Academic literature on the topic 'Gene SMART study'

Novel drug delivery system utilizing smart polymer to get significant and attracting changes in the targeting of drugs, increasing the bioavailability of drugs, enhancement patient compliance and gene therapy. The scientific community tries to mimic nature in the way that living organisms adopt their behavior as a function of environmental conditions to improve survival. In this sense, smart polymers offer materials that respond to numerous stimuli (temperature, pH, electric and magnetic fields, light intensity, biological molecules, etc.), and scientists must devise the best way to apply them in all research areas. Smart polymers are representing promising means for targeted drug delivery, enhanced drug delivery, gene therapy, actuator stimuli and protein folders. Smart polymers are very promising applicants in drug delivery, tissue engineering, cell culture, gene carriers, textile engineering, oil recovery, radioactive wastage and protein purification. The study is focused on the entire features of smart polymers and their most recent and relevant applications. Keywords: Smart polymer, Novel drug delivery system, Stimuli, Gene therapy

Objectives Macrolides are generally considered to be the drugs of choice for treatment of patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. However, macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae has been emerging since about 2000. The Smart Gene® system (MIZUHO MEDY Co., Ltd., Tosu, Japan) is a novel fully automated system for detection of pathogens using the method of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with QProbe (QProbe PCR). The entire procedure is completed within 50 min and the size of the instrument is small (15 x 34 x 30 cm). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Smart Gene® system for detection of M. pneumoniae and detection of a point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene of M. pneumoniae. Materials Pharyngeal swab samples were collected from 154 patients who were suspected of having respiratory tract infections associated with M. pneumoniae. Results Compared with the results of qPCR, the sensitivity and specificity of the Smart Gene® system were 98.7% (78/79) and 100.0% (75/75), respectively. A point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene was detected from 7 (9.0%) of 78 M. pneumoniae-positive samples by the Smart Gene® system and these results were confirmed by direct sequencing. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of clarithromycin among the 5 isolates of M. pneumoniae with a point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene were >64 μg/ml and those among the 33 isolates without a mutation in the 23S rRNA gene were <0.0625 μg/ml. Conclusion The Smart Gene® system is a rapid and accurate assay for detection of the existence of M. pneumoniae and a point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene of M. pneumoniae at the same time. The Smart Gene® system is suitable for point-of-care testing in both hospital and outpatient settings.

Objectives Macrolides are generally considered to be the drugs of choice for treatment of patients with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. However, macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae has been emerging since about 2000. The Smart Gene® system (MIZUHO MEDY Co., Ltd., Tosu, Japan) is a novel fully automated system for detection of pathogens using the method of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) with QProbe (QProbe PCR). The entire procedure is completed within 50 min and the size of the instrument is small (15 x 34 x 30 cm). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Smart Gene® system for detection of M. pneumoniae and detection of a point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene of M. pneumoniae. Materials Pharyngeal swab samples were collected from 154 patients who were suspected of having respiratory tract infections associated with M. pneumoniae. Results Compared with the results of qPCR, the sensitivity and specificity of the Smart Gene® system were 98.7% (78/79) and 100.0% (75/75), respectively. A point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene was detected from 7 (9.0%) of 78 M. pneumoniae-positive samples by the Smart Gene® system and these results were confirmed by direct sequencing. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of clarithromycin among the 5 isolates of M. pneumoniae with a point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene were >64 μg/ml and those among the 33 isolates without a mutation in the 23S rRNA gene were <0.0625 μg/ml. Conclusion The Smart Gene® system is a rapid and accurate assay for detection of the existence of M. pneumoniae and a point mutation at domain V of the 23S rRNA gene of M. pneumoniae at the same time. The Smart Gene® system is suitable for point-of-care testing in both hospital and outpatient settings.

