873 research outputs found
Water Quality Trading and Offset Initiatives in the U.S.: A Comprehensive Survey
This document summarizes water quality trading and offset initiatives in the United States, including state-wide policies and recent proposals. The following format was used to present information on each program. We attempted to have each program summary reviewed by at least one contact person for program accuracy. In the cases where this review occurred, we added the statement "Reviewed by.." at the end of the case summary
Checking-in to Create Instructor-Student Immediacy in Honors
Weekly, self-evaluative briefs are used to assess students’ general wellbeing during the coronavirus crisis. Authors discuss the efficacy of personalized check-ins and remote, interpersonal rapport, suggesting a positive impact on student learning outcomes
Comparison of parent-rated teaching activities during the first and second school lockdowns and its association with students’ learning outcomes during distant teaching
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were closed twice in Germany for several months. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether distant teaching activities increased from the first school lockdown to the second school lockdown and whether the frequency of distant teaching activities were related to students’ outcomes (motivation, competent and independent learning, perceived learning progress) during distant learning. To this end, N = 3,480 legal guardians filled in an online questionnaire during the second lockdown (see Steinmayr et al., 2021). Distant teaching activities greatly increased from the first lockdown to the second lockdown. Besides communication with a parent, all other distant teaching activities were more frequent at secondary schools. However, in both elementary and secondary schools, distant teaching activities varied greatly. Distant teaching activities as well as children’s characteristics and social background were independently important for students’ outcomes. The results are discussed with regard to their practical implications for realizing distant teaching
Boosting Benefits, Offsetting Obstacles – the Impact of Explanations on AI Users’ Task Performance
Artificial Intelligence (AI) bears the potential to inform human decision-making in a large variety of domains. However, its “black box” character poses an obstacle to human agency in interaction with AI-based decision support. A possible solution comes from the research field of Explainable AI (XAI), which generates explanations that reveal AI’s functioning to users. Our research on XAI focuses on understanding the immediate and prolonged effect of XAI-based decision support on task performance. To this end, we conducted a randomized between-subjects online experiment with 289 participants performing the task of image classification. We find that explanations along AI decisions boost the positive effect of AI-based decision support on task performance during interaction. Furthermore, explanations can counterbalance the potential negative effect on prolonged task performance, which manifests after AI-based decision support is being withdrawn. Our findings contribute to understanding the impact of XAI on the outcome of human-AI interaction
Contributions of episodic retrieval and mentalizing to autobiographical thought: Evidence from functional neuroimaging, resting-state connectivity, and fMRI meta-analyses
A growing number of studies suggest the brain's "default network" becomes engaged when individuals recall their personal past or simulate their future. Recent reports of heterogeneity within the network raise the possibility that these autobiographical processes comprised of multiple component processes, each supported by distinct functional-anatomic subsystems. We previously hypothesized that a medial temporal subsystem contributes to autobiographical memory and future thought by enabling individuals to retrieve prior information and bind this information into a mental scene. Conversely, a dorsal medial subsystem was proposed to support social-reflective aspects of autobiographical thought, allowing individuals to reflect on the mental states of one's self and others (i.e. "mentalizing"). To test these hypotheses, we first examined activity in the default network subsystems as participants performed two commonly employed tasks of episodic retrieval and mentalizing. In a subset of participants, relationships among task-evoked regions were examined at rest, in the absence of an overt task. Finally, large-scale fMRI meta-analyses were conducted to identify brain regions that most strongly predicted the presence of episodic retrieval and mentalizing, and these results were compared to meta-analyses of autobiographical tasks. Across studies, laboratory-based episodic retrieval tasks were preferentially linked to the medial temporal subsystem, while mentalizing tasks were preferentially linked to the dorsal medial subsystem. In turn, autobiographical tasks engaged aspects of both subsystems. These results suggest the default network is a heterogeneous brain system whose subsystems support distinct component processes of autobiographical thought
Implementierung und Evaluierung eines beidseitigen Handovers am Robotersystem EDAN
Diese Bachelorarbeit thematisiert ein beidseitiges Handover am Robotersystem EDAN. EMG-controlled Daily AssistaNt (EDAN) ist ein Assistenzroboter bestehend aus einem Rollstuhl und einem Roboterarm an dessen rechter Seite. Für die Umsetzung des Handovers wird als erstes eine Methode zur Bestimmung von 3D Gelenkpositionen ausgewählt und am System integriert.
