Tailored Micromagnet Sorting Gate for Simultaneous Multiple Cell Screening in Portable Magnetophoretic Cell-On-Chip Platforms

Conventional magnetophoresis techniques for manipulating biocarriers and cells predominantly rely on large-scale electromagnetic systems, which is a major obstacle to the development of portable and miniaturized cell-on-chip platforms. Herein, a novel magnetic engineering approach by tailoring a nanoscale notch on a disk micromagnet using two-step optical and thermal lithography is developed. Versatile manipulations are demonstrated, such as separation and trapping, of carriers and cells by mediating changes in the magnetic domain structure and discontinuous movement of magnetic energy wells around the circumferential edge of the micromagnet caused by a locally fabricated nano-notch in a low magnetic field system. The motion of the magnetic energy well is regulated by the configuration of the nanoscale notch and the strength and frequency of the magnetic field, accompanying the jump motion of the carriers. The proposed concepts demonstrate that multiple carriers and cells can be manipulated and sorted using optimized nanoscale multi-notch gates for a portable magnetophoretic system. This highlights the potential for developing cost-effective point-of-care testing and lab-on-chip systems for various single-cell-level diagnoses and analyses

⁢ Spectroscopy at Electron-Hadron Facilities. III. Semi-Inclusive Processes with Vector Exchange

Inclusive production processes will be important for the first observations of ⁢ states at new generation electron-hadron colliders, as they generally benefit from larger cross sections than their exclusive counterparts. We make predictions of semi-inclusive photoproduction of the 1(1) and (3872), whose peripheral production is assumed to be dominated by vector exchanges. We validate the applicability of vector meson dominance in the axial-vector charmonium sector and calculate production rates at center-of-mass energies relevant for future experimental facilities. We find the semi-inclusive cross sections near the threshold to be enhanced by a factor of ∼2–3 compared to the exclusive reaction and well-suited for a first observation in photoproduction

Identification of Quality Indicators of Visual Based Learning Material in Technology Education Programs for Grades 6th - 9th in Greek Schools in Cyclades Aegean Islands

The purpose of this dissertation is to identify quality indicators for visual based learning material for technology education classes for grades 6th to 9th. This is a three round Delphi study aimed in answering the following research question. RQ: What are the quality indicators that contribute to the successful selection of visual-based learning material that contribute effectively to transmitting pedagogical information in a technology education classroom for grades 6th -9th? The quality indicators were determined by the consensus reached by technology education expert panel/educators that have been identified for the contributions and expertise in the field of technology education and have taught in Greek schools in the Cyclades region. In the first round, the panel were given a set of examples with initial quality indicators. These initial quality indicators are examples that have been identified from the literature review. The first round of the modified Delphi method uses an open-ended questionnaire format in which the experts were asked to keep, reject, modify or add a new characteristic to the quality indicators. The instrument of the second round was generated by the responses given from the first round. The second round involved panelists valuing and ranking from lowest to highest the items identified on round I on a 5-point Likert scale. The third and final round involved the expert panel accepting or rejecting the quality indicators derived from the second round. In the final round the panel reached consensus. Final quality indicators were the results of analysis on data collected from Rounds I, II, and III

1994

In a coming-of-age memoir set in the early 90’s, two teenage sisters follow their wild, untethered mother’s one rule: Don’t Die. Thirty years later, as a mother of two teenage boys the same ages she and her sister were then, Jenn Sloggie writes to tell the story of those years and to reckon with her complicated feelings about and fragmented memories of that time

The Volleyball Attack: Training, Kinematics, and the Role of the Torso

Volleyball is an explosive, dynamic sport popular around the globe. The volleyball attack is the predominant point-scoring avenue and the point of interest for many coaches and players. As this motion is repeated many times throughout the course of a match, it is linked to overuse injuries at the shoulder. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate methodological approaches for research in this movement as well as establishing mechanisms for improving performance and the health of the volleyball players’ shoulder. For the first study, a systematic review of published literature was performed to ascertain training protocols beneficial to volleyball players’ shoulders; findings suggested kinetic chain training protocols may influence stability during this movement. However, when reviewing the current research, it was clear an established methodology for calculating kinematic variables at the shoulder when performing the attack was missing in the literature. For the second study, twenty-two healthy, experienced volleyball players completed volleyball attacks off a stationary volleyball using marker-based 3D motion capture. Six rotation sequences commonly utilized to calculate shoulder kinematics were compared for anatomical understanding and accuracy. The YXY and XYZ sequences were found to be the most reliable and should be employed in future research. Following the establishment of the importance of rotation sequences in calculations, data collections were brought into the field to evaluate the influence of the kinetic chain on performance. For the final study, thirty experienced players were recruited to perform 14 attacks while wearing inertial measurements on a sand volleyball court. Sex was found to be the most predictive variable of ball velocity in both the line and cross-court directions, with peak trunk rotational velocity as a second significant measure. These results suggest a greater reliance on trunk motion when performing the attack in the sand, as our results contrast with those reported in the literature on hard-court. Coaches and players should place an emphasis on increasing the velocity of their trunk rotation when attacking to improve ball velocity

Identification and Characterization of Two Novel KCNH2 Mutations Contributing to Long QT Syndrome

