Engineering Commons^™

"I Haven’T Really Made Those Connections That Maybe Most Would Their First Year": A Qualitative Study Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And Student Social Capital Among 3 Cohorts Of First-Year Engineering Majors, Patricia Wonch Hill, Lance C. Pérez, Sohrab Asgarpoor, David Jones, Zachary George Short, Jennifer N. Rutt

UNL Office of Research and Innovation, Social/Behavioral Sciences Research Consortium

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education of students of all ages and challenged teachers and academic support services to make major adaptations to continue to support student learning while also limiting the spread of the virus. Our team received an NSF grant in the Fall of 2018 to broaden participation in engineering by recruiting and retaining students who have been historically marginalized in engineering. We focused our research on first-year students who participated in pathway programs which provided peer and formal mentoring, success coaching, shared classes, and social activities, that would provide a sense of community and shared engineering identity …

Helminth Parasites Of Northern Cottonmouth, Agkistrodon Piscivorus (Ophidia: Viperidae), From Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, C.R. Bursey, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Northern cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus is a large, semiaquatic viperid snake found statewide in Arkansas. Although a great deal has been published on helminth parasites of A. piscivorus from other parts of its range, little (outside of its cestodes) is known about those other helminths occurring in cottonmouths of the state. In our survey, we examined seven adult A. piscivorus from Polk County and a single specimen from Calhoun County. Several helminth parasites were found, including three trematodes, Styphlodora magna, Renifer ellipticus, and Paralechriorchis syntomentera, two nematodes, an unknown larval ascarid and Physaloptera abjecta, an oligacanthorhynchid acanthocephalan cystacanth, and a …

Actividad 4: Reduzca La Velocidad, Se Aproximan Curvas, Patrick Young

Tema 2: Por la ciudad

Diseñar una carretera conlleva tomar muchas decisiones. En un mundo ideal, todas las carreteras tendrían una superficie plana y recta. Lamentablemente, no es así porque las carreteras tienen muchos desvíos, intersecciones, numerosos automóviles transitando y semáforos. Los ingenieros eligen la velocidad máxima de la carretera en función de las características de equilibrio del terreno, el tráfico, los obstáculos existentes y, lo que es más importante, la seguridad.

El objetivo principal de una carretera es asegurarse de que los vehículos puedan maniobrar a una velocidad determinada de forma segura. Por ejemplo, no verá un límite de velocidad de 60 millas por …

Actividad 2: Solo De Paso, Patrick Young

Tema 5: ¿Por qué la gallina cruzó la calle?

Los pasos para animales para la fauna silvestre son cada vez más frecuentes. Su objetivo es proporcionar un camino seguro para que los animales crucen las barreras hechas por el hombre, en este caso las carreteras. Las escaleras para peces, patentadas en 1837, son un ejemplo temprano de este tipo de intervención. Además, los pasos proporcionan a los animales el acceso a los recursos del otro lado de la barrera. Los pasos ayudan a conectar los hábitats para evitar la fragmentación de los mismos, lo que puede restringir el acervo genético y dar lugar a poblaciones más bajas y en …

Activity 5: Slow Down, Curves Ahead, David Hernandez, Peg Steffen

Theme 2: Around Town

Highway curves are banked so the outside edge of the roadway is elevated above the inside edge. This provides additional centripetal force to keep the car on the road and following the proper path. The faster a car is moving, the more banking it will need.

Activity 3: Warning!, Elizabeth Martinez

Theme 5: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

More factors than previously mentioned must be considered in the design of an animal crossing structure, such as temperature, precipitation, vehicle traffic, noise, and vehicle exhaust. Consideration of these environmental factors and events will require modifications to the original design. This is a common practice in engineering. The original design might go through several revisions as modeling, testing, and experience reveal the need for modifications.

Winona State University News Blog: 2015-February 2023, Winona State University

Winona State University Blogs

This PDF document includes Winona State University (WSU) News Blog articles and entries for the university from 2015-May 2023.