In-stent restenosis is a serious concern for patients treated through the stenting procedure, although this can be solved using drug-eluting stents and/or drug-eluting balloon catheters. However, the chemical agents released from the drug-eluting layer for inhibiting smooth muscle cell (SMC) migration are inevitably associated with damage to vascular endothelial cell (ECs). The present in vitro study used a distinct strategy, in which a smart gene (phEGR1-PKCδ, an engineered plasmid consists of an SMC-specific promoter (human early growth response 1, hEGR1 promoter) ligated with a gene encoding apoptosis-inducing protein (protein kinase C-delta, PKCδ) was incorporated into a novel gene vehicle (Au cluster-incorporated polyethylenimine/carboxymethyl hexanoyl chitosan, PEI-Au/CHC) to form the PEI-Au/CHC/phEGR1-PKCδ complex, which was proposed for the selective inhibition of SMC proliferation. It was found that the cell viability of SMCs receiving the PEI-Au/CHC/phEGR1-PKCδ complex under simulated inflammation conditions was significantly lower than that of the ECs receiving the same treatment. In addition, the PEI-Au/CHC/phEGR1-PKCδ complex did not demonstrate an inhibitory effect on EC proliferation and migration under simulated inflammation conditions. Finally, the PEI-Au/CHC/phEGR1-PKCδ complexes coated onto a balloon catheter used in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) could be transferred to both the ECs and the SMC layer of Sprague Dawley (SD) rat aortas ex vivo. These preliminary in vitro results suggest that the newly developed approach proposed in the present study might be a potential treatment for reducing the incidence rate of in-stent restenosis and late thrombosis in the future.

<p class="Els-Abstract-text">RNA-seq using the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) approach is a common technology to analyze large-scale RNA transcript data for gene expression studies. However, an appropriate bioinformatics tool is needed to analyze a large amount of transcriptomes data from RNA-seq experiment. The aim of this study was to construct a system that can be easily applied to analyze RNA-seq data. RNA-seq analysis tool as SMART-RDA was constructed in this study. It is a computational workflow based on Galaxy framework to be used for analyzing RNA-seq raw data into gene expression information. This workflow was adapted from a well-known Tuxedo Protocol for RNA-seq analysis with some modifications. Expression value from each transcriptome was quantitatively stated as Fragments Per Kilobase of exon per Million fragments (FPKM). RNA-seq data of sterile and fertile oil palm (Pisifera) pollens derived from Sequence Read Archive (SRA) NCBI were used to test this workflow in local facility Galaxy server. The results showed that differentially gene expression in pollens might be responsible for sterile and fertile characteristics in palm oil Pisifera.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> FPKM; Galaxy workflow; Gene expression; RNA sequencing.</p>

Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors comprise one of the largest gene families in plants. They play a key role in almost every aspect of plant growth and development and also in biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In this study, we were attempted to study characterization of bZIP, a transcription factor from a climate smart cereal finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.). Seeds of Eleusine coracana (finger millet) was purchase from local market and were grown under field conditions drought and salt stress conditions. In this study, EcbZIP gene was isolated from finger millet, cloned into DH5α cells, screened by using colony PCR and expression analysis in response to two abiotic stresses was carried out by using qRT PCR. EcbZIP coding DNA sequence and protein sequence were retrieved from NCBI Nucleotide Database and Genpept of Accession number KP033192.1 and AJP67539.1 and validated by using SMART (simple modular architecture tool) Domain Tool. Cloning and expression studies were carried out using standardized molecular biology protocol. Results depicted that EcbZIP transcription factor showed significant upregulation under both salt and drought stress conditions, indicating that it plays an important role in tolerance towards these stresses. In conclusion, expression analysis of bZIP gene from finger millet seed cultivar ML-365 showed 5-fold upregulation to salt stress to drought stress and 8-fold upregulation to salt stress. Hence, it can serve as a candidate gene for improving abiotic stress tolerance and can be helpful in enhancing the crop productivity under stress conditions.

<span lang="EN-MY">Maintaining current municipal solid waste management (MSWM) for the next ten years would not be efficient anymore as it has brought many environmental issues such as air pollution. This project has proposed Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based prediction algorithm that can forecast Solid Waste Generation (SWG) based on household size factor. </span>Kulliyyah of Engineering (KOE) in International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) has been chosen as the sample size for household size factor. A smart waste bin has been developed that can measure the weight, detect the emptiness level of the waste bin, stores information and have direct communication between waste bin and collector crews. <span lang="EN-MY">This study uses the information obtained from the smart waste bin for the waste weight while the sample size of KOE has been obtained through KOE’s department. All data will be normalized in the pre-processing stage before proceeding to the prediction using Visual Gene Developer. This project evaluated the performance using R² value. Two hidden layers with five and ten nodes were used respectively. The result portrayed that </span>the average rate of increment of waste weight is 2.05 percent from week one until week twenty. The limitation to this study is that the amount of smart waste bin should be replicated more so that all data for waste weight is directly collected from the smart waste bin<em><span>.</span></em>

