91 research outputs found
Distributed curricular goal mapping
No full textThesis: M. Eng. in Computer Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2015.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-52).For this thesis, I implemented a tool that documents the equivalent of an API specification for a course or other curriculum component in an educational curriculum. This API specification is the contractual relationship between each course and the surrounding curriculum. By decomposing the curriculum in a structural manner, we can more easily ensure consistency for courses and the goals they promise to teach across a curriculum. With such a structure, we can also begin to visualize these relationships between courses, to better understand where what students learn will lead them in their time in academia. To do this, I created a visualization tool that takes advantage of the structure provided by the API specification and allows for the observation and manipulation of these relationships. In addition to applying structure to a curriculum and visualizing the resulting relationships, I have also designed and implemented protocols that will allow these relationships to be shared and distributed across universities.by Stephanie Yu.M. Eng. in Computer Science and Engineerin
A Distributed Hydrological Modelling System to Support Hydrological Production in Northern Environments under Current and Changing Climate Conditions
No full textThe overarching goal of this project was to implement a distributed hydrological modelling system to support hydroelectric production in Yukon under current and changing climate conditions. Building from previous collaboration between YU and YEC, the project has increased the capacity for short and mid-term inflow forecasts for the Whitehorse (including Marsh Lake), Aishihik and Mayo Facilities and assess potential change in flow volume and extreme events due to climate change in terms of severity, timing and frequency.ReportThis report, including any associated maps, tables and figures (the “Information”) conveys general comments and observation only. The Information is provided by the Institut national de la recherche scientifique Eau Terre Environnement (INRS-ETE) on an “AS IS” basis without any warranty or representation, express or implied, as to its accuracy or completeness. Any reliance you place upon the information contained here is your sole responsibility and strictly at your own risk. In no event will the INRS-ETE be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, arising from reliance upon the Information.Final Report presented to: Yukon Energ
Continuous versus intermittent infusions of antibiotics for the treatment of severe acute infections
No full textEarly Korean Study Abroad Students (chokiyuhakseng)
No full textThis project investigates the psychological patterns, religious practice and self-identification of Chokiyuhakseng, or early Korean study abroad students, who came from South Korea to the United States mainly in their high school years, as compared with Korean American students on campus. The author examines various social practices of the undergraduate students that attend the Korean Church of Champaign-Urbana (Crossway), a majority of whom are Chokiyuhakseng students. In this examination, the author seeks to answer what factors influence their pattern and use of language, whether Korean and English? Is the choice of language in varying situations related to how they identify themselves within varying environments? How do Chokiyuhakseng identify themselves within the larger Korean ethnic population in the university? What role does the Korean church provide for its Chokiyuhakseng members? This project is based on individual and group interviews as well as ethnographic observation of Chokiyuhakseng and Korean American Bible group members and university students. This study concludes that Chokiyuhakseng students are a distinct group minority within the Korean ethnic community, whom identify separately from yuhakseng (study abroad students that came to the states after high school) and Korean Americans.Submitted by Stephanie Renne ([email protected]) on 2007-08-07T21:53:47Z
No. of bitstreams: 2
Research Process.pdf: 94024 bytes, checksum: a7d0311e02294d458a35e535169b5f13 (MD5)
EUI Presentation.pdf: 58832 bytes, checksum: 26d21553b41973fa82f47b042fadcd79 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2007-08-07T21:53:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
Research Process.pdf: 94024 bytes, checksum: a7d0311e02294d458a35e535169b5f13 (MD5)
EUI Presentation.pdf: 58832 bytes, checksum: 26d21553b41973fa82f47b042fadcd79 (MD5)
Previous issue date: 2007-05-15Item marked as restricted to the 'UIUC Users [automated]' Group (id=2) by Stephanie Renne ([email protected]) on 2007-08-07T21:53:48Z
Item is restricted indefinitely.Restriction data tranferred 2014-07-01T11:08:37-05:00
Original Data
Group with Access UIUC Users [automated]
Release Date: none
Reason: Requested by studentRequested by studentunpublishedU of I Onl
Implementing: the impact of gratitude journals on mental health in psychiatric patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder
No full textPurpose of Project: Inpatient psychiatric facilities use group therapy and medication management as forms of treatment. Although these methods are beneficial, there are individualized activities patients can utilize to serve as an alternative or adjunct to treatment while inpatient. Group therapy has many downsides such as groups not being appropriate for all group members or triggering to some. The purpose of the project is to identify whether gratitude journals positively affect patient’s anxiety and depressive symptoms based on standardized scales (GQ-6, PHQ-9, and GAD-7) in patients diagnosed with MDD and/or GAD. Methods: Pre and post implementation assessments measured anxiety, depression, and gratitude using standardized tools (GAD-7,PHQ-9, and GQ-6 respectively). 25 adult inpatient psychiatric patients participated in a pre/post implementation assessments and post survey. The primary outcome measures focused on age, gender, and diagnosis. Results: The pre and post implementation data (n=25) showed that the pre-implementation mean ± SD for anxiety (M=14.56 ± SD 4.54) had improvement in scores at post implementation (M=8.08 ± SD 4.66). The total pre and post GAD-7 showed statistical significant (Z= -4.204, p< .001). The pre-implementation mean ± SD for depression (M=16.84 ± SD 5.11) had improvement in scores at post implementation (M=8.16 ± SD 4.33). The total pre and post PHQ-9 showed statistical significance (Z= -4.355, p< .001). The post implementation gratitude scores (M=33.64 ± SD 4.93) had improvement from the pre implementation gratitude scores (M=29.80 ± SD 7.0). The total pre and post GQ-6 also showed statistical significance (Z= -2.911, p=.004). Implications: The intervention showed favorable results to support implementing gratitude journals to improve patient’s gratitude, anxiety, and depressive related symptoms. Keywords: gratitude journal, mental health, anxiety, depressionD.N.P.Includes bibliographical reference
Yersinia pestis DNA from Skeletal Remains from the 6(th) Century AD Reveals Insights into Justinianic Plague.
No full textYersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of the disease plague, has been implicated in three historical pandemics. These include the third pandemic of the 19(th) and 20(th) centuries, during which plague was spread around the world, and the second pandemic of the 14(th)-17(th) centuries, which included the infamous epidemic known as the Black Death. Previous studies have confirmed that Y. pestis caused these two more recent pandemics. However, a highly spirited debate still continues as to whether Y. pestis caused the so-called Justinianic Plague of the 6(th)-8(th) centuries AD. By analyzing ancient DNA in two independent ancient DNA laboratories, we confirmed unambiguously the presence of Y. pestis DNA in human skeletal remains from an Early Medieval cemetery. In addition, we narrowed the phylogenetic position of the responsible strain down to major branch 0 on the Y. pestis phylogeny, specifically between nodes N03 and N05. Our findings confirm that Y. pestis was responsible for the Justinianic Plague, which should end the controversy regarding the etiology of this pandemic. The first genotype of a Y. pestis strain that caused the Late Antique plague provides important information about the history of the plague bacillus and suggests that the first pandemic also originated in Asia, similar to the other two plague pandemics
Enhancing Prefrontal Neuron Activity Enables Associative Learning of Temporally Disparate Events
No full textSummaryThe ability to link events that are separated in time is important for extracting meaning from experiences and guiding behavior in the future. This ability likely requires the brain to continue representing events even after they have passed, a process that may involve the prefrontal cortex and takes the form of sustained, event-specific neuron activity. Here, we show that experimentally increasing the activity of excitatory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) enables rats to associate two stimuli separated by a 750-ms long temporal gap. Learning is accompanied by ramping increases in prefrontal theta and beta rhythms during the interval between stimuli. This ramping activity predicts memory-related behavioral responses on a trial-by-trial basis but is not correlated with the same muscular activity during non-memory conditions. Thus, the enhancement of prefrontal neuron excitability extends the time course of evoked prefrontal network activation and facilitates the formation of associations of temporally disparate, but correlated, events
Analyzing and improving social safety net access
No full textDue to means-tested requirements, administrative burdens are an unavoidable component of the social safety net as it is currently structured in the United States. Despite this composition, and because it is incumbent upon public agencies to ensure these processes are not overwhelming, it is necessary to understand how the complex administrative processes and required documentation shape program access. This is particularly important for two primary safety net programs which each have a history of serving fewer than all who are eligible, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Those who are already struggling with the trauma of scarcity and poverty may have limited cognitive resources to process the information they need to learn to apply to a program, and to comply with the necessary processes, allowing administrative burden to disadvantage those who need safety net programs the most. My dissertation explores three topics related to administrative burden and its role in varying safety net participation rates.
