University of Southern Mississippi
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The Effect of a Peptide Targeting Ligand on Transfection Efficiency of Polymeric Nanoparticles to Dendritic Cells
Get PDFAutoimmune diseases affect approximately 5-8% of the global population, leading to chronic symptoms, long-term treatment, and reduced quality of life. Current therapies primarily rely on lifelong administration of immunosuppressants, which are associated with severe side effects and heightened susceptibility to infections. This has spurred interest in cellular therapies that manipulate dendritic cells (DCs) effectively and can selectively treat these diseases. This work aims to improve the efficacy of dendritic cell-based therapies using cationic polymers that can electrostatically complex with nucleic acids, forming nanoparticles referred to as polyplexes, that can deliver therapeutic nucleic acid cargo. These particles are a favorable alternative to traditional nucleic acid delivery vectors as they are cheaper, have greater tunability, and can be modified using simple techniques to incorporate cell targeting moieties.
A chain-transfer agent (CTA) was functionalized with a peptide sequence that has established specificity for targeting DCs and was utilized for the photoiniferter polymerization of N-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl) acrylamide (DMAEAm) to generate homopolymers that are cationic at physiological pH. The synthesized polymers were characterized via 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Polymers were then complexed with mRNA at varying amine to phosphate (N/P) ratios before characterizing their hydrodynamic diameter via dynamic light scattering (DLS). Formulated complexes were then evaluated for their cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency in relevant in vitro models
I Don\u27t Tend That Part of My Garden : The Self-Archiving Practices of Arts and Humanities Scholars
No full textIn this session, we will report on interviews conducted with scholars in the arts and humanities that explored participants’ approaches to open access publishing, self-archiving, and dissemination of research and creative work, focusing on their engagement with institutional repositories (IRs). While depositing activities ranged considerably among participants, most expressed confusion about copyright and had little motivation for navigating “clunky” IR systems. We will share scholars’ considerations, frustrations, and misconceptions about self-archiving their work in IRs, how it compares to their dissemination practices in disciplinary repositories and academic social networks, and what librarians can take away from their experiences to better support these scholars
A Spectroscopic Survey of Atmospheres of Super-Earths
Get PDFRecent research has made it possible to use spectroscopy to analyze the composition of the atmospheres of exoplanets, planets that orbit other stars. Most projects thus far have focused on the atmospheres of gas giants, as it is less challenging to observe them with available equipment. This project studies the atmospheres of four Super- Earths, planets that have a mass greater than the Earth but smaller than Neptune. This is accomplished by processing the raw spectroscopic data from the Hubble Space Telescope and modeling the atmosphere using the program -Rex3. This survey found clear results from two of the selected planets, but the spectra from the other planets were too weak to model in -Rex3 effectively. Nonetheless, the presence of specific compounds was detected
Filipino Music in the Sphere of Multicultural Music Education: A Survey of Preservice Teachers
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to explore how preservice music teachers (i.e., students who are preparing to become music teachers) viewed diversifying music curricula, specifically regarding music from the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Additionally, this research explored preservice music teachers’ cultural identities and how those identities influenced their beliefs and opinions about teaching. “Culture” was defined by Merriam-Webster (n.d.) as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group.” Although there is a diverse population of students throughout schools in the United States, limited research has been conducted about incorporating Filipino music (i.e., music by composers of Filipino ancestry) into multicultural music education (i.e., a multicultural approach to music teaching and learning) curricula. Because of this lack of research, this study aimed to provide preservice teachers with an idea regarding how to incorporate multicultural music education into their classrooms and how to include Filipino music within curricula.
At The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the Principal Investigator (PI) distributed an anonymous questionnaire disseminated by Qualtrics to the preservice music students enrolled in a music education methods course. Participants answered questions about their knowledge of the Philippines, its music and culture, and their beliefs about cultural diversity within the sphere of education. Then, they had the opportunity to answer open-ended questions to further describe their cultural backgrounds and teaching experiences. At the end of the questionnaire, participants were invited to contact the PI to arrange an interview to further discuss these topics.
Respondents generally noted that they cared about their students’ diverse backgrounds and wanted to incorporate multicultural music education into their classroom curricula. However, responses from open-ended questions and interviews indicated that most respondents had little to no knowledge about the Philippines, and they were not fully aware of how to include cultural diversity into their future classrooms. For preservice and in-service teachers, this study suggested the importance of connecting with students and their families to better understand their respective cultural backgrounds. Additionally, this study, together with existing literature, aimed to spark dialogue about the inclusion of Filipino music in multicultural music education, particularly among preservice and in-service music educators. As such, it added to discussions about multicultural music education by specifically bringing Filipino music into the conversation
Editorial Commentary to the Special Issue on “Transformative Educational Technologies: Innovations across Disciplines and Contexts”
Get PDFTechnologies have been playing a transformative role in reshaping educational landscapes across various disciplines and contexts. This special issue aims to explore diverse applications of educational technology in different educational settings, ranging from pre-tertiary education to vocational training. The technologies analyzed include wearable devices that assess emotional engagement in learners and smart classrooms that promote cooperative and collaborative learning among entire classes, highlighting the trend toward learner-centered approaches in education. Together, these studies emphasize the transformative potential of technology in fostering innovative teaching strategies, improving learning outcomes, and addressing the evolving needs of both learners and educators. By presenting empirical findings, theoretical insights, and systematic reviews, this special issue aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion about the effective integration and evaluation of educational technologies across diverse disciplines and contexts
Smart Education across Academic Disciplines: A Systematic Literature Review
Get PDFSmart education has been practiced in many academic disciplines. To investigate the relationship between the implementation of smart education and the nature of academic disciplines, this paper presents a systematic review to address the literature gap. The study synthesized 110 journal articles collected from Scopus, which were published between 2010 and 2022 and reported smart education practices in higher education. Academic disciplines involved in the practices were categorized into Hard-Pure, Soft-Pure, Hard-Applied, and Soft-Applied based on the Biglan’s classification. The results illustrated that the practices were implemented mainly at the undergraduate level, and most frequently in the language and computer science disciplines. Enhancing learning motivation and engagement and offering learning content and feedback were the most common objectives of smart education practices. The most popular type of learning mode was face-to-face. Online learning was more widespread in applied disciplines, while blended learning was more frequently involved in pure disciplines. The predominantly used technique and learning device were learning platforms / learning management systems and mobile devices, respectively. Additionally, the review found that the majority of pedagogical approaches to smart education were student-centered. Moreover, some pedagogical approaches, such as game-based learning, tended to be specific to certain disciplinary categories
