1925 research outputs found
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Investigating preclassic occupation in the site core of Xunantunich
Get PDFPrevious studies in the Maya area indicate many lowland Maya site cores developed gradually with continuous construction and modifications extending back to the Preclassic era (1200 B.C. – A.D. 300). In spite of this developmental sequence, few sites exhibiting Preclassic transition phases have been intensively investigated. One example is the Belize Valley site of Xunantunich, where more than a century’s worth of research in the site core has been dedicated primarily to interpreting the political and socio-economic role of the site during the Late to Terminal Classic period. Because of these previous research biases, little is known of the Preclassic occupational component of the site core. In an effort to address this omission, we conducted a series of excavations within the site core during the 2022 field season of the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) Project. These investigations revealed Preclassic architecture and Jenney Creek Phase (900-300 BC) ceramics, as well as Preclassic ceramic figurines. In this thesis, we review evidence of Preclassic occupation in Xunantunich’s site core and provide results of our recent investigations in Plazas A-I, A-II, and A-III. Our findings help enhance the understanding of the construction and development of the site core of Xunantunich during Preclassic times
Flagstaff kestrel project: integrating community into conservation
Full text linkThe Flagstaff Kestrel Project organized a community base of support to build, install, and monitor nesting boxes for American kestrels. This thesis seeks to understand effective strategies for building interconnected community support to accomplish conservation goals and build community resilience
Geomorphic change detection on the upper Verde river using historical plots and terrestrial lidar
Full text linkThe Upper Verde River in northern Arizona, one of the last free-flowing perennial rivers in Arizona, is a vital resource for the wildlife and humans that rely on it. This study combines historical United States Forest Service (USFS) single-line transect cross-section data with high resolution terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) data to quantify geomorphic changes along the Upper Verde River between 2009 and 2021-2022. Seventeen plots along the Upper Verde River were surveyed with the TLS and the data were registered together with a Root Mean Square Error of <0.03m among scan positions within individual plots. Digital Elevation Models (DEM) were derived for each plot from the TLS data at 10cm resolution and compared to the 2009 USFS cross-section data to quantify elevation changes. Empirical Cumulative Distribution Function (ECDF) analysis was used to determine the probability of true changes versus changes that could be attributed to errors in the datasets. All elevation changes with a p-value <= 0.05 were retained as true changes. The observed mean absolute change was +0.30m with a maximum erosion of -0.37m and maximum deposition of +0.97m. While deposition and erosion were documented at different locations in the study area, the results indicate deposition predominated within the flood-prone areas outside of the river channel over the last 13 years. Furthermore, greater deposition occurred in the lower reach of the river compared to the upper reach of the river. This study also demonstrates development of a new method that integrates historical single-line cross-section data with contemporary lidar data to quantify geomorphic change over time. This approach integrates traditional field-based survey methods and with newly available technology, which can be broadly implemented across a wide range of natural resource management applications
Latine children of immigrants: does familismo protect against school-based discrimination?
Full text linkThere is a disparity in Latine students’ educational attainment in higher education compared to individuals from other cultural backgrounds in the United States. Discrimination is a risk factor for the academic success of Latine students, whereas familismo is promotive of academic success. Biological sex and national origin are also found to contribute to differences in academic achievement for Latine adolescents. As such, this study explored how these factors influence high school grade point average (HSGPA).The Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study data set was used to examine (a) the relationships between school-based discrimination, family cohesion, family obligation, and HSGPA and (b) the extent to which these relationships differ between Latine subgroups split by sex and immigrant generation. The sample used for this study included majority Cuban Americans (40%) and Mexican Americans (25%) and a smaller, but diverse representation of other Central and South Americans (35%). A majority of participants were recruited in Florida (73%) and were female (51%). The results demonstrated that both school-based discrimination and family obligation had a significantly negative association with HSGPA. In contrast, family cohesion had a significantly positive association with HSGPA. There were no significant interactions between discrimination, family cohesion, or family obligation, and there were no differences in any estimated pathway across the subgroups.
