Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Secondary Metabolites From The Deep Sea Bubblegum Coral Paragorgia Arborea, Nylah Barber

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Marine organisms produce chemically diverse metabolites that have significant pharmaceutical potential which makes them great sources of inspiration for future drug development. However, collecting marine organisms is costly, time-consuming, and ecologically problematic, making preserved museum specimens a valuable alternative for natural products research. In this study, the deep-sea octocoral Paragorgia arborea, obtained from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, was selected for further chemical analysis due to its antiviral activity against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) with no detectable cytotoxicity to healthy cells. The extract was purified through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and resulting fractions were analyzed using mass spectrometry …

Photophysical Study Of A Cyclopropenium Azobenzene-Based Photoswitch, Amya Culbreath, Gabriella Oliver, Chavdar Slavov

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Ionic liquids are salts that exist as liquids at or near room temperature and are of interest because their structures can be tuned to control properties such as viscosity, polarity, solvation environment, and molecular organization. Incorporating photoswitches into ionic liquids offers a strategy for introducing light-responsive behavior, where reversible structural changes can be used to dynamically modulate liquid structure and function. Here, we present the synthesis of a photoswitchable ionic liquid and investigate its dynamic properties using ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy. Our results provide insight into how molecular photoswitching influences ionic liquid structure and dynamics, guiding the development of ionic …

Towards The Asymmetric Total Synthesis Of The Oxeatamides, Myungkyung Kim

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Darwinolide and membranolide, natural products isolated from Dendrilla membranosa, an Antarctic sponge of the family Darwinellidae, have demonstrated activity against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) biofilm. The oxeatamides, natural products from the New Zealand sponge Darwinella oxeata, are structurally related to membranolide and represent promising candidates for similar biological activity, yet remain synthetically underexplored due to their limited natural abundance and complex structures. Building on prior studies in the Leahy laboratory, which established the asymmetric total synthesis of membranolide and enabled the preparation of key nitrogenous intermediates toward the oxeatamides, efforts are now directed toward the first asymmetric total …

Glycoconjugate Binding: Lectin Affinity For Structurally Differing Sugars On Cavitands, Erica D. Janmey

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Lectins are proteins that interact with sugars on cell membranes and bind with known affinities. Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) can give insight into entropy (ΔS), enthalpy (ΔH), stoichiometry (n) and the dissociation constant, KD. Resorcin[4]arene cavitand glycoconjugates were synthesized by attaching one of three sugar derivatives of glucose, mannose, and lactose to each of the cavitands for the purpose of comparing binding strength for concanavalin A between the glycosides and their simple sugar. The glycoconjugate structure differs from that of glycans, and therefore the differences in interactions between the sugars on the cavitands must be investigated. The multivalent resorcinarene glycoconjugates …

Multi-Omics Informed Drug Response Prediction For Precision Medicine, Iyioluwa O. Adaramola, Anowarul Kabir

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Motivation: Treating cancer in patients is hard within precision oncology due to the heterogeneity in cancer cells. Developing predictive methods that estimate drug-responses in cancer cell lines can improve our understanding of treatment effectiveness. The goal of this study is to explore the fundamental and data-driven limitations of the existing advanced learning methods for drug response prediction for precision oncology.

Approach & Findings: We examine current state-of the-art methods that utilize multi-omics patient data and/or signaling pathways to predict drug response across various cell lines. Our analysis identifies that models that learn molecular and topological manifolds demonstrate richer representation of …

Computational Modeling Of Electrospinning For Predicting Nanofiber Fabrication And Process Optimization, Jadon J. Orr, Rhidita Rahman Khan