Exercise training provides health benefits to the general population, but there is considerable variability in the individual response to similar training. Some people have limited improvements following exercise (“low responders”), while others seem to improve considerably (“high responders”). To date, most exercise studies that have claimed to identify “low” or “high” responders assumed that if the participants were to repeat the same exercise training, they would show a similar response. However, within- subject variability has not been tested, which might lead to inaccurate classification of exercise responses at the individual level and the waste of precious research resources. Exposing individuals to a repeated or longer training intervention can assist in identifying the magnitude of responses to exercise training with better accuracy. Recent evidence also suggests that the response to exercise training may be influenced by epigenetic signatures. Epigenetics is a reversible process that affects how genes are expressed in cells, and it carries the memory of past cellular and environmental events. To date, no study has tested whether individual response is influenced by epigenetic marks. Thus, the overarching aim of this thesis is to identify the physiological, molecular, and epigenetic marks of exercise responses. Twenty young, healthy men from the Gene SMART (Skeletal Muscle Adaptive Response to Training) study completed a repeated and a longer exercise training intervention to measure within-subject variability and to obtain individual progress curves (See Figure 3.1 for study design). Participants underwent a four-week control period followed by four weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), had a washout period of > 1 year, and underwent another four weeks of HIIT followed by an additional 8 weeks of HIIT. The HIIT program was adjusted to individual fitness levels that were re-assessed every four weeks during the intervention to ensure improvements. Participants’ peak power output (Wpeak), lactate threshold (LT), and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were assessed in duplicates at each time point. We used five known statistical methods to investigate changes in fitness and mixed models to estimate individual response. Muscle biopsies were collected at each time point to measure mitochondrial markers (i.e. mitochondrial respiration, citrate synthase, cytochrome C oxidase, succinate dehydrogenase, mitochondrial copy number, fibre typing, and myosin heavy chains PCRs), as well as genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in skeletal muscle using the Illumina HumanMethylation EPIC array. In Chapter 3, we show that at the group level, all physiological measures increased in a dose-response manner following HIIT (p<0.05). We found no changes in mitochondrial function and content or fibre type distributions. Baseline citrate synthase (CS) was associated with HIIT-induced changes in cytochrome-c oxidase (COX) and vice-versa (p < 0.05). At the individual level, we successfully identified trainability in physiological measurements using the repeated testing approach but failed to do so using the repeated intervention approach. We did not identify consistent individual response at the molecular level (mitochondrial function and content and fibre type distribution) using either approach, as measurements were highly variable within participants. We then investigated the reliability of the mitochondrial respiration technique (Chapter 4) by measuring the Technical Error of measurement (TEM) and the coefficient of variation (CV) for each mitochondrial complex. While the correlation between the two chambers was good for all complexes (R > 0.7 p < 0.001), the TEM was large (7.9 to 27 pmol·s-1·mg-1), and the CV was > 15% for all complexes. We performed statistical simulations to determine the sample size that would be required to detect a range of effect sizes at 80% power. We found that duplicate measurements on 75 participants are required to detect a 6% change in mitochondrial respiration after an intervention. Finally, Chapter 5 and 6 focus on the DNA methylation measures at the group and individual level respectively. For the first time at the group level, we have investigated DNA methylation patterns that are associated with fitness by combining three measurements of performance into a comprehensive z-score (Chapter 5). We found 12,107 DMPs that were associated with baseline fitness (z-score) (FDR < 0.005), 18.2% of which were hypomethylated and 81.8% hypermethylated with higher fitness levels. We identified 1,268 DMRs for baseline fitness, 15.3% of which hypomethylated and 85.7% hypermethylated. Hyper-DMRs were robustly over-represented in genic enhancers and flanking active TSS, and highly depleted in strong and weak candidate enhancers. Hypo and Hyper-DMRs had a moderate association with bivalent enhancers and promoters. Both hyper and hypo-DMRs presented a moderate representation in regions actively repressed by PolyComb proteins. Finally, significant DMRs were enriched for 26 GO terms, and these pathways were related to muscle system processes, actin cytoskeleton organization and regulation of actin filament and cytoskeleton processes. Next, we investigated the effects of exercise on the methylome, and surprisingly we observed an inverse pattern of DNA methylation profile after exercise. In summary, we found 568 DMPs that significantly changed after the 4 weeks (FDR < 0.005), and out of those only 1.4% were hypermethylated and 98.6% were hypomethylated. We identified 17 DMRs associated with changes in DNA methylation in response of 4 weeks of HIIT, and 100% of DMRs were hypomethylated. Lastly, we intersected DMPs that were significant for both baseline fitness z-score and after 4 weeks of HIIT. Five DMPs were significant, and they appeared to have inverse patterns for baseline z-score (more hypermethylation) and 4 weeks of HIIT (more hypomethylation). When we transitioned to the individual level study in Chapter 6, neither of our approaches (i.e. repeated intervention and repeated testing) yielded many significant results: only one DMP was significant (cg11260483, p-value: 3.22000e-10, adj.p-value: 0.00022) after the repeated intervention, and no DMPs significant after the repeated testing approach. The challenging experimental design of this thesis provided high resolution, longitudinal physiological and molecular profiles in skeletal muscle following repeated exercise training and testing. It yielded novel insights into the phenomenon of trainability in humans; young, healthy men displayed individual responses to HIIT at the physiological level, but not at the molecular level. This thesis also issued methodological considerations for protocols aimed at measuring individual response (Chapter 3). In particular, the high within-subject variability we observed led us to conclude that many repeated testings on the same individual at regular intervals during the training program, along with a moderate-to-large sample size, were necessary to estimate inter-individual variability in response to training. The mitochondrial respiration technique showed high technical variability (Chapter 4), making the measurement unreliable in our study with only n = 20 men and only two duplicates per individual. The typical sample sizes used in exercise training studies (n < 20) are likely insufficient to capture exercise-induced changes in mitochondrial respiration at the group level, let alone the individual level. Lastly, we observed a clear DNA methylation profile association with fitness levels (Chapter 5). However, when an exercise intervention was applied, we noticed a change in DNA methylation patterns that were inverse to those observed at baseline for the fitter participants. Such observations left us wondering on potential reasons to why this occurs. Thus, future research should also integrate the methylome with transcriptome and proteome to elucidate the mechanisms underlying adaptations to exercise training.

