A Comparative Evaluation of Crash Data Quality Identification Methods
description- – ABSTRACTA COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF CRASH DATA QUALITY IDENTIFICATION METHODSMAY 2008ARIANNA M. MICKEE, B.S.C.E., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERSTM.S.C.E, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERSTDirected by: Professor Michael A. Knodler, Jr.Throughout the United States federal and state agencies use crash data in order to properly plan safety improvements within their areas. Unfortunately since 2000, transportation professionals have noticed a significant lack of reliable crash data in some states. These issues have a multitude of causes and therefore there are many solutions to these issues. In order to determine what courses of action need to be taken in order to address these issues, many state and federal government agencies have been conducting studies using various methods.This thesis compares three basic methods used to identify crash data quality issues facing transportation professionals. The three methods evaluated are surveys, audits and focus groups. These three methods are currently practiced by professionals to gain insight to crash data quality issues. Unfortunately, the methods are often used inappropriately and inefficiently to determine data quality issues. The purpose of this thesis is to describe what valuable information can be obtained by using these methods as well as what information cannot be obtained. The results of three projects were employed in the evaluation of these methods. These projects include the Massachusetts Highway Departments Crash Data Quality Project, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Crash Data Quality Project, and finally, the Police Outreach Survey. In the end, these projects help determine the usefulness of these methods in terms of their ability to identify data quality issues and efficient and cost effective solutions to address these issues.
- – 2007-01-01
- – application/pdf
Authentic Input in Early Second Language Learning
description- – Several foreign language teaching methods facilitate the acquisition of a second language. This research proposes a new pedagogical method for teaching second languages, which is especially practical for younger L2 learners. Lenneberg (1967) has proposed the Critical Period Hypothesis which states that the critical period for foreign language acquisition ends when the acquirer reaches puberty (DeKeyser 2000). Therefore, his work may imply that learning a second language during this "critical period" is useful for foreign language learning. Furthermore, Krashen's (1982) "Affective Filter Hypothesis" links authentic input as a useful tool in the second language classroom because this type of input can lower the "Affective Filter" of the second language learner. The current study examines if authentic input leads to acquisition of lexical chunks , acquisition of vocabulary and the beginning stages of the acquisition of some aspects of the lexicon, such as root morphemes and plural morphemes, and in some cases, gender morphemes in Spanish for a group of second language learners whose native language is English. Authentic input is incorporated into the language instruction through the use of songs, games, stories that are derived from the target language and culture. This research proposes that language transference is occurring from first language, or L1, to second language, or L2, as the participants may fall under Minimal Trees Hypothesis of Vainikka and Young Scholten (1994; 1996a; 1996b).Since the participants are still developing lexicon and lexical chunks in their L1, this occurrence may aide in the transference from the L1 to the L2. The subjects of the study are seventeen kindergarten, first and second grade students, who have not previously learned a second language. The results from the study confirm that the participants did learn lexical chunks in the target language after being introduced to the L2 via the authentic materials. Additionally, the participants were able to demonstrate acquisition of agreement in number in the L2. The long-term results also confirm the initial set of results.
- – Language
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Reconstructing Nature
description- – This is the Master's Thesis work of Benjamin R Caras, MFA University of Massachusetts, May 2008. The work focused on an exhibition of artwork and supporting paper. The artwork is a visual discussion of digital production fused with the concept of artist self sufficiently. It asks the viewer to consider the free exchange of ideas within an organic knowledge base, while questioning the closed loop system of capitalism. It reminds us that working together to solve problems is integral to our survival
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Probing for Conformational Changes in the Repair Enzyme Mfd Using Mutant Protein Constructs
description- – DNA repair is essential for survival, as damage to the genome can interrupt the precarious balance of cell functions, causing further mutations and possibly leading to cancer. The bacterial transcription repair coupling factor, Mfd, is capable of recognizing a stalled RNA polymerase at a site of DNA damage. The Mfd works both to remove the RNA polymerase through its motor function (utilizing the energy of ATP to translocate along DNA), and to recruit the DNA repair complex UvrA/B/C. To study conformational changes in the protein, we are creating multiple mutants of the full length Mfd protein. My approach is to use a cleavable mutant of full-length Mfd as a template for further mutations. This will allow us to probe for conformational changes by changing interactions at the interface of the two halves of Mfd, and then using the ability to cut with TEV protease as a sensor to identify and characterize the open state of the protein. By introducing this TEV protease cut site at residue 450 in the protein linker region between the N (amino-) and C (carboxy-) terminal domains, we can then assess the conformational changes Mfd must undergo to obtain activity. We can study the effect of further mutations on the full length and cut versions of the protein. Another approach attempted in this study involves using cysteine modification of the full length Mfd protein as a sensor for these conformational changes. Mfd acts as a model system for studying the DNA repair mechanisms found in humans, and the elucidation of functional and conformational changes in Mfd contributes to studying disease phenotypes resulting from aberrant transcription coupled repair.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
