Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Point Fabrication Of Terahertz Metal Mesh Filters, Jared E. Payne, Brad Ferguson, Christian Chinh, Gregory N. Nielson, Stephen M. Schultz

Utah Space Grant Consortium

A metal mesh filter is fabricated by creating metallic squares on a dielectric substrate. This capacitive metallic filter is fabricated using direct write laser ablation consisting of a femtosecond laser in combination with a high numerical aperture objective. A multipoint fabrication approach is employed by using a holographic beam splitter element to split the beams into several identical gaussian beams. The transmission and reflection characteristics are discussed.

Surface Impact Dissociation Of Neutralized Ions: Studying Unimolecular Gas-Phase Reactions In The Context Of Cassini Inms Data, Dallin Tyger, Brandon Judd, Elijah Pehrson, Noah Durst, Daniel E. Austin

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Analysis of spaceborne analytes using mass spectrometers is complicated by hypervelocity impacts (v > 6 km s^-1), which induce dissociative scattering of analyte molecules and obscure compositional signatures. However, neutral dissociative scattering remains poorly understood due to the lack of controlled experimental data. To address this gap, we are developing the Surface Impact Neutralization Dissociation Instrument (SINDI), a laboratory platform that reproduced and analyzes these processes under controlled conditions. SINDI implements a two-stage experiment. First, mass-selected ions are accelerated onto a gold-plated surface to induce neutralization and dissociation. Second, following dissociation, the resulting neutral fragments are adsorbed onto …

The Impact Of Fellowship Training On Peer-Reviewed Publication Productivity In Academic Anesthesiologists As Evaluated By The H-Index, Acsa M. Zavala, Jagtar Singh Heir, Juan P. Cata, Lei Feng, Jose M. Soliz

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: The effect of anesthesiology fellowships on scholarly contributions has been minimally studied. In this study we analyzed differences in h-index between fellowship-trained and non–fellowship-trained anesthesiologists, as well as by type of fellowship, academic rank, and years in practice.

Methods: All anesthesiologists on staff between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022, were included in this study. The variables collected were fellowship training status, h-index, total number of publications, years in practice, academic rank, and years at the institution. For analysis, the anesthesiologists were divided into 2 groups: those with fellowship training and those without.

Results: Among 78 anesthesiologists, 40 …

Professional Alliance For Learning And Support (Pals): A Pilot Career Development Educational Program For Administrative Support Personnel In Healthcare Research, Ebonie R. Hatfield, Humberto Shaw, David P. Farris, Ronald Abraham, Dzifa Duose, Chad M. Middleton, Veronica Garza, Celia Garcia-Prieto, Ignacio I. Wistuba, Rama Soundararajan

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly transformed the healthcare research landscape, staging unprecedented challenges for administrative research-support personnel. While career programs and retention benefits have emerged to support frontline healthcare workers facing health concerns, burnout and employee-turnover, many “classified”/administrative support staff in research departments who experience similar challenges remain without adequate structured support. This lack of structure has impacted job satisfaction, career-progression and talent retention within this crucial sector.

Recognizing the critical importance of addressing this training gap for the benefit of the broader research enterprise, the Interdisciplinary Translational Education and Research Training (ITERT) Core at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center …

Ultra-Low Power Adcs For Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry Of Martian Dust, Eric Christie, Wood Chiang

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This paper presents a complete system integration strategy for a proven Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry (CDMS) instrument designed to analyze charged dust particles on Mars. To enable deployment in a power-constrained rover environment, an ultra-low supply voltage (ULV) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is required. ADC architectures operating below 0.21 V are compared to identify candidates that meet the system's stringent power and performance demands. A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based ADC is proposed and for ULV operation. Circuit-level implementations of VCO topologies are designed and evaluated in the TSMC 28 nm CMOS process using Cadence simulations. Based on simulation results, a VCO-CDAC topology …

A Pressure-Based Estimate Of Multi-Orifice Synthetic Jet Performance, Rhett T. Parry, Tim Berk

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Multiphase turbulence is a ubiquitous mechanism that drives the motion of fluid and particulate. In order to understand the behavior of this complex mechanism, it is critical to build facilities where driving parameters can be studies. Various flow actuators are used to drive turbulence, but we use synthetic jets for their geometric customizability and wide range operating parameters. Many studies based on synthetic jets focus on characterizing velocity while omitting the connection to turbulence. Additionally, most work in the existing literature is tied to the non-dimensional numbers but can obscure the limitations regarding both size and allowable driving conditions of …

