24067 research outputs found
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Engineering Polycyclic 1,2-BN-Heteroarenes for Stimuli-Responsive Materials via Electron-Deficient Heterocycle Substitutions
No full textPolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are valued for strong absorption and fluorescence, and their modification with B–N bonds yields planar aromatic azaborines with tunable optoelectronic properties. Incorporation of nitro groups (–NO₂) into polycyclic 1,2-BN heteroarenes (PBNHs) produces electron-deficient n-type conjugates that display red-shifted spectra but often suffer from aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) of emission. We previously showed that twisted molecular geometries suppress ACQ in –NO₂ substituted PBNHs and induce aggregation-induced emission (AIE). However, these designs still exhibited poor solubility and diminished optical performance. In this work, we integrate electron-deficient heterocycles (EDHs), including benzodiazole, benzothiadiazole, and benzoselenadiazole derivatives, into the PBNH scaffold to overcome these limitations. EDH substitution improves solubility, preserves key photophysical features, and introduces multi-stimuli responsiveness. Spectroscopic studies reveal solvatochromism, improved solid-state fluorescence, thermochromism, and halochromism, highlighting their environmental sensitivity. Furthermore, EDH-PBNHs were successfully applied in proof-of-concept stimuli-responsive devices, such as rewritable and self-erasable papers. This study demonstrates a versatile strategy for engineering electron-deficient BN-heteroarenes with enhanced solubility, tunable emission, and multifunctional responsiveness. These findings expand the potential of BN-based materials for advanced optoelectronics, sensing, and adaptive device technologies
The Racist Origins of Healthcare Disparities Faced by Black Women
No full textModern medical practice continues to illustrate the disparity that Black women seeking healthcare face. This manifests in many ways including dismissal when seeking diagnosis, negligence, ignorance of the societal and cultural experience of Black women which ultimately affects their health, and blatant physical abuse. This project investigates the historical origins of this disparity; specifically, how white medical professionals who supported slavery and segregation described and treated their Black patients in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, there are those in the medial field who perpetuate this construct of race and racist ideologies. This project uses historical and contemporary records from several archives whose records demonstrate the biases, beliefs, and subsequent actions of white healthcare workers. These sources have also demonstrated the fight for change and equity from Black healthcare workers, those hoping to be in the field, leaders in the Black community, and patients. Secondary source research has also demonstrated the intentional practices and experimentations on Black women that often led to worsening conditions and or death. These sources illustrate the rationalizing language used by physicians and mental health care workers to continue heinous practices. I anticipate finding more evidence regarding certain words and phrases used to describe Black female patients to justify the disparate treatment that Black women have continuously been receiving from the healthcare industry for several centuries. This research has displayed the ways in which racist ideologies have led to abhorrent treatment of Black women in healthcare. Without this research, this issue will continue to go “unnoticed” by some and completely unknown to many. Additionally, Black women will continue to suffer, not only physically but mentally as well. This research intends to add to the literature on medicine, racism, women, and gender in hopes of beginning to fix this urgent issue within this country
Blood Flow Prediction Using UNET and VNET Architectures
No full textCoronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, making the assessment of blood flow and pressure distribution within coronary vessels essential for diagnosis and treatment planning. Fractional Flow Reserve (FFR) is a key measure used to determine the severity of arterial blockages, but traditional methods, such as invasive measurements or computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, are not only time-consuming and costly, but also invasive. This project explores the use of deep learning to predict blood pressure distribution in coronary arteries using a 3D convolutional neural network. The dataset consists of Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography (CCTA) scans paired with blood pressure obtained from CFD simulations. After preprocessing and voxelizing the CCTA scans, the VNet model learns to map the vessel’s geometry to its internal pressure distribution. Our model achieved a Pearson correlation of 0.93 and an R² score of 0.84 between the predicted and simulated pressures. These results indicate that VNet delivers accurate, spatially consistent pressure predictions that closely match CFD outputs while substantially reducing computation time. This approach underscores the potential of deep learning to accelerate non-invasive FFR estimation and enhance patient-specific cardiovascular analysi
Gratifications that Contribute to Compulsive YouTube Use Among University Students
No full textThis study investigated the gratifications contributing to compulsive YouTube use among university students. Compulsive YouTube use, marked by an inability to regulate consumption despite negative impacts to the user, is analysed through the Uses and Gratifications Theory (U&G) and Compulsive Internet Use (CIU). Specifically, the study examined how different gratifications—such as emotional support, habitual viewing, and escapism—drive compulsive use patterns. A cross-sectional survey strategy was employed, collecting data from 175 university students through structured online questionnaires. The study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the relationships between the identified gratifications and compulsive usage behaviour. The findings show that emotional support, habitual viewing, and escapism significantly contribute to the compulsive use of YouTube, while entertainment, information-seeking, social interaction, and personal identity gratifications do not. These results suggest that students rely on YouTube for mood regulation and avoiding real-world responsibilities, fostering dependency. Recommendations for future research include exploring the effects of demographic variations and implementing longitudinal studies to examine the long-term impact of these gratifications on compulsive YouTube use
