Digital Commons Network^™

Sustmine: A Framework For Integrating Sustainable Development Dimensions Into Strategic Mine Planning, Hussam Altalhi, Kwame Awuah-Offei, Gabriel Nicolosi, Abdullah Al Moinee, Nasib Al Habib

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Strategic mine planning involves optimizing resource extraction to achieve economic, environmental, and social objectives. However, only a few frameworks offer a unified approach that simultaneously employs systematic indicator selection and weightless trade-off evaluation. This study addresses these issues by proposing a comprehensive framework for integrating sustainability into strategic mine planning, named SustMine. SustMine introduces two key advancements: (1) a rigorous, systematic, criteria-based process for selecting site-specific sustainable development indicators (SDIs), and (2) a weightless evaluation strategy that utilizes Pareto front analysis to construct composite indices. This allows decision-makers to identify non-dominated (optimally balanced) alternatives without relying on arbitrary or subjective …

A Systematic Review Of Psychosocial Interventions For Improving Well-Being In Retired Adults, Sakir Yilmaz, Mustafa Filiz

Adultspan Journal

The transition to retirement is a critical biopsychosocial stage that often brings challenges such as shifting roles and reduced income, which may lead to psychological distress. In this study, we systematically synthesized quantitative evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in enhancing well-being (increase in positive functioning) among retired adults. A comprehensive search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane was completed in October 2025. This was supplemented by Google Scholar and reference list screening, identifying 5,945 database records and 123 additional sources. After screening and eligibility assessment, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Across these studies, interventions produced …

Planetarity And Relation: Ecology As Method, Ashish Ghadiali

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The List of Works submitted comprises research through film, text, exhibition, performance and policy engagement, developed during a three-year period from 2021 to 2024 in the site-specific location of Southwest England. This multi-modal and interdisciplinary practice is framed in response to the question of how art and cultural strategy can, in the contexts of climate breakdown and global racial inequity, be conceived of as agency for environmental justice. In this integrative summary, I present a theoretical framework where ecology, in response to conditions of environmental crisis, is understood not only as a subject of inquiry but also as method. In …

Feminism, Domestic Abuse And The Singer-Songwriter, Kathryn Ferguson

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

This project explores how feminism and domestic abuse can be articulatedthrough songwriting. Research in music therapy, sociology and popular musicincreasingly speaks to the value of songwriting as a tool for personal andcommunity empowerment, but there is space to actively use songwriting toexplore feminist issues independently of the traditional commercial context ofpopular music. Existing feminist music has been deemed as at its mostsuccessful when it is linked clearly to social change in our communities(Greene, 2017, p.8). Modern popular feminist songwriting has been criticised fornot going far enough in deconstructing systemic patterns of patriarchy (Tong,2024, p.9). Considering this, engaging with academic research …

Job Satisfaction, Burnout, And Intent To Stay In Neonatal Nursing In England And Wales: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study, Kathy Chant, Yoko Nishimura, Aviva Petrie, Jos M. Latour, Nicola Booth, Kelly Crofts, Lisa Viola, Katie Gallagher

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Objective: To explore job satisfaction, burnout and intent to stay in neonatal nurses in England and Wales. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey study using the McCloskey Mueller Satisfaction Scale (MMSS) to explore job satisfaction, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) to explore burnout and the Nurse Retention Index (NRI) to measure intent to stay. All neonatal nurses working in England and Wales were eligible to take part. Data were collected between February and September 2024. Results: A total of 1590 neonatal nurses completed the survey. Job satisfaction was neutral. Moderate work burnout was reported, with statistically significant differences in mean score …

Review Of 'The Royal Musical Association: Creating Scholars, Advancing Research' By Leanne Langley, Nuria Bonet

School of Art, Design and Architecture

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Role Of Occupational Therapy Within Primary Care Services: A Scoping Review, Katie-Mai Davies, Alison Warren, Sam Wakley

School of Health Professions

Introduction:Occupational therapy is named a key profession within primary care, with growing demand due to an ageing population and increase of people living with long-term conditions. Despite this, occupational therapy within primary care remains an evolving, under researched area of practice. This scoping review explored the role of occupational therapy within primary care including the populations and interventions currently provided.Methods:The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews was followed with systematic searches conducted across CINAHL, PubMED and AMED databases with grey literature also sourced. The findings are presented in tabular format and analysed using descriptive statistics and frequency counts …

Elevated Temperature Flexure Behavior Of Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Zrb2–Zrsi2 Ultrahigh Temperature Ceramic Matrix Composites, Jacob Stacy, Aaron Ginsparg, Jason Lonergan, Jeremy Watts, Gregory Hilmas

