Repping the streets, repping the hometown : a sociophonetic analysis of dialectal variation in the Moroccan hip hop community

The following study is a sociophonetic analysis of coronal stop affrication in the casual speech of four Moroccan rappers from two regions of the country: the cities of Salé and Casablanca, where the phoneme is /t/ is realized as the palato-alveolar affricate [tʃ], and the city of Meknès, where the phoneme /t/ is realized as the alveolar affricate [ts]. Casablanca and Salé host two of the most important rap scenes in the country, and Meknès hosts a significant, but less prominent, rap scene; this would suggest that the rappers from Meknès will attempt to access the Slaoui-Cassaoui variant [tʃ] in order to access the authenticity inherent in the more important rap scene’s street code. However, the varying attitudes between the two Meknassi rappers towards adopting the Slaoui-Cassaoui street code indicates a more complex construction of the notion of authenticity within the Moroccan Hip Hop community.Middle Eastern Studie

Does Facebook Influence Well-Being and Self-Esteem Among Early Adolescents?

In America today, adolescents are the most wired in group of individuals and the most well positioned to utilize new technologies. As technology expands and the use of the computer as a medium of communication increases, adolescents begin to use the internet to maintain more of their friendships through social media such as Facebook. The ability to stay socially connected is something that adolescents rely on and largely determines their self-esteem development as adolescents. This study examined how the use of Facebook plays a role in development of self-esteem and well-being in 13, 14, and 15 year old adolescents. Using a quantitative research design, participants of this study utilized skills of self-evaluation to answer an online survey comprised of 26 questions. Thirty (n=30) respondents were recruited through the use of an online bulletin article, Facebook event page and after school community youth program. Data was analyzed and descriptive and inferential statistics we used. Findings demonstrated that respondent groups value their ability to stay socially connected, and associate positive feelings with functions of Facebook such as photo tagging, friend requests, status updates and private messages. Respondents indicated that their Facebook friend networks were dominated by individuals they know in their life offline. They also indicated that they associate positive feelings with both their offline friend groups and Facebook friend networks. Implications for clinical social work practice and future research were discussed based on the findings of the study

An Analysis of Perception vs. Reality in Physical Fitness and the Effect of Fitness Testing on Physical Activity in College Students

Background. There is limited knowledge on whether college students are as fit as they believe themselves to be, or if discovering discrepancies in their understanding of their fitness will impact their behavior. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of fitness in college students and the effect fitness testing has on future behavior and intentions. Methodology. A sample of 28 undergraduates at the University of Arkansas, ages 18 to 25, were recruited to participate in an in-person fitness assessment during which, the five health-related components of fitness were measured. Prior to the assessment, participants were asked a series of questions regarding their expectations for performance and then their fitness test results were compared to their perceived fitness levels using weighted kappa. Participant’s intentions to make changes were measured using a short questionnaire administered before the assessment, after receiving results and 4 weeks following fitness assessment. Responses before and immediately after receiving results were compared and analyzed by a Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test. Responses from immediately after receiving results were also compared to the responses from one month later to see if intention changes were sustained. To measure changes in physical activity, participants wore an accelerometer for 7 days following the fitness test and then again for 7 days approximately four weeks later. Accelerometer data was analyzed by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank tests to identify differences between daily activity levels prior to and one month following the fitness test intervention and differences were used to determine behavior changes. Results. The study consisted of 14 males and 14 females with a median age of 21.75 and average percent body fat of 26.4%. Results indicated that initial perceptions and actual fitness levels had slight to fair agreement in each category (k = 0.19 – 0.39). Change in a person’s intentions were observed from time 1 to time 2 (p =Discussion. Results from the comparison of perceptions to actual fitness levels showed limited overlap, supporting the hypothesis that fitness testing is needed to educate a person on their physical fitness. Furthermore, a change in intentions following the fitness assessment indicates the effectiveness of fitness testing as a method of increasing intentions. A lack of change between time 2 and 3 suggests that these intentions are sustained over a period of about 4 weeks. However, the lack of change in physical activity levels demonstrates that increasing intentions does not necessarily lead to a change in behavior

Does Facebook Influence Well-Being and Self-Esteem Among Early Adolescents?

