48440 research outputs found
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Generative AI Use in Nepali Education
No full textWe worked with Body & Data, a non-profit organization in Kathmandu, Nepal, to create guidelines that support Nepali students in using generative AI tools responsibly in their education. We surveyed students and teachers, conducted interviews, and hosted a workshop, which showed a widespread use of generative AI tools and concerns about their impact on students’ critical thinking and creativity. Based on our research, we co-created guidelines with students for responsible and ethical use of generative AI tools in Nepali education
Analyzing the Life of Public Spaces in Shkodër, Albania
No full textThis study assisted the research team’s sponsor, GO2Albania, in understanding the qualities that make public spaces important to the local community in Shkod¨er, Albania, by collecting data on the spaces’ cultural impact. Through field observations and interviews, the team identified how four assigned spaces upheld community values, promoted culture, improved livelihoods, and were utilized effectively. The team identified that the public spaces were mainly used for relaxation and socialization. Recommendations across spaces focused on the addition of public bathrooms, a variety of diversified seating, and renovated walkways. The team provided GO2Albania with both quantitative data and created a photo-ethnography book to demonstrate the varying successes and stories of the parks in Shkodër
Sustainable Shipping Materials for Medically Tailored Meals
No full textFood & Friends, a D.C. nonprofit delivering over 2 million medically tailored meals annually to clients with serious illnesses, uses Styrofoam and dry ice for shipping, raising environmental concerns. The goal was to develop packaging solutions to replace these materials. We found that clients were often elderly or had limited mobility; that storage, volunteer use, and dry ice posed scalability issues; and that clients were very satisfied with only minor packaging issues. Interviews with other nonprofits revealed the need for clear standard operating procedures. Test shipments with insulated liners and gel packs kept meals undamaged and at safe temperatures. We delivered an eco-friendly box, new SOPs, volunteer-training animations, and a roadmap for transitioning to sustainable packaging
Assessing the Community Impact of Theater Alliance
No full textTheater, while providing a stage to explore important social issues, has historically prevented marginalized groups from engaging with the arts. In Washington, D.C., we studied how Theater Alliance impacts and engages with their community. Through semi-structured interviews, participant and non-participant observations, and content analysis of events and financials, we found that Theater Alliance has one overarching impact on their community: reducing barriers that have historically prevented people from entering the arts. We created an impact report outline and a partnership database for Theater Alliance, aiding them in expressing this impact to others and in maintaining information on past, current, and prospective partnerships
Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Models of Alzheimer's Disease
No full textThe project used C. elegans as a model organism for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), to explore whether supplementing its gut microbiome with CeMbio could offer potential therapeutic benefits. Behavioral tests assessed how β-amyloid expression in AD model affects chemoreception of CuCl2, depending on microbiome supplementation. This work acknowledges recent medical advances that treat such conditions holistically—such as improving gut health through a diverse diet, lifestyle modifications, and understanding predispositions to AD. The gut-brain axis and AD suggest that the gut could be the root cause of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. An imbalanced gut microbiome can lead to leaky gut, dysbiosis, and persistent immune activation, resulting in systemic inflammation
Promoting a Culture of Gardening in Maitland Garden Village
No full textMaitland Garden Village (MGV) once thrived with gardening spaces, but ongoing struggles have eroded this culture. This project’s goal was to collaborate with the Green Light Project, a community-based organization, to help restore it. Through participatory action research, interviews, and informal conversations, we identified key challenges and opportunities. Ultimately, we created a website, flyers, and raised garden beds to promote gardening. To sustain these efforts, we recommended expanding outreach, streamlining the grant application process, and strengthening the organization’s online presence
Green Infrastructure for Climate Resilience in Worcester, MA
No full textClimate change has caused challenges for Worcester, Massachusetts, including more frequent flooding and extreme temperatures. This project screened 40 sites identified by Weston & Sampson and the City of Worcester as places to implement green infrastructure to mitigate these effects. These sites were screened through a combination of GIS analysis, field site assessments, and exploring green infrastructure opportunities. Burncoat Street Preparatory School was chosen as the single site as it had the co-benefits of mitigating flooding and heat exposure. The design concept plan recommends subsurface infiltration, rain gardens, and improved recreational space. This design concept plan, existing site conditions and stormwater flow, and cost estimation were presented to the City of Worcester
A Comparison of the U.S. and Chinese Pokémon TCG Markets
No full textThis project provides a comparison of the United States and Chinese Pokémon TCG markets. To analyze these markets, we conducted a literature review, a survey, interviews, and an analysis of Pokémon card value over time. We focused on product distribution, tournaments, the secondary market, card grading, and consumer behavior. We determined that the United States has a well-developed, value-driven market. The strong community found in the U.S. drives the strong secondary market. While the Chinese market is still developing, it has the foundation of a strong market. Their strong community is hindered by lagging product distribution and weak tournament structure. China's secondary market is primed for development, but fans would rather that other aspects of the market be improved first
Concussion Detection Helmet for Contact Sports
No full textConcussions are a prevalent health concern in several contact sports. A major aspect of concussion treatment is attributed to concussion diagnosis; this is essential, as continuing to play with a concussion can increase your risk of brain injury. Athletes who may have suffered a concussion may be unaware of their trauma, or they try to play through the concussion. As a result, the main goal of this Major Qualifying Project (MQP) is to create a helmet that can detect concussions via pupil dilation, as well as to communicate and stream this information in real time
Behavioral Investigation of Freshwater Crayfish
No full textChemical cues are a primary form of communication in aquatic animals, and the presence of alarm cues may have effects on foraging and mating behavior in Faxonius virilis. This paper examines how alarm cues—signals from damaged or killed conspecifics—affect these behaviors in F. virilis. In the foraging experiment, the effects of long-term (chronic) exposure to alarm cues over 12 weeks were examined while mating was assessed under acute exposure. Previous research suggests that the presence of alarm cues increases sheltering behaviors and may influence mating in comparison to an unexposed control group, though F. virilis mating behavior is not well documented in environmental or individual interactions. Assuming alarm cues influence these behaviors, we hypothesized that chronic exposure to alarm cues would negatively impact crayfish foraging behavior—even in the absence of acute alarm cue exposure—reducing the frequency of foraging attempts and increasing the latency to begin foraging. We also hypothesized that acute exposure to alarm cues would negatively impact crayfish mating behavior, discouraging mating attempts, increasing the latency to begin mating, and reducing the time spent mating. These hypotheses were tested through two controlled laboratory experiments, where behaviors were observed and recorded in the presence or absence of alarm cues, and scored accordingly. The collected data were analyzed using generalized linear modeling to determine significant factors affecting foraging and mating. The results from these experiments indicate that the effects of alarm cues on latency in the mating experiment were dependent on carapace length, and that smaller carapaces had increased latency in alarm-cue exposed populations. For the foraging experiment, alarm-cue exposed males were significantly less likely to attempt foraging behavior compared to unexposed males, and no such difference was demonstrated by females. These results indicate that sex-based differences also influence crayfish behavior in the presence of alarm cues. Studying the effects of alarm cues in species like F. virilis is crucial to better understanding the significance of altered behavior in individual organisms and species populations as a whole, including interspecific and environmental interactions