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultrahigh temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) were fabricated from unidirectional prepreg tapes consisting of a matrix of ZrB₂ with 5, 10, and 15 vol.% ZrSi₂ additions and continuous polyacrylonitrile carbon fibers and were densified at 1600°C in a hot press. The relative matrix densities ranged from 88% to 93% with interlayer spacings of ∼72 µm and fiber volume fractions between 30% and 36%. Phenolic resin additions were utilized to react with ZrSi₂ acting as a transient sintering aid to form ZrC and SiC phases. Elastic moduli of the UHTCMCs decreased with increasing temperature during 4-pt flexure testing. …

Quantitative Grain Structure And Texture Analysis Of Hot-Pressed Zrb2 Via 3d Ebsd, Randi Swanson, Michael Chapman, Yue Zhou, Ashley Hilmas, Lisa Rueschhoff, Michael Uchic, William Fahrenholtz, Scott J. Mccormack

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding and controlling the grain structure of ZrB₂ is critical for optimizing its mechanical and thermal performance in high-temperature applications. Fully dense ZrB₂, densified by hot pressing at 2150˚C and 32 MPa, was analyzed in three dimensions using electron backscattered diffraction, electron and optical microscopy, and mechanical polishing serial sectioning. Grain size followed a gamma distribution, with extreme deviations observed only in the largest 0.1% of grains. Large grains exhibited plate-like morphologies, with the shortest-to-longest axis ratio converging to ∼0.4 as grain volume increased. This work revealed a crystallographically controlled growth mechanism orthogonal to [0001] that is …

Simulated Lunar Gravity Testing Of A Magnetic And Electrostatic System For Beneficiating Lunar Regolith, Blake A. Coffman, Gabriel Porter, Lindsay Manteufel, Mitchell Cottrell, Jeffrey D. Smith, David J. Bayless, William Shonberg, Frank D. Han, Fateme Rezaei, Kirby Runyon

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present the design and testing of a lunar regolith beneficiation device that utilizes magnetic and electrostatic separation methods to concentrate desired minerals by removing unwanted material, such as the mineral anorthite, from bulk lunar regolith. The beneficiated materials would have value for downstream in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes such as metal extraction, oxygen extraction, and metal oxide additive manufacturing processes. The apparatus uses a dual-strength magnet system with N52 and N42 neodymium magnets to separate particles by magnetic susceptibility. The electrostatic separation system, which acts like a sieve, sorts the regolith simulant by particle size using a single-phase 50% …

The Effects Of Mold Flux Contamination On Oxide Scale Formation And Hydro-Descaling Efficiency During Steel Processing, Tochukwu Princewill Ojiako, Richard Osei, Mario Buchely, Haiming Wen, Simon Lekakh, Ronald O'Malley

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxide scale formation during thin-slab continuous casting has a complex structure, which is influenced by mold flux contamination, that modifies interfacial reactions during solidification, subsequent reheating, and descaling. While individual aspects of the oxidation behavior of carbon steel have been previously examined, the synergetic effects of mold flux contamination during continuous casting and subsequent reheating on scale modification and the efficiency of hydraulic descaling remain inadequately studied. This study quantitatively examines the effect of flux composition on oxide scale evolution, adhesion, and hydraulic removal in low-carbon steel under simulated industrial conditions. Slab samples with as-cast, cleaned, and flux-coated surfaces were …

Jurisdiction And Citizenship, Ilan Wurman

Articles

This Article makes a series of interventions into the existing literature on birthright citizenship. It makes three historical claims about the common law rule and its development. First, the Article centers the importance of parental status. The relevant status was not the citizenship of the parents, however, but whether they were under the protection of, and owed allegiance to, the sovereign. The common law rule therefore did not depend on descent, but the modern belief that the rule depended solely on place of birth is also mistaken. Second, it reveals through an examination of safe-conducts and English statutes from the …

Others’ Requests May Dampen The Desire To Do Good: The Effect Of Requests On Children's Prosocial Motivation Across Five Cultures., Anneliese Skrobanek, Patricia Kanngiesser, Jahnavi Sunderarajan, Jorge David Mantilla Salgado, Saiwa Sisa Quimbo Yacelga, Shoji Itakura, Marie M. Morita, Masanori Yamaguchi, Nadia Chernyak, Lucy M. Stowe, Joscha Kärtner

