The Impact Of The Closure Of Open Enrollment On Language Immersion Program

The purpose of this study is to investigate to what lengths the parents of open enrolled students are willing to go, to gain entrance into the Spanish Immersion program, upon the closure of open enrollment to 1% (one percent). Qualitative study results demonstrate that parents are not willing to go to any lengths to obtain enrollment. This significantly rejects the hypothesis that they would be willing to do “whatever it takes” as they communicated upon the initial closure of open enrollment to 1%. The greatest findings were that personal and family ethics had the greatest impact upon how far a family was willing to go, to gain enrollment. Furthermore, it was determined that parent’s resources, education level, and ability to navigate the education system greatly impacts whether or not alternative options are even considered, and matters of educational equity are at play even when open enrollment is closed

The Power of Timelessness and the Contemporary Influence of Modern Thought

In this dissertation I examine a variety of modern and postmodern texts by applying the theories of French philosopher Henri Bergson. Specifically, I apply Bergson\u27s theories of time, memory, and evolution to the texts in order to analyze the meaning of the poem and novels. I assert that all of the works disrupt conventional structure in order to question the linear nature of time. They do this because each must deal with the pressures of external chaos, and, as a result, they find timeless moments can create an internal resolution to the external chaos. I set out to create connections between British, Irish, and American literature, and I examine the influence each author has on others. The modern authors I examine include T. S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and William Faulkner. I then show the ways this application can elucidate the works of postmodern authors Toni Morrison and Michael Cunningham

Orion Aerodynamics for Hypersonic Free Molecular to Continuum Conditions

Numerical simulations are performed for the Orion Crew Module, previously known as the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) Command Module, to characterize its aerodynamics during the high altitude portion of its reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, that is, from free molecular to continuum hypersonic conditions. The focus is on flow conditions similar to those that the Orion Crew Module would experience during a return from the International Space Station. The bulk of the calculations are performed with two direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) codes, and these data are anchored with results from both free molecular and Navier-Stokes calculations. Results for aerodynamic forces and moments are presented that demonstrate their sensitivity to rarefaction, that is, for free molecular to continuum conditions (Knudsen numbers of 111 to 0.0003). Also included are aerodynamic data as a function of angle of attack for different levels of rarefaction and results that demonstrate the aerodynamic sensitivity of the Orion CM to a range of reentry velocities (7.6 to 15 km/s)

Higgs vacuum decay in a braneworld

We examine the effect of large extra dimensions on vacuum decay in the Randall– Sundrum (RS) braneworld paradigm. We assume the scalar field is confined to the brane, and compute the probability for forming an “anti-de Sitter” (AdS) bubble inside a critical flat RS brane. We present the first full numerical solutions for the brane instanton considering two test potentials for the scalar field. We explore the geometrical impact of thin and thick bubble walls, and compute the instanton action in a range of cases. We conclude by commenting on a more physically realistic potential relevant for the Standard Model Higgs. For bubbles with large backreaction, the extra dimension has a dramatic effect on the tunnelling rate, however, for the weakly backreacting bubbles more relevant for realistic Standard Model potentials, the extra dimension has little impact

The use of computer aided lung sound analysis to characterise lung sounds in a healthy population

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Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rates of Cyberbullying in a University Sample

Purpose and Originality Cyberbullying refers to when an individual or group harasses, mistreats, or mocks an individual or group using an electronic device in a way in which the victim(s) do not feel capable of responding or defending themselves (Whittaker & Kowalski, 2014). Cyberbullying is associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, substance use, delinquency, and poor academic performance (Zalaquett & Chatters, 2014). The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on cyberbullying. This study not only adds to the limited information concerning cyberbullying among college students, but also whether cyberbullying may have been impacted by increased utilization of online learning platforms during the pandemic. Method Between March and April 2021, participants (n = 135) were recruited from a mid-sized public university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States using the university’s research recruitment system (SONA). The 47-item survey was administered remotely using Qualtrics – an online survey platform – and included items inspired from previous works including the self-report Participant Role Questionnaire (PRQ; Bushard, 2013), the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ; Olweus, 1996), and the Cyberbullying Experiences Survey (Doane et al., 2013). The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete and asked participants about their age, race/ethnicity, gender, class standing, involvement in student groups, experiences with cyberbullying, perceived rates of cyberbullying since the pandemic, and their personal participation in cyberbullying. Results and Significance As expected, the sample endorsed much higher levels of overall online activity since university classes went to an online format in April 2020. However, on average, participants did not believe that changing to online platforms led to a general increase in cyberaggression, did not personally perceive an increase in cyberaggression during this period, nor was there an increase in endorsements of personal involvement in cyberbullying as either the aggressor or victim. The variable with the strongest relationship to cyberaggressing during the pandemic (since April 2020) was endorsement of being cybervictimized (r =.735, p = r = 0.373, p = n = 36, 28%), “Classmates who are not friends” (n = 32, 25%), and “I don’t know” (n = 27, 21%). In summary, our results suggest that most participants did not view increased online learning as a catalyst for cyberaggression, though participants with personal histories with cyberaggression appeared sensitized to, or further engaged in, the phenomena. Further research should seek to shed light on the actions and perceptions related to cyberbullying in this important subgroup