2022-2023 Annual Security And Fire Report - Sayre Campus, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

ANNUAL SECURITY & FIRE REPORTS

This is the 2022-2023 Annual Security and Fire Report of the Sayre Campus by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

2022-2023 Annual Security And Fire Report - Weatherford Campus, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

ANNUAL SECURITY & FIRE REPORTS

This is the 2022-2023 Annual Security and Fire Report of the Weatherford Campus by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Graduate School Academic Catalog 2023-2024, Graduate School Of Engineering And Management, Air Force Institute Of Technology

AFIT Documents

The Graduate Catalog represents the offerings, programs, and requirements in effect at the time of publication.

Actividad 4: Prueba De Las Cubiertas De Hormigón Fabricadas Por Los Estudiantes, Patrick Young

Tema 1: Estructura y proceso

Cuando una viga estructural se carga desde arriba, la fuerza crea compresión en la superficie superior y tensión en la superficie inferior. El hormigón puede soportar la compresión diez veces más que la tensión. Como el hormigón tiene menos capacidad para soportar la tensión, el refuerzo de acero es más importante en la parte inferior.

En esta actividad, los estudiantes realizarán una prueba de carga en 3 puntos para ver cuánto peso pueden soportar sus losas.

Actividad 3: Curva Pronunciada, Patrick Young

Tema 2: Por la ciudad

La forma de una curva afecta la facilidad con la que un automóvil puede circular con seguridad por ella. Las colisiones son más probables cuando la curva es demasiado cerrada. La curva debe ser suave, la transición entre los tramos rectos y curvos de la carretera también deben ser suaves.

En la imagen anterior, el automóvil experimenta una fuerza (llamada “fuerza centrípeta”) que lo empuja hacia el centro del círculo. Se trata de una fuerza de fricción proporcionada por la carretera que actúa sobre los neumáticos. Cuanto más cerrada es la curva, más fricción se necesita para mantenerse en la …

Activity 1: Build It Strong!, Patrick Young

Theme 1: Structure and Process

Materials like concrete and steel are important components of highway construction, but so are management tools such as planning and scheduling. This theme, Structure and Process, attempts to integrate these components using the construction of a highway overpass as an example. Activities should be done in the order presented. The concrete made in Activity 1 will need two days to cure before being tested in Activity 4.

Activity 1: Adela Valley Highway, Patrick Young, David Hernandez

Theme 2: Around Town

If you ask a longtime resident of your neighborhood what the town was like 30 or 40 years ago, they will tell you that there were a lot of empty spaces or fields. Ask them if they are happy with the numerous homes, businesses, roads, and industries that now exist. They may say that they lost part of their community. At the same time, they gained jobs, property value, and infrastructure improvements.

Whether to build more roads through a town is not an easy decision. There has to be a clear implementation plan, local or state funding, city code agreement, …

Activity 2: Cost Analysis, Patrick Young, David Hernandez

Theme 2: Around Town

The unit cost of highway construction varies tremendously, but state departments of transportation often publish estimates. For this activity, we assume that a four-lane divided highway will cost $5 million per mile across flat farmland.

Activity 3: Navigation, Patrick Young, David Hernandez

Theme 2: Around Town

Highways of the future will be more than ribbons of concrete and asphalt. They will have an information infrastructure that includes sensors, computers, and wireless connection with the computers in every moving vehicle. In the same way that people are connected by the internet, vehicles will be connected with each other through the highway’s network. This will enable drivers using navigation software to get real-time updates and suggestions. It will also increase the safety and efficiency of driverless vehicles.

In this activity, students will use mathematics to examine the types of calculations that navigational computers use to redirect drivers to …

Activity 2: Anger Management, David Hernandez, Peg Steffen

Theme 3: Traffic Management

Road rage is anger caused by inconveniences, incidents, or irresponsibility while driving. It can result in yelling, honking, tailgating, weaving, and blocking traffic. Road rage fatalities are increasing but there are strategies to help lessen road rage. These include overhead signs warning of upcoming traffic, weather, and car or truck incidents. Traffic and travel apps, which offer various route suggestions, travel times, and road hazards, may help as well. This activity will examine personal behaviors that drivers should exhibit to reduce road rage and then asks students to consider strategies to reduce this growing issue.

