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Issue 457: December 2024, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

Special Issue: 2024 The Townies

Assessing The Effect Of Material Properties On Full Depth Reclamation (Fdr) Mixtures Via Compressive Strength Characterization, Toluwanimi Ogundipe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Enormous amounts of money to replace all poorly maintained roads with brand new construction or with rehabilitation options like the mill and overlay which neglects the address of underlying pavement issues. To reduce the cost intensity of new construction of dilapidated pavements, state departments of transportation are seeking cost-effective techniques to rehabilitate roads. One of the techniques that have been explored and implemented by state DOTs is full-depth reclamation. Full depth reclamation (FDR) as a pavement rehabilitation technique is the reclaiming and recycling of an existing pavement with a predetermined amount of existing base layer. The combination of the reclaimed …

Controlling Expansion Behavior Through Curing And Mix Design For An Expansive, Rapid-Setting Bcsa Cement, Amanda Parolini Dutra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cracking in concrete has been a concern for engineers because it reduces its durability and strength. Some of this cracking behavior is due to shrinkage, which occurs when the water in the concrete evaporates and causes a reduction in volume. Expansive cements were invented to counteract this shrinkage behavior. This research studies a new formulation of a standalone, fast-setting, fast-strength gain expansive BCSA cement. Since it is a new cement, a limited amount of literature is available about mixture design, strength properties, and how to obtain the desired level of expansion. This study then aims to fill some of these …

Determination Of The Internal Erosion Potential Of Bcsa Soil-Cement Using A Modified Hole Erosion Test System, Edgar Enrique Ortega De La Cruz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levees play a fundamental role in preserving human lives and resources and are the key infrastructure protecting against flood events. In the United States, the levee system is extensive, but unfortunately many of the levees were either not engineered or have well exceeded their intended design life. This was evident after the Midwest floods of 2019, which resulted in the failure of multiple levees leading to costly losses and repairs. In addition, flood levels remained high for days at a time, making it imperative to find fast and effective repair methods. This thesis presents a study conducted at the University …

Advanced Numerical Techniques For Multiscale Simulations In Biofluid Dynamics, Justin Tamico Jack

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The study of anisometric particle suspensions and congenital heart defects (CHDs) involve exploring complex phenomena within the biological sciences. The former subject dives into the phase behavior of liquid crystals (LCs), particularly the influence of the shape anisotropy of rod-like nanoparticles on phase transitions, through the implementation of statistical techniques involving molecular dynamics (MD). Conversely, the latter topic focuses on the assessment and management of severe congenital arterial stenoses, such as those found in Williams-Beuren syndrome (WS), through advanced multi-scale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Both areas emphasize the importance of detailed analysis and the use of advanced numerical modeling …

Paste Properties, Hardened Concrete Properties, And Mix Design Process For Magnesium Phosphate Cement, Rilye Dillard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Magnesium phosphate cement (MPC) is a rapid-setting alternative cement typically used as a quick repair material. MPC has gained popularity in recent years due to its ability to reduce CO2 emissions, its strong chemical resistance, and potential use in large scale applications. There is currently limited research on the properties of MPC when varying the proportions of its ingredients. Several hardened concrete properties were analyzed on concrete mixtures made with MPC. A mix design process for MPC concrete is proposed based on testing of 300 MPC paste mixtures and 115 MPC concrete mixtures. A standardized mix design process is imperative …

An Investigation Into The Effect Of Performance Engineered Mixture (Pem) Design On The Workability And Strength Of Concrete Pavement Mixtures, Alexander Cook

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) currently requires a minimum cement content of 564 pounds of cement per cubic yard of concrete. This minimum cement requirement can be reduced through the utilization of optimized gradation of aggregates within concrete mixtures as well as the addition of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as fly ash. The study presented in this paper aims to demonstrate how the use of the Tarantula Curve can be used to design concrete mixtures with reduced cement contents while maintaining sufficient workability for concrete mixtures to be used for slipform paving. Fresh workability was measured using the …

Evidence Of Capacity Building And Critical Consciousness In An Institutional Partnership: An Organizational Case Study Of The Gateway Research Park, Natasha E. Johnson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are complex and intricate systems of people, processes, and practices. HEI practices and processes are often extended through strategic partnerships and external collaborations, increasing their capacity or ability to obtain their stated goals. This notion extends to minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is important to understand whether partnerships have the capacity to meet their goals, especially if there are risks for minority-serving institutions and those traditionally marginalized, which is a problem. The purpose of this qualitative organizational case study was to explore the evidence of critical consciousness and capacity building in a …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Buhach Colony High School, Shad M. Menezes