Based on James Blake (1999) value-action gap, the study will examine the factors that influence purchase decisions of sustainable packaged products. Further on, the paper will investigate Hungarian Gen Z views on sustainable consumerism. The author studies IoT applications in smart packaging and innovations that motivates sustainable consumerism. These are the three research questions: 1- What are the factors that influence purchase decisions in the case of eco-packaging? 2- What are the Hungarian Gen Z insight on eco-packaging and recycling 3-How IoT can assist in sustainable consumerism. Applied research was implemented in this study. In addition to, primary data used in an online survey. The study will conclude that Hungarian Gen Z is well educated about the subject of environmental behavior but like everyone they value their convenience and technology can assist in this regard. This research will motivate businesses to use IoT packaging applications and encourage consumers to behave greener. Product packaging plays an important role in plastic waste. Changing behaviors can be extremely challenging thus small smart applications can save our planet. Rarely do researcher flip the coin and study the IoT influence on consumer behavior. Mainly, IoT sustainable applications is only researched from the production side.

Abstract This work draws inspiration from totipotent cellular systems to design smart materials whose compositions and properties can be learned or evolved. Totipotency refers to the inherent genetic potential of a single cell to adapt and produce all types of differentiated cells within an organism. To study this principal and apply it synthetically, tissue-like compartmentalized assemblies are constructed via lipid membrane-separated aqueous droplets in a hydrophobic medium through the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) method. Within our droplets, we explore synthetic totipotency via cell-free reactions including actin polymerization and cell free protein synthesis (CFPS). The transcription and translation of our CFPS reactions are controlled by stimuli-responsive riboswitches (RS). Via this scheme, adaptable material properties and functions are achieved in vitro via protein production from cell-free machinery administered through RS governance. Here, we present thermally or chemically-triggered riboswitches for orthogonal production of representative fluorescent protein products, as well functional proteins. To characterize the material properties of target proteins, we study the formation of polymerized actin shells to stabilize organically-encased droplets and span DIBs. We present a modified protocol for chemically-triggered actin polymerization as well as a thermally triggered actin RS. We characterize theophylline (TP)-triggered production of alpha hemolysin (α-HL) through CFPS and synthesized an organic-soluble trigger that can be sensed from the oil phase by a RS in an aqueous bioreactor droplet. We also demonstrate increased droplet conductivity when CFPS α-HL products are incorporated in DIBs. This interdisciplinary work involves cell culture, gene expression, organic synthesis, vesicle formation, protein quantification, tensiometry, droplet aspiration, microplate fluorescence/absorption experiments, fluorescent microscopy, and electrophysiology. This project is an essential design analysis for creating smart, soft materials using synthetic biology and provides motivation for artificial tissues capable of adapting in response to external stimuli.