We identified two different inherited mutations in KCNH2 gene, or human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG), which are linked to Long QT Syndrome. The first mutation was in a 1-day-old infant, whereas the second was in a 14-year-old girl. The two KCNH2 mutations were transiently transfected into either human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells or human induced pluripotent stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes. We performed associated multiscale computer simulations to elucidate the arrhythmogenic potentials of the KCNH2 mutations. Genetic screening of the first and second index patients revealed a heterozygous missense mutation in KCNH2, resulting in an amino acid change (P632L) in the outer loop of the channel and substitution at position 428 from serine to proline (S428P), respectively. Heterologous expression of P632L and S428P into HEK cells produced no hERG current compared to the wild type (WT). Moreover, the co-transfection of WT and P632L yielded no hERG current; however, the co-transfection of WT and S428P yielded partial hERG current. Action potentials were prolonged in a complete or partial blockade of hERG current from computer simulations which was more severe in Purkinje than ventricular myocytes. Three dimensional simulations revealed a higher susceptibility to reentry in the presence of hERG current blockade. Our experimental findings suggest that both P632L and S428P mutations may impair the KCNH2 gene. The Purkinje cells exhibit a more severe phenotype than ventricular myocytes, and the hERG current blockade renders the ventricles an arrhythmogenic substrate from computer modeling

Prevalence of \u3ci\u3eRickettsia parkeri\u3c/i\u3e in \u3ci\u3eAmblyomma maculatum\u3c/i\u3e Populations of Southeastern Virginia

Amblyomma maculatum has undergone notable expansion northward from its historical region in the Gulf of Mexico, establishing populations along the East Coast into the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, New England, and Midwestern states. Amblyomma maculatum is an aggressive human-biting tick and the primary vector for the bacterium Rickettsia parkeri. R. parkeri is the causative agent of Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis in humans, a disease similar to but milder than Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In 1965, several A. maculatum ticks were found in Virginia, but established populations had yet to emerge. By 2010, established populations of A. maculatum were documented across Southeastern Virginia, showing higher R. parkeri prevalence (\u3e50%) compared to the historic region (R.parkeri on the expansion front raises public health concerns and questions about prevalence patterns between historic and newly established A. maculatum populations. This study analyzes Rickettsia parkeri prevalence among Amblyomma maculatum populations in Southeastern Virginia between 2018 and 2023 to determine if prevalence values remain elevated. Amblyomma maculatum DNA extracts were tested using qPCR for Rickettsia spp. DNA, then specifically for Rickettsia parkeri if the first test showed positive results. Our data will determine if prevalence values changed over time as the ticks became established in the region, which allows for potential connections between higher pathogen persistence and the beginning stages of population expansion

Shaping and Shaped by Guanyin: Bodhisattva Guanyin as a Site of Individual and Collective Identity Formation

The ambiguity surrounding the bodhisattva Guanyin’s gender has become a site of curiosity for many scholars. The dissemination of miracle tales of Guanyin, such as those written in the Lotus Sutra, describe the bodhisattva’s ability to physically transform into different living beings to best help those in need and is understood by art historians as coinciding with the popular feminization of Chinese (Guanyin) and Japanese (Kannon or Kanzeon) representations of Avalokiteśvara by the 13th century. In this paper, I examine how the migration of Buddhism from Southeast to East Asia significantly transformed Guanyin’s gender appearance, in that the regional and cultural religious landscapes eventually gendered the deity in new ways. Furthermore, I discuss how the gender transformation—or perhaps, transcendence—of Guanyin has become a site of empowerment for devotees, scholars, and those among the general public in their own identity construction across temporal, geographical, and social locations

Centuripe Ceramic Workshops and their Distinct Funerary Vases

Ancient pottery from Centuripe, Sicily made during the Hellenistic period is an outlier when compared to most other red-figure, black slipped ceramics from Magna Graecia. Most Southern Italian and Sicilian vases have a distinct ornate style to them that was not a long lasting design choice in other Greek ceramic workshops. Funerary vases excavated in Centuripe\u27s tombs provide a large collection of elaborate, decorative pottery that is not replicated anywhere else. Centuripean pottery was tempera painted with bright polychromatic colors. This unique quality of the ceramic ware has led scholars to focus on the color palette, the painted subject matters, and the shape of the pottery. Often overlooked in the study of Centuripe\u27s pottery is how the workshops producing them were structured and manned. Particularly untouched are the relationships between Centuripe\u27s potters and their connections with other artisans. Elizabeth Murphy studies phenomenon in regards to Roman ceramics. These cross-industry ties consider how connections between artisans would have produced a networking of artistic ideas and processes. Adopting this framework, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the workshop environments and artistic motivations and inspirations behind the vases of Centuripe. This paper also breaks down the vase creation process from start to finish to possibly reveal techniques and process phenomena that have not been previously explained. This research provides a new way of understanding and interpreting Centuripe-ware and how artisans worked and collaborated during the 3rd century BC

Teaching Black Speculative Fiction: Equity, Justice, and Antiracism

Teaching Black Speculative Fiction: Equity, Justice, and Antiracism edited by KaaVonia Hinton and Karen Michele Chandler offers innovative approaches to teaching Black speculative fiction (e.g., science fiction, fantasy, horror) in ways that will inspire middle and high school students to think, talk, and write about issues of equity, justice, and antiracism. The book highlights texts by seminal authors such as Octavia E. Butler and influential and emerging authors, including Nnedi Okorafor, Kacen Callender, B. B. Alston, Tomi Adeyemi, and Bethany C. Morrow. [From the publisher]https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/teachinglearning_books/1039/thumbnail.jp