The How of the Three Sisters: The Origins of Agriculture in Mesoamerica and the Human Niche

The origins of agriculture· in Mesoamerica have long interested archaeologists and antiquarians alike. The approaches used to understand the origins of the three sisters, maize, beans and squash, have changed over time as our understanding of the ecological context and ethnographic influences have changed. In this paper, I examine the history of the study of the origins of agriculture and assess the current evolutionary and ecological approaches to the topic. In Mesoamerica, the three sisters and humans shared a co evolutionary relationship in which humans invited the plants into the human niche and the plants thrived. Over time, the plants changed both genetically and morphologically, providing more of what humans selected for, while humans changed their behavior in order to care for the plants. Both humans and the three sisters now share a symbiotic relationship, where both the plants and the humans depend on one another

Domestication and Significance of \u3ci\u3ePersea americana\u3c/i\u3e, the Avocado, in Mesoamerica

The avocado (persea americana) is grown all over the modern world in tropical and subtropical climates for food and cosmetics (Humani 1987). In antiquity, the avocado was important to the Ancient Maya not only for food but also as a part of their mythology. Avocados were grown in sacred gardens, and important ancestors were thought to become reborn through fruit trees, including the avocado. Here, I examine the cultural context of the avocado and the issues related to understanding the domestication of the avocado and other tropical fruit trees. I discuss archaeological and molecular evidence, and offer direction for future research

Analyzing Interactions among Migratory Elk and Semi-permeable Fences amongst a Highly Fragmented Landscape on the Blackfeet Reservation

Large scale fences pose a threat to ungulate movement on the Blackfeet Reservation. Since the beginning of the last decade, the Blackfeet Reservation has experienced intense habitat fragmentation in the northern regions of the reservation, particularly in prime elk habitat that is believed to be along a migration corridor. One source of fragmentation has been the erection of a semi-permeable fence associated with a large bison ranch. The purpose of this study was to preliminarily assess potential interactions of elk (Cervus canadensis) and the semi-permeable bison fence as a precursor for further study. I worked in collaboration with the Blackfeet Fish and Game Department and the University of Montana, who will be initiating a larger elk migration study in the coming year. A small network of six trail cameras was deployed along the bison fence on an adjacent landowner’s property at the eastern most edge of the bison ranch for a total of two months (January to March). Using information from the landowner, four locations were identified that were believed to be crossing points or pinch points for camera placement. Based on an initial analysis of trail camera images, there were no recorded interactions between elk and the fence: however, there was an observed interaction between the fence, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and many coyotes (Canis latrans). Elk frequently move in large groups and are not evenly distributed across a landscape. My findings suggest a larger camera array than initially anticipated will be needed to adequately assess elk-fence interactions. I also recommend that camera settings be adjusted strategically to allow for the best possible documentation of behavior

Low Earth Orbiting Photographer (LEOP) Cube Satellite

The exploration and study of space is critical for the future of our society, but the opportunities for educational institutions to get involved in space research have faded dramatically in the last decade with the retirement of the space shuttle program. The USU Get Away Special (GAS) team is designing a new, low cost solution to space research, CubeSat (Cube Satellite). This small satellite, with a volume of approximately one liter, will have a high resolution camera directed at earth, and students will be able to request a picture of their area when the satellite flies overhead. In this way, students will have an eye-in-the-sky to help them be a part of space research. The GAS team expects this project to increase interest in space research and provide an affordable solution for future projects

Impact of teacher concerns on response to intervention implementation

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on August 20, 2010).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Craig Frisby & Dr. Erica Lembke.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri--Columbia 2010.The purpose of the current research study is to describe the relationships between teacher concerns and level of "Response to Intervention" (RtI) use. Additionally, the study examined the influence demographic variables (gender, age, years of service, and level of degree) have on teacher concerns related to adopting RtI. The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM, Hall & Hord, 1987; 2001) was used as a theoretical framework to conduct the study. The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ),developed out of the CBAM, and Level of RtI Use Questionnaire (LRIUQ), developed by the researcher for this study, were used in the non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design to address the research questions. The SoCQ was used to evaluate concerns about innovation adoption by evaluating participant responses on each of seven scales, and the LRIUQ was used to evaluate teacher use of RtI based on a total scale score. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate relationships between concerns, RtI use, and teacher demographic characteristics. Overall, the study found that teachers who scored the highest on early stages of concern (0 and 1) scored low on RtI use, which supports Hall and Hord's (1987) concerns theory. In addition, gender status was found to potentially be predictive of teacher concerns. Males in this study were more likely to have Stage 1 and Stage 2 concerns, indicating that they are in early stages of RtI use. The findings from this study may have implications for how teachers are trained, which teachers are hired, how RtI is introduced to teachers and how they can be included in the process to facilitate greater buy-in, and how teachers are coached through professional developmentIncludes bibliographical reference

Practical learning method for multi-scale entangled states

We describe a method for reconstructing multi-scale entangled states from a small number of efficiently-implementable measurements and fast post-processing. The method only requires single particle measurements and the total number of measurements is polynomial in the number of particles. Data post-processing for state reconstruction uses standard tools, namely matrix diagonalisation and conjugate gradient method, and scales polynomially with the number of particles. Our method prevents the build-up of errors from both numerical and experimental imperfections

Preventing human immunodeficiency virus infection among sexual assault survivors in Cape Town, South Africa: an observational study.

We describe 131 South African sexual assault survivors offered HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). While the median days completed was 27 (IQR 27, 28), 34% stopped PEP or missed doses. Controlling for baseline symptoms, PEP was not associated with symptoms (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 0.66, 2.64). Factors associated with unprotected sex included prior unprotected sex (OR = 6.46, 95% CI = 3.04, 13.74), time since the assault (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.12, 1.57) and age (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.57). Trauma counseling was protective (OR = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.58). Four instances of seroconversion were observed by 6 months (risk = 3.7%, 95% CI = 1.0, 9.1). Proactive follow-up is necessary to increase the likelihood of PEP completion and address the mental health and HIV risk needs of survivors. Adherence interventions and targeted risk reduction counseling should be provided to minimize HIV acquisition