The negative association between school-based discrimination and HSGPA sheds light on future avenues of research to continue exploring discrimination within school contexts. The lack of interaction between discrimination, family cohesion, and family obligation highlights the importance of discrimination being addressed within school settings and not within family units. It is vital for school personnel to recognize the negative impact of discrimination within school settings has on important academic outcomes for Latine youth
An investigation of pause location in spoken English corpora
No full textWe all pause, but, um, do we all pause … in a similar manner? The first language (L1) of speakers is proposed as one factor that influences their pausing behavior in a target language, especially with regard to the frequency and location of the pauses (Goldman-Eisler, 1968). It is also assumed that the preference for a certain type of pause (silent or filled pauses) is related to its location in an utterance (Dumont, 2018). Given the complex relationship between these variables, more research is needed to understand language learners’ behavior better. This corpus-based study investigates the pause behavior of speakers of three L1 backgrounds from two English-spoken corpora: The Louvain International Database of Spoken English Interlanguage (LINDSEI) and The Louvain Corpus of Native English Conversation (LOCNEC). Descriptive statistics and binomial logistic regression were used for analysis. The study answers two research questions: (1) In what ways do L1 speakers of English, French, and Spanish differ in terms of the location and type of pause produced in English interviews? (2) Does L1 background and/or presence vs. absence of a clause boundary have an effect on what type of pause (silent vs. filled) is produced? The results show that the L1 Spanish group differed considerably from the other groups with regard to both frequency and location of pauses. Additionally, both L1 and the presence of a clause boundary were found to be predictors of pause type
Rounds of negotiations in the underworld: transformations of ritual cave practices and ancient Maya society
Full text linkTo date, most research on Maya ritual cave use has been synchronic and lacking articulations with the wider Maya social processes. In this thesis, my goal is to examine the archaeological record of Maya ritual cave practice diachronically, to look for evidence of structures associated with ritual practice, and to understand how ritual practices are influenced by sociopolitical changes. Because ritual practice is linked to the material circumstances of practitioners, specific practices are strategic, flexible, and may serve as a resource to understand change at larger societal scales. The materiality of ceramics and the spatial parameters of the caves in which they are placed allow for a variety of differential treatments and emplacements. Ritual change may be evidenced by a change in these patterns and this can indicate a shift that is external to such microscale developments. To study these changes in practice, methods must first answer how and when changes occurred by reconstructing the use-life histories of Maya caves. Ceramic typologies, data collection from published archaeological records, and statistical analyses are the primary methods employed for this thesis. Ritual and Practice theories provide the foundations for interpreting ritual practice changes in the context of macroscale societal structures. Key findings include peak frequency temporal alignments across three of four regions and Late Classic spatial expansions in ritual cave use, with at least one expansion evident in each of the same three regions. This research is important in establishing a baseline of temporal shifts and regional variation in ritual cave practice, which may afford a richer, more contextualized understanding of both ancient Maya ritual cave use and Maya cultural development
Adult ADHD and cognitive dispersion: characterizing variability in performance across cognitive tasks in older adults with and without ADHD
Full text linkMost research on cognitive performance among individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) focuses on younger persons and on cognitive variability within speeded response-time tasks. Dispersion (i.e., variability across a range of cognitive domains) is emerging as a promising indicator of age-related and pathological cognitive impairment. There has not yet been an evaluation of differences in dispersion among older adults with and without ADHD to determine if dispersion may be a behavioral marker of ADHD. We address this gap by assessing associations of age, ADHD status, and ADHD severity with dispersion. We hypothesized that older adults would exhibit greater dispersion than comparatively younger adults and explore whether individuals with ADHD and individuals with more ADHD symptoms exhibit greater dispersion than individuals without ADHD and with fewer symptoms. In a sample of 231 adults from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (Average age=71.64 years, SD=7.7, Range = 59% female), 23 individuals met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD and 208 were classified as neurotypical. Participants completed 13 tasks spanning domains of attention, fluency, memory, processing speed, and reasoning. Dispersion across the tasks was calculated as an intraindividual standard deviation for each participant. We regressed dispersion on age, ADHD status, and ADHD symptoms and adjusted for sex, education, and depressive symptoms. Older age was significantly associated with greater dispersion (Est =0.06, SE=0.03, p=0.02). However, dispersion profiles did not vary as a function of ADHD status (Est.