100039 research outputs found
Sort by
An Expansive Framing Intervention and its Influence on Nursing Students\u27 Perceptions of Value for Mathematics
Get PDFNurses regularly use mathematics on the job, yet they often do not view their work as mathematical. This may indicate a lack of transfer from the nursing school mathematics context to nursing practice. Further, nursing students often perceive very little usefulness and relevance for learning mathematics beyond simple calculations. Expansive Framing (EF) is a theory and instructional technique that has been shown to foster transfer by establishing intercontextuality, or connections made between disparate contexts. This research explored whether creating intercontextuality created through broad framing also improved perceptions of mathematics value and transferability, and how intercontextuality functioned as the driver of changes in perceptions of mathematics value and transferability.
This embedded case study mixed-methods analysis investigated these constructs by collecting qualitative and quantitative data from undergraduate nursing students in a College Algebra course. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, and reflexive thematic analysis. Results varied; while quantitative analyses showed slight declines in positive value perceptions and a slight increase in negative value perceptions, the results were not statistically significant. Mixed and qualitative-focused analyses showed that participants experienced improved perceptions due to expansively framed activities in the course. The form of EF varied; while webinars showed mixed effectiveness, other expansively framed activities were identified as highly valuable for both groups. Overall, intercontextuality was an apparent motivator of changes in value and transferability perceptions.
Based on this research, I recommend that instructors seek opportunities to create intercontextuality by framing broadly across context during instruction, but also by applying EF to classroom activities through curricular integration of content. Future research across multiple classrooms, age groups, and cultural settings, is warranted to investigate the extent to which intercontextuality is the motivator of perception changes versus other factors and to further disentangle the individual roles of connecting settings versus student authorship in effective EF
Validating an Integrated Microfluidic Model of Subretinal Tissue
No full textThe retina is the tissue in the eye responsible for sensing light in our environment and producing signals that are sent to the brain to be translated into visual images. The photoreceptors are cells in the retina that are highly sensitive to light and responsible for initiating sight. The photoreceptors are supported by the subretina, which consists of the retinal pigment epithelium, Bruch\u27s membrane, and choroid. With age, the structure of the subretina changes, with some layers thickening and others thinning. These structural changes have been associated with age-related eye diseases, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood.
Age-related macular degeneration is a disease of the subretina and one of the leading causes of blindness in the elderly. In advanced age-related macular degeneration, new blood vessels form in the subretina and invade the interior of the eye. This blood vessel invasion results in progressive cell death, vision loss, and eventual blindness. Treatment options for age-related macular degeneration are limited and only slow the progression of vision loss.
This study focused on constructing a retina-on-a-chip model of the subretina to provide a platform to study early mechanisms of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. Specifically, the chip construction aimed to generate two cell channels separated by a hagfish protein Bruch\u27s membrane model. The hagfish protein membrane mimics the structure of the Bruch\u27s membrane in the eye. Results show the successful inclusion of the hagfish protein membrane within the device. The membrane supported independent fluid flow in each individual cell channel. The top cell channel was able to support retinal cell culture. These results expand the applications of retina-on-a-chip models by incorporating a protein-based membrane with similar physical properties to Bruch\u27s membrane in the eye. Additionally, the constructed model provides a foundation for the development of a more representative model of the subretina
Contrasting Management Styles and Differing Outcomes of Capping and Orphaning of Utah Oil and Gas Wells by Conditions and Land Types
Get PDFThe issue of public lands management and ownership in the West has long been contentious. This thesis takes a quantitative approach examining outcomes of the rates at which oil and gas wells in the state of Utah are orphaned and/or capped. Findings indicate that orphanings occur at a statistically significant higher rate on state owned land as opposed to federal and private, and wells on tribal land have no recorded orphaning. No other variables were significant in their relationship to orphaning. The proposed explanations for this disparity are two-fold: First the longer periods of inactivity permitted by the state simply increase the chance a lessee will dissolve, leaving the well orphaned. Secondly, potential access to a greater amount of land upon which to drill incentivizes lessees to cap wells upon federal land at a higher rate. Tribal and private wells both allow for a more individualized approach and additional contractual agreements that minimize orphanings. This analysis demonstrates that the state of Utah’s management system results in a higher rate of orphanings, and in addition paves the way for comparative analyses in other aspects of land management. This allows for a more nuanced discussion and better understanding of differences in management systems and outcomes
Stratigraphic Evidence for Indigenous Use of Fire as a Dryland Agricultural Landscape Management Tool on the Northern Colorado Plateau
Get PDFWhile documented in ethnography and traditional ecological knowledge, Indigenous burning practices are rarely recognized in the archaeological record of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. I analyzed charcoal from an arroyo wall to understand the relationship between Indigenous farmers and fire at the Cub Creek archaeological site (AD 300-1300) in Dinosaur National Monument. The size, shape, and amount of charcoal in each sediment layer indicates the fuel types (woody or grassy) and relative size and/or intensity of fires. I compared my data to a precipitation reconstruction for the area to evaluate the influence of climate on fire activity. The results indicated that fires were rare and small for over 1,000 years, despite the occurrence of drought conditions, while Indigenous peoples lived on and managed the land. Fire activity did increase around the introduction of maize agriculture about AD 300. After Indigenous people left the Cub Creek area around AD 1300, large fires returned to the landscape, particularly during periods of drought. This study demonstrates that fire histories can be constructed in settings without good fire scar datasets and within complex stratigraphic settings such as ancient arroyos. It also contributes to the archaeological evidence for Indigenous fire management practices in the American Southwest, which can help us understand how to live with fire in the face of an increasingly extreme climat
An Online Scientific Twitter World: Social Network Analysis of #ScienceTwitter, #SciComm, and #AcademicTwitter
Get PDFUnderstanding who makes up online social worlds as well as how information flows within those communities is important as more people access news, research topics, collaborate with others, and entertain themselves. This study identified and classified the people discussing scientific topics on Twitter, determined the type of social network, and described the member composition of this online world. Scientists, the public, and educators formed this online world. They built connections by initiating activities and interacting with others, which created the Community Clusters social network structure. All three categories of people are in positions of influence in this network leading and controlling the conversations. The results show that scientists, the public, and educators share the space and contribute to communication in this online world
An XRF Elemental Analysis of Prosser Molded Beads From Southwest Oregon
Get PDFGlass beads were brought to the North American continent by European explorers and traders beginning in the 17th century. Native Americans quickly adopted beads as trade commodities and personal ornaments. Prosser beads were made predominately in France and Bohemia from the 1860’s to the 1970’s and can be found in archaeological contexts from coast to coast. In this study, elemental analysis using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) technology is used to determine if there is a way to chemically discern where and when the beads were made.
