Student Number : 0006815V - MA research report - School of Human and Community Development - Faculty of Humanities / In South Africa, the majority of children are bilingual and little research exists on the cognitive processes bilingual children use to spell. This has far-reaching and challenging implications for cognitive models of spelling. Specifically, bilingualism exhibits a pervasive influence on children’s literacy development (Bialystok, 2002). The majority of research on children’s spelling has been conducted internationally with monolingual English children. From international literature, cognitive processing (simultaneous processing and sequential processing) has been identified as an important area for consideration in the spelling acquisition process of English children (Kaufman & Kaufman, 1983b). Simultaneous processing is important for whole word spelling, whilst sequential processing is important for decoding letter sound correspondences. Cross-linguistic research demonstrates a bias towards one or the other spelling strategy may be tied to the depth of a language’s orthography, possibly due to the different demands the language orthography places on how children learn to spell (Frost et al., 1987; Wimmer & Hummer, 1990, 1994; Goswami et al., 1998). The present study examined the relationship between simultaneous and sequential processing and spelling in Grade 3 monolingual English-speaking children and bilingual Afrikaans-English speaking children at one point in time. Thirty bilingual Afrikaans-English children (Afrikaans first language, English second language) and were learning to spell in Afrikaans and in English simultaneously, and thirty monolingual (English first language) learning to spell in English. Simultaneous and sequential processing subtests of the Kaufman Assessment Battery (K-ABC) were administered to the monolingual and to the bilingual children. Monolingual Englishspeaking children received the English word and non-word spelling tests, while the bilingual Afrikaans-English children were asked to spell English and Afrikaans words and non-words (Klein, 1993). The results suggest that lexical (logographic or simultaneous) and non-lexical (alphabetic or sequential) routes are available in English and Afrikaans, but orthography did exert an influence on cognitive processing strategies. Sequential processing demonstrates a higher relationship than simultaneous processing with spelling in English and Afrikaans, although sequential processing contributes more to spelling in a shallow orthography, because the reliable relationship between spelling supports easier and faster computation than in an opaque orthography. Additionally, the results demonstrate that in the bilingual Afrikaans-English children spelling in a second language (L2) rely on spelling skills in a first language (L1), even when the same teaching strategies are used for spelling instruction. Orthography as a tool of academic literacy instruction, influences whether the transfer of spelling skills has a positive or negative influence on spelling in English as a second language in bilingual Afrikaans-English children with a transparent L1. A dual-route model that incorporates the influence of orthographic depth is supported (Seymour, Bunce & Evans, 1992). The present research study concludes that (1) simultaneous processing and sequential processing influence and predict the production of spelling in L1 and L2 in both English and Afrikaans alphabetic orthographies that differ in orthographic transparency, (2) orthographic demands of learning to spell in different orthographies varies and influences cognitive processing resources and decoding skills, which may provide an indication of a cumulative or challenging development of L2 spelling skills particularly when the L1 is transparent. The present research has implications for assessment, traditional spelling models and teaching bilingual children learning to spell in a second language, which is orthographically opaque relative to their transparent mother tongue.

Most critics of The Lord of the Rings correlate Tolkien's work to ancient texts, like Beowulf, the Elder Edda, and medieval romances. While the connection between these traditional materials and Tolkien is valid, it neglects a key feature of Tolkien's work and one of the author's desires, which was to fashion a sort of history that felt as real as any other old story. Moreover, it glosses over the rather obvious point that Tolkien is writing a novel, or at any rate a long work of prose fiction that owes a good deal to the novel tradition. Therefore, through careful attention to the formal textures of Tolkien's work, melding together both genre criticism and formal analysis (and with a sound understanding of literary history), I argue that Tolkien's work follows a more modern vein and aligns with the nineteenth-century historical novel, the genre pioneered by Sir Walter Scott. The projects of Tolkien and Scott parallel one another in many respects that deserve critical attention. This essay begins the discussion by addressing just one, somewhat surprising, point of comparison: the writers' use of poetry. I observe that Tolkien and Scott utilized poetry in similar ways, and I parse the poems into three distinct categories: low culture poems, high culture poems, and poems which straddle the divide between the two. All of this demonstrates how each piece of poetry, written in an antique style, saturates the texts with historic atmosphere and depth. This lends a sense of authenticity and realism to Scott's works, and later it buttresses Tolkien's attempts to foster "the dust of history" and create an illusion of authenticity and realism for Middle Earth's (imaginary) past.