In America today, adolescents are the most wired in group of individuals and the most well positioned to utilize new technologies. As technology expands and the use of the computer as a medium of communication increases, adolescents begin to use the internet to maintain more of their friendships through social media such as Facebook. The ability to stay socially connected is something that adolescents rely on and largely determines their self-esteem development as adolescents. This study examined how the use of Facebook plays a role in development of self-esteem and well-being in 13, 14, and 15 year old adolescents. Using a quantitative research design, participants of this study utilized skills of self-evaluation to answer an online survey comprised of 26 questions. Thirty (n=30) respondents were recruited through the use of an online bulletin article, Facebook event page and after school community youth program. Data was analyzed and descriptive and inferential statistics we used. Findings demonstrated that respondent groups value their ability to stay socially connected, and associate positive feelings with functions of Facebook such as photo tagging, friend requests, status updates and private messages. Respondents indicated that their Facebook friend networks were dominated by individuals they know in their life offline. They also indicated that they associate positive feelings with both their offline friend groups and Facebook friend networks. Implications for clinical social work practice and future research were discussed based on the findings of the study

Alien Registration- Schwartz, Sarah (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/32189/thumbnail.jp

Toward a Systematic Evidence-Base for Science in Out-of-School Time: The Role of Assessment

Analyzes the tools used in assessments of afterschool and summer science programs, explores the need for comprehensive tools for comparisons across programs, and discusses the most effective structure and format for such a tool. Includes recommendations

Exact Approaches for Bias Detection and Avoidance with Small, Sparse, or Correlated Categorical Data

Every day, traditional statistical methodology are used world wide to study a variety of topics and provides insight regarding countless subjects. Each technique is based on a distinct set of assumptions to ensure valid results. Additionally, many statistical approaches rely on large sample behavior and may collapse or degenerate in the presence of small, spare, or correlated data. This dissertation details several advancements to detect these conditions, avoid their consequences, and analyze data in a different way to yield trustworthy results. One of the most commonly used modeling techniques for outcomes with only two possible categorical values (eg. live/die, pass/fail, better/worse, ect.) is logistic regression. While some potential complications with this approach are widely known, many investigators are unaware that their particular data does not meet the foundational assumptions, since they are not easy to verify. We have developed a routine for determining if a researcher should be concerned about potential bias in logistic regression results, so they can take steps to mitigate the bias or use a different procedure altogether to model the data. Correlated data may arise from common situations such as multi-site medical studies, research on family units, or investigations on student achievement within classrooms. In these circumstance the associations between cluster members must be included in any statistical analysis testing the hypothesis of a connection be-tween two variables in order for results to be valid. Previously investigators had to choose between using a method intended for small or sparse data while assuming independence between observations or a method that allowed for correlation between observations, while requiring large samples to be reliable. We present a new method that allows for small, clustered samples to be assessed for a relationship between a two-level predictor (eg. treatment/control) and a categorical outcome (eg. low/medium/high)

Engaging Caregivers in Family-Centered Pediatric Occupation Therapy

Purpose Family-centered care is considered the gold standard when working with children and their families (Darrah, Wiart, Magill-Evans, Ray, & Andersen, 2010). Despite there being a strong push toward family-centered care, there remains a disconnect in outpatient pediatric settings when working with children ages 3-18. The purpose of this scholarly project is to raise awareness of the need for caregiver engagement in pediatric, outpatient occupational therapy and identify best practice principles for caregiver engagement. Methods An extensive literature review was conducted in order to understand caregiver engagement in pediatric occupational therapy. The information obtained from the literature review was analyzed and placed into emerging themes: (a) background information, (b) caregiver/therapist barriers, (c) caregiver/therapist perspectives on engagement, (d) methods of engagement, and (e) models and theories for caregiver engagement. The Adult Learning Theory of Andragogy (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007) was used to organize the information and guide the creation of the product. Results The analysis of information indicated multiple best practice and evidence-based strategies to engage caregivers in their child’s occupational therapy services. Based on this conclusion, the researchers created an OT Practice article to inform occupational therapy practitioners of the current lack of engagement in occupational therapy, the barriers to engagement and best practice methods for engaging caregivers. Best practice strategies are presented throughout the therapeutic process. Additionally, a handout was created to inform occupational therapy practitioners and caregivers of their specific roles throughout the therapeutic process. Conclusion The purpose of this product is to raise awareness of the lack of caregiver engagement in practice and provide best-practice strategies to promote engagement, however it does not give specific steps for how to implement these strategies throughout the therapeutic process. Additionally, there was a lack of occupational therapy literature that contributed to our literature review. Overall, these products were designed to reach a wide variety of occupational therapy practitioners and are intended to promote collaboration between the therapist and caregiver, thus increasing the outcomes for the child

