show that photo-z determination is even possible for z<=2.2 despite the lack of a strong continuum break that robust photo-z techniques normally require. We find that, using our empirical method on our sample of objects known to be quasars, approximately 70% of the photometric redshifts are correct to within delta z = 0.2; the fraction of correct photometric redshifts is even better for z>3. The accuracy of quasar photometric redshifts does not appear to be dependent upon magnitude to nearly 21st magnitude in i'. Careful calibration of the color-redshift relation to 21st magnitude may allow for the discovery of on the order of 10^6 quasars candidates in addition to the 10^5 quasars that the SDSS will confirm spectroscopically. We discuss the efficient selection of quasar candidates from imaging data for use with the photometric redshift technique and the potential scientific uses of a large sample of quasar candidates with photometric redshifts.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures, submitted to A