Description and evaluation of the United States coastal pelagic longline fishery interactions with target and non-target species in the western North Atlantic

Eighty-five monitored sets were used to investigate the interactions of pelagic fishes with commercial pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic during the fall mixed species fishery north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and the spring swordfish fishery in the southern Gulf of Mexico and northern Caribbean Sea. This dissertation incorporates four components: (1) direct analyses of longline gear behavior using small time-depth recorders, (2) comparisons of catch rates and mortality of all species caught on size 16/0 non-offset circle and size 9/0 straight-shank J-style hooks, including analyses of time-of-capture utilizing electronic hook time recorders, (3) an evaluation of post-release survival of white marlin captured by longline gear using pop-off satellite archival tags (PSATs), and (4) a description of two PSATs attached to white marlin and subsequently ingested by sharks. Data indicated that pelagic longline gear in the shallow coastal U.S. fishery is frequently in motion, even after hooks were presumed to have settled at depth. Effective fishing depths of the gear under several configurations were also shallower than predicted by commonly used catenary curve-based depth calculations. Catch rates between circle and J-style hook types were similar for most species, with only pelagic rays in the fall fishery showing an increased catch rate with J-style hooks. Yellowfin tuna and dolphinfish caught on circle hooks in the fall fishery were larger than those caught on J-style hooks. Most species were more commonly caught in the mouth with circle hooks rather than internally. A total of 28 white marlin were tagged with PSATs. Transmitted data from 17 of 19 reporting PSATs demonstrated survival following release. Estimates of post-release survival range from 60.7% (assuming that non-reporting tags were mortalities) to 89.5% (excluding non-reporting tags from the analysis). Two white marlin PSATs reported data consistent with predation or scavenging by sharks, including ingestion of the tags for seven and ten days respectively. This suggests that non-reporting PSATs may also be the result of unreported biological interactions

Insider, Outsider, or Somewhere Between: The Impact of Researchers’ Identities on the Community-Based Research Process

Sociologists and qualitative researchers have engaged in an extensive debate about the merits of researchers being “outsiders” or “insiders” to the communities they study. Recent research has attempted to move beyond a strict outsider/insider dichotomy to emphasize the relative nature of researchers\u27 identities, depending on the specific research context. Using the Institute for Community-Based Research in Mississippi as a case study, this article presents findings from qualitative interviews with academic researchers and community partners involved in four different research projects. These findings examine how researchers and community partners characterize researchers’ identities and the impact that those identities have on the community-based research outcomes in different research contexts. The article also includes recommendations for researchers who are working in communities where they are likely to be considered outsiders

Bundling Solutions for Financing Building Energy Efficiency Retrofit Projects in Residential and Commercial Buildings

Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of overall national energy consumption and renewed investment in energy efficiency (EE) projects and measures in that sector, in particular, could potentially save consumers and the U.S. economy billions of dollars, create jobs and significantly reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses. Accordingly, a comprehensive and well crafted economy-wide EE solution should include programs for the upgrading or retrofitting of existing residential and commercial structures. Although there is already investment in these types of projects, significant potential still remains for further investment. The subjects discussed in this paper could serve as a useful starting point for the development of such a program

Lost Harvests: Prairie Indian Reserve Farmers and Government Policy

Until recently, prevailing wisdom in academic circles held that nomadic, buffalo hunting tribes on the Great Plains resisted all efforts to make them farmers. According to the old school, sedentary, regimented agricultural life on a reservation violated these noble hunters\u27 culture. Sarah Carter says that the old school was dead wrong. Carter, a Canada Research Fellow with the Department of History and Rupert\u27s Land Research Centre at the University of Winnipeg, argues that during the last quarter of the nineteenth century Indians in Canada\u27s prairie provinces stood ready and willing to adopt an agricultural lifestyle. The Canadian government, however, despite its proclaimed desire to make farmers of reservation Indians, enacted policies that actually inhibited successful Indian agriculture and contributed to Indians turning away from farming. Thus she seeks to revise the old interpretation that the prairie province tribes held agriculture in contempt and resisted the government\u27s best efforts to make them self-sufficient farmers

Microfinance and its Impact on Women: A Case Study of India, Bangladesh, and Malaysia

For several years, microfinance institutions (MFI) have been providing the financially disadvantaged with small loans to allow them to escape poverty. These institutions specifically target women as recipients of the loans (usually less than $100 USD) because women in developing countries traditionally do not have access to start their own business, create their own income, and advance themselves in society. However, there are arguments that this approach does not increase a woman’s income or create a better living situation for the woman or her family. As every country has different microfinance policies and cultures, microfinance impacts every country differently. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part discusses several studies and outcomes regarding microfinance in developing countries in south and southeast Asia. The second part of this paper consists of critiques and possible improvements to these policies. The indicators that signify the success of microfinance are an increase in the woman\u27s income and independence, and indications of a higher standard of living for families, such as higher levels of children\u27s education and health. I believe that the data will indicate that certain countries have better microfinance systems and policies than others. Additionally, I believe that the cultures of certain countries have a significant impact on the level of success of microfinance in those countries regarding increasing the social and financial standing of women. I conclude with a discussion of how microfinance institutions and government policy can help women create better lives for themselves and their families

Role of Spiritual Intelligence in Leader Influence on Organizational Trust

Corporate scandals have disrupted the trust and confidence in leaders over the last two decades. Researchers have not addressed the spiritual intelligence of leaders and the role it might play in influencing organizational trust. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the role of spiritual intelligence in leader influence on organizational trust. The research question addressed the role of spiritual intelligence in leader influence on organizational trust within a global insurance company. The conceptual framework was based on intelligence theory, leadership theory, spiritual intelligence theory, trust theory, and servant leadership philosophy. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of 16 employees from a global insurance company. Participant selection included senior leaders in the organization or employees who reported to one of those senior leaders. Data were coded, analyzed, and interpreted manually to identify 5 themes using the methodological framework of reflective lifeworld research: emotional intelligence, servant leadership, integrity, trustworthiness, and moral compass. Findings showed that spiritual intelligence plays a critical role in leaders\u27 capacity to make good decisions, build relationships, and provide a sense of empowerment. Senior leaders who leverage their spiritual intelligence may create an organizational culture of trust and empowerment, and may become role models for others to follow

Global Special Studies - Hong Kong, LGBTQ+ Community Organizing and Social Media

Special Studies Experience -- Kowloon, Hong Kong -- Summer 2015 -- Partner Agencies: Les Peches; Fruits and Suits; Out in KH; PLUGhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116181/1/Poster_Kerstetter.pd

Lost Harvests: Prairie Indian Reserve Farmers and Government Policy

Until recently, prevailing wisdom in academic circles held that nomadic, buffalo hunting tribes on the Great Plains resisted all efforts to make them farmers. According to the old school, sedentary, regimented agricultural life on a reservation violated these noble hunters\u27 culture. Sarah Carter says that the old school was dead wrong. Carter, a Canada Research Fellow with the Department of History and Rupert\u27s Land Research Centre at the University of Winnipeg, argues that during the last quarter of the nineteenth century Indians in Canada\u27s prairie provinces stood ready and willing to adopt an agricultural lifestyle. The Canadian government, however, despite its proclaimed desire to make farmers of reservation Indians, enacted policies that actually inhibited successful Indian agriculture and contributed to Indians turning away from farming. Thus she seeks to revise the old interpretation that the prairie province tribes held agriculture in contempt and resisted the government\u27s best efforts to make them self-sufficient farmers