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Open Ed Live Opening [Day 3] and Open Beyond OER - Open Pedagogy, Practices, and More
No full textSupport for open educational resources (OER) has seen incredible growth over the last decade as practitioners and institutions alike have acknowledged the benefits of OER for learners. These materials allow for greater freedom to access, adapt, and share information. However, talking about OER as individual artifacts does not fully encapsulate what open education is as a field or what practitioners working in the open education space can do.
In this talk, Abbey Elder will discuss how the open education field intersects with other open disciplines, such as open source software and open data. While reflecting on open educational practices and norms, Abbey will invite attendees to consider how openness benefits both learners and educators. Finally, she will share practical examples of open educational practices in action, and work with attendees to consider how they might move beyond OER in their own context.
After participating in this presentation, attendees will be able to: Describe the core values that are inherent in open education. Articulate how OER contribute to and stand apart from open education as a field. Provide examples of potential open pedagogy applications within their local context. Identify three or more methods for engaging with the broader open education community
An Analysis of Large Language Model Performance
No full textThe development of Large Language Models (LLMs) represents a paradigm shift in the way we engage in learning. This study investigates the use of Multiple Linear Regression to predict LLM performance. By using 370 different observations using information gathered from various LLM leaderboards, I created a model with MMLU (an LLM benchmark) as the response variable and used every other variable as the response variable. Throughout the model selection process, transformations were performed on a refined model, tests to make sure the model didn\u27t have collinearity or was overfit. The model has a p-value of 2.2e-16 meaning the model is significant and a F-Statistic of 145.8 suggesting a strong explanatory value. With an adjusted R-Squared of 0.8644 meaning the model is a very strong fit for outcome explanation.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2025spring/1021/thumbnail.jp
Cytarabine in children with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia
No full textLeukemia is a form of blood cancer, originating in the bone marrow, and
accounts for over 30% of all cancer diagnoses in children. While there are
many forms of treatment which may be used to treat Leukemia,
chemotherapy is the most common and most effective form. The “gold
standard” treatment for pediatric Leukemia, specifically Acute Promyelocytic
Leukemia, is Daunorubicin (DNR). Another chemotherapy drug, which is
used only in combination with DNR, is Cytarabine (Ara-C). Due to the
aggressive nature of treatment, there are a number of side effects.
This clinical trial seeks to determine the non-inferiority of
DNR alone, as the addition of Ara-C significantly increases the risk for
severe side effects.As a result of the intensive research we have learned to
differentiate between different types of research, understand how to
read and gather information from clinical trials, and perform
comparative analyses of clinical trials in addition to gaining a
comprehensive knowledge on Leukemia itself.
Additionally, we have developed a
heightened awareness of identifying potential biases in research which
may alter the delivery of certain results. We have gained a thorough
understanding of the ethical principles behind different treatment protocols
which has absolutely prepared us to be better clinicians.
Together, we have identified significant room for improvement on the
current status of global standards of care, and we seek to be more critical
consumers of research in the future. We certainly see the impact potential of
what we have learned far beyond the scope of the classroom.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2025spring/1016/thumbnail.jp
Mastering Self-Belief: Overcoming Obstacles in Organic Chemistry
Get PDFAs students enrolled in CHM 4942, we had the honor of serving as Undergraduate Learning Assistants in organic chemistry. This experience proved to be a valuable opportunity for us to apply the skills, strategies and principles we learned in our pedagogy class. These newfound skills aided us in class where we helped with problem-solving and facilitating group discussions, as well as out of class where we answered discussion forums and conducted test preparation. Additionally, we believe that the impact we’ve made with students is so notable that there\u27s an interest for ULAs in courses outside of chemistry. Not only were we able to help students with their confidence, comfort and mastery of the course material, but we were also able to undergo personal and professional growth through our experiences as well. The same techniques we use with our students, such as metacognition, error framing and Bloom’s taxonomy, helped us become better students, instructors and individuals. We learned the importance of perceiving mistakes as areas of growth, meeting students where they’re at and fostering a spirit of learning through planning and reflective practices. Overall, serving as a ULA was a gratifying and rewarding experience as we were able to apply the theory that we learned in CHM 4942 to our instructional interactions with students.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hip-2025spring/1031/thumbnail.jp
Impact of TGF-β and Twist1 on Motility and Proliferation in Estradiol-Treated MCF-7 TamR cells in-vitro
Get PDFBreast cancer is a highly malignant cancer and is known to be grouped into three main types: adenocarcinoma, invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer commonly arises as adenocarcinoma, located in the milk ducts, and becomes IDC when it spreads into the surrounding tissue from the influence of cytokines and hormones. This study outlines the rate of proliferation and motility of a type of adenocarcinoma, MCF-7-TamR, to become invasive ductal carcinoma when Twist1 is downregulated and exposed to TGF- and estradiol (E2) in-vitro. We hypothesize that the downregulation of Twist1 will reduce cell adhesion and cytoskeleton proteins to prevent tumor movement and proliferation when exposed to tumor promoters in-vitro. For the proliferation study, cells were analyzed for variation in morphology, cell density, and HER2/COX2 expression over a 2-day to 7-day period when exposed to 10nM TGF- and 0.1nM, 10nM, or 10 of E2 in the presence or knockdown of Twist1. After imaging with a bright-field microscope with phase contrast and RT-qPCR, Twist1 knockdown had a significant effect of reducing apoptosis post prolonged exposure of E2 and TGF- . For the motility study, cells were exposed 10nM TGF- and 0.1nM, 10nM, or 10 of E2 with either Twist1 presence or knockdown. The exposure of E2 showed a biphasic effect by increasing early motility, 24hr, but reducing later motility, 48hr, by primary utilizing actin-based motility. TGF- reverses this trend by decreasing early motility but increasing later motility independent of E2 by utilizing microtubule-based motility. The knockdown of Twist1 prevents TGF- effects of increasing later motility and restores MCF-7 cells sensitivity to E2. Significant difference between different treatment groups were found in both proliferation and motility studies. These finding help to indicate that TGF- and Twist1 has effect on hormonal breast cancer in increasing the likelihood of MCF-7 adenocarcinoma becoming IDC in-vitro, but need be further investigated to assess likelihood in-vivo
