abstract: Across the globe, schools are seen as an essential context for building socio-emotional capacities in adolescents, particularly for marginalized youth, who have been systematically and historically excluded from accessing opportunities and resources typically available to members of different social groups (Gil-Kashiwabara, Hogansen, Geenen, Powers, & Powers, 2007). However, despite this ideal, education has not yet reached its potential in promoting equal outcomes for all children andadolescents (American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Educational Disparities, 2012; Burkham & Lee, 2002; Gurria, 2016; Hampden-Thompson & Johnston, 2006). There exists a need to identify school practices that may enhance socio- emotional development and have implications for reducing disparities in academic achievement, educational attainment, and other indicators of well-being. The aim of this dissertation, therefore, is to explore school and classroom practices that may be particularly effective in supporting the socio-emotional development of marginalized adolescents. I focus on two distinct populations: youth affected by violence in Colombia, and students of color within the United States. In Study 1, I explore whether three aspects of school climate – safety, connectedness, and services – buffer the negative implications of violence exposure for adolescent development in a Colombian sample. In Study 2, I determine how culturally responsive teaching practices in schools with high concentrations of students of color in the United States can be integrated into our current conceptualization of what constitutes high quality teaching, by examining profiles of teaching practices and associations between these profiles and teacher and classroom characteristics and student behaviors. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Family and Human Development 2018

Although many studies have examined patient barriers to care, few studies have examined mental health therapist biases toward prospective patients. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature by examining therapist biases toward simulated-patients’ race, ability to pay for treatment, and diagnosis. A total of 725 therapists (176 male, 549 female) practicing in Chicago, Illinois were sent emails from simulated-patients requesting a therapy appointment. Therapists were stratified and randomized into different simulated-patient conditions, including race (i.e., White, African American, or Latino/a American), gender (i.e., male or female), ability to pay (i.e., able to pay full fee out of pocket for treatment or unable to pay full fee out of pocket for treatment and asked if the therapist took a sliding scale), and diagnosis (i.e., depression, schizophrenia, or borderline personality disorder (BPD)). Therapist email return rates were determined after a 2-week window, and the responsiveness of their messages was coded. The overall email return rate was 78.76% (n = 571). Results indicate that race and diagnosis are significant predictors of receiving an email response, such that non-White patients are less likely to receive a response than White patients, and patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or BPD are less likely to receive a response than those with depression. Further analyses conclude non-White patients, patients unable to pay full fee for treatment, and patients with schizophrenia or BPD are more likely to be declined for services and not receive a response than White patients, patients able to pay full fee for treatment, and patients with depression.

Essa dissertaÃÃo objetivou fazer um levantamento sobre as prÃticas responsivas empreendidas pelas empresas de confecÃÃo feminina de Fortaleza. Para o alcance do objetivo principal, procurou-se verificar se as empresas poderiam ser consideradas responsivas e tambÃm se elas poderiam ser classificadas como empreendedoras do modelo de negÃcio de moda rÃpida. Para tal levantamento, foi desenvolvido um questionÃrio composto por perguntas fechadas feitas a partir da literatura sobre responsividade e sobre moda rÃpida. Foram selecionadas empresas associadas ao SindConfecÃÃes (Sindicato das IndÃstrias de ConfecÃÃo de Roupas e ChapÃus de Senhoras do Estado do CearÃ). Os dados foram analisados de forma analÃtica e concluiu-se que as empresas pesquisadas nÃo podem ser consideras responsivas e nem de moda rÃpida, por nÃo empreenderem os principais princÃpios da responsividade e nem as principais constantes da moda rÃpida. Assim, tambÃm pode se concluir que as prÃticas responsivas nÃo sÃo empreendidas por tais empresas, dificultando o empreendimento do modelo de moda rÃpida.