School of Psychology

There exists cultural variation in how people react to prosocial obligations, but we still know little about when these differences emerge in development and how they can be explained. We investigated this in a study with 6- to 11-year-old children (N = 686) in five cultural contexts. Children listened to scenarios about spontaneous and requested (within-subjects) helping and sharing. They rated requested scenarios as less desirable and less satisfying, but there was significant cross-cultural variation in the magnitude of this effect, which was mostly stable with age. We also measured children's sense of individual agency and internalization of prosocial norms …

Who Seeks Help? Characteristics Of Doctors Accessing Mental Health Support In England: 4-Year National Review, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundMental health difficulties affect the well-being of doctors and compromise the delivery of healthcare. However, large-scale data on doctors’ mental health needs are limited.AimsDescribe patterns of self-referrals for mental health support among doctors in England and explore associations with demographic factors, speciality, neurodevelopmental and mental health indicators.MethodObservational study using data from doctors who self-referred for mental health difficulties to a national service in England over a 4-year period. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between speciality and mental health indicators.ResultsOf the 16 815 doctors who self-referred during the study period, 80% were under the age of 49 and 70.6% …

Upconversion Photoluminescence In Wsse Alloy Monolayer Under Uniaxial Tensile Strain, Shrawan Roy, Jie Gao, Xiaodong Yang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The optical responses of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (1L-TMDs) can be tuned effectively by using mechanical strain. In this work, the tuning of upconversion photoluminescence (UPL) emission in 1L-WSSe alloy by applying uniaxial tensile strain is investigated. When the uniaxial tensile strain is changed from 0 % to 1.02 %, the peak position of UPL emission has a redshift of around 25.6 nm, and the UPL intensity goes up with an exponential function of the applied strain as the upconversion energy difference is varied from −197 meV to −131 meV. The sublinear power dependence for UPL emission in 1L-WSSe alloy …

A Combined Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry And Numerical Simulation Approach For Supersonic Wind Tunnel Calibration, Joshua Gary, Josiah Mcdermott, Kyle Worden, Serhat Hosder, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Supersonic wind tunnels remain essential tools for high-speed aerodynamics research, yet the characterization of their free-stream conditions remains technically challenging and lacks standardized criteria for defining "good" flow quality. While traditional calibration methods rely on intrusive probes, recent advances in optical diagnostics offer new opportunities for non-intrusive characterization. In this work, we demonstrate a novel use of Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry (Tomo-PIV), combined with numerical simulations, as a methodology for supersonic wind tunnel calibration. The approach is applied to the recently upgraded Missouri S&T Supersonic Wind Tunnel, where Tomo-PIV measurements reveal uniform flow with low angularity and low turbulent noise …

Physics-Constrained Generative Adversarial Networks For Dimensionality Reduction In Optimization, Samuel Sisk, Xiaosong Du

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft make a unique form of urban air mobility due to their low noise, zero emission, and precision control. To maximize efficiency, high-fidelity simulation-based multidisciplinary design optimization discovers the optimal balance among subsystems within an eVTOL. However, conventional multidisciplinary design optimization is computationally intensive due to excessive high-fidelity model evaluations. Moreover, complex nonlinear constraints deteriorate optimization efficiency and convergence. While surrogate models enable efficient design optimization, surrogate modeling suffers in large-scale applications and surrogate-based optimization still has to deal with nonlinear constraints. To address these challenges, the authors' previous work proposed physics-constrained generative adversarial …

Tomo-Piv Study Of Baseline Flow Structures Behind A Strut Injector, Josiah Mcdermott, Connor Bell, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Stabilizing combustion in scramjet engines is a formidable challenge due to the small-time scales afforded for air-fuel mixing. Numerous studies in this area have demonstrated the potential of strut-style platforms for fuel injection and mixing enhancement, which remains an active area of research. In the Aerodynamics Research Laboratory at Missouri S&T, a strut-style injector system has recently been installed. In this study, we characterize the baseline flow structures behind this platform absent fuel injection. The wake generated by a strut itself has an appreciable impact on the resulting air-fuel mixing, which motivates its characterization. In future studies, this characterization will …

Optimal Takeoff Trajectory Prediction Of Electric Drones Based On A Fully Automated Optimal Experimental Design Method, Jiachen Wang, Dheeraj Paramkusham, Xiaosong Du

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is attracting great interest as a viable solution to promote urban aerial mobility with promising flexibility as well as emission reductions. However, the low specific energy of the current battery is still a strong constraint on the range and endurance of eVTOL flights, especially considering the significant power demands during the takeoff process. Engineering design optimization permits promising solutions for the minimum takeoff energy consumption but can be computationally intensive due to iteratively evaluating simulation models. Surrogate-based design optimization is efficient but still relies on optimization iterations which prohibit real-time decision-making. To fill …