Nature builds an immense set of materials exhibiting a wide range of behaviors using only a small number of basic compounds. The range of materials comes about through architecture, giving functional structure to the basic materials. Analogously, a new genre of actuators can be derived from existing smart materials through architecture. This paper presents a preliminary experimental study of knitted actuation architectures that yield high strains (up to 73%) with moderate forces (tens of Newtons or more) from basic contracting smart material fibers. By different combinations of the two primary knit loops – purl and knit – a variety of behaviors can be achieved including contraction, rolling, spirals, accordions, arching, and any combination of these across the fabric. This paper catalogs several basic knit stitches and their actuated form: garter, stockinette, seed, rib and I-cord. These knitted architectures provide performance tailorability (force, strain, stiffness, and motion) by manipulation of key design parameters such as the material properties of the wire, the geometric parameters (wire diameter, loop size, and gauge), and architectural parameters (stitch type and orientation). This is demonstrated via a quasi-static force-deflection experimental study with several shape memory alloy garter prototypes with varying geometric parameters. While the basic architecture of a knit is simple, it affords a vast array of architectural combinations and control of geometrical and material parameters that generate a myriad of gross motion capabilities beyond that of current day actuation strategies.

In recent years, the use of electroactive polymers (EAPs), which are polymeric materials that respond to an external electrical stimulus by changing shape or size, has been the focus of considerable research effort. While most studies have considered chemically cross-linked homopolymers, only a few reports have addressed the use of physically cross-linked triblock copolymer systems. We have previously demonstrated that triblock copolymer networks swollen by a midblock-selective, nonvolatile solvent constitute excellent candidates as dielectric elastomers, one class of EAP materials. Due to the presence of a molecularly self-organized nanostructure in such materials, this EAP genre is generally referred to as electro-active nanostructured polymers (ENPs). These systems not only exhibit high actuation strains (>200%), but are also amenable to facile processing and recycling. In this study, we examine the electromechanical response of symmetric triblock copolymers possessing styrenic endblocks and a rubbery midblock selectively solvated with an aliphatic mineral oil. Our findings show that the specimen thickness has a significant effect on the electroactive response of the system. Moreover, we are able to correlate the electromechanical properties of ENPs with their mechanical properties.

Aim/Purpose: [This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the 2018 issue of the Interdisciplinary Journal of e-Skills and Lifelong Learning, Volume 14] This presentation presents the preliminary findings of a survey that sought to examine the technology uses, needs, interests, career goals, and professional expectations of Generation Z college students Background: Students entering college today are part of Generation Z born in the late 90’s through 2016 making the oldest among them 20 or so years old. They already outnumber millennials and are the first true digital natives being born during the age of smart phone. They are the first generation that used a tablet before they could ride a bike, the first to have childhood friends that they engaged with electronically, and the first to have their baby photos and youthful milestones shared on social media. Their minds, relationships, learning preferences, emotional health, sense of self, have all been inexplicably shaped by constant exposure to screens and networked digital technologies, which the research shows in high doses changes the neural circuitry of developing brains, leading to shorter attention spans, stunted social skills and a heightened ability to multitask Methodology: In the fall of 2017 an online student perception survey was administered to students enrolled at a mid-Atlantic minority serving institution. The survey included a combination of dichotomous, Likert-scaled, and ranking questions. The survey was administered to students following completion of core computer concepts courses and explored their technology backgrounds, skills, perceived computing self-efficacy, and the role they predict technology will play in their future career Contribution: As Generation Z descends on college campuses, with their technology dominated backgrounds and different communications, learning, and social preferences, it is important to better understand this generation whose needs and expectations will help shape the future of higher education. Additionally, this study also provides research on a population (first-generation minority college students) that is expanding in numbers in higher education and that the literature, reports is impacted negatively by the digital divide and educational inequalities. This paper is timely and relevant and helps to extend our understanding of Generation Z. Findings: The findings show that Generation Z learners enjoy computer classes, feel that using computers comes easy to them; are experts in the use of social media, mobile operating systems, using a smart phone, searching the Web, and email. They reported that they want to be more technologically literate, want to be more skilled in computer software applications, and are interested in learning about cyber security. In terms of the future, most also believe that their career will require them to analyze information to inform decision making. Additionally, most believe that information security will be important to their future career. Finally, results affirmed that college computing courses remain important and that college students recognize that technology will play an important role in their career and that employers want to see job applications with strong technology skills. Recommendations for Practitioners: Generation Z learners enrolled in higher education need, and want, a wide range of technology courses available to them in order to help them meet the rapidly evolving demands of tomorrow’s workplace. Students overwhelmingly see the value in enhancing their technology skills especially in such areas as computer software applications, information management, and cyber security. Recommendation for Researchers: Institutions of higher education should invest in thorough and ongoing examinations of the information and technology literacy skills, needs, and perceptions of students. Impact on Society: Understanding the interests and needs of Generation Z learners is imperative to the future of higher education. Future Research: This survey is a work in progress that is part of a pilot study that is being used to help guide a much more sizable examination of Generation Z learners.