A responsividade aglutina princípios calcados em produtividade, flexibilidade e uso intensivo de tecnologia, capacitando empresas de manufatura a lidar com incertezas e operar de forma rentável no mercado globalizado. A manufatura busca na responsividade meios para sobreviver e crescer num ambiente de contínua mudança e incerteza, norteado pela concorrência global, exigências crescentes dos consumidores e avanço da tecnologia. O ciclo de expansão da indústria ainda tem fôlego para crescimento. O setor automotivo tem participação considerável na economia e gera efeito em cadeia na atividade industrial mundial. A indústria automotiva historicamente é uma precursora na reformulação de estratégias e no aprimoramento da eficácia operacional, através da adoção de tecnologias cada vez mais flexíveis e adaptáveis às oscilações do mercado competitivo. Este setor é um dos mais importantes do Rio Grande do Sul e do Brasil e sua dinâmica impõe condições responsivas às empresas. Ao assumirmos que a responsividade é o fator chave para alcançar e manter a vantagem competitiva no ambiente de manufatura, verificar como ela é utilizada, principalmente em empresas do setor automotivo, torna-se uma importante questão a ser tratada. O objetivo da pesquisa é analisar o conjunto de dimensões que representam a responsividade nas empresas de manufatura do setor automotivo. A pesquisa é qualitativa descritiva e aplicou o método de estudo de caso, através de uma investigação de casos múltiplos, realizada em quatro empresas com representatividade na cadeia automotiva do Rio Grande do Sul. A pesquisa utilizou como fontes de evidências: entrevistas, observações diretas e análise de documentos. Nas entrevistas, por se tratarem de perguntas abertas, foi utilizada a técnica de análise de conteúdo. As observações diretas, assim como a análise de documentos, ajudaram a complementar as informações obtidas nas entrevistas. Para interpretação do material obtido, foi utilizada a técnica de triangulação de dados. Inicialmente, cada empresa foi analisada individualmente, e depois houve a comparação dos casos para verificar similaridades ou diferenças para posterior produção de resultados mais confiáveis e generalizáveis. Através dos casos estudados constata-se que, apesar das diferenças de porte, nicho de atuação, valores e qualificação, entre outros, as empresas de manufatura do setor automotivo se valem de princípios comuns que resultam em ações e práticas responsivas. / The responsiveness merges principles based on productivity, flexibility and intensive use of technology, enabling manufacturing companies to deal with uncertainties and operate profitable in the global market. The manufacturing identifies in responsiveness ways to survive and grow in an environment of continuous change and uncertainty, guided by global competition, increasing on consumer demands and technology dissemination. The industry expansion cycle has yet impetus for growth. The automotive sector has considerable involvement in the economy and generates a chain effect on the global industrial activity. Historically, the automotive industry is a pioneer in strategies reformulation and operational efficiency improvement, through adoption of technologies more flexible and adaptable to fluctuations in competitive market. This sector is one of the most important for the Brazilian state, Rio Grande do Sul, and its dynamics imposes responsive conditions to the companies. We believe that the responsiveness is the key factor to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage in the manufacturing environment, therefore identify how it is used, mainly in automotive sector companies, is an important issue to be addressed. The objective of the present research is to analyze the set of dimensions that represent the responsiveness in manufacturing companies in the automotive industry. The qualitative descriptive research had used the “case study method” through a multiple-case study investigation, applied to four important companies of the Rio Grande do Sul automotive supply chain. This research used as evidence sources: semi-structured interviews, direct observation and documentation analysis. Open questions were applied in the interviews and the “content analysis technique” to support the interpretation. The direct observations, as well as the document analysis, helped to supplement information obtained in interviews. The data triangulation technique was used for material interpretation. Initially, each company was examined individually, and then the cases comparison to check similarities or differences to obtain more reliable and generalized results. Despite differences in organization size, performance niche, values and skills and others, the studies proved that manufacturing companies in the automotive sector have use common principles which result in responsive actions and practices.

Thesis advisor: Lauri Johnson / Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are a marginalized student population in school settings. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine whether and how district and school leaders’ knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and practices regarding LGBTQ students affected school policies for advocacy, anti-discrimination, and proactive care for this marginalized population. It was part of a larger group case study of how leaders support marginalized students in a Massachusetts urban school district. Data was gathered and analyzed from eight semi-structured interviews, document reviews, and observation of a student organization meeting. Results showed that leaders created and sustained safe environments in schools for LGBTQ youth, made efforts to urge the normalization of LGBTQ advocacy and discourse, and afforded opportunities for LGBTQ student-led activism. The study also found that district and school leaders need to further their systemic efforts toward establishing and implementing inclusive LGBTQ curriculum and instruction. Implications of this study reveal that district and school leadership practices must be explicitly designed, implemented, and sustained in order to effectively support LGBTQ youth. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Infants begin to learn important skills, such as contingency learning, social referencing, and joint attention through everyday interactions with their environment. When infants learn that their behavior produces a change in the environment (e.g., attention from others), infants engage in behavior that produces that effect (e.g., increases in smiling sustained engagement. When mothers and other caregivers respond immediately to infant behavior, they help their infant learn that the infant’s own behavior is effective, producing a change in the environment. The current investigation evaluated the effect of a computer-based training that aimed at teaching mothers to play a vocal-imitation contingency-learning game. The training included observer-effect methodology, meaning the mothers engaged in observation and evaluation of other mothers engaging in vocal imitation but did not themselves receive any direct coaching or feedback. All mothers completed the training during one session and in less than 45 min. Results indicate that all mothers increased their use of vocal imitation post training and maintained their performance at a two-week follow-up. Results are discussed in terms of how computer training may facilitate dissemination of responsive caregiver training.