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Electrospinning is a widely used Fabrication technique for producing continuous polymeric nanofibers with application in designing more efficient optoelectronic devices, sensors, producing filtration systems, wound healing, tissue regeneration, drug delivery , forming advanced  functional nanomaterial structures. The successful formation of electro-spun fibers depends on complex interaction among polymer concentration, solution viscosity, molecular chain entanglement, solvent properties, applied voltage, tip-collector-distance, and solution flow rate. Determining the optimum electrospinning condition traditionally achieved through repeated experimental trial and error, makes the process time consuming, costly, and difficult to reproduce across different polymer-solvent systems. Developing computational tools capable of predicting fiber formation can significantly …

Adaptive Control Of A Media Environment Using Synchronized Physiological Data, Rohit Jain

Defensive Publications Series

Media environments can operate without awareness of a user's physiological state, and some integration methods may be limited by factors such as high-latency cloud processing or simplistic control actions. A system is described that can establish a low-latency communication channel between one or more wearable devices, such as a smart watch or fitness tracker, and a media playback system, for example, a smart television or streaming device. With appropriate user consent, physiological data, such as heart rate variability and electrodermal activity, can be transmitted from the wearable device and processed locally on the media system. Based on this real-time analysis, …

Extremophile-Inspired Biomimetics Potential Analysis, Xavier Pillet

Defensive Publications Series

This document, produced with the assistance of ChatGPT o3, GPT-5 Thinking, Gemini and Grok, is released under the Apache License 2.0. It is a voluntary defensive publication (prior art) and therefore enters the prior art upon release under the applicable patent statutes: EPC Art. 54(2) (European Patent Convention), French IPC Art. L 611-11 (French Intellectual Property Code), 35 U.S.C. §102(a) (United States Patent Act), Chinese Patent Law Art. 22(5) (両匡丢氡儡吡嘡丣刡氢), and Japanese Patent Act Art. 29(1) (闘旧避). This defensive disclosure provides enabling embodiments that translate extremophile mechanisms (thermostability, cryo-activity, anhydrobiosis, halotolerance, radiotolerance, barophily) into materials, devices, processes, control algorithms, interoperable …

Aptamer–Gold Nanoparticle-Based Lab-In-A-Tube Colorimetric Detection Of Malathion: Evaluation With Classical And Digital Readout Techniques, Emi̇ne Güler Çeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Colorimetric biosensing devices represent an important class of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics due to their ability to provide visible test outputs, their ease of integration with smartphone-based sensing, and their portability for field testing. In the context of agrifood safety, there is a growing need for portable, robust, and cost-effective detection devices. Pesticide residues can be present in a wide range of environmental and food samples, from water resources to fruits and vegetables, resulting in an increasing global demand for on-site testing. Colorimetric assays, when combined with smartphone-based sensing, can effectively address these needs. In this work, the aggregation-induced color change …

Sensitive Electrochemical Sensor For Simultaneous Determination Of Epinephrine And Norepinephrine By Sio2np@Mwcnt-Cooh Nanoparticle-Modified Spces​, Merve Yilmaz Çilçar, Meli̇ke Bi̇lgi̇ Kamaç, Ayşenur Yilmaz Kabaca, Şahi̇n Toparli, Faruk Terzi̇oğlu, Emi̇r Ateş

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Epinephrine (EP) and norepinephrine (NEP), both neurotransmitters, are two important biomolecules that play critical roles in the body, from the central nervous system to metabolic processes. They are also important biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and monitoring. In this study, a novel, fast, practical, and high-performance electrochemical sensor based on a SiO2NP@MWCNT-COOH nanocomposite was developed for the simultaneous determination of EP and NEP. The nanocomposite was modified onto the surface of screen-printed electrodes (SPCEs) and its characterization was performed (SEM-EDX, XRD, FTIR, CV, DPV, and EIS). The individual and simultaneous determinations of EP and NEP were performed using square-wave voltammetry, yielding …

Acetylcholinesterase Immobilization On A Natural Thin Membrane For Stable Biocatalyst Design, Si̇nem Öztürk, Ceyhun Işik, Mustafa Teke

