223 research outputs found
Initial results of 234U-230Th dating of tufa within Wadi Dabsa to reconstruct palaeoenvironments and interpret the Palaeolithic Landscape in southwest Saudi Arabia.
No full textThe Red Sea coast of region of southwest Saudi Arabia has a rich record of Early and Middle Stone Age archaeology (e.g. Bailey et al., 2015). The Wadi Dabsa basin, within the volcanic landscapes of the Harrat al Birk, contains a major concentration of artefacts (> 3000) making it one of the richest Palaeolithic assemblages so far recorded in southwest Saudi Arabia (Foulds et al., 2015; Inglis et al., 2017). In order to fully understand the artefacts and their implications for hominin activity their palaeoenvironmental and chronological context needs to be constrained. The widespread tufa carbonate deposits in this basin, associated with the archaeology, indicate that this basin has been perennially wet at certain periods of time. The tufa deposits represent an underexploited palaeoenvironmental record that will improve our understanding of the environments and landscapes occupied by Palaeolithic populations in the Saharo-Arabian belt. This poster presents the initial findings from the analysis of 13 tufa samples using 234U-230Th dating, to date the timing of wetter conditions in this basin. Samples have also been taken for stable isotope analysis to provide an insight into source water composition and palaeotemperature. This is part of a wider multi-method approach to reconstruct landscape development at this site, which also involves geomorphological mapping and 40Ar/39Ar dating of the basalt flows in this landscape that have influenced the hydrogeology and surface hydrology of the basin. Thin sections of each tufa sample have been used to guide sampling locations for 234U-230Th dating and isotopic analysis. Bailey, G.N., Dev�S., M.H., Inglis, R.H., Meredith-Williams, M.G., Momber, G., Sakellariou, D., Sinclair, A., Rousakis, G., Al Ghamdi, S., Alsharekh, A. (2015). Blue Arabia: Palaeolithic and underwater survey in SW Saudi Arabia and the role of coasts in Pleistocene dispersals, Quaternary International, 382, 42-57. Foulds, F., A. Shuttleworth, A. Sinclair, A. M. Alsharekh, S. Al Ghamdi, R. H. Inglis, G.N. Bailey (2017) A large handaxe from Wadi Dabsa and early hominin adaptations within the Arabian Peninsula. Antiquity. 91:1421–1434. Inglis, R. H., Sinclair, A. G., Robson, H. K., Barfod, D. N., Fanning, P. A., Stone, A., Shuttleworth, A., Alsharekh, A. M., Bailey, G. N. (2017) Preliminary Report on UK-Saudi 2017 fieldwork at Wadi Dabsa, Asir Province, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage
The timing of humid phases on the west coast of Arabia:The chronological and palaeoenvironmental record of an archaeology-rich tufa basin in Saudi Arabia.
No full textThe south-eastern Red Sea region may have served as a refuge during Quaternary arid phases for hominin populations migrating out of the Saharo-African region (Bailey, 2009). Wadi Dabsa, within the volcanic landscapes of Harrat al Birk contains the richest and highest density of lithic artifacts (~3000) in southwestern Saudi Arabia (Fould et al., 2015; Inglis et al., 2019). It drains the western side of the Harrat Al Birk for a few 10s of km and the southern tributary opens into a basin (where the lithics are located) that is dominated by a tufa sedimentary unit indicating significantly, and consistently, wetter conditions at various points during the Late Quaternary, making it an attractive site for hominin populations. The range of tufa morphologies within the basin indicate that these wetter phrases involved both standing and running water. The stratigraphies include units of large tufa-cemented basalt bedload (boulder-sized) recording phases of high-energy fluvial flow, and units of tufa with little, or no bedload, recording a lower-energy surface water environment.We investigate both a basalt handaxe that is partially encased in tufa as well as tufa units on which the surface lithic archaeology is located, in addition to a tufa unit ~ 1.5 m below the surface and a large tufa cascade downstream from the Wadi Dabsa basin . The palaeoenvironmental and chronological context of the tufa and the associated lithics can be reconstructed using facies descriptions in hand section and thin-section, geochemical analysis and stable isotopic data, alongside 234U-230Th dating. Here we present the analysis of 12 tufa samples across the basin, including the surface units associated with the lithic finds, a