Spatial distribution of diurnal variations of aerosol properties in South Korea, both long term and short term, is studied by using 9 AERONET sites from 1999 to 2017 for long-term averages and from an additional 10 sites during the KORUS-AQ field campaign. The extent to which WRF-Chem model and the GOCI satellite retrieval can describe these variations is also analyzed. In daily average, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 550 nm is 0.386 and shows a diurnal variation of +20 to -30% in inland sites, respectively larger than the counterparts of 0.308 and ± 20% in coastal sites. Both the inland and coastal sites have their diurnal variation peaks in the early morning and in the evening with noontime and early afternoon valleys. In contrast, Angstrom exponent values in all sites are between 1.2 and 1.4 with the exception of the inland rural sites having smaller values near 1.0 during the early morning hours. All inland sites experience a pronounced increase of Angström Exponent from morning to evening, reflecting overall decrease of particle size in daytime. To statistically obtain the climatology of diurnal variation of AOD, a minimum of requirement of ~2 years of observation is needed in coastal rural sites, twice more than the urban sites, which suggests that diurnal variation of AOD in urban setting is distinct and persistent. AERONET, GOCI, WRF-Chem, and observed PM2.5 data consistently show dual peaks for both AOD and PM2.5, one at ~ 10 KST and another ~14 KST. While Korean GOCI satellite is able to consistently capture the diurnal variation of AOD, WRF-Chem clearly has the deficiency to describe the relatively change of peaks and variations between the morning and afternoon, suggesting further studies for the diurnal profile of emissions. Overall, the relative small diurnal variation of PM2.5 is in high contrast with large AOD diurnal variation, which suggests the need to use AOD from geostationary satellites for constrain either modeling or analysis of surface PM2.5 for air quality application.

This qualitative grounded study explores the potential relationship between wildlife TV viewing and human-animal interactions for exotic pet owners. The method involved 13 in-depth interviews and a qualifying open-ended questionnaire with 37 individuals. The interviews gathered viewers' interpretations of two different human-wildlife interactions on TV and served as a launching point for discussion. Findings supported the literature in that wildlife TV was an important source of information, emotion, and contradictory messages. Themes also emerged regarding participants' characterizations of their relationships with their pets. Drawing from social cognitive theory, this thesis suggests the following potential motivators for participants to model animal interactions as seen on screen: 1) visual instruction that increases viewer efficacy; 2) identification with the spokesperson; and 3) emotional connection to the animal. The study concludes with preliminary recommendations for wildlife programming on TV.

Cancer patients worldwide receive care from multidisciplinary teams, and patients sometimes have little or no knowledge about the different treatment options available, making communication with their care providers an important influence in how they perceive their care. Patient satisfaction with care is an important factor in determining survivorship. The increasing prevalence of cancer worldwide has become a huge public health issue. The World Health Organization has warned that the potential gains from combatting infectious diseases in Nigeria might be lost because of the increasing prevalence of cancer. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to obtain the perceptions of 30 cancer survivors in Nigeria about their care in federally funded hospitals to improve cancer care in the country. Through a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) approach, data from 30 in-depth interviews with the cancer survivors were analyzed. Data analysis included open coding, selective coding, theoretical coding, and memo writing. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: positive perception of care (P), service improvement (S), and good care experience (G), all of which were cyclically related to form the PSG substantive theory, which indicates that better health care to cancer patients will improve preventative and curative cancer care services in Nigeria. This theory was validated by relating it to 3 theories in the literature as recommended in CGT research. The implication for positive social change is that the results might provide information that can help health care professionals to improve how they communicate with, relate to, and care for cancer patients and their families in Nigeria and other countries.

