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Attrition and Assimilation: The Neural Mechanisms of Mandarin-English Bilingualism
Get PDFThis line of research investigates attrition of native language (L1) Mandarin proficiency with increasing proficiency in English. English uses pitch to denote intonation (e.g., it\u27s there? versus it\u27s there! ), while Mandarin additionally uses pitch to indicate word meanings; e.g., /he/ means drink when spoken with a high, level tone, or river when spoken with a rising tone. The present study delineates between two alternative explanations for the prior finding that English proficiency correlates with attrition of Mandarin tones, but not Mandarin vowels. This pattern could be explained by 1) assimilability of the Mandarin vowel contrasts used in the study into English categories (L1-L2 Assimilability Hypothesis), or 2) by tone being uniquely prone to attrition regardless of assimilability (Tone-Uniqueness Hypothesis). To distinguish these, participants completed an eye-tracked word-recognition task. They heard a spoken Mandarin word while viewing two images, and selected the image matching that word. The two images represented words differing in tone or vowel. Mandarin vowel contrasts were designed to be \u27easy\u27, \u27medium\u27, or \u27hard\u27 based on their assimilability into English. Preliminary results support the L1-L2 Assimilability Hypothesis, as proficiency in Mandarin is correlated with performance in less-assimilable vowel trials, not just in tone trials
Sers-3dplace: Ensemble Reinforcement Learning for 3D Monolithic Placement
No full textA novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) approach, that uses sequence-based placement representations and ensemble learning, is proposed for Monolithic 3D IC (M3D) placement. Our algorithm successfully chooses one of the best of the four types of placement perturbation actions most of the time. A New Ensemble-based policy allows to use multiple learning algorithms to choose good actions. RL produces an initial solution for Simulated Annealing (SA) that generates the final answer. To illustrate the effectiveness of SERS-3DPlace, we tested it on 8-128-bit MUX-based right arithmetic shifter (Muxs) circuits and a circuit with non-regular connections, as compared to Mux-based shifters, all implemented in 2-layer Monolithic 3D technology. The experimental results show that the Ensemble-based policy performs 2.5X better than the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP)-based policy, and the new SERS-3DPlace shows 2X improvement in the RL stage over RS3DPLace [1]
The Central Role of Perceived Safety in Connecting Crash Risk Factors and Walking Behavior
Get PDFDespite advanced policies, plans, and facilities, many pedestrians are still injured and killed in traffic crashes in the United States. To improve pedestrian safety and the walking environment, the relationship between surrounding crash risk factors and perceived safety that influence people\u27s behavior needs to be studied. This study aims to examine pedestrian crash risk factors, the relationship between crash risk factors and perceived safety, measured as threatened experiences and safety attitudes, and the relationship between safety attitudes and walking behavior.
The analysis used data from three primary sources: (1) an original survey of 551 residents in 10 neighborhoods in Oregon conducted in 2023; (2) pedestrian crash data that occurred in Oregon for 2018 - 2022; and (3) pedestrian count data collected at 65 sites in 2022. 729 pedestrian crashes occurred in the census block groups surrounding the 65 sites over five-year periods. These were complemented with built environment data.
The dissertation first tested whether crash risk factors predict actual pedestrian crashes in the study areas. One of the results shows that the pedestrian volume measured as pedestrian count data has better predictive power to explain the pedestrian crashes, cumulated for a shorter period of time than the pedestrian volume measured as population density. Though the count data was collected only for two days, it was more accurate than the population density. This result supports the need to collect pedestrian volume data in various places to develop road safety plans and policies. In addition to pedestrian volume, crash risk factors in macro-level areas, including mixed-use land areas, commercial land areas, and public transit stops, are significant in predicting pedestrian crashes. However, in this study, the number of intersections, speed limit, and vehicle speed were not statistically significant in predicting crash cases.
The structural equation model (SEM) results for the second research question show that the threatened experiences influenced by the surrounding environment significantly affect safety attitudes. Pedestrians feel more threatened in areas with higher intersection density and mixed-use land areas after controlling other risk factors, including speed and pedestrian and traffic volumes. However, intersection density is not significantly related to the cumulated pedestrian crashes. This may be because vehicle speeds decrease as the density of intersections increases. This implies that when pedestrians encounter intersections more frequently, they perceive that they have had more threatened experiences, even though the environment is not significantly riskier. Pedestrian crashes did not affect pedestrians\u27 threatened experiences and safety attitudes in the SEMs. This can be interpreted as pedestrians\u27 attitudes being mainly determined by their perceived experiences in a given environment rather than an actual crash risk.
