Digital Commons Network^™

What Can We Learn About Research Narratives From Professional Storytellers?, Kim Wilkins, Helen Marshall

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This short note on practice reflects on how “research narrative” is a much-used, but misunderstood term. Compelling stories about our research are important: for public-facing communications and for academic tenure confirmation and promotion. They are also important for researchers to gain a clearer sense of their own vision and values in the research process: they are not just a communication skill, they’re a career skill. But often researchers in STEM disciplines do not have the practical skills to write stories. We draw on our own practice as creative writers to share some simple and effective methods to bring arts expertise …

Visual Arts Enhance Instruction In Observation And Analysis Of Microscopic Forms In Developmental And Cell Biology, Max Ezin, Christina Noravian, Amira Mahomed, Adam Lyle, Aveleen Gill, Tamira Elul

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Two important skills for scientists in developmental and cell biology, as well as in fields such as neurobiology, histology and pathology, are: 1) observation of features and details in microscopic images of cells, and 2) quantification of cellular features observed in microscopic images. However, current training in developmental and cell biology does not emphasize observation and quantitative analysis of microscopic images, and it is unclear how best to teach students these skills. Here, we describe our experiences applying visual artistic approaches to instruct undergraduate and graduate students in how to observe and analyze cellular forms in microscopic images. At Loyola …

Ecopedagogy In The Fourth Grade Classroom: Reflections On Implementing A Multidisciplinary Steam Program, Argie Campbell, Gary Padgett

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This article is about teaching ecoliteracy/ecopedagogy in K-12 classrooms throughout North Alabama. Rather than present the information to students as a standalone science program, this research advocates for a cross curricular approach that grounds ecoliteracy in the social justice issues that necessary to teach about sustainability. This research employed a mixed method design as the current agriculture and biology curriculums were modified for cultural relevancy. The qualitative methods consisted of case studies and the quantitative methods consisted of analyzing the data collected utilizing the Connectedness to Nature scale, which was developed in 2004.

Music, Science And Expert Listening: Interdisciplinarity And Solo Percussion Performance, Georgina Hughes

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Contemporary culture is embracing the creative and pedagogical potential of interdisciplinary collaboration as a means of promoting the relevance of the arts in society. Dame Evelyn Glennie, the world’s first solo percussionist, is finding new ways to connect with the listener. Her motto, “to teach the world to listen” is intended to resonate both within and beyond her professional domain. Sounds of Science (2016), a collaborative project exploring mankind’s timeline of scientific innovation through music, visuals, narrative and live performance, offers an indicative example of how interdisciplinarity can serve to create art works which function as vibrant forums for learning …

Music In Steam: Beyond Notes, Hao Huang

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Given current debates about STEAM, it would be well to remember that more than five centuries before STEM was conceived, the original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, wrote in one of his notebooks that "To develop a complete mind, study the science of art, study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." (Spong 2006) A discussion of the effectiveness of teaching music and its accompanying technology in conjunction with math and the science education follows. .Given the recent shift from in-classroom teaching to online instruction compelled by the Covid 19 pandemic, an …

Designing Multi-Sensory Environments: A Powerful Tool For Steam Learning, Tonya D. Miller

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Architecture and design are natural facilitators of STEAM learning. This article discusses an interior architecture project requiring students to design a multi-sensory environment within an existing classroom space. The project uniquely addresses the STEAM disciplines and challenges students to explore creative problem-solving to develop unique designs.

Dual-Adaptive Camouflage For The Hyperstealth Corperation, Keith J. Carlock Mr.

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Dual-Adaptive Camouflage, though still a concept that I've had for 28 years, seems to me, more promising that the bulk and brain power and needed energy supply of a computer-driven network of optical electronic harnesses that would be the basis for any suit that proclaims to render its wearer invisible.

Picking Up Steam: The Role Of Languages And Linguistics, Keith Mason

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

Languages and linguistics are powerful skills that enhance STEAM curricula and careers. A variety of approaches and methods to language teaching and learning inform educators how to proceed with the enhancement of STEAM programs. Linguistics, the science of language, can help STEAM students, especially within the science and mathematics components, because of its reliance on hypothesis formulation for scientific inquiry and data collection and analysis. Language, an important aspect of the human experience, elevates or picks up the STEAM experience.

