Digital Commons Network^™

Recovering Phosphorus And Nitrogen From Leachate Collected From Chidaya Sanitary Landfill Dodoma Tanzania For Fertilizer Production, Yasin Y. Kifwe, Godlisten N. Shao, Washa B. Washa, Christina F. Pius

Tanzania Journal of Science

The demand for fertilizer is a global issue that poses a significant threat to future food security. Tanzania is among the countries which rely on agriculture for food production and contribute largely to the economy of the nation. However, farmers incur high production costs due to the utilization of expensive and environmentally insecure fertilizers. The present study investigated the potential of recovering nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from leachate to produce fertilizer. Hanna pH meter (HI-98121) was used to determine the pH of leachate which was found to be 8.29 ± 0.33. The concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen was determined by …

Adipocyte-Derived Small Extracellular Vesicles Exacerbate Diabetic Ischemic Heart Injury By Promoting Oxidative Stress And Mitochondrial-Mediated Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis, Lu Gan, Jianli Zhao, Peng Yao, Theodore A. Christopher, Bernard Lopez, Wayne B. Lau, Walter Koch, Erhe Gao, Xin-Liang Ma, Yajing Wang

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Diabetes increases ischemic heart injury via incompletely understood mechanisms. We recently reported that diabetic adipocytes-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEV) exacerbate myocardial reperfusion (MI/R) injury by promoting cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Combining in vitro mechanistic investigation and in vivo proof-concept demonstration, we determined the underlying molecular mechanism responsible for diabetic sEV-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis after MI/R.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Adult mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. sEV were isolated from plasma or epididymal adipose tissue. HFD significantly increased the number and size of plasma- and adipocyte-derived sEV. Intramyocardial injection of an equal number of diabetic plasma sEV in nondiabetic …

Hospital Location, Socioeconomic Factors, And Obesity Impact On Patient Readmission Rates 30 Days Post-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Mazalo Looky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is associated with a high rate of readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Patient variables such as obesity and socioeconomic status (SES) are modifiable, whereas hospital factors such as location indicate the need for a better regional needs assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of hospital location, SES, and obesity (independent variables) on the 30-day readmission rate post-CABG (dependent variable) among US patients. Secondary data sets available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Society of Thoracic Surgery websites were analyzed to assess the impact of location, …

Enhancing Civil Infrastructure Performance Through Lidar-Based Dynamic Monitoring And Phased-Construction Bridges, Khalid Hossam Alkady

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This dissertation aims to enhance the performance and structural integrity of civil infrastructure systems through two primary goals. The first goal is to develop and rigorously validate end-to-end frameworks for full-field monitoring of the dynamic response of civil structures via Ground-based Lidar (GBL) scanners. GBL can be employed to sample point clouds at a high sampling rate for dynamic data collection, which addresses the limitations of using contact-based sensors in structural health monitoring (SHM) applications used for early-detection of structural damage.

The second goal of this dissertation concerns the challenges associated with constructing bridges in phases, so they can remain …

Hyperspectral Imaging For Temperature Measurements Of Hot Spots In Shocked Plastic-Bonded Explosives, Dhanalakshmi Sellan, Siva Kumar Valluri, Dana D. Dlott

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hot spots are formed when energetic microstructures are shocked, and they play a critical role in shock sensitivity. It is important to know both the time-dependent size and temperature of the hot spots, in order to generate a kinetic model to describe reaction growth in plastic-bonded explosives (PBX). Here we use a recently developed technique where PBX is fabricated in the form of a thin wafer, embedded within a transparent polymer binder, and shocked with a laser-launched flyer plate that produces pressures of about 30 GPa range. In this method, every crystal of the cyclotetramethylene-tetranitramine (HMX)-based PBX can be observed …

Nature-Derived Flame Retardant For Cotton Fabrics With Green Coconut Shells, Tarikul Islam, Abdullah Al Rakib Shikder, Md Shahabul Hossen, Md Mazbah Uddin, Md Tanvir Hossain, M. Mahbubul Bashar

Michigan Tech Publications

This study presents an eco-friendly flame-retardant solution for cellulosic fabrics using green coconut shell (GCS) extract and phytic acid (PA). Cellulosic materials are highly flammable and release harmful gases during combustion. Conventional flame retardants may pose environmental and health risks while impacting the fabric quality. GCS extract is a rich source of tannins, phosphorus, silicates, metallic salts, and oxides and is explored as a novel flame retardant (FR) for cotton fabrics. Cotton samples were pretreated with PA and then with varying concentrations of GCS extract using a padding technique. Comprehensive characterization followed, including limiting oxygen index (LOI), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), …

Hospital Location, Socioeconomic Factors, And Obesity Impact On Patient Readmission Rates 30 Days Post-Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, Mazalo Looky

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is associated with a high rate of readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Patient variables such as obesity and socioeconomic status (SES) are modifiable, whereas hospital factors such as location indicate the need for a better regional needs assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of hospital location, SES, and obesity (independent variables) on the 30-day readmission rate post-CABG (dependent variable) among US patients. Secondary data sets available from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Society of Thoracic Surgery websites were analyzed to assess the impact of location, …

Understanding The Current Provisions Of Support For People With An Intellectual Disabilities And/Or Autism In Crisis: A Mixed Methods Study, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background:There has been significant reduction in inpatient beds for people with intellectual disability and/or autism (PwID/A) in the UK in the last decade following high profile national scandals in specialist psychiatric hospitals. To reduce inappropriate admissions a new strategy (Blue-Light, an emergency multi-disciplinary meeting to prevent admission to hospital) was introduced. However, there is no research on the influence of Blue-Light on crisis management for PwID/A.Aim:To assess Blue-Light’s impact on PwID/A’s crisis presentationsMethods:Co-produced with experts-by-experience, a mixed methods approach using a 13 question Likert based survey of health and social-care professionals along with semi-structured interviews of carers involved with consecutive …

A Constant State Of Agitation, Martin Cloutier

Valparaiso Fiction Review

No abstract provided.

Decadal Climate And Landform Variables Analysis In Iraq Using Remote Sensing Datasets, Sungwon Kim, Maryam Bayatvarkeshi, Atif Muhammad Ali, Kamal Ahmed

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Iraq has experienced record-breaking temperatures, making it one of the hottest places on Earth. It is also ranked among the world's top five most climate-vulnerable nations. Climate change is a hazard to Iraq's people and may cause societal disintegration, instability, and displacement. Therefore, it is important to assess Iraq's decadal climate and landform variables analysis. In the present study, the Climate Hazards Center InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) data in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform from 2000 to 2022, as well as rainfall, anomaly, temperature, vegetation, and water, are used to analyse climate change in Iraq. As the land …

Field Canals Improvement Projects Duration Prediction: A Comparative Analysis Of Machine Learning Models, Hania Ghouse, Ukaegbu Chinonso Ishmael, Edgar Dario Obando-Paredes, Hashem Shafik Shakir, Ali Al-Bayaty

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

There are several essential elements in project construction management to be studied appropriately, and priority to these elements, such as cost and duration, is predominantly interesting to be investigated. In this research, the duration of field canal improvement projects (D_FCIP) was predicted using two relatively new machine learning (ML) models - the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Spline (MARS) and Extreme Learning Machine (ELM). The targeted D_FCIP was calculated using other dependent parameters, such as the length of the pipe, years of construction, the geographical zone of the network, the supplied area with water, and finally the actual cost …

In-Orbit Polymer Recyclers, Dargelys Buitrago Frías, José Muñoz González, Fon Saliki, Lamin Wright, Phuc Bui

Senior Design Project For Engineers

The International AstroTech Team proposes an innovative technology designed to revolutionize future space missions by facilitating in-space 3D printing using locally sourced materials. This cutting-edge technology focuses on developing an automated system capable of recycling polymers in space and transforming them into high-quality 3D printing filaments. By implementing this method, the technology addresses critical needs such as on-site resource utilization, sustainability, on-demand manufacturing, and resource efficiency. This approach not only reduces the dependency on Earth-supplied materials but also enhances the overall sustainability and operational flexibility of space missions. Consequently, it holds the potential to significantly advance the capabilities of space …

The Launch: A Senior Cabaret, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2024-2025 Season Productions

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Social Ties To Financial Gains: Exploring The Impact Of Social Capital In Rural Development, Mallory L. Rahe, Andrew J. Van Leuven, Trey Malone

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Social capital, defined as networks of individuals linked through bonding or bridging relationships, plays a crucial but poorly conceptualized role in place-based development. The word “capital” implies an underlying value of the social connections throughout a community, and this study explores how these social relationships are used to initiate, plan, access financial capital, and implement economic development projects in rural areas. We avoid county-level aggregation bias and use a divergent pathway case study of projects across eight communities to examine how social ties are used during rural development in places with both high and low financial capital. Both types of …

Improving Topology-Based Hypothesis Testing Algorithms Via Novel Distance Functions, Eugene Kler

Electrical and Systems Engineering Undergraduate Student Research

We investigate the properties of a modification of a hypothesis testing algorithm for topological data analysis by replacing the Wasserstein distance function, used to compute the joint loss, with the Prokhorov distance. We conclude that the Prokhorov distance achieves comparable performance, with a notably decreased tendency to report extreme p-values.

