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A didactic sequence is proposed using an infrared puzzle and a didactic questionnaire for the teaching-learning of infrared spectroscopy at the upper secondary level. The didactic sequence that was designed was implemented in person in the subject of Chemistry IV at the high school level, corresponding to the sixth semester of the curriculum of the National School of Sciences and Humanities (CCH), Vallejo Campus, of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. In the didactic sequence, students understand the importance of functional groups where they determine organic compounds, by identifying regularities, properties, and structure of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids. After applying the didactic sequence, a post-test questionnaire was applied, and the results showed that the students significantly improved their knowledge of IR when using the puzzle that allowed them to correctly identify the bands that identify the carbonyl group.

The Beer-Lambert law is a fundamental relationship in chemistry that helps connect macroscopic experimental observations (i.e., the amount of light exiting a solution sample) to a symbolic model composed of system-level parameters (e.g., concentration values). Despite the wide use of the Beer-Lambert law in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum and its applicability to analytical techniques, students' use of the model is not commonly investigated. Specifically, no previous work has explored how students connect the Beer-Lambert law to absorption phenomena using submicroscopic-level reasoning, which is important for understanding light absorption at the particle level. The incorporation of visual-conceptual tools (such as animations and simulations) into instruction has been shown to be effective in conveying key points about particle-level reasoning and facilitating connections among the macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic domains. This study evaluates the extent to which a previously reported simulation-based virtual laboratory activity (BLSim) is associated with students' use of particle-level models when explaining absorption phenomena. Two groups of analytical chemistry students completed a series of tasks that prompted them to construct explanations of absorption phenomena, with one group having completed the simulation-based activity prior to the assessment tasks. Student responses were coded using Johnstone's triad. When comparing work from the two student groups, chi-square tests revealed statistically significant associations (with approximately medium to large effect sizes) between students using the simulation and employing particle-level reasoning. That said, submicroscopic-level reasoning did not always provide more explanatory power to students' answers. Additionally, we observed the productive use of a variety of submicroscopic light-matter interaction models. We conjecture that engaging with BLSim provided new submicroscopic-level resources for students to leverage in explanations and predictions of absorption phenomena.

The laboratory is a complex environment where the three levels of the chemistry triplet coincide. As the laboratory environment places a large demand on the working memory of students, cognitive load theory can address overload which causes barriers to learning. Breaking down barriers requires iterative phases of analysis/exploration, design/construction and evaluation/reflection over multiple cycles which are the hallmarks of design-based research. In a complex setting, managing change and redressing teaching approaches can be difficult to navigate. Design-based research incorporates iterative phases in which theory informs decision making. This paper uses the context of a laboratory exercise of emission spectra to illustrate how the cognitive load theory can be used in tandem with design-based research to support student learning in the exercise. Using this approach, it was possible to show how barriers to student understanding, including task demands and conceptual demands were supported through proposed approaches focusing on extraneous, intrinsic and ultimately germane cognitive load.

Experimentation is a contributing factor to the interest and meaningful learning of Science. In Geology and Earth Science, the effects of soil textures, settlements, and water-holding capacity are parameters for landslides in Barotac Viejo and other flooded areas. Landslides are triggered during heavy rainstorms, causing severe property damage and casualties. This experimental study aims to determine how these parameters are factors for landslides and give accurate information to Science teachers. The study uses two methods to provide ease and continuity of measurements and settings using the Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy in analyzing the soil textures. The Imhoff cone instrument is for the settling and water-holding capacity of the soil. FTIR Soil analysis reveals that contents of clay and organic matter directly affect soil water-holding ability due to the larger surface area. A landslide-prone zone has a lesser settling time except for the sand that settles fastest due to larger masses. This study is crucial for science teachers teaching geology and earth sciences besides forecasting and preventing geohydrological processes and developing better landslide warning strategies to mitigate risks and reduce socioeconomic damage.

Infrared (IR) technologies have been universally acknowledged as a valuable pedagogical tool for exploring novel and abstract scientific subjects in science education. This study explores the roles of IR images played in middle school students' Evidence-based Reasoning (EBR) process in support of the understanding of the heat radiation process. Specifically, we implement image processing algorithms explicitly for the visual artifacts mentioned in students' descriptions of the radiation phenomenon to obtain the numeric representations of their corresponding features. Meanwhile, the quality of those descriptions is further coded with the guidance of the EBR framework for indicating students' understanding levels of the phenomenon. Finally, the associations between the numerical image features and the quality of descriptions are analyzed to examine the effectiveness of the IR visual artifacts in helping students understand the heat radiation process. The analytical results found that the image features are further positively correlated with the quality of the descriptions generated by students for the heat radiation. The results further suggest the IR images have the potential of driving students to think proactively and explore detailed procedural changes in learning the heat radiation process. Finally, our study calls for the integration of interdisciplinary instructional approaches in science education to reduce students' cognitive load and guide learning attention, for example, incorporating visualization and relevant processing approaches to present and analyze the otherwise invisible abstract process to help students make sense related knowledge more easily.

Background: Educational research has been conducted mainly by using behavioural approaches. Whilst such methods provide invaluable insights into the field, several important questions such as 'how do we learn?' and 'what mechanisms cause individual differences?' cannot be answered thoroughly by using only behavioural approaches. In the last three decades, the advances of neuroimaging technologies and computational power have allowed researchers to investigate these questions beyond behavioural measures that provide complementary knowledge about human brain. Aim: One of the most recent neuroimaging techniques that holds much promise for use in educational settings is functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). This article aims to introduce the fNIRS technique to educational researchers interested in neurocognitive mechanisms of academic learning and achievements to further promote the growing field of Educational Neuroscience. Method: We present the properties of the fNIRS device, its basic principles and important considerations when planning an fNIRS study. Results: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a portable, cost-effective and easy-to-handle neuroimaging device that allows experimentation in naturalistic settings such as in the school. Conclusion: Even though several articles describe different applications and technical features of the fNIRS technique, there is still a need for materials with a more accessible language for those unfamiliar with neuroscientific and technical terms.

