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AN EVALUATION OF ‘KNOWING YES!’, A VIRTUAL CONSENT TRAINING AND ITS EFFECTS ON STUDENTS’ KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS AFFIRMATIVE CONSENT
Get PDFMuch of the sexual assault prevention literature on the university level focuses on individual institutions’ varied efforts to address incidences of sexual assault on their campuses and their outcomes (Donais et al., 2018). While consent education programming has emerged as one such effort, there is a dearth of evaluative literature in this area and the understanding of the role of consent education alone in sexual violence prevention (Beres, 2020). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate one university’s consent-centered educational program and explore its successes and limitations as the field moves towards standardizing sexual violence prevention efforts on college campuses. Results indicated that participants displayed significantly more knowledge of affirmative consent law after receiving the intervention than those same participants had demonstrated prior (pre-intervention responses: M = 88.1, SD = 9.37; post-intervention responses: M = 94.4, SD = 7.67). Consistent with this finding, when answering this question using all the available data, results indicated that participants displayed a significant increase in their knowledge of the laws of affirmative consent than they had shown on average before the training (t = 13.2, df = 1941, p \u3c .001). The results also demonstrated that a significant number of participants achieved the intended learning outcomes after receiving the study intervention (χ² = 298, p \u3c.001). Lastly, an analysis of the survey responses to consent-related attitude and opinion items found that for the participants with complete data, there was a small but significant increase in prosocial responses (pre-intervention responses: M = 3.79, SD = 0.72; post-intervention responses: M = 3.87, SD = 0.69). However, when all the available responses were analyzed, results showed that prosocial consent-related attitudes and opinions were already high at baseline and remained relatively the same after the intervention. The findings contribute to the limited literature on the effectiveness of consent educational programming through an analysis of the ‘Knowing Yes!’ Program and its effectiveness in increasing knowledge and influencing attitudes and opinions about affirmative consent in college students
PORTFOLIO OPTIMIZATION WITH RISK MANAGEMENT THROUGH DIVIDEND-PAYING STOCKS
Get PDFThe research conducted in this study centers around the crossover of portfolio optimization with risk management through dividend paying stocks. To accomplish this, data was taken from the past to show how certain dividend paying stocks and ETFs have performed against the whole of the market. The study includes the possible benefits that would be achieved through the reinvestment of the paid dividends back into the companies that paid those dividends. This study discusses risk management in a portfolio, which involves employing strategies to mitigate potential risks that could impact investment performance. By diversifying across asset classes, investors aim to protect their portfolios against unforeseen market fluctuations and downside events. It is important to manage the allocation of funds into each stock and ETF, depending on the performance of the market as a whole because some market sectors perform better under different market conditions. In order to maximize portfolio returns, the portfolio must be constantly managed and optimized
ENHANCING BIOMEDICAL SEMANTIC CONTENT AUTHORING THROUGH KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION
Get PDFThe rise in online biomedical information has led to challenges in data retrieval, primarily due to insufficient semantic metadata. While semantic annotators have advanced in addressing this problem, they still lack accuracy, speed, and, most importantly, dynamic knowledge representation—an essential aspect of AI that enables human-like reasoning. Several techniques to achieve knowledge representation, such as Knowledge Graphs, have been introduced to improve current systems in many domains, including the biomedical domain. Knowledge Graphs, recognized for their semantic richness, show promise in enhancing the biomedical semantic annotation process. We propose a knowledge graph-based recommendation system, augmented with NLP for search queries, designed for the Semantically biomedical content annotation platform. This system aims to provide quick and easy access to optimal, machine-readable recommendations and graphically visualize recommendations in a knowledge graph format. Still, to build the knowledge graph and the interface, we had to address challenges and issues with the current system. Semantically uses a relational schema for data storage, which does not support machine-readable content that would allow search engines to understand and suggest annotations easily. Inherent differences in the sequential query language and cipher language mean that the backend for data manipulation must be rewritten entirely to support Neo4j operations. A knowledge graph interface with graph visualizations was also needed to present optimal recommendations to users. Our approach to these challenges is to migrate the MySQL database to a Neo4j database to create a knowledge graph database. Then, we rewrote the backend to connect to Neo4j and support cipher language queries. Using data visualization JavaScript libraries like D3.js, we wrote a knowledge graph interface that returns a graph visualization of annotation recommendations obtained from the knowledge graph. We verify the effectiveness of the knowledge graph through an evaluation survey taken by 20 people, testing its ability to represent knowledge dynamically. The results show a mostly positive reception for all positive and negative system characteristics, with crucial metrics such as speed, precision, and clarity with agreement percentages of 100%, 95%, and 95%, respectively. A demo of the knowledge graph-based recommendation system is available at https://github.com/bukharilab/KG4BioMedCntnAuthoring
EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEXTS ON BLACK MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS’ LITERACY PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY
Get PDFAfrican American males often experience literacy challenges in the American school system. Texts related to their lives are rarely available in the curriculum, and some educators need the skillset or strategies to engage these learners with texts related to their lives. Many studies have documented that exposure to culturally relevant texts may enhance African American males’ literacy practices. This qualitative case study explored the following research question: How do culturally relevant texts influence college-age African American males’ literacy practices? Data were collected from the instructor and student interviews, field notes, and document analysis. Seven African American college-age students were recruited for the study, and four completed the interview process. Data were analyzed to understand better the influence of the use of culturally relevant texts on the literacy practices of this group of participants. This research is essential for understanding the literacy practices of African American male students as they often feel alienated and invisible in schools. Engagement with culturally relevant texts offers African American male students a mirror image of their lives and may positively impact their literacy practices. This study is critical to understanding how culturally relevant texts can be used in college classrooms to help African American male students succeed
PERCEPTIONS OF SUBURBAN MIDDLE SCHOOL CONTENT TEACHERS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LITERACY IN THEIR CLASSROOM: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY
Get PDFStudents are starting middle school without the foundational reading skills necessary to access the texts in their content area classes, such as science and social studies. This is causing great frustration for the teachers who feel unsure of how to help these students because they did not learn about how students learn to read in their teacher preparation courses. So, would providing teachers with the information they need about how students learn to read, foundational reading skills, and strategies to support struggling readers, change secondary teachers’ perceptions about reading and how they can help their students? This action research interviewed teachers about their knowledge of foundational reading skills, provided them with a professional development course, and followed up with final interviews to find out if their perceptions changed. The results of the study showed that secondary teachers realized how important it was to know the details of the reading process in order to view their students from a literacy lens and be able to help them successfully comprehend the texts they use in their classes
APPLICATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERS AND DISPROPORTIONALITY OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION PLACEMENT AND SERVICES
Get PDFThe issue of disproportionality, or the over-representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in special education, has long been a challenge for school districts. This issue predates the implementation of PL 94-192. School building administrators are seen as agents of change, responsible for setting expectations within their schools and leading the school community toward a shared vision. As administrators set forth to improve student achievement, they must also address the disparities in achievement between different student groups. The latest revision of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) is founded on two core tenets: academic press and caring support. Administrators who grasp the principles of the PSEL and incorporate it into their school culture are better equipped to support both their staff and students in examining student success and identifying resources for school improvement. Culturally proficient leaders prioritize access to resources in their shared vision and ensure equitable opportunities for all learners. School district administrators must possess a working knowledge of special education laws and regulations, as well as their implications for student classification, PSEL, and cultural proficiency. The purpose of this quantitative research study is to explore the extent to which school administrators’ knowledge and implementation of PSEL correlate with disproportionality. The study aims to underscore the significance of enhancing educational opportunities in leadership preparatory programs through a better understanding of PSEL and special education. Additionally, it seeks to guide school districts in offering ongoing and targeted professional development for school leaders and staff, along with periodic monitoring and reviews
MODELING THE BURDEN OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND ITS EFFECTS ON ANGER COPING: A LATENT PROFILE ANALYSIS