Facile Fabrication Of Water Filters With Desirable Properties For Removal Of Pathogenic E. Coli From Drinking Water At Point-Of-Use, Godfrey Michael Shayo, Elianaso Elimbinzi, Christina Fabian, Talam E Kibona

Tanzania Journal of Science

The inevitable consequences of waterborne diseases caused by consuming contaminated water have prompted the development of low-cost water filtration technologies that surpass traditional purification methods in effectiveness. Ceramic water filters have been extensively researched due to their promising application in the filtration and purification of water to produce clean and safe drinking water. The present study reports the synthesis of ceramic filtration systems incorporating silver nanoparticles with desirable properties for water purification. The obtained samples were examined by XRD, XRF, and SEM analyses. XRD analysis showed that the samples had crystallite sizes ranging between 16 to 22 nm. XRF analysis …

Volume 42-1 Complete Issue, C. Nicholas Raphael

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 42-1 Complete Issue

People And Pixels: Linking Remote Sensing And Social Science. Edited By Dianaliverman, Emilio F. Moran, Ronald R.Rindfuss, And Paul C. Stern, James D. Lowry, Jr.

The Geographical Bulletin

At the heart ofthe recent debate within the Association of American Geographers concerning the format an? cont~nt of its two journals is the eclectic and interdisciplinary nature of the field of geography. As long as geography has been a component of American academe geographers have wrestled with "The Nature of Geography" (Hartshorne 1939) and "The Circumference of Geography" (Fenneman 1919) (i.e., the definition of the discipline). Today the debate has largely returned to Fenneman's "Circumference" in that many, if not most, geographers feel more akin to academicians in other fields than to other geographers. Thus, the social geographer, for example, …

Geographic Information Systems: An Introduction By Tor Bernhardsen, John Wiley And Sons, Sharolyn Anderson

The Geographical Bulletin

Adopting the perspective of Jack Dan - germond that " . .. most of the problems with rea l GIS now have more to do with the people and the procedures they use ... than with computer hardware and software", Tor Bernhardsen continues with the philosophy that GIS is funda - mentally plagued not by technical but hu - man and organizational problems. In this, the second edition of h is Norweg ian text originally published in 1989, Bernhardsen presents an introductory text directed more toward those individuals who apply GIS technology, than those who would develop it. As such, …

Inter-Country Child Adoptionand The World Wide Web, James A. Tyner, Erik V. Parker

The Geographical Bulletin

Communication technologies, and especially the advent of the World Wide Web, are changing the geographies of business activities. In this paper the usage of Web sites to facilitate intercountry child adoption are examined. Using a two-pronged strategy, the content of Web sites are qualitatively analyzed and, second, through a mail survey the impact of Internet technology on the conduct of business is examined. Findings suggest that exposure, competition, networking, and cost-considerations are dominant motives for agencies to go 'on-line.' Findings also suggest, however, that latent costs are associated with these factors and question whether increased exposure leads to increased demand. …

Projections And Perceptions The Geographic Information System: A View Of Professional Surveyors, Roland F. Self

The Geographical Bulletin

Much has been written and continues to be written regarding " Geographic Information Systems" or as it is commonly known " GIS." The acronym is bantered about with a belief that everyone has an equal understanding and awareness of exactly what it is. To some it is a technology or sophisticated software or as some definitions indicate, a GIS can " contain major components including data input, data storage and retrieval, data manipulation and analysis and data reporting subsystems." It can be "a management system which can collect, store and retrieve spatial data, identify locations meeting specific criteria, explore re …

William Gibson, Neuromancer And The Making Of A Reluctant Cyberpunk, Billy J. Stratton

English and Literary Arts: Faculty Scholarship

While Neuromancer cemented Gibson’s place as a commanding presence in SF, he has consistently sought to position his work beyond the parameters of limiting genre categories.