Architecture has a dualistic social responsibility. To provide relevant buildings with appropriate function and planning that will accommodate user needs, as well as providing habitable environments and spaces that will have positive influence on peoples daily routines. This will allow users to freely dwell within their environments and create a positive community atmosphere. It is the aim of this dissertation to investigate the social responsibility of architecture and how ordinary spaces and buildings that call for pragmatic design solutions can also enter into the realm of the metaphysical spatial experience and to find cohesion between the two. The selected project is a glasshouse complex and plant containment research facility within the Botanical gardens at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. GERMAN: Die Architektur trägt gesellschaftlich dualistische Verantwortung: es ist eine Schaffung von Gebäuden, die räumliche Bedürfnisse von Benutzern erfüllen, sowie auch einer qualitätsvollen Umgebung, die tägliche Routine von einer Gemeinde positiv beeinflussen wird. Es handelt sich um eine freundliche, gemeinde Atmosphäre zu schaffen. Dieses Projekt hat zum Ziel die Gesellschaftsverantwortung von der Architektur überprüfen. Es wird untersucht, wie vernünftige Räume, die eine Antwort für die funktionelle Bedürfnisse sind, gleichzeitig eine metaphysische Erfahrung kreieren können. Die Idee ist ein Zusammenhang zwischen diesen zwei Ansätze zu identifizieren. Das ausgewählte Projekt ist eine gegenwärtige Gewächshäuseranlage, Forschungsanstalt und botanischer Garten auf dem Gelände der Universität Pretoria, Südafrika. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Architecture / MArch (Prof) / unrestricted

