Searching the Web involves more than sifting through a huge graph of pages and hyperlinks. Specific collaboration networks have emerged that serve domain-specific queries better by exploiting the principles and patterns that apply there. We continue this trend by suggesting heuristics and algorithms to mine the evolution of collaboration networks, to discover interesting roles played by entities. The first section of the dissertation introduces the concept of nurturers using the computer science research community as a case study, while the second section formulates three roles - scouts, promoters and connectors, played by ratings in collaborative filtering systems. Nurturers: Nurturing, a pervasive mammalian trait, naturally extends to most association networks that involve humans. The increased availability of digital and online data about associations lets researchers experiment with algorithms to gain insight into such phenomena. Consider some examples of nurturing: • Slashdot endorsement. Slashdot was not the first site to link to Firefox, but the publicity Firefox received from this association surely helped it become popular quickly. The phenomenon of many small websites crashing due to publicity received through Slashdot has become well known as the Slashdot Effect. • A VC (Venture Capitalist) seed-funding a new startup. This event has a high nurturing value if the startup’s valuation increases rapidly after the funding. • A blogger writing about a topic. Kim Cameron has nurtured the “Laws of Identity” topic if it later becomes the buzz in blog circles. A nurturer need not always be the innovator or originator. The evangelist who adopts a prodigal idea and launches it on its way to success can also be a nurturer. • A professor guiding his student through the art of scientific research and bootstrapping him into a vibrant research community. New nodes not only emerge around these nurturers, but also become important in the network. Knowing nurturers is useful especially in vertical search, where algorithms exploit the structure of specialized collaboration networks to make search more relevant: knowing early adopters of good web pages can make web-search fresher; a list of VCs ranked by their nurturing value is useful to people with new startup ideas; the list of top nurturers in computer science is a valuable resource for a student seeking to do research. This dissertation presents a framework for discovering nurturers by mining the evolution of an association network, and discusses heuristics and customizations that can be applied through a case study: finding the Best Nurturers in Computer Science Research. Roles of Ratings in Collaborative Filtering: Recommender systems aggregate individual user ratings into predictions of products or services that might interest visitors. The quality of this aggregation process crucially affects user experience and hence the effectiveness of recommenders in e-commerce. The dissertation presents a novel study that disaggregates global recommender performance metrics into contributions made by each individual rating, allowing us to characterize the many roles played by ratings in nearest neighbor collaborative filtering. In particular, we formulate three roles - scouts, promoters, and connectors that capture how users receive recommendations, how items get recommended, and how ratings of these two types are themselves connected (respectively). These roles find direct uses in improving recommendations for users, in better targeting of items, and most impor -tantly, in helping monitor the health of the system as a whole. For instance, they can be used to track the evolution of neighborhoods, to identify rating subspaces that do not contribute (or contribute negatively) to system performance, to enumerate users who are in danger of leaving, and to assess the susceptibility of the System to attacks such as shilling. The three rating roles presented here provide broad primitives to manage a recommender system and its community.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Architecture