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report documents the implementation and outcomes of a comprehensive agricultural education program at Buhach Colony High School, aligning with California Career Technical Education (CTE) standards. The project focuses on enhancing student engagement through curriculum development, leadership activities, Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs), and career readiness initiatives. Key components include expanding pathway offerings in horticulture, mechanics, and agricultural sciences, integrating field experiences, and hosting guest speakers to connect students with industry professionals.

Learning To Facilitate English Language Discussion With Newcomers Using Visual Narratives, Laura B. Kelly

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This self-study reports a teacher educator’s efforts to support college student tutors in facilitating English language discussions about a wordless picturebook with immigrant and refugee youth at a newcomer high school. Drawing on critical sociocultural theory and practice-based teacher education, the study reports how tutors adopted a new and unfamiliar pedagogical repertoire as they became more skilled discussion facilitators. The study documents support needed (and missing) for the college tutors to take up this skill. Additionally, the study reports the affordances of a particular wordless book, The Arrival, as a tool that college student tutors used in the process of …

Microwave Flow Cytometer For Single Cell Detection, Differentiation, And Drug Effect Study, Neelima Dahal

All Dissertations

New methods to rapidly detect and identify pathogens in patients’ blood are needed for timely disease treatment. In this work, a tunable microwave interferometer was used to measure single Candida cells of C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, and C. krusei at multiple frequencies between 0.265 GHz and 7.76 GHz. A Quadratic Discriminate Analysis was used to classify Candida species with an accuracy of 0.875. Likewise, a microwave device was used to measure single Escherichia coli cells of B and K-12 strains at multiple frequencies between 500 MHz and 8 GHz. A LightGBM model was developed to …

Electrochemical Techniques For The Treatment Of Source-Separated Urine, Philip Arve

All Dissertations

Urine makes up approximately 1% of the total volume of municipal wastewater, but it contributes up to 75% of the nitrogen and 50% of the phosphorus received by publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). These elements are essential nutrients for plant growth and trigger algal blooms when released into natural bodies of water, resulting in rapid ecological degradation. Removing these nutrients from municipal wastewater is energy intensive and often operationally sensitive. The past few decades have seen an increase in focus on the source-separation and side-stream treatment of urine.

Urine characteristics differ greatly from those of municipal wastewater, presenting an opportunity …

Neuroplasticity And Creativity: Transformative Potential Of Fibre Arts For Growth And Well-Being, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article explores the transformative potential of fibre arts—such as quilting, weaving, and embroidery—as tools for personal growth, neuroplasticity, and well-being. Drawing on neuroscience and psychology, it demonstrates how engaging with fibre arts stimulates brain regions associated with problem-solving, sensory integration, and adaptability, fostering neural growth and enhancing cognitive flexibility. Fibre arts, through their inherent challenges and opportunities for play, provide a perfect medium for stepping beyond familiar boundaries, cultivating resilience, and reducing stress. This interplay of creativity and tactile engagement is particularly effective due to the historical undervaluation of fibre arts, which makes them novel and accessible mediums that …

Expanding Sensory Kit Utilization Across Age And Contexts: Bridging Gaps For Inclusive Accessibility, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Sensory kits, initially developed for neurodivergent children, have seen growing integration into various educational, cultural, and therapeutic contexts. However, their broader applicability, particularly for adults and diverse populations, remains underexplored. This study examines existing practices in the design and use of sensory kits within academic, museum, and inclusion frameworks, highlighting their role in promoting focus, reducing anxiety, and supporting self-regulation. Using case studies from institutions such as the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, alongside a review of evidence-based interventions like weighted items and fidget tools, the research underscores the potential of these tools in diverse environments. The methodology …

Is Energy Local? Counterintuitive Non-Locality Of Energy In General Relativity Can Be Naturally Explained On The Newtonian Level, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