Computational and atmospheric chemistry are two important branches of contemporary chemistry. With the present topical nature of climate change and global warming, it is more crucial than ever that students are aware of and exposed to atmospheric chemistry, with an emphasis on how modeling may aid in understanding how atmospherically relevant chemical compounds interact with incoming solar radiation. Nonetheless, computational and atmospheric chemistry are under-represented in most undergraduate chemistry curricula. In this manuscript, we describe a simple and efficient method for simulating the electronic absorption spectral profiles of atmospherically relevant molecules that may be utilized in an undergraduate computer laboratory. The laboratory results give students hands-on experience in computational and atmospheric chemistry, as well as electronic absorption spectroscopy.

Purpose: The fine-tuning of linguistic prosody in later childhood is poorly understood, and its neurological processing is even less well studied. In particular, it is unknown if grammatical processing of prosody is left- or rightlateralized in childhood versus adulthood and how phonological working memory might modulate such lateralization. Furthermore, it is virtually unknown how prosody develops neurologically among children with cochlear implants (CIs). Method: Normal-hearing (NH) children ages 6-12 years and NH adults ages 18-28 years completed a functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging task, during which they heard sentence pairs and judged whether the sentences did or did not differ in their overall prosody (declarative, question, with or without narrow focus). Children also completed standard measures of expressive and receptive language. Results: Age group differences emerged; children exhibited stronger bilateral temporoparietal activity but reduced left frontal activation. Furthermore, children's performance on a nonword repetition test was significantly associated with activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus--an area that was generally more activated in adults than in children. Conclusions: The prosody-related findings are generally consistent with prior neurodevelopmental works on sentence comprehension, especially those involving syntax and semantics, which have also noted a developmental shift from bilateral temporal to left inferior frontal regions typically associated with increased sensitivity to sentence structure. The findings thus inform theoretical perspectives on brain and language development and have implications for studying the effects of CIs on neurodevelopmental processes for sentence prosody

Background: Previous research suggests that children with or at risk of probable developmental coordination disorder (pDCD) activate different areas of the brain when performing certain motor skills compared with typically developing (TD) children. This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to compare prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity in TD and pDCD during the completion of manual (three-dimensional [3D]) and computerized versions (two-dimensional) of the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) puzzle. Method: A total of 12 children (TD and pDCD; one female/11 male, [x-bar] = 10.36, SD ± 1.52 years) performed the two-dimensional and 3D conditions of the ToH disk tasks, with equivalent executive function but different motor requirements, with functional near-infrared spectroscopy to compare PFC activity. Results: Interestingly, brain oxygenation levels were more apparent in the 3D versus two-dimensional ToH. In the 3D, there were large differences between pairs of discordant sibling sets and this was located to the right medial PFC, with pDCD exhibiting less activation in this region. Conclusion: While only exploratory, we have identified potential differences in the right medial PFC region, which differs within sibling sets with different pDCD status. These results concur with previous studies and are an area that needs to be explored further with a larger cohort of TD and pDCD.

Frontal asymmetry (FA), the difference in brain activity between the left versus right frontal areas, is thought to reflect approach versus avoidance motivation. This study (2012-2021) used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate if infant (M[subscript age] = 7.63 months; N = 90; n = 48 male; n = 75 White) FA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relates to psychopathology in later childhood (M[subscript age] = 62.05 months). Greater right FA to happy faces was associated with increased internalizing ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.09) and externalizing ([eta][superscript 2] = 0.06) problems at age 5 years. Greater right FA to both happy and fearful faces was associated with an increased likelihood of a lifetime anxiety diagnosis (R[superscript 2] > 0.13). FA may be an informative and early-emerging marker for psychopathology.

With the advent of new technologies, assessment research has adopted technology-based methods to investigate test validity. This study investigated the neurocognitive processes involved in an academic listening comprehension test, using a biometric technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Sixteen right-handed university students completed two tasks: (1) a linguistic task that involved listening to a mini-lecture (i.e., Listening condition) and answering of questions (i.e., Questions condition) and (2) a non-linguistic task that involved listening to a variety of natural sounds and animal vocalizations (i.e., Sounds condition). The hemodynamic activity in three left brain regions was measured: the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG). The Listening condition induced higher activity in the IFG and pMTG than the Sounds condition. Although not statistically significant, the activity in the dmPFC was higher during the Listening condition than in the Sounds conditions. The IFG was also significantly more active during the Listening condition than in the Questions condition. Although a significant gender difference was observed in listening comprehension test scores, there was no difference in brain activity (across the IFG, dmPFC, and pMTG) between male and female participants. The implications for test validity are discussed.

This study aims to conduct a systematic review of studies on neuroimaging measurements used in multimedia learning research. The particular aim of the review is to explore how cognitive processes in multimedia learning are studied with relevant variables through neuroimaging technology. Studies that met the inclusive criteria were selected and analyzed with the data entry tool. Forty articles were reviewed based on the research questions about the research characteristics, the type of learning environments, the variables, the types of cognitive load, the other cognitive load measurements, the types of neuroimaging measures, the techniques that should be known in the field of neuroimaging to study cognitive load in multimedia learning. The results revealed that most of the studies preferred using both subjective and other objective measures to assess cognitive load in addition to neuroimaging measures. The studies examined learning outcomes, cognitive processes, and some other variables besides measuring cognitive load. The most striking observation to emerge from the analysis is that Electroencephalography, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, and Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography have been found as the most preferred neuroimaging tools utilized in multimedia learning research. Research results were interpreted, and several gaps in research relating to multimedia learning were identified.

