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Unpacking AI Pedagogy for K-12 Educators of Multilingual Learners (MLs)
No full textDespite the change to a pluralistic society in the US educational landscape, K-12 educators are still determining the applications of artificial intelligence in education (AIED) and recognizing the need for adaptations. This presentation aims to explore the means by which AI pedagogy supports educators in teaching multilingual learners (MLs). AI pedagogy is addressed to enrich diversity and codesign the MLs lessons to be more culturally responsive teaching with AIED. Three usages of AI pedagogy will be discussed: (1) creating personalized learning materials, (2) engaging in interaction and collaboration with chatbots, and (3) using stimulation through intelligent virtual reality (IVR)
Enhancing Climate Change Awareness in Children Through Augmented Reality: A Study on Educational Engagement
No full textAs the need to address climate change becomes more urgent, introducing children to environmental conservation has become increasingly important. This thesis explores how augmented reality (AR) technology can turn traditional storytelling into an exciting and educational experience to help children learn about climate change. Sam and Mia’s Earth-Saving Adventure, a 10-page graphic storybook enhanced with AR, allows children aged 3-10 to interact with the story through animations, sound effects, and quizzes that respond to their choices. Developed using Adobe Aero, the book creates an immersive and fun way for children to engage with environmental topics.
The study will employ a combination of methods: ethnographic observations will capture children\u27s engagement during AR interactions, and their performance in a quiz will be quantitatively analyzed to measure comprehension and retention. While the research is still in progress, the study aims to explore how AR-infused storytelling can captivate young learners and enhance their understanding of climate concepts. The goal is to assess whether children demonstrate excitement, curiosity, and an improved ability to recall and apply environmental lessons from the story.
By combining immersive technology with playful education, this study seeks to provide insights into innovative approaches for early childhood learning, emphasizing the potential of AR to inspire a generation of environmentally conscious individuals
Investigation of the Mechanism of Magnetosensation in C. elegans
Get PDFOrganisms interact with abiotic factors like temperature, light, and magnetic fields, shaping their behavior and adaptation. While Earth\u27s magnetic field aids navigation in various species, the molecular mechanisms of magnetosensation remain unclear. This study uses Caenorhabditis elegans to investigate magnetosensation, leveraging its genetic tractability and rapid lifecycle. We identify key molecular components involved in magnetic field detection and assess their roles. Additionally, we explore the effects of reduced magnetic fields, simulating Martian conditions, on biological functions.
Beyond magnetosensation, we examine transgenerational adaptation by studying inherited pathogen avoidance behavior in C. elegans. By investigating how environmental experiences influence progeny, we aim to uncover epigenetic mechanisms of adaptation. This research enhances our understanding of sensory biology, environmental adaptation, and potential challenges for life in space.
KEYWORDS: Magnetosensation, Caenorhabditis elegans, magnetic field detection, transgenerational adaptation, epigenetics, sensory biology, Martian conditions, environmental stress, pathogen avoidance, neural mechanism
The Medea Effect: The Binary Terror of Women Existing in the Liminal Space
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to analyze the Medea character as a liminal figure. Taking a metaphorical approach to Victor Turner’s ideas on liminality, this study will deconstruct different binary oppositions—villain/victim, agent/object, Dionysian/Apollonian. The Medea character does not fall neatly to one side of these binary oppositions; therefore, this thesis argues that Medea instead inhabits the space between the binary oppositions in the realm of the liminal. The thesis then analyzes the same binary oppositions within a survey of theatrical and non-theatrical texts that feature characters that embody archetypes that originated within the Medea character—the she-devil, the murderous mother, and the wicked witch. This thesis is a critical deconstruction through a feminist lens. It also uses numerous historical literary sources from the classical world. This study argues that the Medea Effect is a terror response to binary oppositions that permeate Western thought, resulting in the demonization of the Medea character and similar female literary figures who fall within the liminal realm of dichotomous hierarchies
Positioning in Narrative and Writing: An Ethnographic Study of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Graduate Students in an English Language Institute
No full textThis dissertation responds to the current necessities in US higher education, particularly in English Language Institutes serving culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) international students. It investigates the positioning acts of CLD graduate students through their narratives and in academic writing. Using positioning theory (Davies & Harré, 1990; Kayı-Aydar, 2019) and metadiscourse analysis (Hyland, 2005; Halliday, 1985) as methodological frameworks, this ethnographically-oriented multiple case study argues positioning acts are discursive practices that are socially and culturally situated, and it addresses the following research questions: (1) How do CLD graduate students describe their lived experiences during their first year in the United States while studying English? (2) What kinds of positional identities do they develop through their lived experiences in the United States while studying English? and (3) How do they position themselves and others in their academic writing? The findings of the study illustrate that the CLD graduate students (1) shift their self-positioning in writing over time and across disciplinary discourses as they experience a change in their subject positions while adapting to positions of less power, (2) rely on source texts and intertextuality before positioning themselves as knowledgeable members of their discourses in their academic writing, and (3) they are influenced by their beliefs, assumptions, and prior experiences, particularly about the place of the self in academic spaces as well as about concepts of politeness, sincerity, and humility in the way they position themselves in academic discourses. The findings presented have implications for English Language Institutes, academic (English) writing courses or pathway programs (as well as similar transitional spaces), and instructors of CLD graduate students in terms of pedagogical considerations for to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts
Better Together: Collaborative Approaches to Teaching Primary Source & Information Literacy
Get PDFSpecial collections librarians and their research & instruction colleagues discuss collaborative approaches to primary source and information literacy instruction in the university classroom. Through presentations and panel discussion they cover the types of classes where they collaborate, including a representative example class; how they work with teaching faculty; their favorite learning objectives; and how their partnerships have made them better teachers.Panelists represent public universities in Arkansas, Illinois, and Maine, and a private college in Ohio
Graph-based Analysis of CID Simulation Data of Protonated Peptides: A Case Study of Threonine and Phospho-threonine
No full textIn tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), chemical structure strongly influences ionization and fragmentation, yielding distinctive spectral patterns. However, standard MS/MS spectra only capture precursor and product ion’s mass to charge ratio, providing limited insight into the transient intermediates and dynamic events that govern dissociation. The effects of chemical modifications, such as post-translational modifications (PTMs) like phosphorylation, can redirect fragmentation pathways and obscure spectral interpretation.
