The Complexities of Teaching for Acquisition: Article Semantics

Undergraduate Theoretical Proposa

Doors into the Past

This post is part of a series featuring behind-the-scenes dispatches from our Pohanka Interns on the front lines of history this summer as interpreters, archivists, and preservationists. Seehere for the introduction to the series. Submerged into the side of a grassy hill are two large white doors. As one looks at Fort Stevens from a distance, the doors seem misplaced. They randomly appear in a visitor’s line of sight as he/she examines the curves and dips of the earthwork before them. But these doors tell a much more interesting story than might be expected. To the left of these doors once stood the home of Elizabeth Proctor Thomas, a free African American woman, whose family originally owned eighty-eight acres of land in the Brightwood area of Washington, DC. At a time of few economic opportunities for the African American community, having this land was an important part of being self-sustaining. On this high ground, Thomas’s family farmed and sold parts of their holdings to relatives and other African American families. [excerpt

Phylogenetics, divergence and morphology of New Zealand Eleotridae (Gobiomorphus Gill) : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Ecology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The genus Gobiomorphus Gill (1863) is the only representative freshwater Eleotridae in New Zealand and is comprised of seven species, of which four are diadromous. The species are endemic to New Zealand and are widespread around lowland streams and coasts (with non-diadromous species penetrating further inland). The only other Gobiomorphus species are G. coxii and G. australis, which are endemic to Australia. Eleotridae are stocky fishes of small size (up to 150 mm in length) (McDowall, 1990) and are characterised by two dorsal fins, large pectoral fins, separate thoracic pelvic fins (fused in gobies) and the absence of a lateral line (McDowall. 1990; Allen et al., 2002). Gobiomorphus has had a particularly turbulent taxonomic history in the literature, spanning approximately 150 years from Gill (1863) to the present, where many species have been synonymised with one another (particularly, most Gobiomorphus species were synonymised with G. gobioides) due the plasticity of many morphological characters. Additionally, similar morphologies have led to identification difficulties. Phenotypic plasticity can also make cladistic approaches difficult (e.g. Vrijenhoek, 1998; Orti et al., 1994), for example there has been a lot of controversy surrounding G. alpinus and its species status. Furthermore, studies of evolution using morphological characters often lack an accurate perspective on relationships and origins of fish species, in particular, little information exists on the evolutionary origins of the Gobiomorphus genus. Genetic studies have contributed to resolving problems with taxonomically difficult groups by detecting diversity between morphologically similar species (where DNA variation is often not expressed phenotypically), and examining geographical divergence within species (e.g. Vrijenhoek, 1998; Kocher et al., 1989). Thus, this thesis employed two regions of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b and control region) to resolve issues surrounding species identification, morphological variation, phylogenetic relationships (including divergence), origins and the evolution of diadromy within the Gobiomorphus group. Mitochondrial DNA sequences were obtained from all seven Gobiomorphus species in New Zealand, as well as from both Australian Gobiomorphus. The morphology of both G. basalis and G. breviceps in the lower North Island was also examined. The results suggested that the Australasian Gobiomorphus are a polyphyletic group, although with the exclusion of G. australis the rest of the species formed a monophyletic group. The Australian group formed a polyphyletic group basal to the New Zealand monophyletic group. Gobiomorphus hubbsi, a diadromous species was found to be a sister group to the New Zealand Gobiomorphus. Clock calibrations indicated that the New Zealand and Australian groups have been isolated for about 6-37 Myr, suggesting that the New Zealand species dispersed here (in a single event) from Australia post-Gondwana break-up. These results are discussed in terms of New Zealand's geological history. Once in New Zealand there was a series of radiations; the most recent radiation produced the non-diadromous species (G. breviceps, and a G. basalis, G. cotidianus (although not all populations are diadromous) and G. alpinus species complex). Furthermore, G. huttoni and G. gobioides (both diadromous) formed a monophyletic group that is part of the first radiation, indicating that diadromy is a primitive feature of Gobiomorphus. Mitochondrial DNA accurately distinguished between G. breviceps and G. basalis (suggesting a genetic basis to morphological variation), and coupled with morphological data, identified pectoral fin ray counts as the best quantitative character for differentiating the species. However, within species high morphological variation was observed that did not fit expected patterns of geographical divergence. Limited time periods may have obscured subtle morphological divergence between catchments. Mitochondrial DNA revealed some unique haplotypes within both catchments, whereas some catchments shared identical haplotypes. The lack of divergence between catchments may have been due in part to connections during the Pleistocene, whereas populations with unique haplotypes may have been isolated for a greater length of time. Collectively, these studies highlighted the usefulness of mitochondrial DNA for exploring; phylogenetic relationships (including divergence) and solving problems with taxonomically difficult groups, and origins of fish species. Furthermore, the use of molecular data coupled with morphological data can be used to aid in the improvement of identification of morphologically similar species

An Institutional Approach to Donor Control: From Dyadic Ties to a Field‐Level Analysis

Literature on the nonprofit sector focuses on charities and their interactions with clients or governmental agencies; donors are studied less often. Studies on philanthropy do examine donors but tend to focus on microlevel factors to explain their behavior. This study, in contrast, draws on institutional theory to show that macrolevel factors affect donor behavior. It also extends the institutional framework by examining the field‐level configurations in which donors and fundraisers are embedded. Employing the case of workplace charity, this new model highlights how the composition of the organizational field structures fundraisers and donors alike, shaping fundraisers’ strategies of solicitation and, therefore, the extent of donor control.This research was supported by grants from the Aspen Institute’s Nonprofit Sector Research Fund and the National Science Foundation. I thank Susan Eckstein, Julian Go, Heather MacIndoe, Susan Ostrander, audiences in the departments of sociology at Boston University, Emory University, Ohio State University, University of Arizona, and the University of Chicago, various participants in the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business Organizations and Markets Workshop and the MIT‐Sloan School of Management Organization Studies Group Seminar Series, and AJS reviewers for helpful comments on earlier versions. Direct correspondence to Emily Barman, Deparment of Sociology, Boston University, 96 Cummington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02115

What Matters to Metros: Foundational Indicators for Economic Competitiveness

Foundational Indicators for Economic Competitiveness helps community leaders identify factors that are associated with economic growth in mid-sized U.S. metropolitan areas in a post-recession economy. This work builds upon six previous iterations (called the dashboard of economic indicators) and assesses the relationship of 55 variables to economic growth across four measures: per capita income, gross metropolitan product (GmP), productivity and employment, between 1990 and 2011.Results of the study indicate that growth is not a one-size-fits-all proposition for America's mid-sized metros. education and innovation remain highly associated with GmP, productivity and per capita income growth over the past two decades, but strong performance in those areas has been insufficient to restore jobs to many of our communities. Alternatively, many metro areas that have been successful in adding jobs, struggle to translate that growth into rising incomes. This research provides data that civic leaders can use to ask more strategic questions about how "growth" can be pursued, and to identify their own distinct approaches to get there

Leaving Egypt

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