A Methodology To Quantify The Shielding Efficiency Of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials, Jenny R. Whiteley, Tyler Heggenes, J.R. Dennison

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Radiation shielding is a common method used to protect spacecraft from the radiation prevalent in the space environment. A current research area of interest is Z-graded shielding, which is radiation shielding composed of various materials layered together based off of the properties associated with the material's atomic number, Z. This approach has the potential to produce new shielding materials that would be lighter and more compact than traditional shielding materials. Utah State University's Material Physics Group developed an experimental setup and analysis methodology to quantify how effectively novel shielding materials blocked beta and gamma radiation. The materials' effectiveness, termed shielding …

The Implementation Of Mindfulness-Based Practice For Nurse Leaders, Janelle L. Cooney

DNP and Student Works

Frontline nursing leadership is one of the most demanding positions in the clinical setting. A leader’s negative physical, psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues can directly impact staff and patient satisfaction, quality and safety metrics, and staff retention. The utilization of a mindfulness-based activity has been shown to be successful in a leader’s ability to cope with day-to-day professional stressors.

The Trgb–Sbf Project: Creating A New Distance Ladder With Surface Brightness Fluctuations, Mikaela Cowles, Joseph B. Jensen, Sydney Holt

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Many current observational methods to measure the expansion rate of the universe (H₀) rely on the same zero-point calibrations. Values of the Hubble constant derived from those local calibrations are in conflict with the predicted value of H₀ from the successful ΛCDM cosmological model, resulting in the "Hubble tension." In order to decrease systematic uncertainties, and to address this tension, we have created a new and independent sequence of distance measurement techniques. We have used James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to 14 giant elliptical galaxies that we used …

Far-Field Uav-Enabled Antenna Radiation Pattern Mapping, Jack Fernald

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This paper presents an overview of an research project at Weber State University (WSU) focused on developing a UAV-based system for measuring far-field radiation patterns of physically large antennas operating in the High-Frequency (HF, 3–30 MHz) and Very-High-Frequency (VHF, 30–300 MHz) ranges. Leveraging commercially available unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) components, software-defined radios (SDRs), open-source software tools, and advanced simulation environments, this project aims to create a cost-effective, scalable measurement solution that addresses the logistical challenges of traditional methods. By enabling autonomous three-dimensional radiation mapping of operational antennas in open-field environments, the proposed system refines industry practices and expands our understanding …

High-Frequency Satellite Imagery Reveals Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Algal Blooms On Utah Lake, Kaylee B. Tanner

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Utah Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake in Utah Valley, Utah, USA. It faces a number of water quality issues, with one of the most significant being the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABS) that impair its ecological health and economic value. We use data from the Sentinel 2 mission to investigate spatial and temporal bloom dynamics in four different regions of the lake. We leverage the frequent, spatially comprehensive satellite data to analyze the frequency, intensity, and duration of algal blooms on Utah Lake, and find that the southern end of the lake typically experiences the most intense …

Reconstruction Of Cad Models Into Analysis-Ready Single Trimmed Surfaces With Aerospace Applications, Rebecca Rasmussen, Royce Pablo Harline, Kendrick Shepherd

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Classical methods by which computer-aided design (CAD) geometries are represented for both design and analysis involve meshing. However, the current process of converting a CAD model into an analysis-suitable surface mesh takes a significant amount of time and labor [23, 4, 18], results in a faceted representation of the original smooth geometry, and generates representations that are prohibitively expensive for use in high-order explicit dynamics computations [35, 9].

This research focuses on accurately and efficiently rebuilding given CAD surfaces or meshes, such as shell-like components of aeronautical structures or automotive vehicles, into smooth, single trimmed spline surface approximations (rather than …

Production Of Iron Powder From Lunar Regolith By Carbonyl Iron Refining, Jason Sheets

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Carbonyl Iron Refining (CIR) is a promising method of iron production to be used in a lunar environment. Commercially, CIR operates at pressures > 200 bar, which is a challenge in a lunar landscape due to vessel weight constraints. Here we explore the feasibility of CIR operations at pressures < 60 bar in order to optimize the process for largescale lunar iron production. Many different forms of tests were conducted, and it was concluded that it is possible for CIR to perform at a lower pressure maximum. However, further experimentation and development needs to be perused in order to optimize the parameters to justify the processes usage.

