Digital Commons Network^™

My Plan To Play: A Personal Journey Towards A Lifetime Of Play, Aimee Blaquiere

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

In my first Critical and Creative Thinking course, I chose to explore singing and performing meaningful songs with my father as a form of creative thinking. This project led to the realization that, as an adult, I had forgotten what it was like to play. With this acknowledgement, I was prompted to explore underlying reasons for why my capacity to play was blocked in the first place. In doing so, I explored play theories and reflected on my own forms of play, as a basis for understanding how to successfully re-introduce play into my life. Through metacognitive reflection, this synthesis …

Global Patterns And Predictions Of Seafloor Biomass Using Random Forests, Chih-Lin Wei, Gilbert T. Rowe, Elva Escobar-Briones, Antje Boetius, Thomas Soltwedel, M. Julian Caley, Yousria Soliman, Falk Huettmann, Fangyuan Qu, Zishan Yu, C. Roland Pitcher, Richard L. Haedrich, Mary K. Wicksten, Michael A. Rex, Jeffrey G. Baguley, Jyotsna Sharma, Roberto Danovaro, Ian R. Macdonald, Clifton C. Nunnally, Jody W. Deming, Paul Montagna, Mélanie Lévesque, Jan Marcin Weslawski, Maria Wlodarska-Kowalczuk, Baban S. Ingole, Brian J. Bett, David S. M. Billett, Andrew Yool, Bodil A. Bluhm, Katrin Iken, Bhavani E. Narayanaswamy

Biology Faculty Publication Series

A comprehensive seafloor biomass and abundance database has been constructed from 24 oceanographic institutions worldwide within the Census of Marine Life (CoML) field projects. The machine-learning algorithm, Random Forests, was employed to model and predict seafloor standing stocks from surface primary production, water-column integrated and export particulate organic matter (POM), seafloor relief, and bottom water properties. The predictive models explain 63% to 88% of stock variance among the major size groups. Individual and composite maps of predicted global seafloor biomass and abundance are generated for bacteria, meiofauna, macrofauna, and megafauna (invertebrates and fishes). Patterns of benthic standing stocks were positive …

Comparative Study Of Field Enhancement Between Isolated And Coupled Metal Nanoparticles: An Analytical Approach, Greg Sun, Jacob B. Khurgin

Physics Faculty Publications

We present an analytical model that takes into account the coupling between the surface plasmon modes in complex metal nanostructures. We apply this model to evaluate the field enhancement in the gap of two coupled Au metal spheres embedded in GaN dielectric and compare the result with that obtained by the single sphere. The results show additional improvement can be obtained in the gap depending on the width of the gap. This approach offers a clear physical insight for the enhancement and a straightforward method for optimization.

Economic Writing On The Pressing Problems Of The Day: The Roles Of Moral Intuition And Methodological Confusion, Julie A. Nelson

Economics Faculty Publication Series

Economists are often called on to help address pressing problems of the day, yet many economists are uncomfortable about disclosing the values that they bring to this work. This essay explores how an inadequate understanding of the role of methodology, as related to ethics and human emotions of concern, underlies this reluctance and compromises the quality of economic advice. The tension between caring about the problems, on the one hand, and writing within the existing culture of the discipline, on the other, are illustrated with examples from U.S. policymaking, behavioral economics, and the economics of climate change and global poverty. …

Demographic Analysis Of Recovery Act Supported Jobs In Massachusetts, Quarters 1 And 2, 2010, David Sparks, Paige Ransford, Carol Hardy-Fanta, Christian Weller, Meryl Thomson, Robert Turner

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Massachusetts policy makers decided to go beyond existing ARRA federal reporting requirements and collect additional data in order to gauge the effectiveness of ARRA’s fiscal policy by counting the number of individuals who have received an ARRA-funded paycheck. In addition, policy makers wanted to look at some of the demographic characteristics of this population. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the data that the MA Recovery Office collected during the first and second quarters of 2010, with a particular focus on job creation and retention by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, and geographic location.

