16144 research outputs found
Sort by
The Anchor, Volume 128.12: November 26, 2014
Get PDFThe Anchor began in 1887 and was first issued weekly in 1914. Covering national and campus news alike, Hope College’s student-run newspaper has grown over the years to encompass over two-dozen editors, reporters, and staff. For much of The Anchor\u27s history, the latest issue was distributed across campus each Wednesday throughout the academic school year (with few exceptions). In recent years The Anchor moved to monthly print issues and a more frequently updated website. The Anchor is now published in print twice per academic semester. Occasionally, the volume and/or issue numbering is irregular
Home-Built Single-Molecule Florescence Spectroscopy
No full textThis research involves the design and construction of a confocal microscope for single-molecule fluorescence-detected resonance energy transfer (FRET) experiments. Avoiding the averaging inherent to bulk techniques, single-molecule FRET spectroscopy allows us to resolve structural characteristics and dynamics of biological systems that often exist in multiple conformations. Donor and acceptor dyes will be attached to small biologically important molecules such as RNA, DNA, or protein. These samples will be used at low (femtomolar) concentrations, such that either zero or one molecule will be in the focal volume of the microscope at any given time. As the system passes through the focal volume it will be excited by the laser light. Detection of the corresponding fluorescence, originating from either the donor or acceptor, will allow calculation of the FRET efficiency. A function of the distance between the dye molecules, the experimentally-determined FRET efficiencies will be compared to simulated FRET data calculated using molecular dynamics simulations. This comparison will lead to a better understanding of FRET and will improve the process of extracting structural information from raw FRET data
A Little Birdie Told Me: Researching Twitter’s Effect on Formal and Informal Writing Among College Students
No full textAlthough technologically mediated communication (TMC) is widely used, especially among young adults, no researchers have yet examined the potential impact of Twitter use on individuals’ writing. In TMC, a texting-like language called “textese” has emerged. Within textese, textisms (or text shortcuts and variations) occur and range from abbreviations to emoticons. Twitter users often use textisms in their writing when they “tweet” due to Twitter’s character limit. Previous research found that self-reported textism usage while text messaging over a mobile telephone associated positively with informal writing scores and negatively with formal writing scores. The current study’s objective is to examine if Twitter use influences one’s quality of formal and informal writing. Additionally, the frequency of textisms within formal and informal writing will be examined. College undergraduate students will be asked to compose a formal writing sample (a scholarship letter) and an informal writing sample (an email to a friend). Both samples will be scored according to a rubric. Then participants will be asked to report on their Twitter usage frequency, Twitter habits, and how often they use specific textisms when tweeting. Amount of Twitter use as well as use of textisms will be compared to the formal and informal writing samples to determine whether any relationships exist between Twitter use/textisms and writing quality. The results from this study will expand textism research, especially in regards to undergraduate writing, and extend it to the context of Twitter
Violent-Crime Rate and House Value in Detroit, Holland, and Jackson, Michigan
No full textMany different variables help determine the value of a house; including number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet of the house, location, etc. This study attempts to determine what, if any, impact the violent crime rate of a city has on the value of houses located within said city. Using a semi-log regression in STATA to analyze the data it is determined that the number of bathrooms, square footage of the house, and percentage of the population affected by violent crime, all significantly affect the list price of each individual house price
CASA Tutors’ Perceptions of an After School Academic Program
No full textThe purpose of this research was to determine how Children’s After School Achievement (CASA) tutors perceived the quality and effectiveness of the CASA program. CASA is collaboration between Hope College and area elementary schools in Holland, Michigan that focuses on assisting at-risk school-age students by providing free after-school tutoring. CASA tutors are undergraduates attending Hope College who are paired with at-risk students to work on reading, math, school assigned homework, as well as life skills. Mixed methods were used to evaluate the tutors’ perceptions, and this paper will focus on the quantitative measures. One hundred and nine tutors completed a survey containing 14 questions regarding interactions with CASA students along with assessment of the program. Data analysis using a one-sample t-test revealed that CASA tutors believed the CASA program built positive relationships, students wanted to read and spend time on homework with the tutor, and that this program met the tutor’s expectations. However, results showed that many believed that the life skills components of the program were not as positively received by students compared to other aspects of the program. A two-way contingency table analysis also revealed that tutors who participated in CASA for college credit benefited more than tutors who did not receive credit. Females enjoyed tutoring to a greater degree, while also recommending the CASA program to a greater degree than males
