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Bank Erosion Dynamics in Response to Anthropogenic Disturbances in the Cuivre River Watershed of Missouri, USA
No full textRiverbank erosion is increasingly recognized as a pressing issue exacerbated by human activities. The Cuivre River, a tributary of the Mississippi River, located in northeast Missouri, has limited documentation on bank erosion, with the most recent study conducted in the early 1990s. This research aims to fill this gap by exploring the stream bank erosion dynamics from 1816 to 2015. The objectives are to: (i) understand the channel width dynamics for 1816 to 1994 ii) determine the sediment erosion and deposition volume along the riverbank in the period of 1994 to 2015. iii) identify the anthropogenic disturbances particularly land use and direct channel modifications on bank erosion dynamics. General Land Office (GLO) plats and historical aerial photographs were analyzed to determine the bank erosion dynamics. Field observations were conducted to assess potential human causes of erosion. The analysis showed an increase in bank erosion rates over the 1816 - 1994 period, particularly in 1st ,2nd, & 3rd order streams. From 1816 to 1994, channel narrowing was prevalent in 5th order streams. Erosion volumes from 1994 to 2015 indicated greater erosion compared to deposition along the mainstem. The 4th and 5th order streams exhibit the highest erosion volume rates, with erosion on average being five times larger than deposition. This study showed that while natural channel processes influence bank erosion, human activities, particularly land use changes (for example, cropland and urban infrastructures with limited riparian vegetation), and direct channel modifications coupled with climate change have significantly deteriorated this fluvial system. These findings highlight the need for effective riverbank management strategies targeting the hotspot areas of bank erosion to preserve riverine environments and ensure long-term integrity for the people that call the watershed home
Development and Implementation of a Practice and Assessment Tool for Middle School Orchestra
No full textThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a practice and assessment tool, Skill Ladders, as used by my 7th grade orchestra students. This is a tool that I created to help students focus on specific skill acquisition and musical development during their practice time. Designed for the middle section of intermediate level playing skills and aligned with curricular goals, students were to utilize this tool to set goals, practice, self-assess, and demonstrate progress. Prior to utilizing Skill Ladders, students completed a survey of baseline attitudes toward individual practice. After the trial period of the study, a second survey was conducted on how students perceived the tool’s usefulness. I also recorded my assessments and observations of the tool’s effectiveness in a journal. Analysis of the results showed that students who have played instruments for a longer time or took private lessons were slightly more likely to find Skill Ladders helpful, but most students found it difficult to navigate, challenging and boring. I discuss the potential and problems of Skill Ladders and what can be done to make the tool more useable for middle school students
Scene Understanding and Spatial Analysis Using Scene Graph Enhanced by Hall\u27s Proxemics Zones in Smart Homes
No full textVoice-controlled smart assistants have received widespread popularity. It plays a pivotal role in smart homes by providing a natural and convenient interface for interacting with smart devices. However, these assistants are unable to serve persons with physical disabilities and speech impairments. Therefore, non-verbal communication methods, such as eye tracking, gesture recognition, and context awareness can complement and overcome some of these limitations to enhance user experience in smart homes. To address this issue, I am investigating non-verbal communication methods to make smart home technology more accessible and intuitive. In this research, I focus on proxemics, i.e., the study of distance between smart home users and surrounding objects, to enable spatial awareness and intuitive automation in smart homes. I apply scene graphs to provide a structured representation, such as positions, relationships, and properties, of the static and moving objects in indoor home environments. The novelty of this approach lies in the application of proxemics via scene graph generation for extracting contextual information and scene understanding to automate smart home actions. This work adds a distance attribute to the scene graph predicate for quantifying human and object relationships. The key contribution lies in leveraging proxemics through scene graph generation to extract contextual information, facilitating the automation of intelligent actions
