17179 research outputs found
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Analysis of Ice Hockey Skating Blade Design for Enhanced Performance and Safety Utilizing Finite Element Analysis
No full textIce hockey skate blade geometry is a critical determinant of player performance, directly impacting stride efficiency, maneuverability, friction management, and injury risk during high-intensity play. Recent investigations have shown that variations in blade geometry, particularly between traditional and flared profiles, can significantly alter dynamic friction behavior, energy dissipation, and load transmission at the blade–ice interface. This thesis investigates the effects of variations in skate blade design parameters, including hollow depth, rocker radius profiles, and flared blade adjustments on frictional behavior, energy dissipation, and load transmission at the blade–ice interface. In this study, experiments were conducted on synthetic ice using a slip simulator equipped with a six-axis sensor to measure forces and torques along three perpendicular directions. The experimental results directly informed the finite element analysis (FEA) in Abaqus, simulating blade-ice interactions with a mesh-refined and verified geometric model. Comparison between simulations and experiments showed good agreement in friction and reaction forces, supporting the reliability of the modeling approach. High-fidelity 3D scanning enabled the digitization of blades and the detailed analysis of segment-specific profiles. Parametric studies showed that modified blades with reduced rotational stiffness exhibited lower rotational strain energy during angular deformation, resulting in smoother edge response and lower torque transmitted to the ankle, suggesting potential design modifications to influence load distribution. The results provide a validated framework for studying the mechanical implications of skate blade geometry on ankle loading, which may inform performance optimization and injury risk assessment.Engineerin
Exploring Client Perceptions on Gaining Infant Feeding Information Through the Texas Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Chatbot
No full textThe modernization of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is a priority. The Texas WIC chatbot, Maya, streamlines client interactions through dialog-based responses. This qualitative study explored client capabilities, motivations, and opportunities for seeking nutrition information about breastfeeding, formula feeding, infant feeding safety, adequacy of infant feeding, and complementary feeding via a chatbot. A team conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with Texas WIC clients (n = 19 women). All interviews were transcribed and subjected to a two-coder, four-phase process utilizing a theory-based codebook. Codes were compiled and thematically categorized. Identified themes included (1) motivations through necessity or resource availability, (2) client capabilities and Maya usability, and (3) opportunities for connection, support, and encouragement. Texas WIC clients that participated in this study expressed motivations, capabilities, and opportunities to engage with nutrition information through Maya. They described Maya as a favorable resource for behavior changes, and a trusted source of nutrition information, citing the credibility of WIC and reliability of the chatbot. The findings may inform future research and development of public health chatbots. Additional research is required to explore how different factors such as language and technology usage may impact client capabilities, motivations, and opportunities to seek nutrition information with regard to infant feeding.Family and Consumer Science
Assessing Barriers to CGM Utilization in Latinos with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes: A Systematic Review of the Literature [poster]
No full textThis systematic review examines barriers to access and utilization of continuous glucose monitoring among Latinos with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A systematic literature review was conducted using CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases to identify studies published within the last ten years. Inclusion criteria required peer-reviewed primary research studies focused on Latino populations and continuous glucose monitor utilization. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were appraised using Rapid Critical Appraisal tools. Thematic analysis guided by the Socio-Ecological Model identified barriers across four levels: individual, community, organizational, and policy. Individual-level barriers included device discomfort, mistrust, and knowledge gaps. Community barriers involved resource scarcity and social determinants of health, such as transportation and food insecurity. Organizational barriers included provider bias, gatekeeping, limited cultural competence, and inadequate technology infrastructure. Policy-level barriers centered on insurance authorization delays and language-related inequities. Findings highlight that systemic inequities and provider practices significantly limit equitable continuous glucose monitor access among Latinos. Advanced practice nurses can address these barriers through culturally competent education, workflow reform, and advocacy for policy change. Future research should emphasize intervention studies targeting Latino populations to improve the adoption of continuous glucose monitors and diabetes outcomes.Nursin
Imaging Interfacial Polar Domain Switching Dynamics in Twisted Hexagonal Boron Nitride Layers
No full textNo abstract prepared.Physic
Understanding the Learning Experiences and Persistence of International Students in STEM: An Exploration of One Institutional Context
No full textSTEM graduate programs in the US have attracted more international students in recent years. International students enrolled in math graduate bring diverse viewpoints and aspirations that make the program better. Mathematics as a discipline needs more technical accuracy and cognitive endurance, creating distinct academic and identity-related challenges that may influence international students' engagement and persistence differently than in other fields. However, understanding how these students navigate engagement, satisfaction, and persistence in American academic environments remains limited, particularly regarding the complex interplay between their cultural backgrounds, career goals, and the rigorous demands of mathematical study. There has been a lot of research conducted on why students persist in STEM areas, but there is still a gap in understanding international math graduate students' engagement and persistence decisions. Existing models may not fully consider the different goals and strategies of international students who come with specific goals to transform math education in their native countries. The study examined how international mathematics graduate students engage with the college campus both socially and academically, explored the relationship between engagement and satisfaction, and how satisfaction influences students’ persistence decisions.
This qualitative narrative case study explored the lived experiences of six international graduate students from a math department at a university in Central Texas via semi-structured interviews. Participants included one master’s in applied mathematics student and five PhD in Mathematics Education students, ranging from first to third year.