Objective: This study examined the liking of fruits and vegetables among college students and the relationship between skin carotenoid levels and liking of fruits and vegetables. Participants: Sixty-six undergraduate students enrolled at a university in the southeastern United States participated in this study beginning August 2019. Methods: Skin carotenoid levels were measured using the Veggie Meter® reflection spectroscopy device. Liking of individual fruits and vegetables was measured using a hedonic general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Results: There were significant differences in mean skin carotenoid levels by year of study and age group. Students had a very strong liking for potatoes and pineapple. Veggie Meter scores and overall liking for fruits and vegetables were positively correlated. Conclusions: In order to encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables, preferences for specific fruits and vegetables as well as accessibility should be considered to better serve and accommodate college students.

Increased focus on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and the use and accessibility of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) have advanced knowledge on the interconnected nature of neural substrates underlying executive function (EF) development in adults and clinical populations. Less is known about the relationship between rsFC and developmental changes in EF during preschool years in typically developing children, a gap the present study addresses employing task-based assessment, teacher reports, and fNIRS multimethodology. This preregistered study contributes to our understanding of the neural basis of EF development longitudinally with 41 children ages 4-5. Changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) rsFC utilizing fNIRS, EF measured with a common task-based assessment (Day-Night task), and teacher reports of behavior (BRIEF-P) were monitored over multiple timepoints: Initial Assessment, 72 h follow-up, 1 Month Follow-up, and 4 Month Follow-up. Measures of rsFC were strongly correlated 72 h apart, providing evidence of high rsFC measurement reliability using fNIRS with preschool-aged children. PFC rsFC was positively correlated with performance on task-based and report-based EF assessments. Children's PFC functional connectivity at rest uniquely predicted later EF, controlling for verbal IQ, age, and sex. Functional connectivity at rest using fNIRS may potentially show the rapid changes in EF development in young children, not only neurophysiologically, but also as a correlate of task-based EF performance and ecologically-relevant teacher reports of EF in a classroom context.

Spectrometers play a decisive role in the education of A-level and/or under-graduate students in the field of natural sciences. They are capable to demonstrate atomic emission, transmission, reflection and fluorescence spectra, but can be used for wavelength filtering, as well. Here, we present a do-it-yourself spectrometer setup based on a Czerny--Turner design that (a) can be used for all measurement types with one and the same setup and (b) is capable to spectrally resolve atomic emission lines. We use LEGO® bricks for the optomechanical construction and combine it with affordable, but high-quality optical components and linear array based on a charge-coupled device (CCD). A modular design is implemented and allows for a quick change between the various measurement techniques, but also fosters the technological understanding of the underlying systems' optical design.

The provision of feedback with complex information beyond the correct answer, that is, elaborated feedback, can powerfully shape learning outcomes such as transfer, that is, the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contexts. However, an understanding of neurocognitive processes of elaborated feedback during instructor-learner interactions remains elusive. Here, a two-person interactive design is used during simultaneous recording of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signals from adult instructor-learner dyads. Instructors either provided elaborated feedback (i.e., correct answer and an example) or simple feedback (i.e., correct answer only) to learners during a concept learning task. Our results show that elaborated feedback produced comparable levels of retention to simple feedback; however, transfer was significantly enhanced by elaboration. We also noted significant instructor-learner neural synchronization in frontoparietal regions during the provision of elaborated feedback, especially when examples were provided. Further, interpersonal neural synchronization in the parietal cortex successfully predicted transfer of knowledge to novel contexts. This prediction was retained for both learner-delayed and learner-preceding neural synchronization. These findings point toward transfer effects of elaborated feedback provided in a social context can be predictable through interpersonal neural synchronization, which may hold important implications for real-world learning and pedagogical efficacy.

An absorption line at 900 nm has been observed in Perspex. Samples of 1 and 2 cm thickness were used and the integrated absorption (line width times peak absorption) of the line was proportionate to the thickness. Facilities for lowering the sample temperature were not available and therefore both measurements were carried out at room temperature. A Red Tide spectrophotometer was used to measure this absorption. According to the Optics Group at National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA, the line can be assigned to the "3rd overtone CH stretch of the methyl and methylene group." The present result was compared with historic data for boron impurities in indium phosphide to demonstrate the versatility of this form of spectroscopy.

This study explored appropriate speaking activities for speakers of different proficiency levels by measuring the changes in their brain blood flow with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Fifty adult speakers and learners of English of various proficiency levels participated in the study by undertaking four types of task: a single-speaker picture description, interview, and two paired interaction activities on an easy and a difficult topic. By objectively analyzing the collected data, the authors revealed which speaking activity facilitated brain activity, which speaking activity was suitable for which level of learner, and from which area of the brain it was possible to obtain activation data. In short, advanced language learners need to tackle more difficult tasks, while easy, patterned tasks such as the picture description and interview are more appropriate for elementary level learners. As for intermediate learners, their language learning is likely to be promoted through most of the activity types, except for the interactions on difficult topics, which were shown to decrease their brain blood flow.

