19304 research outputs found
Sort by
Application of Criteria for Hydrogen Transportation Refueling for Several Countries Considering Energy Resource and Use Implications
No full textThe transition to hydrogen-based transportation requires strategic evaluation of energy sources, infrastructure, and regional capabilities. This study investigates the feasibility of hydrogen refueling for ground transportation by implementing the established criteria for transitioning from conventional fuels to hydrogen. The United States and the United Kingdom serve as base case studies for defining six primary criteria: feedstock, production, storage, distribution, end-use applications, and policy considerations, including government incentives and public perception. These criteria are then applied to seven additional countries Japan, France, Nigeria, South Africa, Germany, South Korea and China to test their adaptability across diverse geopolitical and energy contexts. The analysis provides a comparative assessment of hydrogen implementation strategies, focusing on technological pathways, environmental impact, economic viability, and infrastructure readiness. Furthermore, the study incorporates Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) to evaluate the maturity of hydrogen systems within each country. The results highlight significant variation in hydrogen mobility potential due to differences in energy resource availability, infrastructure development, and policy frameworks. Countries with strong renewable energy portfolios and supportive regulatory environments exhibit greater readiness for hydrogen adoption. Conversely, regions lacking cohesive policy or infrastructure face steeper barriers to implementation. Overall, this research offers a structured, criteria-based framework to support decision-makers in designing context-specific hydrogen transportation strategies. It contributes to ongoing efforts in decarbonizing the transportation sector and provides a foundation for future investment and policy development in the global hydrogen economy
Validation of the Disability Identity Development Scale Among Student Veterans With Disabilities in Higher Education
No full textBackground: As service members transition out of the military and back into civilian life, empirical evidence suggests a growing number of veterans with disabilities are choosing to enroll in postsecondary education. Although prior studies have explored various aspects of identity both for student veterans and those with disabilities, none has examined how disability identity is developed and measured in this population. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Disability Identity Development Scale (DIDS) among a sample of student veterans with disabilities in higher education. The primary objectives were to replicate the factor structure of the DIDS, evaluate its internal consistency reliability, and explore its relationship with other scales, such as the Personal Disability Identity Scale (PDIS) and Personal Identity Scale (PIS), to affirm the reliability and validity of the DIDS. Methods: The study used a cross-sectional quantitative research design with a sample of 600 student veterans with service-connected disabilities. Participants completed the DIDS, PDIS, and PIS, along with a demographic questionnaire. Initial confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to replicate the DIDS factor structure. Due to inadequate fit, exploratory bifactor analyses (EBFA) and exploratory factor analyses (EFA) were performed, which also revealed poor fit. Subsequently, a secondary analysis focusing on veterans with a >90% service-connected disability ratings was conducted to examine if higher disability salience affected the model fit. Results: Findings of this study’s initial CFA, EBFA, and EFA revealed significant discrepancies between the established factor structure of the DIDS and the factor structure observed in this study’s population, suggesting the established model does not fit the new sample data well. However, secondary analyses focusing on veterans with >90% service-connected disability ratings revealed an acceptable model fit for the DIDS. Conclusion: Findings of this research point to a nuanced understanding of the disability identity development among student veterans with disabilities in higher education. This study highlights the need for revising the DIDS for broader applicability and underscores the importance of considering disability severity when assessing disability identity. Future research should refine the DIDS and explore the evolution of disability identity over time to enhance support systems for student veterans with disabilities in higher education
A Novel Iterative Method for Beam Focusing with an Antenna Array
No full textWe present an iterative approach for generating a focused beam, or a beam with a null in the far-field of an antenna grid arranged in a double cross formation. Building on the work of Egarguin, our method begins with a 2D far-field approximation to steer the antenna grid toward a desired direction. The far-field pattern is then normalized, and for each sidelobe exceeding a predefined threshold, currents are calculated for each dipole to cancel the sidelobe. Thisprocess is repeated until all sidelobes fall below the threshold. Additionally, a null can be introduced by performing the sidelobe cancellation process on all elements except the center, and then determining the center's current to eliminate the far-field pattern in the null direction. The result is a focused beam with optional null placement and sidelobes that remain below the established threshold.Mathematics, Department ofHonors Colleg
The Bioremediation of Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Watersheds: The Role of Floating Treatment Wetlands