Chapter 2, Disentangling Administrative Burden: Why Some Families Forgo TANF Benefits, uses first-hand accounts of SNAP recipients who are likely TANF eligible to explore how people experience and perceive administration burden and its role in program access. A key finding from this analysis is that despite relatively similar application processes, SNAP and TANF have very different compliance and psychological costs associated with applying to and receiving benefits. These different degrees of costs of administrative burden between programs leads to cost-benefit analyses among those potentially eligible to ultimately participate in SNAP at much higher rates than TANF. For those with some awareness of or experience with TANF, specific program requirements – participation in training classes and paternity disclosure – were of greater concern than the administrative burdens they overcame to receive SNAP.
Chapter 3, Developing a County Level Index to Assess TANF Access, explores the creation of a way to measure TANF access at the county level. This is an important topic as there are differences in policy implementation in practice that lead to different office environments, and subsequently to different levels of program access for families in need. This exploratory analysis reviewed many potential variables to measure program access at the county level. Based on theoretical considerations, substantive match, and data analysis, the following four were selected for inclusion: TANF-to-Poverty ratio, work participation rate, percent of SNAP caseload on TANF, and case closure rate. These variables provide key insights into program access and build upon the foundation of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities state level TANF-to-Poverty ratio. Based on this index, counties were categorized into four access factor groups, ranging from low to high access. These measures are important to future analyses that review how this index relates to the ability of counties in each group to reach those in need of TANF.
Finally, Chapter 4, Using Technology to Reduce SNAP Learning Costs: Lessons from a Survey Experiment, uses a survey experiment of a representative sample of New Jersey residents to test the effect of different communication methods on SNAP information recall. Participants were randomly assigned into one of four groups: a control group, and three treatment groups receiving the same information regarding SNAP presented in different formats– an informational flyer, an eligibility screener, and a video explanation. This analysis tested the theory that extraneous cognitive load present in standard government communication increases the learning costs associated with learning about the program, and subsequently affects program participation. Findings suggest that each of the three treatments were effective in increasing SNAP information recall, but that the video was most effective for most groups.
Most research on administrative burden has focused on burdens at a high level, exploring the various learning costs and their effects on specific experiences. Similarly, most research related to devolution and variation in safety net implementation has been focused at the state level. The papers presented in this dissertation add nuance to those discussions. Ultimately, each of these three analytical chapters explore the role of administrative burden and its effect on program access. Together they form a contribution to the literature showing differences in program access, offering a way to measure and monitor local variation in access, and begins a framework for assessing the efficacy of outreach to reduce such burdens associated with access. The application and continued analysis of these areas will be vital to informing policy implementation that better serves people when they need the social safety net.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Creating public values through cross-sector collaboration: a case of business improvement districts in New Jersey
No full textA significant body of scholarship on cross-sector collaboration highlights the conditions of success in collaborative relationships. Various factors could determine the success and failure of collaboration, but the agreement on partners' shared goals and values could not be reached without proper leaders and participants. Furthermore, collaboration may prioritize efficiency by sacrificing public values to private interests. This dissertation explores the collaborative features of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and the way that multiple participants involved in governance and management create public values. This study uses mixed methods to examine collaborative advantages and challenges created by different perspectives of participants. The findings suggest that the support and capacity of multiple participants enhance collaboration. Collaborative governance strengthens BIDs, such as professional expertise of managing directors and active participation of volunteering board/trust members. However, BIDs could not be sustained without support from governments and communities, because they can be politically vulnerable to the whims of multiple partners. Furthermore, participants perceive differences and improvements achieved by successful BIDs and request more participation of communities for greater success. In practice, public values can be discussed in the context of performance. The effectiveness of BIDs can be improved by enhancing democratic values and achieving managerial goals through collaborative governance. Although economic and institutional challenges create significant problems for declining city and town areas, BIDs are important collaborative efforts made by governments as well as private and nonprofit organizations. These collaborative actions for the public good could provide solutions for public policy challenges in urban areas and suggest implications for the future as well.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Jung Ah (Claire) Yu
Author Correction: Organ-specific metastases obtained by culturing colorectal cancer cells on tissue-specific decellularized scaffolds
No full textAuthor Correction to "Organ-specific metastases obtained by culturing colorectal cancer cells on tissue-specific decellularized scaffolds
- …
