Translating historical documents of Longwood\u27s lost interiors into a virtual reality representation of the rotunda

This study uses virtual reality to realize the never completed interior of Longwood, the largest octagonal home in the United States. This 30,000 sq. ft. home, designed by Samuel Sloan, is located in Natchez, MS. Construction halted due to the onset of the Civil War. Where once a lack of money prevented it from being completed, the structure in now preserved in its unfinished state under a deed for preservation. Many have speculated about what Longwood would have looked like, if finished. Using the historical narrative inquiry method, this investigation sought to discover to what extent an accurate virtual representation could be created of Longwood’s rotunda based on existing primary and secondary resources

Qualifying X-ray irradiation of single-use systems to address new challenges associated with single-use growth

With single-use technologies playing a pivotal role supporting the rapid development and scale-out of vaccine manufacturing, the experience has highlighted benefits resulting from standardization of SUT requirements and identified key challenges ahead for SUT, including the availability of gamma irradiation capacity. This cobalt-60-dependent gamma irradiation market is led by a relatively small number of market providers, and underpins the entirety of the single-use bioprocess supply chain, regardless of integrator. As the demand for gamma irradiation has quickly outstripped the available industry capacity, significant collaborative industry efforts have been underway to qualify X-ray irradiation as an equivalent alternative to gamma irradiation, such that qualified SUS can be irradiated by either gamma or X-ray, depending on which modality as more readily available at the time of manufacture. In addition to highlighting an industry risk assessment and testing approach, which relies on prior knowledge of the irradiation physics, materials testing, and standardized component testing; data will be shared characterizing the impact of gamma and X-ray irradiation on SUS identifying any similarities and differences in the modalities

Standardized extraction protocols for single use components: insights and lessons learned from Implementation of USP, BPOG, and historical protocols

A primary concern limiting the rapid adoption and implementation of single use technology has centered on standardizing single use component data packages to be used for end user risk assessments. Without a standardized industry approach, end users will continue to be challenged with compiling cohesive overall impurities risk assessments of their entire process stream, which often contain multiple supplier components with uniquely different extractables datasets. It is critical to ensure that the analytical methods are optimized for materials of construction of the various components in the single use portfolio prior to using standardized extraction protocols proposed by USP, the Biophorum Operations Group (BPOG), as well as historical methods. Herein we show lessons learned from the laboratory implementation as well as scientific insights gained from the extraction profile when comparing the solvents, time points, and surface area to volume parameters proposed by each method, including data for biocontainers, fittings, aseptic connectors, and multiple sterilizing grade filters

Challenges to Social Interactions as Perceived by Young High Ability Adults with Learning Disabilities: A Qualitative Research Design

This qualitative study was designed to analyze the perceptions of adults with learning disabilities concerning social competence issues. The questions in the research were posed to participants to elicit examples of the challenges experienced as a child and as an adult; examples of the coping skills utilized; examples of circumstances which helped to alleviate the challenges; perceptions regarding the educational system and people/situations in general as factors in performance; and successful outcomes as well as possible reasons for those outcomes. Five female and five male individuals ranging in age from 25-40, having been identified with learning disabilities, participated in this study. Three sets of interviews, based on Spradley\u27s (1979) ethnographic interview, were conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico during the year of 1998. The focus of the interviews were (1) video clips of social interactions; (2) strength and challenge areas for the four characteristics of social interactions: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, and self-control; and (3) follow-up questions based on the first two sets of interviews. The major findings revealed: Most of the participants tended to isolate themselves by choice. Most of the participants tended !o withdraw within group situations by choice. Most of the participants had a strong desire to avoid hurting others. The ability to interact positively with others had a direct relationship with having a positive self-esteem and a strong self-confidence. All believed that their ideas and creative strategies used to compensate for their learning differences should be viewed as unique versus defective and honored instead of ridiculed. As children the female participants tended to be very quiet, serious, and the perfect kid . The girls internalized their frustration. As children most of the male participants had distinct behaviors depending on the situation. For the most part, the boys externalized their frustrations. Most of the participants indicated language processing difficulties of some kind. Stress and being overwhelmed with life in general tended to slow the processing even further which affected social interactions. This exploratory study was rather broad, yet allowed various intriguing concepts to surface. Further research should seek the relationship between intuition and anxiousness and the effect of changing the educational environment on social challenges, as well as additional suggested information

Professional Identity and Pedagogical Discontentment in High School Science Teachers Participating in a Professional Development Institute