The Conflict of Desire
description- – As humans, we live in a state of dynamic, conflicting emotions. In moments of pain we experience joy and in moments of joy we have sorrow. In the work that culminates in my thesis show Lovely, I visually celebrate the contradictions and dynamism of the joy and sadness of life. Just like the word "lovely," which we may use to describe everything from a wedding ceremony to a funeral service, life is an indefinable experience. It fluctuates, never remaining in one moment or emotion for long. This dynamism creates the complexity of life, the beauty of life, and the path of life. As Joanna Freuh says, "life is sloppy" and, as an artist, I want to celebrate, question, and reveal the sloppiness of our lives. I use my daily life as the main subject of my work to make it honest and accessible. The idea of the work being honest, even painfully so, comes from my desire to be true to my emotions, insecurities, strengths, and intelligence without fear of ridicule or censure from a patriarchal society. By making work that resides within the realm of the everyday, I am attempting to defy and contest masculine censure. In effect, I reclaim my femininity: the quality of being feminine, without the fear of losing strength or respect. Though the autobiographical drives the work and is necessary for it to exist, ultimately it is transcended, enabling the viewer to have his or her own independent relationship to it.
- – Art
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Appearances: Towards A Synthesis of Experience and Expression in Painting
subject- – Art
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Food Cultures, Total Diet Studies and Risk Management: Implications for Global Food Policy and Public Health
description- – Globalization, urbanization, and industrialization are continuously altering the increasingly complex relationship between humans and food. At any given time, food can raise issues regarding diet and health, risk and safety, ethics and morality, or governance and power. Universally, what we eat and how we eat it is a fundamental expression of cultural values and social relationships. Yet, the prestige given to science and risk analysis in policy justification has led to modern food policies that fail to fully grasp the multiple dimensions of food and the multiple scales of policy (i.e., local to global). This study specifically examines characteristics of the network that shapes risk assessment data collection methodologies. As minor as these methodologies may seem in the global scheme, the evidence they collect ultimately guides the policy discourse.Approaching this analysis from an interpretive perspective, various social science methods are used to illustrate the linkages, interactions and power relations between national and international actors involved in a specific methodology - the total diet study (TDS). This research is designed to understand the influence of the TDS international collective knowledge network on how cultural and ethnic diversity in food preparation and consumption is recognized, understood and integrated into food safety research methodologies, national and global food policy, and food safety guidelines or standards.By investigating the influence of policy institutions, management structures, and ideological frameworks on the design and implementation of TDS programs, this thesis reveals the constrained scope of expertise codifying the disregard for socio-cultural diversities of food preparation and consumption. The findings demonstrate the strong emphasis on positivist philosophies and scientific methodologies; however, vast knowledge of the socio-cultural determinants of health and food habits support the need to complement objective data with social and cultural data to fill in the gaps. A review of innovative TDS practices and the emergence of rigorous qualitative software tools demonstrate that the demand for empirical data does not have to come at the expense of the health and livelihood of ethnic subgroups. Further research on the costs associated with these alternative projects is necessary to determine their mainstream feasibility.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Cysteine Dioxygenase: The Importance of Key Residues and Insight into the Mechanism of the Metal Center
description- – Cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) is a non-heme iron enzyme that can be found in mammalian tissue. It is mainly localized in the liver but is also present in the brain, kidney, and adipose tissue. CDO converts cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid, which is the first step in cysteine metabolism in the human body. CDO contains a novel cofactor located near the metal binding site that is present in another enzyme, galactose oxidase, where it is essential for redox function. This suggests that the linkage may play an important role in CDO as well. The cofactor consists of Y157 and C93. Mutation of the C93S causes a drop in activity to 57.1% and a mutation of the Y157F causes a drop to 8.1%. The metal center was studied using XAS revealing that the addition of cysteamine, an activator of CDO, changes the conformation of the binding site significantly. CDO differs from the rest of the cupin super family in that it does not contain a 2-his-1-carboxylate binding motif but rather the carboxylate is replaced with another histidine. A mutation of one of the binding residues, H140D, caused the enzyme to be non-active. Also the mechanism of the CDO was studied by conducting activity assays with various inhibitors and activators that yielded contradicting results with previously published work.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Developing a Municipal Fair Housing and Land Use Curriculum