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

This study involved the immobilization of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) onto a natural thin membrane extracted from the inner epidermal layer of Allium cepa, with the aim of enhancing the enzyme’s stability, activity, and reusability for potential biotechnological applications. The membrane, composed of biocompatible polymers and naturally occurring functional groups, was used as a sustainable support in a combined strategy involving adsorption followed by glutaraldehyde-mediated cross-linking. Immobilization conditions were optimized by evaluating key factors such as enzyme concentration, membrane quantity, cross-linker dosage, and contact time to achieve maximal catalytic efficiency. Structural and morphological changes on the membrane surface were assessed via scanning …

Folic Acid-Targeted Polymeric Complex Imprinted With Doxorubicin And Quercetin For Controlled Drug Delivery In Cancer Therapy, Ceren Türkcan, Emi̇rhan İşeri̇

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

​Cancer therapy is often limited by the systemic toxicity and dose-dependent adverse effects of conventional chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin (DOX). In this study, a folic acid-functionalized molecularly imprinted polymeric complex based on poly(HEMA) crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate was synthesized for the controlled release of DOX in combination with quercetin (QUE), a flavonoid known for its antioxidant and chemosensitizing properties. The aim of this work was to develop and physicochemically characterize a preliminary targeted drug delivery platform at a material-design level. The polymeric complex was synthesized via free-radical polymerization following a DOX–QUE precomplex formation step. Structural characterization was performed …

Antifungal Activity Of Isolated Compounds From Centaurea Salicifolia Var. Salicifolia Against Candida Species, Including Multidrug-Resistant C. Auris, C. Inconspicua, And C. Dubliniensis, Seli̇n Tufan, Di̇lek Şatana, Nur Tan

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Natural compounds obtained from plants have always held great potential for drug discovery and, as such, have drawn the attention of researchers as novel antifungal molecules that can be effective against fungal resistance. The antifungal activity of sesquiterpene lactones has been extensively investigated against various fungal strains, but there is limited data on their antifungal activity against Candida species. Sesquiterpene lactones are abundant in the Asteraceae family, and 90% of identified sesquiterpene lactones have been isolated from members of this family. Three extracts obtained from the aerial parts of Centaurea salicifolia var. salicifolia, which had not been investigated prior to …

Electrochemical Determination Of Terbutaline Using A Sno2 Nanoparticle-Modified Carbon Paste Electrode, Rauf Gulamov, Şenol Alpat, Si̇bel Kilinç Alpat

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Terbutaline hemisulfate (THS), a selective beta-2 agonist, is preferred as a bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma and bronchitis, as well as a tocolytic agent to delay labor in acute situations during premature birth. The use of beta-2 agonists above a certain dose is considered doping in sports competitions. Therefore, it is important that they be determined with high sensitivity and selectivity within a short analysis time. In this study, a SnO2 nanoparticle-modified carbon paste electrode was developed for the determination of THS. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were employed as electrochemical methods. The operating conditions of the developed …

Chitosan Microparticle-Based Antibacterial Nasal Barrier Formulation And In Vivo Evaluations, Güli̇z Ak, Ayça Erek, Tuğba Karakayali, Şadi̇ye Çeti̇n, Şenay Şanlier

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Microorganisms remain a major cause of infectious diseases, emphasizing the need for alternative and complementary antimicrobial strategies. In this context, plant-derived materials have attracted increasing attention for their antimicrobial and protective properties. Chitosan, a biocompatible and cationic biopolymer, has emerged as an effective carrier system for encapsulating such plant-derived components. In this study, chitosan microparticles were prepared through ionic gelation followed by spray drying and loaded with thyme oil and olive leaf extract. The resulting microparticles exhibited an average size of approximately 1.8 μm and a total phenolic content of 23 mg GAE/g. These microparticles were incorporated into a glycerin–starch …

A Poly-L-Lysine-Functionalized Electrochemical Immunosensor Enables Highly Sensitive Detection Of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Protein 1, Berfi̇n Vural, Mustafa Kemal Sezgi̇ntürk

