Peer Relations and Masculinities in a Boys' Middle School: A Case Study

This portfolio contains a multi-method case study presenting the outcomes of two research projects in an Australian, urban, Anglican, independent boys' Middle School. Ecological theory informed the study, explaining how the experiences of the boys and their development are shaped by the interacting environments of school, family, peers and the wider society. The central theme of this portfolio is that the nature of experiences encountered in the social and learning environment at school shape the social development of students. The projects illuminate this theme in some detail. The first project was an action research project concerning peer relations (including bullying). It used a range of questionnaires, student focus groups, staff interviews, ongoing incident data and a reflective journal to research the school's environment. An 'in situ' approach to intervening in and investigating reported incidents was developed in this action research project. This approach has the acronym of CEEVEC and it proved to be effective in many cases. The second project researched Year 9 boys' views of masculinity, factors influencing their views of masculinity and the school's role in the construction of their views of masculinity. This project incorporated student focus groups and a student questionnaire, analysed using both Exploratory Factor Analysis and Rasch analysis. A predominant plural view of masculinity was found consistent with Swain's 'personalised view' where social context is important. Older male role models from the boys' families emerged as the most important influences of their views of masculinity. The two research projects are linked by an overarching paper. The findings of the two projects and the linked conclusions have wider implications for practice in the case's Middle School and the quality of the learning environment created at school in general

The Grizzly, March 5, 2015

Student Senate Discusses Diversity on Campus • Sprinklers in Lower Cause Damage • Ursinus Continues to Globalize in Hong Kong • UC Relay for Life Makes Strides • Dawleys Follow Darwin • Poet Reads Her Work on Campus • Goldsmith Wins Fellowship • Opinion: Take Revenge Porn More Seriously; Marijuana Laws Should be Changed Nationwide • Rugby Teams Set to Tackle Spring • Leading Offhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1926/thumbnail.jp

First Light and Reionisation Epoch Simulations (FLARES) X: Environmental Galaxy Bias and Survey Variance at High Redshift

Upcoming deep galaxy surveys with JWST will probe galaxy evolution during the epoch of reionisation (EoR, $5\leq z\leq10$) over relatively compact areas (e.g. $\sim$ 300\,arcmin$^2$ for the JADES GTO survey). It is therefore imperative that we understand the degree of survey variance, to evaluate how representative the galaxy populations in these studies will be. We use the First Light And Reionisation Epoch Simulations (FLARES) to measure the galaxy bias of various tracers over an unprecedentedly large range in overdensity for a hydrodynamic simulation, and use these relations to assess the impact of bias and clustering on survey variance in the EoR. Star formation is highly biased relative to the underlying dark matter distribution, with the mean ratio of the stellar to dark matter density varying by a factor of 100 between regions of low and high matter overdensity (smoothed on a scale of 14\,$h^{-1}$cMpc). This is reflected in the galaxy distribution -- the most massive galaxies are found solely in regions of high overdensity. As a consequence of the above, galaxies in the EoR are highly clustered, which can lead to large variance in survey number counts. For mean number counts $N\lesssim 100$ (1000), in a unit redshift slice of angular area 300\,arcmin$^2$ (1.4\,deg$^2$), the 2-sigma range in $N$ is roughly a factor of four (two). We present relations between the expected variance and survey area for different survey geometries; these relations will be of use to observers wishing to understand the impact of survey variance on their results.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figures. Paper 10 in the First Light and Reionisation Epoch Simulations (FLARES) serie

The Grizzly, February 26, 2015

We\u27re Just Saying Ursinus Discusses Diversity on Campus • Alumni Invited to Classes • Composting Initiative in Lower Fails to Take Hold • Stereotypes in U.S. Colleges • Math Department Struggles • Satirical Blog Gains Campus Popularity • Professor Releases Poetry Book • New Officer Joins Safety • Opinion: The Gray Area in Fifty Shades; Ursinus Has a Responsibility to Ban Yik Yak • Wrestling Prepares for Regional Meet • Bears Two Much to Handlehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1925/thumbnail.jp

Ontology-Based Interactive Information Extraction From Scientific Abstracts

Over recent years, there has been a growing interest in extracting information automatically or semi-automatically from the scientific literature. This paper describes a novel ontology-based interactive information extraction (OBIIE) framework and a specific OBIIE system. We describe how this system enables life scientists to make ad hoc queries similar to using a standard search engine, but where the results are obtained in a database format similar to a pre-programmed information extraction engine. We present a case study in which the system was evaluated for extracting co-factors from EMBASE and MEDLINE

Getting shot of elves: healing, witchcraft and fairies in the Scottish witchcraft trials

This paper re-examines the evidence of the Scottish witchcraft trials for beliefs associated by scholars with "elf-shot." Some supposed evidence for elf-shot is dismissed, but other material illuminates the interplay between illness, healing and fairy-lore in early modern Scotland, and the relationship of these beliefs to witchcraft itself

Advancing dendrochronological studies of fire in the United States

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Dendroecology is the science that dates tree rings to their exact calendar year of formation to study processes that influence forest ecology (e.g., Speer 2010 [1], Amoroso et al., 2017 [2]). Reconstruction of past fire regimes is a core application of dendroecology, linking fire history to population dynamics and climate effects on tree growth and survivorship. Since the early 20th century when dendrochronologists recognized that tree rings retained fire scars (e.g., Figure 1), and hence a record of past fires, they have conducted studies worldwide to reconstruct [2] the historical range and variability of fire regimes (e.g., frequency, severity, seasonality, spatial extent), [3] the influence of fire regimes on forest structure and ecosystem dynamics, and [4] the top-down (e.g., climate) and bottom-up (e.g., fuels, topography) drivers of fire that operate at a range of temporal and spatial scales. As in other scientific fields, continued application of dendrochronological techniques to study fires has shaped new trajectories for the science. Here we highlight some important current directions in the United States (US) and call on our international colleagues to continue the conversation with perspectives from other countries

Campaign Finance Reform: The Unfinished Agenda

In 1974, following the Watergate scandal, Congress enacted major campaign finance reform legislation. The legislation created a revolutionary new public financing system for our presidential campaigns, but it left congressional campaigns to be financed totally by private money. The presidential public financing system has worked well. Despite some incremental problems, the system has accomplished its basic goal of allowing individuals to run for the presidency without becoming dependent on their financial backers. The system for financing congressional cam paigns, on the other hand, is out of control and in need of fundamental reform. The inappropriate role of special interest political action commit tees (PACs) in influencing congressional elections and congressional decisions is the single biggest problem facing the political process. Congress needs to complete the unfinished campaign finance reform agenda of the 1970s by enacting public financing for congressional campaigns and establishing new restrictions on the total amount that PACs may give to a congressional candidate.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67356/2/10.1177_000271628648600107.pd