Determining Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid Adsorption on Nanoparticles Using Liquid Chromatography – Mass Spectrometry
No full textThe contamination of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS, C8F17SO3H) in water is considered a threat to humans and the environment. The strength of carbon and fluorine bond is responsible for its high stability in the environment. Therefore, it can be transferred from the environment to food sources and eventually humans. This study assessed the ability of nanoparticles to adsorb PFOS from water. The experiment was performed by preparing suspensions of PFOS (10 ppm) and different concentrations (1000 ppm, 500 ppm, 250 ppm) of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2-NPs) or magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs). The suspensions were vortexed and put on a shaker for 24 hours before collecting the filtrate and the solid samples (after repeated washing with water) for Liquid Chromatography - Mass Spectrometry (LCMS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analyses. In this study, parameters (e.g., mobile phase ratio, column temperature, injection volume) for an LCMS method were optimized for quantitative analysis of PFOS concentration. The results showed that CeO2-NPs reduced the PFOS concentration in the suspension by 88% to 92% while MgO-NPs reduced the PFOS concentration by 45% only. The XRD data did not show any changes in the structure of CeO2-NPs, but a very minor change was observed in the structure of MgO-NPs. Overall, the study revealed that CeO2-NPs can adsorbed PFOS more effectively than MgO-NPs without appreciable change in the nanoparticle structure
K-12 Teachers’ AI Literacy: A Key Driver of AI Integration Into Teaching Practices
No full textThis thesis examined the correlation between K-12 teachers\u27 artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and their integration of AI tools and resources into their teaching practices. The research question asked, “What is the impact of K-12 teachers’ AI literacy on the integration of AI tools and resources into their teaching practices?” i.e., whether teachers with higher levels of AI knowledge and skills are more likely to incorporate AI-powered tools in their teaching methods. The study hypothesizes that educators who are more proficient in implementing AI will be more likely to adopt AI-driven resources in their teaching practices. The study uses a correlational research design, collecting data from K-12 teachers in Turkey through a survey. The Pearson r Correlation Coefficient was used to measure the strength and direction of a linear relationship between the two variables. The research should have significant implications for educational technology, aiming to bridge the gap between AI applications and their effective use in K-12 classrooms. By identifying the connection between AI literacy and its application in education, this study hopes to inform policy decisions, instructional design, curricula, and professional development programs that cater to the needs of K-12 educators
SPTBN1 Involvement in Reverse Transcription of HIV-1 Infection in CHME3 Cells
No full textHuman Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1) is a lentivirus that infects CD4+ cells, causing a
weakened immune system that leads to the development of Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (AIDS). HIV utilizes host proteins to replicate. A genome wide screen by Brass has
shown that the molecular scaffolding protein, SPTBN1, is essential for HIV-1 infection.
However, the viral replication steps that SPTBN1 impacts are not known. Previous work in the
Hulme Lab has shown that SPTBN1 knockdown delays HIV capsid uncoating but does not
impact viral fusion kinetics. Uncoating and reverse transcription of HIV-1 occur simultaneously.
