Digital Commons Network^™

A Shattered World: Jews And Israel After October 7, Michael Berenbaum, Gilbert N. Kahn

The Jewish Role in American Life: An Annual Review

October 7, 2023, was a watershed event in contemporary Jewish history. What took place on that date challenged the two most basic assumptions of post-Holocaust Jewish life: that the future security of the Jewish people would be assured by an independent Jewish state backed by an army, and that the freedom for Jews in the Diaspora to live as Jews would be secured by democratic rights and liberties. The pogroms of October 7 and the worldwide explosion of antisemitism that followed—even preceding Israel taking military action against Hamas—challenged both assumptions. The Israel Defense Forces could not prevent a slaughter from …

Consumer Lessons From A Pandemic, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

What did we learn about consumer behavior when the world was turned upside down due to COVID-19? Consumer Lessons From a Pandemic examines how a global crisis exposed and reshaped the values, priorities, and decision-making patterns of everyday people. From disrupted routines to supply-chain shocks, this volume explores the consumer behaviors that emerged in response to extreme uncertainty and how those behaviors continue to evolve. Topics include pandemic-induced grocery spending shifts, the importance of consumer trust, lessons from the infant-formula shortage, and the rise of remote work both as a preference and a negotiation point.

Fundamental Hydraulics Principles For Agricultural Systems Management And Technology, Robert M. Stwalley Iii, Roger Tormoehlen

Purdue University Press Books

Hydraulic systems have spread throughout modern technology, particularly in mobile equipment. The exercises presented in Fundamental Hydraulic Principles for Agricultural Systems Management and Technology are designed for the second-generation Parker Hydraulic Trainer to provide a basic understanding of hydraulic components and systems for technology and engineering students. Readers will learn how hydraulic pumps function, how linear actuators and their control circuits work, and how hydraulic motors operate and are controlled. Readers are also provided with the opportunity to attempt more advanced exercises. Aligned with beginning technology-based experiential hydraulics courses, this book emphasizes familiarity with common hydraulic components and circuit diagrams, …

Building Your Epic Life: Your Journey, Your Way, Your Masterpiece, Luciano Castillo

Purdue University Press Books

Building Your Epic Life empowers young people to understand that failure is an inevitable—and essential—part of the journey to success. The author shares his own challenges and struggles, showing that no path to success is linear and without setbacks. The book teaches the value of building a healthy body, mind, and spirit, and includes exercises that offer actionable plans for individuals to realize a meaningful, self-defined life based on their core values. A proven roadmap workbook and short lectures guide readers through a series of practical steps to discover their purpose, vision, and understand the value of mentorship—and why each …

Decisions That Shape Supply Chains, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

What drives consumer decisions, and how do those decisions ripple through our food and agricultural systems? In Decisions That Shape Supply Chains, readers are invited to look beyond conventional models of behavior and explore the complex, sometimes counterintuitive factors influencing real-world consumer choices. Drawing on behavioral science and applied research, this volume examines how decisions made in grocery aisles, drive-through lines, and online shopping carts ultimately inform what gets planted, processed, packaged, and promoted across the food-supply chain. From attitudes toward GMO foods to parenting as a form of consumerism and emotional decision-making under stress to the environmental tradeoffs consumers …

Markets We Thought We Knew, Nicole J. Olynk Widmar, Michael L. Smith, Erin Robinson

Purdue University Press Books

Markets We Thought We Knew explores the evolving nature of markets and how they shape—and are shaped by—consumer behavior. From essential life necessities such as water to everyday commodities and products including locally sourced foods, this book covers a variety of topics and invites readers to examine a diverse range of markets through a reflective lens. By revisiting past market dynamics and real-world examples, readers are encouraged to rethink how preferences are formed, how opinions shift over time, and how value is assigned—sometimes in unexpected ways. What insights might you gather from a deeper understanding of local and global markets, …

