Helping Dependent Readers Use the Web

A teacher educator, an elementary school teacher, and an integration specialist share web-based strategies to help struggling readers improve comprehension

Valuing Adjuncts as Liaisons for University Excellence (VALUE) Program

Adjuncts are increasingly becoming more important in higher education and make up nearly onethird of VCU’s teaching faculty. While VCU has made strides in increasing the number of tenuretrack and term professors, the size and needs of certain departments will always make adjunct instructors necessary. A number of schools on both the Monroe Park and MCV campuses utilize professionals from the Richmond community to enhance experiential learning, thereby making a university investment in adjunct faculty a means by which to elevate VCU’s strategic mission. Adjuncts often provide a community perspective that comes from the professional work they do outside of the university setting and as a whole are reflective of VCU’s diverse student population. As a result, they serve a critical role in student success and diversity initiatives. Keeping adjuncts connected with campus resources and engaged with the larger VCU community is also an important step in making the university more inclusive. This project will study opportunities associated with the orientation and support of adjunct faculty at VCU on both Monroe Park and MCV campuses. This project is research-oriented and will serve as an important foundation for developing and implementing a plan for institutionalized adjunct support. To develop a detailed proposal for implementation, our team consulted with several key stakeholders including: academic leaders who hire and support adjuncts in the current decentralized process students who have taken classes with adjunct instructors adjunct faculty who have recently taught at VCU Through a combination of methods, we aim to determine how adjuncts are utilized across the university, identify resources currently provided, and assess additional resource needs in an effort to inform a new orientation and support program for adjunct faculty at VCU

Perturbation expansion for the diluted two-dimensional XY model

We study the quasi-long-range ordered phase of a 2D XY model with quenched site-dilution using the spin-wave approximation and expansion in the parameter which characterizes the deviation from completely homogeneous dilution. The results, obtained by keeping the terms up to the third order in the expansion, show good accordance with Monte Carlo data in a wide range of dilution concentrations far enough from the percolation threshold. We discuss different types of expansion.Comment: 8 pages, 1 eps figure, style file include

Characterisation of β-lactoglobulin nanoparticles and their binding to caffeine

The production of β-Lg nanoparticles by a simple heat-induced denaturation method without the need to add chemicals was performed at different conditions of pH, and temperature of denaturation. Optimum conditions were set as 0.2% β-Lg, pH 6 and simply heating at 75 °C for 45 min. At these conditions, a monodisperse solution with colloidal stability was obtained and the yield of aggregation was over 90%. Shape and size of nanoparticles were determined by Dynamic Light Scattering and by electron microscopy. A monodisperse particle size distribution of spherical shape particles (200 nm-300nmin diameter) was obtained. The stability of the aggregates towards various types of dissociating buffers was studied. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and urea had a strong effect on the size of the nanoparticles, while 2-Mercaptoethanol and Dithiothreitol (DTT) had no significant effect. Therefore hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the predominant interactions responsible for the microstructure. Maximum yield of caffeine encapsulation of 13.54% was obtained at caffeine to β-Lg molar ratio of 50:1. Rapid nanoparticle degradation and increase in polydispersity during the incubation of β-Lg nanoparticles at simulating stomach conditions was observed due to enzymatic attack. Nevertheless, little release of entrapped caffeine was noted. Total release was achieved at intestinal conditions. Finally, the adsorption of caffeine to both native and denatured β-Lg followed a Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and caffeine had three times more affinity for partially denatured β-Lg in nanoparticles than for native protein

African American High School Graduates\u27 Perceived Academic Success Factors

A large number of African American students attending a low performing, urban high school in Tennessee demonstrated a lack of understanding in reading/language arts by scoring below proficient on the end of course (EOC) exam in reading/language arts. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceptions of 10 African American graduates who scored proficient on the reading/language arts EOC exam to seek factors they associated with their academic success. This study was guided by Deci and Ryan\u27s self-determination theory. The research question addressed the perceived factors that African American graduates associated with their academic success. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 African American graduates who scored proficient on the EOC reading/language arts exam and who were 18 years or older. The data were collected through one-on-one interviews and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The data revealed that all the participants had a positive adult figure who motivated and encouraged them to continue to succeed. Based on the research findings, a project on mentoring was developed. Implementation of a professional development workshop on mentoring could bring about a positive social change for more African American students because the project provides a mentor for more African American students at this high school, which may lead to more African American students improving their academic success

Comparing Carbon Footprints of Two Retail Business Models: Traditional Retail vs. Subscription Ecommerce

Growth in online purchases for apparel is changing the way that customers engage with retail companies, reducing the number of trips they take to the physical store, and increasing the number of packages delivered through curriers. Among the many implications of these changes, these new business models dramatically impact that carbon footprint of the retail industry, including the carbon footprint of transportation, utility use, and the integration of technology into a shopping experience. We examine the carbon footprint of our client, a subscription retailer that ships curated boxes of apparel to customers across the United States and outlying territories. This analysis incorporates methodology from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which focuses on carbon emissions in three scopes of a business or organization. We also look at the implications of apparel retail as it moves online over the coming years and explores answers to questions like “how will the carbon footprint of the retail industry shift in the future?” and, “what are the best ways for us to measure carbon footprints of ecommerce retailers?” We present recommendations for how the client can reduce its carbon footprint, starting with the changes that will make the greatest contribution to this reduction. Finally, we suggest ways that carbon footprinting models may be best adapted given rapid and increasing changes to modern retail business models so that footprinting across brick-and-mortar and ecommerce businesses becomes more consistent and comparable in the future.Master of ScienceSchool for Environment and SustainabilityUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146726/1/Harris_Amelia_Luu_Paula_Practicum_DO NOT UPLOAD FOR ONE YEAR_OpusForm_LicenseVerification.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146726/4/Harris_Amelia_Luu_Paula_Practicum.pd