Construction of tests predictive of success in first-year shorthand

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityThe problem--This study was an attempt to construct aptitude tests for predicting success in first-year shorthand. No effort was mad to construct measures for factors concerned with transcription or vocational success. Procedure--Functional factors believed to influence the learning of shorthand were identified. Test items were constructed for tests of (1) Phonetic Perception, (2) Retention Ability, (3) Observation Aptitude, (4) Pattern from Parts, and (5) Hand Dexterity. Before the fundamentals of shorthand were introduced, the proposed shorthand aptitude tests were administered to three sample populations--college, junior-college and business-school, and high-school. The Semester Shorthand Accomplishment Test, by Tilly S. Dickinson, was used as the criterion measure of first-year shorthand achievement. After the fundamentals of shorthand had been presented, seven letters, each consisting of two-and-one-half minutes of material, dictated at progressive speeds, were administered to the sample populations. Intercorrelations, means, and standard deviations were computed for each sample population. In addition, partial coefficients, partial regression coefficients, Beta coefficients, and regression equations were computed. Findings--The multiple R between the scores of aptitude tests and the shorthand accomplishment scores for 128 students in the College Group was .76, with a standard error of ±.04. Correlations between the tests of Phonetic Perception, Retention Ability, Observation Aptitude, Pattern from Parts, and Hand Dexterity and the criterion measure were .36, .44, .18, .28, and .68 respectively. The standard error of estimate for any criterion schore, when predicted from aptitude scores, was found to be ±49.42 score points. The multiple R between scores of the aptitude tests and the shorthand accomplishment scores for 142 students in Junior-College and Business-school Group was .59, with a standard error of ±.06. Correlations between the five aptitude tests as listed above and the criterion measure were .52, .27, .37, .31, and .27 respectively. The standard error of estimate for any criterion score, when predicted from aptitude scores, was found to be ±68.70 score points. The multiple R between the scores of the aptitude tests and the shorthand accomplishment scores for 137 students in the High-School Group was .62, with a standard error of ±.05. Correlations between the five aptitude tests as listed above ad the criterion measure were .49, .24, .32, .46, .47 respectively. The standard error of estimate for any criterion score, when predicted from aptitude scores, was found to be ±54.68 score points. Conclusions--The obtained multiple R for the College Group indicated the presence of a significant relationship between the scores of the aptitude tests and the criterion measure. The multiple R's for the Junior-College and Business-School Group for the High-School Group indicated a relationship of considerable value. The scores from the proposed aptitude tests, together with measures of other factors such as motivation and intelligence, could be used in forecasting group performance for each sample population. For the College Group, the obtained multiple R indicated that the scores from the aptitude tests, together with measures of other factors, could be used to estimate an individual's potentialities to succeed in the first-year shorthand. This study indicated that the proposed aptitude tests could assist teachers and guidance personnel in their efforts to (1) improve the procedure of grouping shorthand students, (2) establish achievement standards for shorthand courses, and (3) identify individual differences and needs of shorthand students within groups

A qualitative study of 129 police lethal force incidents in 2016 examining participant behavior relating to mental illness that contributes to the use of lethal force.

This multi-case, exploratory research study examined videos and related news media articles of lethal police shootings and found commonalities and possible contributing factors. Videos and informational articles posted on news media websites in the public domain were used in a qualitative content analysis to identify common elements in police lethal force incidents. The results of this study revealed contributing behaviors by the participants related to mental illness that contribute to lethal force. The decision to use lethal force by a police officer is framed using four analytical themes

The use of catchment-scale riparian intervention measures in downstream flood hazard mitigation

In recent years there has been debate over increasing flood risk in Britain, whilst the perception of increased flood risk is becoming more prevalent. This comes at a time when funding for flood defence construction and maintenance is thought to be insufficient, but public spending is facing contraction. This study explores the potential of diffuse, small-scale interventions placed throughout the Uck catchment to reduce the flood peak downstream at Uckfield. Catchment Riparian Intervention Measures (CRIMs) in this study take the form of woody debris dams and riparian vegetation, designed to reduce flow conveyance, and attenuate flow through local flooding. Few studies have investigated the catchment-scale effects of spatially diffuse flood risk reduction measures due in part to the large computational requirement of modelling numerous spatial arrangements of potentially a wide variety of intervention measures. The reduced complexity hydrological model Overflow was therefore chosen for this study. In contrast to more complex models, Overflow allows the spatial arrangement of flood risk reduction measures to be investigated rapidly, and with ease. First, the performance of Overflow is evaluated by carrying out sensitivity and uncertainty analyses. It was found that the presence of a number of homogenous parameters, namely roughness parameters, do not prevent useful results from being obtained. However, other parameters are more important to model output. This led to the partial calibration of Overflow to improve the temporal representation of catchment hydrological response throughout the simulated storm event. Following this, Overflow simulated to a good degree the hydrograph observed downstream of Uckfield during the October 2000 flood event. Second, the effect of the spatial arrangement of CRIMs placed throughout the Uck catchment was explored. The location of a CRIM in the catchment had an important influence on its effectiveness as a risk reduction measure, conditioned to a small degree by local channel and floodplain properties. In a number of reaches, the placement of a CRIM increased downstream peak flow, due primarily to modification of the relative flood wave timing. When several CRIMs were added to reaches throughout the catchment, interaction effects became important. The effect of a CRIM when others were placed throughout the catchment could not be predicted by its effect in isolation. An intervention strategy is developed. Overall, by placing CRIMs in 52 reaches throughout the Uck catchment, simulated peak flow at Uckfield was reduced by 12.5 cumecs, from an initial peak of 124.7 cumecs