I en analys av Lidatorp, en mindre tätort i Nynäshamns komun, kom man fram till att aktivering av de kringliggande naturområde för rekreativa ändamål skulle ha en positiv inverkan på samhället både i form av välbefinnande och motion samt attraktion till området från regionen. Området runt Lidatorp-Björsta har på många sätt potential för friluftsaktivitet samt fungera som nod i ett större friluftssammanhang. Här passerar bland annat Sörmlandsleden och även föreningar såsom Ösmoscoutkår, Friluftsfrämjandet och Nynäshamns Brukshundsklubb saknar egna lokaler samt ett aktivt engagemang för sporter som klättring och paddling gör att ett center för friluftsliv och motion skulle vara ett önskat tillägg till området. Projektet ska bidra till att ge lokala medborgare, scouter, skolelever och sportintresserade nya möjligheter till ett aktivt friluftsliv i skolan eller fritiden. Ett klassrum i skogen samt en redskapsbank med cyklar, tält, camping utrustning, stormkök, kanoter, flytvästar etc. ska tillgängliggöra naturen och rörelse till fler. Mötesrum och lokaler för föreningsverksamhet ligger i anslutning för att göra byggnaden till en plats fylld av aktivitet hela dagen. Centret är menat att bli ett uppskattat utflyktsmål som vill främja intresset för att vistas och motionera i naturen strategiskt placerad med anknytning till pendeltåg från Stockholm och buss från Nynäshamn och Ösmo. Gestaltningen har präglats av att försöka tackla en svår terräng men samtidigt ha en försiktighet till landskap och natur där byggnaden ska relatera till och samspela. Programmet har styrt layouten av planen med huvudaktiviteterna som klättercentret (som öppnar upp för klättring på berghäll inomhus), kanothuset och samlingslokalerna som huvudnoder där terrängen både skapat utmaningar och möjligheter.  En annan huvudidé vid gestaltningen har varit att bevara en sorts känsla av en traditionell friluftsstuga trots ett stort program. Genom att leka med tanken om flera stugor sammansvetsade i en rad som sedan krängts och vridits till att följa terrängen likt en stig, har de skilda aktiviteterna i byggnaden länkats samman. Denna slingrande byggnadskropp har sedan lyfts upp på ben likt en varelse som vandrar uppför sluttningen den står på. Detta möjliggör för rumsligheter runt om och under byggnaden samt uppfyller önskan om varsamheten till landskap och natur. Den struktur som lyfter upp byggnadskroppen har inspirerats av de temporära surrade strukturer som oftast dyker upp vid scout- och friluftssammanhang där rep och slanor (stockar) brukas för att konstruera diverse sovplatser, torn, broar, matplatser och byggnadsverk. / In an analysis of Lidatorp, a smaller settlement in Nynäshamn municipality, it was concluded that activation of the surrounding nature area for recreational purposes would have a positive impact on society both in terms of well-being and exercise as well as regional attraction. The region around Lidatorp-Björsta exhibits significant potential for outdoor activities and can serve as a node within a larger sports and outdoor context. Notably, the presence of Sörmlandsleden and local associations such as Ösmoscoutkår, Friluftsfrämjandet, and Nynäshamns Brukshundsklubb, lacking their own premises, along with an active commitment to sports like climbing and paddling, underscores the need for a dedicated center for outdoor life and exercise in the area. This proposed project aims to provide local citizens, scouts, school students, and sports enthusiasts with new opportunities for active outdoor lifestyles during both school hours and leisure time. A classroom in the forest and an equipment bank stocked with bicycles, tents, camping equipment, canoes, life jackets, etc. will make nature and sports available to more people. The presence of adjacent meeting rooms and spaces for association activities enhances the vibrancy of the building, ensuring a constant buzz of activity throughout the day. The strategic location of the center, with convenient connections to commuter trains from Stockholm and buses from Nynäshamn and Ösmo, aims to establish it as a popular destination for excursions, promoting interest in outdoor activities and exercise in nature. The design has been characterized by trying to tackle a difficult terrain but at the same time being cautious towards the existing landscape and nature. The layout of the plan has been influenced by the program's requirements, with key activities such as the climbing center (providing indoor bouldering), the canoe house, and the meeting rooms serving as primary nodes that respond to both challenges and opportunities presented by the terrain. Furthermore, an important design principle has been to evoke the atmosphere of a traditional cabin despite the large-scale program. By conceptualizing the building as a series of interconnected cabins, adapted and contoured to mimic a forest trail, the distinct activities within the facility are seamlessly linked. This winding body is elevated on legs not unlike a creature ascending the slope it stands on. This allows for spaciousness around and under the building and fulfills the desire for cautiousness towards the surrounding landscape and nature. The framework that suspends the building is inspired by the temporary lashed structures commonly found in scouting and outdoor contexts where ropes and logs are utilized to construct various shelters, towers, bridges, dining areas, and structures.

No description available.