Activity 4: Information Board, David Hernandez, Peg Steffen

Theme 3: Traffic Management

In 1969, the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) began collecting data about Americans’ travel habits. During the survey period, each household was sent a travel diary and asked to report all travel by household members on a randomly assigned “travel day”. Data were weighted to correctly reflect the day of week and month of travel to allow comparisons of weekdays or seasons. The type of transportation used, length and distance of trips and the purpose of travel are some examples of data gathered through the surveys. Organizations such as insurance companies, transportation agencies, and the government analyze and use the …

Activity 2: A Little Bit Salty, Karen Ye

Theme 4: Please Pass the Salt

Density is defined as the amount of mass that takes up a certain amount of volume. Adding salt or sugar to water increases its density since there are more particles (mass) packed into a similar amount of space (volume). Cooling water can also increase its density since the particles move more slowly at lower temperatures and will be more packed together. When two substances with different densities are combined, the one with a lower density will float whereas the one with a higher density will sink. The greater the difference in density, the more distinct the layers and the harder …

Activity 1: A Day In The Life, Patrick Young

Theme 5: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

All highways run through animal habitats. Fencing highways can provide drivers some protection from animal-related accidents, but they fragment the habitat, causing problems for wildlife. In this activity, students learn some of the reasons that animals will attempt to cross highways.

Activity 2: Just Passing Through, Elizabeth Martinez

Theme 5: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

Animal passages for wildlife are becoming more prevalent. Their purpose is to provide a safe path for animals to cross man-made barriers, in this case roadways. Fish ladders, patented in 1837, are an early example of this type of intervention. In addition, passages provide animal access to resources on the other side of the barrier. Crossings help to connect habitats to avoid habitat fragmentation, which can restrict the gene pool resulting in lower and more at-risk populations, as well as potential extinction. Vehicle and wildlife collisions account for many injuries and deaths for humans and other animals, property damage, and …

Strengthening Undergraduates’ Appreciation Of Engineering Ethics Through A Simulated Stakeholder Meeting On Offshore Wind Energy Development, Maija A. Benitz

Engineering, Computing & Construction Management Faculty Publications

The need for deepening students’ appreciation for the importance of engineering ethics remains ever present. However, accomplishing this learning outcome can be challenging, as the principles often come across as abstract and distant to many undergraduates. To combat these challenges, a group-based assignment and corresponding in-class role-playing activity were developed for an upper-level ocean engineering elective course, based on a local case study about offshore wind energy development. The new pedagogical approach aims to present engineering ethics in a more tangible and relatable way by requiring students to role-play a real-world scenario from their own university’s backyard. Students worked on …

Investigation Of A Recent Landslide In Fort Smith, Arkansas, D. Mayo, M.J. Thomas, A. Burns, J. Pruitt, P. Karr

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

A morphologically youthful slope failure, herein referred to as the Landfill Landslide, was identified in a remote section of the City of Fort Smith Landfill, and permission was obtained to investigate. The slide on a deforested, NW-facing 27% slope beneath a linear head scarp about 200 meters long. One end of the head scarp curves abruptly downhill and transforms into a distinct lateral scarp greater than 100 meters long. The surface of the slide is about 24,000 m2 (6 acres) in area and is easily distinguished from adjacent intact slopes by its hummocky morphology and transverse ridges and valleys. The …

Determination Of Fatty Acid Concentrations In Various Strains Of Freshwater Green Picoplankton Algae (Class Eustigmatophyceae), P. Ashcraft, R. Jacks, B. Martinez, J. Rodriguez, A.B. Burns, A. Gurnsey, L. Taylor, A. Teague, J. Totty, V.L. Fox, A. Williams