Get PDFPurpose: Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) is defined as unfair treatment received because of one’s race. Although prior research has established that PRD is a chronic psycho-social stressor with various subdimensions, there is less research exploring whether unique profiles or clusters of discriminatory experiences exist. Further, although research has identified positive relations between discrimination and anger suppression and expression, it is not known if profiles of discriminatory experiences are differentially linked to patterns of anger expression (i.e., anger suppression, outward anger expression, or anger control). Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify profiles of discriminatory experiences in a sample of American born Black and Latino/a adults and to determine if these profiles are associated with different levels or patterns of anger expression. Method: The present study used latent profile analysis to model profiles of discriminatory experiences in a sample of Black and Latino/a individuals. To test whether profiles of discriminatory experiences are associated with anger coping, we used the automatic BCH approach in M plus for estimating the means of racism specific anger coping variables across profiles of discriminatory experiences. Results: We found four unique profiles that differed in frequency and intensity (i.e., Low All, Low Moderate, High Moderate, High All). We found that the High All profile was associated with the highest use of anger-in and anger-out. Conversely, we found that the Low All profile was associated with the lowest use of both anger-in and anger-out. The Low All profile was also associated with the lowest use of anger-control, while the High Moderate profile was associated with the highest use of anger-control. Conclusions: We found four unique profiles of discriminatory experiences that were uniquely associated with racism specific anger coping variables. These results provide insight into the heterogeneity of the experience of discrimination and its implications for anger coping
PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF K-4 SPECIALIZED LITERACY PROFESSIONALS’ EXPERIENCES AND SELF-EFFICACY IMPLEMENTING RTI WITHIN AN MTSS FRAMEWORK FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS
Get PDFThis transcendental phenomenological study, grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory (1997), investigates K-4 specialized literacy professionals’ (SLPs) experiences and perceptions of implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. Data collected from interviews and self-reported journal entries of nine “academic instructional specialists” provide a comprehensive understanding of their roles, responsibilities, experiences, and the factors that shape their self-efficacy in elementary education. The findings highlight the critical role that specialized literacy professionals fulfill in meeting the diverse needs of students through evidence-based, systematic interventions. Their responsibilities extend beyond direct instruction to encompass continuous assessment, progress monitoring, and adapting instructional strategies grounded in empirical evidence. Such an approach highlights the importance of collaborative efforts for successfully implementing RTI within a continuously changing educational environment. The study also reveals challenges specialized literacy professionals face, such as increased workload, the necessity for role adaptation, and a lack of sufficient support, all of which affect their self-efficacy. Despite these obstacles, specialized literacy professionals exhibit resilience attributed to collaborative networks, professional development opportunities, and the positive outcomes of their intervention efforts. The research emphasizes the significance of adaptability and continuous learning in improving specialized literacy professionals’ effectiveness within the RTI-MTSS framework. It shows how these attributes significantly enhance SLPs’ ability to implement effective interventions, adjust to the evolving educational landscape, and meet the varied needs of students. The study presents implications for practice and policy and recommendations for future research
Looking to the Past and Abroad to Enhance U.S. Presidential Debates
Get PDFPresidential debates are a valuable, but flawed, method of educating voters about policy issues and candidates. Growing dissatisfaction with presidential debates, and polling evidence suggesting they are failing to inform audiences, creates exigence to reconsider the format of future debates. In this essay, we propose modifications to the format of United States presidential debates, in the interest of facilitating greater clash and audience education. To improve U.S. presidential debates, we draw upon two sources of inspiration: the history of U.S. presidential debates and international experiences with political debates. We recommend exploration of new debate formats that include (1) a narrow scope and (2) questions crafted by field experts. These proposals would generate clash and reveal key insights about candidates’ preparedness for governance
MOLECULAR DYNAMICS STUDY OF ALPHA-SYNUCLEIN REPEAT MUTATIONS AND SARS-COV-2 NUCLEOCAPSID LINKER PHOSPHORYLATION
Get PDFThe study aimed to utilize molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) molecules and regions, focusing on IDPs such as alpha-synuclein and the SAR-CoV-2 nucleocapsid linker segment and their variants. Methodologically, the research employed MD simulation with implicit solvent methods, GaMD enhanced sampling, Python-based analysis, and VMD visualization. The study\u27s significance lies in revealing structural dynamics insights of IDP regions. Key findings include the average structures of target sequences from k-means clustering analysis. The impact of mutations in alpha-synuclein KTKEGV repeat mutations is also revealed. Mutations introducing hydrophobic residues, like KGV and KLK, increased surface hydrophobicity, with KGV over-stabilized due to added positive charges. The research also explored the rigidity fluctuations of SAR-CoV-2 linker segments, comparing those from the Wuhan strain to those with r203k/g204r mutation and various phosphorylation levels