=-0.90, SE=0.71, p>.05), or number of ADHD symptoms (Est.=-0.03, SE=0.03, p>.05). Results suggest that dispersion across cognitive tasks may not be a sensitive marker of ADHD in older adults, although statistical power to detect differences was low in the current study. Age was a significant correlate of higher dispersion. Additional research is required to gain more understanding of ADHD in older adulthood. Though our study suggests that within-person fluctuations measured by variability observed across cognitive domains may not be a behavioral marker of ADHD, other indices of variability, such as response time inconsistency, may be relevant for future work on behavioral descriptions of ADHD across the lifespan
Instructional decisions primary teachers make to account for student engagement in mathematics
Full text linkThis qualitative case study explored instructional decisions exemplary primary teachers (kindergarten-third grade) made in order to engage students in mathematics. The phenomenon of teachers altering, supplementing, or utilizing district-given materials to support student engagement and understanding was studied. Specifically, this involved determining what math resources teachers were given, and what materials they were using. The participants included five primary teachers in three different schools within two school districts. The findings revealed teachers’ instructional decisions were influenced by the school setting and expectations, students’ needs and interests, and prior experiences and preparedness. The teachers shared engagement strategies they utilized, such as hands-on experiences, student choices, movement, discussions (collaboration and questioning), emotional connections, ownership of learning, and differentiation. Teachers described their level of creative control as it related to adhering to the district math program, or having had the opportunity to make significant changes. Teachers also shared their definitions of student engagement. Similar to the research surrounding student engagement, they discussed aspects of behavioral engagement, cognitive engagement, and emotional engagement. The research referenced in this study demonstrated the importance of student engagement in primary classrooms. Student engagement in the primary classrooms has been found to support math achievement and future student engagement in subsequent grade levels. This study adds to the body of knowledge regarding teachers’ instructional decisions to support student engagement in the primary grades
"On a Tightrope": a phenomenological study of first-generation doctoral mothers
Full text linkWhile doctoral training can be a challenge for a student of any background, there are specific challenges that face first-generation doctoral students. In addition, over the last decade, the number of women completing doctoral degrees has continued to increase. Many women in doctoral programs also have children at home and professional responsibilities. Together, this prompts the need for additional scholarly research to study the intersection of these identities. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of first-generation college graduates who are pursing doctoral training in addition to being working mothers. In this study, I used a phenomenological design with feminist standpoint theory and role conflict theory to seek a better understanding of the lived experiences of first-generation women doctoral students. This qualitative study included thirteen women in doctoral programs at the time of the interviews. Their experiences were nuanced, but using phenomenological analysis strategies, I provide textural descriptions of the essence of their experiences. From there, I explored the findings of three major themes. The women in this study experienced (1) unattainable work-life balance for doctoral students, (2) (problematizing) stories of grit and resilience, and (3) the women use agency to create community. Considering these findings, this study revealed how these thirteen first-generation women doctoral students attempted to balance their academic, professional, and mothering responsibilities and the importance of their relationships with advisors and peers. This study also revealed the challenges that the women in this study faced. More specifically, they faced challenges surrounding insufficient pay, conflicting demands on their time, and navigating an unknown process. These findings point to implications for practice and future research to reimagine doctoral training and encourage doctoral programs to embrace necessary accommodations to better support these women
Examining user engagement of top 100 U.S. hospitals on Twitter: the role of dialogic communication and topics
Full text linkGrounded in dialogic communication and the Health Belief Model, content analysis of 2,691 tweets from the top 100 U.S. hospitals revealed the prevalence of conserving visitors and information of interest to stakeholders. Non-health-related topics, general health information, and cure strategy were common. Most dialogic communication strategies were negatively associated with user engagement, whereas topics of non-health, causes of disease, and prevention positively influenced liking and retweeting