Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of A K-8 Stem Program On Grades And Student Choice Of Stem And Advanced Mathematics And Science Coursework In High School, Astrid Rodrigues

Dissertations

The demands of today’s workforce call for schools to prepare their students to have problem-solving skills and be critical thinkers and collaborative colleagues. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning has been known to cultivate, excite, and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students from an early age.

This study explored the high school course selection of students who had participated in a compulsory Kindergarten to 8^th grade (K-8) STEM program, called Project Lead the Way (PLTW), while in middle school. Specifically, the study compared the number of STEM and advanced mathematics and science courses that students who …

Database, Registries And Monitoring Of Congenital And Genetic Malformation., Mohamed Ahmed, Nadia Hegazi, Samia El-Temtamy, Ehab Aboul-Ezz, Najwa Abd El-Megid, Ali El-Hazmi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

With technical and industrial advances which have become a significant part of today's economic growth, remarkable advances have been made in the development and use of technical capabilities that enhance the endeavor of the medical profession. The developed countries have adopted the essential ''corner stone'' of database and registries development for monitoring birth defects. The use of National and Regional Registries has become ''a must'' to have a database that is necessary for rehabilitation, control and prevention programs. In Saudi Arabia, towards this objective, a study to establish a database and national registry to monitor birth defects and determine frequency, …

Quantitative Inference Of Decision Making Strategies Under Inherent Knowledge Uncertainties., Shawkat Guirguis, Mohamed El-Raey, Essam Aly

Mansoura Engineering Journal

In this paper a model and its associated software system, that is being used for designation of optimal strategies are presented. Obtained optimal strategies are employed by decision markers to safety react to various conditions. The fact that decision markers are expected to take actions according to given observations is discussed along with emphasizing the relationships between these observations and the underlying states of nature that caused them. This is a many-to-many relation and care must be taken to avoid unreliable of the real cause or causes a observed situation. The inherent uncertainties in the assessment process have been identified …

The Effect Of Vehicle Suspension System Components On The Ride Comfort Due To Road Roughness., Ashraf Shaaban, Yousef Abo-Mossalam, Kamal Abed, Nihad El-Chazly

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The aim of the present work is to investigate theoretically the vibration characteristics of the driver body components due to road surface irregularities, when changing the characteristics of suspension system components, A mathematical model representing the vehicle and the driver, and contains five degrees of freedom, has been built-up and analyzed. A computer program has been written based on the transfer matrices concept, and used in the frequency range up to 15 Hz, Finally, this work is considered a step towards obtaining useful technical protection data against vibration. The results indicate that the vibration characteristics of the driver body (ride …

China Maritime Report No. 17: The Pla Army's New Helicopters: An "Easy Button" For Crossing The Taiwan Strait?, Tom Fox

CMSI China Maritime Reports

This report examines the potential roles and missions of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) new rotary wing capabilities in a cross-strait invasion. Looking specifically at the helicopter units of the PLA Army (PLAA), it discusses two possible scenarios in which these forces could serve as the main thrust in a campaign to seize control of Taiwan. In the first scenario, the PLAA would use nearly all of its rotary wing inventory simultaneously to overwhelm Taiwan’s defenses and quickly convince the country’s political leadership to surrender. In a second “unconventional” scenario, the PLAA would risk the destruction of older helicopters in …

Simulation Study Of Variable Structure Control Of An Unloaded Synchronous Generator Connected To An Infinite Bus., E. El-Shirbeeny, N. Aref, Fatma Mohamed

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The formulation of a variable structure excitation control system is presented for a synchronous generator at no-load . Factors influencing the design are investigated and properties of the generator excitation in sliding mode are revealed . It has been verified thro ugh a digital computer simulation that improved an dynamic performance is obtained. The existence of physical limits in the generator system degrades the quality of structure excitation characteristics. However, other characteristics are maintained yielding quicker response and reduced sensitivity to parameter changes.