From the physics viewpoint, energy is the ability to perform work. To estimate how much work we can perform, physicists developed several formalisms. For example, for the fields, once we know the Lagrangian, we can find the energy density and, by integrating it, estimate the overall energy of the field. Usually, this adequately describe how much work this field can perform. However, there is an exception -- gravitational field in General Relativity. The known formalism to compute its energy density leads to 0 -- and by integrating this 0, we get a counterintuitive conclusion that the overall energy of the …

Logarithmic Number System Is Optimal For Ai Computations: Theoretical Explanation Of Empirical Success, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich, Christoph Lauter, Kristalys Ruiz-Rohena

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Everyone knows the success story of machine-learning AI. However, the current AI tools are not perfect. We know how to make them better: every time we increase the amount of computations by the order of magnitude, we get a drastic improvement in the performance of the resulting machine learning tools. Training modern AI system requires a tremendous amount of computations -- that already take a lot of time. So, to increase the number of computations, we need to make each computation step faster. One way to do that is to use low-precision arithmetic operations, e.g., with 1 byte per real …

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2024, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Role Of Chemical Priming Agents In Modulating Germination Response To Enhance Crop Eetablishment In Cereal Crops, Shubh Pravat Singh Yadav, Dipesh Kumar Mehata, Sujan Bhandari, Netra Prasad Ghimire, Susmita Bhattarai, Indira Kattel, Shobha Pokhrel, Sangita Bhujel

Extension Publications

Seed priming is a critical pre-sowing strategy to enhance germination and early seedling vigour under diverse environmental conditions. This study evaluated the effects of various priming agents, including Boric acid, DAP, CaCO3, FeCl2, Urea, PEG (5%), CuSO4, MOP, PEG (10%), and ZnSO4, on germination parameters-germination percentage (GP), germination speed (GS), germination energy (GE), and vigour index (VI)-across rice, wheat, and maize varieties. A two factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design, with ANOVA revealing significant effects (p < 0.001) of variety, treatment, and their interaction on germination traits. The results demonstrated that FeCl2 significantly improved germination in rice, particularly for the BRRI Dhan-66 variety, while CaCO3 and PEG treatments showed varying efficacy across crops. In wheat, the Bijaya variety exhibited superior performance with CaCO3 treatment, whereas DAP was more effective for Banganga. Maize showed the highest germination rates overall, with Sundarharaicha-LR1 responding positively to ZnSO4 and boric acid. Correlation and PCA analyses highlighted strong interdependence among germination traits, with GS and GP emerging as robust indicators. Varietal clustering in PCA revealed genetic variability in response to priming agents. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing priming techniques for enhancing seed performance in cereals. The findings emphasize the importance of tailored priming strategies based on crop species and variety to maximize agricultural productivity.

Shale Investment Dashboard In Ohio Q3 And Q4 2023, Mark Henning, Andrew R. Thomas, Samuel Owusu-Agyemang

All Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs Publications

This report presents findings from an investigation into shale-related investment in Ohio, looking at up, mid and downstream activities. The investment estimates are for July through December of 2023. The report also includes an estimate of cumulative investment into shale in Ohio from 2012 through December 2023. Prior biannual investments are included in previously posted reports that are available from Cleveland State University.

Investigation Of Polybenzoxazine Vitrimers Based On Dynamic Transesterification Exchange, Jaylen Davis

Dissertations

With the ever-increasing issue of plastic waste production, a greener approach to synthetic processes and increased sustainability in plastic materials is still a high demand. Thermosets, which find uses in applications such as coatings, adhesives, and aerospace composites account for 15% of global plastics production, are particularly problematic in this context, as covalent crosslinks within the material serve both as a source of high-performance stability during use and as a barrier to conventional recycling after use. Therefore, our efforts focus on the incorporation of dynamic transesterification exchange chemistry into polybenzoxazine thermosets, which allows these materials to undergo reprocessing. This investigation …

Chandler & Price Printing Press: Patents From Late 19th To Early 20th Centuries, Ashley S. Mcguire

Patent Coloring Books

Patent coloring book

Estimating Medium-Term Regional Monthly Economic Activity Reductions During The Covid-19 Pandemic Using Nighttime Light Data, Ma Flordeliza P. Del Castillo, Toshio Fujimi, Hirokazu Tatano