In modeling results for the third research question, positive safety attitudes and nearby sidewalks increase walking frequency. On the other hand, larger commercial areas, faster vehicle speeds, and more vehicles in their households significantly reduce walking frequency. One likely reason for the negative relationships with having commercial areas nearby is that most survey respondents were walking primarily for exercise, to walk their pets, or for entertainment rather than to visit specific destinations such as work, school, or restaurants.
This study has several limitations despite meaningful findings. One limitation relates to the unit of analysis. For this analysis, crash risk factors, such as intersection types, road classification, weather conditions, or street lights, were aggregated around each respondent\u27s home. In addition, pedestrian count data was available only for one or two major intersections within that area. Such aggregation does not account for details of the risk of each crash event or in micro-level places. The other limitation relates to cross-sectional analysis. If panel data can be collected and time-series analysis is possible, it would likely investigate how people\u27s attitudes toward safety and behaviors change due to surrounding crash risk factors and threatened experiences
Primary Care in the University Setting After COVID-19: A Multiple Case Study of Student Health Services in Oregon
No full textIn 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted operations across the settings of primary care and higher education institutions (HEI). HEIs faced sudden decreases in revenue because of reduced enrollments and external pressures to rapidly adapt delivery methods to accommodate the inability to provide in-person classes. Similarly, most primary care settings experienced major reductions to in-person visits and fee-for-service revenues. Student health services (SHS) exist within both primary care and higher education settings and are a unique and poorly understood aspect of primary care. This research set out to explore this under-studied primary care setting by answering the question: How has COVID-19 influenced the structures and processes used by a selection of Oregon\u27s postsecondary institutions to maintain delivery of primary care through student health services (SHS)?
This research was framed by the study\u27s aims which identified components of primary care within SHS before and following the onset of the pandemic, explored environmental factors that influenced the components of primary care within SHS, and articulated how SHS leaders demonstrated aspects of organizational resilience by adapting to the pandemic and maintaining primary care services for students. The findings of this qualitative multiple-case study led to an improved understanding of a minimally studied primary care setting, and the development of a model of promising practices for primary care delivery for student health services.
Eligible SHS organizations were identified from among Oregon\u27s four-year public HEIs and SHS executive leadership gave consent to participate. Data were collected from a range of sources and materials related to SHS operations before and after the onset of the pandemic. These sources included public websites, internal documents collected from participating SHSs, and individual interviews conducted with eligible SHS leaders from each participating SHS organization. Data were organized by the domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), a commonly used framework within the field of Implementation Science that supports the identification of multi-level relationships between contextual factors and practice changes within complex, multi-level, transient, and interacting environmental states in healthcare settings. The use of CFIR allowed for synthesis and triangulation of data from a variety of sources and across cases culminating in the development of a model of primary care delivery within the higher education setting.
Study results were condensed into three overarching themes. The first theme is the participating SHS organizations contained elements of care that were aligned with current definitions of high quality primary care. Second, the COVID-19 pandemic affected SHS organizations similar to other primary care settings. Finally, in alignment with Donabedian\u27s Structure-Process-Outcome model, the unique interactions between HEI and SHS structures influenced how and why SHS leaders adapted to the pandemic\u27s effects to maintain primary care delivery.
The interactions of HEI and SHS structures documented within the study\u27s findings led to the identification of six promising practices of SHS primary care delivery. These were: the extension of SHS governance structures that overlap with HEI governance; the alignment of student health insurance structures with SHS financial structures; the centralization of SHS leadership and sensemaking structures for connecting facility infrastructure (clinical data) and the workforce (staff) during information interpretation during crisis; incorporation of other student health-related services available within the HEI setting for meeting students\u27 health needs; the creation of data-gathering capabilities for monitoring the contextual environment in reference to SHS outcomes; and centering the four pillars of primary care at the core of the primary care delivery process.
Findings from this research informed recommendations spanning the overlapping settings of primary care and higher education. Recommendations were directed toward SHS leaders, HEI policy and decision-makers, and researchers in the fields of healthcare and higher education. This dissertation offers important contributions to academic research and health policy by establishing the student health services setting as a unique and valuable setting for the study and practice of primary care and identifying existing relationships between higher education policies and student health and wellbeing. Further contributions of this research include the use of CFIR and the lens of implementation science within its design to explore a unique primary care setting. The study explored concepts of health system resilience through experiences of sensemaking by SHS leadership in adapting to the tumultuous primary care and higher education environments following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings lead to recommendations of topics for future research to expand the depth of knowledge within higher education, primary care, organizational resilience, and change management fields of study.