Highlights of the report include: …

Research To Practice: Vocational Rehabilitation Services Received By Youth With Autism: Are They Associated With An Employment Outcome?, Jaime Lugas, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Frank A. Smith

Research to Practice Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

While youth with autism represent a small percentage of all vocational rehabilitation (VR) closures, the number who closed out of VR more than tripled between 2003 and 2008 (see Institute for Community Inclusion Data Note 26). As increasing numbers of youth with autism are accessing VR services, it is important to understand how they are using these services and the relationship of these services to outcomes and costs.

Worker Cooperatives And Revolution: History And Possibilities In The United States, Christopher Wright

Graduate Masters Theses

Worker cooperatives have a long and tortured history, but recently they have been advancing globally on a more stable foundation than before. In this essay I provide a theoretical context for the current growth of cooperatives, drawing on Marxist theory to illuminate their potential. I also consider the sociology and economics of worker cooperatives, in addition to expounding and evaluating their history in the United States.

A case-study of a cooperative printing press in Jamaica Plain gives a more intimate portrayal of worker co-ops, and hopefully provides lessons for future cooperators. I interpret society as on the cusp of a …

Gentility And Gender Roles Within The 18th-Century Merchant Class Of Newport, Rhode Island, Nicki Hise

Graduate Masters Theses

The Capt. Thomas Richardson household rose to prominence in Newport, Rhode Island during the community’s golden age of prosperity in the 18th century when Newport quickly became one of the leading seaports in the New World. However, all prosperity halted due to the hardships and damage Newport suffered during the American Revolutionary War. Much of the city’s property and economic success was destroyed at the hands of occupying British troops, and the Rhode Island community was never able to fully recover. Like others in colonial Newport, Capt. Thomas Richardson achieved genteel status as a merchant, distiller, and slave ship owner …

The Role Of Sulfur In Biomineralization: Argopecten Irradians And The Impact Of Ocean Acidification, Bryanna Joy Broadaway

Graduate Masters Theses

The burning of fossil fuels, and other natural processes, has led to an increase of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere. The equilibration of atmospheric CO₂ with surface waters causes the ocean pH to decrease from the current value of 8.1. Evidence suggests that as the ocean becomes more alkaline, organisms such as the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians¸will become more stressed due to increased energy demands to maintain shell deposition and growth. This stress, as hypothesized here, may cause the deposition of S-bearing organic macromolecules to aid in mineralization as well as the potential for sulfate …

Class, Class Mobility, And The Consumption Of Household Technology In Salem, Massachusetts, 1890-1914, Candace Stephens

Graduate Masters Theses

This study looks at the rise of household technologies available in Salem, Massachusetts from 1890-1914, and examines how these technologies, from importation to sale and consumption, defined class and class aspirations in the city and reflect transformations seen throughout the United States during the turn of the twentieth century. So that we can best understand how technology was used within individual homes, this research centers almost exclusively around four families whose businesses, and residences are dissected to better identify how their consumption of goods and technology created new opportunities, as well as problems, for household members and domestic servants employed …

Space And Power In The Ivory Tower: Decision Making In Public Higher Education, Sandra Mccoskrie Blanchette

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The challenges of managing physical space in public higher education are often left unspoken and under researched. In this multiple case study of three urban universities, decision-making processes are examined with particular attention to who has institutional decision-making authority. Effective and efficient space management is important because the use of space on campus can contribute to research and practice by promoting innovation and collaboration or can isolate individuals and departments in silos. This study identifies three distinct challenges related to space management on campus: the quality of space, the location of space, and the quantity of space. The research findings …

Alignment Of Community Preferences, Economic Development Goals, And Policy: Considering Economic Development Goals, Their Expression, And Their Execution In Economically Struggling Communities, Rebecca Lynn Moryl