Excavating Awareness and Power in Data Science: A Manifesto for Trustworthy Pervasive Data Research

Frequent public uproar over forms of data science that rely on information about people demonstrates the challenges of defining and demonstrating trustworthy digital data research practices. This paper reviews problems of trustworthiness in what we term pervasive data research: scholarship that relies on the rich information generated about people through digital interaction. We highlight the entwined problems of participant unawareness of such research and the relationship of pervasive data research to corporate datafication and surveillance. We suggest a way forward by drawing from the history of a different methodological approach in which researchers have struggled with trustworthy practice: ethnography. To grapple with the colonial legacy of their methods, ethnographers have developed analytic lenses and researcher practices that foreground relations of awareness and power. These lenses are inspiring but also challenging for pervasive data research, given the flattening of contexts inherent in digital data collection. We propose ways that pervasive data researchers can incorporate reflection on awareness and power within their research to support the development of trustworthy data science

Acceptance and commitment therapy processes and their association with distress in cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Around 42% of individuals with cancer experience distress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can reduce distress, but effects are small, and mechanisms unclear. This review aimed to identify associations between ACT processes and distress in cancer. Search terms included cancer, ACT processes, self-compassion, and distress. Six online databases and grey literature were searched to March 2022. Of 6555 papers screened, 108 studies were included with a total of 17195 participants. Five meta-analyses of seventy-seven studies were conducted. Random effects meta-analyses of correlations revealed higher scores on flexible processes (acceptance, present moment awareness, self-compassion) were associated with lower distress (rpooled = -0.24, -0.39, -0.48, respectively); whilst higher scores on inflexible processes (experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion) were associated with higher distress (rpooled = 0.58, 0.57, respectively). Meta-analyses displayed moderate-to-high heterogeneity with most studies assessed as low risk of bias. Meta-regressions revealed no significant moderators (stage, time since diagnosis, gender and age). This review provides a theoretically aligned evidence base for associations between ACT processes and distress in cancer, supporting elements of ACT theory and providing targeted directions for intervention development. Due to limited evidence, future research should focus on the under-investigated processes (self-as-context, values, committed action) and conducting mediation analysis of ACT processes on distress in cancer in controlled trials

Bacteria-Specific Neutrophil Dysfunction Associated with Interferon-Stimulated Gene Expression in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a poorly understood condition with greater than 30% mortality. Massive recruitment of neutrophils to the lung occurs in the initial stages of the ARDS. Significant variability in the severity and duration of ARDS-associated pulmonary inflammation could be linked to heterogeneity in the inflammatory capacity of neutrophils. Interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) are a broad gene family induced by Type I interferons. While ISGs are central to anti-viral immunity, the potential exists for these genes to evoke extensive modification in cellular response in other clinical settings. In this prospective study, we sought to determine if ISG expression in circulating neutrophils from ARDS patients is associated with changes in neutrophil function. Circulating neutrophil RNA was isolated, and hierarchical clustering ranked patients' expression of three ISGs. Neutrophil response to pathogenic bacteria was compared between normal and high ISG-expressing neutrophils. High neutrophil ISG expression was found in 25 of 95 (26%) of ARDS patients and was associated with reduced migration toward interleukin-8, and altered responses to Staphylococcus aureus, but not Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which included decreased p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation, superoxide anion release, interleukin-8 release, and a shift from necrotic to apoptotic cell death. These alterations in response were reflected in a decreased capacity to kill S. aureus, but not P. aeruginosa. Therefore, the ISG expression signature is associated with an altered circulating neutrophil response phenotype in ARDS that may predispose a large subgroup of patients to increased risk of specific bacterial infections