A study of the current practices in fostering intercultural understanding in the settlement houses in Greater Boston

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Enroute flight planning: Evaluating design concepts for the development of cooperative problem-solving concepts

The goals of this research were to develop design concepts to support the task of enroute flight planning. And within this context, to explore and evaluate general design concepts and principles to guide the development of cooperative problem solving systems. A detailed model is to be developed of the cognitive processes involved in flight planning. Included in this model will be the identification of individual differences of subjects. Of particular interest will be differences between pilots and dispatchers. The effect will be studied of the effect on performance of tools that support planning at different levels of abstraction. In order to conduct this research, the Flight Planning Testbed (FPT) was developed, a fully functional testbed environment for studying advanced design concepts for tools to aid in flight planning

Danger-Inequality of Resources Present: Can the Environmental Mediation Process Provide an Effective Answer

The environmental dispute resolution field has grown rapidly since its advent in 1973, when two mediators, Gerald Cormick and Jane McCarthy, undertook the first documented attempt to settle an environmental dispute.\u27 Since this initial effort, the use of mediation in environmental disputes has grown rapidly, leading to the continual evolution and improvement of the field. Despite this progress, mediation in environmental disputes remains as it began: a hotly contested issue, with prominent and influential commentators vigorously debating whether it is an appropriate device to resolve environmental dispute

Anthrozoology Center: Healing Through Animal-Assisted Therapy

Anthrozoology is defined as the interdisciplinary study of the interaction between humans and other animals. This thesis involves animal-human relationships and the ways that animals can improve the mental, physical, and the spiritual health of people. I will be specifically researching the positive effects of the connections equines and canines have on humans and implementing designs that respond to that. Equine-assisted therapy has been a method for helping individuals with disabilities and trauma for centuries. To respond to the need for this type of therapy, I will design a facility that gives space for the occupants to bond and interact with the horses as well as encourage joy and wellbeing. Answering questions like ?How can hippotherapy (horse-assisted therapy) and architectural design assimilate in a way that is inviting to a broad spectrum of people?? ?How can we use architecture and nature to encourage the wellbeing of equines as well as people?? Using innovation, I am looking to blend the separation between the animal, and human spaces in a way that is inviting, aesthetic, and comfortable. A strong emphasis on framing the ambient outdoor space will be incorporated into the overall design. Connecting to nature is complimentary to connection with animals, and naturally helps us heal. Along with equine therapy, I will be including canine assisted international space within the program

Enroute flight planning: The design of cooperative planning systems

Design concepts and principles to guide in the building of cooperative problem solving systems are being developed and evaluated. In particular, the design of cooperative systems for enroute flight planning is being studied. The investigation involves a three stage process, modeling human performance in existing environments, building cognitive artifacts, and studying the performance of people working in collaboration with these artifacts. The most significant design concepts and principles identified thus far are the principle focus

To Seek the Boundaries of the Roman Lares: Interaction and Evolution

Worship of the Lares is an integral part of Roman life and the Lares are ubiquitous in the art and literature of the Roman world. The Lares are frequently glossed as simply "household gods" and comprise part of domestic religion. Yet, our understanding of domestic religion is incomplete, as is our knowledge of the Lares. The purpose of this work is to provide new insight into the nature and worship of the Lares, using textual and physical evidence. I examine the development of the Lares from their initial stages around the time of Rome's founding into the Empire, noting which of their qualities are static and which are fluid. Such an approach allows us to see how the Lares interacted with their contexts and reveals that the Lares became associated with ancestors under the influence of other gods, but always retained their connections to boundaries and to silence

Benthic Community Responses to Hypoxic Conditions in the Lower Rappahannock River, Virginia

The effects of seasonal low dissolved oxygen conditions upon benthic macroinvertebrate communities were studied in the lower Rappahannock River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Benthic communities were sampled during March, June, August, and September 1993 at five equidistant depths (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 m) extending upwards from the deepwater Virginia Benthic Biological Monitoring Station LE3.4 located in the deep basin just inside the mouth of the Rappahannock River. Infaunal species diversity, richness, biomass, and density were measured along with the vertical depth distribution of organisms within the sediment. Significant sediment differences were found between the shallowest, 5 m station, and all deeper sampling depths. Benthic communities displayed a systematic response to the temporal and spatial extent of the hypoxic water mass. Following summer low dissolved oxygen conditions, infaunal communities at the shallow and intermediate depths were dominated by surface-dwelling opportunistic Fauna. Several lines of evidence indicate a continuous degradation of the communities inhabiting the two deepest sampling depths, including depressed levels of infaunal biomass and diversity preceding summer hypoxia, a year-long dominance by opportunistic fauna, and the lack of infaunal organisms inhabiting sediment depths greater than 5 cm. Comparison of these deepwater communities with an upriver station not subjected to low dissolved oxygen stress confirms this. Long-term monitoring of these deepwater communities can provide little information regarding the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic forces to seasonal low dissolved oxygen in the lower Rappahannock River. The creation of an additional mid-water monitoring station is suggested, which in combination with the present deepwater station may be more indicative of changes in benthic community health due to Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts or changing water quality conditions

Prostaglandins and Steroid Hormones in Follicular Fluid As Predictors of Outcome in In-Vitro Fertilisation

The evolution of in-vitro fertilisation over the last decade has produced major advances in ovarian hyperstimulation, cycle monitoring, oocyte retrieval and embryo transfer techniques. The methodology for culture of human oocytes and their fertilisation has been refined such that fertilisation rates of over 70% can now be obtained