Jaxon Rag

Four men with instruments located at the bottom left corner and an illustration of other musicians in the bottom right cornerhttps://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cht-sheet-music/13946/thumbnail.jp

The water use of the UK electricity sector and its vulnerability to drought

PhD ThesisThe majority (80%) of global electricity generation comes from thermal power stations, most of which use large volumes of water for cooling. Population growth and climate change are likely to increase water scarcity, whilst many countries are exploring pathways to low-carbon electricity systems. Thermal power stations, both with and without carbon capture and storage (CCS), are likely to continue using water for cooling where possible for the foreseeable future. This thesis investigates the dependency on water for cooling of multiple low-carbon pathways for the UK put forward by Government and academia. An analytical framework that combines generation technologies, cooling systems and sources, water use factors and regional water availability is applied at national and regional scales. Whilst most decarbonisation pathways reduce freshwater use for a variety of reasons, high levels of CCS are likely to increase freshwater demands due to the increased water intensity of CCS generation. Furthermore, higher demands will be locally concentrated, given Government’s strategy to cluster CCS facilities. Subsequently, UKCP09 Weather Generator climate timeseries and a hydrological model of the River Trent are used to simulate the effects of hydroclimatic variability on licensed water availability. The impacts are tested on a CCS cluster operating with different cooling systems and under two Government-proposed abstraction regimes. Capacity availability is impacted by low flows, but this can be mitigated through increased use of hybrid cooling and prioritisation of more water-efficient capacity. Other innovative solutions may reduce freshwater dependency, however these are not facilitated by the current policy and regulatory arrangements. In some cases, reducing water use and carbon emissions are in direct conflict. To ensure both energy and water security, this thesis proposes strategies that take into account the planning of CCS clusters, increasing competition for and scarcity of water, and the already challenging economics of CCS

Electricity systems capacity expansion under cooling water availability constraints

Large and reliable volumes of water are required to cool thermal power plants. Yet across the world growing demands from society, environmental regulation and climate change impacts are reducing the availability of reliable water supplies. This in turn constrains the capacity and locations of thermal power plants that can be developed. The authors present an integrated and spatially explicit energy systems model that explores optimal capacity expansion planning strategies, taking into account electricity and gas transmission infrastructure and cooling water constraints under climate change. In Great Britain, given the current availability of freshwater, it is estimated that around 32 GW of combined cycle gas turbine capacity can be sustainably and reliably supported by freshwater. However, to maintain the same reliability under a medium climate change scenario, this is halved to 16 GW. The authors also reveal that the current benefit of available freshwater to the power sector is ∼£50 billion between 2010 and 2050. Adapting to expected climate change impacts on the reduced reliability of freshwater resources could add an additional £18–19 billion in system costs to the low-carbon energy transition over the time horizon, as more expensive cooling technologies and locations are required

MESSAGEix-GLOBIOM Nexus Module: Integrating water sector and climate impacts

The Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) MESSAGEix-GLOBIOM developed by IIASA is widely used to analyse global change and socioeconomic development scenarios within the energy and land systems across different scales. However, until now, the representation of impacts from climate impacts and water systems within the IAM has been limited. We present a new nexus module for MESSAGEix-GLOBIOM that improves the representation of climate impacts and enables the analysis of interactions between population, economic growth, energy, land, and water resources in a dynamic system. The module uses a spatially resolved representation of water systems to retain hydrological information without compromising computational feasibility. It maps simplified water availability and key infrastructure assumptions with the energy and land systems. The results of this study inform on the transformation pathways required under climate change impacts and mitigation scenarios. The pathways include multi-sectoral indicators highlighting the importance of water as a constraint in energy and land-use decisions and the implications of global responses to limited water availability from different sources, suggesting possible shifts in the energy and land sectors.</p

Anti-Insulin Receptor Autoantibodies Are Not Required for Type 2 Diabetes Pathogenesis in NZL/Lt Mice, a New Zealand Obese (NZO)-Derived Mouse Strain

