32584 research outputs found
Sort by
Toward Strategy Identification and Subtask Decomposition In Task Exploration
No full textThis research builds on work in anticipatory human-machine interaction, a subfield of human-machine interaction where machines can facilitate advantageous interactions by anticipating a user’s future state. The aim of this research is to further a machine’s understanding of user knowledge, skill, and behavior in pursuit of implicit coordination. A task explorer pipeline was developed that uses clustering techniques, paired with factor analysis and string edit distance, to automatically identify key global and local strategies that are used to complete tasks. Global strategies identify generalized sets of actions used to complete tasks, while local strategies identify sequences that used those sets of actions in a similar composition. Additionally, meaningful subtasks of various lengths are identified within the tasks. The task explorer pipeline was able to automatically identify key strategies used to complete tasks and encode user runs with hierarchical subtask structures. In addition, a Task Explorer application was developed to easily review pipeline results. The task explorer pipeline can be easily modified to any action-based time-series data and the identified strategies and subtasks help to inform humans and machines on user knowledge, skill, and behavior
Cultivating Belonging: Empowering Hispanic Parents in the U.S. Education System
Get PDFThis qualitative study explores the experiences of Hispanic families at Bay Area Middle School and the strategies I employed to create a sense of belonging and support for both students and their families. Key strategies included fostering effective communication through Spanish interpreters, celebrating cultural traditions, and organizing inclusive events like the annual cultural fair. Parents expressed gratitude for the personal attention their children received and noted how these initiatives positively impacted their sense of belonging. The findings highlight that cultural integration and community-building efforts significantly enhanced family engagement, transforming perceptions of the school environment from feelings of disconnection to appreciation and support. Feedback from parents revealed that these inclusive practices not only strengthened their connection to the school but also promoted positive changes in their children\u27s attitudes and social interactions. Parents observed remarkable improvements in their children\u27s openness and acceptance of others as a result of this diverse environment. While the strategies implemented showed promising results, areas for improvement were identified, particularly in enhancing communication methods and accommodating diverse family schedules. This research underscores the importance of creating inclusive educational environments that celebrate diversity and empower Hispanic families, providing valuable insights for future practices and research in diverse educational settings.
Prisoner Reentry into Society Viewed Through the Lens of Women
Get PDFIn the 1970s, President Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs and initiated a series of policies that were intended to combat the use of illegal drugs by implementing severe sentences for drug-related crimes. As a result, the focus of the criminal justice system veered away from rehabilitation efforts. Today, the U.S. criminal justice system has considerably high rates of recidivism. This paper examines the importance of successful reentry into society for formerly incarcerated women, especially those who must resume a caregiver role to their children. However, a relapse into criminal behavior seems imminent due to societal barriers in obtaining housing and employment, both of which are critical for a formerly incarcerated individual to be a productive and law-abiding citizen and not resort to illegal methods of earning an income. The implementation of reentry programs as well as risk and needs assessments are critical tools that can aid in a successful transition and provide the individual with personalized support so that they have a chance of a fruitful life outside of incarceration
Human Trafficking: An Examination of Policies and the Impact of Trafficking on Victims
Get PDFHuman trafficking is a pervasive and complex global issue that involves the exploitation of individuals. While there is also the trafficking of objects, this study solely focuses on sexual exploitation and forced labor of humans. This paper defines trafficking and examines the impact that trafficking has on victims’ physical and mental health. This paper also examines the intersection of human trafficking and policies designed to combat it, focusing on the effectiveness of legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. By analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of current anti-trafficking laws and initiatives, the paper explores how policies can be improved to better address the root causes of trafficking, provide support and resources to victims, and hold perpetrators accountable. Based on the findings in the paper, practical solutions and recommendations for improving policies include collaboration from the community and government as well as the implementation of victim-centered approaches that prioritize the safety, health, and rights of victims
Oviposition and Immature Development of Blowflies in Forensic Investigations
Get PDFForensic entomology is a subspecialty within the field of forensic science where insect evidence is analyzed to solve criminal cases. Insects begin to colonize the body, with blowflies being the first insects to arrive. Within minutes, blowflies can lay eggs on a decomposing body, and the larvae will feed once they hatch. The life cycles of blowflies are analyzed to help determine an estimated post-mortem interval (PMI), which is crucial in investigations, as it can help establish a timeline. Various factors, such as temperature and access to the body, can cause delays in the oviposition of blowflies. A delay in oviposition can result in an inaccurate PMI, which can drastically impact investigations. To improve the accuracy of determining PMI, the oviposition and development of blowflies in different conditions are being studied
The Influence of Rhodolith Algae on Life History of the Painted Urchin, Lytechinus Pictus
