The Incorporation and Effects of Dynamic Geometry Software on Students in a Geometry Classroom

Concepts in a high school Geometry classroom can be difficult for students to understand without a visual representation. By incorporating Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) into the classroom, students will be given the opportunity to create and provide visual representations of the concepts they are learning about. DGS also gives students the opportunity to explore the concepts, so they can understand what the concepts really mean and also why the theorems of the concepts have been proven. In this literature review, I explored the impact DGS had on both students and teachers and how best it can be incorporated into the classroom. To enhance the research, I also explored a high school geometry textbook to examine how DGS and other technology were incorporated and provide suggestions for improvement. Vanicek (2011) claims the use of dynamic geometry can help train generalization with the method of analogy. Analogies improve the ability for the students to express themselves and also helps improve their logic

Digital Nucleic Acid Memory

Advancing digital Nucleic Acid Memory (dNAM) as an innovative data storage method, our research harnesses DNA\u27s high information density, stability, and energy efficiency for non-volatile memory applications . dNAM offers a sustainable alternative that improves upon the limitations of current memory materials

Self-antigen–specific CD8+ T cell precursor frequency determines the quality of the antitumor immune response

A primary goal of cancer immunotherapy is to improve the naturally occurring, but weak, immune response to tumors. Ineffective responses to cancer vaccines may be caused, in part, by low numbers of self-reactive lymphocytes surviving negative selection. Here, we estimated the frequency of CD8+ T cells recognizing a self-antigen to be <0.0001% (∼1 in 1 million CD8+ T cells), which is so low as to preclude a strong immune response in some mice. Supplementing this repertoire with naive antigen-specific cells increased vaccine-elicited tumor immunity and autoimmunity, but a threshold was reached whereby the transfer of increased numbers of antigen-specific cells impaired functional benefit, most likely because of intraclonal competition in the irradiated host. We show that cells primed at precursor frequencies below this competitive threshold proliferate more, acquire polyfunctionality, and eradicate tumors more effectively. This work demonstrates the functional relevance of CD8+ T cell precursor frequency to tumor immunity and autoimmunity. Transferring optimized numbers of naive tumor-specific T cells, followed by in vivo activation, is a new approach that can be applied to human cancer immunotherapy. Further, precursor frequency as an isolated variable can be exploited to augment efficacy of clinical vaccine strategies designed to activate any antigen-specific CD8+ T cells

Exploring the role purpose-related experiences can play in supporting interest development in STEM

Committee members: Schmidt, Jennifer; Tonks, Stephen.Advisors: Shumow, Lee; Dugas, Daryl.Includes illustrations.Includes bibliographical references.The focus of this study was to explore how select practices and approaches with a self-transcendent orientation delivered in STEM-oriented summer learning programs serving middle-school aged youth were related to both (a) in-the-moment experiences that over time are believed to be related to possible continued engagement and interest in STEM and (b) changes in STEM-related youth outcomes during the span of the program. Using data obtained from surveys collected using the experience sampling method, activity leader interviews, video footage of programing, and pre-post youth surveys, a series of multilevel models were constructed to assess how activity leader practices that put youth in the position of considering the needs or concerns of others or undertaking work that was beneficial to a larger cause or purpose beyond themselves were related to in-the-moment experiences and changes in STEM-related outcomes. Key study findings suggested that providing youth with self-transcendent supports and opportunities resulted in youth feeling that what they were doing was important and that these feelings over the span of the program were associated with growth in STEM interest, self-concept, perceptions of value, and aspirations.Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy