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Synthesis of Geopolymer Using Coal Fly Ash and Corn Stover
Get PDFThe development of each nation is dependent on its infrastructure, and nations are competing with others in infrastructure, especially in the construction of roadways, since they play a vital role in the economic and social development of the nation. The conventional materials used for road construction are cement and asphalt, which pose significant environmental challenges. This thesis explores the potential of fly ash (FA) and corn stover (CS) in synthesizing geopolymer, as an alternative material for the construction of roads. The study examines the impact of FA and CS percentages and the particle sizes of CS on the compressive strength, porosity, and permeability of the geopolymer. The results indicate that incorporating CS in the FA may decrease the compressive strength of the geopolymer. Smaller CS particle sizes lead to lower compressive strength. However, porosity of the geopolymer increased with the incorporation of the CS. As with the compressive strength, an increase in particle size decreased porosity. Achieving the targeted permeability remains a challenge due to the particle size and the quality of the compactness of the materials used
Demands at Work: The Moderating Influence of Motivation on the Relationship between Challenge Demands and Employee Work Engagement
Get PDFWork engagement is a popular topic due to the positive outcomes linked to it. For example, engaged workers are shown to be more productive workers and better organizational citizens. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Theory has been the most widely accepted explanatory model for work engagement due to its flexibility to be applied to all work environments. While the JD-R does not argue that motivation is fixed, it does not account for moment-to-moment changes in motivation. A state theory of motivation that examines how motivation may impact the relationships between demands and work engagement has yet to be examined. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design to examine whether certain motivational states (i.e., paratelic-conforming and mastery) moderated the relationship between the propensity to see demands as challenges and work engagement. The analysis did not reveal any significant interactions. The paratelic-conforming interaction was non-significant (B = 0.0488, 95% CI [-0.0914, 0.1845], p = 0.5). The mastery interaction was also non-significant (B = 0.0363, 95% CI [ -0.1344, 0.2069], p = 0.68). The direct effects were examined, and conflicting results were found between the scales employed to establish the individual’s state. The direct effects and subsequent follow-up analyses are discussed
Effect of Sex on the Accumulation of Hepatic Mercury in Mallards Wintering in Louisiana
Get PDFThe increase in mercury production through anthropogenic activities has led to a global crisis of mercury pollution that poses a significant threat to the health of both humans and wildlife. Aquatic ecosystems are especially at risk due to the creation of methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury, by sulfate-reducing bacteria in anoxic sediments and soils. Methylmercury enters the food chain where it bioaccumulates in individual organisms and then biomagnified with increasing trophic level. Aquatic birds are useful bioindicators of many pollutants, including mercury, due to their abundance and position in the food chain. Previous studies have primarily focused on mercury accumulation in breeding birds. Only a limited number of studies have investigated wintering birds, and an even smaller percentage have examined the influence of sex on mercury accumulation. I used energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence to measure the mercury concentration in the liver and feathers of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) wintering in Louisiana. Sex did not influence liver or feather mercury concentrations and there was no correlation between feather and liver mercury concentration within individuals. A noteworthy finding was that birds with higher hepatic mercury concentrations had smaller livers, particularly females, raising concerns about potential impacts on their health. The mercury levels detected in most of the birds were unlikely to pose much concern for hunters who consume them, but pregnant women and children may want to be mindful of how much duck meat they consume per week
Prior Learning Assessment: Understanding the Implementation of Policy
Get PDFIn 2022, the Louisiana Board of Regents (LBOR) introduced a prior learning assessment (PLA) policy across public higher education institutions in Louisiana. This policy was motivated by two key factors: firstly, it aligned with national best practices to support students entering the workforce without traditional credentials, and secondly, it increased LBOR\u27s degree attainment goal by 60% by 2030. This study aimed to explore how higher education leaders navigated the implementation of this PLA policy. Initial findings revealed that all institutions reviewed in the pilot study offered some form of standardized PLA, with only half providing both standardized and non-standardized options. Further examination through case studies illustrated that institutions were in the process of establishing policies and procedures to address six critical elements of the policy: transparency, acceptable forms of PLA, evaluation and transcript of credit, transfer of PLA credit, fees for PLA credit, and data reporting. Administrators noted that while PLA implementation was underway, it was not considered a top priority. This study reveals the complexities of implementing PLA policies and provides insights into areas needing further attention, such as policy mapping and transparency
Evaluating a Common Book Program\u27s Effect on Gains in Knowledge and Position toward Sustainability in the Nutrition Professions