Scalable Compliant Louvres Manufactured Via Sheet Lamination, Tyler R. Stevens, Benjamin Allen, Garrett Graham, Nathan B. Crane

Utah Space Grant Consortium

As space missions increase, relying on Earth-based supply chains for spacecraft components becomes increasingly unsustainable. In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) offers an alternative, yet many fabrication methods depend on gravity, utilize hazardous materials, require large amounts of energy, or introduce thermal challenges in spacecraft environments. Sheet materials show strong potential for ISM because they store and transport efficiently, offer functionalization options, and provide robust in-plane properties. However, most sheet-based manufacturing techniques require bulky equipment ill-suited for on-orbit deployment. Sheet Lamination (ShL), an underutilized additive manufacturing process that bonds and cuts thin sheets to create near-net-shape parts, presents a compact and scalable alternative, …

Public Policy Making At The State Level In Nigeria: A Review Of Contemporary Developments, A. Sat Obiyan

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper examines public policy making at the second tier level of government, namely the state, in Nigeria. It adopts a comparative approach by looking at the state of policy making under the current democratic government and the immediate past military regimes. Questionnaires were administered to some bureaucrats for this study. It found that personality of the individual leader and his perception of governance was a crucial variable in explaining the nature and pattern of public policy at the state level in the country. These factors were relevant regardless of the nature of government.

In addition, while the paper recognizes …

The Making Of South Africa's Foreign Policy Towards Peacekeeping And Conflict Resolution In Africa: Choices, Constraints And Prospects, Solomon Hailu

Journal of African Policy Studies

Post-apartheid South Africa is at the center of efforts to build greatly expended African self-help peacekeeping capacity. The study provides an important focus of analysis on South Africa's vision, ambitions and influence on the evolving practices of African security and sustained economic development. It is the concern of this study to relate and investigate the interplay between South Africa's own ambitions and willingness of other parties to encourage its leadership roles.

South Africa's political stability, military capacity and commitment to and African orientations in its foreign policy (as expressed in President Thabo Mbeki's African Renaissance and the Millennium African Plan, …

Political Parties And Factionalism In Nigeria's Fourth Republic: Their Impact On Political Stability, Adele J. Bamgbose

Journal of African Policy Studies

The desire to transform a nation's political system through organized political parties forms the bedrock of a genuine patriotism to move the country forward. When such patriotism becomes pseudo in nature through factions which produce strife leading to stresses and strains and other discord of malfunctioning organizations, the grand political edifice constructed through a genuine patriotism begins to crumble, and in a poetical manner, things will begin to fall apart and the center will no longer hold. This in a nutshell describes the Nigerian party system from inception. Thus, the enthusiasm that metamorphosed into the creation of political parties in …

Challenges And Opportunities Of Agricultural Research In The Sudan, Allam Ahmed

Journal of African Policy Studies

National research institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are under increasing governmental pressure to make direct and visible contributions to national research and development strategies. Although Sudan is a predominately agricultural economy, crop productivity is extremely low and does not exceed thirty percent of the level attained in research farms. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework for analyzing problems and identifying opportunities to strengthen African research institutions' role in development-oriented research. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the implementation capacity constraints, which exist in formal agricultural research, and the impact this has on …

Cover And Table Of Contents, Institute On African Affairs

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Reviews, Ogwo Jombo Umeh, Abraham Mbachirin

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Technology Spillovers From Foreign Direct Investment: Recent Empirical Findings—A Review, Khaled Elmawazini

Journal of African Policy Studies

This paper reviews the theory and the empirical studies on the hypothesis that FDI may generate technology spillovers to the host countries. There are five sources affecting the scope and significance of the technology spillovers from FDI: (1) linkages between foreign affiliates and local firms, (2) R&D efforts undertaken by MNC affiliates, (3) training of local firms in the foreign affiliates, (4) demonstration effects, and (5) ownership sharing of foreign affiliates.

