A study to determine the effect of music and proof-reading techniques on creative writing in grades five and six

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Spacecraft crew procedures from paper to computers

Described here is a research project that uses human factors and computer systems knowledge to explore and help guide the design and creation of an effective Human-Computer Interface (HCI) for spacecraft crew procedures. By having a computer system behind the user interface, it is possible to have increased procedure automation, related system monitoring, and personalized annotation and help facilities. The research project includes the development of computer-based procedure system HCI prototypes and a testbed for experiments that measure the effectiveness of HCI alternatives in order to make design recommendations. The testbed will include a system for procedure authoring, editing, training, and execution. Progress on developing HCI prototypes for a middeck experiment performed on Space Shuttle Mission STS-34 and for upcoming medical experiments are discussed. The status of the experimental testbed is also discussed

Hippocampal Network Activity is Transiently Altered by Induction of Long-Term Potentiation in the Dentate Gyrus of Freely Behaving Rats

A role for oscillatory activity in hippocampal neuronal networks has been proposed in sensory encoding, cognitive functions and synaptic plasticity. In the hippocampus, theta (5–10 Hz) and gamma (30–100 Hz) oscillations may provide a mechanism for temporal encoding of information, and the basis for formation and retrieval of memory traces. Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission, a candidate cellular model of synaptic information storage, is typically induced by high-frequency tetanisation (HFT) of afferent pathways. Taking into account the role of oscillatory activity in the processing of information, dynamic changes may occur in hippocampal network activity in the period during HFT and/or soon after it. These changes in rhythmic activity may determine or, at least, contribute to successful potentiation and, in general, to formation of memory. We have found that short-term potentiation (STP) and LTP as well LTP-failure are characterised with different profiles of changes in theta and gamma frequencies. Potentiation of synaptic transmission was associated with a significant increase in the relative theta power and mean amplitude of theta cycles in the period encompassing 300 seconds after HFT. Where LTP or STP, but not failure of potentiation, occurred, this facilitation of theta was accompanied by transient increases in gamma power and in the mean amplitude of gamma oscillations within a single theta cycle. Our data support that specific, correlated changes in these parameters are associated with successful synaptic potentiation. These findings suggest that changes in theta-gamma activity associated with induction of LTP may enable synaptic information storage in the hippocampus

Westernization and Muslims in Western Europe

Many scholars argue that as a whole, Muslims in Europe are not successfully integrating into European society. The reasons why are debated and still far from understood. It is clear, however, that many Muslim communities are negatively affected by many socioeconomic factors, leaving them poor and viewed as outcasts. Given these circumstances, scholars have suggested that some individuals join radical Islamist groups to give meaning to their lives and secure a sense of inclusion because they do not feel a part of the country in which they live. However, this fails to explain the numerous cases of highly educated, middle class Muslim individuals who appear to be successfully integrated into society, yet are converting to radical Islam. There is perhaps an underlying force at work that may explain why some individuals from both ends of the spectrum are turning to radical Islam: globalization

Private Equity Investments in Microfinance in India

A trail connects a skyscraper in Manhattan’s Financial District to a tiny food stand in a village in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Initially wild and overgrown, the trail now resembles a well-developed road, cleared and shaped. The trail does not connect customers to call centers or raw materials to laborers; the path connects lenders seeking abnormal returns on their investments to borrowers living in poverty. This is the path of private equity investments in microfinance. Microfinance is a powerful financial innovation that has changed personal finance in many parts of the world. While microfinance began as non-profit means of empowering low-income entrepreneurs, the promise of scale, high repayment rates, and underserved markets has made microfinance an increasingly attractive investment for profit-seeking investors. This observation is supported by an unprecedented level of private equity investment in microfinance enterprises. Microfinance’s promise as an investment opportunity is best exemplified in India, which offers a vast low-income population, low penetration of personal financial products, liberal regulatory policies, and cultural forces that support group liability structures. This Note analyzes the investment potential of microfinance through the scope of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in India in four parts. Part II describes the MFI business model and explores how MFIs create contractual advantages and operational efficiencies in serving low-income borrowers. Part III explores how the Reserve Bank of India regulates MFIs and the incentive effects of these regulations on MFI behavior. Part IV attempts to quantify the extent of private equity investment in MFIs. Part V analyzes why private equity firms invest in MFIs and argues that two emerging trends may make MFIs less attractive investments in the future

