Centennial-scale vegetation and North Atlantic Oscillation changes during the Late Holocene in the southern Iberia

High-reso CE to lution pollen analysis, charcoal, non-pollen palynomorphs and magnetic susceptibility have been analyzed in the sediment record of a peat bog in Sierra Nevada in southern Iberia. The study of these proxies provided the reconstruction of vegetation, climate, fire and human activity of the last ∼4500 cal yr BP. A progressive trend towards aridification during the late Holocene is observed in this record. This trend is interrupted by millennial- and centennial-scale variability of relatively more humid and arid periods. Arid conditions are recorded between ∼4000 and 3100 cal yr BP, being characterized by a decline in arboreal pollen and with a spike in magnetic susceptibility. This is followed by a relatively humid period from ∼3100 to 1600 cal yr BP, coinciding partially with the Iberian-Roman Humid Period, and is indicated by the increase of Pinus and the decrease in xerophytic taxa. The last 1500 cal yr BP are characterized by several centennial-scale climatic oscillations. Generally arid conditions from ∼450 to 1300 CE, depicted by a decrease in Pinus and an increase in Artemisia, comprise the Dark Ages and the Medieval Climate Anomaly. Since ∼ 1300 to 1850 CE pronounced oscillations occur between relatively humid and arid conditions. Four periods depicted by relatively higher Pinus coinciding with the beginning and end of the Little Ice Age are interrupted by three arid events characterized by an increase in Artemisia. These alternating arid and humid shifts could be explained by centennial-scale changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation and solar activity

Line, Pattern, and Theme: Drawing as Exploration

An artist talks about his work and his personal approach to drawing. A selection of sketches accompanies the article

The Curation of Worldviews

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Statement by Toney Anaya on Capital Punishment

I oppose capital punishment and was thrust into a position of having to put that opposition to the ultimate test - in 1986 commuted the death sentences of all those on death row in the New Mexico State Penitentiary

The Music of Japanese Animation

Danielle Toney Graduating in May, Danielle is a Japanese major with a minor in Music. Danielle has been studying Japanese for 6 years, and went to Doshisha University in Kyoto for two semesters in 2019 for an intensive study abroad program. Danielle has been active in Murray State’s Japanese Club for 4 years, which includes being Vice President in Fall of 2020. Danielle is also active in Murray State’s Japanese Language Table and practices speaking Japanese weekly with colleagues and friends. After graduation, Danielle will return to Kyoto to study Music Composition at Kyoto City University of Arts. The Music of Japanese Animation The developmental procedures of composing music for Japanese animation are widely unknown by American and Japanese audiences. Due to the limited awareness of this process, my project seeks to expose audiences to be more aware of the intricate methods of music writing for Japanese animation in. My thesis will allow people to be receptive of the process for composing music for animated media, examples of a well-known Japanese composer is analyzed, and solutions regarding the issue of awareness are addressed. Music excerpts from animated films such as Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) and Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (崖の上のポニョ) which were composed by Joe Hisaishi, known for writing music for Studio Ghibli films in Japan, are analyzed and examined. The process of composing music for Japanese animation, and the result of the final score is just as important as the visual process for producing Japanese animated media. If people forget about what goes into the process of writing music for animated media, then the entire production loses its value. It is imperative that we continue to be mindful of what happens behind the scenes in regard to the aural methods taken to produce Japanese animation. Advisor Professor Harriso

Government and Private Primary Schooling in Rural Sikkim: Understanding Perceptions and Problems

Private school enrollment has been increasing across India, and there is evidence that poor government school quality is the impetus for this trend. Generally, wealthier states have lower levels of private school enrollment due to higher quality government schools. However, in the small, relatively higher-income Himalayan state of Sikkim, almost one third of primary level children from rural areas are enrolled in private schools, and government school enrollment at the primary level is falling year by year. This study explores community perceptions surrounding the relative quality of one government and one private school located in Lingmoo, a rural village in Sikkim’s South district. Qualitative data on school atmosphere was derived from multiple classroom observations at each school, and structured guardian and teacher interviews. Overall quality of classroom instruction was found to be similar for both schools, but integration of English was much higher at the private school. Guardians universally favored the private school, citing beliefs that private school teachers work harder. There appears to be no association between level of guardian schooling and value placed on education. Greater communication and cooperation between the schools and the community is recommended. It is hoped that the information presented here will be put to good use by both private and government educational institutions