SOSE Affiliate: Manila Observatory

Economic impact estimates of the initial lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic showed a significant reduction in economic activities globally. However, the succeeding impacts and their spatiotemporal distribution within countries remain unknown. Studies showed that nighttime light data (NTL) has effectively revealed the spatiotemporal dimensions of the economic effects of COVID-19. Thus, this study used NTL data to determine the medium-term regional monthly economic impacts of the pandemic in the Philippines in terms of the Economic Activity Reduction (EAR) index. We generated a spatial error model, regressing pre-pandemic NTL on mean temperature, maximum rainfall, and built-up area. This model explained …

Development Of A Pressure Sensing System Coupled With Deployable Machine Learning Models For Assessing Residual Limb Fit In Lower Limb Prosthetics, Maxwell D. Lewter

Master's Theses

Lower limb amputations pose significant challenges for patients, with over 150,000 cases annually in the U.S., leading to a high demand for effective prosthetics. However, only 43% of lower limb prosthetic users report satisfaction, primarily due to issues with socket fit, which is critical for comfort, stability, and preventing injury. This study presents a deployable sensing system for potentially real-time monitoring of prosthetic socket fit by using pressure sensors and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to analyze the pressure distribution within the socket. A novel CNN architecture, utilizing both dilated and strided convolutions, is proposed to effectively capture spatial-temporal patterns in …

News From Hope College, Volume 56.2: Winter 2024, Hope College

News from Hope College

No abstract provided.

Acer 2023-2024 Annual Report, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

ACER Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

University Of Dayton Magazine, Winter 2024-25, University Of Dayton

University of Dayton Alumni Publications

The University of Dayton Magazine is published quarterly by the Office of University Marketing and Communications for alumni, parents, students, faculty/staff, trustees and other friends of UD.

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes And The Dominant Role Of Vegetation In Recently Created And Reference Gulf Coast Marshes, A. Muench, T. Elsey-Quirk, J. R. White, R. D. Delaune

Faculty Publications

Coastal wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth with the capacity to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Wetland loss due to anthropogenic and natural causes reduces the carbon (C) storage capacity and potentially releases previously fixed C in biomass and soil to the water column and atmosphere through decomposition. Coastal wetland restoration has the potential to mitigate some of the C losses depending on the balance of C fluxes. However, the role of vegetation and environmental conditions in governing rates of C accumulation in restoration sites is not well resolved. The purpose of this study …

Net Evaporation-Induced Mangrove Area Loss Across Low-Lying Caribbean Islands, Isamar M. Cortés, Jorge Lorenzo-Trueba, Andre S. Rovai, Robert R. Twilley, Mark Chopping, Temilola Fatoyinbo

Faculty Publications

Although mangroves provide many beneficial ecosystem services, such as blue carbon storage and coastal protection, they are currently under threat due to changes in climate conditions, such as prolonged drought exposure. Under drought conditions, evaporation exceeds precipitation and high soil salinities can lead to stunted growth and die-back. To quantify this interplay, we developed a database for low-lying and uninhabited mangrove islands in the Caribbean under various evaporation and precipitation regimes. We extracted physical and biological information from each island using remote sensing techniques and coupled it with a process-based model. We used this database to develop a model that …

A Temperature Tipping Point In Hypoxic Zone Size, R. Eugene Turner, Nancy N. Rabalais, Cassandra N. Glaspie

Faculty Publications

Temperature increases will have ubiquitous effects on aquatic food webs, from microbes to consumers, and affect the quality and quantity of carbon flows within and between water layers. A decline in the biological pump moving carbon from surface to lower layers is anticipated. We reviewed 37 years of data on hypoxic zone size and water quality in the northern Gulf of Mexico to determine if air and bottom water temperature increases (0.5°C decade⁻¹) are significantly related to variations in its areal size. There was no significant decline in important river water quality in the 24 years since the …

Minimizing Take Of Threatened Rattlesnakes And Optimizing Project Review In Se Nebraska, Shaun Dunn, Dan Fogell, Colleen Rothe-Groleau

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

The western massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus) and the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) are protected under Nebraska Statute 37-801-811 and listed as threatened species. These species occur in the right-of-way (ROW) along several roads in Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee, and Richardson Counties which necessitates the need for added Environmental Review (ER) from Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) staff and onsite surveys prior and during maintenance and construction to roadways. This project sought to minimize ER time, staff time, and increase the knowledge of these species in southeast Nebraska by:

1. Identifying precise locations of western massasauga brumation sites;
2. Mapping travel …