The concept of self-healing materials has gained widespread acceptance in the research community. Over recent years a diverse array of bio-inspired self-healing concepts, from solid-state diffusion to liquid-phase healing in a broad range of engineering materials, embracing ceramics, polymers and fibre reinforced polymer composite materials have been proposed in the open literature. In this research study the liquid-phase healing of operational damage, namely impact damage, is being addressed. The challenge of self-healing advanced fibre reinforced polymer composites is ensuring healing success without degrading the host composite’s performance, a problem not encountered in the self-healing of generic polymeric systems. In the genre of self-healing fibre reinforced composite materials, autonomous healing has been undertaken by a healing medium already located within the damage zone and released through the damage site either passively or actively through human invention. This approach requires the ‘engineering’ control of the storage medium’s toughness for release and the development of bespoke resin chemistries to be compatible with the manufacturing route, to remain active whilst latent and then to recover full mechanical performance once a damage event occurs. This study has generated a proof of concept whereby the healing medium is only deployed to the damage site once a sensor has been triggered. In essence this study aims to develop stimuli triggered deployment of a healing medium held remotely in a storage reservoir to repair impact damage to a composite material. The principle of the concept is revolves around the ability of a reservoir to deliver a healing medium to a damage site via a network of vessels contained in the centerline of the composite laminate. A Labview controlled peristaltic pressure rig containing the reservoirs for the resin and hardener, their independent pumps, pressure gauges, control switches and indicators was developed. Through the application of an impact event successfully deliver and subsequent healing of the damage event was achieved showing the potential of this concept for minimising parasitic mass and maximising healing potential in fibre reinforced composite materials.

Abstract This study analyzes the large-amplitude, non-linear vibration of dielectric elastomer membrane disks with applied voltages through their thickness and mechanical loads applied radially around their outer circumferential surface. The material is modeled as an isotropic ideal dielectric, with the large-stretch mechanical stiffening captured using the Gent hyperelastic constitutive model. The fully non-linear equation of motion for the coupled electromechanical system is derived using Hamilton’s principle. The disk comes to a steady equilibrium where the compressive stresses due to the applied voltage balance the tensile stresses from the applied radial loads. The equilibria are calculated numerically for a wide range of radial loads, applied voltages, and limiting stretches. It is possible for the disk to have two stable steady equilibria at given radial load and applied voltage, which gives rise to an instability where extreme stretches occur for infinitesimal changes in applied voltage. The equation of motion is determined for small vibrations of the system about equilibrium. Unlike for thin membrane disks, the vibrating mass of thick membrane disks depends on the steady equilibrium stretch. The natural frequency for membrane disks meaningfully decreases with increasing thickness due to the inertia associated with dynamic changes in the membrane thickness. The amount of axial inertia depends on the ratio of the nominal disk thickness to its radius and the steady equilibrium stretch. Large amplitude vibrations are numerically investigated for a wide range of system parameters. The frequency response characteristics of circular membranes due to sinusoidal voltage fluctuations are analyzed about small and large equilibrium stretches. Whereas axial inertia meaningfully alters the frequency response about small equilibrium stretches, it has negligible effects on the frequency response about large equilibrium stretches.