Finite Difference Modeling Of Autogeneous Tig Weld Pool Profiles., G. Nassef, M. Abdelrahman, A. El-Bahi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

In this paper experimental weld pools has been created in axisymetric specimens of low carbon steel by autogeneous gas tungsten are (GTA). Different conditions of are current nozzle size and are tune have been investigated. The weld pool profile has been measured and plotted in each case. A numerical heat transfer model that takes into account fluid flow in the weld pool was employed to simulates the development of GTA welding process. The model has been tested against the experimental results to deduce the optimum values of are efficiency and heat distribution parameter. The model provides far better fit to …

Forced Convective Laminar Flow In Elliptic Pipes Of Different Aspect Ratios., Mohamed Mahgoub, Mohamed Wasel, A. Kamel, Mohamed Mousa

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The present analysis investigates non-Darcy forced convective heat transfer in a cylindrical pipe filled with spherical beads saturated with non-Newtonian drag reducing fluid. The cylindrical pipe is subjected to either a uniform heat flux (UHF) or a constant wall temperature (CWT). In modeling the flow, both the energy equation and a modified momentum (Darcy-Forschheimer-Brinkman) equation are used , in which the variable porosity, flow inertia, Brinkman viscous friction (non-Darcian effects) besides the elongational viscosity of drag reducing fluids are taken into consideration and the finite difference technique is used. The results are obtained for a non-Newtonian drag parameter range of …

Liquid Spray Characterization Using Phase /Doppler Technique., Ramy El-Emam, A. Desoky, M. Tolba, K. El-Nahhas

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Spray characteristics of three liquids, water. diesel fuel, and kerosene. sprayed vertically downward in a transparent squared section rube which is accessed with an exhauster through Doppler Particle a pressure swirl atomizer, have been evaluated by means of Phase Analyzer (PIDPA) system. The experimental apparatus is accessed with a traversing system which enables to make complete scan. radially and axially, for the spray cone. Different pressure differentials across the nozzle are applied to study their effect on spray characteristics. Measurements of drop let mean diameter, droplet size distribution . droplet mean velocity, liquid volume flux and droplet number density have …

Fractional Factorial Treatment Of Ring Spun Yarn Quality., Fawkia El-Habiby, Rizk El-Bealy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

In the present work a study was made about the effect of the following five Parameters yarn linear density , spindle speed, /traveller size, top roller pressure and cradle opening on the quality of ring spun yarn. The experiments were carried out by varying each parameter at two levels using the fractional factorial technique (9). The experimental design treatment with the help of mini-computer programming was used to determine the effect of mean parameters and two factor interactions and interactions between two parameters were carried out by the method of variance analysis.

Raman Spectroscopy For Forensic Identification Of Body Fluid Traces: Method Validation For Potential False Negatives Caused By Blood-Affecting Diseases, Niara Nichols

Chemistry

Two critical issues in forensic science are identifying body fluid traces found at crime scenes and preserving them for DNA analysis. However, the majority of current biochemical tests for body fluid identification, which are applicable at the crime scene, are presumptive and destructive to the sample. Raman Spectroscopy provides a suitable alternative to current methods as a nondestructive, confirmatory, and potentially in field method. Our laboratory has developed a chemometric model for the identification of five main body fluids using Raman spectroscopy. This model was developed using samples obtained from healthy donors. Thus, it is of most importance for the …

Leadership Influence On Collective Teacher Efficacy In Multi-Cultural Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study, Yaru Zhou

Education Dissertations

As evidence for positive effects of collective teacher efficacy on student performance and teacher well-being grow, increasing efforts have been made worldwide to understand how teachers’ beliefs in the team’s capacity form in schools. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach; 90 teachers from seven international schools in China participated in the survey, and eight teachers from these schools joined focus group interviews. This paper seeks to understand the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of instructional school leadership and collective efficacy, and how individual leaders’ character strength of encouragement and structural factors, including school levels and cultural dimensions, affect the relationship. Quantitative …

Lxr Acts As A Differentiator In The Regulation Of Fas And G6pdh Gene Expression Under Insulin Resistant Conditions, Jaafar Hachem