Get PDFRhodolith beds are globally distributed hotspots of diversity and productivity and serve as nursery habitats for some marine invertebrates. Poorly understood is whether rhodolith beds are nurseries because invertebrate larvae actively select them for settlement or migrate to them at later life stages. We studied the nursery role of rhodolith beds for the painted urchin, Lytechinus pictus at Santa Catalina Island, CA, USA. Subtidal surveys showed that in areas with greater live rhodolith cover, urchin density increased as well as mean urchin size. In caged substrate choice experiments, urchins selected rhodolith substrate relative to carbonate sand, supporting the notion that urchins congregate in rhodolith beds after they have settled. To evaluate whether beds also serve as nurseries by inducing settlement, urchin larvae were assessed following exposure to six cues: live and dead rhodolith, biofilm-inoculated sand, GABA, KCl, and filtered seawater. Live rhodolith induced the strongest settlement response across all treatments, initiating 2.5x greater settlement compared to the inducement control of KCl after 24 hours. Larvae also settled faster in the presence of live rhodolith substrate than other treatments. These results highlight the importance of rhodolith beds for multiple life stages of L. pictus, by inducing settlement of larvae and supporting post-larval individuals. Rhodolith beds receive minimal protections globally, due to limited research on their ecological importance. However, recognizing their role as nursery habitats strengthens the case for the inclusion of rhodolith beds in future management decisions
Generalizability of Existing AI Models for Automatic Disfluency Detection in Children\u27s Speech
No full textAchieving consensus in identifying disfluencies and diagnosing developmental stuttering has been a significant challenge for many clinicians, particularly in young bilingual children, who tend to show increased disfluencies. Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to recognize more complex yet systematic patterns that might not be easily observable by even trained clinicians. It also has the potential to bring consistency in the measurement of stuttered speech. This study compares the performance of four AI models, their performance on detecting disfluencies including both stutter-like-disfluencies (SLD) and typical disfluencies (TD) in monolingual and bilingual children\u27s data, then explores whether increasing the quantity of training data would improve model performance in children\u27s data. Results of Study 1 show the one model performed the highest in identifying disfluencies, except for blocks. Results of Study 2 showed that the models had variable performance on identifying TDs and SLDs on bilingual data, whereas it showed consistently better performance on TDs than SLDs on adult data, UCLASS and FluencyBank. Results of Study 3 showed a decrease in performance following the addition of simulated data. Future research is needed to further explore the impact of representative data on model performance and increasing the amount of monolingual and bilingual child data from children who do and do not stutter
The Relationship Between Trust in Leadership and Remote Work Performance: The Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy
No full textThe present study examined the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the positive relationship between trust in leadership and performance in a remote work setting, with performance analyzed through the lens of task and contextual performance, such that higher levels of self-efficacy would strengthen the relationship. A sample of 103 participants completed an online survey measuring their levels of self-efficacy, perceptions of trust in their leaders, and their confidence in their abilities to carry out job-task duties and extra-role duties. Results showed that there were direct relationships between trust in leadership and self-efficacy for task performance. However, no relationship was found between trust in leadership and contextual performance. Contrary to the research hypothesis, the positive relationship between trust in leadership and task performance was stronger for individuals with lower levels of self-efficacy than for those with higher self-efficacy. This finding suggests that individuals with lower self-efficacy may be more influenced by trust in leadership, highlighting the critical role of leadership in enhancing task performance, particularly for those with less confidence in their abilities. The results of the current study suggest that organizations should encourage trust building behaviors between leaders and remote workers who are lower on levels of self-efficacy to strengthen the relationship between trust in leadership and task performance
Drivers Of Rhythmic Contractions In The Temperate Demosponges Tethya Californiana And Hymeniacidon Perlevis
No full textSponges (Phylum Porifera) are suspension feeders whose water filtration is important to benthic ecosystems because of their conversion of large amounts of dissolved carbon and nitrogen into particulate waste available for detritivores. Sponges filter water by drawing it through a complex aquiferous system of canals and pores. Rhythmic contractions of tissue, which temporarily constrict canals and reduce body size, can diminish filtration rates and therefore affect ecosystem services; however, the physiological function of rhythmic contractions is not completely understood. I recorded long-term time-lapses of the demosponges Tethya californiana and Hymeniacidon perlevis to determine the endogenous and environmental factors that influence rhythmic contractions. I found that contractions occurred simultaneously in the osculum, ostia, and whole body in T. californiana. In H. perlevis, contractions originated and spread between many different oscula, with no evidence of cohesive whole-body behaviour. In T. californiana, duration of rhythmic contractions were significantly correlated with body size, oceanographic season, and dissolved oxygen. Both species reduced contraction frequency and increased total time expanded in seawater enriched with Rhodomonas sp. microalgae. This thesis provides support for rhythmic contractions in sponges as products of both endogenous and environmental factors, improving our understanding of the complexity of behaviours in early-diverging aneural metazoans
Testimonios: The Experiences of an Undocumented Student in California Post-DACA Rescindment
Get PDFAfter Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA, 2012) was rescinded
by the Trump Administration in 2017, many students were left in “limbo
legality” (Gonzalez 2012) This study addresses the question, “What are the
experiences of undocumented students regarding their academic motivation
toward graduation now that DACA has been rescinded at San Jos. State
University (SJSU)?” Grounded in a Chicana Feminist Epistemology
approach, the methodology of testimonio is used to capture the experiences
of the author alongside an undocumented graduate student. Findings
suggest that college campuses should incorporate faculty knowledgeable in
policies that affect undocumented students, Undocumented Ally trainings
in college campuses, and campus support groups specifically for
undocumented students