To Stuff, or Not to Stuff

None provided

The Effects of Written Stuttering Disclosure on Young Adult\u27s Perceptions of Children Who Stutter

Abstract: Purpose: This study measured between-group differences in perceived speech skills and personality characters of a 12-year-old male child who stutters (CWS) as a function of a written factual stuttering disclosure statement, delivered by a male CWS, his “mother”, and his “teacher”. Methods: Four-hundred twenty-four college aged adults were randomly assigned to one of four groups. The groups included three experimental groups (i.e. written self-disclosure, written mother-disclosure, written teacher disclosure) and a control group (no written disclosure). Participants in the control condition viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old male who stutters. In the experimental conditions, participants viewed a brief written disclosure statement for 30 seconds, followed by the same video used in the control condition. Following the videos, participants completed surveys relative to their perceptions of the boy’s speech skills and personality characteristics. Results: Results support previous research in that the use of stuttering disclosure statements yield significant differences in participant perceptions. However, the significant differences found in the current study, using written disclosure, were less substantive compared to previous research using either live or video disclosure statements. Based on these data, stuttering disclosures written by the mother were associated with significant perceptual differences of the CWS. Conclusions: While written disclosure statements were found to significantly impact select perceptions of a CWS, these data were less compelling than previous studies using live or video disclosure statements. Implications for future research and applications are discussed

Health Communication Support in Baseline Health Literacy Research

Health literacy refers to the ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make good health decisions. Improving health outcomes in Rhode Island requires removing health literacy barriers. In the spring of 2019, researchers at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College received funding from the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services to assess health literacy in Medicaid beneficiary outpatient health centers. Such research has never before been conducted in Rhode Island. Researchers administered a modified health literacy assessment to collect self-reported data on patient health status, measure patient confidence in accessing health information, measure patient confidence in making health decisions, and record patient feedback for improving cultural competence among medical providers. The data collection period was from April 2019 to March 2020; the research is ongoing. I have served as an undergraduate research assistant since the project began. I have assisted the principal investigators in data collection, data entry, quantitative analysis, thematic analysis, and literature review. For my Honors Project, I developed health communication materials to support the translation of our findings into easily accessible information for healthcare providers and patients. I created two data briefs and one video. Each data brief included general health literacy information, research project purpose and goals, data summary, key patient responses, and demographic information. One brief summarized information from our Providence Community Health Center sites; the second brief summarized information from our Thundermist Health Center sites. A five-minute video was created to increase patients’ understanding of what the term ‘health literacy’ means. The video uses simple language, clear examples, and animation to provide a straightforward conceptualization of health literacy

Private Equity Investments in Microfinance in India

A trail connects a skyscraper in Manhattan’s Financial District to a tiny food stand in a village in the southeast Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Initially wild and overgrown, the trail now resembles a well-developed road, cleared and shaped. The trail does not connect customers to call centers or raw materials to laborers; the path connects lenders seeking abnormal returns on their investments to borrowers living in poverty. This is the path of private equity investments in microfinance. Microfinance is a powerful financial innovation that has changed personal finance in many parts of the world. While microfinance began as non-profit means of empowering low-income entrepreneurs, the promise of scale, high repayment rates, and underserved markets has made microfinance an increasingly attractive investment for profit-seeking investors. This observation is supported by an unprecedented level of private equity investment in microfinance enterprises. Microfinance’s promise as an investment opportunity is best exemplified in India, which offers a vast low-income population, low penetration of personal financial products, liberal regulatory policies, and cultural forces that support group liability structures. This Note analyzes the investment potential of microfinance through the scope of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in India in four parts. Part II describes the MFI business model and explores how MFIs create contractual advantages and operational efficiencies in serving low-income borrowers. Part III explores how the Reserve Bank of India regulates MFIs and the incentive effects of these regulations on MFI behavior. Part IV attempts to quantify the extent of private equity investment in MFIs. Part V analyzes why private equity firms invest in MFIs and argues that two emerging trends may make MFIs less attractive investments in the future