Digital Commons Network^™

The Basil Technique: Bias Adaptive Statistical Inference Learning Agents For Learning From Human Feedback, Jonathan Indigo Watson

Theses and Dissertations--Computer Science

We introduce a novel approach for learning behaviors using human-provided feedback that is subject to systematic bias. Our method, known as BASIL, models the feedback signal as a combination of a heuristic evaluation of an action's utility and a probabilistically-drawn bias value, characterized by unknown parameters. We present both the general framework for our technique and specific algorithms for biases drawn from a normal distribution. We evaluate our approach across various environments and tasks, comparing it to interactive and non-interactive machine learning methods, including deep learning techniques, using human trainers and a synthetic oracle with feedback distorted to varying degrees. …

Fp-23-03 Grandparenthood In The U.S.: Residence Status Of Grandchildren, Krista K. Westrick-Payne

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

Fp-23-05 Geographic Variation In Lgbt+ Identification In The U.S., Christopher A. Julian

National Center for Family and Marriage Research Family Profiles

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To The Special Issue, Megan S. Paceley, Candace Christensen

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

No abstract provided.

One Beat At A Time: Mitigating The Risk Factors Of Rheumatic Heart Disease Through Public Policies, Duy Phuong Huynh Nguyen

Theses

This thesis examines the challenges associated with acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and the persistent prevalence of these diseases in the Australian context. In particular, the study focuses on the high resurgence of these preventable conditions within the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Torres Strait Island population. The study begins with an initial analysis on the initial infection of the Group A streptococcus (GAS: Streptococcus pyogenes). We then examine current knowledge of the mechanisms which permit the transmission and development GAS infections, leading to ARF and RHD. This chapter explores current challenges associated with …

Vegetarianism And Social Change: Alternate Diets As Activism?, Jasper Lloyd

Theses

Research into vegetarian and vegan (vegist) diets has previously found animal rights to be the primary/most significant motivator. Such studies, however, were largely conducted prior to the mass mobilisation of young people - instigated by the global School Strike for Climate in 2018 - in environmental activism. This project, which included 110 surveys and 9 interviews with vegist students (18-25) at an Australian University in 2019 and 2020, examines a) the motivations for vegism in a young cohort, and b) explores the experience, tactics, and goals of young vegists through a social movement theory lens. The project found that a …

Going The Extra Mile: Expanding The Promoting Affordable Housing Near Transit Act, Emily Casey

Law Student Publications

The Promoting Affordable Housing Near Transit Act (“Act”), introduced in Congress in June 2021 and signed into law six months later, proposes a goal of balancing the disproportionately-high costs of housing and transportation felt by lower-income families by combining these resources in one project: transit-oriented housing developments. Middle-income and wealthy suburbanites have ready access to cities by car, but lower-income urbanites lack access to the suburbs without a private vehicle. While the goal of the Act recognizes this disparate outcome, the Act’s failure to include expansion of mass transit into the suburbs will continue to restrict low-income minorities to urban …

“Fundamental Fairness”: Finding A Civil Right To Counsel In International Human Rights Law, Meredith Elliot Hollman

Law Student Publications

Every other Western democracy now recognizes a right to counsel in at least some kinds of civil cases, typically those involving basic human rights. The World Justice Project’s 2021 Rule of Law Index ranked the United States 126th of 139 countries for “People Can Access and Afford Civil Justice.” Within its regional and income categories, the United States was dead last. The United Nations and other international treaty bodies have urged the United States to improve access to justice by providing civil legal aid. How did we fall behind, and what can we learn from the rest of the world? …

Python Patrol: Combatting The Problem Of Evasive Non-Native Snakes In Florida, Jessica Rooke

Law Student Publications

The Florida hotspot of non-native invasive species has long been recognized as a fascinating, yet perplexing environmental issue since the late 1900s. After decades of patchwork efforts by the federal and state government, it has become clear that a more holistic approach must be taken to help eradicate the Burmese Pythons that have overtaken Southern Florida. This article highlights the prior efforts taken federally and state-wide to combat this issue and assesses the current gaps in these efforts and what must be done to achieve a more holistic approach. Other states are used as points of comparison in regard to …