deeper unit (~1.5 m below the surface) and a fan, containing a large tufa cascade at the distal end of the basin. The results indicate wetter conditions during MIS 7 and MIS 5 (into MIS4), from a meteoric water source (not deep thermal groundwater) and a catchment covered in C3 vegetation. Comparisons are made with the timing and composition of tufa deposits on the western side of the Red Sea. Bailey, G. N. (2009) The Red Sea, coastal landscapes and homin dispersals. In M. D. Petraglia and J. I Rose (Eds) The Evolution of Human Populations in Arabia. Amsterdam, Springer. pp15-37. Foulds, F., A. Shuttleworth, A. Sinclair, A. M. Alsharekh, S. Al Ghamdi, R. H. Inglis, G.N. Bailey (2017) A large handaxe from Wadi Dabsa and early hominin adaptations within the Arabian Peninsula. Antiquity, 91:1421–1434. Inglis, R. H., Fanning, P. C., Stone, A., Barford, D. N., Sinclair, A. G., Chang, H-C., Alsharekh, A. M., Bailey, G. N. (2019) Palaeolithic artefact deposits at Wadi Dabsa, Saudi Arabia: A multiscalar geoarchaeological approach to building an interpretive framework. Geoarchaeology DOI:10.1002/gea.21723<br/
'Making its own history': New Zealand historical fiction for children,1862-2008
No full textThis thesis considers historical fiction for children and young people dealing with New Zealand history from the arrival of the first Polynesian settlers to the end of the nineteenth century. It provides both a comprehensive survey of historical novels published between 1862 and the end of 2008, and an analysis of the way the same historical events and periods have been depicted in historical novels written at different times. Individual chapters discuss books set during specific historical periods or dealing with particular events - the pre-European period, early contact, nineteenth century immigration, the New Zealand Wars, the gold rushes, and the colonial period - in chronological order of publication. Since children's literature is particularly adept at reflecting and promoting the dominant ideas of the society in which it is produced, the chronological consideration of these texts reveals contemporary attitudes to such issues as race relations, gender roles, class, war and conflict, and concepts of national identity, as well as the way historical fiction has responded to societal changes since the 1860s.
The predominant themes of historical fiction set prior to 1900 are: the arrival of settlers in New Zealand; encounters with the country's indigenous inhabitants; the taming of the often hostile landscape; the assertion of the settlers' claims to 'belong' in their new land; and the establishment of New Zealand as a nation with distinctive characteristics. There are perceptible nuances and differences in the way these themes are discussed depending on the historical moment in which individual authors are writing. Novels of the Victorian period and early twentieth century reflect the imperialistic and evangelistic ethos of the time, and present the British settlers' right to colonize the land and the ensuing dispossession of Māori as largely unproblematic. Subsequent historical novels, particularly those written since the 1960s, offer a more inclusive version of New Zealand history, although the lack of historical fiction for children by Māori writers means that Eurocentric views of history continue to dominate, and that all representations of Māori and their history are mediated through Pakeha writers.
Shifts in social attitudes have resulted in changes in the treatment of Māori in historical novels for children, and similar changes have occurred in the portrayal of gender, class, and ethnicity. The passage of time has seen increased agency and a wider variety of roles allocated to Māori, female and working class characters, as well as greater ethnic diversity. Developments in New Zealand historiography are also reflected in fiction, although at times historical fiction prefigures written histories, or provides alternative views by depicting the experience of women, children and Māori, who often did not feature in conventional histories. While many historical novels for children, especially the earlier texts, are adventure stories set in the past and are not necessarily concerned with historical verisimilitude, an increasing number attempt to present authentic recreations of historical periods, including accounts of actual people and events, based on extensive research, and reinforced with peritextual material in the form of historical notes, bibliographies, maps and photographs.