Good quality sleep is essential for mental and physical health. Inadequate sleep impacts memory consolidation, learning and cognition, immune function, autonomic regulation, physical performance, and other vital functions. In many neurological disorders that are associated with sleep problems such as epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease, changes in brain circuitry affect sleep-wake regulation mechanisms; this is reflected in anomalous sleep-wake architecture and usually accompanied by poor sleep depth. Thus, over many years, many approaches have been tried in humans and animal models with the goal of improving sleep quality. Unfortunately, each of those approaches comes with limitations or side effects. Thus, there is a need for a natural, safe, and low cost approach that overcomes many limitations to improve sleep and eventually the lives of individuals with sleep problems. Environmental temperature is one of the most important factors that affect sleep in humans and other animals. Studies have shown that the part of the brain governing thermoregulation is also involved in sleep-wake regulation. Even a mild change in environmental temperature can produce a significant effect on sleep. Thus, a better understanding of the sleep-thermoregulation interaction could lead to novel ways for treating many sleep disorders. As a first step on the translational pathway, experiments in animal models of disease conditions with disordered sleep are needed for investigating sleep–thermoregulation interactions and for devising and validating related approaches to enhance sleep quality before conducting them on humans. This dissertation explores and assesses the effect of changes in ambient temperature on sleep-wake architecture in control mice and epileptic mice, the latter from a model of temporal lobe epilepsy as an example of a disease model with disordered sleep. Then, based on the results of temperature effects on sleep in control and epileptic mice, different strategies are proposed and tested to modulate sleep through ambient temperature regulation in closed loop to improve sleep depth and regulate the timing of the sleep-wake cycle. The results presented in this dissertation demonstrate the feasibility of sleep enhancement and regulation of its timing and duration through manipulation of ambient temperature using closed-loop control systems. Similar approaches could foreseeably be used as more natural means for enhancing deep sleep in patients with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease in which poor sleep is common and associated with adverse outcomes.

The release of harmful chemicals into the Earth system is a threat to the survival of human societies and ecosystems. There are different types of harmful chemicals, some possess characteristics that are more harmful than others. Chemicals causing local effects have a short-term impact on the Earth system, whereas others are persistent in nature. The second becomes a global pollution issue because these substances accumulate, resulting in cascades through the Earth system. The chemical pollution issue is a scale challenge, meaning that the pollution issue occurs within and across levels and scales. Chemical pollution is not treated as a scale challenge in the decision-making process today. In the literature it is stated that chemical pollution is usually studied by focusing on single institutions, which hinders the possibility to investigate the linkages between the institutions affecting the scale dynamics. In this study the scale and cross-scale perspective was used to identify institutions that are affecting the work for a toxin free environment on a national and municipality level in Sweden. Governance Architecture was used as an analytical tool to investigate the key hindering and facilitating governance mechanisms to achieve sustainable chemical management in Sweden from a cross-scale perspective. The analytical tool was based on the Earth System Governance theory and scale dynamics. Sweden was used as a case to apply this tool. Two methods were used to gather empirics: literature analysis and in-depth interviews. The findings reveal an overrepresentation of the hindering factors being a result of a scale or a policy gap issue. These gaps are created by the lack of interdisciplinarity in the decision-making process, and the current legislation and politics which influences the implementation of the strategies on the different institutional levels. To overcome these hinders the current strategies and legislation needs to be in collaboration. This study contributes to empiric development within policy studies on how the chemical pollution issue needs to be conceptually formulated to achieve a toxin free environment within and cross-scales. It also contributes to method development by addressing the gap of including several institutions in cross-scale studies.