Jack Of All Trades, Master Of Scifi, Scott Coon

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

This is a reflection on skills and science fiction

The Assessments Of Internet-Based Technology Use By University Academic Members, Mohammed Alghamdi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Social networking applications (SNAs), as technologies that rely on internet infrastructure, are widely used as platforms for user interaction, content creation and social communication. However, in recent years, SNAs have been used in the context of teaching and learning, and this aspect, as well as others, has attracted research attention. Limited research has investigated the motivations and barriers to teaching with SNAs in higher education, and so this study sought to examine the purposes, motivations and barriers associated with SNA use in education among academic members at Albaha University, Saudi Arabia. A quantitative research design involving a sample of academic …

Control Of Mr Damper Using Anfis And Pid Controller For Optimum Vehicle Ride Comfort, Mohammad Faisal Yakhni, Mohamad Ali, Mohamed El-Gohary

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Suspension system design is an important challenging duty that facing car manufacturers, so the challenge has become to design the best system in terms of providing ride comfort and handling ability under all driving situations. The goal of this paper is to provide assistance in enhancing the effectiveness of the suspension system. A full car model with eight Degrees Of Freedom (DOF) was developed using MATLAB/Simulink. Validation of the Simulink model was obtained. The model was assumed to travel over a speed hump that has a half sine wave shape and amplitude that changing from 0.01 to 0.2 m. The …

Antibacterial Effect And Phytochemical Analysis Of The Shoot System Of Rubus Canescens Dc. Growing In Lebanon, Omar Assafiri, Hiba Abdallah, Mohammed El-Dakdouki

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The misuse of antibiotics followed by improved fitness of resistant strains of infectious microorganisms hindered the efficacy of many known antimicrobial agents, and fueled research for the discovery of novel remedies. The current study aims at assessing the antimicrobial activity and understanding the mechanism of action of Rubus canescens DC. growing wild in Lebanon, as well as qualitatively determining its phytochemical profile. The antibacterial activity, MIC, and MBC of the extracts were evaluated by two-fold dilution. Time-kill curves were plotted to assess the bactericidal activity of the R. canescens DC. extracts against the growth of microorganisms, and TEM images were …

Waterpipe: A Global Alarming Problem, Tarek Houri, Bilal Osta, Sara Mobayed, Rayan Farha, Mazher Issa

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Waterpipe popularity has increased significantly in the recent decades to become the major cause of death worldwide. This practice, which is also known as hookah, shisha and Narghile that is based on tobacco burning, increases the percentage of tobacco smokers especially among young people, due to several factors such as the attracting effect of sweetened tobacco, the marketing role and the social acceptance of waterpipe. A literature review was constructed using "Pub med" as a searching tool to confirm by studies the differences in adverse effects between waterpipe and cigarette by analyzing the toxicant’s levels generated from them, evaluating the …

Moringa Oleifera Leaves Aqueous Extract Induce Apoptosis In Ht29 Cell Line, Farah Reda, Jamila Borjac, Julnar Usta

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Moringa oleifera (MO) tree has been recognized for the nutritional and medicinal values, attributing anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, and antidiabetic activities of the alcoholic and/or water extracts to its various parts. Recent research has focused on therapeutic anti-cancerous effects of the water extract of MO leaves (MOE), commonly consumed as hot beverage. In-vitro cytotoxicity on esophageal, lung, and breast cancer cells were reported by MOE. The aim in this study is to investigate the anti-cancerous potential of MOE on the colon carcinoma HT29 cells. MO water extract (MOE) was prepared at concentrations (0.1%-0.5%). MOE anti-proliferative effect on HT29-cells was assessed by measuring …

Photoluminescence Spectroscopic Studies Of Mn2o3/Co3o4-Glucose/Lactose Complexes, Alaa Abdallah, Jamalat Al Boukhari, Rana Najjar

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

As nanoparticles serve as mediators in the electron transfer between biomolecules and a biosensor’s electrode surface, this study is dedicated to investigating Mn2O3 and Co3O4 nanoparticles and their photoluminescence effect that play a critical role in sensing glucose and lactose. The chemical coprecipitation method was adopted for preparing the nanoparticles that were characterized by X-Ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscope, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray, UV-vis spectroscopy, and Vibrating Sample Magnetometry. It was found that the obtained Mn2O3 and Co3O4 nanoparticles were successfully prepared, with a crystallite size of 65.91 and 58.00 nm, respectively. The high specific surface area …

Activation Of Fly Ash To Stabilise Lead Contaminated Soils And Solutions, Mabrouk Hassan Arhoma

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The role of pH on removal of metal contaminated solution was investigated by adding gradually drops of NaOH to lead solutions, the increase of the pH was observed and concentration of lead solution was measured by using ICP. The activated \ pulverised fly ash (PFA) was used as stabilizing material. The leaching behaviour of lead was investigated using 5 grams of the soil thoroughly mixed with 0.1g of the stabilising material in a polypropylene container to which 50ml of either deionised water; the mixture was shaken on a flat bed shaker for 2h, and then filtered using a What man …

