Digital Commons Network^™

Hardware-In-The-Loop And Digital Twin Enabled Autonomous Robotics-Assisted Environment Inspection, Johnny Li, Bo Shang, Iresh Jayawardana, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Empowered by the advanced 3D sensing, computer vision and AI algorithm, autonomous robotics provide an unprecedented possibility for close-up infrastructure environment inspection in an efficient and reliable fashion. Deep neural network (DNN) learning algorithms, pretrained on the large database can empower real-time object detection as well as fully autonomous, safe robotic navigation in unstructured environments while avoiding the potential obstacle. However, the development and deployment of the robots, inspection planning and operation procedures are still tedious and segmented with tremendous manual intervention during environmental inspection and anomaly monitoring. The proposed digital twin approach is able to provide a virtual representation …

Editorial: Ultra-High Performance Concrete: Computation And Simulation Methods, Xinpeng Wang, Yitong Ma, Dongshuai Hou, Hongyan Ma, Yue Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Vehicle Speed And Weight On Raveling Of Chip Seal Constructed Using Mineral And Tire Derived Aggregate, Alireza Pourhassan, Ahmed A. Gheni, Mohamed Elgawady

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The characteristics of the load applied by traffic, namely, vehicle speed and load magnitude, play a critical role in the raveling performance of chip seal pavement, which is often overlooked in literature. Furthermore, a sustainable chip seal constructed out of tire derived aggregate (TDA) has been recently introduced. Unlike mineral aggregate, rubber is a time-dependent material, and its properties are greatly influenced by the magnitude and rate of loading. Introducing TDA in chip seal has increased the significance and need to investigate the effects of vehicle speed and load on chip seal. This study investigated the raveling performance of different …

Teaching Agroecology: Preparing Students For Navigating Uncharted Territory, Charles A. Francis, Steve Gliessman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Agroecologists understand that farming and food systems are more complex than the aggregation of their components. This realization drives our choices of learning strategies and activities that will prepare students for complexity and uncertainty. Our quest for a just, sustainable, and nutritious food system adequate to equitably serve everyone on the planet today and into the future is an enormous challenge. An undertaking of this magnitude will be met only with major adjustments informed by thoughtful teaching and practicing problem solving skills through a new educational lens. The principles of agroecology help us focus this lens on the wicked problems …

Nucleotide Detection Mechanism And Comparison Based On Low-Dimensional Materials: A Review, M. Mustafa Azeem, Muhammad Shafa, Muhammad Aamir, Muhammad Zubair, Basma Souayeh, Mir Waqas Alam

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The recent pandemic has led to the fabrication of new nucleic acid sensors that can detect infinitesimal limits immediately and effectively. Therefore, various techniques have been demonstrated using low-dimensional materials that exhibit ultrahigh detection and accuracy. Numerous detection approaches have been reported, and new methods for impulse sensing are being explored. All ongoing research converges at one unique point, that is, an impetus: the enhanced limit of detection of sensors. There are several reviews on the detection of viruses and other proteins related to disease control point of care; however, to the best of our knowledge, none summarizes the various …

Measurement Of Volumetric Deformation, Strain Localization, And Shear Band Characterization During Triaxial Testing Using A Photogrammetry-Based Method, Sara Fayek, Xiong Zhang, Xiaolong Xia, Qingqing Fu, Jeffrey D. Cawlfield

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Triaxial Testing Has Been Routinely Used as a Standard Laboratory Test that Allows Correct Determination of Soil Characteristics. Previously the Volumetric Strain of the Triaxial Specimen Was Considered to Be Uniformly Distributed Along with the Specimen during the Isotropic and Deviatoric Loading. Although This Assumption Might Hold True under Isotropic Loading, the Effects of Restrained Ends and Disturbance during the Procedures of Specimen Installation and Testing Can Cause Nonuniform Strains throughout the Whole Specimen. This Paper Investigates the Effects of Specimen Preparation and Misalignment on the Strain Uniformity Along with the Soil Specimen during Triaxial Testing. a Series of Consolidated …

Efficient And Accurate Coded Target Decoding For 3d Reconstruction Of Soil Specimens In Triaxial Test, Xiaolong Xia, Xiong Zhang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coded Targets Have Been Widely Used for Solving the Corresponding Problem in Photogrammetry for High-Accuracy Three-Dimensional Measurements. Accurate and Efficient Recognition and Identification of Coded Targets Are of Great Importance in Coded Target-Based Photogrammetry. in This Paper, an Efficient and Accurate Method for Coded Target Decoding Was Developed. in This Method, Blob Analysis Was Performed to Recognize the Coded Targets. Then, Image Processing, the RANSAC Algorithm, and the Interpolation Technique Were Applied Respectively to Decode the Coded Targets, Identify Falsely Identified Coded Targets, and Recover Missing Coded Targets. Interpolation Was Also Performed on the Membrane, Which Can Significantly Increase the …