A Call For Change: Doing More To Protect Black And Brown Victims Of Domestic Violence, Kiana Gilcrist

Law Student Publications

Domestic violence (“DV”) disproportionately affects Black and Brown women. This article examines the tense history of law enforcement engagement with minority groups, which has caused a strain on that relationship, leaving minority groups more likely to choose to stay in their DV situations than seek out law enforcement help. The divide still impacts these groups today. Additionally, the article highlights several organizations that have formed to address the needs of minority individuals. Other organizations have been around, but their ties to law enforcement create an added barrier for Black and Brown women seeking protection. The article concludes by briefly examining …

Python Patrol: Combatting The Problem Of Invasive Non-Native Snakes In Florida, Jessica Rooke

Law Student Publications

The Florida hotspot of non-native invasive species has long been recognized as a fascinating, yet perplexing environmental issue since the late 1900s. After decades of patchwork efforts by the federal and state government, it has become clear that a more holistic approach must be taken to help eradicate the Burmese Pythons that have overtaken Southern Florida. This article highlights the prior efforts taken federally and state-wide to combat this issue and assesses the current gaps in these efforts and what must be done to achieve a more holistic approach. Other states are used as points of comparison in regard to …

Eliciting Emotional Attachment: Jordan Brand And College Fan Purchasers, C. K. Harrison, K. Babiak, Jacob K. Tingle, J. R. Dickens, S. Bukstein, Juan Pablo Urrutia, Patrick Kaltenbacher

School of Business Faculty Research

: It is widely documented that emotions play an important role in product marketing and branding. The current study explores the role that a human brand association can play in eliciting emotional responses and attachments from consumers that drive their subsequent behaviour. The human-centred Jordan Brand was examined because it uses the likeness/image of Michael Jordan. The study revealed the impact of consumer responses and decision-making through survey analysis (N = 1,133) at two Jordan Brand partner university’s athletic events. The results demonstrate that the partnership between the university athletic department and Jordan Brand elicits strong emotional responses, the propensity …

2023-2024 Myth And Science Program Overview, Suny Geneseo

Myth and Science, 2023-24

Academic year 2023-24 was the inaugural year of Ideas That Matter with the theme Myth and Science. Geneseo saw a partial eclipse on October 14, 2023 and a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024. On this day we celebrated the highlight of our yearlong “Myth and Science.” Classes were canceled due to Geneseo’s position in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.

Myth and science as an Idea That Matters invites participation and investigation beyond the phenomenon of a solar eclipse, as well. The college community participated in events and learning opportunities throughout the year.

This document …

Problems With Authority, Amy J. Griffin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Judicial decisionmaking rests on a foundation of unwritten rules—those that govern the weight of authority. Such rules, including the cornerstone principle of stare decisis, are created informally through the internal social practices of the judiciary. Despite the central role of such rules in judicial decisionmaking, we lack a good account of how they are created, revised, and enforced. There is something paradoxical and troubling about the notion that the rules of the game are determined by the players as they play the game according to those rules. Because weight-of-authority rules are largely informal and almost entirely unwritten, we don’t even …

The Influence Of Proximity On Patient Outcomes For Differently Structured Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Wendy Michelle Smith

All ETDs from UAB

THE INFLUENCE OF PROXIMITY ON PATIENT OUTCOMES FOR DIFFERENTLY STRUCTURED AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTERSWENDY SMITH HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ABSTRACT This study examines the complication rates and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for total hip and knee replacement surgeries conducted in one of two differently structured ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) with varying interprofessional surgical teams. There is an ongoing shift from in-hospital total joint replacement surgeries to ASCs. Additionally, there is specialization occurring within ASCs. In this study, we compare single specialty ASCs designed to perform solely TJR surgeries with one orthopedic group and interprofessional team, with multi-specialty ASCs that perform an array …

