Connecting Communities and Building World Language Proficiency

There are a variety of ways for students to learn a second language such as, learning in the typical classroom setting, studying abroad, and participating in an immersion program. However, often times the benefits of technology are overlooked in the world language classroom. Technology can be used to establish a global community and provide students with new opportunities to practice their language outside of the classroom. Utilizing the language as much as possible is essential to evolving high levels of proficiency and developing communicative competence; however, world language students often do not get the chance to speak the second language outside of the classroom therefore leading to lower levels of proficiency. This project sought out to resolve this problem by allowing students in a Living Learning Community (LLC) on Bowling Green State University’s (BGSU) campus to connect with students studying abroad in Spain through online blogs. Students communicated in the second language by utilizing video and written blogs to discuss themes regarding the students’ study abroad experiences. At the conclusion of the project, the majority of students from both groups expressed they enjoyed participating and felt their overall language proficiency improved while learning about the study abroad experience. The results provided in this project indicate the role technology can play when learning a second language and the necessity of producing the language outside of the classroom

Computable structure theory on Banach spaces

In this dissertation we investigate computability notions on several different Banach spaces, namely the separable $L^p$-spaces and $C[0,1]$. It was demonstrated by McNicholl \cite{TM} that the halting problem is a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of computable isometric isomorphisms between any two computable representations of the purely atomic $L^p$-spaces (e.g. $\ell^p$) where the underlying measure space is generated by finitely many atoms. In the case where the underlying measure space is generated by finitely many atoms (such as in $\ell^p_n$), McNicholl also proved that it is always possible to find an algorithm that computes isometric isomorphisms between any two computable representations. Clanin, McNicholl, and Stull \cite{CMS} proved a similar result. Namely they proved that for any two computable representations of a non-atomic $L^p$-space (e.g. $L^p[0,1]$) there is always a computable isometric isomorphism between them. We both continue and complete the classification of the separable $L^p$-spaces up to degree of categoricity by investigating the hybrid $L^p$-spaces, whose underlying measure spaces consist of both atomic and non-atomic parts, and determine how much computational power is necessary and sufficient to compute isometric isomorphisms between any two copies of these spaces. Secondly, we continue a line of inquiry initialized by Melnikov and Ng in 2014, who proved that for $C[0,1]$ (i.e. the Banach space of all continuous functions on the closed unit interval) there is a pair of computable representations between which there is no computable isometric isomorphism. They achieved this by constructing one of the representations in such a manner that the constant unit function \textbf{1} is not computable, contrasting with the other representation in which \textbf{1} is computable. We show in Chapter 5 that given any computable representation of $C[0,1]$ as a Banach space the halting set always computes \textbf{1}. We also determine how much extra computational power beyond that of the halting set is sufficient to compute the modulus operator $|\cdot|$ within any computable representation. Lastly, we use these two results to determine how much power is sufficient to compute an isometric isomorphism between any two computable representations of a restricted class of representations of $C[0,1]$

Surgical Skill and Video Games: A Meta-Analytic Review

As the popularity of video games has grown over the past decade, so has interest in their capacity to serve as tools for education. The technology behind modern laparoscopic surgery draws strong parallels to modern video games, and as such has inspired initial research into the potential relationship between video game play and surgical performance. To date, a number of researchers have conducted studies on this relationship; however, no structured, statistical review of accessible data has taken place. Thus, the goal of this analysis was to examine the available literature and report the significance of the cumulative findings. Through my process, a total of 21 studies involving 1220 participants were gathered through multi-step review, and organized into one of three experimental domains - game training, VR training, and gaming history. Effect size analysis using Hedge’s G and Fisher’s Z yielded statistically significant results in all three domains, thus supporting the consensus belief that video game play has a positive effect on laparoscopic surgical training and performance. Given the particularly strong effect of virtual reality training on surgical performance, it would be valuable to investigate the differential effects of virtual reality, and how these effects might be further developed into more effective educational instruments

The effects of Landau level mixing, finite thickness, and external electric fields on the ν=52\nu=\frac{5}{2} fractional quantum Hall effect

The $\nu=\frac{5}{2}$ fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) is a unique and interesting experimental and theoretical state. A great deal of experimental, theoretical and numerical work suggests that this state may support quasihole excitations with non-Abelian statistics, where the order of particle exchange influences the final state of the system. Thus, the $\nu=\frac{5}{2}$ FQHE offers a system in which the properties of the particles may be explored experimentally and theoretically. Additionally, by controlling the exchange of such particles, it is possible to create a topologically-protected quantum computer. In order to make this possible, however, we must first understand the nature of the ground state. The two leading candidates, the Moore-Read Pfaffian and the anti-Pfaffian, both support non-Abelian excitations, but there has not been a clear answer for which state is realized in experiment. In the present work, we present results of exact diagaonlization calculations which strive to answer this question using a disk geometry. What we find is that the ground state of the system is dependent upon device specific quantities and thus we may be able to engineer samples which will have specific ground state properties

HVAC Fan Control Using Modicon M580

This project is the start of a lab experiment for the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Electrical Engineering department’s new lab focusing on Programmable Logic Controller\u27s (PLCs). The primary focus is to create a lab where students control a Heating, Ventilation, and Air conditioning (HVAC) system controlled by the Modicon M580 PLC, donated by Schneider Electric. The experiment contains a heat source, which the PLC monitors with a temperature sensor, and a cooling source with multiple fans. Students will learn to use function block diagrams to program the PLC, controlling fan output and regulating the system temperature. The experiment specifications and HVAC system parameters were created and simulated with the Modicon M580’s software program, Unity Pro XLS. This simulation confirmed a working design that students would be able to recreate themselves in a lab setting and program to work. Students can gain a working knowledge of a commonplace industrial control/automation tool

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of (–)-Myrifabral A and B

A catalytic enantioselective approach to the Myrioneuron alkaloids (−)-myrifabral A and (−)-myrifabral B is described. The synthesis was enabled by a palladium-catalyzed enantioselective allylic alkylation, that generates the C(10) all-carbon quaternary center. A key N-acyl iminium ion cyclization forged the cyclohexane fused tricyclic core, while vinyl boronate cross metathesis and oxidation afforded the lactol ring of (−)-myrifabral A. Adaptation of previously reported conditions allowed for the conversion of (−)-myrifabral A to (−)-myrifabral B

The Chinese Housing Provident Fund

The Chinese government has embarked upon an effort to reduce the number of tenants living in publicly owned housing. This is a significant challenge for any government, but may be especially so for a country where private homeownership is a new option. Out of concern that many of its citizens could not afford to purchase their housing units, the Chinese government created the Housing Provident Fund. This program, which is similar to housing fund programs in other countries such as Thailand and Singapore, combines a 401(k)-like savings and retirement account with subsidized mortgage rates and price discounts to provide a mechanism through which an employee could save for, and eventually complete, a housing purchase.