Digital Commons Network^™

A Compressive Load Bearing Analysis Of 3d-Printed Circular Elements, Ilerioluwa Giwa, Ali Kazemian, Vijaya Gopu, Tyson Rupnow

Faculty Publications

Large-scale construction 3D printing is a promising platform technology that can be leveraged to fabricate structural elements such as columns, piers, pipes, and culverts. In this study, the axial compression and split tensile performance of 3D-printed steel-fiber-reinforced circular elements fabricated with different configurations (hollow, hybrid, mold-cast, and fully 3D-printed) is evaluated. This study further investigates the performance of multi-material circular hybrid elements (3D-printed shells with different backfilled core materials) in an attempt to assess their suitability as a new construction paradigm. The experimental results revealed that the fully 3D-printed steel-fiber-reinforced circular elements exhibited a higher load capacity (up to 36%) …

Regulating The Renewable Revolution: Revisiting Ferc’S Authority Under The Federal Power Act Post-Major Questions Doctrine, Charles Beauregard

PEEL Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Improving Performance Of Tpu By Controlled Crosslinking Of Soft Segments, Lucivan P. Barros Jr., Lucio R. De Souza, Rasoul Rahimzadeh, Ica Manas-Zloczower

Faculty Scholarship

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are a family of thermoplastic elastomers with great properties such as high elongation and excellent chemical and abrasion resistance, which are processable by conventional melting methods. Nevertheless, TPUs lose mechanical properties and thermal stability at higher temperatures. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new TPU with limited crosslinking of the soft segments in order to improve its performance at high temperatures while preserving processability. Additionally, the new TPU maintains its transparency. With the incorporation of 10% trifunctional polyol, the T was increased by 7°C, the storage modulus at room temperature (25°C) was improved by 412 …

Spontaneous Repolarization Alternans Causes Vt/Vf Rearrest That Is Suppressed By Preserving Gap Junctions, Kenneth R. Laurita, Joseph S. Piktel, Laken Irish, Michelle Nassal, Aurelia Cheng, Matthew Mccauley, Gary Pawlowski, Adrienne T. Dennis, Yi Suen, Soufian Almahameed, Ohad Ziv, Lance D. Wilson

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Ventricular tachycardia (VT)/ventricular fibrillation (VF) rearrest after successful resuscitation is common, and survival is poor. A mechanism of VT/VF, as demonstrated in ex vivo studies, is when repolarization alternans becomes spatially discordant (DIS ALT), which can be enhanced by impaired gap junctions (GJs). However, in vivo spontaneous DIS ALT–induced VT/VF has never been demonstrated, and the effects of GJ on DIS ALT and VT/VF rearrest are unknown. Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether spontaneous VT/VF rearrest induced by DIS ALT occurs in vivo, and if it can be suppressed by preserving Cx43-mediated GJ coupling and/or connectivity. Methods: We …

Development Of The Roadway Pothole Management Program, Dingxin Cheng

Mineta Transportation Institute

Addressing the issue of potholes is a primary concern for maintaining urban infrastructure. The research team has developed a prototype pothole management program. The program includes a mobile application and two machine learning models. The mobile app enables users to upload images of potholes, report relevant information, and provide driving directions to the pothole location. With the help of this application, the user can seamlessly capture images of the potholes, record pertinent information, and submit the data for necessary action. The mobile application is an essential tool in the Pothole Management Program (PMP), as it enhances the program's efficiency, effectiveness, …

Examining The Relationship Between Subject-Specific Instructional Time, Instructional Practices, And Reading Achievement In The Charter Sector - Year One Report, Kiel Mcqueen, Grand Valley State University

Charter School Research Reports

This report uses teacher survey and student assessment data to understand how the allocation of instructional time and use of discipline-specific instructional practices varies across GVSUauthorized elementary schools. Key findings include:

• Two-thirds of instructional time in GVSU-authorized elementary schools is allocated to ELA and Math. • Considerable variation in the allocation of instructional time exists across GVSUauthorized elementary schools.
• Students scored at the 41st percentile on the NWEA MAP reading assessment prior to the study.