In conclusion, this research sheds light on SHS organizations as an important setting of primary care delivery, influencing the health and wellbeing of tens of thousands of adolescents and young adults in Oregon. This unique setting of primary care shares the known complexities and dynamics involved with primary care delivery in the broader health system context, with the additional environmental influences of the higher education setting which create properties and characteristics unique to SHS. This study provided a perspective which may be generalizable to Oregon\u27s SHS organizations and comparable organizations in other jurisdictions following a major disruptive event and identified unique structures and aspects of the organizational process of adaptation to maintain primary care delivery that continued to meet the needs of students
両忘: Ryōbō Both Forgotten
No full textThis memoir records one year of teaching English in rural northern Japan and beginning to study the Japanese tea ceremony. It explores themes of disembodiment and disassociation, consumption, trauma, relationships, food, restriction, and healing
Queer Rural Youth Online: A Digital Ethnography
Get PDFThis thesis is based on digital ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2023 within Queer subcommunities on the social media sites Reddit and Twitter (now known as X) and data collected from interviews with Queer rural youth members of these communities. The data reveal that social media use directly influences the lives and actions of Queer rural youth, who use the space to build social connections, shape their personal identities, and seek advice pertaining to their in-person lives and decisions. By using these spaces, Queer rural youth build both bonding and bridging social capital, learn to subvert restrictions to their Internet access, and express their identity by conforming to the norms of the broader Queer community. Often, this conformity involves changing their lifestyle to meet the ideal standards that social media influencers, advertisers, and users set. In particular, many Queer rural youth consume suggested media, change their behavior, and even migrate to coastal urban centers in order to fulfill their perceived ideal of Queer life. Although the Internet serves as a haven for many youth, it exposes them to dangers as well, many of which will shift and change with future technological advancements in AI. This research enhances anthropological understanding of the significance of virtual spaces in contemporary society and their potential to both empower and endanger minority communities
\u3ci\u3eVarecia rubra\u3c/i\u3e (Red Ruffed Lemur) Diel Activity and Calling at Andranobe, Masoala National Park, Madagascar
Get PDFWith respect to the natural variation in abiotic and biotic conditions present between daytime and nighttime periods, many animal species show evolutionary adaptations specialized for diurnality, nocturnality, or crepuscularity. Biologists have traditionally viewed categorizations of this kind as fixed within taxonomic groups, emphasizing how intricately species’ survival is contingent on the ability to adapt to low light, high light, or twilight conditions. However, movement away from such distinct temporal niche categories began within chronobiological studies following the discovery of more flexible patterns of activity in numerous taxa during the late 1970s. This shift generated increased interest in elucidating the complex interactions between circadian rhythms, synchronizing agents, masking factors, and biotic factors in the shaping of animal activity patterns. Due to the notable diversity in activity patterns found within Malagasy lemurs, a monophyletic primate radiation, researchers have used this group as a model for examining the adaptive functions and conditions through which activity patterns evolved within the Mammalian Class. In an effort to further contribute to this body of research, we investigated the activity of Varecia rubra (Red Ruffed Lemur) over the 24-hour daily cycle (i.e., diel) at the Andranobe Forest field site in Masoala National Park, Madagascar. Traditionally classified as diurnal, the genus Varecia is the exception within the largely cathemeral Lemuridae family consisting of Varecia, Hapalemur, Prolemur, Lemur, and Eulemur. To address a notable absence in the systematic documentation of Varecia activity outside of a strictly diurnal context, we recorded traveling, feeding, resting, and vocalization data over the diel. Data collection shifts covered each portion of the diel in 4-hour increments (time blocks) at two observation posts weekly. Activity (feed and travel) and call data were independently analyzed to establish their distributions across hours, time blocks, and weeks from a ten-week sampling period during austral spring (hot-dry season of 2022).