The cross-case analysis revealed three key findings. First, all participants showed universal need to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical applications relevant to their career goals. They rejected purely theoretical learning in favor of real-world connections to their home countries' contexts. Second, participants showed strategic rather than comprehensive engagement patterns. They chose to participate in activities based on whether they thought they were essential and beneficial for their specific goals - forming study groups while avoiding social activities that did not fit their goals. Third, persistence decisions were based on satisfaction in areas, including academics, social life, and culture.
This study concluded that traditional models of persistence operate differently for international students who are motivated by a specific goal. This shows that satisfaction and persistence are complex ideas that need targeted, culturally appropriate interventions that make use of international students' unique teaching methods and transformational goals to improve math education both in the US and around the world.Mathematic
Investigation of Environmental Impacts on Cnidarian Immunity using the Model Exaiptasia Diaphana
No full textScleractinian corals have faced multiple mass mortality events due to coral bleaching and disease outbreaks stemming from a range of climate-related stressors. Patterns of disease infection following a bleaching event have been frequently observed, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. I conducted a timeseries experiment using the tractable model Exaiptasia diaphana (Aiptasia) to characterize the impacts of changes in symbiont density on host immunity and energetic reserves through heat-stress and recovery. I compared responses of symbiotic and aposymbiotic Aiptasia to disentangle the effects of temperature from symbiont density. I found that immune activity was differentially expressed depending on symbiont density, symbiont status, and energetic availability of the host, but not temperature stress. This study provides insight regarding the impacts of symbiosis on energy allocation and immune activity.Biolog
Oral history interview: Will O. Moore
No full textEdited and unedited transcript files (.pdf) and edited and unedited video files available with closed captioning.Oral history interview with Alton Moore discussing his grandfather, Will Owen Moore Jr. Alton discusses his grandfather's life, service, and impact
Maintaining Weight after GLP-1RA Discontinuation: Do Lifestyle Interventions Work?
No full textObesity is a chronic, relapsing condition, and many adults experience significant weight regain after discontinuing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy. While lifestyle modification is central to obesity management, limited evidence exists on whether structured diet and exercise programs help sustain weight loss once pharmacologic therapy ends. Guided by Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory, this systematic review examined primary research published between 2020 and 2025 on structured lifestyle interventions following GLP-1RA discontinuation in adults. Five databases (CINAHL, PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Science Citation Index) were searched using predefined inclusion criteria. Studies were critically appraised with Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt’s Rapid Critical Appraisal Checklists, and data were synthesized thematically. Seven studies met inclusion criteria, including four randomized controlled trials, two qualitative studies, and one cohort study. Evidence consistently showed that participants engaging in structured, supervised diet and exercise interventions experienced less weight regain and better metabolic outcomes compared with those receiving standard counseling alone. Three major themes emerged: (1) structured programs mitigate weight regain, (2) exercise and nutrition interventions enhance body composition and metabolic stability, and (3) continuous behavioral support is crucial to long-term success. Structured lifestyle programs can address temporary self-care deficits following GLP-1RA withdrawal, helping patients maintain weight and metabolic benefits. Integrating these interventions into post-medication care may reduce relapse and strengthen long-term self-management in primary care.Nursin
Social Media Campaign Strategies: A Case Study of Political Issue Framing by 2024 Presidential Candidates in Ghana
No full textDespite extensive scholarship on social media political party strategies or intra-party-political campaigns across digital platforms, it remains relatively unexplored how individual presidential candidates adopt social media to frame their messages on key political issues for voter engagement, especially in the West Africa region. To fill this gap, this study examines how the two major presidential candidates in Ghana, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), use social media platforms to frame key political issues during the 2024 election campaign. Using framing theory and digital multimodal discourse analysis as the conceptual and methodological frameworks, the study examines content on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, with a focus on issues related to the economy and education, while also assessing how platform-specific affordances shape the presentation and visibility of these frames. The findings of the study reveal three core dynamics in the framing strategies of both candidates: (1) contrasting economic narratives (‘Resetting Ghana’ vs. ‘It Is Possible’), (2) competing visions of education (reform vs. continuity), and (3) platform-specific engagement patterns. These findings offer insight into how political actors leverage digital affordances beyond simple messaging tools into structured framing mechanisms and strategically construct narratives to shape public discourse and influence voter engagement.Journalism and Mass Communicatio
National Exposed Sediment Search and Inventory (NESSI): Utilizing Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning to Identify Dredged Sediment Placement Site Recovery
No full textAnthropogenic activity leads to changes in sediment dynamics, creating imbalances in sediment distributions across the landscape. These imbalances can be variable within a littoral system, with adjacent areas experiencing sediment starvation and excess sediment. Historically, sediments were viewed as an inconvenient biproduct destined for disposal; however, beneficial use of dredge material (BUDM) is a practice that has grown as a preferred methodology for utilizing sediment as a resource to help alleviate the sediment imbalances within a system. BUDM enables organizations to adopt a more innovative and sustainable sediment management approach that also provides ecological, economic, and social co-benefits. Although location data are available on BUDM sites, especially in the US, there is limited understanding on how these sites evolve within the larger landscape, which is necessary for quantifying the co-benefits. To move towards BUDM more broadly, new tools need to be developed to allow researchers and managers to understand the effects and benefits of this practice. The National Exposed Sediment Search and Inventory (NESSI) was built to show the capability of using machine learning techniques to identify dredged sediments. A combination of satellite imagery data obtained and processed using Google Earth Engine and machine learning algorithms were applied at known dredged material placement sites to develop a time series of dredged material placement events and subsequent site recovery. These disturbance-to-recovery time series are then used in a landscape analysis application to better understand site evolution within the context of the surrounding areas.Biolog