Impact Of Dispersed Crystalline Domains On Lithium-Ion Conductivity In Amorphous Li2.99ba0.005ocl Electrolytes, Emmanuel Olugbade, Junquan Ou, Leon Shaw, Jonghyun Park

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Solid-state electrolytes promise safer, high-energy batteries, yet ionic transport is limited by structural heterogeneity and interfacial resistance. We combine hydrothermal synthesis and molecular dynamics (MD) to determine how dispersed crystallinity and interfacial orientation govern lithium-ion conduction in barium-doped anti-perovskite Li_2.99Ba_0.005OCl. Structural and thermal analyses identify a largely amorphous matrix with embedded nano crystallites, and MD captures the same short-range order and dispersion seen experimentally. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy separates high amorphous-phase conductivity from a pellet-scale response dominated by interfacial limitations, consistent with direct-current polarization. Cyclic voltammetry indicates a broad electrochemical stability window. We quantify transport in crystalline …

Distributed Vibration Sensing For Identification Of Loose Connectors In Coaxial Data Transmission Lines, Saidanvar Esanjonovich Valiev, Anthony C. Okafor, Jeremiah J. Rittenhouse, Jie Huang, Daniel S. Stutts

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates the effect of vibration-induced loose connections on signal reflection (S11) for loose connection identification in aerospace coaxial cables using distributed sensing approach, which is effective in filtering the noise and identifying minor discontinuities. In this approach, a sliding gated window is applied to S11 signal, a fast Fourier transform is performed over the gated windows, cross-correlation is computed between the baseline and vibration-affected signals, and the standard deviation is mapped along the cable length. Sinewave signals from 9 kHz to 5 GHz were swept through cables with vibrating connectors under three conditions: fully tightened, loosened by 180°, …

Multiphysics Modeling Of Melt Pool Dynamics And Powder Bed Stability In Lpbf Of Inconel 718 For A Circular Cavity, Nayan Pundhir, Oluwapelumi O. Adejumo, Kumbla Chandrashekhara, Joseph W. Newkirk, Heath Misak, Cesar Ortiz Rios

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a metal additive manufacturing process in which a concentrated laser beam selectively melts successive powder layers to fabricate components. Final part quality is highly sensitive to process parameters such as hatch spacing, powder bed density, laser power, and scanning speed. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics model employing discrete element method has been developed in FLOW-3D to simulate LPBF of Inconel 718. The modeled powder bed incorporates particle size distribution data obtained from scanning electron microscopy and is evaluated for single-layer, single-track deposition over a circular cavity. The model captured melt pool dynamics …

Atomized Oxidative Polymerization As A 3d Printing Platform For Binder-Free, Bulk Conductive Polymer Architectures, Tazdik Patwary Plateau, Hiep Pham, Jonghyun Park

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Translating the ultrahigh intrinsic conductivity of conjugated polymers into bulk 3D architectures remains a formidable challenge due to the fundamental dichotomy between rheological printability and electronic purity. Existing strategies necessitate a compromise: solution-processing requires insulating binders that degrade charge transport, while binder-free vapor-phase polymerization (VPP) is kinetically confined to surface-limited thin films by diffusion constraints. Here, we introduce atomized oxidative polymerization (AOP), a manufacturing paradigm that overcomes these kinetic barriers via active, layer-by-layer monomer atomization. This approach ensures stoichiometric reaction conditions throughout the printed volume, driving a structural transition toward highly conductive quinoid-dominant chains with enhanced π-π stacking. The resulting …

Performance Evaluation Of Thick Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Laminates Manufactured Using Six-Magnetron Microwave System, Nayan Pundhir, Sourav Bolar, Kumbla Chandrashekhara, Kristen Donnell, Jim Lua, Kalyan Shrestha, Rui Li

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microwave curing is a fast, energy-efficient, and a viable alternative to conventional thermal curing processes. It has been widely adopted for processing carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites because the high electrical conductivity of carbon fibers enables strong microwave coupling. In this study, IM7/Cycom 5320-1 unidirectional prepreg has been used to fabricate 64-layer laminated composites. Symmetric cross-ply ([0°/90°]16S) and a quasi-isotropic ([45°/90°/−45°/0°]8S) layup have been investigated. A custom-built six-magnetron microwave applicator and an autoclave were employed to manufacture the composite panels. Degree of cure of the manufactured laminates was evaluated via differential scanning calorimetry. Interfacial bonding and porosity of the microwave-cured laminates …