Using A Quasi-Experimental Study To Examine Program Participation And Outcomes For Older Adult Intergenerational Technology Program Participants, Skye N. Leedahl, Melanie S. Brasher, Alexandria Capolino, Erica Estus

Human Development and Family Science Faculty Publications

To extend the literature on participation in intergenerational technology programs, we conducted a quasi-experimental study consisting of senior center participants, half who took part in the University of Rhode Island Engaging Generations Cyber-Seniors (URI eGen Cyber-Seniors) Program and half who did not. Findings showed that both groups were similar on most variables; however participants did have higher education levels and more positive attitudes toward younger people. We also examined if older adult program participants improved scores on social and technological measures compared to the control group, and we found participants improved on technology use, digital competence, loneliness, and doing unpaid …

Suicide Ideation And Risk Factors Among Correctional Officers, Logan Lavender

All ETDs from UAB

The correctional work environment is detrimental to correctional officers’ (COs) health and wellness. While research shows that COs experience high rates of stress, PTSD, and other mental and physical health problems, relatively little research has examined the issue of CO suicide. The current study addresses this knowledge gap by drawing on a survey of COs from Washington state (N=420). Utilizing a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework, this study examines the prevalence of critical incidents (CIs), work stress, PTSD, and suicide ideation, estimates the degree to which exposure to CIs predicts suicide ideation, and assesses how work stress and PTSD moderate …

The Individual And Their World, Gail Hayes, Jennifer Brogan, Gregory Bernardi

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Don't Say Gay: Love Language In Coriolanus, Patrick Lynch

Dissertations and Theses

Coriolanus is one of Shakespeare's Roman plays, a sub-genre which also includes Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra. The one element these plays have in common is the ideal Roman hero, the civis romanus, who meets a tragic end. These heroes are not generally considered queer as no free Roman male could allow himself, per social indoctrination instilled since youth, to take on a submissive role. However, Caius Martius and the relationship he maintains with Tullus Aufidius could arguably be seen as homoerotic or even, possibly, homosexual. This paper takes a closer look at …

Beyond The Business Case: Moving From Transactional To Transformational Inclusion, Jamillah Bowman Williams

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

While workplace diversity is a hot topic, the extent to which the diversity management movement has effectively improved intergroup relations and reduced racial inequality remains unclear. Despite large investments in diversity and inclusion training and other company wide initiatives, historically excluded groups remain vastly underrepresented in leadership and the most lucrative careers, such as finance, law, and technology. This calls the efficacy of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts into question, particularly with respect to reducing racial inequality in the workplace.

This Article explains why it is time for organizational leaders to move beyond the transactional case for diversity and …

The Rule Of Law Under Challenge: The Enmeshment Of National And International Trends, Gregory Shaffer, Wayne Sandholtz

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The goal of the rule of law is to protect individuals from the arbitrary exercise of power. Democracy and human rights depend on the rule of law. But today the rule of law is under growing threat in the United States and around the world. Trends regarding rule-of-law protections are transnational in scope. They involve shifting norms, institutions, and practices at the local, national, and international levels. This paper assesses how challenges are taking place at the international and national levels, and how these challenges are linked. It examines the ways in which international law and institutions are important for …

Employees’ Appraisal Of Workplace Changes During Covid-19 : Findings From A State-Owned Oil And Gas Company, Chaiwat Riratanaphong, Nuttawan Narmwiset

NAKHARA (Journal of Environmental Design and Planning)

This study aims to explore employees’ perceptions of workplace management practices (i.e. planning before workplace change, implementation process, management after workplace change) at the PTT headquarters building in Thailand. Another purpose is to examine workplace change development during COVID-19 to understand the organisation’s planning and processes, which serves as a means to contribute to Facilities Management and Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM) theory. Employees' responses to workplace management practices at different stages (i.e., before, during, and after workplace change) were affected by the company's strategic direction and management approach, particularly in terms of planning and implementing workplace change development. This …