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Algae are of scientific and commercial interest due to their ease of culture and high fatty acid content. The extracted fatty acids from these phytoplankton may potentially be used as an additional test for phylogenetic classification of new algal strains (Tonon et al. 2002), as well as in a supplement for human consumption and producing next-generation biofuels. Of interest is the fatty acid content contained within various algal isolates within the class Eustigmatophyceae. Algal strains were collected and isolated from locations in Lake Chicot in Arkansas, Tower Pond and Lake Itasca at Itasca State Park in Minnesota, and Thayer Lake …

Journal Of The Arkansas Academy Of Science Volume 77, Academy Editors

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Determining Mating Type And Species Of A Natural Isolate Of Dictyostelium Using Molecular Techniques And Sexual Crosses, S.N. Baviskar, C. Catron, H. Jenkins, M. Smith

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Cellular slime molds, Dictyostelium, are bactivorous, soil-dwelling amoebae. When food is available, cells reproduce asexually by binary fission. Under certain environmental conditions, such as darkness and humidity, Dictyostelium reproduces sexually. The sexual cycle is uniquely social and has unusual features. First, sexual reproduction in most eukaryotes usually involves fusion of two gametes. But, in Dictyostelium, triparental inheritance is observed (Bloomfield et al. 2019), in which gamete fusion involves more than two gametes. Second, most eukaryotic species have two sexes or mating types, but Dictyostelium species are known to have more than two mating types. Even though Dictyostelium species show variations …

Noteworthy Parasites (Trematoda, Cestoda, Phthiraptera) Of Three Birds (Aves: Passeriformes; Pelecaniformes; Piciformes) From Arkansas, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Between November 2020 and March 2021, three species of birds, one each of a tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor), pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), and great blue heron (Ardea herodias) were salvaged from Lawrence and Polk counties, Arkansas, and examined for parasites. Found were four taxa of parasites, including a dicrocoeliid trematode, a cyclophyllidean cestode, and species of philopterid and menoponid lice. We document new host and distributional records for these parasites from select birds of the state.

New Geographic Distributional Records For Two Lampreys (Petromyzontiformes: Petromyzontidae) In Arkansas, With Notes On Histopathology, C.T. Mcallister, H.W. Robison, E.M. Leis, D.G. Cloutman, A.C. Camus

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The recent update (2nd edition) of the Fishes of Arkansas includes what is known, to date, on the geographic distribution of five species of lampreys that occur in the state. Here, we provide new distributional records on two of those species, the chestnut lamprey (Ichthyomyzon castaneus) and southern brook lamprey (I. gagei), as well as documenting host-parasite information (histopathology) caused by the former species.

Spermiogenesis In The Western Siren, Siren Nettingi (Caudata: Sirenidae), S.E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

I investigated spermiogenesis in the Western Siren, Siren nettingi (formerly Western Lesser Siren, Siren intermedia nettingi) from salamanders collected periodically over a span of 21 yr (1994–2015) in northeastern Arkansas. My primary objective in this study is to present histologically and ultrastructurally, for the first time, the novel sequence of spermatological events of the spermiogenic process in this species. I describe the transformational stages from secondary spermatocytes to mature biflagellated spermatozoa, all of which occur within the lumen of testicular lobules. These new-to-science processes begin with nuclear displacement and expansion within spermatids, which occur after their detachment from Sertoli cells …

Histomorphology Of The Distal Urogenital Ducts In The Male Northern Crawfish Frog, Rana Areolata Circulosa (Anura: Ranidae), S.E. Trauth, R.G. Neal

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We examined the microanatomy of the distal urogenital ducts in the male Northern Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata circulosa) from a small sample (n = 5) collected in February and March from central Arkansas over a 5-year period (2017–2022). Specifically, we sought information on the following structures: (1) the paired Wolffian (urogenital) ducts caudally from the kidneys to their merging with the urodeum of the cloaca, (2) the paired seminal vesicles (sperm storage structures), and (3) the paired Müllerian ducts and glands. This study provides new information on these urogenital ducts and promotes a clearer understanding of this anatomical region for …