Syracuse University
Syracuse University Research Facility and Collaborative EnvironmentNot a member yet
20376 research outputs found
Sort by
IN-SILICO INVESTIGATION OF CLAUDIN-16 SELF ASSEMBLY IN TIGHT JUNCTIONS
Get PDFClaudin-16 is a member of the Claudin family of proteins, which play a critical role in establishing paracellular permeability within tight junctions between cells. Claudin-16 exhibits diverse properties related to ion selectivity, tissue development, and barrier function. Depending on the context, claudins create channels that permit the passage of specific ions through the paracellular space or form barriers that restrict ion movement. This study focuses on the self-assembly of the human claudin-16 protein, which is essential for ion reabsorption and the proper functioning of the kidney. Molecular simulations were employed to investigate the interactions within dimerized claudin-16 and to elucidate its role in ion selectivity, using both atomistic and coarse-grained approaches. The self-assembly of claudin-16 was characterized using the Protein AssociatioN Energy Landscape (PANEL) tool, which generated energy landscape plots that captured the population density, minimum interaction energies between transmembrane segments, and residue-to-residue contacts within the system. This computational analysis highlights the importance of in silico methods for uncovering detailed protein-protein and residue-residue interactions, offering a significant advancement over traditional in vitro techniques
FORAGING CONNECTIONS: EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OPTIMAL FORAGING AND PHONOLOGICAL FLUENCY PERFORMANCE
Get PDFThe semantic fluency task is a timed listing of as many words as possible within a certain category (Bousfield & Sedgewick, 1944). Optimal search requires traversing resource-rich clusters (groups of consecutive responses with shared characteristics) and weighing the benefit of staying in the current cluster, decreasing the rate of return, or switching to a new cluster with more easily accessible resources, but with the cost of search time (Charnov, 1976). According to the marginal value theorem, a switch to a new cluster should occur when the rate of finding words in the current cluster drops below the average rate for the entire task in order to maximize the rate of retrieving animals. Hills, Jones, & Todd (2012) used the marginal value theorem to measure optimal search by observing cluster/switch behavior during the semantic fluency task and found that people switch in accordance to this framework. This study used phonological fluency, which is a timed lexical retrieval task, to measure whether people are exploiting clusters in a similar manner. Three phonemic cues (T, N, and J) were used and additional animal fluency data was collected for comparison. Results of this study show mixed evidence for optimal search, with the more difficult cues (N, J) showing marginal value theorem patterns, but not in easier conditions (T and semantic). The hypothesis that executive functioning can predict how well someone adheres to optimal foraging was not supported. These findings provide mixed support that optimal foraging can be seen during a phonological fluency task, demonstrating optimal search in a different type of memory search
IN FAVOR OF THE MOTHER-ARTIST: THE CASE FOR SELF-ACTUALIZATION IN MOTHERHOOD
Get PDFThis thesis paper discusses the symbiotic relationship between the roles of mothering and being an artist and makes the case for why art made by mothers can have a lasting impact on both society as well as within the family dynamics of the artists’ lives. The obstacles that stand in the way of mothers pursuing art, or even pursuing becoming her full self, are many. This paper reimagines what the role of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs might look like from the lens of a caretaker, and how it can be an overall triumph for society from a wider perspective. This thesis argues that self-actualized mothers contribute authentic art and self-actualized children—two significant wins for the fabric of American society. Through the analysis of interviews with mother-artists and multiple studies on the experience of becoming a mother, this thesis demonstrates that when given the proper support, space, and respect, self-actualized mothers have the power to uplift everyone around them
The Impact of Mental Health Support on Academic Achievement
Get PDFMental health concerns are becoming more pressing in American culture. There is an increasing call for mental health issues to be prioritized in policy discussions involving need, strategy, and funding. Addressing the cultural stigma and various barriers surrounding treatment and support for mental health issues are concerns that have infiltrated our school system; these concerns have exerted increased pressure on educators to provide effective and efficient mental health support mechanisms. There is growing recognition and observation that improving students’ mental health will help to remove barriers or hinderances to learning and achievement. With the increased pressure schools already face regarding achievement mandates and evaluations, the implications stemming from mental health concerns in children extends easily into the education arena. As a result, schools present an unparalleled opportunity to not only provide access to mental health support, but to also provide the collaborative opportunities necessary for most effective frameworks. The purpose of the research in this study was to identify significantly and meaningfully how mental health support interventions impact and increase student learning. Appropriate inferential statistics further analyzed the subgroups of research participants in order to explain the effect of mental health supports on student learning growth
Love Against the Machine
Get PDFThe ties that bind existence to meaning offer powerful forms through which we can examine the nature of Being. I examine technology through opposing concepts of death, time, and space. My work is a mirror reflecting how the technology of this century has evolved into an individualistic desire machine. While confronting these forces, it ultimately finds salvation through the exercise of inner freedom. Here, art becomes a form of resistance and reclamation, the last stand for humanity against commodifying systems
The Price of Fame: Materialism, Social Media and the Pursuit of Celebrity in The Bling Ring (2013)
Get PDFIn a society obsessed with materialism and appearances, The Bling Ring (2013) by Sofia Coppola stands as a timeless reflection of the dangers of desiring fame and wealth at any cost. Through the use of slow-motion sequences and immersive cinematography, Coppola tells the true story of five California teens whose desire for wealth, fame and status drives them to commit a series of robberies targeting the homes of Hollywood’s top celebrities. Coppola succeeds in creating an atmosphere of dreamlike hedonism and euphoria through oversaturated neon colors and a pop soundtrack which transports the viewer into the minds of these teenagers and their insatiable desire to be admired. Their crimes go beyond mere theft - they are an attempt to step into the lives they idolize, the glamorous, over the top lifestyles sold to them by social media and tabloid culture. Through these characters, Coppola explores the darker side of celebrity adoration, materialism and the emptiness behind the pursuit of fame
Transcending Binaries of Agency through Librarians’ Discursive Constructions of AI
No full textThe release of OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022 launched a reckoning with the potential consequences of this new technology for librarianship. In this discourse, there is a clear desire among librarians to take agency over the predicted destiny of the library and information science field, which has a long history of adapting to new technologies, yet may be seen as reactive when these technologies are introduced. The question of agency has become more urgent as the harmful impacts of algorithms and AI become increasingly visible. This community-centered study focuses on the perceptions and concerns of practitioners and scholars in library and information science regarding AI, technological innovation, and the ways in which they position their own and others’ agency when discussing their consequences. We utilize a critical narrative and discourse-based analytic framework to consider how they may reflect both the deterministic discourses perpetuated by “technological elites” and the socially constructivist discourses common in library and information science. We highlight librarian perceptions of AI’s impact through the lens of agency to consider how these two seemingly opposing viewpoints may be reconstructed through their discursive constructions of technology and what we can learn from them about the directions of agency among librarians, their communities, and technology
“The Lender Conversation: Interrogating the Racial Wealth Gap” -- Event Information
No full textA poster for the THE SOCIAL JUSTICE #HASHTAG PROJECT: A DIGITAL HUMANITIES STUDY even
LABOR’S REVIVAL: UNIONS AND THE STRUGGLE FOR RACIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE -- Event Poster
No full textA poster for the Labor\u27s Revival event
The Stories We Told Ourselves: The American War on Terror
No full textA poster for The Stories We Told Ourselves , an art event hosted by the Lender Cente