Corrosion Of Coated And Uncoated Steel Reinforcement In Concrete, Jana Abou Shakra, Rouba Joumblat, Jamal Khatib, Adel Elkordi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Corrosion of reinforcing steel is the one of the main causes of deterioration in reinforced concrete structure. During the initial stage of corrosion, the steel volume increases. This creates tensile stresses in the concrete, which can eventually lead to cracking, delamination, and spalling. This potential risk of corrosion in a structure is quite unpredictable. Therefore, this paper examines the influence of accelerated corrosion on the bond between concrete and the coated and uncoated steel bars. The bar coating consisted of epoxy rich in zinc. Six concrete mixes were prepared. Three mixes had cement contents of 300, 400 and 500 Kg/m3 …

Effect Of Using Cathode-Ray Tubes (Crt) Waste Glass On Concrete Properties, Jad Bawab, Jamal Khatib, Ali Jahami, Said Kenai, Adel Elkordi

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Cathode-ray tube (CRT) glass is a hazardous material that should be responsibly managed when disposed. One of the possible options for recycling CRT waste glass is using it as fine aggregates in concrete for its richness in silica. For the aim of evaluating concrete with this material, four mixes with replacement levels of 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% are prepared. Workability, hardened density, ultra-pulse velocity, compressive strength, tensile strength, and static modulus of elasticity were examined. Experimental results showed that the use of CRT improved properties of concrete at certain replacement levels. CRT glass improved the workability of concrete where …

Concrete Mix Design Using Simple Equations, Hakim Abdelgader, Ramadan Suleiman, Abdalla Adam, Jamal Khatib

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

The behaviour of concrete, whether fresh or hardened, depends basically on the behaviour of its components and the relationship between them, therefore, obtaining a concrete with certain properties depends fundamentally on the concrete mix design. Concrete mix design generally includes two main steps: 1-Selection of the main components suitable for the concrete (cement, aggregate, water, and additives); 2-Determination of more economical mix ratios to fulfil the workability, strength and efficiency requirements. Currently, there are many international methods locally approved for mix designs. They are all related to each other, they give relatively the same quantities of the mix components and …

Essential Control To Environmental Regulations For Oil And Gas Industry: Spotlight On Drilling Processes In Lebanon, Rami Harkouss

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

At present, environmental legislation bounds the drilling operators in drilling wastes removal. The rapid increasing sensitivity of drilling waste management forced many countries to develop environmental guidelines for their drilling operations. This research studies some sorts of waste produced during upstream petroleum activities, particularly while drilling. After that, many hazards and impacts on the environment are addressed, as well as their principal treatment techniques. This paper gives a modest and theoretical vision over the present environmental standard and waste management design, realized at a universal scale. Studies show that performance fluid management and total fluid management are highly recommended in …

Campus Collaboration At The University Of San Diego For Student Veterans, Jennifer Castro Garcia

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to help provide better resources for student veterans during their experience in higher education at the University of San Diego (USD). My research question was: how can I collaborate with campus partners in creating a central hub for the Military and Veterans Program at the University of San Diego. This was important because as a student veteran there are multiple obstacles to overcome while learning how to be integrated back into civilian life. I looked specifically at student veterans as they have particular characteristics that may differ from other military-connected students on campus, such …

Numerical Study To Evaluate The Performance Of Non-Uniform Stepped Spillway Using Ansys-Cfx, Shawnm M. Saleh, Sarhang M. Husain

Polytechnic Journal

The main features that attract hydraulic engineers for designing stepped spillways are their ability to lose a large portion of the flow energy and add or increase aeration to the flow naturally. Hence, smaller size stilling basin and no aeration device may require. This study aims to find the amount of energy dissipation rate and the location of inception point over non-uniform stepped spillway. The numerical 2D ANSYS-CFX code is applied to generate and run thirty-two models of different configurations using two different moderate slopes (1 V:2 H and 1 V:2.5 H) as most of the downstream slopes designed for …

Simulation Of Mosul Dam Break Using Finite Volume Method, Ayhan H. Saleem, Jowhar R. Mohammad

Polytechnic Journal

Mosul dam is an earth-fill embankment located north of Iraq on the Tigris River forming a reservoir with 11.11 km3 water storage capacity which is the largest dam in the country. The dam is built on a rock bed foundation, in which the dissolution process is dynamic in the zone where gypsum and anhydrite layers present. During the construction development seepage locations were found in the dam foundation and the grouting process is in progress until now to control this problem. Therefore, the possibility of the Mosul dam break is highlighted by previous studies. In this research, a FORTRAN code …