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Across the U.S., and particularly in the Northeast, cities known as former "mill towns" have been largely unsuccessful in attempts to revive their economic vigor. States and cities invest millions each year in efforts to reinvigorate these cities through economic development policies. Debates about the effectiveness of such policies in generating economic growth outcomes are prevalent in the literature. This thesis takes a different focus by considering the alignment of economic development goals and actions among citizens and government professionals. I consider, compare, contrast, and draw lessons from three Massachusetts cities of similar government structure. Each of these cities has …

Unattainable Beauty: An Analysis Of The Role Of Body Shame And Self-Objectification In Hopelessness Depression Among College-Age Women, Meredith A. Evans

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Despite substantial evidence that women suffer from depression at twice the rate of men, the etiology for this difference remains unclear. Prior to puberty, the difference in depression is negligible; however, when adolescence begins, a precipitous rise in female depression occurs that persists across the lifespan. While no definitive biological change has been linked to this phenomenon, objectification theory (Frederickson & Roberts, 1997) can be used to gain insight into the social influences at play during that transitional period. This study of 269 undergraduate women from a northeastern university used structural equation modeling to propose a path leading from self-objectification …

The Distribution And Comparative Biogeochemistry Of Silver With Other Selected Trace Metals In Coastal Waters Near Massachusetts, Usa, Christian F. Krahforst

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Water samples and hydrologic data were collected during 1994-1996 in New England coastal waters near Massachusetts, USA to examine the distribution of silver and other trace metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Fe) in the coastal systems of Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays. These investigations were designed to test the hypothesis that silver could serve as a tracer of dispersion of municipal wastewater in Boston Harbor into Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays and estimate the relative contribution of wastewater discharge to the overall silver budget of the Massachusetts Bays system. Silver concentrations in both particulate and filtered (<0.4 µm) fractions averaged 103 and 117 pmol kg-1 for Boston Harbor, 34 and 10 pmol kg-1 in western Massachusetts Bay, and 11 and 7 pmol kg-1 in the central portion of Massachusetts Bay, respectively. Average Ag concentrations in southern Gulf of Maine coastal waters were 10 and 2 pmol kg-1 for filtered and particulate fractions, respectively. While nearly half of the silver existed in particulate form in Boston Harbor, nearly 80% of the silver in Massachusetts and Cape Cod Bays occurred in the filterable fraction. Coastal water surveys revealed non-conservative Ag behavior and probably the result of incomplete mixing of three or more water masses with unique Ag signatures (e.g., Merrimack River, Boston Harbor, surface and intermediate Gulf of Maine waters). Quasi-steady state mass balance approaches estimate most of the silver entering into the Massachusetts Bays system during the study period was the result of municipal wastewater discharge to Boston Harbor (84-93%).

Multivariate analyses …

The Effects Of Childbearing Patterns On The Timing Of Retirement, Hsiao-Yin Chung

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The effects of childbearing patterns on the timing of men's and women's retirement were examined. The data for this study come from the Health and Retirement Study, waves 1-7: 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. A proportional hazard model (Cox regression) was chosen for this study. Two measures of retirement were considered: labor force exit and self-defined retirement. The results indicated that men with dependent children are more likely to postpone the timing of labor force exit and their self-definition as retired. At the same time, the study indicated that the presence (or absence) and timing of early …

Decision Models For Foreclosed Housing Acquisition And Redevelopment: A University Of Massachusetts Multi-Campus Collaborative Project - Processes And Findings To Date, Michael P. Johnson Jr., Jeffrey Keisler, Senay Solak, David Turcotte, Rachel B. Drew, Armagan Bayram, Emily Vidrine

Public Policy and Public Affairs Faculty Publication Series

The recent housing foreclosure crisis has had devastating impacts on individuals, communities, organizations and government. In response, several community development corporations (CDCs) have sought new ways to assist neighborhoods suffering from the myriad effects of high foreclosures, including neighborhood instability, increased vandalism and crime, lower property values, and economic disinvestment. This research project focuses on activities of community-based organizations that acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties to support neighborhood stabilization and revitalization. However, the costs of pursuing this strategy far exceed the resources available to typical CDCs. Thus, our project seeks to solve the following decision problem: What subset of a …

Nerche Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 1, New England Resource Center For Higher Education At The University Of Massachusetts Boston

NERCHE Bulletin

No abstract provided.