Expanding Time Covered For Medical Nutrition Therapy: A Need For Clear Reporting On The Intensity Of Nutrition Interventions, Rosa K. Hand

Faculty Scholarship

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is an evidence-based health care service that helps people improve their food and nutrition habits to positively influence health outcomes and quality of life, and is part of a suite of complementary interventions that can be implemented for effective disease prevention and management. However, the dose (ie, length and number of sessions) of MNT that is covered by health care payers in outpatient settings is highly variable and may not be adequate to achieve the desired clinical outcomes and cost savings. Interest in improving access to adequate doses of MNT provided by registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), …

Mapping Of Pavement Conditions Using Smartphone/Tablet Lidar Case Study: Sensor Performance Comparison, Calvin Beavers, Chad Day, Austin Krietemeyer, Scott M. Peterson, Yushin Ahn, Xiaojun Li

Mineta Transportation Institute

Poor road conditions affect millions of drivers, and assessing the condition of paved surfaces is a critical step towards repairing them. This project explores the feasibility of using the Apple iPad Pro LiDAR sensor as a cost-effective tool for assessing the damage and condition of paved surfaces. Our research aims to provide accurate and precise measurements using readily available consumer devices and compare the results to state-of-the-art equipment. This investigation involved visual inspection, identification, and classification of pavement distresses, followed by a comparison of the iPad and iPhone LiDAR data with a survey-grade terrestrial laser scanner. The project revealed several …

Copley Connects | Spring/Summer 2024, University Of San Diego

Copley Connects Library Newsletter

Message From the Dean | 2

Annual Faculty and Staff Retreat | 3

New Bookplates Added to Digital Collection | 4

Copley Library and San Diego Public Library Team up to Celebrate Black History Month and Women’s History Month | 6

Research and Scholarship Recognition | 8

Fourth Pontem Partnership Event | 8

SCELCapalooza 2024 | 8

Digital Initiatives Symposium | 9

Copley’s Summer 2024 Reading List | 10

New Faces at Copley | 11

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of The Roadside Transportation-Related Air Quality (Startraq 2022): Data-Driven Exposure Analysis By Transportation Modes, Jaymin Kwon, Yushin Ahn, Steve Chung

Mineta Transportation Institute

Particulate matter (PM) pollution poses significant health risks, influenced by various meteorological factors and seasonal variations. This study investigates the impact of temperature and other meteorological variables on PM10 and PM2.5 levels in Fresno County, known for high air pollution. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and generalized additive models (GAMs) assess the significance of these relationships. Analyzing data from Fresno County, we examine PM10 and PM2.5 levels across "hot" (June to August) and "cool" (September to May) seasons. Findings indicate PM10, both MLR and GAM models identify statistically significant variables, excluding temperature and wind direction in each season. However, during the …

Effective Leadership And Its Impact On The Educational Community, Betti Shahin, Susan Rowan, Toleen Mazloum, Nadia Kawar

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Background: In the contemporary era characterized by globalization and rapid technological advancement, education is a paramount force driving human progress, with academic performance as an essential metric for its efficacy. Researchers have diligently investigated various factors affecting academic performance, encompassing environmental and student-centered variables. Objective: This paper undertakes a distinctive exploration, directing attention to the nuanced impact of the principal's leadership on the overall performance of the educational community, including educators and students. Delving into factors beyond conventional metrics, such as the principal's leadership style, classroom size, teacher's salary, and faculty development and mentoring, the study unravels the complex dynamics …

Sequential Decision Learning For Social Good And Fairness, Dexun Li

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Sequential decision learning is one of the key research areas in artificial intelligence. Typically, a sequence of events is observed through a transformation that introduces uncertainty into the observations and based on these observations, the recognition process produces a hypothesis of the underlying events. This learning process is characterized by maximizing the sum of the reward signals. However, many real-life problems are inherently constrained by limited resources. Besides, when the learning algorithms are used to inform decisions involving human beings (e.g., Security and justice, health intervention, etc), they may inherit the potential, pre-existing bias in the dataset and exhibit similar …

Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 M2 Supply Channel Compliance Assessment Report 2023 - Statement 938, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Irrigated Agricultural Development in the North

Ministerial implementation Statement 938 for the Ord River Irrigation Area Stage 2 (M2 Supply Channel) proposal was published on 12 June 2013 pursuant to section 45 of the EP Act. DPIRD administers MS938 on behalf of the Minister for Regional Development.

Introduction To Programming And Applied Analytics Using Python, Matt Brown

ATU Faculty OER Books and Materials

This open electronic textbook is a collection of lecture notes, assignments, and additional background material for a junior level analytics course targeted for business students, it is free to use and copy. The text assumes readers have not had prior programming or computing courses, but have had at least one analytics course. The textbook differs from other textbooks because it serves a dual purpose, to first introduce to students the Python programming language and secondly to introduce analytics programming in Python. It is not meant to be a comprehensive book on the Python language or data analytics, rather a semester’s …

Mechanisms And Mass Transfer Kinetics Of Cr(Vi) Adsorbed By Mussel Shell Incorporated Adsorptive Membrane, Mohamad Ali Fulazzaky, Nur Atikah Abdul Salim, Mohd Hafiz Puteh, Tiffany L. Messer, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, Juhana Jaafar, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Mukhlis A. Rahman