Aim/Purpose: This paper provides the results of the preliminary analysis of the findings of an ongoing study that seeks to examine the social media use, cultural and political awareness, civic engagement, issue prioritization, and social activism of Gen Z students enrolled at four different institutional types located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The aim of this study is to look at the group as a whole as well as compare findings across populations. The institutional types under consideration include a mid-sized majority serving or otherwise referred to as a traditionally white institution (TWI) located in a small coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean, a small Historically Black University (HBCU) located in a rural area, a large community college located in a county that is a mixture of rural and suburban and which sits on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and graduating high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) programs in a large urban area. This exploration is purposed to examine the behaviors and expectations of Gen Z students within a representative American region during a time of tremendous turmoil and civil unrest in the United States. Background: Over 74 million strong, Gen Z makes up almost one-quarter of the U.S. population. They already outnumber any current living generation and are the first true digital natives. Born after 1996 and through 2012, they are known for their short attention spans and heightened ability to multi-task. Raised in the age of the smart phone, they have been tethered to digital devices from a young age with most having the preponderance of their childhood milestones commemorated online. Often called Zoomers, they are more racially and ethnically diverse than any previous generation and are on track to be the most well-educated generation in history. Gen Zers in the United States have been found in the research to be progressive and pro-government and viewing increasing racial and ethnic diversity as positive change. Finally, they are less likely to hold xenophobic beliefs such as the notion of American exceptionalism and superiority that have been popular with by prior generations. The United States has been in a period of social and civil unrest in recent years with concerns over systematic racism, rampant inequalities, political polarization, xenophobia, police violence, sexual assault and harassment, and the growing epidemic of gun violence. Anxieties stirred by the COVID-19 pandemic further compounded these issues resulting in a powder keg explosion occurring throughout the summer of 2020 and leading well into 2021. As a result, the United States has deteriorated significantly in the Civil Unrest Index falling from 91st to 34th. The vitriol, polarization, protests, murders, and shootings have all occurred during Gen Z’s formative years, and the limited research available indicates that it has shaped their values and political views. Methodology: The Mid-Atlantic region is a portion of the United States that exists as the overlap between the northeastern and southeastern portions of the country. It includes the nation’s capital, as well as large urban centers, small cities, suburbs, and rural enclaves. It is one of the most socially, economically, racially, and culturally diverse parts of the United States and is often referred to as the “typically American region.” An electronic survey was administered to students from 2019 through 2021 attending a high school dual enrollment program, a minority serving institution, a majority serving institution, and a community college all located within the larger mid-Atlantic region. The survey included a combination of multiple response, Likert scaled, dichotomous, open ended, and ordinal questions. It was developed in the Survey Monkey system and reviewed by several content and methodological experts in order to examine bias, vagueness, or potential semantic problems. Finally, the survey was pilot tested prior to implementation in order to explore the efficacy of the research methodology. It was then modified accordingly prior to widespread distribution to potential participants. The surveys were administered to students enrolled in classes taught by the authors all of whom are educators. Participation was voluntary, optional, and anonymous. Over 800 individuals completed the survey with just over 700 usable results, after partial completes and the responses of individuals outside of the 18-24 age range were removed. Findings: Participants in this study overwhelmingly were users of social media. In descending order, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, LinkedIn and Tik Tok were the most popular social media services reported as being used. When volume of use was considered, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter were the most cited with most participants reporting using Instagram and Snapchat multiple times a day. When asked to select which social media service they would use if forced to choose just one, the number one choice was YouTube followed by Instagram and Snapchat. Additionally, more than half of participants responded that they have uploaded a video to a video sharing site such as YouTube or Tik Tok. When asked about their familiarity with different technologies, participants overwhelmingly responded that they are “very familiar” with smart phones, searching the Web, social media, and email. About half the respondents said that they were “very familiar” with common computer applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite or Google Suite with another third saying that they were “somewhat familiar.” When asked about Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard, Course Compass, Canvas, Edmodo, Moodle, Course Sites, Google Classroom, Mindtap, Schoology, Absorb, D2L, itslearning, Otus, PowerSchool, or WizIQ, only 43% said they were “very familiar” with 31% responding that they were “somewhat familiar.” Finally, about half the students were either “very” or “somewhat” familiar with operating systems such as Windows. A few preferences with respect to technology in the teaching and learning process were explored in the survey. Most students (85%) responded that they want course announcements and reminders sent to their phones, 76% expect their courses to incorporate the use