The Value Of Refining Buy-Up Alternatives For Portfolio Decision Analysis, Jeffrey Keisler

College of Management Working Papers and Reports

Portfolio project selection and in particular portfolio decision analysis (DA) approaches at their most basic rely on a simple economic notion – rank investments in order of value gained per dollar spent and fund them in this order until the budget is spent. But the quality of the recommendations generated by such an approach is only as good as the quality of the assumptions about projects that are used. In this paper we consider how much effort is worth expending to improve definition of alternatives at the project level.

Diagnosing Conflict-Of-Interest Disorder, Lisa Cosgrove

Counseling and School Psychology Faculty Publication Series

In June 2010, the Association of American Medical Colleges issued the third and final portion of its conflict-of-interest policy initiatives. The task force on “Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Care” did not mince words when it described the impetus for these initiatives: “It is imperative that the possibility or perception of [financial conflict of interest] be advertently examined and appropriately evaluated to ensure that academic medicine in all of its missions is fundamentally dedicated to the welfare of patients and the improvement of public health.”

This report is especially timely because of recent questions raised by investigative journalists and policy …

Who Knew: Financial Crises And Investor Sentiment, Arindam Bandopadhyaya, Derek Truong

Financial Services Forum Publications

It has been argued and empirically documented that with a looming financial crisis, the risk-reward trade-off of market participant changes, resulting in a decrease in market sentiment. Traders flock towards less risky securities which drives the returns of such securities higher. In this paper, based on a methodology developed by Persaud [1996], by correlating the riskiness and returns of securities in various international equity markets, an index to measure the sentiment of market participants is constructed. We use the breaking point of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy as the onset of the financial crisis in 2008.

We track the market sentiment …

Facing Up: Managing Diversity In Challenging Times, Carol Hardy-Fanta, Paige Ransford

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Since its launch in 2008, Commonwealth Compact has grown steadily, employing several strategies to promote diversity statewide. The Benchmarks initiative has collected data, analyzed in this report, on a significant portion of the state workforce. Guided by Stephen Crosby, dean of the McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies at UMass Boston, Commonwealth Compact has conducted newsmaking surveys of public opinion and of boards of directors statewide. In addition, it has convened ongoing coalitions with its higher education partners, and established a collaborative of local business schools aimed specifically at increasing faculty diversity. The Compact has sponsored or co-sponsored …

Working Alone: Protecting And Building Solidarity In The Workplace Of The Future, Charley Richardson

Labor Resource Center Publications

This paper explores the foundations of solidarity in the workplace and the challenges to building solidarity in the modern day workplace. The author identifies eight workplace trends that are increasing individual isolation and destroying workplace-based social networks. After comparing two models of social networks, the author suggests specific steps workers and unions can take to protect solidarity at work.

Psychiatric Taxonomy, Psychopharmacology And Big Pharma, Lisa Cosgrove

Counseling and School Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Clinicians practicing today need to be aware of the ways in which the current industry-dominated climate may undermine the integrity of the scientific process and, thus, may compromise patient care. In the mental health field, corporate sponsorship bias can affect psychiatric taxonomy and clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG). Financial conflicts of interest (FCOI) can occur when there are financial associations between researchers, authors, or panel members developing psychiatric diagnostic and treatment guidelines, and the pharmaceutical industry, or when randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are industry funded. Therefore, clinicians need to be especially vigilant about the informed consent process when patients are prescribed …