Statistical analysis of three categories of elements was done to determine whether the creation of a model of glass recipes for Prosser beads might be possible using XRF. Four major elements of feldspar, Si, Al, Ca, and K were analyzed, revealing a strong correlation between Al and K. Trace elements, Rb, Sr, Y, and Zr, which are associated with volcanic activity and alkali replacement in feldspar were examined, revealing that variation in Rb was strongly associated with Al. Finally, as a control, coloring elements that were intentionally added were examined, revealing that Co amounts had high variation, and were associated with statistical clusters of bead composition.
The study revealed that in the case of these beads, Al, K, Rb, and Co all varied together, and patterns of variation created clusters of beads in the analysis. This finding suggests the possibility that an elemental model is feasible. Ultimately, it may be possible to use a handheld XRF device in the field to determine quickly where and when, within a few decades, it was made.
The ability to distinguish this information about beads provides archaeologists with a powerful tool to trace patterns of trade and use of one of the most important commodities in Native American cultural adornment
Demonstration of Self-Deploying and Self-Stabilizing Behaviors in Origami-Inspired Arrays
No full textAlthough origami-inspired mechanisms are becoming more common in engineering, transitioning from a paper-based origami pattern to a deployable array requires many design decisions, including selecting a thickness accommodation technique, hinges/surrogate folds, deployment method, stability measures, damping process, etc. This work focuses on demonstrating deployment and stabilization techniques applied to Miura-Ori configurations, with the primary objective of achieving a self-deploying and self-stabilizing array that could be utilized as a reflectarray antenna or other deployable system for satellites. These arrays must be compact when stowed, yet deploy expansively, with minimal to no aid. Specifically, this work describes deployment techniques that can be incorporated into volume-efficient designs to help arrays deploy, with the additional benefit of ease in manufacturing. Force data is collected by deploying low-fidelity prototypes, and the methods that perform better than the rest are combined and incorporated into a high-fidelity prototype to achieve the goals listed above, for further analysis and demonstration
Mapping Accretion Around the Black Hole X-Ray Binary MAXI J1803-298 With Reflection
Get PDFMAXI J1803-298 is a recently discovered transient black hole (BH) X-ray binary that went into outburst on May 1st, 2021, and it was detected with MAXI/GSC1. NuSTAR observed MAXI J1803-298 four times during its outburst (see Table 1, Figure 1)21. We will model the spectrum so that we can see reflection features to be able to learn about the inner accretion disk and the environment around the BH. In Figure 1 and Table 1, we can see that the outburst started on May1st, the peak of the outburst was on May 14th, and the last observation was on June 17th
Enhancing Monthly Streamflow Prediction Using Meteorological Factors and Machine Learning Models in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Get PDFUnderstanding and predicting streamflow along river basins is vital for planning future developments and ensuring safety, especially with climate change challenges. Our study focused on forecasting streamflow at Lees Ferry, a key location along the Colorado River in the Upper Colorado River Basin. We employed four machine learning models - Random Forest Regression, Long short-term memory, Gated Recurrent Unit, and Seasonal Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average; and combined historical streamflow data with meteorological factors such as snow water equivalent, temperature, and precipitation. Our analysis spanned 30 years of data from 1991 to 2020. Our findings revealed that the Random Forest Regression model consistently outperformed others, particularly when integrating all meteorological factors with historical streamflow data. Using a 24-month historical data window, our model successfully predicted 12 months of streamflow with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 2.25 and an R-squared value of 0.80, demonstrating high accuracy. Furthermore, to assess the generalizability of our model, we tested it at other locations within the basin, including Greenwood Springs (Colorado River), Maybell (Yampa River), and Archuleta (San Juan). By enhancing our understanding of streamflow dynamics and leveraging machine learning techniques, our research aims to provide valuable insights for water resource management and decision-making in the face of climate variability
Dusty Miller Cut Foliage Production in Utah
Get PDFDusty miller is a foliage known for its lace-like, velvety texture and silvery pale, sage-green leaves. While an annual foliage, dusty miller is an easy-to-grow, productive crop that can tolerate a light frost and make use of small spaces and edges on a cut flower farm. Harvests begin as early as June in high tunnels and late July in the field. Dusty miller serves as a traditional filler as well as base foliage for centerpieces. It is often used in small-scale floral design such as corsages, boutonnieres, and flower crowns. Though useful in diverse designs, dusty miller is also relatively inexpensive to import, a notable market consideration for local growers