Two new advanced forms of spectrometry for space and commercial applications

Reagentless ultraviolet absorption spectrometry (UVAS) and Liquid Atomic Emission Spectrometry (LAES) represent new forms of spectrometry with extensive potential in both space and commercial applications. Originally developed under KSC sponsorship for monitoring nutrient solutions for the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS), both UVAS and LAES have extensive analytical capabilities for both organic and inorganic chemical compounds. Both forms of instrumentation involve the use of remote fiber optic probes and real-time measurements for on-line process monitoring. Commercial applications exist primarily in environmental analysis and for process control in the chemical, pulp and paper, food processing, metal plating, and water/wastewater treatment industries

The Effect Engagement and Positive Relationships have on African American Students\u27 Math Success in a Large Suburban High School

Nationwide, African American students have significantly lower advanced placement credits, standardized test scores, and grades (Musu-Gillette, Brey, McFarland, Hussar, Sonnenberg, 2017). The literature review will explore reasons why African American students are underperforming and emphasize the different methods that can lead to higher academic achievement in math. Data from multiple articles were investigated, and the similarities and differences between the influences and best practices for African American students were addressed. Once these best practices were identified, a case study was conducted and conclusions were drawn. This action research project will focus on how engagement and relationships can increase mathematical performance for African American students

Is the Suite Life Truly Sweet? The Property Rights Luxury Box Owners Actually Acquire

Part I of this Note offers a look at the rising trend of luxury boxes, with a discussion of what separates a license from a lease. Part II will look at the property rights frequently given to one who leases a luxury box and will analyze what interest in land he actually receives. Part III presents the implications of misnomers in luxury box leasing and presents possible repercussions for both luxury box owners and those to whom the owners would lease them. It also suggests a better method for creating and governing these arrangements. Finally, it asserts that because of the inherently temporary use of luxury boxes and the rights arenas tend to reserve, luxury boxes inherently cannot be leased and should be licensed. Consequently, arenas would benefit from the licensor\u27s ability to revoke at any time. However, arenas would need to address the open issue of tort liability given their duty to repair and maintain safe premises for licensees

Behavioral Health Self-Efficacy of Nurses in a Rural Emergency Department

This project aims to provide a resource manual for the Waseca area which will be utilized by the emergency department‟s nursing staff. As described above, the need for nursing staff to know how to work with, handle, and appropriately refer behavioral health patients is an essential piece of emergency department nursing. After receiving an orientation on the composition of the new resource manual, emergency department nursing staff will have a better understanding of what to do when the social worker is not present as well as feel more comfortable with their knowledge related to behavioral health patients. This project has the potential to improve services for individuals with mental or behavioral health issues that come into the Waseca Medical Center Emergency Department. In a rural setting, a social worker is often not available for mental health patients who come to the emergency room. Patients who present with behavioral health disorders often “elicit negative emotions [from nurses] such as fear, which may lead to segregation of the client” (Frances, 2000, p. 36). By providing the education and resources necessary to competently and responsibly treat these individuals the social worker has the opportunity to improve care for patients

Schoology: The Adoption of a Learning Management System

The purpose of this action research is to investigate the needs and opportunities for high school math teachers pertaining to the adoption of Schoology, a learning management system (LMS). Data was gathered from 98 students, 13 teachers, 24 parents/families and 8 technology integration experts in an effort to gain a multitude of perspectives relating to Schoology use at the high school level. The information gathered from these four groups was analyzed and used to make suggestions regarding how teachers or schools navigate the first year of LMS use. This data was gathered over a period of eight weeks through Google Forms questionnaires, email questionnaires, and a student focus group session. The results show that students, teachers, parents and technology integration experts have both shared and unique concerns, desires, and suggestions pertain to Schoology use in their setting

Role of adaptor proteins in motor regulation and membrane transport

__Abstract__ Active transport along the cytoskeleton is a process essential for proper cellular function. Although much is known about the motor proteins that generate the necessary force and the cytoskeleton that provides the cellular infrastructure, many questions still remain. For instance, the mechanisms that govern cargo selection and regulate motor activity are still poorly understood. This thesis aims to identify new components of the intracellular transport system and investigate possible modes of transport regulation

Assessing Students\u27 Understanding of Variability and Graph Interpretation Through an Authentic Science Investigation

This thesis research combined efforts of two existing projects at the University of Maine in collaboration with the Schoodic Institute, the Acadia Learning Snowpack Project and the Maine Data Literacy Project. The Snowpack Project provided a context to explore student learning of variability and graphing skills by gathering data on snowfall and accumulation throughout the winter and using the data to ask and answer a scientific question. The Maine Data Literacy Project provided a framework and instruments for assessing students’ understanding of variability and graph interpretation skills. The first goal of this research was to measure student learning about variability during the Snowpack Project. The study used a pretest posttest design and the multiple-choice ASK-Var assessment developed by the Maine Data Literacy Project. Data were first collected in January and May of 2015. When no differences were found, additional data from Snowpack Project students the following September and a separate group of seventh graders were analyzed to give a broader context. The second goal of this research was to compare the multiple-choice ASK-Var assessment to an open-response assessment. This analysis used a correlation to measure how predictive success on the ASK-Var assessment was to success on the open-response assessment. The third goal of thesis research was to describe what the results of both assessments revealed about student thinking around variability. This uses qualitative analyses to identify patterns in student thinking about histograms, box plots, and graph choice. No quantitative differences were found between students before and after participating in the snowpack project, however there was some evidence suggesting that the high school Snowpack Project students did perform better than the seventh grade students. Data on the ASK-Var assessment and the open-response assessment correlated, but randomness under the surface suggested that there were skills being tested in the open-response assessment that were not being measured by the ASK-Var assessment. Finally, the qualitative analysis suggested that while students were generally able to read frequency plots, they sometimes inappropriately applied important context to their interpretations. The graph construction task revealed a split among students’ ability to interpret their own graphs. Those who chose to display the data in frequency plots had a higher rate of success in accurately interpreting the results. This study offers insights into applications of the ASK-Var assessment and student thinking about graphing and variability