12230 research outputs found
Sort by
umsllibraries | Posts | 2020-08-27
No full textPosted Text: The libraries are open. Here are today\u27s hours of operation.
Post Description:Hours of operation on Thursday, August 27, 2020 The libraries are open from 7:30am to 10:30pm Reference services are online from 9am to 7pm Special Collections Reading Room is open from 9am - 12pm 1-pm to 4pm and State Historical Society- St. Louis is open from noon to 4:30pm and the Computer lab closes 30 minutes before librarieshttps://irl.umsl.edu/instagram/1031/thumbnail.jp
umsllibraries | Reels | 2023-08-20
No full textPosted Text: ONLY 1 day left until Café TJ open! Make sure to stop by and grab a drink. #UMSL #UMSLLibraries #CafeTJPost Description: Part of the 2023 countdown to Café TJ’s opening, this playful video follows Café TJ and UMSL’s amphibious mascot through a lively text exchange.https://irl.umsl.edu/instagram/1008/thumbnail.jp
Loss Scaling and Step Size in Deep Learning Optimizatio
Get PDFDeep learning training consumes ever-increasing time and resources, and that isdue to the complexity of the model, the number of updates taken to reach goodresults, and both the amount and dimensionality of the data. In this dissertation,we will focus on making the process of training more efficient by focusing on thestep size to reduce the number of computations for parameters in each update.We achieved our objective in two new ways: we use loss scaling as a proxy forthe learning rate, and we use learnable layer-wise optimizers. Although our workis perhaps not the first to point to the equivalence of loss scaling and learningrate in deep learning optimization, ours is the first to leveraging this relationshiptowards more efficient training. We did not only use it in simple gradient descent,but also we were able to extend it to other adaptive algorithms. Finally, we usemetalearning to shed light on relevant aspects, including learnable lossesand optimizers. In this regard, we developed a novel learnable optimizer andeffectively utilized it to acquire an adaptive rescaling factor and learning rate,resulting in a significant reduction in required memory during training
Gottman Processes and Couple Outcomes While Navigating Infertility
Get PDFInfertility remains one of the most difficult relational contexts for couples. However, some research suggests that some couples actually increase their overall satisfaction in their relationship through infertility due to a deeply shared emotional experience. To the knowledge of the author of this dissertation, no studies exist which explain how couples arrive at their relational outcomes through the experience of infertility. These studies within this dissertation add to the present literature by explaining how couples may arrive at their relational outcome through the lens of Gottman Method Couple Therapy (GMCT). For both studies presented here, 902 participants were recruited through various social media platforms. Participants completed scales regarding their overall satisfaction in their couple relationship, their perceived relational impact of their experience of infertility, as well as the Sound Relationship House Questionnaire (SRH-Q). Various aspects of the Gottman theoretical framework were examined, including Friendship and Intimacy, Shared Meaning, and Quality Sex, Passion, and Romance. These Gottman factors were also examined as a mediator between the relationship between overall couple satisfaction and the relational impact of infertility Further, Gottman Conflict Processes were also examined as a mediator, with Gottman Conflict Management (i.e., Compromise and Effective Repair Attempts) acting as a moderator within the mediation model. Significant bivariate correlations were found between relational quality of life during infertility and overall couple satisfaction (r = .354, p \u3c .001). Friendship and Intimacy (β = .066), Shared Meaning (β = .191), and Quality Sex, Passion, and Romance (β = .155), along with Gottman Conflict Processes (β = .016), were all found to be mediators between relational quality of life during infertility and couple satisfaction. However, Gottman Conflict Management was found to moderate the relationship between quality of life during infertility and Gottman Conflict Processes within the moderated mediation model. Thus, Gottman couple therapy processes provided pathways to explain how couples within this sample arrived at their outcomes amidst infertility. Future directions for research will be discussed, as well as clinical implications and specific Gottman interventions for GMCT with this special population
The Impact of Using Relevant Context on Student Comprehension and Attitude in a Collegiate Introductory Statistics Unit on Probability
Get PDFThe typical collegiate introductory statistics course poses significant challenges for students. Many do not fully comprehend key course skills, and it is common for students to exit the class with a neutral or negative attitude toward statistics. To measure the impact of using relevant contextual examples as an instructional strategy during a probability unit, in-class activities were designed to align with areas of interest for participants as identified by a student interest inventory. It was hypothesized that the use of relevant context would create a significant difference in the comprehension or attitude of students enrolled in an introductory statistics course at an urban midwestern university. Following a quantitative analysis of comprehension and attitude, interviews and focus groups were conducted with students from both the treatment and control groups to better understand the factors that influence student comprehension and attitude. Quantitative results reveal no significant differences in either comprehension or attitude as a result of the relevant context. Qualitative findings suggest other factors such as the instructor, class structure, and previous experiences play a larger role in shaping student comprehension and attitude
Ways to Prevent Moral Disengagement for YouTube Content Creators: The Role of Empathy and Self-Compassion
Get PDFThis study sought to assess the role empathy and self-compassion play in lessening the impact of stress and moral disengagement for digital entrepreneurs, specifically, YouTube content creators. The desire for status and the need for venture legitimacy within the content creation economy, while considered mostly positive traits, can be taken to the extreme, leading to a lack of empathy and self-compassion and even degradation and moral disengagement. The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Quantitative data within the study provides statistical evidence of correlations and trends, while qualitative data discusses the perspectives and lived experiences of YouTube content creators. This holistic approach provides a significant exploration of how empathy and self-compassion intersect with moral decision-making and stress management within the content of digital entrepreneurship. The research sought to understand the relationship between these physiological factors and their potential benefits for the mental well-being and professional success of individuals in the digital entrepreneurship sphere. The study showcases how moral disengagement and stress can impact digital entrepreneurs. Stress, often arising from the competitive nature of the digital environment along with the constant need to create engaging and interesting content, can lead to decreased creativity and burnout. By examining these factors, the research provides insight on the importance of addressing these problems proactively to sustain long-term success
Green Synthesis of Glutethimide Intermediate via NASH Reaction
Get PDFThe purpose of my research project is to utilize green chemistry principles to synthesize an intermediate for Glutethimide, a drug used to treat patients with insomnia. Many pharmaceutical processes require the use of halide-containing chemicals which are harmful to the environment when discarded as waste. Not only does this waste affect the quality of drinking water and aquatic life, but it affects the economy as well. The cost of waste disposal increases with the increasing difficulty of treating it and thus raises the cost of production for pharmaceutical companies.The reaction of choice is a nucleophilic aromatic substitution of hydrogen, or NASH, reaction. This would, ideally, replace any halide-containing starting materials with a less harmful substitute and would result in less toxic waste runoff.Two reactions utilizing 1-chloro-4-nitrobenzene were carried out to be used as analytical standards. For the green reactions, instead of using the halide-containing nitrobenzene, regular nitrobenzene was used and was reacted with methyl-cyanoacetate and a base to attempt to generate the desired compound. Dimethylformamide (DMF) is a commonly used solvent for this synthesis but was replaced with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). A series of reactions were run with different variables changed such as the temperature of the reaction and the base used. The desired product was not formed for the reactions in which the temperature was changed and potassium carbonate (K2CO3) was used as a base, however, when potassium hydroxide (KOH) was used as a base and the reaction was run at room temperature, a noticeable color change similar to that of the standard reaction was observed. NMR and ES-MS tests were conducted to confirm that the product was created, and characteristic peaks of the desired compound were identified. A workup procedure was used with the intention of improving the purity of the compound, but it was determined that purifying the compound to obtain a final yield would be challenging. Future research would include finding methods to effectively purify and isolate the compound as well as finding other viable replacements for DMF such as Cyrene and other Cyrene mixes. It would also include carrying out more reactions with KOH and similar bases
A Spatial Analysis of Food Access within Saint Louis City by Walking, Public Transit, and Personal Vehicles.
Get PDFAccording to The United States Department of Agriculture, 44 million Americans, including 13 million children, are food insecure as of 2022. Many factors contribute to inadequate food access and food insecurity, including poverty, unemployment, low wages, historical redlining, and structural racism.
As a city with minimal thoroughfares that are safe to walk along and an often unreliable or time-consuming public transit system, I wanted to visualize how the mode of transportation impacts a resident’s access to food in Saint Louis City.
Based on my findings, the Saint Louis Metro Bus System provides the most access to residents in Saint Louis by being within half a mile of their residence and driving through unwalkable parts of the city. The second mode of transportation that ensures access to food is driving a car.
Due to the historical and systemic nature of food insecurity and disparate food access across Saint Louis, it is evident that many of these consequences are still felt as a lived reality for residents today. Based on these findings, I recommend investing in existing bus infrastructure to improve safety, reliability, and affordability while constructing new stops in still low-access communities
The role of mindfulness and dysexecutive functioning in the association between depression and COVID-19-related stress: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses
Get PDFBackground: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the severity of college student\u27s mental health has increased, with depression being the most prominent. This study\u27s primary purpose was to explore (1) whether the perceived stress of COVID-19 was associated with depression through sequential mediation of mindfulness and dysexecutive function and also (2) the temporal association among mindfulness, dysexecutive function and depression. Methods: We performed two studies to evaluate dysexecutive function as a mechanism through which mindfulness impacts depression under the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study 1 used a sequential mediation model to test the mediating role of mindfulness and dysexecutive function between the perceived stress of COVID-19 and depression based on 1,665 emerging adults. Study 2 used a random-effect, cross-lagged panel model (RE-CLPM) to test the directionality among mindfulness, dysexecutive function, and depression based on 370 emerging adults. Results: The cross-sectional study showed that perceived stress of COVID-19 was positively associated with depression through the sequential mediation of mindfulness and dysexecutive function (effect: 0.08, 95%CI = [0.07, 0.10]), also through the mediation of mindfulness (effect: 0.05, 95%CI = [0.03, 0.06]) and dysexecutive function (effect: 0.08, 95%CI = [0.06, 0.10]) separately. The RE-CLPM study indicated that dysexecutive function mediates the reciprocal relation between mindfulness and depression at the within-person level. Conclusion: These results suggest that dysexecutive function is an intermediate psychological mechanism that exacerbates depression under pandemic-related stress. Mindfulness can predict dysexecutive function and subsequently improve depression. As depression under pandemic-related stress can weaken the mindful state, long-term mindfulness practices are needed to maintain mental health during COVID-19