Loring-Greenough House, North Yard Archaeogeophysics, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, John M. Steinberg, Christa M. Beranek, John Schoenfelder, Kathryn A. Catlin

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

An archaeogeophysical survey was carried out in May 2010 using Geonics EM-38 RT and a Malå Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) system with a 500 MHz antenna over an 28x26 m grid immediately northeast of the Loring-Greenough house in Jamaica Plain, MA. Three major anomalies were identified. These anomalies have not been ground truthed, but they appear to be archaeological features. First, we suggest that there is builders trench just north of the house. Second, we suggest that there could be three east-west garden paths or other landscape features about 30 cm below the surface crossing the entire length of the …

Creating A Stable And Healthy Economy: Fresh Views From Emerging Leaders, Patricia Neilson

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The forty-four Fellows in the 2010 Emerging Leaders Program worked in collaboration with the Center for Social Policy at UMass Boston on their “reshaping poverty policy” initiative. The Fellows used their professional skills to analyze data and create awareness campaigns, in turn getting a deeper view of how their civic engagement can make a difference in addressing social issues that affect both businesses and communities. The Fellows examined factors that affect housing and family homelessness, working closely with three organizations, whose participation was made possible by the Hyams Foundation: Boston Tenant Coalition, Greater Boston Fair Housing Center, Homes for Families.

Sociology, Economics, And Gender: Can Knowledge Of The Past Contribute To A Better Future?, Julie A. Nelson

Economics Faculty Publication Series

This essay explores the profoundly gendered nature of the split between the disciplines of economics and sociology which took place in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, emphasizing implications for the relatively new field of economic sociology. Drawing on historical documents and feminist studies of science, it investigates the gendered processes underlying the divergence of the disciplines in definition, method, and degree of engagement with social problems. Economic sociology has the potential to heal this disciplinary split, but only if the field is broadened, deepened, and made wiser and more self-reflective through the use of feminist analysis.

Misi At A Glimpse: January 1 To December 31, 2010, College Of Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Financial Services Forum Publications

According to the Index, investors were generally cautious in 2010 (approximately half the trading days); however, investor sentiment ranged from highly risk-averse to highly risk seeking, with scores distributed almost evenly across all the categories. Investor sentiment had peaked in February, reached a low in the end of May. It was on an upward trajectory towards the end of the year, and was almost near its February high.

Information Technology Review: Prepared For The Ipswich Town-School Collaboration Committee, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

This Information Technology Review addresses the scope of work in the context of Ipswich as a $36 million enterprise and in part answers the question: how would a $36 million business need to plan, invest in, manage and deploy IT if it were to survive and thrive in a competitive environment? The IT Review was conducted during June 2010.

Recreation Programming Study: Prepared For The Town-School Coordination Committee, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

The Town of Ipswich, acting for its Town-School Coordination Committee (the Committee) contracted with the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston to conduct a preliminary assessment of the current recreation program offerings of the Town Recreation Department, the Ipswich School Department and the Ipswich YMCA to assist the Committee in discussing options to optimize programming. Project Leader for the assessment was Center Senior Associate Richard Kobayashi. Associate Chris Howell performed the on site work and was the principal author of the report. Specific objectives of the assessment included:

1. Identifying areas of programming …

Analysis Of The Administration Of Human Resources: Prepared For The Ipswich Town-School Coordination Committee, Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center For Public Management, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management Publications

The Town of Ipswich, acting for its Town-School Coordination Committee, contracted with the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at the University of Massachusetts Boston to undertake a review of the Human Resources (HR) management, Recreation Department programming, and the Information Technology needs of the Town and School Department. The review was undertaken to assess how collaborative approaches might enhance the effectiveness of each of these municipal functions. The Collins Center has published a report on each of these topics. The overall Project Manager was Senior Associate Richard Kobayashi. The HR report was prepared by Collins Center Associate …