UK CARES Faculty Publications

The presence of Cr(VI) results in pollution that threatens human health and aquatic life. Therefore, there is an urgent need for Cr(VI) to be removed from contaminated water. The mussel shell incorporated polyethersulfone (MSPES) membranes designed to form the flat sheet adsorptive membrane (FSAM) crossflow treatment systems was used to remove Cr(VI) from synthetic solution. The physicochemical properties of the MSPES membrane were verified using an atomic force microscope, scanning electron microscope, and water contact angle goniometer. The performance of MSPES2.0 to remove Cr(VI) ions ranged from 15.00 to 16.05 % was higher than that of MSPES2.2 ranged from 10.00 …

Gold & Blue, Summer 2024, St. Mary's University

Gold & Blue

This is the Summer 2024 edition of Gold & Blue which is St. Mary's University's official school publication.

Systematic Comparison Of Ultraviolet Vs. White Light For Lightboard Illumination, Craig Looney

Physics Faculty Publications

Since Peshkin’s invention of the original open-hardware lightboard, tempered low-iron glass has been the preferred lightboard writing surface: low-iron for maximal transparency, tempered for safety and durability. Unfortunately, the tempering process often leaves marks on the glass that become highly visible when illuminated with edge-mounted white LEDs. One obvious idea is to illuminate the glass with UV LEDs; the UV light should cause the fluorescent marker writing to visibly fluoresce, while UV light scattered by defects should be invisible. McCorkle and Whitener (2017, 2020) reported a qualitative performance enhancement for near-visible UV blacklight illumination, but no systematic investigations have been …

Solar Car Radio Control Car Curriculum (9-10 Grade), Divya Baranwal, Ashish Gandhi

Multidisciplinary Studies Research

In this unit, high school students will comprehend the concepts of solar energy and conversion of sunlight into electricity; and basic electronics, circuitry principles, and electric components like microcontrollers, resistors, sensors, and LEDs; basic programming hands-on experience to write code for microcontrollers and programming functionalities like controlling the car’s movement, and the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy on various inclined ramps, delving into scientific principles. They will understand the basics of machine learning, robotics, soldering, engage with hands-on experiences in engineering design principles, hands-on experiences starting from building car evolution models throughout a week. This unit focus to …

Effects Of Posttraumatic Cognitions, Working Alliance, And Relational Intimacy Skills In Ptsd Treatment, Xiaonan Zhang

Dissertations (1934 -)

Cognitive theories have been proposed to explain the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social-cognitive theories, as one of two major categories of cognitive theories (Brewin et al., 1996), emphasize the role of trauma-related beliefs in the development of PTSD, which led to the incorporation of modifying maladaptive trauma-related cognitions in psychological treatments of PTSD. Although extant studies have provided empirical evidence for the efficacy of these treatments, questions regarding active therapeutic components still exist. To that end, this study examined the effects of social-cognitive factors (i.e., posttraumatic cognitions, relational intimacy skills, and working alliance) on PTSD symptomatology …

Closing The Phosphorus Loop With Green Infrastructure: Removal And Recovery Using Amended Soils And 3d-Printed Material, Colin Wilson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Phosphorus (P) is a life-essential element aiding the deterioration of water quality. Stormwater runoff transports nonpoint source P pollution to waterbodies, contributing to excessive P loading which may result in eutrophication. Green infrastructure (GI) is implemented to solve stormwater runoff pollution, but the P removal performance of these systems is variable. Moreover, P is arguably being unsustainably mined for fertilizer production and animal feed supplements to support demand from increasing global populations. This dissertation explored advancing the circular P economy utilizing additive manufacturing and GI soil amendments to remove and recover P from stormwater runoff. Laboratory-scale batch experiments were used …

Exploring Student Veterans Barriers, Alexandra Brandriff

Dissertations

The student veteran population in higher education is a unique group of individuals with different skills and life experiences not typically found among traditional students. Through a comprehensive analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, this study explores the complex challenges that student veterans face in higher education. It aims to explore the challenges, barriers, and support programs experienced by student veterans throughout their higher education journey, as well as compare the graduation and retention rates of student veterans and traditional students.