description- – This research focuses on the applicability of the federal Fair Housing Act to the practice of municipal land use planning and zoning and examines how this relationship can inform a curriculum intended for municipal authorities on their responsibilities under the Act. The purpose of the Fair Housing Act is to provide equal access to housing through desegregation and non-discrimination. Historically, many municipal governments have used zoning to segregate communities based on race, ethnicity, national origin and disability, among other traits. Today, scholars point to exclusionary zoning tactics and unfair treatment of housing for the disabled, for example, as barriers to equal housing opportunity. Strategies for affirmatively furthering fair housing exist and their implementation is feasible. Municipalities throughout the country implement these strategies through a variety of practices, however emerging cases suggest that not all practice non-discrimination. Through instruction, many more municipal authorities might learn about strategies to affirmatively further fair housing in addition to fulfilling their legal responsibilities as housing regulators. Fair housing advocates and professionals are poised to assume instructional leadership because of their experience working with municipal authorities and their understanding of the Fair Housing Act and its relationship to land use planning and zoning.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
A Neural Network based Background Supression Technique applied to VHE Gamma Ray Data coming from the Crab Pulsar
description- – In this thesis we present new results for the 99.9% confidence level flux upper limits on the pulsed VHE gamma ray signal coming from the Crab pulsar. In order to achieve optimum hadronic background suppression we implement a new neural network based selection technique and apply it to Cherenkov shower imaging data from the WHIPPLE 10m IACT telescope at Mount Hopkins Arizona. Special emphasis will be given to the fact that the neural network selector is trained with real data exclusively. An energy estimator for gamma ray induced extensive air shower events has been derived from Monte Carlo simulations using the Monte Carlo framework GrISU. This estimator, applied to the image data, serves as input to the neural set selector and is needed to determine the energy dependent flux upper limits. We compare our results to the results from previous studies and the performance of our neural network selection technique to the so-called Supercuts and Optimized Supercuts methods.The new flux upper limits and the new technique show the potential to settle the question about the production mechanism of pulsar radiation. However, the current analysis does not answer this question fully.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Stores as Schools: An Adaptive Reuse Alternative For Communities Dealing With Underutilized Commercial Space and Overcrowded Schools
description- – Over the past two decades, underused shopping malls and big-box stores have become more prevalent in the landscape, even as newer ones are built. Shopping centers from the last half of the twentieth century may not have been designed to serve uses other than commercial, but that does not mean these buildings must or should only be thought of as single-use spaces. Projects from across the United States demonstrate that large, empty commercial structures can become municipal complexes, new town centers, mixed-use complexes, office buildings, churches, and gymnasiums. They also can be rehabilitated to fill the need for new schools in communities where there is no suitable or cheap land, limited funds, overcrowding, and growing enrollments. This thesis identifies twelve cases where public school districts have converted former shopping malls or big-box stores into schools and conducts histories on three of these cases. A detailed comparative analysis of three school conversion projects in Burnsville, Minnesota, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Fort Myers, Florida is the foundation for the thesis research. By researching examples of retail conversion and assessing project history, this thesis determines common factors to these school projects and develops conclusions about relationships between school planning, growth management, and economic development. It develops a strong knowledge base that can be used to guide local governments interested in undertaking this type of initiative. Finally, the thesis demonstrates the importance of planning and building for future flexibility by underscoring the value of reusing the built form.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Ficino's Musica Humana: Musico-Astrological Improvisation
description- – The improvvisatore tradition in Florence Italy during the second half of the quattrocento featured poet-musicians who sang poetry for music (poesia per musica) accompanied by the lira (da braccio). This thesis researches Florentine literati and threads of humanism in relation to poetry written for music. By doing so, philosophical and literary trends are analyzed in relation to the Florentine improvvisatore style: frottola versification forms and divinus furor. Marsilio Ficino's (1433-1499) direction at the Platonic Academy (founded c. 1463) outside Florence in the hills of Carregi influenced some of the greatest artists and musicians of his time. This thesis focuses on lyric improvisation as a means of connecting mind and body with the universe. In doing so, Ficino's music-spirit-theory and astrological program are looked at in light of the Platonic sources. The instrument of the improvvisatore, the lira, will be analyzed in relation to affect (ethos) and wellness for mind (soul) and body