Dissertations

Diabetes is a chronic disease that effects 10 percent of the world’s population and causes more than 1.5 million deaths a year and billions of dollars in associated health care cost. It can lead to very serious complications such as renal failure, liver cirrhosis, heart attack, and vision loss. The most common type of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes arises when blood glucose levels remain chronically high due to insulin resistance. The reason for this elevation is due to the failure of insulin to allow tissues to uptake glucose causing problems in subsequent metabolic pathways. Over the …

Hdsl: A Hybrid Distributed Single-Packet Low-Storage Ip Traceback Framework., Magdy M. Fadel

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Many problems with IP protocol design facilitate the mission of the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attackers. This paper proposes a new Hybrid Distributed Single-packet Low-storage (HDSL) IP traceback framework, which consists of three enhanced DDoS defense mechanisms. The first mechanism is a Deterministic Packet Marking (DPM) to compose a unique path identifier for validating network paths. The second is a low-storage space packet logging to locally log routed packets information which is used later for locating the source of even a single attacking packet. The third, pushes the aggregates of the attacking packets upstream one or more levels to …

Yield Line Versus Finite Element Analyses Of Beamless Slabs., Hassan Hosny, Aly Abdel Rahman

Mansoura Engineering Journal

No abstract provided.

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Factors Influencing Treatment Engagement Among Patients With Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review, Amineh Rashidi, Lisa Whitehead, Prachi Kaistha

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Nurses are key to the success of patient engagement, yet we know little about nurses’ perceptions on treatment engagement and how they can contribute to treatment engagement. Qualitative evidence to identify factors that influence treatment engagement among patients with CVD from nurse’s perspective is limited.

Methods:

This systematic review of qualitative research was based on the PRISMA reporting guidelines. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to assess quality by two reviewers independently. Data were collected from Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Embase- Non-Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, were systematically searched from 2001 to …

Genotype-Specific Lesion Growth Rates In Stargardt Disease, Rachael C. Heath Jeffery, Jennifer A. Thompson, Johnny Lo, Tina M. Lamey, Terri L. Mclaren, Ian L. Mcallister, Ian J. Constable, John N. De Roach, Fred K. Chen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Reported growth rates (GR) of atrophic lesions in Stargardt disease (STGD1) vary widely. In the present study, we report the longitudinal natural history of patients with confirmed bial-lelic ABCA4 mutations from five genotype groups: c.6079C > T, c.[2588G > C;5603A > T], c.3113C > T, c.5882G > A and c.5603A > T. Fundus autofluorescence (AF) 30◦ × 30◦ images were manually seg-mented for boundaries of definitely decreased autofluorescence (DDAF). The primary outcome was the effective radius GR across five genotype groups. The age of DDAF formation in each eye was calculated using the x-intercept of the DDAF effective radius against age. Discordance between age at DDAF …

“Coronavirus Changed The Rules On Everything”: Parent Perspectives On How The Covid‐19 Pandemic Influenced Family Routines, Relationships And Technology Use In Families With Infants, Rebecca Hood, Juliana Zabatiero, Desiree Silva, Stephen R. Zubrick, Leon Straker

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study explores how the first wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic influenced family routines, relationships and technology use (smartphones and tablet computers) among families with infants. Infancy is known to be an important period for attachment security and future child development, and a time of being susceptible to changes within and outside of the family unit. A qualitative design using convenience sampling was employed. A total of 30 mothers in Perth, Western Australia participated in semi‐structured interviews by audio or video call. All mothers were parents of infants aged 9 to 15 months old. Interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed, and …

Influence Of Physical And Technical Aspects On Change Of Direction Performance Of Rugby Players: An Exploratory Study, Tomás T. Freitas, Pedro E. Alcaraz, Julio Calleja-González, Ademir F. S. Arruda, Aristide Guerriero, Valter P. Mercer, Lucas A. Pereira, Felipe P. Carpes, Michael R. Mcguigan, Irineu Loturco