Getting To The Heart Of Leading As A Cognitive Coach, Kimberly Coupe Pavlock

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

While the expectations and challenges facing K–12 educational leaders are considerable and significantly increasing, the support they receive in training, leadership development, and ongoing support has been limited in range and relevance. Although Cognitive Coaching is not a leadership development program, per se, Cognitive Coaching is a model of coaching that has been highly regarded and frequently requested by administrators, teachers, consultants, and literacy coaches in K–12 education, and the components of this coaching model can serve as a basis for leadership development. Previous research about Cognitive Coaching has highlighted the benefits of Cognitive Coaching for students, teachers, administrators, and …

Accent Services: Considering The Perspectives Of Non-Native Speakers Of English For A Culturally Affirming Practice, Kristopher Kilgallon

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Accent “modification” is a type of service offered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) that is intended to, among other things, help speakers improve their intelligibility in a target second language. This area of practice has been, and continues to be, a controversial topic amongst scholars and practitioners. To explore and understand the perspectives of non-native speakers of English regarding their participation in accent services, the present study employed a qualitative research design using individual, semi-structured interviews. Ten adult non-native speakers of English (female: n = 7; male: n = 3), with ages between 28 and 47 years old (M = …

Towards Sustainable E-Learning Platforms In The Context Of Cybersecurity: A Tam-Driven Approach, Hebah Alquran

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The rapid growth of electronic learning (e-learning) platforms has raised concerns about cybersecurity risks. The vulnerability of university students to cyberattacks and privacy concerns within e-learning platforms presents a pressing issue. Students’ frequent and intense internet presence, coupled with their extensive computer usage, puts them at higher risk of being a potential victim of cyberattacks. This problem necessitates a deeper understanding in order to enhance cybersecurity measures and safeguard students’ privacy and intellectual property in educational environments. This dissertation work addresses the following research questions: (a) To what extent do cybersecurity perspectives affect student’s intention to use e-learning platforms? (b) …

Technology And Its Impact On Parental Involvement In K-12 Education, Kenyuano Jones

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact technology, specifically the Student Information System’s (SIS) parent portal has on parent involvement in K-12 education. Parents who participated in the study were asked questions in the fields of special education; social economic status; parent workshops; use of technology, including the parent portal; parent beliefs; parent–teacher relationships; and their involvement in schools. The data were collected from parents of K-12 students through a survey and was analyzed to determine if there were relationships between variables as well as to show two-way relationships and path analysis. Based on the findings, it …

Trends In Cigarette Smoking Among United States Adolescents, Maria C Mejia, Adedamola Adele, Robert S Levine, Charles H Hennekens, Panagiota Kitsantas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Cigarette smoking remains the leading avoidable cause of premature death in the United States, accounting for approximately 500,000, or 1 in 5, deaths annually. We explored trends in cigarette smoking among US adolescents.

Methods: We used data for adolescents in grades 9 through 12 from 1991 to 2021 from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We explored trends overall as well as by sex, race/ethnicity, and school grade.

Results: All cigarette use—assessed as ever, occasional, frequent, or daily—among adolescents declined markedly from 1991 to 2021. Specifically, ever use significantly decreased …

The Political Consequences Of Racialized Ethnic Identities, Kimberly Cardenas, Heather Silber Mohamed, Melissa R. Michelson

Political Science

Racial classifications are a social construct with no basis in biology; yet, race is an omnipresent and powerful factor in U.S. politics, shaping electoral boundaries, disbursement of resources, and political alliances (Omi and Winant 1994, Haney López 1994). Race, then, is a malleable construct wielded by varying interests, with racial definitions changing in response to social and political battles. Some new immigrant groups initially classified as not white have been reclassified as white over time, thereby benefitting from associated legal, economic, and sociopolitical privileges. More recently, however, some Latinos have sought recognition as a distinct non-white racial group, in acknowledgment …

Social Welfare Policy In Post-Transition Chile: Social Democratic Or Neoliberal?, Paul W. Posner