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP-1), a member of the mitochondrial heat shock protein family (HSP90), is essential for protein homeostasis, stress response, and cell cycle. TRAP-1 not only optimizes cellular energy production but also prevents cell death, thereby supporting the survival and proliferation of tumor cells. In addition to cancer, TRAP-1 has been associated with Parkinson’s disease, certain autoimmune disorders, and abnormalities in the kidney and urinary tract. In this study, a unique and useful indium tin oxide-polyethylene terephthalate (ITO–PET)-based electrochemical biosensor is described for detecting the biomarker TRAP-1. The ITO–PET electrode, selected as the working electrode, is …

Exploring Elite Athletes’ Perceptions Of The Practice Of Mindfulness For Mental Health And Optimal Performance, Omar A. Sesay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elite athletes experience physical, cognitive, and emotional demands that affect athletic performance and personal well-being, increasing the risk for anxiety, depression, burnout, attentional difficulties, and maladaptive coping strategies. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has been examined for its effect on attentional control, emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and stress resilience, but limited qualitative research has examined how elite athletes experience the practice of mindfulness. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore elite athletes’ perceptions of the practice of mindfulness for mental health and optimal performance. The theoretical framework draws from mindfulness theory and MBSR principles. Semistructured interviews were conducted …

Are 2d:4d Finger-Length Ratios Related To Bdsm Power Play Roles? An Exploratory Study, Phoenix R. Crane

Psychology and Neuroscience Faculty Publications

This study explored the relationships between 2D:4D ratio, a biological marker influenced by prenatal androgen exposure, and personality traits among members of the BDSM community. The 2D:4D ratio, calculated by dividing the length of the second (index) finger by the length of the fourth (ring) finger, is a non-invasive measure of prenatal exposure to androgens, with a smaller 2D:4D ratio associated with higher levels of testosterone exposure. Previous, albeit conflicting, research suggests that higher levels of testosterone are associated with dominance, aggression, risk-taking, and sensation-seeking. The present study draws on these findings to propose an androgenization of power play roles. …

Early Sodium Channel Blocker Initiation Is Associated With Better Outcomes In Kcnq2 Disorders, Johannes Lemke, Steffen Syrbe, Eugenia Roza, Raluca Ioana Teleanu, Laura Licchetta, Duccio M Cordelli, Francesca Bisulli, Trine B Hammer, Magdalena Krygier, Marta Pietruszka, Maria Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska, Safa Mete Dagdas, Pinar Gencpinar, Carmen Fons, Dídac Casas-Alba, Edward C Cooper, Maurizio Taglialatela, Béatrice Desnous, Nathalie Villeneuve, Anne Lépine, Stéphane Auvin, Cyril Mignot, Dorothée Ville, Anne De Saint Martin, Claire Bar, Caroline Hachon Le Camus, Laurent Villard, Laurence Chaton, Patrick Van Bogaert, Jérémie Lefranc, Gaëtan Lesca, Silvia Napuri, Mathieu Kuchenbuch, Caroline Perriard, Blandine Dozieres, Bénédicte Héron, Annie Ting-Gee Chiu, Ingrid E Scheffer, Mathieu Milh, Sarah Weckhuysen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Pathogenic KCNQ2 variants are the most common genetic cause of neonatal-onset epilepsies, with phenotypes ranging from self-limited (familial) neonatal epilepsy (SeL(F)NE) to severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (KCNQ2-DEE). Sodium channel blockers (SCBs) have shown promise for seizure control in these disorders, but their impact on neurodevelopmental outcomes and possible relationship with timing of initiation remain incompletely understood. We leveraged a large, multicentre international cohort comprising 282 individuals with pathogenic KCNQ2 variants to retrospectively assess the effectiveness of antiseizure medications (ASMs), particularly SCBs, on seizure control and neurodevelopment. Individuals were grouped according to the predicted variant-specific functional effects: loss-of-function (LOF) variants …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

No abstract provided.

