Affordances of Multilingual and Multimodal Literacy Engagements of Immigrant High School Students: A Scoping Review

This article presents a scoping review of literacy research that employs multilingual and multimodal literacy narratives and discussions as tools for enabling immigrant youth to explore their intersectional identities and experiences of inequality. It encourages a re-examination of emerging educational/societal issues, incorporating these interventions as a catalyst for discussion. Utilizing a descriptive-analytic approach for data extraction, this scoping review has mapped out prevailing trends in the literature, research methodologies employed, and the types and objectives of multilingual and multimodal literacy interventions. The findings underscore a growing trend over the past decade in adopting multilingual and multimodal literacy interventions with immigrant youth, often employing collaborative research approaches such as participatory action research. The most frequently utilized multilingual and multimodal texts in such studies include digital storytelling materials (comprising images and video), spoken word poetry, photographs, and bilingual books. These interventions are typically designed to (a) encourage youth to express their knowledge, experiences, and identities; (b) examine and address educational and societal issues and opportunities; and (c) challenge dominant ideologies, practices, and discourses through the voices of immigrant youth. The review discusses the transformative possibilities for immigrant youth and encourages rethinking the language learning, literacy, and curriculum process. The data advocates for eclectic approaches and interventions to help newcomer youth understand their lived experiences and societal issues and encourages educators to respond in kind

Modifications of mechanical, thermal, and electrical characteristics of epoxy through dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in supercritical carbon dioxide

A supercritical carbon dioxide (SCC) process of dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) into epoxy resin has been developed to achieve MWCNT/epoxy composites (CECs) with improved mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. The synthesis of CECs has been executed at a MWCNT (phr) concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 into epoxy resin (0.1 mol) at 1800 psi, 90°C, and 1500 rpm over 1 h followed by curing of the MWCNT/epoxy formulations with triethylene tetramine (15 phr). The effect of SCC treatment on the qualitative dispersion of MWCNTs at various concentrations into the epoxy has been investigated through spectra analyses and microscopy. The developed SCC assisted process provides a good dispersion of MWCNTs into the epoxy up to a MWCNT concentration of 0.2. The effects of SCC assisted dispersion at various concentrations of MWCNTs on modification of mechanical, thermal, dynamic mechanical thermal, and tribological properties and the electrical conductivity of CECs have been investigated. KCI Citation Count: 1