1925 research outputs found
Sort by
Multilingual spoken word recognition: A megastudy approach
Full text linkBilingualism research has primarily focused on the perception and processing of individual sounds or word learning. Many studies have investigated how bilingual listeners perceive sound contrasts that don't create lexical distinctions in their native language. There is substantially less research that has investigated how word-level properties impact L2 auditory processing. The present study examines how auditory lexical processing differs between monolingual and bilingual listeners with different language backgrounds. We collected lexical decision accuracies and latencies for 26,793 words and 9600 pseudowords from the Massive Auditory Lexical Decision database from native and non-native listener responses. We compare the language backgrounds of our 1028 listeners and group them into four groups: native speakers, early, early-late, and late bilinguals. We report the findings of an analysis investigating how language background and proficiency modulate lexical effects to understand how language background influences spoken word recognition. We find differences in the effects of lexical frequency, phonological neighborhood density, and phonological uniqueness point between the different listener groups. We discuss the impact of bilingualism in a word recognition task and how these results inform models of spoken word recognition and second language acquisition
The effects of social media on exercise habits: do body transformation videos encourage or discourage people?
No full textSocial media is filled with all different types of content that have the power to influence people strongly. This study aimed to increase the amount of knowledge regarding effective communication as it relates to social media and fitness motivation to influence people's exercise habits positively. The research was conducted through the use of an online survey designed to explore the response to gym/body transformation content, the effects the content has on exercise habits, and whether or not people find the content to be encouraging or discouraging. The results showed that the majority of participants were at least somewhat encouraged to engage in physical activity after viewing gym/body transformation content on social media. This study identifies the more encouraging qualities in gym/body transformation content, deepening the understanding of effective communication methods when producing motivational fitness content online
Applications of topological data analysis in parameter estimation for partial differential equations
No full textThis thesis focuses on the use of topological data analysis (TDA) to study the parameters of an anisotropic Kuramoto-Sivashinsky type equation used to model the pyramidal patterns formed by the bombardment of germanium. The aim is to better understand the influence of the parameters and geometry of the pattern, particularly the kappa parameter, and classify their values based on the time evolution of the model. The traditional methods of parameter estimation rely on the iterative approximation of solutions, making it computationally intensive and producing large errors in the estimation process. Instead, this research proposes a machine learning algorithm that uses the relationship between the geometry of approximated solutions and parameter values to predict the parameter values. TDA's algebraic gadgets, homology and homotopy groups, are used to summarize the complicated topological structure of the approximated solution to the differential equation. In order to perform the computations of homology groups, we define the cubical complexes that are naturally induced by the approximated solution surfaces. In this study, we conducted a wide grid search over variables in classification models and parameters in representations of the patterns. The best results were obtained using the flipped surface and 0-dimensional homology groups, with the Random Forest Classifier performing the best with approximately 80\% accuracy. The model accuracy without TDA applied did not exceed 11% accuracy. We also created a confusion matrix for the best-performing random forest model, observing some misclassification, particularly within the mid-range of parameters. Interestingly, we found that combining 0- and 1-dimensional homology groups did not result in higher accuracy than using 0-homology group on its own. We tested various weighting functions when computing the persistence images and found that the linear and sigmoid functions did not significantly affect the accuracy. These findings are discussed in detail in the following sections, along with a description of the model parameters and the confusion matrix
Assessing the role of social capital in safeguarding the mental health of college students during the coronavirus pandemic
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented challenges for college students worldwide. Research suggests that the mental health of vulnerable populations such as college students was negatively affected. International students have been referenced as one of the groups significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike international students, considerable evidence suggests that domestic/host students have a broader social capital base. Thus, domestic students are more likely to have higher social capital leading to better mental health. This study aimed to explore the impact of the pandemic on the stress and depressive levels of domestic and international students and to examine the role of social capital in protecting the mental health of college students. Findings revealed that both domestic and international students experienced moderate stress levels and depressive symptoms during the pandemic, but domestic students reported slightly higher levels of stress and depression. Additionally, domestic students were found to be more susceptible to unexpected disruptions, nervousness, and coping challenges than their international counterparts. Moreso, international students had higher levels of bonding social capital than domestic students. These results suggest that lower social capital, both at the micro and macro level, has a negative impact on college students' well-being. The study's findings highlight the need for universities to invest in resources and support systems to help students cope with stress and depression and build social capital
Social protection policies in Ghana: the impact of Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty on beneficiaries
No full textThe Department of Social Welfare implements the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) as a centerpiece initiative of the National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) to
combat poverty in Ghana's most vulnerable populations, including orphans, vulnerable children,
and people with disabilities. To guarantee that LEAP achieves its intended benefits, this study
attempts to highlight the viewpoints of the program's recipients. The LEAP program includes a
health component that automatically enrolls beneficiaries in the Ghana National Health Insurance
Scheme (NHIS). This study also aims to shed light on how LEAP has affected beneficiaries' and
households' educational levels as well as how the National Health Insurance Scheme has impacted
LEAP beneficiaries. Data for this study were gathered through semi-structured interviews and
focus group discussions with 40 LEAP beneficiaries from Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions, who
included both males and females, as well as people with disabilities.