Engaging Caregivers in Family-Centered Pediatric Occupation Therapy

Purpose Family-centered care is considered the gold standard when working with children and their families (Darrah, Wiart, Magill-Evans, Ray, & Andersen, 2010). Despite there being a strong push toward family-centered care, there remains a disconnect in outpatient pediatric settings when working with children ages 3-18. The purpose of this scholarly project is to raise awareness of the need for caregiver engagement in pediatric, outpatient occupational therapy and identify best practice principles for caregiver engagement. Methods An extensive literature review was conducted in order to understand caregiver engagement in pediatric occupational therapy. The information obtained from the literature review was analyzed and placed into emerging themes: (a) background information, (b) caregiver/therapist barriers, (c) caregiver/therapist perspectives on engagement, (d) methods of engagement, and (e) models and theories for caregiver engagement. The Adult Learning Theory of Andragogy (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007) was used to organize the information and guide the creation of the product. Results The analysis of information indicated multiple best practice and evidence-based strategies to engage caregivers in their child’s occupational therapy services. Based on this conclusion, the researchers created an OT Practice article to inform occupational therapy practitioners of the current lack of engagement in occupational therapy, the barriers to engagement and best practice methods for engaging caregivers. Best practice strategies are presented throughout the therapeutic process. Additionally, a handout was created to inform occupational therapy practitioners and caregivers of their specific roles throughout the therapeutic process. Conclusion The purpose of this product is to raise awareness of the lack of caregiver engagement in practice and provide best-practice strategies to promote engagement, however it does not give specific steps for how to implement these strategies throughout the therapeutic process. Additionally, there was a lack of occupational therapy literature that contributed to our literature review. Overall, these products were designed to reach a wide variety of occupational therapy practitioners and are intended to promote collaboration between the therapist and caregiver, thus increasing the outcomes for the child

Neuropsychological and Neuroimaging Outcomes Following Moderate to Severe Paediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in South Africa

Paediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) is a leading cause of mortality and disability. South Africa is predicted to have a high pTBI rate and an adverse socioeconomic environment for recovery. Despite this, few studies have investigated the neuropsychological and/or neuroimaging outcomes of pTBI in South Africa. The study was designed as a capacity-building exercise to demonstrate the successful collection of data from different sites involved in a developing international collaboration. The aims were therefore to 1) provide a detailed description of the premorbid factors and neuropsychological and neuroimaging outcomes of a sample of South African children with moderate to severe pTBI, and 2) investigate the barriers to the successful implementation of neuropsychological and neuroimaging research in this population. Five patients with severe pTBI were enrolled during the 6-month recruitment window. These participants presented with 6-month post-TBI outcomes that ranged from mild neuropsychological deficits and no visible abnormalities on neuroimaging to severe neuropsychological deficits and evidence of multifocal pathology on imaging. There was a relatively high occurrence of adverse developmental, socioeconomic, and neuropsychological histories, which will need to be considered when selecting an appropriate control group or combining with other populations in a potential future multicentre study. Additional strategies will also be required to improve recruitment and increase the rate of successful imaging. Changes may need to be made to the neuropsychology assessment so as not to disadvantage this population, for example avoiding tests that are reliant on sequencing the alphabet. In conclusion, the study's findings will help to improve the likelihood of the much-needed large-scale research in this at-risk and understudied South African population