150 Years Of Purdue Engineering: Celebrating Our Consequential Impact On The World, Arvind Raman, Jim Small

Purdue University Press Books

Since its founding 150 years ago, Purdue University’s College of Engineering has profoundly shaped and improved the world, amassing breakthroughs spanning nearly all facets of society. Highlighting the indomitable spirit, ingenuity, and achievements of more than 100 Boilermaker alumni and faculty members, 150 Years of Purdue Engineering describes the program’s journey to become one of the most consequential engineering colleges in the United States. Richly illustrated with archival and contemporary images, this book includes stories that focus on Purdue innovators who have created everything from the barcode and the electronic TV receiver to the soft-serve ice cream machine and artificial …

Soil And Water Education For Grades 3-12, Natalie J. Carroll, Christian Y. Oseto, Timothy J. Gibb

Purdue University Press Books

Soil and Water Education for Grades 3–12 was written for youth who enjoy learning about science and two critical natural resources: soil and water. Level 1 introduces basic terms and concepts, and is intended for youth in grades 3–5. Activities focus on understanding important soil and water processes. Designed for students in grades 6–8, Level 2 offers readers more concrete examples of advanced soil and water concepts. The exercises in Level 3, which is geared toward grades 9–12, are divided into sections based on how readers might use the information they have learned, placing them in the shoes of homeowners, …

Laozi’S "Daodejing": A New Translation With Environmentalist Commentary, Steve Hallett

Purdue University Press Books

Laozi’s “Daodejing”: A New Translation With Environmentalist Commentary offers a new translation and fresh interpretation of the eighty-one-verse Daodejing, one of the central texts of Eastern philosophy. Likely written during the late Zhou Dynasty between 600–400 BCE, this foundational work is generally attributed to an individual named Laozi, although it is unlikely that any such person actually existed. Here, author Steve Hallett employs contemporary poetic form when translating the document’s approximately 5,000 Chinese characters and provides short analytical essays that illuminate the verses with a specific focus on the teachings they offer about social and environmental sustainability. His examination of …

Associations Between County-Level E-Cigarette-Inclusive Tobacco 21 Law Population Coverage And E-Cigarette Use Behaviors Among United States Adolescents In Monitoring The Future, James H. Buszkiewicz, Catherine A. Vander Woude, Yanmei Xie, Steven Cook, Bukola Usidame, Megan E. Patrick, Michael R. Elliott, James F. Thrasher, Nancy L. Fleischer

Department of Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Background and aims

In the United States (US), Tobacco 21 (T21) laws set the minimum legal sale age for all tobacco products to 21 years. This study aimed to examine whether e-cigarette-inclusive T21 laws were associated with e-cigarette use behaviors and related disparities among US adolescents.

Design

We used nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional Monitoring the Future data to compare self-reported current e-cigarette use (2014–2022) and first e-cigarette initiation (2015–2022) among adolescents in counties with 100% ('full') versus < 100% ('partial or no') e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage using modified Poisson regression, examining differences by sex, race and ethnicity, parental educational attainment and college educational expectations through interactions.

Setting

United States.

Participants

8th, 10th and 12th graders.

Measurements

County-level e-cigarette-inclusive T21 law population coverage was determined using Tobacco 21 Population Coverage …

Best Practices: Lean Thinking For Corn And Soybean Farmers, Tomas Gutierrez, Henry Quesada

Purdue Extension Numbered Publications

This article presents a practical introduction to lean thinking for corn and soybean farmers. Lean is a proven management approach that helps reduce waste, organize workspaces and improve the use of time, tools, and materials. Although it began in manufacturing, lean has been successfully adapted to agriculture through simple, low-cost tools that focus on improving everyday tasks.

The guide explains six key lean tools — 5S, Kanban, Visual Controls, TPM, Standardization, and Kaizen — with real farm examples and step-by-step recommendations. It also offers advice on how to get started, involve workers and measure improvements using basic indicators.