Daraufhin werden die beiden Handoverrichtungen, vom Menschen zum Roboter und vom Roboter zum Menschen, mithilfe von Shared Control Templates (SCT) definiert.
Das Besondere an dieser Umsetzung ist, dass ein Benutzer den Roboter steuert. Ziel ist es, mittels der SCT die Übergabe für den Benutzer möglichst angenehm zu gestalten.
FĂĽr jede der beiden Handoverrichtungen werden drei Versionen erstellt. Diese werden abschlieĂźend mittels einer kleinen Nutzerstudie evaluiert.
In this bachelor thesis, a two-sided handover between robot and human is implemented
and evaluated. This is done on the robot system EDAN. EMG-controlled Daily
AssistaNt is an assistance robot, containing a wheelchair and a robotic arm.
The first part of the thesis is the implementation of a method to detect the 3D position of selected human joints.
In the next step, three versions of the handover are implemented for both sides. For this purpose, the handover versions are defined with the use of Shared Control Templates (SCT).
The particular feature of the handover is the control of the robot system by a user. Therefore, the goal of this thesis is the user-friendliness during the handover.
A small user study is conducted to determine the user thoughts on the handover task. Based on the findings of the user study, the handover is evaluated
Evaluating polyphenolic antioxidant protection of mitochondrial DNA in a variety of human skin models
PhD ThesisCompromised skin barrier function negatively impacts up to 50% of our global population.
Skin areas with compromised barrier integrity are affected more by environmental triggers
such as sun exposure and environmental pollution which induce cellular oxidative stress,
damage skin integrity and promote skin aging. At a sub-cellular level there are accumulative
strand breaks to mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Limited repair mechanisms and proximity to
the site of superoxide generation, make mtDNA a biomarker of oxidative damage in multiple
human cell and tissue types.
This project optimised a long-range qPCR method to compare relative mtDNA damage
between samples. An application of this methodology tested commercial antioxidants (AOXs)
tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) and pterostilbene (PTERO) for their capacity to protect skin
mtDNA from sun exposure in a wide range of human skin models; primary monocultures, skin
equivalents, and whole skin ex-plants. The assay was also used to detect mtDNA damage
between donor-matched basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and non-BCC facial skin.
In skin monolayer experiments, the mtDNA of foreskin-derived adult keratinocytes or
differentiated keratinocytes was not protected by THC or PTERO. However the mtDNA of
foreskin-derived adult reticular fibroblasts was protected by THC (but not PTERO), with
greatest protection provided by a THC + PTERO combination.
Various technical protocols were developed in this thesis, including an in-house full thickness
human skin equivalent using CELLnTEC medium. Skin equivalents have donor-matched
layers and no scaffold material, so fibroblasts secrete and maintain their own dermal
extracellular matrix. A majority of the skin equivalents were formed with foreskin-derived
adult keratinocytes and reticular fibroblasts, but some trials were performed using the same
cell types derived from adult facial skin. In-house (CELLnTEC) and commercial (Labskin™)
skin equivalents, foreskin and facial ex-plant skin were also tested for mtDNA protection by
THC/PTERO/combination within topically applied Physiogel™ base formulations. As the
epidermis can be manually removed from Labskin™, the qPCR assay detected a high 64-fold
range of mtDNA damage in this epidermis and in-house (CELLnTEC) skin equivalents.
However, the qPCR assay sensitivity was reduced in thicker skin models such as whole
Labskin™, foreskin and facial ex-plant skin. As such it was difficult to determine conclusive
results from formulation testing in these models using the mtDNA qPCR assay.
It is anticipated that the mtDNA assay and human skin equivalent arising from this thesis will
have wide-ranging applications. The data pertaining to THC/PTERO is indicative that these
AOXs could enhance the GSK commercial Physiogel™ skin range designed for skin that is
particularly reactive to environmental stressors such as sunlight.BBSRC and
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcar
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