Campus-Wide Assessment Of Indoor Air Quality At A University In The United Arab Emirates, Nida Qafisheh, Hani Kour

All Works

In educational institutions with the use of mechanical ventilation especially in arid climates indoor air quality (IAQ) has significant implications to health and cognitive performance of occupants. The present study examined 35 different sites’ IAQ at Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January-February 2024 comparing the observations with 2024 IAQ Guideline in Dubai Municipality (DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ). Portable instruments were used to measure eleven parameters: temperature, relative humidity, CO 2 , CO, ozone, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), PM 10 and PM 2 . 5 . The count of viable bacteria and fungi was determined by 15-min passive sedimentation …

Immune Reconstitution And Tolerance-Inducing Therapies As Promising Therapeutic Approaches In Multiple Sclerosis, Alireza Beheshti Maal, Mandana Kazem Arki, Seyed Massood Nabavi, Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani, Elham Rismani, Massoud Vosough, Gholamreza Azizi, Nikoo Hossein-Khannazer

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, progressive neurodegenerative autoimmune disease and a major cause of neurological disability worldwide. MS affects approximately 2.8-3 million people, predominantly presenting as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) that frequently converts to secondary progressive disease, while effective options for progressive phenotypes remain limited.

METHODS: This review reframes MS immunotherapy through a tolerance-centric paradigm, distinguishing continuous maintenance disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) from immune reconstitution therapies (IRTs) and emerging antigen-specific tolerance strategies.

RESULTS: Classical immune reconstitution therapies, including alemtuzumab, cladribine, and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), have demonstrated durable disease control and prolonged periods of no evidence of disease …

Biological And In Silico Evaluation Of Amino Sulfonic Acids With Antioxidant And Cytoprotective Activities, Amir Rahim Khallawi, Kasim Mohammed Hello

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Amino-sulfonic derivatives are recognized for their diverse biological roles, particularly in modulating physiological environments and cellular protection. Understanding their interaction with enzyme systems like carbonic anhydrase (CA) is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies against oxidative stress and metabolic imbalances.
Objective: This study aims to systematically evaluate the antioxidant, cytoprotective, and pH-modulating activities of four amino-sulfonic derivatives—taurine (TA), pyridine-3-sulfonic acid (P-3-S), sulfamic acid (SA), and hydroxylamine-O-sulfonic acid (HASA)—using CA-containing systems derived from healthy and leukemia samples.
Materials and methods: Antioxidant capacity was determined through DPPH radical and H₂O₂ scavenging assays. Cytoprotection was assessed via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) …

Molecular Pathogenesis And Genomic Profiling Of Fusobacterium Nucleatum: A Review Of Virulence Determinants & Antimicrobial Resistance Mechanisms In Dental And Systemic Infections, Mawahb Hatem Mones, Thariat Abdualrahman Al-Joubori, Ibrahim Faisal Ibrahim

Muthanna Medical Journal

Fusobacterium nucleatum is one of the key bacteria in the oral microbiota, which plays a key role in the structural integrity of dental plaque, an anaerobic bacterium. Emerging clinical evidence has increasingly linked this opportunistic pathogen to severe systemic pathologies, notably colorectal cancer and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This review synthesizes current genomic and molecular insights to elucidate the complex mechanisms driving fusobacterial virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We critically discuss the roles of key adhesins, such as FadA and Fap2, in modulating host cell signaling and facilitating immune evasion. Furthermore, we determine the genomic architecture involved in the transfer …

The Self-Aware Room: A Framework For Operational Self-Awareness In Evolvable Blended Environments, David B. Smith

Publications and Research

The Self-Aware Room (SAR) is a room-scale research environment developed within the larger Balanced Blended Space and Blended Reality Performance System research trajectory. Rather than treating the room as a conventional “smart” environment composed of fixed automation technologies, SAR approaches it as an evolvable blended environment made from physical, virtual, conceptual, sensory, computational, and performative relationships. Its defining feature is not any particular sensor, model, or output device, but the set of transformations through which physical activity becomes structured observation, bounded representation, interpreted state, governed decision, and mediated response.