The study concludes that: (1) The literature and empirical evidence show mixed support for the hypothesis that FDI yields positive spillovers to the host countries. (2) Backward linkages are …

Standardization Or Modification? Uk Firms' Marketing Strategy In Africa, Maktoba Omar, A. Vindelyn Smith-Hillman

Journal of African Policy Studies

The paper aims to identify those factors that influence UK multinational corporations' policy of standardisation within African economies. This is an important strategic issue as foreign direct investment within Africa represents a small but growing proportion of total FDI inflows. Regression analysis reveals that political risk is statistically significant as are cultural factors, whilst regulation proved to statistically insignificant.

Efficiency Processes In Egyptian Enterprises: Current Status In A Transition Economy, Samir S. Youssef

Journal of African Policy Studies

Taking the view that business organizations are essentially resource transformation agents aimed at satisfying societal needs for goods and services and, in effect, improving quality of life, this paper examines the impact of the transition stage forces on the efficiency processes in business organizations within the Egyptian economy, an economy that is still developing free market institutions.

Sustainable Agricultural Development In Nigeria: A Question Of Biotechnology, Environmental Conservation, Or Indigenous Knowledge?, Emmanuel O. Oritsejafor

Journal of African Policy Studies

Nigeria, like most developing countries, depends on agriculture primarily for subsistence and export revenues. However, Nigeria is confronted with food security challenges. Several factors have contributed to this problem, such as demographic trends, crude farming methods, deforestation, the oil boom and public policies that are not consistent with the socio-economic and political realities of the state.

Given these challenges, this inquiry will examine the socio-economic and environmental implications of recent recommendations by development agencies such as the United Nations Development Agency (UNDP), which has prescribed the use of biotechnology to address Africa's food security problems. This recommendation appears to be …

Cover And Table Of Contents, Institute On African Affairs

Journal of African Policy Studies

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscripts, Michele J. Koomen, Thomastine Sarchet-Maher, Jessica Williams

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Criminal Protection Of Genomic Data: A Comparative Analytical Study, Maitha Hareb Al Amimi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This study aims to provide an analytical comparison of legal protection mechanisms for genomic data in the United Arab Emirates and the United States by examining the legislative frameworks governing this sensitive information. Genomic data is among the most private forms of personal information due to its significant use in medicine, insurance, and employment—necessitating robust legal protections against misuse and genetic discrimination. In the UAE, the research focuses on the 2021 Personal Data Protection Law, which outlines rules for handling genomic data and imposes penalties for violations. It also examines the UAE Human Genome Law, which regulates the collection and …

Solvent Variability With Gold And Silver Nanoparticle Production Using Reverse Micelles, Cameron Ashton, Wendy E. Schatzberg, Samuel Tobler

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The synthesis of nanoparticle using reverse micelles is increasing in versatility, popularity, and effectivity. Nanoparticles have unique characteristics including a strong antimicrobial trait that can be effective and sterilizations and decomposition of microbes. Gold and silver have been effective as the ions used in the synthesis of such nanoparticles and have been successful for testing different solvent concentrations and production. Research has shown that different structures and sizes of nanoparticles are efficient at accomplishing different objective, however, trends show that the smaller the nanoparticle, the more efficient a nanoparticle is at fighting microbes.

Predicting Residual Stress Of High Entropy Allow Si-Hf-Cr-Ta-Zr For Directed Energy Deposition 3d Printing, J. Barton, Davin Stevens, Yanqing Su

Utah Space Grant Consortium

• Directed energy deposition (DED) is a developing additive manufacturing branch finding applications in aerospace, nuclear, and automotive industries.

Working On An Incubator To Image Cancer Cells: Development Of A Custom 3d-Printed Imaging Incubator For Refractive Index-Based Cell Classification, Spencer Brown, Vincent M. Rossi

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This project aims to develop a compact, 3D-printed incubation chamber for live-cell imaging using Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI), a technique that can distinguish cancerous cells from healthy ones based on refractive index. The chamber was designed in OnShape and built using FDM 3D printing, offering rapid prototyping, customizability, and cost efficiency.

While print failures and material limitations present challenges, the current design provides a stable, optically clear environment compatible with digital holography. The system is intended for 24–48 hour imaging experiments, with future work focusing on capturing differences in refractive index between healthy and cancerous cells.

This approach could support …