Although science teachers regularly participate in PD experiences involving reform-based practices, even our best teachers struggle to change their teaching practices to coincide with these pedagogics, and when they do change, it occurs at differential rates. The aim of this study was to better understand teachers\u27 self-systems by analyzing their experiences in a PD institute program through the lens of professional identity. This multiple case study involved five high school science teachers participating in a summer PD initiative. Data were collected through interviews, written reflections and exploration and commitment cards, and a scale designed to capture participants\u27 perceived level of pedagogical discontentment, or unease with teaching practices (Southerland, et al., 2012). Data were analyzed using the Theoretical Model of Professional Identity (Kaplan, et al., 2012), which highlights the dynamic interplay of teachers\u27 self-perceptions, beliefs, purposes, and practices. Data were also analyzed for pedagogical discontentment, and the two were compared. Analysis led to patterns of change in professional identities, triggers for changes to professional identities, insights into perceptions of pedagogical discontentment, and ultimately, the potential relationship between professional identity and pedagogical discontentment. The model of professional identity served to capture teachers\u27 experience of the PD, including tensions that arose as they began to explore portions of their professional identity. Pedagogical discontentment served to assist in better problematizing portions of the participants\u27 professional identities, and assisted in identifying tensions and potential changes in less elaborative interviewees. However, the professional identity model was better able to capture the underlying causes of discontentment and planning associated with alleviating discontent. These emergent models can provide conceptual tools for future use, as well as guide evaluating and designing PD experiences for teachers

Factors affecting reproductive success in hosts of the bronzed cowbird (Molothrus aeneus) in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas

During 1997–99, brood parasitism by the Bronzed Cowbird ( Molothrus aeneus), nest predation, and nest sites were examined in selected songbird species in southern Texas. I found a significantly lower parasitism rate in the Long-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre ) and Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufivirgatus) than did Carter (1984) at the same site in the early 1980\u27s. High rates of cowbird visitation to Altamira Oriole (Icterus gularis) nests suggest that cowbirds frequently attempt to parasitize this species. However, orioles probably puncture-eject cowbird eggs from their nests most of the time. Orioles experienced a significantly lower incubation-stage daily nest predation rate (DNPR) than did thrashers and sparrows, and a significantly lower nestling-stage DNPR than did sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus ). These differences may be explained by oriole nest placement (high, on the tips of branches), which probably keeps the incidence of non-avian nest predation extremely low in orioles. Implications of parasitic behavior, nest predation, nest-site availability, rainfall levels, and nesting biology for host reproductive success are discussed

Effects of soil moisture, nitrogen and several climatic factors on yield and evapotranspiration of corn

A knowledge of the moisture content of the soil is important in irrigation experiments, in field experiments in general, and in irrigation practice on the farm (45). Measurement of soil moisture content has received much attention in the past several years with the increased concern and investigation into the area of consumptive use (evapotranspiration). In recent years, the emphasis on water use by various crops has led to the development of several methods for estimating evapotranspiration (ET.) In order to estimate ET, it is necessary to have a record of the soil moisture content throughout the growing season. The neutron moisture meter, which will be discussed later, provides a means for accurately measuring soil moisture without disturbing the soil around plants Evaluation of soil moisture changes with the neutron method has been found by McGuinness et al. (29) to agree closely with that obtained from weighing lysimeters. The present study was undertaken to ascertain effects of moisture use efficiency of com and to determine consumptive use as related to climatic factors such as wind, humidity, temperature, and sunshine. The final aim was to relate corn yield to several climatic factors which might be used as a guide for scheduling irrigation and evaluating total moisture use and moisture use rates

FSAE Pedal Box: Controlling Stop and Go

The VCU FSAE team has a need for foot controls for the brakes and throttle on their newest race car. The assembly must meet the rules set forth by the FSAE organization to compete, and must be as light and low as possible to conserve the acceleration and handling characteristics of the car. Furthermore, the project must be completed on a budget of $500 allotted to Senior Design teams. The FSAE team has been working on the current car since 2005 and has yet to produce a drivable race car. The Senior Design teams this year cover the major systems needed to make the car run and compete in the national competition in Michigan. In order to conduct the first acceleration test, a foot control for the throttle must be present, and will soon mandate the need for control of the brakes. Goals for the pedal box include: simplicity of manufacture, durability, minimal weight, and low center of gravity. In the initial design phase, the options that would have raised the center of gravity were eliminated. Of the low-mount designs, options that would have required complex machining or non-standard parts were eliminated. Finally, any parts that could be made of lightweight materials were specified as such. The team has concluded on a robust and simple design for production. The final part of the design will be to eliminate weight through optimization, making sure that the materials are as thin as possible within a factor of safety. The results of the analysis may even show that symmetry in the 4 clamps used for repositioning the pedal assembly may be foregone in favor of fewer clamps mounted asymmetrically. Throughout this process, the design must be proven as safe given that there will be someone driving the car and –hopefully- at race-winning speeds.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1064/thumbnail.jp