Digital Commons Network^™

Shark Skin Riblet Microstructures: An Oceanic Solution To Reduce Shear Wall Stress And Skin Friction, Ashyln Veitz, Carson Running

Mechanical Engineering Student Publications

Minimizing energy consumption and its associated costs is a key priority in engineering. Potential solutions are found in nature, particularly the skin of the shortfin mako shark. The riblet microstructures have been shown to reduce drag, offering a promising method for energy reduction in various industries. This study investigates the effectiveness of riblet microstructures in reducing wall shear stress and skin friction in laminar flow. The flow over a flat plate is compared with flow over a riblet-structured surface, considering the impact of the temperature of the fluid. Results show that as temperature increases, shear wall stress and skin friction …

An Analysis Of Flow Properties Of Shock Tube Boundary Layer, Cheyenne Harrison, Carson Running

Mechanical Engineering Student Publications

Ice crystal behaviors in the upper atmosphere are very unknown and under-researched, leaving them a mystery as to how they might interact with objects traveling through this region. Currently the University of North Dakota Aerosol Engineering Laboratory is creating an experiment to drop an ice crystal through a vale on a shock tube. This project aimed to solve for properties of the air flow traveling through the shock tube to see how it might affect the falling ice crystal. These properties included Reynolds number, boundary layer thickness, wall shear stress, and velocity contours of the boundary layer. Through Excel and …

The Effects Wind Has On Ocean Current Speeds For Marine Renewable Energy Applications, Parkerjay Hoaglund, Carson Running

Mechanical Engineering Student Publications

This paper explores the influence of wind on ocean current speeds at varying depths and its implications for marine renewable energy systems, particularly underwater turbines. By analyzing the fluid mechanics of ocean currents and applying the Navier-Stokes equations under simplified assumptions, velocity and pressure profiles were developed to model the interaction between wind and water. The research highlights the dependence of ocean current velocity on wind speed and depth, demonstrating that maximum current speeds and power generation potential occur near the ocean surface. Using MATLAB simulations, power generation by an underwater turbine was analyzed under varying wind speeds and depths, …

Airflow Over Nasa’S X-59, Quiet Supersonic Technology (Quesst), Laina Behrenbrinker, Carson Running

Mechanical Engineering Student Publications

The X-59 QueSST is an experimental aircraft that will reach supersonic speeds without producing a loud sonic boom. Those on the ground will hear something like distant thunder as the X-59 passes overhead, around 75 dB. This paper studies the pressure distribution over the nose of the X-59 and the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) on the surface of the X-59 nose (1/3 of the total vehicle length) to better understand how sound propagates through the atmosphere. The resulting SPL over the aircraft nose is 180 – 190 dB, and further the SPL on the ground is calculated to be 43-53 …

Breaking The Sound Barrier: Exploring Ramjet Inlet Dynamics, Daniel Early, Carson Running

Mechanical Engineering Student Publications

This study investigates the impact of varying density, x location, and Mach number on key aerodynamic parameters of a ramjet inlet spike. Density plays a crucial role in equations for Reynolds number, boundary layer thickness, shear stress, coefficient of friction, and coefficient of drag. By keeping all other variables constant and increasing density, an increase in Reynolds number, a decrease in boundary layer thickness, and a decrease in the coefficient of drag was observed. Additionally, the x location along the ramjet inlet spike was analyzed to determine its effects on these parameters. With an increase in x, Reynolds number and …

Potential Health Risks From Trace Elements In Four Commercially Important Fish Species From The Gulf Of Alaska And Bering Sea Excel Data Sheet, Miranda Brohman, Dimtirios Giarikos, Amy Hirons

SECLER Data

Alaskan waters support a diverse array of fish species that are critical to apex predators and substantial commercial fisheries. Archived white lateral muscle tissue for capelin, herring, walleye pollock, and Pacific cod, from 1993 to 1996 were analyzed for 15 trace elements using induced coupled plasma mass spectrometry. This analysis serves as a proxy for assessing trace element concentrations in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. The highest concentrations of eight of the 15 elements (cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iron, manganese, selenium, vanadium, and zinc) were found in fish from the central Gulf of Alaska, while capelin showed the …

Unh's Connell Recognized For His U.S. Patent, Brooks Payette

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Teacher Growth Through Professional Development Centered On The Teaching For Robust Understanding Framework, Eileen Murray, Helene S. Leonard, Victoria D. Bonaccorso