Get PDFA Common Reader Program, also called a common book, summer reading, or a one-book program, has been reported to enhance the college educational experience yet appears to have been underutilized by colleges and universities. In the case of health sciences, there can be great benefits in having students learn from the literature not typically found in textbooks used in the curricula. Common reader programs allow for different teaching methods to be implemented and using multiple teaching methods in a single program can be beneficial. In nutrition and dietetics (ND) programs there is a need for additional education regarding sustainability in our food systems and healthcare processes, and this could be done using common reader programs. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations states that a sustainable food system can provide food security and nutrition for all, while keeping the economic, social, and environmental bases uncompromised for future generations (FAO, 2018). Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) should proactively transform food systems by facilitating population-wide shifts to have individuals partake in more healthy and sustainable diets (Barbour et al., 2022). The ND programs at Louisiana Tech University have initiated an annual focused common book program that began one academic year before this study. More research is needed to determine if this program is beneficial to the students to help aid in any future decisions regarding program participation. The purpose of this quantitative, exploratory intervention research design was to evaluate the benefits of using a common book program for ND students focusing on sustainability in food systems and health care delivery. Specifically, gains in knowledge, confidence, and positions toward sustainability in the nutrition profession. This study utilized a retrospective post-then-pre-study design and a purposive, convenience sampling strategy for participants of ND majors currently enrolled at Louisiana Tech University at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Focused recruitment was on ND majors enrolled in FNU 480 (Senior Seminar), FNU 592 (Intern in Nutrition-Dietetics), and FNU 299 (Research for Nutrition Professionals). The online questionnaire included 33 items. Participants were given the chosen common book “There is No Planet B” by Mike Berners-Lee, made available through an Entergy Micro Grant, and encouraged to attend the nine planned campus events and activities around the topic of sustainability. Approximately 65 students were eligible to participate, and there were a total of 35 respondents. The majority of respondents were female (82.90%), white, non-Hispanic (80.00%), and had an upperclassman, junior or senior, academic standing (62.86%). Seventeen respondents received academic credit for program participation. Almost half of the respondents (45.70%) considered themselves “moderately familiar” with the topic of sustainability before participating in the program. The media was the highest contributor to prior familiarity (60.00%). There were 16 respondents (45.70%) who only read the sections required for their course from the common book, four respondents (11.40%) read the entire book, and five respondents (14.30%) did not read the book. On average, all five mandatory events for academic credit had a 38.86% participation rate, while the four voluntary events had 20.00%. The correlation between the program participation (events and book), total gains, and total position scores were more neutral with no statistical significance. An average of 41.43% of the respondents reported a good to great gain in the items regarding their knowledge of sustainability after completing the program. The mean total position score of 1.19 + 0.15 indicates an agreeable position toward all statements regarding sustainability. A total of 65.71% of the respondents would encourage ND students to engage in the common book program. Of the 30 responses to the question of whether participation developed a new understanding of sustainability in food systems, 26 responses (86.7%) were positive and four responses (13.3%) were negative. Prior research on common book programs was focused on students of different declared majors than ND, or students with a freshman academic standing in post-secondary, degree-granting institutions. The ND Common Book Program at Louisiana Tech University can be assumed as one of the few programs that gear their focus towards ND majors and upperclassmen academic standing based on the lack of literature. It was found that the ND Common Book Program was beneficial and provided a gain in knowledge, confidence, and position toward sustainability in food systems for students attending Louisiana Tech University
Reports of Autosomal Recessive Disease and Consanguineous Mating within the Human Population
Get PDFIt is anecdotally evident when investigating published reports of autosomal recessive disease that a substantial number of cases are the result of related (consanguineous) mating. This research seeks to quantify the percent of manuscripts describing autosomal recessive diseases published between 2000 and 2020 in which consanguineous mating is indicated. We analyzed 602 peer-reviewed manuscripts to identify the percentage of cases presented in which consanguineous mating was indicated, the underlying genes (novel gene or new mutation) and geographical region. These papers were accessed through a specific set of parameters on the free access PubMed Central (PMC) database. A total of 552 manuscripts remained after vetting. A total of 384 (65.9%) of these 553 publications reported a consanguineous mating and were skewed to novel mutations (44.5%), rather than novel genes (7.5%). We also found a substantial population location effect on these data. These data indicate that consanguineous mating is a major factor for identifying novel sequence mutations in recurring autosomal recessive disease and for identifying the underlying mutation in novel recessive diseases
FLoAT: A Multi-Scale Flood Loss Assessment Tool Developed from Experimentally Derived Material Damage