One of the most important aspects associated with the modern production of chemicals is sustainability. To teach students and young scientists to design their research in the spirit of "sustainable development," students should be made accustomed to seeking solutions that are not only efficient and cost-effective but also safe and environmentally friendly. However, it is still a great challenge to select appropriate material for a lecture that, in addition to providing educational aspects, will simultaneously attract students' attention. Therefore, to make learning more accessible and inspiring, it is worth using known molecules with interesting properties, such as denatonium salts, as the main product of the developed sustainable process. In this particular project, lidocaine was alkylated with benzyl chloride in the presence of a catalyst and subsequently subjected to an ion exchange reaction. This path resulted in the formation of two organic salts, denatonium benzoate and denatonium saccharinate, which are considered the most bitter substances currently known to mankind. Additionally, their syntheses were optimized according to "green chemistry" principles, and subsequently, the structures of the products were identified via spectroscopic methods (FTIR and NMR spectroscopies). Finally, determination of basic physicochemical parameters (solubility in water and octanol-water partition coefficient), according to OECD guidelines, enabled the assessment of the potential impact of these compounds on the natural environment.

Remote access technology in STEM education fills dual roles as an educational tool to deliver science education (Educational Technology) and as a means to teach about technology itself (Technology Education). A five-lesson sequence was introduced to 11 and 12-year-old students at an urban school. The lesson sequences were inquiry-based, hands-on, and utilized active learning pedagogies, which have been implemented in STEM classrooms worldwide. Each lesson employed a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) accessed remotely. Students were assessed using multiple-choice questions to ascertain (1) technology education learning gains: did students gain an understanding of how electron microscopes work? and (2) educational technology learning gains: did students gain a better understanding of lesson content through use of the electron microscope? Likert-item surveys were developed, distributed, and analyzed to established how remote access technology affected student attitudes toward science, college, and technology. Participating students had a positive increase in attitudes toward scientific technology by engaging in the lesson sequences, reported positive attitudes toward remote access experiences, and exhibited learning gains in the science behind the SEM technology they accessed remotely. These findings suggest that remote experiences are a strong form of technology education, but also that future research could explore ways to strengthen remote access as an educational technology (a tool to deliver lesson content), such as one-on-one engagement. This study promotes future research into inquiry-based, hands-on, integrated lessons approach that utilize educational technology learning through remote instruments as a pedagogy to increase students' engagement with and learning of the "T" in STEM.

A bilingual environment is associated with changes in the brain's structure and function. Some suggest that bilingualism also improves higher-cognitive functions in infants as young as 6-months, yet whether this effect is associated with changes in the infant brain remains unknown. In the present study, we measured brain activity using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in monolingual- and bilingual-raised 6- and 10-month-old infants. Infants completed an orienting attention task, in which a cue was presented prior to an object appearing on the same (Valid) or opposite (Invalid) side of a display. Task performance did not differ between the groups but neural activity did. At 6-months, both groups showed greater activity for Valid (> Invalid) trials in frontal regions (left hemisphere for bilinguals, right hemisphere for monolinguals). At 10-months, bilinguals showed greater activity for Invalid (> Valid) trials in bilateral frontal regions, while monolinguals showed greater brain activity for Valid (> Invalid) trials in left frontal regions. Bilinguals' brain activity trended with their parents' reporting of dual-language mixing when speaking to their child. These findings are the first to indicate how early (dual) language experience can alter the cortical organization underlying broader, non-linguistic cognitive functions during the first year of life.

A theoretical distinction exists between the cool and hot aspects of executive function (EF). At the neural level, cool EF may be associated with activation in the lateral prefrontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas the orbitofrontal cortex may play a key role in hot EF. However, some recent studies have shown that young children show activity in the lateral prefrontal regions during hot EF tasks, suggesting that the distinction between hot and cool EF may not be as marked. Nevertheless, few neuroimaging studies have directly examined the relationship between cool and hot EF. In this study, preschool children (N = 46, mean age = 66.1 months) were given both cool (Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) and Stroop-like tasks) and hot (delay of gratification) EF tasks, and neural activation during these tasks was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Correlational analyses and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to assess the relationship between cool and hot EF. At the behavioral level, a moderate correlation was found between DCCS and Stroop-like tasks, but no correlation emerged between cool and hot EF tasks. At the neural level, prefrontal activations during the cool EF tasks did not correlate with those during the hot EF task. Further, children showed stronger prefrontal activations during the DCCS tasks compared to the delay of gratification tasks. The results suggest that the neural basis of hot and cool EF may differ during early childhood.

We here propose a simple and fast hands-on activity requiring limited equipment, to introduce students of various levels (bachelor's or high school) and backgrounds (from science to arts) to the chemistry of color. The different colors of stained glass are replicated through the deposition, on ordinary glass slides, of silica coatings colored by addition of metal ions and nanoparticles. A silica sol is used as a matrix to embed metal ions, followed by an "in situ" reduction activated by thermal treatment on a hot plate. The formation of metal nanoparticles by this procedure induces plasmonic colors in the glass coating, thus "mimicking" the ancient procedure of stained-glass fabrication through a simple and quick method. Characterization of the colored glass by optical spectroscopy is also presented. This easily reproducible activity demonstrates basic concepts of redox reactions, chemistry of color, and plasmonic nanoparticles. Thanks to its interdisciplinary character and immediate and tangible results, this activity is well-suited for teaching laboratories for bachelor's and high school students as well as for public engagement activities.