Factors Influencing Surrogate End-of-Life Healthcare Decision-Making for a Family Member with Alzheimer\u27s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a chronic terminal disease, progressively impairs cognitive function resulting in deterioration of intellect, memory, and personality. With disease progression, the surrogate decision-maker becomes more involved in intervention choices and end-of-life (EOL) care, which may or may not be based on patients’ wishes or best practice guidelines. Yet surrogate decision outcomes involve important issues of medical futility, quality of life and death. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence surrogate health care decision-making for a family member during the terminal stage of AD. A descriptive, predictive design was used to address the research questions: 1.What is the relationship between surrogate gender and decision motives?; 2. Do structure (surrogate age and gender, attachment, interpersonal conflict), interactional context (elder image, caregiving beliefs), situational context (dementia level), and perception (burden) variables predict the type of decision motive (reward seeking, altruistic, distress reduction, punishment avoidance) used by surrogates’ when making healthcare decisions for their family member with AD?; 3. What healthcare decision choices do surrogate decision-makers make for a family member with AD? A convenience sample of 58 women (67.2%) and men surrogates between the ages of 43 to 84 years of age (M = 62.22, SD = 9.67) living in one urban and several rural cities in a southeastern state were recruited. Participants were recruited during facility meetings for families at 15 long-term care facilities and 1 dementia care assisted living facility. The majority of participants were Caucasian (84.5%). Questionnaires were distributed to participants at a facility meeting. After the study was explained, written informed consent was obtained. Each participant was asked to complete the questionnaire booklet and return via mail in a stamped self-addressed envelope to the researcher. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics including frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, t-tests, and multiple linear regressions. Types of decision motives did not differ by gender. For the regression models, the independent variables included gender, feelings of attachment, interpersonal conflict with the elder, beliefs about caregiving, dementia level and caregiver burden. For the model predicting punishment avoidance decision motive, simultaneous multiple linear regression results indicated that the overall model significantly predicted the dependent variable. The regression model predicting reward seeking decision motive results indicated that the overall model significantly predicted the dependent variable. Two of the variables, dementia level and surrogate burden, significantly contributed to the variance in the reward seeking decision motive. When asked about the decisions they have been asked to make in the past 12 months, surrogates were asked to make life supportive interventions (pain management and nutritional supplements) more frequently than life extending interventions. The most frequent life extending interventions chosen in descending order of frequency include surgery, central line placement, and feeding tube placement. This study supports the importance of providing surrogate and family information on AD and end-of-life healthcare interventions in a therapeutic and supportive environment. Nursing implications address pain management of the cognitively impaired patient, advocacy for advance directive completion and non-futile care, and patient and family AD education. Health care implications include process for completion of an advance directive and the burden of medical futility

A Lifelong Network: Perceptions and Experiences of First-Generation Alums After Graduation

As first-generation students transition to college graduates, the question lies in whether institutions of higher education are continuing to provide opportunities for them as alums. As a result of first-generation college students being the first in their family to attend college, students may enter college not knowing what to expect. But institutions have evolved to provide services, resources and opportunities that support their success while enrolled. Upon graduation, the process of transitioning out of college can be a challenging time for students as they seek post-graduation success. Some institutions offer support and resources tailored specifically to first-generation graduates or graduates based on their identity, shared interests, or affinities. However, first-generation students may face the unknown or a loss of resources as they transition into life as a graduate. First-generation graduates may feel relatively alone in navigating life after college simply by virtue of being “first in their family” (Olson, 2015), however, students-turned-alums do not have to feel alone as they navigate post-graduation life. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to better understand the unique, lived experiences of first-generation alums, how they describe their alum network, and the relationship and experiences with their degree granting institution post-graduation