Therefore, the goal for this study was to analyze the impact of SPTBN1 on reverse transcription
of HIV-1 in microglial cells. Previous results indicating SPTBN1 as one of the host factors for
HIV-1 infection were confirmed in this research. SPTBN1 knockdown appeared to delay early
and intermediate reverse transcription, whereas late steps and completion of reverse
transcription did not seem to be affected. Future studies using the methods outlined in this
research would give insight into the host factors used in the infection process and could aid in
the development of future therapeutical targets for HIV-1
Examination of Nonverbal IQ and the PEAK Relational Training System in Children With Autism
No full textStudies have documented floor effects and low intelligence quotient (IQ) scores for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Conventional IQ tests may be inadequate in assessing cognitive ability for this population given the associated differences in language and communication in autism. Utilizing nonverbal IQ tests may address these concerns and provide a more accurate representation of ability. Studies have shown utility in using nonverbal IQ tests for this group. This study examined the relationship between measures of cognitive ability in children with autism. The Primary Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (PTONI; Ehrler & McGhee, 2008) was used as a measure of cognitive ability, nonverbally, and the Promoting the Emergence of Advanced Knowledge (PEAK) Comprehensive Assessment (PCA; Dixon, 2019) was used to measure cognitive and language ability linked to participants’ applied behavior analysis (ABA) curriculum. Participants were between the ages of 3 and 16, diagnosed with ASD, and received services as participating ABA clinics. Primary findings demonstrate a strong positive correlation between PTONI raw scores and PCA total raw scores, r(16)=.95, pr(16)=.48, p=.06. This study contributes to gaps in literature by comparing a nonverbal IQ test to PEAK, using the PTONI as a primary measure, and general psychometric research examining cognitive ability for this group. Additional implications suggest the utility of nonverbal IQ tests to measure ability and treatment progress for individuals with autism. Future research may attend to project limitations and expand the scope of the present study
Quantum Dot Effect on Endocytic Pathways and Eisosome Organization
No full textDespite the promising applications of Quantum Dots (QDs) in the biomedical field, the long-lasting effects of QDs on the cell remain poorly understood. To comprehend the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of QDs in yeast, I characterized defects associated with receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME) as well as on pinocytosis using Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model in the presence of CdSe/ZnS QDs. My findings revealed that QDs led to an inefficient RME at the early, intermediate, and late stage of endocytic patch maturation at the endocytic site, with the prolonged lifespan of GFP-fused yeast fimbrin (Sac6-GFP), a late marker of endocytosis. The transit of FM1-43, a lipophilic dye from the plasma membrane to the vacuole, was severely retarded in the presence of QDs. QDs caused an accumulation of monomeric red fluorescent protein fused carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (mRFP-Cps1), a vacuolar lumen marker in the vacuolar lumen. Finally, I observed increased recruitment of Pil1-GFP, an eisosome marker, in a similarly treated condition. In summary, the present study provides novel insights into the possible interaction of CdSe/ZnS QDs at the endocytic machinery, enabling a deeper comprehension of QD toxicity
Sharing Is Caring: The Effect of Interpersonal Interdependence, Shame Proneness, and Empathy on One\u27s Physiological Response When Witnessing and Experiencing Shame
No full textThis study identifies the impact of interpersonal interdependence on one’s physiological response when one witnesses shame and examines the predictive qualities of shame-proneness and empathy on these differences. It is predicted that interpersonal interdependence, shame proneness, and empathy will affect the physiological response. A One-way Repeated Measures ANOVA, single linear regression, and multiple linear regression were used to assess differences. The findings showed that participants experienced significantly higher levels of physiological arousal when experiencing shame personally compared to witnessing it in others (stranger and loved one). It was also found that shame-proneness has a negative relationship with physiological arousal when witnessing and experiencing shame. Finally, cognitive empathy was found to be a significant predictor of physiological arousal across all levels of interpersonal interdependence (stranger, loved one, personal), but affective empathy was not
Transforming the Culture of Care, Implementation of Developmentally Supportive Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
No full textThe current study examines the implementation of the evidence-based practices of the neonatal integrative developmental care model in the neonatal intensive care unit and how these practices are implemented in reference to initiation method and frequency. In recent years, research examining the effectiveness of individualized, developmentally supportive care to infants in the NICU has demonstrated a variety of positive effects. Although great strides have been made in efforts to provide developmentally supportive care, wide variability and inconsistency remain in the quantity and quality of experience for infants and families in the NICU. Even though a hospital may incorporate developmentally supportive care into their neonatal intensive care unit, the quantity and quality of developmental care may fluctuate over time at a hospital and the level of care may also differ from hospital to hospital. The objective of the current study is to determine what aspects of developmentally supportive care are implemented in hospital NICUs and how consistently these efforts are made. To accomplish this, neonatology specializing medical physicians were invited to complete a questionnaire reporting on the developmental practices implemented in their neonatal intensive care unit. Analyses demonstrated that majority of the 8 subsets of the neonatal integrative developmental care model are practiced as the standard of care with some aspects of each subset of care not as universally integrated. The current study suggests a need for further research on the topic, as well as a need for universal standardization of a structured developmental care program