- – Music
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
The Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal: Politics, Process, and Participation in Wilderness Designation
description- – Wild Sky, a proposed wilderness in Washington State, has been a source of local contention since its inception. Drawing on the theories of political ecology, international conservation, and actor-based politics, this research seeks to understand the process of public participation in wilderness designation, the arguments both for and against Wild Sky, and how the wilderness proposal process could be improved. The paper begins with an outline of local and public participation in Wild Sky legislation, a discussion of "community," and an account of how the 1964 Wilderness Act has been applied nationally and locally. This is followed by an analysis of interviews conducted with Forest Service employees and many of Wild Sky's proponents and opponents. Advocates hope Wild Sky will boost the local economy, rehabilitate salmon runs, provide increased recreational access, and preserve an ecosystem typically excluded from wilderness - lowland forests and streams. Opponents see the proposal as an elite land grab that would exclude motorized recreation and prohibit the resource extraction historically important in the area. They argue that the land, logged a century ago, does not qualify as wilderness. Ultimately, the Forest Service will be charged with managing the land, but the Wild Sky legislation creates management expectations that will be difficult to achieve due to recent budget cuts and environmental regulations.My research demonstrates that the lead actors in the wilderness debate have changed, with the voice of the timber industry replaced by more diverse opposition from motorized recreation. Although the Washington Congressional delegation strove to accommodate these various interests through public meetings and negotiations, the process could have been improved. Currently, the 1964 Wilderness Act does not outline a format for public involvement regarding Congressional additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System. However, this legislation should offer specific opportunities for public and local participation. Most importantly, in collaboration with the Forest Service and local communities, wilderness advocates and the federal government must be prepared to offer long-term support for wilderness through budget allocations and volunteer hours in order to ensure that Wild Sky's long-term ecological and economic benefits are achieved.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
An Analysis of Methods for Identifying Local Import Substitution Opportunities to Foster Sustainable Regional Economies
description- – Import substitution presents many economic development opportunities that can help regions achieve greater economic sustainability and self-reliance. Yet import substitution is largely neglected in economic development theory, practice and literature. There are few methods and resources available to planners trying to identify import substitution opportunities. However, impending economic challenges, such as energy market instability, climate change and carbon emissions regulation, mean that planners will be called upon with greater frequency and urgency to help regional economies adapt.This study offers and evaluates two methods for identifying import substitution opportunities within a regional economy. The first method is rooted in economic base theory, the dominant approach to regional economic development since the 1930s. The second method is derived from industrial cluster analysis, a much-used economic planning approach since the 1990s. Analysis of these two methods and their application to the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area suggest that: 1) both methods show promise as screening tools to help planners focus economic development resources on subsequent industry research efforts, such as surveys, which are essential to the development of effective policy initiatives; 2) the industrial cluster analysis method is capable of identifying a wider range of candidate industries; 3) the economic base theory method may be more effective in smaller regions; and 4) the economic base theory method is useful for estimating leakage.The study also demonstrates that import substitution integrates aspects of economic base theory, particularly the capability to identify leakage and opportunities to increase industry multipliers, with the facets of industrial cluster analysis that emphasize local interindustry linkages and value chain networks.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
Ave Maria and Celebration: An Examination of the Visionary Influences on the Design and Development of two New Town Intentional Communities in the State of Florida
description- – The creation of new towns is a deeply rooted planning movement that is based on the human population's constant search for a better way to live. This is evident in the depth of the movement's history and the emergence of these towns today. Intentional settlements establish new towns in order to define a specific type of corporate, religious, political, or social community. Through a comparative case study method, the visionary influence on the design and development of two new town intentional communities, Celebration, Florida and Ave Maria, Florida, are examined in this paper. Celebration and Ave Maria each integrate the basic concepts of new town planning and the shared vision behind an intentional community through the vehicle of New Urbanism. The vision, land use, marketing, and governance are examined in each town. The nucleus of each community, the town center, is evaluated through the analysis and comparison of the character of use and architectural design. This in-depth analysis identifies specific connections between the vision for each town and the established identity.
- – 2008-01-01
- – application/pdf
0-20 of 155 | next
![[x]](/static/imgs/cross.gif)