Political Science

Chile’s massive 2019 protests indicate a pronounced discrepancy between the country’s alleged establishment of social democracy and the public’s perception of pervasive inequity. To understand this discrepancy, this analysis evaluates the extent to which Chilean social welfare policy conforms to social democratic norms of promoting solidarity, equity, and universalism. Analysis of poverty reduction, pension, health care, and education policy demonstrates that Chile’s center-left governments succeeded in mitigating some of the more extreme elements of the social welfare policies inherited from the Pinochet regime. However, they failed to reverse their underlying logic, which reinforces stratification and inequity and undermines incentives for …

Transportation Curriculum With Culturally Responsive Teaching: Lessons Learned From Pre-Service Teachers And Future Transportation Workforce, Farah Naz, Troyee Saha, Kyung (Kate) Hyun

SAGE Open Access Agreement Publications-Archive

With K-12 students from diverse social and cultural backgrounds in the classroom today, it is crucial to develop a more inclusive and socially diverse curriculum, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. Transportation in particular is a topic that can relate to people's culture and can be a suitable medium to introduce diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. Culturally responsive teaching (CRT) is a technique that can help connect students' cultures, languages, and life experiences with their learning. Despite the known benefits of CRT, this strategy had not been adequately implemented in transportation education because of the limited …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The I Promise School, Katherine Haver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will research the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the I Promise School in Akron and the social emotional learning of the students who attend there. Data will be collected through a survey sent to I Promise School faculty and staff members. Questions asked will be about how online learning affected the teachers' connections with their students, how social emotional learning strategies where incorporated online, and what challenges are now being faced as students return to in person learning? The goal of this project is to learn about the effects of COVID-19 in the I Promise School, so …

An Exploration Into Public Art, Samantha Fazio

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project explores both the processes of designing and creating a mural and the community impact of public art. It aims to answer questions including: What goes into creating a mural? What is public art and why is it important? How does it socially and economically impact the community and its members? In doing this project, I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how to create a mural and of the greater cultural context that public art projects exist in.

The Effectiveness Of Treatments For Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Review Of Literature, Lauren Cummons

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Many studies examine the treatment options for epilepsy; however, there is a lack of reviews compiling and evaluating the current treatments for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). This project aims to explore the existing body of research studies completed on treating DRE, evaluate the effectiveness of each treatment option, and assess what areas of research need more attention for future studies. Six primary DRE treatments from current research were thoroughly examined for this review. The quality of each treatment was evaluated based on the number of patients who had seizure freedom, had a seizure reduction, had adverse events, and had changes in …

Benefits And Drawbacks Of Pre-Licensure Clinical Jobs In Undergraduate Nursing Students, Rachael Muhlenkamp, Rebecca Trzecki, Jason Grassie

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research study aims to identify the benefits and drawbacks of pre-licensure clinical jobs in undergraduate nursing students. Many nursing students are encouraged to have a job in clinical settings in order to gain more experience. Many undergraduate nursing students here at the University of Akron currently have jobs in the clinical setting and these are the student's who we plan to use as our sample for this study. This study will be completed by spring of 2023, before graduation.

Wireless Environmental Weather Monitor, Joel Christie-Millett, Nathan Schroeder, Sylvester Wilson, Matthew Szijarto

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this senior design/honors project is to create a device that monitors environmental conditions in order to detect a wildfire. This device should notify a user of the status of the environment. The device should also last for 6 months without any human interaction. My role on the team is to design the power supply system that maximizes efficiency and uses renewable energy.

Examining Contributing Factors To Poor Mental Health Among College Students: A Guide To Student Mental Health Resources, Kora Dutton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Among college students, poor mental health is an issue that continues to progress. In this literature review, contributing factors to mental health conditions of college students are examined. These factors include financial burden and living standards, violence, substance use, pandemics, and health crises. After the initial onset of a mental illness, the risk for other negative consequences increases. Students with mental illness are less likely to graduate, more likely to develop substance use disorder, and are at an increased risk for other mental health comorbidities and suicide. As poor mental health among college students persists, more accessibility to resources is …

Powering Electric Vehicles: Are We Ready?, Christian Yoder

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will investigate typical power grids and the impacts that electric vehicles have on them. Electric vehicles are rapidly growing in popularity and much of the world is promising to make the switch from combustion engines to EVs. Electric vehicles demand a large amount of electricity. With fast charging becoming available, it is worth asking if the current electrical infrastructure can handle the increase in demand. After talking to a source at FirstEnergy, it seems large electric companies are well aware of areas in need of adjustment and are moving accordingly.