Development of Cerium Oxide Based Polymer Composites with Enhanced Cytocompatability for Biomedical Applications
Get PDFThis thesis presents the synthesis and characterization of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs), and silver-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles (AgCNPs) loaded in alginate beads that were designed to be applied in biomedical settings. Cerium oxide was chosen for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities, and silver oxide was selected to enhance antimicrobial functionality, both of which are pivotal in expedited wound closure and promoting cellular proliferation. Through the use of an advance electrospray encapsulation apparatus, alginate-based polymer beads were created by incorporating either CNPs or AgCNPs into the matrix. These beads were later characterized using a range of microscopic and FTIR analyses, in order to obtain information about chemical makeup and mechanical properties of the bead. After confirming the presence of CeO2 within the alginate matrix, in-vitro studies were conducted in order to evaluate the biological competence of the CeO2-alginate beads. By assessing the controlled release of the ions from the beads, the impact on cellular responses to wound healing can be determined. The integration of these characterization techniques and in-vitro studies seek to establish the chemical and structural attributes of the beads and is predicted to provide crucial insight into wound care and improving clinical outcomes in the biomedical discipline by accelerating the rate of wound healing and minimizing complications
The Inverse Scattering Transform for the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation
No full textThe Nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) Equation, iψt + 1/2 ψxx ± |ψ|2ψ = 0, is a nonlinear partial differential equation which is used to model several physical phenomena including nonlinear effects inside optical fibers and the formation of rogue waves in shallow water. It is particu- larly difficult to study solutions to this equation due to the nonlinearity, and the nonlinearity leads to incredibly interesting solutions not found in linear PDEs such as solitons. In this thesis, we highlight two methods of obtaining solutions to the (NLS) equation: the Inverse Scattering Transform and the Dressing Method. Furthermore, we study a particular class of solutions called solitons and multi-solitons. Solitons, also called solitary travelling waves, are localized traveling waves which arise as solutions to several nonlinear dispersive partial differential equations. We use the Dressing Method to numerically compute 100-soliton solutions to the NLS equation with 500 digits of precision. We then analyze the statistical properties of these multi-soliton solutions and compare them to some established results computed using other methods
Effect Of Metal Ions On The Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging Capabilities Of Cerium Oxide For Biological Applications
No full textCeria nanoparticles\u27 capabilities to defend cells against oxidative stress through superoxide dismutase activity are well-documented. Ceria nanoparticles demonstrate a ratio between 3+/4+ oxidative states on the surface of the particles to exhibit oxygen vacancies, a feature that allows these particles to scavenge Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in times of Oxidative Stress. Oxidative stress arises from many wounds in the body, such as wounds in the skin, and can have significant impacts on the health of an individual. Even when receiving treatment for the skin wound, ROS can circulate from around the wound, be generated from an imbalance in antioxidants, or enter from the environment. These ROS can further delay the healing of wounds or exacerbate issues, causing irreparable harm to cells and DNA around the wound site. Ceria nanoparticles have been utilized in the past to perform targeted drug delivery into the body and have been vastly investigated for their ability to scavenge ROS. To utilize both the drug-delivery and scavenging aspects of ceria nanoparticles, this paper will investigate the ability of metal-doped ceria nanoparticles to scavenge ROS during times of oxidative stress. The experimentation will involve Gold (Au), Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), and Strontium (Sr) utilized as the metals for doping the ceria nanoparticles. This topic poses a novel approach to wound healing, as utilizing a dual-use approach to CNP drug delivery can provide significant therapeutic advances
Remedios Varo: Peregrinaciones
Get PDFAt the time of her death, the artist Remedios Varo (1908–1963) left behind over 500 works of art, the majority of which were created in her adopted country of Mexico. Known for her meticulously crafted fantastical paintings, Varo underwent exile and displacement due to first the Spanish Civil War, and later World War II, which led her to relocate to Mexico, where she would create prolifically for the remainder of her life. This paper will examine the effect of those experiences on the artist and the work she produced, attesting to Varo’s ability to translate complex emotions regarding the human condition and uniquely communicate her personal history. Using biographical, formalist, and contextual analyses informed by the concepts of exile and of the Other in modern art, I aim to investigate the theme of pilgrimage—both physical and metaphysical—in the artwork of Varo’s mature artistic period. Surveys of medieval art and alchemical culture, contemporary research on pilgrimage, and scholarship on Otherness in the canon of European art will be cited as frames of context for approaching Varo’s artwork.
Although the theme of pilgrimage in Varo’s work is noted in existing scholarship, my research seeks to more thoroughly articulate the relationship between Varo’s work and her own experiences, synthesizing significant through lines in Varo’s life and work to create a comprehensive view of the artist. By focusing on the continuity of movement, I explore how Varo’s migrations informed her artistic development, and the narratives present in her paintings; first looking at images suggestive of liminality, conceptual journeys, and literal movement