Department of Mathematics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Research on teacher learning has continually defined tenants of effective professional development. However, sweeping overhauls and mandates have not yielded the intended results. Instead, transforming approaches to teaching can and should be achieved through innovative and incremental changes that build upon teachers’ existing expertise. Informed by Communities of Practice theory, we employed case study methodology to describe, explain, and assess the experiences of one middle school mathematics teacher’s longitudinal participation in an innovative and incremental continuous PD model focused on the Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework. Based on classroom observations and interview data, our findings show evidence of TRU-aligned …

The Term 'Marketing' In The Islamic Jurisprudential Heritage And Its Impact OnةControlling The Legality Of Marketing Practices, Maya Nejib Ammar

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This study explores the concept of marketing within the context of Islamic jurisprudential heritage and its influence on establishing the legality of marketing practices. Existing studies on Islamic marketing usually combine the term "marketing" with either Islam or the guidelines and regulations of Islamic jurisprudence. They generally aim to discern whether Islamic marketing exists as an independent discipline with its unique foundations and principles distinct from traditional marketing or if it merely applies Islamic legal rulings to traditional marketing topics. Some studies also present the Islamic perspective on contemporary marketing sciences. Regardless of the stance one adopts, this study does …

The Role Of The Marsad Contract In Rehabilitating Degraded Awqaf Lands- Innovative Waqf Projects, Ahmed Dib

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This research is part of an active endeavor to develop endowment (waqf) properties and strengthen confidence in their economic and social potential. It explores the concept of "Marsad contract" as One of the most significant developmental mechanisms that can be adopted for the reconstruction and restructuring of endowment lands.Marsad (designated money) is a debt owed at the endowment, where the lessee invests their own funds with the permission of the administrator of the endowment (Nazir) to develop the essential endowment properties. It is a specialized form of lease that combines two transactions: firstly, a debt owed to the endowment represented …

Theoretical Trends Of Islamic Banking: A Critical Reading, Abduljabbar Al-Sabhany

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

Moving away from usurious lending, in which the borrower bears the risk of the loan, to almudaraba and participation, in which the two parties to the contract share its profits and losses, was the title of the emerging Islamic banking, where its project and its contracting system were prepared through individual initiatives. However, as soon as Islamic banks were established, professional considerations began to dominate the leadership of banking practice, specifically in the field of risk management. It led to a decisive transformation that would bring Islamic banks back into the Indebtedness system but through financing sales. Just as this …

Managing Surplus In Takaful Insurance Companies: The Moroccan Experience As A Model, Latifa El Yanboiy

Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Islamic Economics

This research aims to shed light on the regulatory, legal, and Sharia principles governing the distribution methods of surplus in Takaful insurance companies, proposing the optimal approach for distribution that maximizes fairness to the stakeholders in insurance companies as much as possible. The research highlights the importance of managing insurance surplus in Takaful insurance companies, reflecting solidarity among contributors in bearing losses and reducing insured risks by collective donations. To achieve this goal, the research adopted an descriptive approach to present theoretical and practical methods for managing cooperative insurance surplus. The research emphasizes the significance of the surplus distribution system …

Optimizing Ewing Sarcoma And Osteosarcoma Biopsy Acquisition: A Children's Oncology Group Bone Tumor Committee Consensus Statement, C Matthew Hawkins, Brian T Craig, Roshni Dasgupta, David S Geller, David S Shulman, Sarah Cohen-Gogo, Ajay Gupta, Susan L Whiteway, Emily K Slotkin, Christine M Heske, Safia K Ahmed, Daniel J Indelicato, Catherine M Albert, Nicole Montgomery, Jesse K Sandberg, Holcombe E Grier, Mark Krailo, Michael S Isakoff, Elyssa Rubin, Elizabeth R Lawlor, Steven G Dubois, Leo Mascarenhas, Patrick J Grohar, Odion Binitie, Damon Reed, Katherine Janeway, Ryan D Roberts, Kelly M Bailey

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Trends in diagnostic biopsy sample collection approaches for primary bone sarcomas have shifted in the past 2 decades. Although open/incisional biopsies used to be the predominant approach to obtain diagnostic material for Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma, image-guided core needle biopsies have increased in frequency and are safe for patients. These procedures are less invasive and reduce recovery times but have potential limitations. The quantity and quality of tissue obtained through these procedures vary between institutions. Acquired viable tissue volumes can be low, limiting the conduct of downstream expanded clinical workup, molecular analyses, and research. Patients with advanced Ewing sarcoma and …