Geographic Information System For A Small Basin In Balakayety Watershade, Kurdistan Region Of Iraq, Jehan M. Fattah Sheikh Suleimany

Polytechnic Journal

Runoff coefficient is an index for losses in rainfall required in most hydrological models and water resources projects. Generally, in the Balakayety water shade in Kurdistan region of Iraq, no runoff data are available as almost basins are ungagged. The Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and available data for a small basin in Balakayety watershed within the Erbil governorate (Kurdistan Region of Iraq) were used to estimate the coefficient of potential runoff coefficient (PRC). The estimated PRC will be then used to calculate the depth of runoff. The Satellite Imagery (Landsat 7 ETM+) for 2015 was procured to create land …

Effects Of Dam Gate Geometry On Pressure Variation Aided By Map Presentation, Sheeraz M. Ameen, Thamir M. Ahmed

Polytechnic Journal

The dam vertical lift gate is one of the most important operational parts that regulate the high head water flow to power plants as well as satisfying the water needs for projects and areas downstream of the dam. Due to the high water levels in the dam reservoir, the gates are subjected to many hydrostatic and dynamic pressures that affect their performance and stability. Hence, it became necessary to study all parameters that may cause excessive pressures which may lead to reduce the gate performance efficiency or even cause failure. In the current study, the pressure distribution along the bottom …

Influences Of Polymer Modifiers On Porous Hot Asphalt Mixture Property And Durability, Mohammed Q. Ali, Ganjeen J. Khoshnaw

Polytechnic Journal

Fundamentally, sustainability and cost-effectiveness in infrastructure development have received widespread attention. Permeable pavement is such a concept that it is sustainable in the field of transportation and is being tested. Fully permeable pavement is a modern design method in which each layer is porous and can store water, avoiding the impact of stormwater on the pavement to avoid stormwater, skidding, floods, and water splash on the road and parking area which decrease safety rate. Porous asphalt (PA) is an asphalt mixture with a little or no fine aggregate. Due to open structures and advantages are used as a drainage layer …

Parcellation, It’S Importance In Speech, Features And Stylistic Units, Nasiba Kurbanova

Mental Enlightenment Scientific-Methodological Journal

This article is interpreted on the basis information of the parcellation, functions of parceled constructions, it’s importance in speech, features and stylistic units. It expresses such features that Parcellation is a syntactical stylistic device marked by graphic separation due to which a syntactical construction becomes formally independent. The independent form of parceled construction is conditioned by the function of creating certain emotional stylistic effect on the recipient. Additionally, such sentences enrich and make the meaning more understandable for readers. On that way, writer can use different forms of parcellation, such as: oxymoron, epiphora, anaphor, gradation, inversion, comparison, rhetorical question. All …

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - December 30, 2020, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the December 30, 2020 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents Include:

• Results from ovarian cancer study at MCI published in The Lancet Oncology

Theoretical Validity Of Problem Focused-Coping Skill Guideline To Develop Students’ Critical Thinking Skills, Nur Hidayah, Anis Tri Yuliana, Husni Hanafi

Jurnal Kajian Bimbingan dan Konseling

Critical thinking skills are central for students to become human resources with character. The process of developing thinking skills is currently done contextually within the implementation of learning materials, while critical thinking skills are also needed in everyday life situations. Developmental counselling services through the Problem Focused-Coping Skill (PFCS) strategy are an alternative to foster critical thinking skills through contextual situations in students’ daily lives. Anchored by a research and development model through preliminary studies, product development, and expert validation, the present study unraveled the theoretical validity of PFCS strategy to enhance students’ critical thinking skills. Participants involved were evaluators …

Effect Of Cultivation Parameters On Fermentation And Hydrogen Production In The Phylum, Mariamichela Lanzilli, Nunzia Esercizio, Marco Vastano, Zhaohui Xu, Genoveffa Nuzzo, Carmela Gallo, Emiliano Manzo, Angelo Fontana, Giuliana D'Ippolito

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The phylum is composed of a single class (), 4 orders (), 5 families (), and 13 genera. They have been isolated from extremely hot environments whose characteristics are reflected in the metabolic and phenotypic properties of the species. The metabolic versatility of members leads to a pool of high value-added products with application potentials in many industry fields. The low risk of contamination associated with their extreme culture conditions has made most species of the phylum attractive candidates in biotechnological processes. Almost all members of the phylum, especially those in the order , can produce bio-hydrogen from a variety …