The role of New Zealand historical fiction for children and young people has been not only to entertain young readers and inform them about their country's past, but to create and foster a sense of national identity
Contact time and its effect on cross-contamination of enterobacter aerogenes from surfaces to foods
No full textBacterial cross-contamination from surfaces to food can be a common factor contributing to foodborne disease outbreaks, while the popular culture notion of the "five second rule" states food dropped on the floor for less than five seconds is “safe”, because bacteria need time to transfer. The rule has been explored only to a limited degree in the published literature and popular culture. The cross-contamination rate of Enterobacter aerogenes was evaluated on common surfaces using scenarios that differ by surface type, food type, contact time (0, 5, 30 and 300 s), and inoculum matrix (TSB or peptone buffer). The surfaces used were stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood and carpet. The food types were watermelon, bread, bread with butter and gummy candy. Surfaces were spot inoculated with 1 ml of inoculum and allowed to dry for 5 h, yielding an approximate concentration of 107 CFU/surface. Foods were dropped on the respective surfaces from a height of 12.5 cm and left to rest for the appropriate time. Post transfer surfaces and food were placed in sterile filter bags and homogenized or massaged, diluted and plated on tryptic soy agar. The transfer rate was quantified by determining the log % transfer from the surface to the food. Contact time, food and surface type all had a highly significant effect (P < 0.000001) on log % transfer of Enterobacter aerogenes from surface to food. The inoculum matrix (TSB or peptone buffer) also had a significant effect on transfer (P = 0.012944), and most of the interaction terms had a significant effect on transfer. More bacteria transferred to watermelon (~ 0.2-97%) relative to other food types studied, while fewer bacteria transferred to gummy candy (~0.1-62%). Transfer of bacteria to bread (~0.02-94%) and bread with butter (~0.02-82%) were similar, and transfer rates under a given set of condition were more variable compared to watermelon and gummy candy.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Robyn C. Mirand
Realizing the right to health through the use of health print materials in the Western Cape, South Africa
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.This qualitative study was conducted in Cape Town, South Africa in 2010. It examines the effectiveness of promotional educational pamphlets on the awareness, understandings and practice of the right to health among eight civil society organizations and their constituents
An action research mixed method evaluation of the implementation of an anxiety intervention/prevention program for year 3 children at a language development centre preparing to enter into mainstream education
No full textThis study examines the effectiveness of implementing a modified cognitive behavioural (CBT) anxiety intervention/prevention program to meet the specific needs of speech and language impaired (SLI) children enrolled in a Language Development Centre (LDC), as they prepare to exit the LDC and enter into mainstream education. The study implemented the anxiety CBT program over two consecutive school years incorporating two different Year 3 cohorts (age range 7 to 9 years) and is reported in three stages.
The first study aimed to modify an anxiety CBT intervention/prevention program (namely the FRIENDS for Life program) for SLI children enrolled in Year 3 at a LDC as they prepared to exit the LDC and enter into mainstream education. All children offered the program participated in the study however, parent participation was low.
Previous research (Barrett et al, 1996, Barrett, 1999; Bett, 2002; Mendlowitz, 1996 & Rapee et al, 2005) found that in order for anxiety intervention/prevention programs to be efficacious for children, the program focus needed to include parents. The inclusion of parent participation for children with language impairment is considered essential, as the children are more likely to benefit from having the CBT strategies consolidated and supported at home (Bett, 2002).
Therefore, the second study involved a re-implementation of the modified FRIENDS for Life program to a second cohort of SLI children in Year 3 the following year. Due to low participation of parent involvement in the first study, this study aimed for improved parent involvement and participation of the parent FRIENDS for Life sessions.
Thirty-two children participated in study one and thirty-three children participated in study two. Both studies used an action research mixed method evaluation approach to gain a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the program. The outcomes, using standardised outcome measures showed no significant difference between the control group and the intervention group. However using program specific descriptive and nontraditional measures indicate that differential and positive changes were attained for the intervention group.
Investigation of a complex data set using a variety of methods during various points in the evaluation process provided complementary information, this formed the foundation for more comprehensively assessing children with speech/language impairment. The intervention groups developed an increased awareness of their own and other people’s emotions and most importantly they developed a wider array of ‘emotion language’ when compared to the control group at post intervention. In addition, the intervention group attained a sound understanding of the FRIENDS plan and skills at post intervention.
A one year follow-up, of the original study, to explore the long-term benefits of the FRIENDS program for SLI children was not completed following a poor response rate. This is discussed and explored as it may benefit the way future research is conducted for families of children with SLI.