Development And Evaluation Of An Implementation Strategy To Increase Hpv Vaccination Among Underserved Youth Across Texas: A Protocol Paper, Mayra Aguilar Mcbride

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: All for Them is a theory-based and evidence-informed multilevel, multicomponent program delivered through schools to increase HPV vaccination among medically underserved youth across Texas. Given the potential logistical challenges of program implementation, understanding how to best support the implementation and sustainment of the program is critical. The overall goals of this study are twofold: 1) develop a multifaceted implementation strategy, Implementing All for Them (IM-AFT); and 2) evaluate the impact of IM-AFT on implementation outcomes for schools and healthcare providers to successfully implement All for Them in their respective settings.

METHODS: This study is underpinned by a comprehensive and …

Love As A Commitment Device : Evidence From A Cross-Cultural Study Across 90 Countries, Marta Kowal, Adam Bode, Karolina Koszałkowska, S. Craig Roberts, Biljana Gjoneska, David Frederick, Anna Studzinska, Dmitrii Dubrov, Dmitry Grigoryev, Toivo Aavik, Pavol Prokop, Caterina Grano, Hakan Çetinkaya, Derya Atamtürk Duyar, Roberto Baiocco, Carlota Batres, Yakhlef Belkacem, Merve Boğa, Nana Burduli, Ali R. Can, Razieh Chegeni, William J. Chopik, Yahya Don, Seda Dural, Izzet Duyar, Edgardo Etchezahar, Feten Fekih-Romdhane, Tomasz Frackowiak, Felipe E. García, Talia Gomez Yepes

School of Psychology

Given the ubiquitous nature of love, numerous theories have been proposed to explain its existence. One such theory refers to love as a commitment device, suggesting that romantic love evolved to foster commitment between partners and enhance their reproductive success. In the present study, we investigated this hypothesis using a large-scale sample of 86,310 individual responses collected across 90 countries. If romantic love is universally perceived as a force that fosters commitment between long-term partners, we expected that individuals likely to suffer greater losses from the termination of their relationships—including people of lower socioeconomic status, those with many children, and …

Evaluating The Potential Of Herbal Extracts As Treatment In Immune Thrombocytopenia: A Review Of Evidence And Limitations, Russel Wiggins, Jihoo Woo, John Nicholas Cauba, Shizue Mito

School of Medicine Publications

Immune thrombocytopenia, formerly idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), is an autoimmune disease characterized by the depletion of platelets below 100,000/µL when other causes of thrombocytopenia have been ruled out. It is associated with several infectious pathologies, disease states, and as a known side effect and complication of several drugs and chemotherapies. Standard treatment calls for glucocorticoid-mediated immunosuppression, intravenous immunoglobin transfusion, platelet stimulation, platelet transfusion, and splenectomy in instances of chronic and severe disease. While standard treatments are often effective, some cases prove resistant, and more commonly, some patients are unable to tolerate standard treatment protocols or opt out of surgical intervention. …

Enriched Microbial Consortia From Natural Environments Reveal Core Groups Of Microbial Taxa Able To Degrade Terephthalate And Terphthalamide, Laura G. Schaerer, Sulihat Aloba, Emily Wood, Allison Olson, Isabel B. A. Valencia, Rebecca Ong, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications

Millions of tons of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are produced each year, however only ~30% of PET is currently recycled in the United States. Improvement of PET recycling and upcycling practices is an area of ongoing research. One method for PET upcycling is chemical depolymerization (through hydrolysis or aminolysis) into aromatic monomers and subsequent biodegradation. Hydrolysis depolymerizes PET into terephthalate, while aminolysis yields terephthalamide. Aminolysis, which is catalyzed with strong bases, yields products with high osmolality, which is inhibitory to optimal microbial growth. Additionally, terephthalamide, may be antimicrobial and its biodegradability is presently unknown. In this study, microbial communities were enriched …

Prolonged Cardiopulmonary Bypass Time-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction Via Glypican-1 Shedding, Inflammation, And Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 In Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery, Randall P Kirby, Rishav Bhattacharya, Ismael Garcia, Camila Hochman-Mendez, Todd K Rosengart, Kenneth K Liao, Nandan K Mondal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: A prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time of over 180 min is linked to poorer outcomes and higher mortality in cardiac surgery. This study examines how glypican-1 shedding, matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), and the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in patients undergoing on-pump surgery with an extended CPB.