Findings suggest that LEAP has had a mixed impact on the beneficiaries. This study finds
that there is less of an impact on school enrollment and participation, as well as mixed impact of
NHIS on LEAP beneficiaries. However, the program has a positive impact on the livelihoods of
its beneficiaries by increasing investment in small-scale businesses and income-generating
activities, reducing their dependence on family and community for sustenance. These findings
point to the need for a review and increase in the funds distributed to beneficiaries each month, as
well as for the government to support programs aimed at increasing the human capabilities of the
country's poor and vulnerable. They also highlight the need for the health ministry to revise and
expand the bills that NHIS can cover during hospital visits for beneficiaries
Framing climate change induced displacement: causes, consequences, and solutions
Full text linkGlobal temperatures are rising, leading to extreme weather phenomena all over the world, but especially in non-industrialized nations. These extreme weather events cause mass migration from countries that are being hit the hardest by climate change. Although climate displacement is discussed in some of the criminological literature on climate change and migration, climate change induced displacement (CCID) remains under-examined within criminology. To contribute to the criminological literature, I designed a qualitative research project to explore how representatives of climate organizations and migration organizations frame the causes, consequences, and solutions to climate displacement. In my analysis of these interviews, I found several interesting points of overlap between responses from representatives of climate organizations and those who work at migration organizations, such as a common lack of focus on climate displacement, a framing of climate displacement as the responsibility of nation-states and corporations, and the need to elevate migrant voices in the political and social arenas. I also consider how the information I gained from organization representatives connects to the criminological literature on climate change and mobility; interesting discoveries include the common focus on state-corporate crime as a cause of climate displacement, geopolitical conflicts leading to or following climate disasters, and change from below solutions. The conclusion features some of my key findings, areas for future research, and implications for social change, including the importance of public criminology for reframing climate displacement, and the value of elevating migrant voices to promote a greater understanding of the causes, consequences, and solutions of climate change induced displacement
The beef and the bees: how livestock grazing affects pollinator feeding and nesting resources over time
Full text linkLivestock grazing is one of the most ubiquitous and ecologically significant disturbances on public lands in the Western U.S., with more than 250 million acres open to grazing on U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands (Beschta et al., 2013; Bureau of Land Management, n.d.; United States Department of Agriculture, 2017). Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of grazing on various ecosystem elements and processes, relatively few address its impacts on pollinators. Animal pollination is critical to the majority of flowering plant reproduction (Ollerton et al., 2011) as well as crop production (Klein et al., 2007). However, insect pollinators are exhibiting declines driven by climate change, pesticide use, and disease (Lebuhn et al., 2013; Pauw & Hawkins, 2011; Potts et al., 2010), with consequences not only for biodiversity but food security as well (Bauer & Sue Wing, 2016; Bauer & Wing, 2010). Leveraging a landscape-scale baseline dataset, this study assessed the effect of low-intensity grazing on pollinators via changes to floral and nesting resources on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona. In July and August of 2022 we resampled selected plots within grassland and pinyon-juniper ecosystems, in both regularly grazed pastures and areas that had not been grazed for nine or more years. Analyses examined differences in vegetation and forb communities, forb abundance and diversity, soil characteristics, and ground cover across time and grazing status. Comparing baseline to current data, we found significant grazing impacts to vegetation and forb community composition as well as increased soil compaction at grazed sites. However, these effects were inconsistent across vegetation types. In addition, forb species diversity declined consistently across time, grazing status, and vegetation type, suggesting climatic shifts and grazing may be affecting pollinator habitat independently or interactively. Climate projections predict increased interannual variability and continued drier, hotter conditions, and grazing will likely continue as a widespread public land use. Implementing adaptive management strategies and pollinator-friendly grazing practices on public lands could mitigate these continued stressors and make a significant contribution to pollinator and rangeland ecosystem conservation
The Karen phenomenon: outgroup discrimination in the context of the resource dilemma
Full text linkCooperation research underlines two types of intergroup behavior: ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation. Favoritism and derogation are expressed through aversive racism, or the activation of implicit biases in ambiguous contexts. One such ambiguous context, the COVID-19 pandemic, introduced "Karens," White women who seek to maintain the White-dominant hierarchies of the United States. The purpose of the present study was to provide a foundation for establishing the psychological mechanisms that underlie Karens' perceived entitlement to unequal allocations of public resources.