L'empreinte génomique, une régulation épigénétique unique entraînant une expression génique spécifique aux parents d'origine, est essentielle au développement et à la croissance des mammifères. H19 est un ARN long non codant exprimé en milieu maternel qui est un régulateur central du réseau de gènes à empreinte contrôlant le développement. H19 est exprimé pendant le développement embryonnaire dans de nombreux tissus, y compris toutes les cellules hématopoïétiques. Le rôle de H19 au cours du développement embryonnaire n'a été documenté que pour le placenta où il contrôle la croissance. Le rôle de H19 dans la lymphopoïèse n'a pas été étudié. Notre laboratoire a précédemment trouvé H19 comme principal transcrit exprimé sélectivement par les proB du foie foetal (FF), et exprimé de façon différentielle par des immigrants thymiques précoces et tardives. Cependant, le rôle du gèneH19 dans celui du développement des cellules B, ou même dans le système immunitaire, reste méconnu. Ici, nous avons réalisé une caractérisation complète des perturbations du développement et de la fonction du système immunitaire des souris pour lesquelles un grand segment du locus H19 a été supprimé. Dans cette étude, nous avons constaté que le mutant H19 avait un impact spécifique sur le développement des cellules du FF induisant une augmentation sélective du nombre des cellules proB BP1+ présentant des perturbations importantes du réarrangement du locus IgH.On observe également chez les animaux H19-/- adultes une expansion anormale du compartiment B mature. Bien que H19 ne soit plus exprimé après la naissance, les lymphocytes B des souris adultes mutantes présentent un phénotype altéré. On observe en effet des perturbations importantes du profil d'expression du marqueur B220. Les souris H19-/-présentent un défaut d'expansion des lymphocytes B du centre germinatif, ainsi qu'une chute de la production des IgM spécifiques dans le sérum après immunisation. Indiquant une réponse défectueuse des cellules B. De manière cohérente, nous avons trouvé une réactivité réduite au BCR des cellules B naïves H19-/-, associée les expériences de reconstitution compétitive ont mis en évidence un altération cellule-intrinsèque de la réponse humorale chez les animaux mutants. Un défaut d'induction de l'expression des molécules du CMHII, CD40,et CD86, qui pourrait être à l'origine des perturbations de la réponse humorale observée chez les souris H19-/-. Les analyse de transcriptome réalisées sur les lymphocytes B du centre germinal des animaux mutants ont mis en évidence une expression différentielle des gènes impliqués dans la régulation de l'intensité du signal émanant du récepteur B à l'antigène. Au total ce travail nous a permis de démontrer l'activité régulatrice exercée par l'ARN non codant H19 sur le développement et la fonction du système immunitaire. / Genomic imprinting, a unique epigenetic regulation resulting in a parent-of-origin specificgene expression, is essential for normal mammalian development and growth. H19 is amaternally expressed long non-coding RNA that is a central regulator of the imprinting gene network controlling development and growth. H19 is expressed throughout embryonic development in multiple tissues including all hematopoietic cells. The role of H19 during embryonic development has only been documented for the placenta where it controls growthand the role of H19 in lymphopoiesis has not been investigated. The laboratory has previouslyfound H19 as the major differentially expressed transcript in two microarrays comparing fetalliver (FL) and bone marrow (BM) derived pro-B cells, as well as between early and latethymic settling progenitors. However, a role for imprinting gene H19 in B cell development,or even in immune system remains elusive. Here we sought to analyze mice where a large segment of the H19 locus has been deleted. In our work, we found that loss of H19 have specific impact on the FL B cell development byproducing increased numbers of BP1+ proB cell. Although BP1+ proB cells from H19-/- FLshowed impaired Ig heavy chain V-D-J rearrangement, that increase resulted in a net enlarged B cell compartment in the adult periphery of H19 mutant. In adult mice, although H19 is notexpressed in B lymphocytes after birth, B cells from H19-/- mice exhibited altered B cellsurface phenotype, represented by an upregulated B220 expression on all B cell subsets. After immunization with different T cell dependent antigens, H19-/- exhibits reduced GC B cells, and impaired specific IgM titer in the serum, indicating a defected B cell response in H19-/-mice. Competitive reconstitution analysis showed a B cell autonomous impairment in the Bcell response. Consistently we found a reduced BCR responsiveness of H19-/- naïve B cells that together with less efficient upregulation of MHCII and CD40 expression after immunization might be responsible for the impaired immune response in H19-/- mice. Genome-wide transcription analysis revealed differential expression of genes involved inregulating the intensity of B cell receptor signaling. This work brings new insights on the regulation role of long non-coding RNA H19 in the early B cell development and immune system

No description available.

The manufacturing systems operating within today's global enterprises are invariably dynamic and complicated. Lean manufacturing works well where demand is relatively stable and predictable where product diversity is low. However, we need a much higher agility where customer demand is volatile with high product variety. Frequent changes of product designs need quicker response times in ramp-up to volume. To stay competitive in this 21st century global industrialization, companies must posses a new operation design strategy for responsive manufacturing systems that react to unpredictable market changes as well as to launch new products in a cost-effective and efficient way. The objective of this research is to develop an alternative method to model, analyze, and design responsive manufacturing systems using classical control theory. This new approach permits industrial engineers to study and better predict the transient behavior of responsive manufacturing systems in terms of production lead time, WIP overshoot, system responsiveness, and lean finished inventory. We provide a one-to-one correspondence to translate manufacturing terminologies from the System Dynamics (SD) models into the block diagram representation and transfer functions. We can analytically determine the transient characteristics of responsive manufacturing systems. This analytical formulation is not offered in discrete event simulation or system dynamics approach. We further introduce the Root Locus design technique that investigates the sensitivity of the closed-loop poles location as they relate to the manufacturing world on a complex s-plane. This subsequent complex plane analysis offers new management strategies to better predict and control the dynamic responses of responsive manufacturing systems in terms of inventory build-up (i.e., leanness) and lead time. We define classical control theory terms and interpret their meanings according to the closed-loop poles locations to assist production management in utilizing the Root Locus design tool. Again, by applying this completely graphic view approach, we give a new design approach that determine the responsive manufacturing parametric set of values without iterative trial-and-error simulation replications as found in discrete event simulation or system dynamics approach. / Ph. D.