METHODS: Fifty-one patients undergoing cardiac surgical procedures were divided into two groups based on the intraoperative CPB duration: (i) normal CPB (<180 >min,

RESULTS: Before surgery, the plasma levels of glypican-1, MMP9, and IL-1β were comparable between the normal CPB and the prolonged CPB groups. However, after the end …

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation For Primary Or Salvage Prostate Cancer Therapy: Initial Outcomes In The Veteran Healthcare Setting, Gal Saffati, Broderick Fleming, Neel Srikishen, Jeremy Slawin, Jennifer Taylor, Jeffrey Jones

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) provides comparable oncologic, erectile, and urinary outcomes to standard-of-care options for localized prostate cancer. This study reports the largest United States series of HIFU in veterans for both primary and salvage therapies. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 43 veterans treated at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center from 2018 to 2022. Primary endpoints included prostate-specific antigen (PSA) reduction and local recurrence rates. Secondary endpoints included 30-day complications, Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM), and American Urological Association Symptom Score (AUASS). In our study, 31 veterans (72.1%) received primary treatment and 12 (27.9%) received …

A Comparative Analysis Of The County-Level Covid-19 Lockdown’S Impact On Child Sexual Abuse Rates, Aunastasia Fantasia Marie Zsidiewicz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National reported rates of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown were significantly lower than expected. This quantitative study explored rates of CSA before and after the lockdown for 22 Michigan counties by considering socioeconomic status (SES) demographics to isolate the lockdown’s specific impact on reported CSA rates. The SES of the counties was measured using the Kuppuswamy scale, a numerical compilation of the mean occupation, education, and income of households within a given county. The Social Determinants of Health framework provided a blueprint for understanding the impact of exploring the different socioeconomic variables. This framework also helped …

Association Among Student Retention And Program Utilization Within An Independent Community College In Northeastern New Mexico, Geno Castillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated in this study was the trend of decreasing student retention of first-year, degree-seeking college students at an independent community college located in northeastern New Mexico. The purpose of the study was to examine the association between student retention and program utilization. The research question was to determine if statistically significant differences existed between first-year students at an independent community college in northeastern New Mexico who did and did not utilize government-funded tutoring programs, which is a peer-led program managed by the Center for Academic Excellence. The theoretical foundation for the study was Tinto’s student retention theory model. …

Effectives Strategies Leaders Use To Engage Nurses In Safe Work Practices, Madeline Ortiz Gonzalez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Work-related injuries remain a significant challenge in the healthcare sector, leading to reduced productivity and financial losses despite improvements in workplace safety. Healthcare leaders are concerned that unsafe work practices negatively affect organizational performance and service quality. Grounded in Burn’s transformational leadership framework, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore effective strategies used by six nurse leaders in Southern United States use to encourage nurses to adopt safe work practices and foster a culture of safety. Through thematic analysis, three core themes were identified: implementing comprehensive training programs, establishing effective communication channels, and fostering a safety-first …

The Lived Experiences Of Black College Students And Counseling Based Upon Social Media Influences, Shamanda Burston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite social media's use as a tool for social influence and increase in mental health disclosures within Black communities, limited literature describes how Black college students, specifically, are utilizing social media related to mental health. This qualitative study includes a description of the influence of social media on the perception of counseling services for Black college students. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) through the lens of Kelman's social influence theory, the influence of social media on Black college students' perception of counseling services was explored. Currently enrolled Black or African American college or university students within the United States, over …

Perceptions Of The Skills Gap In Career And Technical Education In An Urban School District, Kyna Monic Eberhardt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A gap in career and technical education (CTE) skills can negatively influence outcomes for students who plan to enter the workforce or college following high school graduation. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of principals, counselors, teachers, and business leaders from different industries, about the skills gap among CTE students and their preparation for the workforce or college. Kathuria’s organizational alignment theory grounded this study. For this case study design, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine participants purposively selected from each stakeholder group: principals, counselors, teachers, and business leaders from different industries. All participants …