Computational simulations can help provide insight into these processes; however, such simulations produce a vast amount of data. To address this, we developed a graph theory-based framework that enables automated, high-resolution analysis of direct dynamics simulations under collision-induced dissociation (CID). Molecular structures are encoded as augmented graphs, incorporating both connectivity and molecular property and particular to this work formal charge information. This enables the systematic identification of transient species and the construction of ensemble reaction graphs (ERGs) that comprehensively represent sampled fragmentation pathways. Filtering techniques and RDkit visualizations allow the extraction of chemically meaningful mechanisms.
This approach is applied to N-terminus protonated threonine (Thr-H⁺) and N-terminus protonated O-phosphorylated threonine (p-Thr-H⁺), revealing how phosphorylation and methylenation alters fragmentation behavior. Simulations for Thr-H⁺ reproduced key experimental peaks (m/z 102, 74, 56), with m/z 102 arising from water loss via the side-chain hydroxyl and m/z 74 and 56 resulting from loss of H2O + CO and loss of 2H2O + CO, respectively. Simulations show that m/z 74 dominates at the moderate collision energies. Phosphorylation at the side-chain hydroxyl shifted the dominant fragment to m/z 102, now corresponding to H3PO4 loss. Two isomers were identified: one via a three-membered SN2-type mechanism and another from β-elimination. Unlike phosphorylated serine, which favors β-elimination, p-Thr-H⁺ preferentially forms the three-membered ring SN2 product at moderately high collision energies due to its additional CH2 group, a trend aligning with recent experimental data. Unique to p-Thr-H⁺ is the roaming-mediated formation of m/z 99 ([H4PO4]⁺), highlighting complex charge-migration behavior. Additional fragments such as m/z 182, 154, 58, and 74 further emphasize how small structural changes and modifications open new reaction channels.
Comparisons with serine-based analogs underscore the impact of small structural differences, such as a single methylene group, on fragmentation preference and product stability. These findings demonstrate how the integration of direct dynamics with graph-based analysis provides a mechanistically insightful platform for studying peptide fragmentation, particularly for chemically modified systems where standard MS/MS interpretation is limited
A Novel Silver-Ruthenium-Based Antimicrobial Kills Gram-Negative Bacteria Through Oxidative Stress-Induced Macromolecular Damage
Get PDFThe rise in drug-resistant bacteria, together with the decline in antibiotic development, requires new strategies for infectious disease control. Gram-negative pathogens are particularly challenging to combat due to their outer membrane. This study highlights the effectiveness of the silver-containing antimicrobial AGXX® against the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. AGXX® is a promising silver coating that presumably kills bacteria through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, neither AGXX®’s mode of action is fully understood, nor have its effects on Gram-negative bacteria or bacterial response and defense mechanisms towards AGXX® been studied in detail. Here, I report that the bactericidal effects of AGXX® are primarily based on ROS formation, as supplementation of the media with a ROS scavenger completely abolished AGXX®-induced killing. Further, AGXX® effectively reduces bacterial survival by interfering with membrane integrity and causing DNA damage and protein aggregation, which is likely a consequence of uncontrolled generation of oxidative stress. Finally, I present evidence that the production of the chaperone polyphosphate protects cells from AGXX-mediated protein aggregation. Our findings emphasize AGXX®’s potential as an antimicrobial surface coating and shed light on potential targets to reduce bacterial resistance to AGXX®
Elizabeth Maconchy
No full textA collection of Maconchy essays focused on the biographical aspects of this unjustly overlooked Anglo-Irish composer\u27s life and music, framing her within the context of her distinctly unique era