No full textFloating treatment wetlands (FTWs) are engineered systems that utilize floating platforms planted with aquatic vegetation to treat polluted water such as stormwater, agricultural runoff, and wastewater. FTWs have emerged as promising and environmentally sustainable solutions for water purification. This review synthesizes the current knowledge on FTW design, plant selection, and performance evaluation. It highlights key factors influencing nutrient and heavy metal removal, including the hydraulic retention time, mat thickness, and types of plant species. Recent findings on the roles of root architecture, microbial interactions, and seasonal variability in treatment efficiency are also discussed. Additionally, the review explores advanced analytical methods for monitoring water quality and assessing plant growth and contaminant uptake. Case studies from both laboratory- and field-scale experiments illustrate how variation in FTW configurations impacts pollutant removal efficiency. The review concludes by identifying critical research gaps, including the need for standardized monitoring protocols, strategies to enhance long-term performance, and the integration of FTWs with complementary treatment technologies to improve effectiveness across diverse aquatic environments
Development of a Python-based Data Assimilation Framework (PyDAF). Case Study: Refining Ammonia Emissions Through Observation Data
No full textData assimilation combines models with observations to improve predictions, reduce uncertainties, and support better decisions. To meet the need for a comprehensive framework that supports multiple approaches and models, we are developing the Python-based Data Assimilation Framework (PyDAF). In the first study, we introduced PyDAF version 1, supporting CMAQ and WRF-Chem models with iFDMB, 3D-VAR, 4D-VAR, and adjoint methods, using IASI, CrIS, satellite, and Nexrad radar data. For the validation, the Complex Variable Method and pseudo observations are employed. Applying PyDAF, we analyzed an ozone (O3) exceedance in Seoul on June 3, 2019, estimating contributions up to four days ahead. Korean emissions contributed 31.1 ppb, while emissions from Shandong, the Yangtze River Delta, Central China, and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei contributed 11.42, 4.28, 1.24, and 0.9 ppb, respectively, with 19.3 ppb from background O3 beyond eastern China. In the second study, we used PyDAF:iFDMB to update NH3 emissions over East Asia with CrIS data for July, August, and September 2019. Revised emissions increased in China, especially the North China Plain, and decreased in South Korea in September. Higher NH3 emissions raised NH3 concentrations by 5 ppb. In July and September, ammonium (NH4) and nitrate (NO3) increased by 5 µg m−3, while in August they decreased. Sulfate (SO4) concentrations fell across most of China and Taiwan in August–September due to ammonium sulfate formation, but rose over South Korea, Japan, and southern Chengdu with higher humidity. In July, SO4 increased across much of China. In the third study, we refined 2019 NH3 emissions over the south-central U.S. with PyDAF:iFDMB and CrIS data, evaluating impacts on inorganic PM2.5. We also compared emissions constrained by IASI, CrIS, and both combined. Notably, we showed satellite-based refinement over open water in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM). Annual NH3 emissions rose 2.5-fold (1.43 Gg N a−1), increasing NH3 (3.4-fold), NH4 (1.26-fold), SO4 (1.01-fold), and NO3 (2-fold), especially in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Combined IASI/CrIS estimates best matched surface observations. Over NWGOM, NH3 rose 1.4 ppb, mainly due to biological nitrogen fixation
Examining the Utility of Life Narratives for the Assessment of Personality Pathology in Emerging Adults
No full textRecent advances in psychiatric nosology adopt a dimensional conceptualization for personality pathology. This framework includes the assessment of an individual’s level of personality functioning (LPF), constituting core features of personality pathology across self- and interpersonal domains. Given the increased emphasis on the assessment of self-functioning (e.g., identity, self-direction), scholars have proposed that narrative methods might be useful for the assessment of one’s sense of self, and thus, improve the detection of personality pathology. The narrative identity framework offers a phenomenologically rich account of the self as a story, holding the potential to capture aspects of the self not currently assessed with existing measures of self and identity. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the utility of narrative identity for the assessment of LPF. Through this, we examined the associations between narrative identity and LPF, and the prediction of both a self-report measure and clinical interview of LPF by narrative variables. Finally, we used hierarchical regression to evaluate the incremental utility of narrative identity over LPF in predicting functional impairment. Data was collected from 90 participants between the ages of 18 and 25 (M = 20.09, SD = 1.71) drawn from a mixed college and clinical sample. Results revealed more maladaptive LPF was significantly associated with lower levels of agency, communion, and growth, but higher narrative deterioration. Regression analyses revealed narrative agency emerged as the sole significant predictor of LPF as measured via self-report. Results demonstrated that agency explained small incremental variance above the clinical interview for LPF (though not the self-report measure) in predicting functional impairment. In sum, findings suggest that narrative identity is indeed associated with LPF, and narrative agency in particular may benefit the assessment of LPF
Discovering Immunogenic Neopeptides From Novel Chimeric RNA FGFR3-KHSRP to Develop Vaccines for Pancreatic Cancer