In terms of overall activity pattern, results indicate that V. rubra rest, feed, travel, and call throughout the 24-hour daily cycle at Andranobe Forest. Feeding and traveling occur mostly during daytime, with a late night/early morning (2:00-6:00 hours) activity pulse measuring almost two-thirds of their late afternoon (14:00-18:00 hours) pulse, and nearly one-third of their daily activity peak, which occurs during morning (6:00-10:00 hours). V. rubra also have a late night/early morning pulse in vocal activity that is more than two times greater than during twilight/early night (18:00-22:00 hours), resembling more closely the higher call frequencies of morning, midday (10:00-14:00 hours), and late afternoon. The least feeding, traveling, and calling occurs during mid-night (22:00- 2:00 hours). Activity and calls at morning twilight (i.e., dawn) account for just over 10% of feeding and traveling events and for ~30% of call events during the late night/early morning time block, whereas 20% of feeding and traveling events and a considerable 60% of call events occur at evening twilight (i.e., dusk) within the twilight/early night time block. High amplitude calls (i.e., loud calls) most frequently emitted by V. rubra, including the roar-shriek , bark , pulsed rah , and roar . The hum , a lower amplitude contact call given while traveling, is also emitted at a relatively high frequency (ranked fourth). V. rubra feed, travel, and call more frequently during higher ambient temperatures (i.e., during daytime) and with longer day length from the beginning to the end of the hot-dry season (austral spring). They also call more frequently during periods of greater lunar luminosity.
The findings of this study offer evidence for V. rubra activity outside of a strictly diurnal context. These data, along with possession of an array of retinal traits suited to either daytime or nighttime vision (or of intermediate value), and their status as the basal genus of a largely cathemeral family, Lemuridae, prompt reconsideration of their diurnal classification. We recommend qualifying this classification by recognizing that they are also facultatively cathemeral
The Mounted Warrior: An Investigation into an Unpublished Coptic Textile Featuring Equestrian Imagery
Get PDFThe warrior on horseback visual motif has existed for millenia. Such equestrian imagery was widely distributed in the visual arts and material culture, including that of textiles. This scholarly exploration centers on an unpublished Coptic Egyptian textile fragment portraying a warrior atop a horse in motion, presenting an analysis of its symbolic significance and potential cultural functions. Through an intricate examination of the artifact and comparative study with contemporaneous first millennium CE eastern Mediterranean material culture, this extraordinary equestrian motif and its implications for understanding ancient visual narratives is realized. By situating the textile fragment within its historical and cultural framework, a world of meanings is unveiled in the imagery, offering valuable insights into the artistic expressions and societal values of the period. Drawing upon archival sources and scholarly discourse, a narrative is constructed that not only adds to the overall comprehension of equestrian imagery but also underscores the intricate interplay between art, religion, and social practices in ancient Egypt. This investigation contributes to the broader discourse on Coptic textiles and visual symbolism, inviting further scholarly inquiry into the complexities of ancient iconography and its cultural resonances
non-Flavor Flavors: What Are the Implications of Derived Psychoactive Cannabis Product Marketing?
No full textEnhancement of Mechanical Properties of PCL/PLA/DMSO2 Composites for Bone Tissue Engineering
Get PDFBone tissue engineering shows potential for regenerating or replacing damaged bone tissues by utilizing biomaterials renowned for their biocompatibility and structural support capabilities. Among these biomaterials, polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) have gained attention due to their biodegradability and versatile applications. However, challenges such as low degradation rates and poor mechanical properties limit their effectiveness. Dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) has emerged as a potential additive to address these limitations, offering benefits such as reduced viscosity, increased degradation time, and enhanced surface tension. In this study, we investigate tailored composites comprising PLA, PCL, and DMSO2 to enhance mechanical properties and hydrophilicity. Through material characterization and mechanical testing, we found that the addition of DMSO2 led to improvements in the yield strength, modulus, and hydrophilicity of the composites. PCL and DMSO2 10, 20, and 30 wt% were premixed, and 20 wt% PCL + 10, 20, and 30 wt% DMSO2 were mixed with PLA. Specifically, PLA/PCL/DMSO2 composites exhibited higher yield strengths and moduli compared to pure PLA, pure PCL, and PLA/PCL composites. Moreover, the hydrophilicity of the composites increased with DMSO2 concentration, facilitating cell attachment. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the presence of –COOH and –COH bands in PLA/PCL/DMSO2 composites, indicating chemical interactions between DMSO2 and the polymer matrix. Fractography analysis revealed enhanced interface adhesion in PLA/PCL/DMSO2 composites due to the hydrogen bonding. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of PLA/PCL/DMSO2 composites in bone tissue engineering applications, offering improved mechanical properties and enhanced cell compatibility. The findings contribute to the advancement of biomaterials for additive manufacturing in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine