Digital Commons Network^™

Compositionally Complex Diborides: Competing Solubility During Sintering And Properties, Laura Silvestroni, Carlo Baldisserri, Jacopo Matteo Tabaglio, Nicola Gilli, Jeremy Watts, Steven M.I. Smith, Gregory E. Hilmas, William G. Fahrenholtz

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

An ultra-high temperature ceramic based on ZrB2, TiB2, and SiC was hot pressed to full density at 1850 °C. Addition of 5 vol% of different metal-compounds, in the form of HfC, VC, NbC or CrB2, increased the densification temperature to 1910 °C. The resulting compositionally complex ceramics had homogeneous microstructures with boride grains exhibiting core-shell features. The shell was a solid solution containing variable amounts of the three metals. Notably, TiB2 remained as a discrete phase in the reference material and in the presence of the V- and Cr- based additions, whilst it dissolved into the main ZrB2-based grains for …

Longitudinal Assessment Of Moral Distress And Burnout During Pediatric Residency In A Canadian Site: Low Prevalence But Notable Risk Of Attrition, Kenneth S. Lee, Dianna C. Louie, Elaine O. Cheung, Peter Dodek, Dylan King, Kimee Chong

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Although more than half of pediatric residents report burnout, the incidence of moral distress, the course of moral distress and burnout during residency, and associations between this course and personal characteristics of residents are unknown. The purpose of this work was to examine the incidence, temporal course, and associations of moral distress and burnout in pediatric residents.

Methods: In the pediatric training program of British Columbia Children’s Hospital, all residents were invited to complete the Moral Distress Scale-Revised thrice yearly, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory annually, between July 2016 and October 2018. In addition, residents reported a measure of …

Conducting Effective Literature Searches And Writing Strong Abstracts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This invited presentation for students at Poland's War Studies University communicates ideas on how Ph.D. students at this institution can enhance their research quality. Specific content includes formulating your research question, determining research aims and methodology, reviewing a research question checklist, understanding the meaning of search terms you propose to utilize, devising effective search strategies, consulting multiple varieties of information resources from multiple countries, finding gaps in literature, being able to distinguish between nuances in literature and data, writing succinct abstracts, and enhancing the clarity of your prose.

Rose Receives Award For Excellence In Academic Service Unit, Communications And Marketing

Campus News Archive

No abstract provided.

Tollefsrud To Give Student Address At Umn Morris Commencement, Communications And Marketing

Campus News Archive

No abstract provided.

Program Review Report 4-15-25, Angela Brock

Program Review Committee

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes 4-15-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Ucc Agenda 4-15-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Approved Courses 4-15-25, Angela Brock

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Icc Agenda 4-15-25, Angela Brock

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Health Risk Assessment Of Heavy Metal(Loid)S Intake From Beverages In The United States, Hannah T.V. Stoner, Tewodros Rango Godebo, Pornpimol Kodsup Taylor

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Heavy metals in beverages can pose health risks in an exposure-dependent manner, however, few studies in the United States have evaluated their metal content and health risks. This study determined the concentrations of eight metal(loid)s, As, Al, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, in 60 beverages via inductively coupled plasma[sbnd]mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The highest median concentrations (µg/kg) were found in mixed fruit juices for Ni (45.7), Cr (14.8), and As (4.5); tea for Mn (5,300), Al (730), and Pb (1.4); and plant-based milk for Zn (835) and Cd (1.1). Chronic daily intake (CDI) across age groups was calculated using …

Preservation And Integrity Of Laboratory Solutions: Understanding The Impact Of Storage Practices On Chemical Stability And Experimental Accuracy, Azza Al Jahdhami

Honors Theses

Chemical storage methods represent a key matter ignored within labs, educational sites, workplaces, and even households. Many people, including various students and instructors within the chemistry field, are unaware of the proper methods for storing and disposing of common chemicals. This study aims to understand the effects of storage practices on chemical stability and experimental accuracy, dealing with the following questions: What kind of effects result from improper chemical disposal? How can improper storage affect the overall chemical effectiveness? Why is sink disposal of many solutions discouraged, and why is waste container disposal always necessary?

Through a literature review, this …

Boeing 747 Fixed Drive Link Redesign, Eric White

Honors Theses

This project focuses on redesigning the fixed drive link for the Boeing 747-400, a critical component of the flap actuation system that connects the drive mechanism to the flaps. Over recent years, this part has been prone to fracturing under full flap deflection. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have investigated this issue but have not successfully developed a durable solution.

This problem was presented by Kalitta Air, an air freight company experiencing frequent failures and costly maintenance related to the fixed drive link. If fracturing of the fixed drive link occurs the component must immediately be replaced. Similar …

Design Of A Retaining Wall For M-10 Freeway, Anthony Paul

Honors Theses

The M-10 Freeway, also known as the John C. Lodge Freeway, is bordered by retaining walls at the project location, one section of which required replacement to meet safety and serviceability standards. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this project focused on the redesign and replacement of a 300-foot section of retaining wall along the southeast-bound lanes of M-10, between Curtis Street and Outer Drive. The 20-foot-tall retaining wall also supports traffic loads from the overhead James Couzens Freeway. Through geotechnical and structural design, several alternatives were developed and evaluated. A CIP concrete cantilever wall was selected with a height of 21 …

Variable Volume Refrigerator, Ryder Dietz

Honors Theses

This project presents the design and development of a Variable Volume Mini-Fridge Shelf, a solution to address the limitations of fixed compartment sizes in standard mini-fridge/freezer units. The proposed design enables users to dynamically adjust the internal ratio of fridge to freezer space using a repositionable shelf integrated with an airflow-regulating vent. The project involved multiple stages, including concept development, thermal and flow simulations, and physical prototyping.

SolidWorks Flow Simulation was employed to validate natural convection-driven airflow between compartments and guide initial design decisions. While attempts were made to integrate a dynamic control loop using MATLAB Simulink and the SolidWorks …

Investigating Cold Homicide Cases In Michigan: Combining Systematic Research With Experiential Insight, Jaqueline Chavarria

Honors Theses

According to the Michigan State Police (2023), murder/non-negligent manslaughter, commonly known as homicide, is the “willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.” The Murder Accountability Project suggests there could be over 20,000 unsolved homicide cases in Michigan between 1965 and 2023 (2024). Despite the prevalence of unsolved cases, scholarly analysis on the topic is limited. This study examines solvability factors, also known as clearance factors, for cold homicide cases in Michigan by conducting a systematic literature review with news publications. Additionally, this study incorporates experiential insight, offering a holistic exploration of solvability factors. Using a systematic approach, 15 …

Fd&C Red Dye No. 40 (Allura Red) Effects On Non-Human Animal Testing: A Systematic Review, Vilate Winfrey

Honors Theses

Artificial food dye is added to foods to enhance their color and appearance for consumers. This systematic review aims to review the literature on Red Dye No. 40 and its effects on non-human animals. Studies were included if (a) exposure to Red Dye No. 40 was the independent variable, (b) nonhuman animals were the subjects, and (c) at least one behavioral, neurological, or physiological dependent variable was reported. An article search was conducted with Scopus Elsevier. An abstract review was conducted to determine whether the articles met all inclusion criteria. The author conducted a multi-stage application of inclusion criteria to …

Truly We Speak Podcast - Creative Thesis Project: "Uplifting Faith, Community, And Education Through The Voice Of The People.", Sierra Ward

Honors Theses

This creative thesis has been curated by Sierra Ward, a Sales and Marketing student at Western Michigan University. The intent behind this project was to combine shared interests between Faith, Community, and education to create a podcast, interviewing prominent members of the community, in hopes of inspiring others to “speak truly” and use their voice to evoke everlasting change. A wide range of guest were chosen to have authentic conversations with the purpose of educating the audience about real life situations. The filming of this project started in Fall of 2024 and concluded in the Spring of 2025.