This paper develops the conceptual and methodological foundations of SAR as …

Selective Loss Of Primary Cilia And Neurotrophic Signaling In G51d Α-Synuclein Mice Highlights A Common Pathway To Parkinson’S Disease, Yu-En Lin, Ebsy Jaimon, Youngdoo Kim, Annabeth Loftman, Aaran Vijayakumaran, Benjamin D W Belfort, Claire Y Chiang, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Huda Y Zoghbi, Suzanne R Pfeffer

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Parkinson's disease is characterized by dopaminergic neuron loss and accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in the brain. G51D α-synuclein knock-in mice provide a genetically and clinically relevant model of disease, exhibiting early olfactory deficits, age-dependent motor impairment, and progressive phospho-α-synuclein accumulation. In multiple Parkinson's disease models, striatal cholinergic and parvalbumin interneurons, as well as astrocytes, lose primary cilia and the neurotrophic signaling needed to sustain dopaminergic neurons. We show here that G51D α-synuclein mice share these phenotypes. Phospho-Ser129 α-synuclein accumulation correlates with cilia loss in cholinergic interneurons but not in spiny projection neurons that accumulate higher phospho-α-synuclein levels. In the piriform …

Acemannan/Alginate Composite Hydrogels Promote Sto Cell Spreading And Metabolic Activity, Hong Yongxing, Tharasanit Theerawat

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Alginate-based hydrogels are widely used as biocompatible scaffolds. However, their limited cell-adhesive properties restrict their application in tissue engineering. This study aimed to fabricate acemannan/alginate (ACE/ALG) composite hydrogels and evaluate their cytocompatibility and ability to support STO cell spreading and metabolic activity. Composite hydrogels were prepared by blending different concentrations of ACE with alginate, followed by Ca²⁺-mediated ionic crosslinking. Rheological analysis showed that ACE incorporation increased both the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of the hydrogels. Cell viability and morphology were evaluated using Live/Dead staining on day 7, and cellular growth was assessed using an MTT assay on …

Multidrug Resistance, Extended-Spectrum Β-Lactamase (Esbl) Production, And Colistin Resistance In Escherichia Coli From Retail Chicken Meat In Fresh Markets In Bangkok, Thailand, Htet Lin Oo, Nawaphorn Roongrojmongkhon, Suwanee Chalermchainukul, Sirawit Pagdepanichkit

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Contamination of chicken meat with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, particularly multidrug-resistant (MDR), colistin-resistant, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli), threatens its safety for human consumption. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, particularly ESBL production and colistin resistance in E. coli isolated from retail chicken meat in fresh markets in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 200 (81.6%) E. coli isolates were recovered from 245 chicken meat samples collected from fresh markets across six regions of Bangkok. Among the isolates, 189 (94.5%) exhibited resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent tested, with the …

Ruins And Remedies: Hospital Site Archaeology In Medieval Southeast Asia, Karen Hill

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Equity In Evaluation: Examining Grading Practices And Student Experiences In Speech-Language Pathology Education, Jennifer Essig

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Traditional grading practices remain the norm in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) education, despite evidence these systems may exacerbate inequities and affect motivation and perceptions of learning. This study examined how traditional and alternative grading practices are experienced by undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in CSD programs. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, survey data were collected from 73 students regarding perceptions of grading, motivation to learn, and emotional responses to assessment. Quantitative analyses indicated that students in alternatively graded classrooms reported significantly higher perceptions of fairness, clarity, and learning than those in traditionally graded settings. Qualitative analysis revealed contrasting emotional …