Lean thinking …

Hardening The Economical Acquisition Of Intersection Data To Improve System Integrity, Anuska Das, Walt Fehr, Andrew Balmos, Mark Goodfriend, Yaguang Zhang, Richard O. Ajagu, James V. Krogmeier, Samuel Labi

Center for Connected and Automated Transportation

Modern traffic management systems increasingly depend on real-time Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) data generated by Traffic Signal Controllers (TSCs) to support safety, mobility, and emerging connected-vehicle applications. The applications of SPaT outputs require timely and reliable access to such data from the traffic signal controllers. However, these controllers are safety-critical infrastructure and exposing them to external networks introduces significant cybersecurity and operational risks. Thus, there is a need for mechanisms that provide secure, low-latency access to SPaT data without compromising controller integrity. The information flow methods that are used traditionally for connected and automated vehicle (CAV) environments have several …

Farm Efficiency And Precision Agriculture Technology, Chad Fiechter, Brady Brewer, Jennifer Ifft, Michael Boehlje

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Precision agriculture technology (PAT) is often viewed as a potential driver of future efficiency gains in farming. Using within-farm variation from an unbalanced panel of Kansas farms, this study examines the impact of PAT bundles on efficiency in generating gross revenue. On average, we find little evidence that these technologies improve efficiency. However, among less efficient farms, several bundles are linked to notable efficiency gains, underscoring the importance of accounting for farm heterogeneity.

Book Review Of Go West! A Memoir For My Sons: Our Family Journey And Khmer Rouge Life Experiences, Lalinne Suon Bell

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

I came to Go West! A Memoir for My Sons not as a detached reader but as someone who holds Cambodia within me. Like Sideth D. Niev, I am a survivor of the Khmer Rouge, a child who grew up in exile and a mother now raising children in Minnesota, the same state where Niev rebuilt his life. Reading his memoir is like walking through a mirror: his words reflecting the past my family endured, my life reflecting the future his sons now inhabit. Both of us live in the long aftermath of genocide, where silence is both a burden …

Diffog: Differentiable Policy Trajectory Optimization With Generalizability, Zhengtong Xu, Zichen Miao, Qiang Qiu, Zhe Zhang, Yu She

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Imitation-learning-based visuomotor policies excel at manipulation tasks but often produce suboptimal action trajectories compared to model-based methods. Directly mapping camera data to actions via neural networks can result in jerky motions and difficulties in meeting critical constraints, compromising safety and robustness in real-world deployment. For tasks that require high robustness or strict adherence to constraints, ensuring trajectory quality is crucial. However, the lack of interpretability in neural networks makes it challenging to generate constraint-compliant actions in a controlled manner. This article introduces differentiable policy trajectory optimization with generalizability (DiffOG), a learning-based trajectory optimization framework designed to enhance visuomotor policies. By …

Steel Joist And Joist Girder Design, Paul Mugleston, Gerald Mckenzie

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

This course starts with the basics of steel joist design, terminology, SJI (Steel Joist Institute) load tables, and special loading conditions, but then will take a closer look at many details on the construction of a joist that you probably haven’t seen before. You will learn what the extra clips and bars are attached to joists and what their purposes are. This will be a picture rich presentation.

30 Tips, Tricks, And Ways To Use Your New Intern Called Ai, Dave Thurston

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

A way to use Artifical intelligence in meaningful ways. The presentation will show a variety of different ways to “simply” use AI to get your first draft 80% there, to treat as a sounding board, and to look for patterns and “unnoticable items” in data, text, and designs.

Guardrail Design And Placement 101, Katherine Smutzer

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

Not all “guardrail” is created equal. Within the last 10 years INDOT has adopted the MASH-compliant Midwest Guardrail System (MGS). While similar to the previous standard w-beam guardrail, there are nuances that aren’t well understood by designers. The presentation would reinforce the fundamentals of guardrail as a safety barrier, explain the function of various components of a guardrail system, and review important design considerations.