Research has shown that the use of practical examples in undergraduate education promotes the retention of historically underrepresented students in STEM majors and lowers achievement gaps within courses. Since many students of color and women aspire toward careers in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, efforts to incorporate medicinal chemistry into the organic chemistry and advanced chemistry lab curriculum could potentially help enhance diversity and retention. There is currently a dearth of laboratory experiments that are medically relevant and technically accessible for incorporation into the undergraduate organic chemistry lab curriculum. The theoretical framework for optimization of drug leads and design of chemical libraries used in the exploration of structure-activity relationships is typically introduced in senior-level courses without hands-on laboratory training. In response to this, we have designed a laboratory experiment that translates the typical medicinal chemistry synthesis of a chemical analogue library into a method that can readily be deployed within an undergraduate laboratory setting through the synthesis of the clinically important antihypertensive drug prazosin and its analogues. By the use of commercially available starting materials, a small library of prazosin analogues can be synthesized utilizing nucleophilic aromatic substitution and amide-bond-forming condensation reactions. The experiment introduces a variety of concepts, including (1) retrosynthetic analysis in the design of chemical libraries, (2) methods in extraction and purification, and (3) instrumental analyses via [superscript 1]H and [superscript 13]CNMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and melting point determination.

A fast, operationally simple, and reproducible synthetic protocol for anthraquinone dyes (AQDs), suitable for upper-division undergraduate industrial and organic chemistry laboratory courses, has been developed. This experiment is composed of three stages; the first step deals with the synthesis of AQDs, followed by a purification step, and finally a chemical characterization of the pure dyes. This can be completed within 2-3 laboratory sessions (3 h each). Synthesis is performed via Ullmann coupling reaction starting from inexpensive commercially available materials, 1-amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid sodium salt (bromaminic acid), amine/aniline derivatives, phosphate buffer (pH 6-7), and a catalytic amount of elemental copper (Cu[superscript 0]) under microwave irradiation at 120 °C within a short reaction time (2-20 min). The crude blue dyes are purified by extraction with dichloromethane followed by column chromatography using reversed phase C-18 material. The clear difference in colors between starting material (orange and red), byproduct (dark red), and products (blue) allows for great ease in visual monitoring of the chromatographic separation. The target AQDs are fully characterized by spectroscopic methods.

Photo-oxidation is one of the main causes of oxidative deterioration in food. Understanding of the mechanisms of photo-oxidation is essential for food science students when pursuing careers in food safety and quality assurance. However, few food chemistry laboratories emphasize photo-oxidation. Thus, we develop a laboratory activity that trains students to evaluate the level of photo-oxidation by monitoring the early (photosensitizer), middle (dissolved oxygen), and late [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value] indicators of photo-oxidation in a full-fat milk model under two types of light spectra (fluorescent and LED light). Through data analysis and post-laboratory discussion, students well understood the mechanism of photo-oxidation and the effect of light wavelength on the rate of reaction in food products by characterizing the oxidation kinetics at different stages of oxidation. This laboratory was designed for upper-level undergraduate students of food science and technology majors (n = 30), the learning outcome shows that students acquire practical skills in operating instruments that they may encounter in food industry as well as quantitative analytical methods that are used to estimate the shelf life of food products.

Space telescopes are some of the most precise and complicated machines ever built. Not only must they survive the harshness of space travel, but they also need to be incredibly accurate: misalignments by fractions of a millimetre can have huge effects on the quality of the images they capture. In 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope became the first "large" telescope launched into space, and it immediately changed our view of the entire universe. However, in that time imaging technology has come a long way, and with Hubble's on-board cameras degrading because of cosmic radiation, it is time for a replacement. Enter the James Webb Space Telescope, or Webb for short. Webb offers a myriad of improvements over Hubble and is also tuned slightly differently in order to build on the discoveries Hubble made. The authors bring some of the physics behind the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope to the primary classroom.

The integration of physics, music, and mathematics has long been used to increase students' interest and motivation in these subjects. For example, previous articles in this journal have shown how to teach physical concepts in a musical context, use a smartphone to check the resonant frequencies of whistles, use a smartphone to examine the spectra of sounds, and apply Fourier analysis to the study of musical intervals. This article is devoted to the audio recordings analysis of saxophone sounds, violin, guitar, piano, hand bell, and ocarina in the Audacity editor. The purpose of this analysis is to determine the amplitude-frequency structures of musical notes and obtain information for the classroom about the physical characteristics of musical instruments and some playing techniques.

UV-vis absorption spectroscopy is one of the most accessible spectroscopic techniques at the high school educational level, and it is usually introduced in analytical chemistry courses due to its high versatility and to the wide range of applications in many fields of chemistry. Within this framework, we have developed an easy-to-use" simulation tool" to identify and quantify the main pigments in a relatively complex food matrix, such as olive oil and seeds' oils. This digital software, freely available, can be used by high school students and first-year undergraduate students to analyze the UV-vis absorption spectrum of olive oils recorded in the bulk without any chemical treatment. In this paper, we are reporting the basic principles of the spectroscopic method and the way to use the "simulation tool" with several examples and explanations that are useful for students and teachers. In the second part of the paper, several examples of activities about the chemistry of olive oil, realized with the fifth classes' students of a high school technical institute (K-12 level) and undergraduate students of an introductory course in spectroscopy in the second year of the Chemistry Degree Course, are reported. These activities were performed partially face-to-face and partially in distance learning mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main learning outcomes, methodological issues, and students' feedback resulting from these experiences are reported and commented on, showing the potential of the simulation tool for educational purposes.

Purpurogallin (PPG), an orange-red crystalline compound from nutgalls and oak bark, is an exemplar of numerous, ubiquitous natural colorants, biosynthesized through oxidative dimerization-decarboxylation of phenolic compounds. It possesses antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Herein, a robust method is presented to allow students to expediently make this interesting compound that contains a tropolone ring, whose identity initiated a paradigm shift in the understanding of aromaticity. 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data ([superscript 1]H, [superscript 13]C-DEPT-Q, HSQC, HMBC) were used to identify which protons are connected to carbon atoms. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction were used to provide complementary information. Importantly, sufficient historical detail is given to provide a useful narrative that highlights the shift from deductive and synthetic proof of structural identity to modern methods of structural elucidation. As a minor, but important, aspect of iron gall inks, PPG links the work of important western historical documents from Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man to the United States Declaration of Independence. In the experience of the authors, such a pedagogic approach enlivens students with practical exercises which place them within the historical arc and reasoning of notable scientists, adding a sense of scientific discovery.