No full textPancreatic Cancer is one of the most fatal solid malignancies due to its clinically silent and aggressive nature. Despite surgery being the primary treatment for many cancers, most pancreatic cancer is unresectable leaving patients with little treatment options. Chimeric RNAs are frequently misregulated in cancer, making them potential cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Gene fusions, which arise from chromosomal rearrangements, can generate chimeric RNA that translates into oncogenic fusion proteins. Our study investigates the FGFR3-KHSRP chimeric RNA identified in pancreatic cancer patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models to assess its potential for mRNA vaccine development. First, we characterized the FGFR3-KHSRP fusion by identifying exon boundaries and reconstructing the full fusion sequence. Fusion-specific primers were designed for validation using RT-PCR and Sanger Sequencing. Next, we predicted immunogenic Neopeptides from the fusion protein junction using an in-silico pipeline to assess their HLA class I binding affinity and structural stability. Binding predictions were performed using NetMHCPan, MixMHCPred, and BigMHC, with strong-binding candidates prioritized. Structural modeling of the predicted Neopeptides were conducted using AlphaFold, providing insight into protein stability. Our findings suggest that FGFR3-KHSRP derived Neopeptides demonstrate promising binding affinity to MHC class I molecules, supporting their potential for inducint an anti-tumor immune response. Future work will include further structural analysis with AlphaFold, ApeGen HLA-neopeptide docking simulation, and finally, experimental validation of HLA binding affinity using flow cytometry. Our findings highlight a precision oncology approach for identifying immunotherapy targets in pancreatic cancer, paving the way for future experimental validation.Biology and Biochemistry, Department ofHonors CollegePhysics, Department o
Properties of 3D Printed Flat and Volumetric Knits
No full textCrane was able to describe a parametric function that takes the form of a knit. Using this as a basis for developing alternative and layered knitting patterns, samples were 3D printed and compared to traditional knitted fabrics. Seeking to test the ability to tune physical properties of these knits, the resultant change in stiffness along different axes was tested over a wide range of parameters. These parameters are then carried over to a volumetric knit along 3 axis testing of properties. The properties of these knits derive from their geometry more than the underlying materials from which they're printed. [This project was completed with contributions from Catherine Bai from the University of Pennsylvania.]Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Department ofHonors Colleg
The Association Between Anxiety Sensitivity and Eating Expectancies in Hispanic Emerging Adult College Students
No full textObjective: Recent evidence suggests that Hispanic emerging adults are at increased risk for maladaptive eating behavior. Therefore, there is a need to further examine the cognitive processes that may drive maladaptive eating behavior among this health-vulnerable population. Participants: Participants were 337 Hispanic emerging adult college students (81.9% female; Mage = 20.37, SD = 1.92; age range = 18-25). Methods: The present study examined anxiety sensitivity, a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor, as a predictor of various eating expectancies. Results: Results indicated that greater levels of anxiety sensitivity were positively related to increased eating expectancies to alleviate boredom, lead to feeling out of control, and help manage negative affect. Importantly, findings were observed above and beyond the variance accounted for by age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and acculturative stress. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Hispanic college students with greater anxiety sensitivity may be at increased risk for maladaptive eating expectancies.Psychology, Department ofHonors Colleg
Walking Speed and Brain Connectivity in Older Adults
No full textDementia refers to a group of diseases that cause decline in an individual's mental abilities to the point where they cannot function independently. The prevalence of dementia increases substantially with age and is expanding worldwide. Researchers are examining modifiable risk factors that may delay the onset of dementia, one of which is physical activity. Studies have shown that physical activity is linked with changes in brain structure and function and is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. One aspect of brain function that has been examined in connection with physical activity is functional connectivity. This study investigated if there was an association between walking speed and brain connectivity. Walking speed was selected as a measure of physical activity. Participants from the BIOCARD study had their walking speed measured using a timed 4-meter walk test. Brain connectivity was derived from resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans acquired in the same participants. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine the association between walking speed and brain functional connectivity in 4 brain networks previously shown to be associated with cognition. Baseline functional connectivity in 1 of the 4 networks examined, the default-mode network (DMN), was associated with the annual rate of change in walking speed over 9 years of follow-up (p=0.031). These findings suggest a measure of functional connectivity in the DMN could provide a marker for older individuals' risk for future decreased physical activity and incident disability, both of which have been associated with cognitive decline and dementia. [This project was completed with contributions from Marilyn Albert from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.]Honors Colleg