Teens and Texts: Exploring the Literary Practices of Church-Going Teens
Get PDFThe purpose of this Phase 1 study was to explore adolescents’ faith-related literacy practices and thus build on a growing field of research on adolescents’ religious experiences (Smith and Denton, 2003; Dean, 2010). To collect data, we designed an online survey consisting of both qualitative and quantitative questions. The 37 participants, two-thirds of them female, were recruited from youth groups in and around a small midwestern town. 91% of the respondents reported that they attended youth group on a weekly basis. As a whole, we discovered that most adolescents seem to identify more with the relational aspect of their faith than they do with traditional religious literacy practices such as reading a Bible and devotionals on a regular basis. Faith-related literacy practices, for the teens we surveyed, seemed to be mostly social in purpose, function, and motivation
The Wounded Warrior Project: American Society and Conscription
No full textIn recent years, there have been sharp increases in displays of gratitude toward America’s military veterans. Every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, September 11th, and Veterans Day, the Internet, television, and various forms of social media are inundated with expressions of thanks for veterans and the fallen. Businesses, celebrities, politicians, and others who fail to show some form of gratitude (Twitter, Facebook, press conference, etc.) run the risk of being perceived as un-American. Firsthand interviews with veterans and secondary source research have led me to conclude that America should require some type (military, educational, governmental, public-private partnership, etc.) of post-high civil service. My project explores the socioeconomic and cultural reasons for supporting the establishment of a policy of national service
Morality, Urbanity and Rurality in the Roman and American Consciousness
Get PDFThe contrast between urban and rural is one ever-present in societies with these conceptual spaces, along with interpretations of this contrast, as societies rationalize these different spaces in terms of their material conditions. This trend reaches as far back as The Epic of Gilgamesh and Aristotle\u27s Politics which rationalize it in terms of Ancient Mesopotamia and Greece. Two interpretations with an interesting, spontaneous and unconscious similarity are those of Rome and America. Both, as articulated by writers and politicians, viewed the rural lifestyle of a farmer as the most virtuous and moral role in society compared to the urban citizen, who lived amongst corruption, decadence, and general immorality. This lens of morality, of viewing the contrast as primarily one of virtue/vice, is an interpretation shared by these societies, unlike others. This project will examine each society’s interpretation of the urban-rural dichotomy in historical context, focusing on the similarities, nuanced differences, and smaller, competing interpretations in each society. Much has been written about the concept of \u27City and Country,\u27 but not as a Rome-America comparison, or with this synthesis of evidence. Close parallels exist in works like Williams’ The Country and the City and Hofstadter’s Age of Reform, but this study will go beyond the scope of either. This project will examine an unstudied, spontaneous similarity between two different societies with very different contexts. Understanding this similarity, what led to such interpretations of the urban-rural, and how each arose separately but are both so similar will aid in understanding why and how societies construct these interpretations of conceptual spaces. Using political tracts, poetry, essays, speeches, a novel and a film, I will demonstrate that Rome and America held similar views on the dichotomy, why this occurred, and how this can lead to a better understanding of each
Recognition and Management of Lisfranc Midfoot Injuries
No full textAlthough encompassing a very small area of bony and ligamentous anatomy, Lisfranc injuries can be very detrimental to those who experience them. These injuries often vary from simple Grade I sprains to more serious fracture-dislocations, and given the fact that they are not commonly seen by medical professionals, there is a high risk for misdiagnosis and mismanagement. Practitioners should be cognizant of the mechanisms contributing to these injuries, as well as the associated signs and symptoms that may appear during a clinical examination. The purpose of this case study on Lisfranc pathologies is to ensure that all medical professionals are aware of the main symptoms and chief complaints exhibited by patients, to outline proper diagnostic techniques, as well as proper management strategies to facilitate appropriate clinical practice
Indigenous vs. Modern Medicine: At Odds or in Harmony?
No full textThe goal of this project is to explore the relationship between the indigenous medical practices of South America and Western modern medicine. Since many Andean cultures may have beliefs that conflict with or differ from the current understanding of health and illness, the integration of contemporary medical practices into society is often problematic in Andean countries. In light of the common occurrence of medical pluralism in these areas, health care workers and policy-makers face a unique challenge; they must find solutions that provide the best care for these individuals without disrespecting their beliefs and traditions. In addition to other indigenous groups that inhabit parts of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, the following larger Andean cultures will specifically be investigated: the Quechua, Mapuche, and Aymara