Growing up …

How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats, Lindsey R. Dennison

Theses

Neotropical nectar bats in cloud forest ecosystems must navigate and forage in dark, complex landscapes containing an incredible diversity of flowering plants. Despite these challenges, nectar bats are extremely successful at exploiting nectar resources from plants. Much of the sensory ecology behind these bat-plant interactions has been investigated and we know from previous studies that echolocation and olfaction are critical sensory modalities to nectar bats. Echo-acoustically conspicuous floral and vegetative structures as well as sulfur-containing volatile compounds function as signals, allowing bats to sense plants. However, not all plants exhibit conspicuous echo-acoustic and/or olfactory characteristics. Furthermore, many neotropical bat-pollinated plants …

Analysis Of Nitrogen Accumulation And Gene Expression In Hydroponically-Grown Chenopodium Genotypes, Teal Kalt

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen (N) is an essential macronutrient required by all plants to complete their life cycles. Inefficient N uptake contributes to over fertilization and subsequent environmental and sustainability issues resulting in the need for improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Chenopodium quinoa is a resilient pseudocereal crop that is relatively adapted to N-deficient soils. Previous studies have uncovered the unique genetic structure of quinoa and its physiological responses to N availability; however, gaps remain in understanding its molecular mechanisms for NUE. This study investigates four quinoa genotypes (Real-1, 0654, KU-2, and QQ74) hydroponically grown in N-deficient conditions. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis identified …

Prolonged Impact Of Simulation Education On Athletic Training Students’ Perceived Self-Confidence In Recognizing And Managing Exertional Heat Stroke: A Follow-Up Study, Hannah L. Stedge, Valerie Herzog, Beth L. Kinslow, Malissa Martin

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Research on simulation education in athletic training has shown promise for preparing future clinicians with clinical skills, confidence, and patient communication after initial interventions. Little is known regarding the lasting impact of these simulation interventions. Recent qualitative studies have explored the longitudinal impact of simulation interventions on athletic trainers’ professional clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of simulation education on self-confidence in recognizing and managing exertional heat stroke (EHS) among athletic training students (ATS) 18 months after their initial simulation encounters. Method: This study used a non-experimental, exploratory research design. Participants were …

Introduction To Prompt Engineering, Mary Rubin, Rachel Vacek

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This presentation explores the fundamentals of effective prompt engineering, which involves well-crafted instructions for AI models to generate meaningful responses. Effective prompts can be written using frameworks like CLEAR and TRACI. The CLEAR Framework focuses on conciseness, logical structure, explicitness, adaptability, and reflection, while TRACI emphasizes task, role, audience, creation, and intent.

Additionally, the presentation addresses ethical considerations and best practices in prompt engineering, including academic integrity, attribution and transparency, and the importance of evaluation and assessment. By mastering these techniques, users can optimize their interactions with AI models, ensuring accuracy, relevancy, and minimizing bias.

Acute Pain Treatment In Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Transitioned To Buprenorphine: Evidence Of Equivalent Pain Relief, Christopher P. Carroll, Elizabeth J. Prince, Ashley P. Lauriello, Lydia H. Pecker, Sophie M. Lanzkron

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Objectives Buprenorphine is a novel opioid analgesic with complex receptor pharmacology. It is safer than high dose chronic treatment with full agonist opioids. However, buprenorphine can inhibit conventional opioids, complicating acute pain treatment. Methods We compare acute pain treatment outcomes in 55 sickle cell disease patients in the year before and after transition to buprenorphine. Infusion center visits, ED visits, and hospital admissions were compared before and after transition, and pain outcomes were compared using linear mixed effects models with patients entered as random effects to account for differential contribution to the outcomes by visit rates. Results Acute care visits …

Enhancing Emergency Department Communication: Structural Requirements And Outcomes Of Standardized Handover Processes, Bridgette A. Moss-Sherman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication during patient handovers is crucial for ensuring safe, quality care in the emergency departments (EDs) of small to medium-sized hospitals. The absence of standardized communication tools presents significant challenges, potentially leading to errors and hindering care coordination. This integrative review evaluates strategies for implementing standardized handover processes while examining their outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced communication practices. Grounded in the Donabedian quality conceptual framework, which encompasses structure, process, and outcomes as interconnected components of healthcare quality, the review identifies five key themes: (a) standardized communication protocols, advocating for the adoption of structured tools like SBAR and …

K-12 Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Legal Requirements For Providing Inclusive Education, Rebecca Kay Berger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a large school system in the northwestern United States, students who received specially designed instruction services at the middle school study site were not always included with nondisabled peers in general education classes to the extent possible. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Vygotsky’s social constructivist paradigm, which says shared experiences shape people. Using a mixed methods, nonexperimental research design, data were collected using a concurrent, embedded strategy using a pre- and posttreatment online survey with 17 teacher-participants for the pretreatment survey and 11 participants for the posttreatment survey. The treatment in this study was a district-approved professional …

Jonathan David Knott

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Jonathan David Knott, held at First Baptist Church of Orlando on April 15, 2025.

Eny Development Llc V. Sneed

All Decisions

In this nonpayment proceeding involving a LIHTC-regulated apartment, the tenant invoked protections under the CARES Act to contest the landlord's claim. The tenant moved to dismiss based on federal notice requirements for properties receiving federal subsidies. The court found that the CARES Act applied, drawing persuasive authority from Sherwood Auburn LLC v. Pinzon and Arvada Vill. Gardens PL v. Garate, which clarified that LIHTC properties are covered by the statute's protections. Concluding the landlord failed to meet the Act's 30-day notice prerequisite, the court granted the tenant's motion. Practice note: In nonpayment cases involving subsidized housing, practitioners must evaluate CARES …

Eyes On The Road: Disentagling Cyclist Mental Workload At Intersections, James Joseph Rawson

Civil Engineering ETDs

In North America, cyclists often share infrastructure with motor vehicles and encounter frequent conflicts with them at intersections. While past research assumes cyclists' experiences mirror those of drivers, most studies focus on roadway segments rather than intersections. This study addresses that gap by, for the first time we are aware of, examining cyclist perceptions at intersections using head and gaze movement data. Leveraging naturalistic data conducted in Albuquerque New Mexico, and statistical techniques, including t-test and repeated measures ANOVA, our findings suggest that – similar to drivers - cyclists do experience greater mental workload when performing turning movements than when …

Effects Of Chronic Metal Exposure And Metamorphosis On The Microbiomes Of Larval And Adult Insects And Riparian Spiders Through The Aquatic-Riparian Food Web, Brittany G. Perrotta, Karen A. Kidd, Amy Marcarelli, Gordon Paterson, David M. Walters

Michigan Tech Publications

The macroinvertebrate microbiome controls various aspects of the host's physiology, from regulation of environmental contaminants to reproductive output. Aquatic insects provide critical nutritional subsidies linking aquatic and riparian food webs while simultaneously serving as a contaminant pathway for riparian insectivores in polluted ecosystems. Previous studies have characterized the transport and transfer of contaminants from aquatic to riparian ecosystems through insect metamorphosis, but both contaminant exposure and metamorphosis are energetically intensive processes that may cause host microbiomes to undergo radical transformation in structure and function, potentially affecting the host's physiology. We collected arthropods from three sites within Torch Lake, a historical …

Developing Adaptive Expertise To Support All Learners: An Autoethnographic Investigation Of My Teaching Journey, Jennifer Zacuto

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Entering the profession with vastly different preparation and perspectives, teachers encounter diverse students, complex contexts, and shifting expectations for which they frequently find themselves underprepared by their preservice training. With greater awareness emerging about the significant effect that individual teachers have on student outcomes, and an understanding that the knowledge and mindsets needed for optimal instruction cannot be fully developed during preservice education, teachers need effective paths for ongoing professional development (PD). Self-directed PD, with its capacity for customization in content and pacing, has the potential to more effectively foster meaningful and continuous teacher learning. Through autoethnographic methods (e.g., Adams …