Get PDFCurrent practice of flood loss prediction presents limitations in accurately predicting building flood losses at multiple scales. While whole-building estimates can more accurately predict high-level losses (i.e., large groups of buildings), a significant analysis error is revealed with small-scale (i.e., individual, or small groups of buildings) investigation. The novel approach of collecting experimental flood data to support damage estimation has provided sufficient evidence that current damage models can and do under or overestimate loss. This research has developed a multi-scale approach to assessing flood losses based on experimentally derived material damage. The methodology is stored and accessible in a multi-scale Flood Loss Assessment Tool (FLoAT). The framework for FLoAT incorporates damage uncertainty and can assess loss costs at multiple scales from individual residential structures to neighborhoods of similar structure types. The model has been refined to only require very few inputs such as flood data (e.g., height of floodwater and type of water), floor area of structure and architectural style depending on the preferred scale of assessment; additional loss costs such as labor, sanitization and restoration costs are also incorporated. The validation of the tool has been completed by analyzing real flood data in Southern Louisiana followed by statistical analysis. The primary goal is accessibility with a strong focus on precision, providing inspectors, city planners, researchers, government officials, and homeowners access to assess damage and loss as precisely as possible
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Training Environments
Get PDFAs technology has evolved so has training methodology in many applied fields. Training of aviation professionals is adapting by including technology features that allow for safer and less costly training methods. Pilot training is expensive given the number of flight hours and all that is included in the cost of flying an airplane. The main goal of this project is to assess the efficacy of the use of virtual reality environments as a valid training tool. Based on our literature review, we hypothesized that trainees perform simulated flight tasks more efficiently, with fewer errors, when trained using VR technology. The research was conducted using a four-phased experimental framework. Historical data of B-52 pilots trained by conventional methods (non-VR) was assessed and analyzed against VR-trained B-52 pilot trainees who were trained on in-air refueling using VR. Each subject\u27s time to proficiency and the number of sorties were collected for a comparative analysis between VR and non-VR trainees. NASA-TLX was incorporated to develop a comparative analysis across the training cycle measuring the cognitive load of the trainees. VR was monitored independently using eye-tracking technology incorporated in the VR headset while using a computer-based flight simulation program. Pre and post-training questionnaires were utilized to determine the background and subjective thoughts of the trainees. The data supports the hypothesis, indicating there is statistical significance in terms of both minutes and number of sorties it took the pilots to reach proficiency with VR trained pilots vs legacy pilots who were not, validating the benefit of this technology that will be implemented across the aviation industry. The final takeaway from this research is developing a training transfer model built specifically to meld the VR and conventional aviation training environments
Cool Brands and Their Grateful Fans: A Multi-Method Exploration of Brand Coolness and Consumer Gratitude
Get PDFOver the course of three essays, this dissertation explores brand coolness, gratitude, and the relationship between the two. In the first essay, cool brands and their marketing outcomes are viewed through the lens of standing out and fitting in—two paradoxical motivations held together in the concept of cool. Utilizing structural equation modeling, I examine the relevant relationships between consumer’s motivations to stand out and fit in, the corresponding brand coolness attributes of subcultural and popular, the consumer emotional response of gratitude, and a consumer’s willingness to pay more for cool brands. Importantly, this essay finds that the consumer emotion of gratitude is positively related to both brand coolness dimensions and is necessary for subcultural brands to benefit from positive word of mouth. The second essay takes a deep dive into gratitude to better understand its relationship with key marketing outcomes through a meta-analysis of 59 papers with 75 studies featuring 214 effect sizes and 16,491 subjects, covering 15 years of research. The findings reveal a relatively large effect of gratitude (r = 0.57) on outcomes including subjective perceptions, behavioral intentions, and actual behaviors. Construal level theory provides a theoretical lens through which to understand this relationship and the moderators of the gratitude-outcome relationship. Moderators of the relationship between gratitude and subjective perceptions and behavioral intentions include sample characteristics (gender and nationality), stimulus characteristics (stimulus generation), and organizational characteristics (real/fictitious organization). Finally, the third essay returns to coolness to consider how cool can be “designed” into products during development. The overlap between the measures of product design and coolness is detailed and narrowed down into three themes—aesthetics, functionality, and symbolism. I discuss conceptual issues between uniqueness and symbolism and outline several fruitful avenues for future research including the relationship between coolness and gratitude
Division I Collegiate Baseball Pitching Performance in Relation to Forearm Kinematics and Kinetics
Get PDFThis thesis investigates physical and anthropometric factors influenced by forearm rotation biases associated with supination and pronation on pitch characteristics among Division I college baseball pitchers. The study involved twenty-two participants who underwent comprehensive physical assessments, including measures of forearm strength, range of motion, and grip strength, as well as finger and hand length measurements. Ball flight metrics were collected during intrasquad scrimmages using advanced radar tracking technology. Results revealed significant relationships between distinct physical biases of strength in pronation and supination, pinch strength, anthropometrics such as middle finger length, and specific pitch characteristics. This study lays the groundwork for future research exploring individualized coaching strategies tailored to pitchers\u27 unique profiles, outlining potential opportunities for maximizing performance potential and minimizing injury risk