Sustainability And Biomimicry, Tabitha Cooper

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Standardization of business management systems is a vital part of the economic climate, as it allows for fair play between all competitors and encourages growth. The International Organization of Standardization (ISO) independently provides hundreds of standards ranging through dozens of different fields, providing standards applying to topics from quality management to material composition. Not much is readily available on the topics of ISO 9001, which outlines quality management systems (QMS) ISO 14001, which details environmental management systems (EMS), and their relation to ISO 18457, which explains what composes a biomimetic material or product. A literature review was conducted to gather …

Standard Licensing Template For University Of Akron Startups, Drew Horton

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In order to facilitate fast, equitable, and effective sublicensing to University of Akron technology startups, spinoffs, and spinouts, an express license was developed. This expresses license was developed by benchmarking existing terms in order to determine market rates. Universities, venture capital firms, and nonprofits were interviewed in order to establish a set of best practice guidelines for the creation of the express license. These results were then tabulated and statistically analyzed in order to determine a series of startup friendly terms that support the University of Akron’s interests. A series of express licenses were then developed from this data. These …

A Nation On The Periphery Of History: A Discussion Of Poland-Lithuania During The Reformation, Dillon Piorkowski

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project hopes to establish several key points. One of which is that Poland is unfairly represented in Western historiography. Specifically, this means that in the English-speaking academic world, Poland is discussed disproportionately. Countries like Germany, France, and Britain have thousands of pages written about them discussing their roles during the Reformation. But Poland does not. This is evidenced by the many Western textbooks that misrepresent the nation. In turn, the project will use these various textbooks as evidence. The second point this project aims to cover is why Poland’s underappreciation is unfair. Simply demonstrating how Poland is underrepresented is …

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Speed On Fatal Accidents In Ohio, Megan Johnson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Through data collected by NHTSA and FARS, Ohio crash data resulting in fatalities were analyzed through four different breakdowns to determine variables correlating to the fatalities. The breakdowns include dividing data from overall Ohio data, reports involving speeding, then from there to single-vehicle crashes. That data was divided down to only include male drivers and then finally only motorcycles. This data was analyzed as it was broken down to find trends with each category. Through these analyses, the trends were developed to suggest recommendations to implement through education and laws to help reduce the number of crashes resulting in fatalities.

Discord Api Wrapper, Joshua Brown

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Discordwrap is a Python library that abstracts the Discord API so that developers can easily integrate their existing projects with Discord. This paper outlines Discordwrap's creation, from start to finish, including implementation as well as key design decisions, such as the decision to provide a functional library interface rather than an object-oriented one.

Analysis Of Plastic Pyrolysis Oil Separation Using Chemcad, Brian Berish, Juliana Mcgaffic

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Excessive plastic waste is a massive global issue. Plastic pyrolysis is a process of melting plastic in the absence of oxygen to create an wax-oil type substance called pyrolysis oil. This project will use a ChemCAD simulation to perform a distillation of a predetermined plastic pyrolysis oil into usable products. Heat integration will be used to construct a heat exchanger network and estimate utility usage. Sizing and costing of all equipment will be calculated and an overall cost analysis of the completed simulation will be performed to determine the economic viability of plant construction. Market research for potential products will …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Increased Water Treatment Plant Service Goals On Reducing Water Quality Risk, Briton Polen, Kendra Sanner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

To treat water to make it safe to drink, disinfection processes are used in water treatment plants. These disinfection processes produce disinfection byproducts (DBPs) through the reaction of organic matter and the disinfectant, such as chlorine. DBPs have been shown to pose a cancer risk to consumers. In this report, the focus is on two types of DBPs, trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). The cancer risks associated with DBPs are analyzed through ingestion and inhalation pathways. Ingestion and inhalation consist of common water uses like drinking, cooking, or bathing. In addition to this, DBPs have been shown to increase …

Neonatal Intraocular Injection And Delivery System, Nina Treacher, Cory Ramsey, Marie Kosco, Jackson Carrell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The proposed project is a way to deliver liquid medicine into the neonatal eye to prevent retinal detachment with lower risk for bacterial infection and drug misplacement. Currently, ophthalmologists use diabetic needles to introduce medication to the neonate eye. They estimate the injection location with hand-held calipers. This may allow the medicine to be misplaced from poor needle placement and introduce preventable error. The goal is to improve the delivery system ophthalmologists currently use by investigating ways to alter or enhance commonly used injection systems to make the procedure safer and more effective.