Sexism And Racism In Stem: A Bleak History And A Bright Future, Abigail Hoskins

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Women and people of color have faced discrimination throughout history, and this inequity persists today. This results in low numbers of women and people of color in STEM and leads to stereotypes and bias as well as harassment, financial disparities, and erasure of their contributions. Current initiatives promote equality and equity in STEM, such as protests against discriminatory practices and after-school programs encouraging youth from marginalized groups to participate in STEM, but these are not enough. Institutional and structural changes and solutions that address the intersectional needs of women and people of color are necessary to ensure equity and equality …

Book Review, Kirsten Campbell, The Justice Of Humans: Subject, Society And Sexual Violence In International Criminal Justice (2022), Shannon Fyfe

Scholarly Articles

In The Justice of Humans: Subject, Society and Sexual Violence in International Criminal Justice, Kirsten Campbell sets out to analyze approaches to international justice for victims of mass violence through a feminist lens. Using a remarkable breadth of disciplines, Campbell develops a “feminist social theory of the existing legal and feminist forms of international justice and a socio-legal methodology for empirically investigating them” (p. 4). She draws on her own extensive experience with the conflict in the former Yugoslavia to consider two responses to conflict-related sexual violence there: the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the …

The Chains That Bind: Gender, Disability, Race, And It Accommodations, Eleanor T. Loiacono, Shiya Cao

Statistical and Data Sciences: Faculty Books

This chapter explores intersectionality of gender, disability, and race relevant to Information Technology (IT) accommodations and employment. More specifically, we investigate individuals’ experiences and differences in receiving IT accommodations as an organizational diversity intervention that helps disabled employees integrate into the workplace. The goal of this chapter is to seek a better understanding of individual differences in the accommodation process and how to empower disabled women in the workplace. To do so, by applying the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (IDTGIT), we focus on the experiences disabled men and women have with regard to IT accommodations as well …

A Survey Of Ancient Book Text Mining Technology, Litao Lin, Dongbo Wang

Journal of Scientific Information Research

[Purpose/significance]Adopting deep learning, natural language processing and other text mining technologies, methods and concepts to conduct text mining on a large number of ancient Chinese books is not only conducive to popularize the dissemination and popularize of Chinese traditional culture, but also playing an important role in enhancing the soft power of Chinese culture.[Method/process]On the basis of clarifying the concept of text mining in ancient books, grasp the application status of text mining technology in ancient books as a whole, algorithms, models, and tools widely used in ancient text mining are sorted out from five aspects:text feature extraction technology, vocabulary-level …

Benjamin Panciera-Mark Litvin '73, Benjamin Panciera

Alumni Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

Unlimbited Wellness: Addressing The Needs Of Parents And Caregivers, Danielle J. Goldberg

OTD DEx Reports - College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

"Chronic diseases are conditions that last longer than one year and require constant medical attention and/or limit activities of daily living. In children, common chronic diseases can include the following asthma, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and developmental disabilities, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021 & 2022). When children are diagnosed with chronic diseases, the additional care they require is most often completed by their parents. Parents and caregivers who are responsible for caring for children with chronic health conditions and developmental disabilities experience burnout and psychological …

1963-1973, Memphis State University Honors Assembly Programs

Honors Assembly

Programs for Memphis State University's Honors Assemblies sponsored by Omicron Delta Kappa, Senior Men's Honorary, and Tassel, Senior Women's Honorary, held on:

-Thursday, May 15, 1963

-Wednesday, May 19, 1965

-Sunday, May 4, 1969

-Sunday, May 3, 1970

-Sunday, April 25, 1971

-Sunday, April 23, 1972

-Sunday, April 29, 1973

1974-1976, Memphis State University Honors Assembly Programs

Honors Assembly

Programs for Memphis State University's Honors Assemblies sponsored by Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar Board, held at the University Center on:

-Sunday, April 28, 1974

-Sunday, April 27, 1975

-Sunday, April 25, 1976