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The Ethics of Expropriated Art
No full textThroughout the ages nations have removed art from other nations and housed such art in their own museums, raising the question of whether such expropriation is morally justifiable. This summer I investigated why art is expropriated, and how museums choose to present and display it. In addition to reading relevant literature, I visited various museums throughout Europe and informally interviewed museum visitors and staff. The goal of this project was to gain an understanding of the nature, causes, and ethical implications of art expropriation. I created an Omeka site with a Neatline map to host an analysis of my experiences and conclusions, as well as to provide a secondary means of understanding the subject via a visual, interactive platform. The map includes data points at various museums; each point’s color and size correlate to the type of art it represents and how many pieces of this type of art the museum has in its permanent collection, respectively. For example, the British Museum has a large yellow point, signifying that the museum has over 100,000 Egyptian artworks. Thus, viewers are able to see where Egyptian art is in the world, as well as compare Egypt’s collections to other nations. I formed three conclusions from this research. The first was that removing art in order to preserve it should continue, so long as the process is subject to oversight and the art is promptly returned when threats to it are eliminated and the nation of origin asks for its return. Secondly, sharing art among the global community would help maintain cultural heritage while continuing to increase and promote accessibility. Finally, museums should strive to maintain respect and cultural integrity with their displays of foreign art
Document-Based Learning: Outside Advanced Placement and Inside Student Minds
No full textDocument-based learning (DBL) represents an exciting initiative in History Education. Long embedded in AP History curriculum and testing, the approach is now used in history classes of all levels for a variety of purposes including formative and summative assessment, development of deeper understanding of content, and foregrounding historical thinking skills. In the field, there has also been a movement to use online resources and to make DBL freely available to all teachers. Recent research, however, has highlighted (and only just begun to address) the current lack of “real-classroom studies” that examine what DBL looks like in practice. In particular, there is minimal existing research regarding student responses to DBL. Accordingly, the goal of this project is to explore and analyze student responses to DBL in order to inform the use of document-based learning in all classroom contexts. In this presentation, I will share research on what document-based learning looks like in non-AP contexts, and resources which other teachers, present and future, can access to enrich their classrooms. I will also share details and analysis of a case study on student responses to DBL which I conducted in a tenth grade American history classroom. This case study provides evidence for some of the main intended benefits of DBL as well as revealing some frustrations and concerns that students have regarding the DBL approach. The project also demonstrates the importance of student voice in understanding how DBL works in the classroom and in informing what teachers and other educational professionals can do to continue to improve the effectiveness of DBL. Ultimately, this project has implications on the field of education as a whole as its exploration of student voice reveals principles which can be applied to the research and practice of various educational approaches in all subjects
Effects of Ketamine on Manic/Depressive Behaviors in Homocysteic-acid Treated Rats
No full textPrevious work in our laboratory has shown that demonstrated that male and female rats that receive daily intraperitoneal injections of the endogenous, glutamatergic agonist homocysteic acid (HCA) from postnatal day 3-21 develop behaviors that are consistent with a mixed depressive/manic phenotype. Specifically, HCA-treated rats exhibit anhedonia in a saccharine preference test and reduced social interactions consistent with a depressive phenotype. In addition, these animals also exhibit increased locomotion and risk-taking behavior in novel environments and increased goal-directed behavior in the Morris Water Maze. We have previously hypothesized that the behaviors elicited by HCA treatment may suggest that we have developed a novel animal model for bipolar disorder. We have shown that treatment of our model animals with lithium, a drug used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, reversed the manic-like behaviors associated with HCA-exposure. The lithium treatment reduced time the HCA-treated animals spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and hyperlocomotive behavior in novel environments. In the current study, we determined if ketamine, a drug that rapidly reverses depression in humans and depressive-like behaviors in rats, would reverse the depressive-like behaviors in HCA-treated animals. We tested the effects of ketamine on motor behavior (Rotarod), hedonistic behavior (sucrose preference), exploratory behavior and anxiety (elevated plus maze), depressive-behavior (forced swim) and social behavior (social interaction) in male and female HCA-treated rats. The results of these tests will be presented and discussed
When Will Real Bodies Mean All Bodies?: A Critical Look at the #AerieREAL Ad Campaign
No full textAmidst our society’s overt sexualization of women’s bodies, especially in the media and advertising industries, some brands are fighting back. American Eagle’s intimates brand, Aerie, is one of them. In 2014 Aerie launched their #AerieREAL campaign, pledging not to retouch the models in their ads, breaking norms and portraying “real” bodies. In this research I explore the areas in which this campaign succeeds and in which it falls short. While the #AerieREAL campaign does some things well, and is in fact making progress for body positivity in its industry, it still perpetuates mainstream beauty standards, portrays overt femininity, reinforces an able-bodied view of the world, is inherently consumerist, and supports the sexualization of female identities. Using feminist perspectives, I analyze the campaign\u27s choice of models and use of an overtly feminine color palette, calling attention to the inherent consumerism behind these ads- the sale of goods through the sexualization of women’s bodies. Meanwhile, feminist disability theory brings to light the ableism present behind the portrayal of bodies in the campaign. With these diverse lenses in mind, I pose the question- how do we as consumers approach this campaign
Seasonal Variation in Microbial Populations in Lake Macatawa Watershed