The development and application of a simulator designed with Excel spreadsheets to teach procedural skills in atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic emission spectrometry are proposed. For the development of the simulator, different analytical procedures were followed including analysis of pharmaceutical, forensic, and environmental samples. The simulator worksheets enable the students to modify the instrumental conditions (such as type of gas, gas flow, lamp, and wavelength), prepare reagents, standards, and samples, obtain the analytical signals, and perform data analysis and results. The learning activity was tested by 71 students enrolled in the Instrumental Analytical Chemistry I subject and was delivered through a virtual platform environment. Students completed and submitted the activity guide and the Simulator's file. Student feedback demonstrated greater skills in handling MS Excel and instrumentation, operation, and applications of the analytical techniques included in the simulator. In addition, the application of the simulator as a learning activity provided an excellent opportunity to enhance students' understanding of the fundamentals, instrumentation, and application of some spectroscopic techniques.

Elemental analysis is performed in a variety of ways in food and environmental sciences; thus, we have designed an activity in which students gain experience with research-level lab techniques in a real-world context through the quantification of key elements in breakfast cereals using microwave plasma optical emission spectroscopy (MP-OES). The experiment described here is a skill building assignment to scaffold into more advanced projects with research-level instrumentation and in analytical chemistry courses. Students compare their results to the nutrition facts published by the distributors in order to identify their cereals, emphasizing precision and accuracy in instrumental analysis and good standard operating procedures (SOPs). Although cereals were chosen on the basis of the relevance of fortified minerals in this study, variations of this method may be used for the analysis of different food products. The student learning objectives of this experiment include developing SOPs for emission spectroscopy, creating and using standard curves to determine detection limits and elemental concentrations, presenting results using the proper format along with using statistical techniques such as standard deviation and method detection limit, and writing a report following the form of a technical journal article. MP-OES is a relatively new, sensitive, and inexpensive technique for elemental analysis, making it a practical choice for an undergraduate laboratory.

This experiment introduces undergraduate organic chemistry students to analysis and interpretation of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra through characterization of postconsumer plastics. Students use FTIR spectra to identify and differentiate the common recyclable polymer resins #1-6: polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS). They then use an FTIR spectrometer with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) accessory to investigate a self-sourced plastic container, including closures and labels, to identify the resins that compose its various components. Through these activities, students familiarize themselves with the collection and interpretation of IR spectra, a skill they subsequently use throughout the semester in the organic chemistry laboratory. Students' findings often show that a single-use container can be made up of three or more different polymer resins. This experiment has important practical applications for the sorting of plastic resins using IR-based technology in modern recycling facilities. For example, IR sensors used for automatic sorting cannot penetrate shrink-wrapped full-body sleeve labels to identify the container below, which confounds the automatic sorting processes that make plastic recycling economically viable. This experiment could also be implemented in an environmental chemistry course, ideally in conjunction with a field trip to a local recycling facility.

NMR spectroscopy is a powerful spectroscopic tool that not only allows the determination of structures after synthesis, as usually explained to students of Organic Chemistry, but also is useful in many other fields such as medicine imaging, real-time industrial processes, material sciences, or metabolomics. In this experiment, students performed a ring-opening polymerization (ROP) reaction in the laboratory and, then, collected a series of 1D NMR spectra with the aim of determining the tacticity of the polymers formed and their number-average molecular weight. The deconvolution of [superscript 1]H and [superscript 13]C NMR experimental data was central in their learning process, and the consistence of the results obtained was validated within the literature. This exercise gave students skills on polymerization reaction processes, instrumental analysis, and determination and interpretation of NMR spectra in the use of deconvolution procedures along with the critical evaluation of the obtained results.

Marble, formed by the metamorphism of limestone, is commonly used in the construction industry and sculpting. The mineral in marble is either calcite [CaCO[subscript 3]] or dolomite [CaMg(CO[subscript 3])[subscript 2]] or sometimes both. The pure white Carrara marble from Italy was made a household name by Michelangelo, the famous sculptor of the 16th century. Impurities, such as graphite, quartz, micas, iron oxides, pyrite, brucite, olivine, and tremolite, if incorporated into marble during its formation can impart interesting colors to this common rock. The chemical analysis of dolomitic marble presents a challenging, yet interesting problem for general chemistry students and is the subject of this article. This analysis was divided into four facets to provide the scaffolding general chemistry students needed to successfully tackle this problem. The project spanned the entire academic year and utilized both workshop (conducted in lectures) and laboratory components. A "chemists' approach" and a "geologists' approach" to the carbonate analysis enabled students to understand the chemical process of a back-titration from multiple perspectives as they worked through the data analysis in workshops. This preceded the laboratory work for the determination of carbonates in marble using a back-titration, after dolomitic marble samples were digested overnight with excess acid. The analysis of the results from the back-titration relied on the knowledge students gained in the workshops. The cations in dolomitic marble were quantified with atomic absorption spectroscopy later in the academic year. Since the laboratory analysis proved the marble sample to be quite pure (less than 5% impurities), the cation and anion analyses were combined to determine the empirical formula of dolomite. This as well as using their "own" data to grapple with accuracy, precision, random error, systematic error, and significant figures in this data analysis was more powerful for students than learning these concepts from a textbook. Valuable experiences and transferable skills gained from this project included learning and honing titration technique, sample preparation, spreadsheet software skills, and report writing. Students' enthusiasm for this project was high even through the challenging analysis of large class data sets. This was because students were eager to find the solution to a real-world problem for which the answer was unknown to them as well as the instructor. Whole or part of this investigation can be ready adopted at any institution.