Examining The Implicit Association Between The ‘Caucasian’ Race And Scientific Ideals, Erin Cain, Tim Messer-Kruse, Anne K. Gordon Dr.

Honors Projects

This study examines the implicit associations between the term ‘Caucasian’ and scientific ideals. The racist and pseudoscientific history of the word ‘Caucasian’ invalidates its credibility and insinuates persistent racist ideologies that continue to manifest today. The term ‘Caucasian’ seems to be popularly thought of as a more exact, specific, and scientific term than that of ‘White’. This paper includes a review of the literature about the White race and the term ‘Caucasian’, how this term originated, and the pseudoscience that created it in the 18^th century. The experiment includes a control condition, and an experimental condition that primes the …

Shannon Entropy And Complexity Measures For Generalized Dunkle-Schrodinger Equation With Harmonic Oscillator In One Dimension, P. O. Amadi, A. N. Ikot, U. S. Okorie, R. Horchani, M. C. Onyeaju

Polytechnic Journal

In this paper, the theoretic information theory within the framework of Dunkl-Schrodinger equation is investigated. The effect of on Shannon entropy, the disequilibrium and the Lopez-Mancini-Calbet (C_LMC) complexity measure for the ground and first excited states are reported in details in position and momentum spaces. This study also validated the Bialynicki-Birula and Mycielski (BBM) for the Shannon entropy in the ground and first excited state.

Holiday Chaos To Corporate Crisis: A Lesson From Christmas Vacation In Executive Protection, Rachael A. Zerr

Publications and Research

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) may be best known for its holiday humor, but it also inadvertently highlights critical issues in corporate security and executive protection. Through the kidnapping of Clark Griswold's boss, Frank Shirley, the film illustrates the vulnerabilities faced by high-net-worth individuals and executives. This paper draws parallels between the fictional events of the film and real-world cases of executive kidnapping and violence, emphasizing the need for robust security measures. It discusses modern executive protection strategies, including risk assessments, real-time monitoring, and cybersecurity, and highlights the role of technology in mitigating threats. Ultimately, this paper argues that as …

Air Supremacy, The Enabler Of Close Air Support Operations – An Evaluation Of Past, Present, And Future Air Campaigns., Owen Topolnicki

Senior Honors Theses

The achievement of gaining aerial supremacy, or lack thereof, is the hinge upon which Close Air Support (CAS) swings. The attainment of it enables CAS specialist aircraft, not unlike the Ju-87 Stuka or A-10 Thunderbolt II, to be exceptionally effective in their operating environment. While the lack of it, forces aircrews to pioneer new solutions either in the form of multi-role aircraft (capable of self-defense), or other innovative solutions similar to unmanned aerial systems (UAS’s), as aptly seen in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Thus, the ability of an air force to gain air supremacy and to do so quickly, …

China’S Strategic Use Of Digital Media, Sarah Beddingfield

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

In modern U.S. culture, digital media has become the single greatest influencer of public opinion and is the primary source of information distribution. The discourse that once was done at town meetings is now conducted in comment sections and the hand-pressed newspaper sold on the street corner has evolved into social platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. The Chinese Communist Party, in its attempt to meet its long-held strategic goals, has leveraged this public forum for the purposes of propaganda, misleading, and distraction to support its aims. Its manipulation of this vital component of American culture and community places the …

The National Defense Authorization Act V. The Bill Of Rights, David W. Bolton

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an annual renewal of authorization for the Pentagon to spend money separately appropriated in an appropriations bill. Authorizations contained within this controversial document have grown from permission to spend funding on military munitions to allowing the use of indefinite detention and certain ‘advanced interrogation’ techniques by the members of the armed forces against those actively or perceived to be seeking to dismantle the integrity of the American governmental structure. In 2011, it was signed into law in the middle of the night on New Year's Eve by President Barack Obama. For the purposes …

Letter From The Dean, Jason Bohm

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

No abstract provided.

Creating A Road Map For Librarians To Teach Statistical Literacy, Giovanna Badia

Journal of Graduate Librarianship

This article offers a case study of the development of a workshop on reading regression results. It also provides a practical overview of how librarians, guided by their own experiences working with data, can teach others how to read descriptive statistics and regression results. The broader aim of the article is to help librarians move toward teaching a workshop on any statistical literacy topic or expand their teaching activities in this area. It includes tips for preparing to develop a statistical literacy workshop, as well as a bibliography of learning and teaching resources on statistical analysis.