From Mapping To Mitigation: New Geologic Mapping And Emergency Slope Failure Response Along Sr 56 In Madison, Indiana, Victoria Leffel, Joey Franzino

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

This presentation will highlight recent geologic mapping efforts done by the Indiana Geological and Water Survey, including detailed bedrock mapping at a finer scale than previously available and updated landslide inventory mapping focused on southeastern Indiana. The second part of the presentation will cover the emergency response to a significant slope failure that occurred along SR 56 in Madison following heavy rainfall in March and April 2025. The reactivation of a known landslide led to a major road failure, creating a public safety hazard and forcing the closure of this heavily traveled route. Due to the critical nature of the …

Cybersecurity Risks Of Freight Rail As Critical Infrastructure, Kira Sun

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Our project implements simulated train engineers to operate model train engines on a hybrid twin of a freight rail system. We can then use the model and simulate cyber-security attacks to demonstrate the risks and effects of the attacks. Using existing model train hardware and an Arduino running open-source software, DCC-EX and JMRI, we can control the train engines and various track components and sensors. We program each engine to make safe decisions about what speed and direction to take, using information provided by the various sensors and light signals around the track. When attacks occur, the engines can have …

Turfgrass Weed Control For Professionals, 2024, Aaron J. Patton, Matthew T. Elmore

Purdue University Press Books

Turfgrass is used on everything from athletic fields, golf courses, and parks, to lawns, sod farms, and roadsides. Unfortunately, information on weed management for professionals maintaining these areas has often been inaccurate or out of date, and applicators are frequently unaware of the most effective methods for controlling weeds in turf. Written by experts in the field and featuring insights from contributors from sixteen states across the US, the 2024 edition of Turfgrass Weed Control for Professionals was developed to provide science-based information for those working in the field. It contains information about turfgrass management, weed biology and management, more …

Semiconductors & Microelectronics In Middle School Technology & Engineering: Integrating Emerging Stem Workforce Contexts Into The Classroom, Greg J. Strimel, Deana Lucas, Yubin Lee, Victoria Constantine, Tamara J. Moore, Morgan Hynes, Selcen Guzey

School of Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

This case study explores the integration of microelectronics contexts and content into middle school classrooms as part of a workforce development initiative intended to address national labor force needs arising from increased investments in the semiconductor industry. The study follows four middle school technology and engineering teachers as they develop, implement, and refine an instructional unit designed to introduce students to microelectronics production and semiconductor-related careers. Through classroom observations and iterative curriculum development, this exploratory case study reviewed how emerging STEM workforce contexts, such as semiconductors and microelectronics, can be integrated into middle school instruction. The results provide a practical …

Birck Nanotechnology Center Technical Overview, Purdue University Office Of Research, Ron Reger

University General Facility Boilerplate Descriptions

Overview of the Birck Nanotechnology Center infrastructure including the Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory and a suite of specialized laboratory facilities.

Tacscope: A Miniaturized Vision-Based Tactile Sensor For Surgical Applications, Md Rakibul Islam Prince, Sheeraz Athar, Pokuang Zhou, Yu She

School of Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

The lack of tactile feedback in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RMIS) limits surgeons’ ability to palpate tissues, a critical technique for locating abnormalities such as tumors. To address this challenge, we introduce TacScope, a novel, vision-based tactile sensor leveraging the magnification properties of a spherical-surface elastomer to provide tactile feedback for advanced clinical applications. TacScope features a robust, low-cost, and easyly fabricate design, enabling seamless integration into surgical robotic setups. It reconstructs high-resolution 3D geometry from variations in particle-density distribution across its elastomer surface, requiring only a single image for calibration. The curved elastomer membrane alters particle-density distribution under …

Mortal Writing: Toward Braver Concepts Of “Better Writers,” Peerness, And Nationality, Enrique Paz, Annalee Roustio