Infrared spectroscopy (IR) is a staple structural elucidation and characterization technique because of its ability to identify functional groups and its ease of use. Interestingly, it allows the capture of electronic effects via their influence on the bond strength of "probes", such as the carbonyl group and also offers a wealth of examples for discussion on the theory of electronic transitions. For this reason, IR spectroscopy is typically taught both in theoretical classes and in applied structural analysis courses. In practice, there is rarely a link between those courses, and both suffer from the lack of exploratory learning, that is, tools with which students can explore the interplay between symmetry and selection rules, as well as electronic effects and vibrational frequencies- with almost "immediate feedback." In practice, this might lead to students that are well skilled in looking up vibrational frequencies in lookup tables but do not understand the links to electronic effects and reactivity. Here, we introduce a web app that leverages semiempirical quantum mechanical (or force-field based) calculations, performed on a web service, in an interactive interface to provide an environment in which students can explore how slight changes to the structure manifest in changes of the spectrum. This approach avoids the time-consuming handling of potentially hazardous materials that might not be readily available and invites students to "play" with spectroscopy- to "see" and "test" electronic effects that are so commonplace in organic chemistry education. As a "side effect", our web app also provides a powerful aid for research scientists to investigate how different structural modifications, such as substitution, isomerism, or steric strain, would manifest in the infrared spectrum.

Spin crossover (SCO) materials that switch between two different spin states, that is, the high spin (HS) and the low spin (LS) state, with very different optical, magnetic, and structural properties offer a unique platform to understand the consequences induced by the different electronic configurations of transition metal complexes. Due to the significant changes associated with the spin transition, it can be followed by different techniques such as UV-vis and IR optical spectroscopy, magnetism, crystallography, calorimetric analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance, etc. Hence, a practical experiment for laboratory classes dedicated to the topic of SCO focused on the thermal transition, that is, the transition triggered by temperature, results in a simple yet attractive way to understand not only fundamental concepts of inorganic and physical chemistry but also to get acquainted with the synthesis of nanoparticles and the characterization of inorganic solid samples.

The undergraduates in the major of Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering frequently ignored the importance of identifying pollution sources for water environment monitoring and knew little about the techniques of identifying pollution sources. Thus, a laboratory experiment which focused on pollution sources identification in a water body was designed to help students to solve these issues. In this laboratory exercise, students collected surface water samples from a pond, namely, Shui-Mu Tsinghua (SMTH), and evaluated its water quality through water quality parameters (WQPs). Afterward, the students scanned a fluorescence fingerprint (FF) of the SMTH water body by fluorescence spectrometer and determined the suspected pollution source through parallel factor analysis and Tucker congruence coefficient. Students' performance from post-lab quizzes and experimental reports implied that they understood the significance of identifying pollution sources for practical water environment monitoring. Some students presented great interest in the FF technique and proposed several suggestions to improve its ability to identify pollution sources.

In this communication, we describe five at-home laboratory experiments and demonstrations that complement a semester-long analytical chemistry curriculum. The experiments were successfully carried out by remote undergraduate students enrolled in a hybrid analytical chemistry course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students used their personal smartphones to perform the spectrophotometric analyses and all other materials needed to carry out the experiments were assembled in a homemade laboratory kit with a total cost of 265 USD (with the potential for additional cost savings). The experiments centered on the analysis of a single analyte, Allura Red food dye, and spanned quantitative analysis by absorption spectroscopy, reverse-phase liquid chromatography, fluorescence quenching, and Brownian motion. Students used external calibration and the method of standard additions to determine the concentration of Allura Red in maraschino cherry juice to be 140 ± 40 and 130 ± 40 ppm, respectively. Students' results were within the expected concentration range of 100-150 ppm. Qualitative spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses spurred robust discussion of the chemical principles underpinning the analytical techniques. Independent remote laboratory instruction was supported through weekly laboratory group meetings involving the remote students and course instructor. Group meetings enabled remote students to make connections with other students in the course, troubleshoot their data analysis in real-time with peer and instructor support, and reflect more deeply on their experimental work. Details about the kit contents, experimental results, best practices for implementation, and recommendations for future adaptation are described.

The NMR spectrometer is a commonly used spectroscopic instrument that records resonance frequencies of nuclei present in molecular systems. While the NMR frequencies fall within the radio frequency regime for a given molecular system, they are presented in terms of chemical shifts in the audio frequency regime, thereby having the versatility to be expressed as musical notes. Herein, we present a convenient methodology that enables conversion of NMR spectra into a collection of associated piano notes, and subsequently, a library of molecule-inspired tunes. In the classroom, this supplementary approach can be integrated to construct a more inclusive learning atmosphere for all.

Ion channel sensors have several applications including DNA sequencing, biothreat detection, and medical applications. Ion channel sensors mimic the selective transport mechanism of cell membranes and can detect a wide range of analytes at the molecule level. Analytes are sensed through changes in signal patterns. Papers in the literature have described different methods for ion channel signal analysis. In this paper, the authors describe a series of new graphical tools for ion channel signal analysis which can be used for research and education. The paper focuses on the utility of these tools in biosensor classes. Teaching signal processing and machine learning for ion channel sensors is challenging because of the multidisciplinary content and student backgrounds which include physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. The paper describes graphical ion channel analysis tools developed for an online simulation environment called J-DSP. The tools are integrated and assessed in a graduate bio-sensor course through computer laboratory exercises.