Administrators’ Perceptions Of Minoritized Students’ Underrepresentation In K-8 Gate, Vernice Verona Sharpe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand SWSD administrators’ perceptions of the practices and identification criteria that exacerbated this underrepresentation, guided by a culturally responsive school leadership framework. For this basic qualitative design, eight SWSD administrators with direct knowledge of the GATE programs participated in semistructured interviews. Data analysis involved initial and axial coding, resulting in three key themes: limited cultural awareness among administrators, the importance of incorporating community perspectives, and the need to reevaluate traditional GATE identification practices. Based on these themes, it is recommended to enhance cultural competency training, to engage community members in decision-making, and …

U.S. Patented Medication Prices Too High To Warrant Affordable Costs By Patients, Kisa Mwenelupembe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Optimal pricing of patent medicines is needed to ensure profitability of pharmaceutical companies while managing ease of access to these medicines for patients. The general problem that necessitated this study was that the prices of most patent medications in the United States are too high to warrant affordable costs by patients while simultaneously fostering drug innovation. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the best practices for ensuring equal access to patent medicines while maintaining profitability of pharmaceutical companies to pursue needed innovation and development of new drugs. This study was underpinned by Bandura’s social cognitive …

Weaving Our Kuwentos (Stories) Toward Ginhawa (Aliveness): Pilipinx American Social Work Motherscholars Enacting Praxes Of Survival And Thrivance In The Academy, Joanna C. La Torre, Lalaine Sevillano, Lisa Reyes Mason, Alma M. Ouanesisouk Trinidad, Cora De Leon

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Five Pilipina American (PA) social work MotherScholars, from a doctoral student to an interim dean, used kuwentuhan (Pilipinx methodology) to amplify their survivance and thrivance despite attempted exclusion, reduction, and distortion as Pilipinos by coloniality/modernity. Grounded in decolonial feminism (the view that oppressions such as sexism and racism co-constitute coloniality and that unsettling oppressions disrupts hegemony) and Pinayism (an integrated framework revaluing the labor, intellect, and nurturance of mothering through a cultural lens), the authors work coalitionally across their PA diversity to re-center ginhawa (aliveness or sense of ease and wellness). Together, they embarked on an iterative self-study process of …

“I Have One More Hour Of Power And Many Miles Of Communication To Go”: Lessons Learned From Community Research Interrupted By Climate Crises, Antonia R.G. Alvarez, Sherry Manning, Teresa Dosdos Ruelas

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Ang Pagtanom og Binhi Project is a University–Community partnership and community-based participatory research project exploring the health benefits of food sovereignty practices in the Philippines. In late 2021, in the midst of data collection, Super Typhoon Odette made landfall in the Philippines causing massive environmental and structural devastation. In the aftermath of the storm, community partners in the Philippines and members of the research team in the United States shared photos, texts, and updates. These messages included descriptions of structural and environmental damage caused by the storm and stories of mutual aid efforts and actions taken by individuals and …

Explainable Artifacts For Synthetic Western Blot Source Attribution, João Phillipe Cardenuto, Sara Mandelli, Daniel Moreira, Paolo Bestagini, Edward J. Delp, Anderson Rocha

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have enabled generative models to produce synthetic scientific images that are indistinguishable from pristine ones, posing a challenge even for expert scientists habituated to working with such content. When exploited by organizations known as paper mills, which systematically generate fraudulent articles, these technologies can significantly contribute to the spread of misinformation about ungrounded science, potentially undermining trust in scientific research. While previous studies have explored black-box solutions, such as Convolutional Neural Networks, for identifying synthetic content, only some have addressed the challenge of generalizing across different models and providing insight into the artifacts in synthetic …

Localization Of Synthetic Manipulations In Western Blot Images, Anmol Manjunath, Viola Negroni, Sara Mandelli, Daniel Moreira, Paolo Bestagini

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Recent breakthroughs in deep learning and generative systems have significantly fostered the creation of synthetic media, as well as the local alteration of real content via the insertion of highly realistic synthetic manipulations. Local image manipulation, in particular, poses serious challenges to the integrity of digital content and societal trust. This problem is not only confined to multimedia data, but also extends to biological images included in scientific publications, like images depicting Western blots. In this work, we address the task of localizing synthetic manipulations in Western blot images. To discriminate between pristine and synthetic pixels of an analyzed image, …