L2 (second or foreign language) research indicates that vocabulary knowledge is not only the “single best predictor of text comprehension,” but also a strong indicator of listening, speaking, and writing proficiency (Alderson, 2000, p. 35). Understanding the development of vocabulary knowledge, including both vocabulary size and vocabulary depth, or quality of vocabulary knowledge—is therefore essential to the building of an overall insight into L2 proficiency. This study aims to explore the developmental status of vocabulary depth among postsecondary CFL (Chinese as a foreign language) learners of higher proficiency levels who have studied Chinese for over four years. In particular, it focuses on these learners' identification of two types of word association—synonym and collocational associations and how factors such as association type and target-word frequency impact association identification. The process and strategy use that are involved in the inference of word association are also explored. For these purposes, this study employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Cross-sectional data were collected through a paper-and-pencil test of Chinese word associates from seventeen learners within five postsecondary CFL programs in the U.S. Each participant worked on two test booklets assessing synonym and collocational associates respectively for the same 44 adjectives selected from the three word frequency levels of below 1000, between 1000 and 5000, and above 5000. A two-factor within-subjects ANOVA revealed both significant main effects for association type and word frequency on association identification and a significant interaction between the two. Simple effect analysis and pair-wise comparisons further revealed that association identification became increasingly stronger with the increase of word frequency for collocational association, yet remained non-impacted by frequency before reaching the mid- to high-frequency transition for synonym association. Meanwhile, CFL learners' collocational knowledge was significantly higher than synonym knowledge at mainly the medium- and high-frequency levels. These reslts indicate that synonym knowledge seemed to lag behind in development as familiarity with words increased, but began to catch up at higher-frequency levels. Interview data collected from six CFL learners show that they employed a wide variety of knowledge sources, such as radical knowledge, morphological knowledge, contextual clues, sound information, or L1 in inferring word association. Inference success seemed to be influenced not only by their preexisting word knowledge, but also an integrated and flexible use of linguistic and contextual information in the inference process. Implications of these findings are discussed in relevance to curriculum and pedagogical development of CFL teaching and the understanding and definition of CFL proficiency in general. This study fills a gap in CFL vocabulary research by building a tentative measure of vocabulary depth and bringing greater insights into the developmental status of higher-level CFL learners in synonym and collocational association as well as the process that is involved in inference of word association.

One of the earliest functions to express infiltration as a function of time was introduced by Green and Ampt. In this study their formula was modified to account for air compression and counterflow. Physically,infiltration, air compression, and counterflow occur simultaneously, while in this model they are decoupled within a time step. Counterflow is calculated as a mass flux and pressure is found using the perfect gas law. First, a comparison of three infiltration methods, the original Green and Ampt formulation, a modified version incorporating air compression only, and the third version including air compression and counterflow, was conducted. Then sensitivity of the model accounting for both air compression and counterflow was explored. Results showed that accounting for both air compression and counterflow improves the predicted infiltration rate. Air effect on infiltration can be significant even for environments with an impervious layer as deep as 10m; while for very deep water table environments (100m) the three models give similar results. In shallow water table environments (0.5m), air effect on infiltration rate, cumulative infiltration, ponding time, and saturation time is substantial. The model accounting for air compression and counterflow was then tested for different parameters. It provided reasonable results compared to the Green and Ampt model and the modified version accounting for air compression only. The advantages of this model are that no additional data is required other than what's needed for the original Green and Ampt formulation, and it can be applied for any environment. The assumption of uniform soil moisture content is a limitation for the model, especially for shallow water table environments where the variations in the soil moisture profile within the wetting front depth is substantial.

Recent advancements in 3D data gathering have made it possible to measure the distance to an object at different time stamps through the use of time-of-flight cameras. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of a time-of-flight camera on different mechanical sprint properties of the muscle. Fifteen male football players performed four 30m maximal sprint bouts which was simultaneously recorded with a time-of-flight camera and 1080 sprint device. By using an exponential function on the collected positional- and velocity-time data from both the devices, following variables were derived and analyzed: Maximal velocity (nmax), time constant (t), theoretical maximal force (F0), theoretical maximal velocity (V0), peak power output (Pmax), F-V mechanical profile (Sfv) and decrease in ratio of force (Drf). The results showed strong correlation in vmax along with a fairly small standard error of estimate (SEE) (r = 0,817, SEE = 0,27 m/s), while t displayed moderate correlation and relatively high SEE (r = 0,620, SEE = 0,12 s). Furthermore, moderate mean bias (>5%) were revealed for most of the variables, except for vmax and V0. The within-sessions reliability using Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) ranged from excellent to poor with Pmax displaying excellent reliability (ICC = 0,91, SEM = 72W), while vmax demonstrated moderate reliability (ICC = 0,61, SEM = 0,26 m/s) and t poor(ICC = 0,44, SEM = 0,11 s). In conclusion, these findings showed that in its current state, the time-of-flight camera is not a reliable or valid device in estimating different mechanical properties of the muscle during sprint running using Samozino et al’s computations. Further development is needed.