The attractive photophysical properties of luminescent nanoparticles have prompted numerous studies on their synthesis and biological applications. Due to the complexity of components, sizes, morphologies, and strong light scattering of the nanoparticles the absorption spectrum alone is not enough for characterising and analysing the real absorption band of a nanoparticle product. Instead, the excitation spectrum is necessary for this purpose. To address the importance of the excitation spectrum in the utilisation of the photophysical properties of nanoparticles for cellular imaging, we compared the absorption and excitation spectra of a small organic molecule (rhodamine 6G) and commercially available nanoparticles (semiconductor quantum dots). Rhodamine 6G shows a good superimposition between its absorption and excitation spectra. However, the quantum dots do not, due to the presence of impurities and the polydispersity in nanoparticle size and shape. We demonstrated, by either spectrometer or cellular imaging, that excitation of the quantum dots at the maximum absorption peak will not result in the highest emission intensity. Instead, the best excitation wavelength for the nanoparticles can be revealed by the excitation spectrum. This has usually been overlooked by chemists and biologists.

This is the first study to investigate the effects of test methods (while-listening performance and post-listening performance) and gender on measured listening ability and brain activation under test conditions. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to examine three brain regions associated with listening comprehension: the inferior frontal gyrus and posterior middle temporal gyrus, which subserve bottom-up processing in comprehension, and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which mediates top-down processing. A Rasch model reliability analysis showed that listeners were homogeneous in their listening ability. Additionally, there were no significant differences in test scores across test methods and genders. The fNIRS data, however, revealed significantly different activation of the investigated brain regions across test methods, genders, and listening abilities. Together, these findings indicated that the listening test was not sensitive to differences in the neurocognitive processes underlying listening comprehension under test conditions. The implications of these findings for assessing listening and suggestions for future research are discussed.

A within-subjects experimental design examined differences in functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) assessment of prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation with two virtual reality (VR) drawing conditions (rote tracing and creative self-expression) with and without a fragrance stimulus. Participants were healthy adults and included 18 women, 6 men: age range = 18-54 years. Findings indicate significant differences such that rote tracing resulted in higher PFC activity than the creative self-expression task. Although there was no significant impact of fragrance on the overall sample, emergent differences in responsiveness to fragrance were seen by age and gender. The study suggests that repetitive tasks like rote tracing can enhance focus and the creative self-expressive tasks can reduce PFC load and induce relaxation and flow.

Evidence from fMRI research indicates that individual creative thinking ability -- defined as performance on divergent thinking tasks, subjectively assessed by human raters -- can be predicted based on the strength of functional connectivity (FC) between the brain's default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal control network (FPCN). Here, we sought to replicate and extend these findings in two ways: (1) using a natural language processing method to objectively quantify creative performance (instead of subjective human ratings), and (2) employing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a neuroimaging method that allows measuring brain activity in more naturalistic settings (compared to fMRI). By applying elastic-net regression to resting-state functional connectivity data, we constructed two separate prediction models to predict participants' creative performance based on static FC and dynamic FC respectively. Results from the static network analysis indicated that fNIRS-functional connectivity between the DMN and FPCN can reliably predict creative ability (assessed objectively via natural language processing; R[superscript 2] = 0.38). Moreover, we show that dynamic DMN-FPCN functional connectivity predicts creative ability nearly twice as strong as static connectivity (R[superscript 2] = 0.67). Our work demonstrates that objective measures of creativity can be predicted from resting-state functional connectivity and that the procedure can be efficiently implemented within highly naturalistic settings with fNIRS.

The aim of this study was to investigate how test methods affect listening test takers' performance and cognitive load. Test methods were defined and operationalized as while-listening performance (WLP) and post-listening performance (PLP) formats. To achieve the goal of the study, we examined test takers' (N = 80) brain activity patterns (measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)), gaze behaviors (measured by eye-tracking), and listening performance (measured by test scores) across the two test methods. We found that the test takers displayed lower activity levels across brain regions supporting comprehension during the WLP tests relative to the PLP tests. Additionally, the gaze behavioral patterns exhibited during the WLP tests suggested that the test takers adopted keyword matching and "shallow listening." Together, the neuroimaging and gaze behavioral data indicated that the WLP tests imposed a lower cognitive load on the test takers than the PLP tests. However, the test takers performed better with higher test scores for one of two WLP tests compared with the PLP tests. By incorporating eye-tracking and neuroimaging in this exploration, this study has advanced the current knowledge on cognitive load and the impact imposed by different listening test methods. To advance our knowledge of test validity, other researchers could adopt our research protocol and focus on extending the test method framework used in this study.

In an upper-division interdisciplinary laboratory experiment, students use Raman spectroscopy to highlight how the overall structure and conformational order of lipid bilayers can be influenced by their individual phospholipid composition. Students prepare a supported lipid bilayer, as a model cell membrane, by spreading liposomes made of various phospholipids on a solid support. The characterization of phospholipid bilayers, a major component of cellular membranes, can advance our fundamental understanding of important biological phenomena, with significant implications in various fields including drug delivery and development. We use Raman spectroscopy as an analytical tool to investigate the structural and packing properties of model cell membranes. The spectral frequency, intensity, and line-width of lipid Raman bands are extremely sensitive to structural alterations. This experimental module effectively exposes students to the fundamentals of Raman spectroscopy and teaches students the importance of interdisciplinary education as they integrate concepts from chemical structure, molecular interactions, and analytical spectroscopic techniques to gain a more holistic understanding of biological membrane properties.