No full textThe levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB), specifically Escherichia coli, are used by the mDEQ and other organizations to monitor water quality and safety. Transient large spikes in the numbers of E. coli have plagued the Lake Macatawa Watershed over the last decade, along with high sediment levels and nutrient imbalances. Project Clarity, a $12M restoration project initiated in 2013, is working to restore the 179 mi2 watershed by creating remediation sites and educating the community. Our goal is to assess Project Clarity’s impact on water quality by collecting weekly samples from 12 representative sites to gather information about biological, chemical, and physical parameters. Total DNA samples are isolated each week using membrane filtration and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene is amplified for 16S community sequencing. Physical and chemical parameters including total suspended solids, nutrients (phosphate and nitrate), temperature, stream discharge, dissolved oxygen, and biological oxygen demand are measured and correlated to the composition of the watershed’s microbiome. Microbial community composition varies seasonally and with location in the watershed. In particular, stream sites are distinct from sites in Lake Macatawa. Large populations of cyanobacteria with the potential to cause toxic algal blooms are present in some lake sites at certain times of the year. In addition to using the 16S community sequencing as a monitoring technique, it may also allow us to identify other organisms that can be used to monitor water quality and safety through non-culture based techniques
Wildlife Use Patterns in a Constructed Wetland
No full textWetland habitats fill vital environmental roles because they typically enhance wildlife diversity and perform important ecosystem services. The Outdoor Discovery Center/ Macatawa Greenway in Holland, MI began construction of a wetland from an agricultural field in the summer of 2015, hoping to trap sediments that otherwise travel downstream to Lake Macatawa while restoring wildlife populations. However, this site is near Tulip City Regional Airport, which raises concerns for increased aviation collisions with wildlife. Our study investigates the potential wildlife hazard to aviation and explores ecological questions regarding transitional changes of wildlife use of different habitats. We measured wildlife activity and abundance as well as vegetation structure at the constructed wetland and at nearby wet meadow, open water, and airport habitats. Compared to previous agricultural land use, the new wetland has shown a substantial increase in vegetation structural diversity and wildlife species diversity. Seasonal migrations dominate changes in wildlife abundance, activity, and aviation threat in each habitat type. Results thus far suggest no consistently increased hazard to aviation even though wildlife has flourished in the new wetland
Evaluation and Revision of the General Chemistry Lab Curriculum
No full textAn effective General Chemistry Laboratory experience emphasizes inquiry-based learning, reliable data, and connections to current chemistry research. Hope College seeks to constantly improve our curriculum to help students learn more effectively. To do this, an evaluation tool for Hope College’s General Chemistry Lab curriculum was created to guide lab development. In this project, we evaluated the current General Chemistry Lab curriculum and proposed revised labs that will fill in evaluation gaps. We will explain the method of evaluation, describe a new lab structure based on the Science Writing Heuristic, and outline experimental updates made to the curriculum. Besides being more comprehensive, the labs will also introduce students to faculty research. We hope to implement labs which will interest students in furthering their education through research and encourage students to ask questions using inquiry-based curricula. This is the first evidence in the literature for using current faculty research as a theme for a first-year laboratory
Cu3(BTB)2: Multilayer, MOF, or Hybrid?
No full textMetal organic frameworks (MOF) are highly porous crystalline structures that are most commonly studied in the powder form. However, they may also be studied as surface anchored MOFs (surMOF). The growth mechanism of the iconic MOF-14 system has been studied extensively as a surMOF using atomic force microscopy and ellipsometry, which indicate a Van der Merwe growth mechanism. Given this growth mechanism and the unit structure of MOF-14 as a powder, it is of interest to determine if the surMOF-14 has a multilayer structure, framework structure, or a hybrid structure. To investigate the structure, the growth mechanisms of the system on different self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was studied. In addition, ammonia exposure was conducted to determine if the MOF-14 system behaves similarly to either the MHDA multilayer system or the HKUST-1 surMOF. Results indicate that changing the SAM does not have a major effect on changing the growth mechanism of surMOF-14. Preliminary results indicate the surMOF-14 does not respond in a way similar to that of the MHDA multilayer system or the HKUST-1 surMOF
Validation of Theoretical IR Spectroscopic Methods for Protein Structure Determination
No full textDetermination of the protein structure has become an increasingly important task for many scientists and pharmacists as the structure of a protein determines its function. For instance, many of the debilitating effects of genetic diseases are caused by the misfolding of proteins. Scientists have developed many different methods, such as X-ray crystallography and NMR, to characterize the structure of proteins. A more recent development in protein characterization involves the use of IR spectroscopy because we are able to capture the motion of proteins at physiological pH, and use isotope labeling to identify individual peptide linkages, which we cannot with other methods. Various groups have used theoretical models to create empirical mappings from molecular dynamic simulation to assist interpreting these IR spectra, but often use a limited set of model systems to parameterize their map. Here, we reveal a creation of a library of di- and tri-peptides that are prevalently present in biological systems. This library of IR spectra can be used to validate current empirical mappings and be a resource for improving current models
Environmental Noise Monitoring Using a Wireless Sensor Network
No full textEnvironmental noise monitoring is quickly increasing in relevance due to urbanization and this increase can have negative impacts on human productiveness. However, certain measures can be taken to negate the noise. The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts on the campus of Hope College was built with noise cancellation purposes in mind due to the building’s close proximity to railroad tracks. The purpose of this research was to develop a network of wireless sensors capable of measuring the noise levels both outside and inside of the Jack H. Miller Center in order to validate the effectiveness of the noise cancellation features of the building. Toward this end, a Sparkfun Sound Detector board was chosen as a prototype transducer for measuring audio signals, and it was calibrated in the Jack H. Miller Center to establish a baseline for a conversion from Analog-to- Digital Converter readings to decibel units. Simultaneously, a wireless sensor node that will be eventually adopted for noise monitoring was updated to make the data acquisition process more reliable and the overall network of sensors more robust. The wireless sensor network was modified to handle heavier wireless traffic and to transfer data acquisition control to a single board computer (SBC) rather than user input. Network tests were performed, which showed the network to be functional. The next steps in this research are to interface the sound detector board with the wireless sensor node such that it can sample at a frequency of at least 12 kHz, as well as communicate across an existing existing wireless sensor network