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We examined the relationships between change of direction (COD) speed and deficit, and a series of speed-and power-related measurements in national team rugby union players and analyzed the influence of movement patterns on COD ability. Eleven male athletes completed the following physical assessments on different days: day 1—anthropometric measurements, and lower-body kinematic parameters (assessed with eight inertial sensors) and completion time in COD tests (proagility, 45◦ cutting maneuver (CUT), and “L” (L-Drill)); day 2—bilateral and unilateral squat and countermovement jumps, 40 m linear sprint, and bar-power output in the jump squat and half-squat exercises. Pearson’s product–moment correlations were performed to …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Different Thawing Methods On Post-Thaw Sperm Characteristics Of Buffalo Bull Semen, Eser Akal, Murat Selçuk, Burcu Esi̇n, Melih Akar, Cumali Kaya

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Application proper procedures for thawing of cryopreserved sperm are required for successful artificial insemination. The study was aimed to compare the effects of watery and dry thawing systems on motility, acrosome integrity, plasma membrane integrity, morphologic and kinematic characteristics of buffalo bull spermatozoa. Anatolian Buffalo bull spermatozoa, cryopreserved in volumes of 0.25 mL straws, were thawed by using 1) watery thawing system; a total of 10 straws were thawed in a water bath at 37 °C for 30 sec and 2) dry thawing system; a total of 10 straws were thawed in a dry thawing device at 37 °C for …

Potential Risk Factors For Brachyspira Hyodysenteriae, Lawsonia Intracellularis And Salmonella Spp. Infection And Their Prevalence In Commercial Swine Farms In Thailand, Morakot Nuntapaitoon, Sawang Katedangsakulwut, Rachod Tantilertcharoen, Napawan Bunpapong, Nanthiya Iampraphat, Suphadtra Therarachatamongkol, Jeremy Gatine

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prevalence for Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, Lawsonia intracellularis and Salmonella spp. in pig feces and to identify their risk factors in 20 commercial swine farms in Thailand. The cross-sectional study was carried out from 20 farrow-to-finishing commercial swine farms in part of Thailand including the north (n=5), northeast (n=4), east (n=5), west (n=4) and south (n=1). A total of 589 fecal samples were randomly collected from 12 (n=200), 16 (n=196) and 20 (n=193) aged a week-old in each farm. All samples were analyzed for the detection of B. hyodysenteriae, L. intracellularis and …

Activation-Induced Cell Death Of Nk Cells In Canine Atopic Dermatitis Revealed By Droplet-Sequencing Data Of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, Natthaporn Kuendee, Denis Puthier, Catherine Nguyen, Kaj Chokeshaiusaha

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a mutual allergic skin disease between humans and dogs manifesting varieties of similarities in their immune responses to the disease. Recently, activation-induced cell death (AICD) of NK cells was acknowledged as a novel disrupted immunoregulation in human AD. To gain insight into its plausible commotion in canine AD, NK cell expression profiles extracted from PBMC Drop-Sequencing (Drop-Seq) data of normal and AD dogs were analyzed along with human NK cell profiles of healthy and AD patients previously reported. According to the results, a total of 2,689 differentially expressed genes (DEG) between healthy and AD conditions (P≤0.0001) …

Network Management, Optimization And Security With Machine Learning Applications In Wireless Networks, Mariam Nabil

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless communication networks are emerging fast with a lot of challenges and ambitions. Requirements that are expected to be delivered by modern wireless networks are complex, multi-dimensional, and sometimes contradicting. In this thesis, we investigate several types of emerging wireless networks and tackle some challenges of these various networks. We focus on three main challenges. Those are Resource Optimization, Network Management, and Cyber Security. We present multiple views of these three aspects and propose solutions to probable scenarios. The first challenge (Resource Optimization) is studied in Wireless Powered Communication Networks (WPCNs). WPCNs are considered a very promising approach towards sustainable, …

Scope Of Duty, Counterfactual Analysis And Birth Defects: The Challenging Case Of Khan V Meadows, Kee Yang Low, Jordan Ting Xuan Chia

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The tort of negligence has evolved into a sophisticated and calibrated framework. Even then, aspects of this elaborate structure are constantly being tweaked and, sometimes, challenged. Most recently, in the UKSC decision of Khan v Meadows, the spotlight is thrown on scope of duty analysis against the challenging backdrop of medical negligence and unwanted birth defects. The judgment of the majority suggests there is more that needs to be considered at the stage of damages, and that the sequential framework of negligence may benefit from some rearrangement.

