Building healthy communities through equitable food access

Community development

Sibling relationships: Perceptions of four- and five-year-old children and their mothers

Children\u27s perceptions of their sibling relationship with older siblings were explored in a sample of 106 4- and 5-year-old children using the interview method. Four groupings of siblings were targeted for this study: younger males with older brothers, younger males with older sisters, younger females with older brothers, and younger females with older sisters. A sibling interview and maternal rating scale were developed by the researcher to investigate sibling perceptions. Interview responses were divided into thought units and subsequently judged according to the following categories: intimacy/affection, prosocial, companionship, aggression, antagonism, dominance, irrelevant, general positive and general negative. Mothers rated the sibling relationship on similar categories. Differences among the four groups were examined as a function of the age and sex groupings. In addition, maternal perceptions of the sibling relationship as well as the relationship among maternal and child perceptions were explored. Results of MANOVA analysis indicated that younger children were more likely to attribute intimacy/affection to their older siblings. Two trends emerged from the data regarding children\u27s responses. Children with older sisters were more likely to describe their siblings in a general positive manner than children with older brothers. Younger 4- and 5-year-old children with male siblings and older 4- and 5-year-old children with female siblings tended to view their siblings as companions more than other children. MANOVA results on the maternal data revealed that older 4- and 5-year-old children with female siblings were reported by mothers as receiving higher levels of companionship from their older siblings than other groups. Maternal and child perceptions were not significantly correlated. A factor analysis revealed the emergence of a good and a bad factor; the two factors were not significantly correlated. Even though the amount of good things and bad things a child says about his/her sibling are reliably measured, these two traits were independent. From the results of this study, it appears that the interview method may be limited in its effectiveness as a tool in assessing young children\u27s perceptions regarding their siblings

A model for the simulation of sidescan sonar

This thesis presents the development of a computer model for the simulation of the sidescan sonar process. The motivation for the development of this model is the creation of a unique and powerful visualisation tool to improve understanding and interpretation of the sidescan sonar process and the images created by it. Existing models tend to generate graphical or numerical results, but this model produces synthetic sidescan sonar images as the output. This permits the direct visualisation of the influence of individual parameters and features of the sonar process on the sidescan images. The model considers the main deterministic aspects of the underlying physical processes which result in the generation of sidescan sonar images. These include the propagation of the transmitted pulse of acoustic energy through the water column to its subsequent interaction and scattering from the rough seafloor. The directivity and motion characteristics of the sonar transducer are also incorporated. The thesis documents the development of the model to include each of these phenomena and their subsequent effect on the sidescan sonar images. Finally, techniques are presented for the investigation and verification of the synthetic sidescan images produced by the model.Defence Research Agenc

A Study of School Library Service to the Disadvantaged

This thesis was written to provide an annotated bibliography of recent periodical material concerning the school librarian\u27s role in serving both teacher and student in a school containing disadvantaged pupils. The newly trained school librarian or one already established needs a compilation of materials suited to his specific needs

The Boys and Men of Color Framework: A Model for Community and Systems Change

For too long, many African American, Latino, Native, and Asian boys and young men have been shunted into failing schools and pushed out of them for minor infractions, incarcerated in massive numbers, suffered from unaddressed health needs, died young, or entered adulthood without prospects to earn a livelihood. In response to this crisis, an evolving body of work rooted in place has emerged to reverse persistent patterns of racial discrimination, build strong communities, and create pathways to opportunity by catalyzing changes in local and state systems that have the greatest impact on young males of color. The experiences of PolicyLink and other organizations provide important lessons about the elements of successful efforts on behalf of boys and men of color. This article describes four key elements, shares how they are driving transformative efforts on the ground, and includes reflections on the complexities and challenges involved in building these practices. It also examines the role of the philanthropic community in providing strategic support to advance promising approaches. Within the dynamic context of a growing movement, the local efforts and philanthropic contributions highlighted in this article illustrate that meaningful change is possible when critical ingredients come together

Calibration of the CH and CN Variations Among Main Sequence Stars in M71 and in M13

An analysis of the CN and CH band strengths measured in a large sample of M71 and M13 main sequence stars by Cohen (1999a,b) is undertaken using synthetic spectra to quantify the underlying C and N abundances. In the case of M71 it is found that the observed CN and CH band strengths are best matched by the {\it{identical}} C/N/O abundances which fit the bright giants, implying: 1) little if any mixing is taking place during red giant branch ascent in M71, and 2) a substantial component of the C and N abundance inhomogeneities is in place before the main sequence turn-off. The unlikelihood of mixing while on the main sequence requires an explanation for the abundance variations which lies outside the present stars (primordial inhomogeneities or intra-cluster self enrichment). For M13 it is shown that the 3883\AA CN bands are too weak to be measured in the spectra for any reasonable set of expected compositions. A similar situation exists for CH as well. However, two of the more luminous program stars do appear to have C abundances considerably greater than those found among the bright giants thereby suggesting deep mixing has taken place on the M13 red giant branch.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication by A

Feeling remote: factors influencing isolation in remote workers

This study contributes to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the benefits and drawbacks of remote work programs. The purpose of this research is to understand how communication and interdependence of work tasks influence the level of isolation perceived by remote workers. Remote workers are especially vulnerable to feelings of isolation in the workplace (Cooper & Kurkland, 2002; Elst et al., 2017; Dekker & Rutte, 2007; Golden, Viega & Dino, 2008), which can lead to decreased job performance (Golden et al., 2008), impede professional development (Cooper & Kirkland, 2002), and lead to negative work-related well-being (Elst et al., 2017). The results of this work will provide valuable insight when considering, designing, or implementing a remote work program