The researcher first gathered and analyzed qualitative data from student veterans’ responses to a survey utilized to gain their …

Town Of New Castle, N.H. Annual Report For The Fiscal Year July 1, 2023 To June 30, 2024, New Castle Town Representatives

New Castle, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Beyond Reform: Food Sovereignty And The Future Of Global Food Systems, Smita Narula

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

We live in a deeply destructive food system, and the need for alternatives is clear. Yet state and corporate actors, beholden to an extractive, industrial model of food production, continue to push for incremental reforms instead of transformative action. In response, food sovereignty movements are charting a normative path in international human rights law to secure peasants' rights and promote more sustainable and just alternatives to our industrial food system. Against the backdrop of the political economy of industrial agriculture, this Article compares mainstream approaches to food systems reform with transformative alternatives rooted in food sovereignty. It explores two key …

An Exploration Of Literacy Instruction In Higher Education Programs In Missouri, Melinda Odom

Dissertations

Literacy supports all content areas and is crucial to the academic achievement of all students (Birdyshaw et al., 2017). The International Literacy Association (ILA, 2017) posits that teachers are the most crucial factor in content and pedagogical achievement. The ILA (2019) stresses that students have a right to a highly effective and knowledgeable educator who can provide evidence-based reading instruction. Research illustrates that students who do not learn to read by the third grade continue to struggle throughout school (Rickenbrode & Walsh, 2013). Rickenbrode and Walsh (2013) confirm that most of these students will remain poor readers and are more …

The Choice Of Pre-K: An Examination Into Black Caregivers’ Early Childhood Care Decisions And How Early Childhood Care Predicts Black Children’S Educational Outcomes, Anna Grace Rollins

Dissertations

Despite the national push for increased Pre-K enrollment, findings on the effects of attending Pre-K are contradictory and inconsistent. Due to conflicting research and viewpoints on traditional education outcomes, many families are choosing not to send their children to Pre-K. This study focused on the often overlooked thoughts and experiences of Black parents and guardians when making decisions about early childhood education for their children, as well as the academic and behavioral effects of attending Pre-K for Black children in subsequent years. Through surveys and interviews, this study explored factors that influence Black parents’ decisions about enrolling their children in …

The Impact Of Trauma In Urban Communities On Educators And How They Prevail, Angelique Brown

Dissertations

This research was an exploration of the impact of community trauma in urban communities. The focal participants were educators who have worked 10 or more years in the profession and in a school building. The study surveyed 20 educators using open-ended questions to understand their experiences with trauma, strategies for coping, and the effects on their personal and professional lives. Community trauma, including gun violence, mass and school shootings, homelessness, educational neglect, was common among participants. Notably, traumatic events such as the deaths of Michael Brown, George Floyd, and Trayvon Martin, and the COVID-19 pandemic, had significant emotional personal and …

Exploring Substance Use Among Asian Americans: Seven Themes From Interviews With Service Providers And Community Residents, Carolyn Wong, Sun S. Kim

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report describes the aims, approaches, and findings of an exploratory research study that researchers in the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston conducted in collaboration with the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The study aimed to shed light on substance use and its associated harms among Asian Americans in Massachusetts. The researchers used focus group and individual interviews to learn about the participants’ perceptions, observations, and opinions about substance use in Asian American communities. Recruitment targeted participants in two categories: health and social service providers serving Asian …

Fedgmmat: Federated Generalized Linear Mixed Model Association Tests, Wentao Li, Han Chen, Xiaoqian Jiang, Arif Harmanci

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Increasing genetic and phenotypic data size is critical for understanding the genetic determinants of diseases. Evidently, establishing practical means for collaboration and data sharing among institutions is a fundamental methodological barrier for performing high-powered studies. As the sample sizes become more heterogeneous, complex statistical approaches, such as generalized linear mixed effects models, must be used to correct for the confounders that may bias results. On another front, due to the privacy concerns around Protected Health Information (PHI), genetic information is restrictively protected by sharing according to regulations such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This limits data sharing …

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Thermal Control System: From Design Through On-Orbit Thermal Performance, Matthew I. Ralphs, Mike Holt

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

The Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) will provide the first global characterization of atmospheric waves that originate in Earth’s lower atmosphere and affect space weather. The instrument has been installed on the International Space Station (ISS) ExPRESS Logistics Carrier (ELC) 1 since November 2023. The main thermal control system consists of a passive, ambient temperature, bi-directional radiator to which pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) thermal straps connect four independent detectors, whose temperatures are actively controlled by thermoelectric coolers (TECs). This paper discusses the thermal design, thermal model correlation efforts (both with test temperature data and flight temperature data), and how the predictions …

Enhancing Water Sustainability In North Africa: Literature Review And Synthesis Of Current Knowledge Gaps In Sudan, Osman M. A. Adam, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Derek M. Heeren, Troy E. Gilmore

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

This study delves into the critical role of groundwater in addressing global water challenges, with a focus on the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System (NSAS) in North Africa. Groundwater constitutes a source of potable water, irrigation, and industrial use, especially in arid regions where surface water is limited. We analyzed the status of water quantity, withdrawals, recharge, and geological characteristics in the NSAS, specifically in Sudan, Egypt, Libya, and Chad. Though the NSAS is largely an untapped resource, we evaluated various scenarios to determine the quantity of cropland that can be sustainably irrigated. The NSAS is located in an arid region, …