Transformative Governance Of Biodiversity: Insights For Sustainable Development, J. Visseren-Hamakers Ingrid, Jona Razzaque, Pamela Mcelwee, Esther Turnhout, Eszter Kelemen, Graciela M. Rusch, Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares, Ivis Chan, Michelle Mei Ling Lim, Et Al.

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

While there is much debate on transformative change among academics and policymakers, the discussion on how to govern such change is still in its infancy. This article argues that transformative governance is needed to enable the transformative change necessary for achieving global sustainability goals. Based on a literature review, the article unpacks this concept of transformative governance. It is: integrative, to ensure local solutions also have sustainable impacts elsewhere (across scales, places, issues and sectors); inclusive, to empower those whose interests are currently not being met and represent values embodying transformative change for sustainability; adaptive, enabling learning, experimentation, and reflexivity, …

Extraterritoriality Of Chinese Law: Myths, Realities And The Future, Zhengxin Huo, Man Yip

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

While China strongly opposes the US practice of ‘long-arm jurisdiction’, it has decided to build its own legal system of extraterritoriality. This paradox reflects the crossroads at which China finds itself currently. Being a country weaker than the sole global superpower, it needs to stand firmly against the American ‘legal bullyism’ by invoking the shield of territorial sovereignty. Yet, as an emerging world power, it is in China’s interest to establish a legal system of extraterritoriality to safeguard its own national interests that extend globally. This article has two aims. First, it provides a comprehensive overview of the current model …

Effects Of Il-10 On Local Cell Populations And Functional Recovery Following Vml Injury, Zain Blackwell

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) injuries are prevalent in both military personnel suffering from battlefield related incidents, and civilians following severe motor accidents. Despite its prevalence, VML has no pro-regenerative clinical treatments in place to recover some of the functional capabilities of the damaged muscle. Free flap grafting, debridement of damaged tissue, and physical therapy are the only clinical standards available that offer little functional recovery benefits, even after years of consistent treatment. In this study, anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 in conjunction with autologous minced muscle was assessed as a possible treatment for VML injuries and its influences on cellular behavior within …

Our Divided House, Gerard V. Bradley

Journal Articles

CRISIS OF THE TWO CONSTITUTIONS: THE RISE, DECLINE, AND RECOVERY OF AMERICAN GREATNESS
by Charles R. Kesler
ENCOUNTER, 488 PAGES, $34.99

Lincoln is a recurring focus of Charles Kesler's learned and timely new book, Crisis of the Two Constitutions. Kesler turns to him because Lincoln possessed a profound understanding of the American Constitution and because Lincoln spoke more eloquently than anyone else ever has about the central theme of the book: the fact that the United States was founded on universal principles of justice “applicable to all men and all times."

Crashworthiness Of Metallic Tubes Under Off-Axial Loading, Victor Manuel Bautista Katsalukha

Theses and Dissertations

Energy absorbing structures (EAS) are structures used to make the frame of a vehicle absorb energy during an impact scenario and keep the deceleration forces within survivable limits for the occupant(s). These structures are found in all sorts of vehicles, such as cars, helicopters, airplanes, etc., and come in many types of shapes (circular, square, triangular tubes and flat or curved plates) and materials (metals and composites). In this thesis, 304 Stainless Steel tubes with circular and square cross-sections are investigated when subject to off-axis loading at angles at 0, 5, 15 and 25°. The square tubes had two different …

Helicopter Flight Energy Modeling And Scaling For Urban Air Mobility Applications, Nolan Gene Hopkins

Theses and Dissertations

The costs associated with conducting full-scale helicopter flight tests in terms of both time and money beg to question the validity of using small-scale model helicopters in order to predict full-scale performance. To do this, the energy change for a small time interval is determined throughout a full-scale helicopter’s flight of a given profile, and the overall energy use compared to model results. The profile is then scaled based on a variety of factors, and the accuracy of energy scaling compared for each. Scaling dimensions based off helicopter weight and energy reserve modeling show promising results, but comparison of relative …