The Integration of Agile Methodologies in DevOps Practices within the Information Technology Industry
No full textThe demand for rapid software delivery in the Information Technology (IT) industry has significantly intensified, emphasising the need for faster software products and service releases with enhanced features to meet customer expectations. Agile methodologies are replacing traditional approaches such as Waterfall, where flexibility, iterative development and adaptation to change are favoured over rigid planning and execution. DevOps, a subsequent evolution from Agile, emphasises collaborative efforts in development and operations teams, focusing on continuous integration and deployment to deliver resilient and high-quality software products and services. This study aims to critically assess both Agile and DevOps practices in the IT industry to identify the feasibility and applicability of Agile methods in DevOps practices. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with Agile and DevOps practitioners in varying capacities across several sectors within the IT industry. Through thematic analysis, 51 unique codes were extracted and synthesised into 19 themes that reported on each phase of the DevOps lifecycle, specifically regarding the integration and implementation of Agile methods into DevOps practices. Based on the findings, a new understanding detailing the interrelationship of Agile methods in DevOps practices was discussed that met the research objectives
The Utilisation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Technologies in e-Government Service Delivery: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textThe integration of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies is transforming e-Government by boosting citizen engagement and enhancing service efficiency. However, gaps still exist in understanding the various applications, impacts, and barriers to adoption. This systematic review synthesises literature from 16 studies published between 2017 and 2025, illustrating how technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, Internet of Things, and machine learning are employed and their effects on e-Government service delivery. The review reveals that 4IR technologies continue to play a vital role in e-Government services by addressing security threats, simplifying verification and authentication, building trust, and improving the quality and accessibility of citizen-centred services. Factors such as infrastructure, regulations, institutional capacity, and digital literacy influence outcomes. The study adds to the growing discourse on technology-driven public sector transformation by providing an evidence-based understanding of utilisation patterns and suggesting strategic pathways to maximise the benefits of 4IR in e-Government service delivery
Save One Life: Resistance During the Holocaust
No full textDuring the Holocaust, ordinary people took great risks to save themselves, their families, friends, and strangers. People resisted in different ways and for different reasons. How they resisted depended on who they were, where they lived, when they were active, and what resources they had. In this exhibition, you will meet people who courageously crossed borders and boundaries to stand up for their values. Against all odds, they defied Nazi ideology, helped the Allies, and saved many lives.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mhheexhibits/1010/thumbnail.jp
Living Experiences of Indigenous Health Practice: Belizean Maya communities and Belize Migrants
No full textBelize Maya communities, like many indigenous communities around the world, have long experienced challenges to maintaining health as they interface with an ever-expanding globalized model of development. This essay explores the relationship between traditional ecological practices and health in the context of a holistic understanding of what makes healthy bodies, healthy communities and healthy lives. Using the author’s Embodied Ecological Heritage (EEH) framework and a phenomenological lens, the essay shares how sensory experiences become embodied through everyday practice, promoting health and general wellbeing. This grounded theory, developed in and with Maya communities, helps us understand ways to consider and support health without identifying or isolating particular aspects of health. This holistic approach demonstrates how physical health is not simply connected to mental health and the social aspects of health but that all aspects of health are deeply integrated across individual bodies, communities and ever-changing ecologies
Smart Mobility Technologies in Urban Areas of Emerging Economies: A Bibliometric Analysis
No full textDespite the adoption of smart mobility solutions in emerging economies, challenges such as traffic congestion, pollution and inadequate infrastructure still persist. This study analyses 540 scholarly articles published between 2003 and 2024 to evaluate how smart mobility technologies – such as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – have been implemented in these regions. Data was retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science and analysed using Biblioshiny for bibliometric mapping and Atlas.ti for thematic analysis. The review identifies research trends and gaps, showing how ITS has improved transport management in cities like Nairobi, and how shared mobility solutions have leveraged IoT to reduce private vehicle usage. However, implementation is hindered by high costs, inadequate infrastructure, regulatory challenges and low digital literacy. The study recommends inclusive, context-specific approaches to smart mobility, and encourages future research exploring the link between technological advancement and socio-economic factors in emerging economies
Review: Archival Virtue: Relationship, Obligation, and the Just Archives
No full textReview: Archival Virtue: Relationship, Obligation, and the Just Archives. By Scott Cline. (Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2022), 212 pp. Reviewed by Penny Cliff