We utilized a resource dilemma to explain how negative intergroup relations result from ambiguity and a limited understanding of social identity. We employed a 2 (race: Black/White) by 2 (gender: man/woman) by 2 (rate of harvesting: equal/unequal) between-subjects design to investigate the extent to which shared group membership and harvesting behavior influence resource consumption, sanctioning, and attributions. Participants (N = 314) withdrew more resources when grouped with Black women, and when shared resources diminished quickly. Participants may have recognized their implicit bias, which may have contributed to the fact that they then rewarded Black women more than White women and men. We concluded that gender, in comparison to race, is a more salient social identity during intergroup relations
Hydrologic analysis of springs in semi-arid northern Arizona on the Colorado Plateau
Full text linkThe Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) is a project supported by the Forest Service that involves collaboration among multiple entities to restore approximately 2,400,000 acres of forest ecosystems in northern Arizona. The primary goal of the restoration project is to improve the health and resiliency of the forest ecosystems. Few studies have analyzed the relationship between forest management and groundwater responses to forest management actions. Four springs located on the Colorado Plateau, near northern Arizona, underwent continuous observation and documentation over various spans of time. The natural springs analyzed in this study include Hart Prairie Spring, Clover Spring, Hoxworth Spring, and Big Spring. Analysis of the compiled data from these sites involved variations of qualitative and quantitative methods. The depth of analysis varies from site to site, depending on length of record. Hart Prairie Spring has the longest length of recorded data. Analyses were conducted to determine the hydrologic response pre- and post-forest restoration. Hoxworth Spring and Clover Spring are additional treatment sites with a hydrologic analysis prior to forest restoration treatments. Big Spring is a control site recording continuous hydrologic data, without the influence of forest restoration treatments. The accumulated hydrologic data were collected, analyzed, and used to create annual hydrographs. Climate data, such as weather conditions were analyzed in conjunction with the hydrologic analysis.
Understanding the hydrologic effects of the forest restoration efforts will contribute to future water budget predictions and forest management methods. The rapidly growing population, and agricultural and industrial development in the region places added pressure on groundwater supplies and demand. Ecohydrological restoration efforts have increased the number of flowing days for Hart Prairie Springs. This response indicates that groundwater recharge responds positively to restoration actions. Further data collection and analysis are needed to determine and quantify the effectiveness of forest restoration in increasing groundwater recharge, spring discharge and ecological functionality in northern Arizona
Drivers of fire severity in western north American boreal deciduous forests
Full text linkBoreal forests store a large portion of the Earth’s terrestrial carbon. Recently, warmer temperatures and drought have driven severe wildfires that result in carbon combustion losses that may exceed what can be sequestered by post-fire regrowth. However, these severe fires sometimes initiate shifts from conifer- to deciduous-forest dominance. Deciduous forests sequester more carbon for longer than the black spruce forests they replace because they accumulate combustion-resistant aboveground biomass more rapidly. However, as the climate of boreal ecosystems continues to warm, it is uncertain if the relative resilience of deciduous trees to wildfire will persist. To understand what a more deciduous boreal forest means for the future of boreal carbon, we quantified carbon combustion and investigated drivers of fire severity in deciduous and mixed conifer-deciduous stands. We sampled 139 plots across eight fire scars in Alaska and the Yukon. We assessed the relative influence of bottom-up variables related to stand composition and top-down climate variables on wildfire carbon combustion. On average, deciduous stands lost half as much carbon to wildfire combustion as conifer stands lost. Pre-fire fuel loads and vegetation stress were the primary controls on fire severity in mixed and aspen stands, whereas birch stand combustion was additionally influenced by spring precipitation. Our findings suggest that if deciduous tree dominance increases, carbon emissions from boreal wildfires will decline substantially, though wildfire carbon emissions from come deciduous forests may increase if climate change makes precipitation more stochastic in the far north