The Writing Center Journal

Reflecting on experiences with two Afghan students writing in response to events following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, this essay challenges traditional writing center practices in response to the evolving and urgent writing needs of diverse (international) student populations. Focusing on the intersectional identities of student writers and the geopolitical realities they face, we develop further the call to transform writing centers into “brave spaces.” Deploying this framework of bravery, we call for a reevaluation of the concept of “better writers,” of empathy constructed primarily through peerness, and of the current conceptualization of nationality in writing center scholarship. …

“I Just Need Another Set Of Eyes”: Understanding Students’ Idea Of The Writing Center, Isabelle M. Lundin, Neal Lerner

The Writing Center Journal

In this article, we describe writing center clients’ “idea” of the writing center based on interviews with 26 writing center users and qualitative coding of interview transcripts. Participants’ constructs of the writing center provide a lens to better understand how they perceive writing as an activity, the “writing culture” of the institution, the role of the writing center in their writing processes, and, ultimately, if they see writing centers in the way we would expect them to. The tensions we derived from our data are (1) between who and what tutors are and offer: discipline-specific expertise (including the disciplines of …

Durability Assessment Of Low-Carbon Concrete Using Electrical Resistivity And Derived Transport Parameters, Elo Merit Imitini, Benny Suryanto, Bhaskar Sen Gupta

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

Effective assessment of reinforced concrete durability necessitates monitoring of concrete performance using straightforward yet robust technique over an extended period of time. This study investigates six low-carbon concrete mixes incorporating up to 70% Portland cement replacement using binary and ternary combinations of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), fly ash (FA), and limestone powder (LP). Electrical resistivity measurements were undertaken over a 360-day period and used to derive formation factors and instantaneous diffusion coefficients, offering insight into the evolving pore structure and ionic transport. The results showed that all mixes exhibited a progressive increase in resistivity, indicative of continued hydration …

Assessment Of Ggbs-Blended-Concrete Durability With Modified Water Permeability Method, Soumyaranjan Panda, Supratic Gupta, Saubhagya Kumar Panigrahi

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The construction industry is increasingly embracing sustainable materials to mitigate environmental concerns and reduce the carbon footprint of conventional practices. Concrete, a vital material in modern infrastructure, is valued for its versatility and durability. However, Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), the primary binder in conventional concrete, presents significant environmental challenges, including high carbon dioxide emissions and substantial energy consumption. With an annual growth rate of 2.5%, cement production exacerbates these issues, necessitating sustainable alternatives. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), a byproduct of the iron industry, is a promising supplementary material. Its use reduces cement consumption, enhances sustainability, and promotes eco-friendly construction …

Relationship Between Water Contents And Electrical Conductivity In Concrete, Ki-Tae Park, Jaehwan Kim, Dong-Woo Seo, Sangki Park

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

This study investigates the relationship between moisture absorption and electrical conductivity in concrete, aiming to evaluate the feasibility of using electrical impedance as a non-destructive indicator of moisture transport behaviour. Concrete specimens with varying water-to-cement (w/c) ratios were prepared and conditioned for 150 days under controlled air-drying conditions. Moisture absorption tests were conducted in accordance with ASTM C1585-20, and both weight change and impedance were measured over time. Impedance data were collected across a wide frequency range (10 Hz to 1 MHz) using a two-point measurement configuration, and direct current (DC) electrical conductivity was derived through nonlinear regression analysis based …

Life Cycle Assessment Of Semi-Submerged Offshore Wind Turbines’ Foundation Materials: Concrete Versus Steel, Isabel C L Castellanos, Andrew Whyte, Stephen M. Urquhart

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

The offshore wind-generation energy sector in Australia has been growing steadily in lieu of non-renewable energy sources, towards addressing national calls for greenhouse gas emission reductions. However, the industry in Australia is still somewhat fledgling, hence localised studies on environmental impact are scarce. In this context, the work here analyses greenhouse gas emissions by comparing like-for-like steel versus concrete materials as the main components in the foundation element of an offshore wind turbine throughout its lifecycle, using an adapted Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. This paper details a cradle-to-cradle LCA of the two alternative specifications for semi-submerged foundations supporting a …