Design, Construction, And Initial Testing Of A Oxy-Acetylene Testing Facility, Blake Bowman, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are critical for atmospheric re-entry and hypersonic flight vehicles, yet ground-based evaluation of TPS materials remains challenging due to the cost, complexity, and limited availability of large arc-jet and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) facilities. Oxy-acetylene testing provides a low-cost and accessible alternative for preliminary material screening, sensor development, and fundamental studies of material response under high heat-flux conditions. This paper presents the design, construction, and initial validation of the High-Enthalpy Acetylene Testing (HEAT) facility at Missouri University of Science and Technology. The facility incorporates a modular experimental architecture, independently controlled oxygen and acetylene mass-flow systems, and …

Tomo-Piv Study Of A Parallel Two-Dimensional Jet In Supersonic Flow, Josiah Mcdermott, Connor Bell, Davide Vigano

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Stabilizing combustion in supersonic flows is a formidable challenge due to the small time scales afforded for air-fuel mixing. Numerous studies in this area have demonstrated the potential of strut-style platforms for fuel injection and mixing enhancement, which remains an active area of research. In the Aerodynamics Research Laboratory at Missouri S&T, a strut-style injector system has recently been installed. In this study, we characterize the flow structures behind this platform in a range of injection pressures and corresponding mass flux ratios. The wake generated by a strut and injection plume, even absent combustion or mixing enhancement geometry, has an …

2-Point Focused Laser Differential Interferometry Measurements Of A Parallel Jet In Supersonic Flow, Joshua Gary, Joseph Villarreal, Davide Vigano

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Turbulence in compressible flows plays a central role in applications such as air-fuel mixing in supersonic combustors and is significantly more complex than incompressible turbulence due to the presence of fluctuating thermodynamic quantities. As such, models like the Strong Reynolds Analogy (SRA) are used to relate these quantities. However, SRA validity has been examined primarily in boundary-layer flows. In this work, a newly developed Two-Point Focused Laser Differential Interferometry (2-FLDI) system is implemented in a two-dimensional parallel supersonic jet. The diagnostic is described in detail, including optical alignment procedures, calibration methods, and data analysis techniques. Measurements acquired at multiple streamwise …

Corrigendum To “3d Semi-Analytical Thermo-Elasto-Plastic Model For Additive Manufacturing”(Additive Manufacturing, (2026), 127, C, (105308), (S2214860426002344), 10.1016/J.Addma.2026.105308), Tao Liu, Ming C. Leu, Edward C. Kinzel, Chinedum Okwudire

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The author regret about the correction in the Equation B(1) in original article. The corrected version of the Equation B(1) is given below,(1.1)∂uxxx,ξ∂x=116πμ1−ν4ν−1x−ξxR3−3x−ξx3R5−8ν−5x−ξxR13+34ν−3x−ξx3R15−18x−ξxzξzR15+30x−ξx3zξzR17−12ν−12ν−1x−ξxR1R1+z+ξz2+4ν−12ν−1x−ξx3R13R1+z+ξz2+8ν−12ν−1x−ξx3R12R1+z+ξz3 The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. DOI of original article: < 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105308>

Robust Broadband Characterization Of Flexible Absorbers, Sheet Material, And Liquids Using A Coaxial Structure, Joseph Christopher Stecher

Masters Theses

Modern high-frequency measurement systems require reliable calibration and sample positioning to ensure measurement fidelity. This thesis presents three studies addressing practical limitations in broadband material parameter extraction and instrumentation.

The first study introduces a modified Nicolson–Ross–Weir (NRW) technique for flexible, compression-sensitive materials from 100 MHz to 18 GHz. Rigid 3D-printed spacers ensure precise sample positioning, and a T-matrix–based de-embedding procedure removes spacer effects. Validation using microstrip measurements and full-wave simulation confirms accurate permittivity extraction across compression levels.

The second study extends NRW to sheet materials enabling accurate material characterization. Independent validation using toroidal inductors with leakage correction and parallel-plate capacitors …

Empirical-Based Model Of Spatio-Temporal Errors, Godwin Naaba Ndaa

Masters Theses

This research develops an empirical model to characterize spatial-temporal InSAR errors and improve the accuracy of deformation time-series analysis. Using standardized Sentinel-1 HyP3 products and MintPy, the study quantifies how correlated noise affects velocity precision and validates the results against continuous GNSS velocities.

Residual velocities are near-Gaussian, with σ ~0.92–2.04 cm/yr and ~1 cm/yr on average. Variograms show power-law spatial structure with a non-zero nugget implicating troposphere and decorrelation while errors drop exponentially with more acquisitions; spatial uncertainty is strongly affected by unwrapping errors, coherence, and tropospheric noise, not simply troposphere.

A comparative assessment of on-demand cloud processing with other …