The New Zealand obese (NZO) mouse strain shares with the related New Zealand black (NZB) strain a number of immunophenotypic traits. Among these is a high proportion of B-1 B lymphocytes, a subset associated with autoantibody production. Approximately 50% of NZO/HlLt males develop a chronic insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes syndrome associated with 2 unusual features: the presence of B lymphocyte–enriched peri-insular infiltrates and the development of anti-insulin receptor autoantibodies (AIRAs). To establish the potential pathogenic contributions ofBlymphocytes and AIRAs in this model, a disrupted immunoglobulin heavy chain gene (Igh-6) congenic on the NZB/BlJ background was backcrossed 4 generations into the NZO/HlLt background and was then intercrossed to produce mice that initially segregated for wild-type versus the mutant Igh-6 allele and thus permitted comparison of syndrome development. A new flow cytometric assay (AIRA binding to transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing mouse insulin receptor) showed IgM and IgG subclass AIRAs in serum from Igh-6 intact males, but not in Igh6null male serum. However, the absence of B lymphocytes and antibodies distinguishing mutant from wild-type males failed to significantly affect diabetes-free survival. The Igh6nullmales gained weight less rapidly than wild-type males, probably accounting for a retardation, but not prevention, of hyperglycemia. Thus, AIRA and the Blymphocyte component of the peri-insulitis in chronic diabetics were not essential either to development of insulin resistance or to eventual pancreatic beta cell failure and loss. A new substrain, designated NZL, was generated by inbreeding Igh-6 wild-type segregants. Currently at the F10 generation, NZL mice exhibit the same juvenile-onset obesity as NZO/HlLt males, but develop type 2 diabetes at a higher frequency (> 80%). Also, unlike NZO/HlLt mice that are difficult to breed, the NZL/Lt strain breeds well and thus offers clear advantages to obesity/diabetes researchers

Climate policy and the SDGs agenda: How does near-term action on nexus SDGs influence the achievement of long-term climate goals?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent the global ambition to accelerate sustainable development. Several SDGs are directly related to climate change and policies aiming to mitigate it. This includes, among others, the set of SDGs that directly influence the climate, land, energy, and water (CLEW) nexus (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 13, 15). This study aims at understanding the synergies and trade-offs between climate policy and the SDGs agenda: how does near-term action on SDGs influence long-term climate goals? Based on a multi-model comparison, we evaluate three scenarios: i) reference; ii) climate mitigation; and iii) a CLEW nexus SDGs scenario. We find clear positive effects of combining the climate and the sustainable development agendas. Notably, healthier diets, with reduced meat consumption, have strong co-benefits for climate, with positive effects across multiple SDGs: improvements in food security, reductions in air pollution and water stress, and improvements in biodiversity conservation. Such positive outcomes are prominent in the Global South, where regions typically at higher risk of food and energy insecurity and other environmental stresses (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America) benefit from a shorter term agenda focusing not only on the climate but also on the other sustainable development dimensions. However, trade-offs are also observed (e.g., increases in the prices of food and electricity), especially in the dynamics of land and the food systems, highlighting the importance of exploring policy synergies: if individually applied, some measures can negatively impact other sustainability goals, while taking into consideration the nexus interactions can reduce trade-offs and increase co-benefits. Finally, near-term action on SDGs can help speed up the transition towards the long-term climate goals, reducing the reliance on negative emissions options. In 2100, the SDG scenario in significantly less reliant on carbon dioxide removals both from AFOLU and the energy system

Integrated Solutions for the Water-Energy-Land Nexus: Are Global Models Rising to the Challenge?

Increasing human demands for water, energy, food and materials, are expected to accentuate resource supply challenges over the coming decades. Experience suggests that long-term strategies for a single sector could yield both trade-offs and synergies for other sectors. Thus, long-term transition pathways for linked resource systems should be informed using nexus approaches. Global integrated assessment models can represent the synergies and trade-offs inherent in the exploitation of water, energy and land (WEL) resources, including the impacts of international trade and climate policies. In this study, we review the current state-of-the-science in global integrated assessment modeling with an emphasis on how models have incorporated integrated WEL solutions. A large-scale assessment of the relevant literature was performed using online databases and structured keyword search queries. The results point to the following main opportunities for future research and model development: (1) improving the temporal and spatial resolution of economic models for the energy and water sectors; (2) balancing energy and land requirements across sectors; (3) integrated representation of the role of distribution infrastructure in alleviating resource challenges; (4) modeling of solution impacts on downstream environmental quality; (5) improved representation of the implementation challenges stemming from regional financial and institutional capacity; (6) enabling dynamic multi-sectoral vulnerability and adaptation needs assessment; and (7) the development of fully-coupled assessment frameworks based on consistent, scalable, and regionally-transferable platforms. Improved database management and computational power are needed to address many of these modeling challenges at a global-scale