This study was made in attempt to identify the characteristics of a troop program in which tenth grade girls had been involved and to determine why they did or did not continue in Scouting. A survey instrument was devised and pretested to validate and improve upon the questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed through the mail to 190 girls who had been registered in the Kentuckiana Council Scouting program in 1981. All girls, despite their present status in Scouting were asked to complete and return the survey. The questions pertained to such areas as years involved in Scouting, frequency of meetings, most and least enjoyable activities, family involvement, reasons for remaining in Scouting and reasons for dropping out of the program. The responses of 131 girls who returned the questionnaire to the researcher were tabulated. The data were accumulated and analyzed. The survey indicated that the Kentuckiana Girl Scout Council had a high Cadette/Senior retention rate for this period of time. A profile of the Scouting program of a girl who had remained in the program was made with recommendations, based on the analysis of the study, to encourage the retention of older girls. It was suggested, according to the findings of the study, that in order for girls to continue into the upper levels of Scouting, they needed to be recruited at a young age, involved in program planning, and feel as though Girl Scouting is fun. Leader retention and uniforms were not found to be significant factors in retention or dropping out of Scouting. Additional research was recommended by simultaneously comparing two or more Councils.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / David A. Dzewaltowski / The environment can be broadly defined as all things external to an individual. One of the most important environments for children is the home in which they live, particularly with regard to the role that parents play to provide opportunities for healthful development, including adequate physical activity and healthful eating habits. Parents are the gatekeepers of children's healthful opportunities, and are influential in numerous aspects related to obesity. The present paper consists of four chapters related to impacting the home environment for prevention of obesity in children. Although obesity is a complex issue, its cause is energy imbalance, wherein less energy is expended than is consumed. Consideration of both sides of the equation is essential for obesity prevention. In this dissertation, chapter 1 serves as a literature review for the home food environment. A conceptual model is presented as an attempt to place relevant literature in the greater context of environmental variables related to childhood obesity. Frequent family meals have been shown to be protective for child and adolescent obesity, and to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. However, time pressures and lack of cooking skills are potential barriers to this healthful practice. Decreases in television viewing and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption are other home environmental aspects showing promise in the obesity prevention literature. Chapters two and three address the influence of parents on children's obesity-preventive behaviors and relative weight status. These chapters help to inform the planning of interventions to prevent obesity in children. Parent-child shared physical activity may hold promise as a strategy to decrease the likelihood of children becoming obese, and bonding may be an important consideration in programs aimed at obesity treatment or prevention. Chapter four describes the evaluation of an intervention developed to impact the home environment of young girl scouts. This intervention was implemented by troop leaders altering troop-meeting environments toward more healthful opportunities for physical activity and nutrition, and through the delivery of a scouts-tailored curriculum. Results of the intervention showed marked changes to troop meeting environments, but apparently little impact on parents or the home environment.

This study examines some of the ways in which Second World War veterans helped shape Canadian society in the years after 1945 by using the life experience of one of their number, Major-General Daniel Charles Spry, as an interpretive model. Just over one million Canadian men and women re-entered civil life after their wartime military service. Representing approximately 35 per cent of Canada’s adult male population aged 25 to 49 in 1951, and found in nearly every facet of Canadian life, Second World War veterans possessed social importance that extended far beyond their experience of the Veterans Charter. Using Dan Spry’s documented thoughts and actions in war and peace, this study argues that a number of these individuals learned lessons regarding leadership, character, citizenship, and internationalism during their wartime military service and – finding them useful – applied such lessons to various aspects of their lives after the war’s end. In so doing, Second World War veterans helped to influence the character of postwar Canada’s institutions, workplaces, and the lives of many Canadians by providing societal leadership, moulding children’s character, developing future citizens, and trying to build a better world. Appreciating their varied contributions provides new insight into both veterans’ attitudes and the sort of place that Canada was after the guns fell silent in 1945.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / During the early Cold War, 1949 through 1963, the federal government, through such agencies as the Federal Civil Defense Administration (FCDA) (1950-1957), the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization (OCDM) (1958-1960), and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) (1961-1963), regarded children and young adults as essential to American civil defense. Youth-oriented, voluntary organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), assisted the federal civil defense programs by promoting civil defense messages and agendas. In this thesis, I will explore how the GSUSA and BSA translated federal civil defense policies for their Scouts. What were the civil defense messages transmitted to Scouts during the early Cold War? How were those messages disseminated? Why? What was the social impact of BSA and GSUSA involvement with civil defense on America’s evolving national ideals?