of technology, 71% want their courses to have course websites, and 71% said that they would rather watch a video than read a book chapter. When asked to consider the future, over 81% or respondents reported that technology will play a major role in their future career. Most participants considered themselves “informed” or “well informed” about current events although few considered themselves “very informed” or “well informed” about politics. When asked how they get their news, the most common forum reported for getting news and information about current events and politics was social media with 81% of respondents reporting. Gen Z is known to be an engaged generation and the participants in this study were not an exception. As such, it came as no surprise to discover that, in the past year more than 78% of respondents had educated friends or family about an important social or political issue, about half (48%) had donated to a cause of importance to them, more than a quarter (26%) had participated in a march or rally, and a quarter (26%) had actively boycotted a product or company. Further, about 37% consider themselves to be a social activist with another 41% responding that aren’t sure if they would consider themselves an activist and only 22% saying that they would not consider themselves an activist. When asked what issues were important to them, the most frequently cited were Black Lives Matter (75%), human trafficking (68%), sexual assault/harassment/Me Too (66.49%), gun violence (65.82%), women’s rights (65.15%), climate change (55.4%), immigration reform/deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) (48.8%), and LGBTQ+ rights (47.39%). When the schools were compared, there were only minor differences in social media use with the high school students indicating slightly more use of Tik Tok than the other participants. All groups were virtually equal when it came to how informed they perceived themselves about current events and politics. Consensus among groups existed with respect to how they get their news, and the community college and high school students were slightly more likely to have participated in a march, protest, or rally in the last 12 months than the university students. The community college and high school students were also slightly more likely to consider themselves social activists than the participants from either of the universities. When the importance of the issues was considered, significant differences based on institutional type were noted. Black Lives Matter (BLM) was identified as important by the largest portion of students attending the HBCU followed by the community college students and high school students. Less than half of the students attending the TWI considered BLM an important issue. Human trafficking was cited as important by a higher percentage of students attending the HBCU and urban high school than at the suburban and rural community college or the TWI. Sexual assault was considered important by the majority of students at all the schools with the percentage a bit smaller from the majority serving institution. About two thirds of the students at the high school, community college, and HBCU considered gun violence important versus about half the students at the majority serving institution. Women’s rights were reported as being important by more of the high school and HBCU participants than the community college or TWI. Climate change was considered important by about half the students at all schools with a slightly smaller portion reporting out the HBCU. Immigration reform/DACA was reported as important by half the high school, community college, and HBCU participants with only a third of the students from the majority serving institution citing it as an important issue. With respect to LGBTQ rights approximately half of the high school and community college participants cited it as important, 44.53% of the HBCU students, and only about a quarter of the students attending the majority serving institution. Contribution and Conclusion: This paper provides a timely investigation into the mindset of generation Z students living in the United States during a period of heightened civic unrest. This insight is useful to educators who should be informed about the generation of students that is currently populating higher education. The findings of this study are consistent with public opinion polls by Pew Research Center. According to the findings, the Gen Z students participating in this study are heavy users of multiple social media, expect technology to be integrated into teaching and learning, anticipate a future career where technology will play an important role, informed about current and political events, use social media as their main source for getting news and information, and fairly engaged in social activism. When institutional type was compared the students from the university with the more affluent and less diverse population were less likely to find social justice issues important than the other groups. Recommendations for Practitioners: During disruptive and contentious times, it is negligent to think that the abounding issues plaguing society are not important to our students. Gauging the issues of importance and levels of civic engagement provides us crucial information towards understanding the attitudes of students. Further, knowing how our students gain information, their social media usage, as well as how informed they are about current events and political issues can be used to more effectively communicate and educate. Recommendations for Researchers: As social media continues to proliferate daily life and become a vital means of news and information gathering, additional studies such as the one presented here are needed. Additionally, in other countries facing similarly turbulent times, measuring student interest, awareness, and engagement is highly informative. Impact on Society: During a highly contentious period replete with a large volume of civil unrest and compounded by a global pandemic, understanding the behaviors and attitudes of students can help us as higher education faculty be more attuned when it comes to the design and delivery of curriculum. Future Research This presentation presents preliminary findings. Data is still being collected and much more extensive statistical analyses will be performed.