The studies highlighted the benefits of the FRIENDS program for children with SLI and the need to explore more effective ways to increase parent participation at the FRIENDS for Life parent sessions. Implications of the findings are examined, alongside limitations and directions for future research
The urban environment : agendas and problems
No full textThe United Nations estimate that by 2025 there will be around 5 billion people living in urban areas, more than the total world population 20 years ago. Currently, the developed nations are the most urbanised with, on average around three-quarters of their population living in cities, but this is changing. Increased levels of economic growth, of migration, of population expansion and, in some cases, of unprecedented industrial growth, mean that Asia and Africa will be the regions most radically affected by urban development over the next twenty years. Increasing debate on issues of urban sustainability has led to the consolidation of environmental agendas and the definition of a specific body of problems and policy issues on two levels. The first involves green agenda problems occupying the concerns of many in the developed nations such as global warming, ozone-layer depletion, loss of bio-diversity, deforestation, and the exhaustion of non-renewable resources. For the developing world, however, these global environmental problems are less immediate than the need to resolve acute problems relating to poverty and the so-called brown agenda problems of air and water pollution, inadequate waste management, the lack of basic services and green areas, declining infrastructure, and poor housing conditions, as well as issues of health, crime, violence, and social exclusion. It is now a commonly held belief that the green agenda cannot be addressed until the urgent problems of urban social deprivation and inequalities are resolved. This paper reviews the scale and character of contemporary urbanisation and the rapid growth of cities, particularly within the developing nations, and examines associated implications with respect to the physical arrangement of cities, their resource consumption and their environmental impact
The effectiveness of afterschool programs in improving fifth grade academic performance: a case study of two select metro Atlanta afterschool programs, 2014
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative case study was to research strategies of successful afterschool programs and their effectiveness in promoting student achievement and closing achievement gaps. Many afterschool programs have boasted of their ability to improve student achievement. Some students who participated in afterschool programs have shown an increase of improved academic performance. However, studies have indicated that students are still performing below grade level on national and state curriculum standards. Data have shown that fifth graders across the state ofGeorgiaare struggling in math, social studies, and science. Effective academic afterschool programs may have assisted struggling students in raising their Criterion Reference Competency Tests (CRCT) scores. Afterschool programs have the ability to help students socially, emotionally, culturally, behaviorally and academically. The variables addressed in the study are (a) program effectiveness, (b) student motivation, (c) parental involvement, (d) successful program structure, (e) student attendance, (f) student involvement/ socialization, (g) climate of the program, and (h) student expectations. Data were gathered using observations, face-to-face teacher interviews, document analysis, teacher questionnaires, and student questionnaires. The sample was 24 (18 students from school A and 6 students from school B) fifth grade students in two select afterschool programs whose CRCT data were compared to students in the same school but do they did not attend the afterschool program. The comparison group was 18 fifth grade students from school A and 15 fifth grade students from school B. The CRCT test data revealed how well students may perform on standardized tests even if they do not attend the afterschool program. Although CRCT test data were used to help determine the effectiveness of the afterschool program in improving academic achievement in fifth grade students, there may be other factors that contributed to student success. The fifth grade students were selected because they are mandated to takeGeorgias standardized CRCT. In mostGeorgiacounties, if students do not pass all parts of the CRCT, they will not be able to move on to the next grade level. The results revealed that students in the study enjoyed attending the afterschool programs. After review of the CRCT data, it was determined that most of the study participants and the non-study participants mostly met or exceeded in reading and math. School A had an adequate study group of 15 students. School B only had four students CRCT test scores. Two students in school B scored below grade level in math. The study also revealed that there may be other factors as to why students perform well on the CRCT. KEY TERMS: afterschool, academic performance, Georgia, program effectiveness, afterschool programs, Educational Methods, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration, Elementary Education and Teaching, Other Education, Other Teacher Education and Professional Developmen
ELIA CARMONA\u27S AUTOBIOGRAPHY: JUDEO-SPANISH POPULAR PRESS AND NOVEL PUBLISHING MILIEU IN CONSTANTINOPLE, OTTOMAN EMPIRE, CIRCA 1860-1932. (VOLUMES I AND II) (LADINO, ROMANSO, PICARESQUE)
No full textElia R. Carmona, native of Constantinople, was the most prolific known author of original Judeo-Spanish novels (romansos). Carmona also founded and edited, El Gugeton, longest surviving of the satirical Judeo-Spanish newspapers inaugurated after the 1908 Young Turks revolution. My annotated, Latin-letter transliterated edition of Carmona\u27s autobiography, {Komo Nasio Elia R. Karmona, Komo Se Engrandesio, y Komo Se (H)izo Direktor del Gugeton }, makes accessible to an occidental audience Karmona\u27s pseudo-picaresque autobiography. The book is rich in factual information about Judeo-Spanish popular publishing, journalism, and the generational relationships of Carmona\u27s colleagues in Constantinople, Salonika, Smyrna, Alexandria, Cairo, and Jerusalem. Stylistically the self-conscious narrator juxtaposes precise structural, spatial, chronological, and factual details with chaotic or ambiguous elements; the resulting dichotomy contrasts the implied author\u27s declared intent with his real motive in writing the book, thus undermining the reader\u27s confidence in what initially seems to be a reliable narrator. This technique creates irony which Carmona employs to criticize certain people and topics in his story. The dissertation contains five major chapters: introductory background to Sephardic studies, genealogy of the Carmona family and biographical sketch of Carmona, prolegomena to the history of the Judeo-Spanish popular press in the Ottoman empire (censorship, education, the Levantine reading audience and development of journalism), a literary analysis of the autobiography, and an explanation of my method of transliteration from rasi characters with a chart of corresponding characters. Complementing the edited text are contemporary maps and photos, glossaries in both Latin-letter and rasi, and an annotated onomastic list in Latin-letter and rasi
- …