El cerro San Cosme es el asentamiento humano más antiguo del Perú, con más de 74 años de fundación, está ubicado en el distrito limeño de La Victoria y según el INEI más del 12 por ciento de niños y adolescentes, que viven allí, están expuestos a la drogadicción y a la delincuencia. Ambos son problemas, entre otros, que afectan la convivencia en el asentamiento humano. El objetivo del presente trabajo es implementar un proyecto integral alternativo dirigido a este grupo etario vulnerable, focalizado en niños, niñas y adolescentes que, desde la comunicación para el desarrollo, involucren a todos los actores primarios y secundarios a fin de que proporcionen la sostenibilidad de este. Por ello, para la concepción del proyecto, se consideraron las opiniones y expectativas de los involucrados directos como son las dirigencias comunales, docentes, padres de familia, adolescentes, niñas y niños de San Cosme, a través de instrumentos de investigación cualitativa no probabilísticos por conveniencia como entrevistas, encuestas y grupos focales. De este modo se identificaron las necesidades para la implementación del proyecto, habida cuenta que ya existen actividades deportivas de la municipalidad de La Victoria dedicadas solo a la actividad física. Esta investigación ha identificado la necesidad de un desarrollo socio emocional que permita a los niños, niñas y adolescentes asumir su realidad de manera resiliente, más allá de la actividad física. La principal conclusión de la presente investigación muestra los beneficios de la participación activa de los niños, niñas y adolescentes en el movimiento scout para el refuerzo de sus valores desde etapas tempranas. / The mountain of San Cosme is the oldest human settlement of Peru, with over 74 years since its founding, is located in the district of La Victoria and, according to the INEI, over 12% of children and teenagers living there are exposed to crime and drug consumption. Both are described are issues, among others, that affect the residents’ coexistence in the settlement. The objective of the presented project is to implement an alternative integration project focused to the selected vulnerable age group, which is composed of boys, girls and teenagers. Through communication focused on their development, this project will include both primary and secondary factors with the purpose of promoting sustainability for them. Because of that, the elaboration of this project included both the opinions and expectations of the individuals involved, which included the community’s leaders, teachers, parents, teenagers, girls and boys of the settlement, through the use of tools of non-probabilistic for convenience qualitative research such as interviews, questionnaires and focal groups. Through this method, the needs for this project’s implementation were shown, by taking into account the already existing sport activities offered by the Municipality of La Victoria, dedicated only to physical activity. This investigation has identified the need for a socio emotional development that allows boys, girls and teenagers to assume their reality in a resilient manner, beyond mere physical activity. The main conclusion of the present investigation shows the benefits of active participation of boys, girls and teenagers in the Scout Movement in order to reinforce their values from early stages.

Les organisations confessionnelles qui naissent au Québec au lendemain de la crise économique de 1929 poursuivent pour la plupart des objectifs de formation. Le mouvement scout propose aux garçons un projet de formation intégrale qui se déploie sur les plans religieux, moral, civique et patriotique. Au Petit Séminaire de Québec, par les troupes d'éclaireurs Laval et Saint-Louis, il rejoint des adolescents de 12 à 17 ans stimulés par une méthode axée sur l'émulation et exploitant des modèles d'éducation faisant appel à virilité. Le scoutisme au Petit Séminaire veut former des chrétiens dotés d'une foi convaincue mais à la pratique religieuse renouvelée par le contact direct avec la Bible et par une liturgie inspirée du mouvement de renouveau liturgique européen. Les éclaireurs reçoivent en même temps pour mission de servir la promotion et la défense du projet de société traditionnel de l'Église, celui d'une société francophone et catholique soumise à l'ordre établi, et de lutter contre le communisme. / Québec Université Laval, Bibliothèque 2013