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2024 Digital Religion Yearbook
No full textAnnual Review of Research in Digital Religion StudiesThe aim of the Digital Religion Yearbook is to spotlight important research, emerging scholars, and top contributions to the growing field of Digital Religion studies. The yearbook is organized and published by the Network for New Media, Religion, and Digital Culture Studies (NMRDC). The 2024 Yearbook features an annual essay, a director's note, top 10 article in digital religion list, scholars to watch section, top students section and a list of key publication produced by the NMRDC advisory board in 2024New Media, Religion, and Digital Culture Studies (NMRDC
A Test for Stationarity Using a Local Average of the Autocovariance of the Discrete Fourier Transform
No full textThe discrete Fourier transform of a second-order stationary process has been found to be asymptotically uncorrelated, a property which can be leveraged to create a test statistic for stationary. Building off this, we propose a version of the test where the test statistic is created by taking the local average over several partitions of the canonical frequencies, standardized using the heteroskedicity-consistent standard errors. Under the null hypothesis of stationarity this test statistic will be distributed as the sum-of-F distributions, while under the alternative hypothesis of local stationarity it will be distributed as the sum of non-central F distributions. Simulation studies show that locally averaging the DFT can result in a significant increase of power compared to globally averaging the DFT, and performs similarly to the Wavelet Packet Test, another contemporary test for stationarity
John Bickham field notebook: AK11001-AK11500.pdf
No full textBound book, each page corresponds to a karyotype slide data.Data pages for AK11501-AK12000 corresponding to unique identifiers of specimens/samples examined for biological research. Specimens are primarily housed at Texas A&M University; Biodiverstiy Research and Teaching Collection
Learning from Successful Qatari Women in Corporate Management: Stories of Career Development and Lived Experiences
No full textThe purpose of this study was to explore Qatari women���s career development journey to management within the context of Qatar���s unique culture, honoring ancient traditions while ambitiously entering modernity. For Qatari women to be equally represented in corporate management they must be motivated and aspire to compete for influential positions in gender-mixed environments. This study used a qualitative, life history approach to examine their life experiences that have influenced their career development, in gender-mixed work environments. A two-part data analysis approach was conducted consisting of (a) the construction of a case story that reflected the biographical, life history of each participant as it related to her career development, and (b) inductive, cross-case thematic analysis. The major themes that emerged from this process concerned the critical career development stages that contributed to the personal and professional growth of participants and had a direct impact on their career progression. The four major themes identified were: (a) early beginnings; (b) quest for higher education; (c) establishing and managing career; and (d) strategies for sustained career success.
The participants��� early beginnings centered around their family and were heavily influenced by their father���s support. The love and care shown by their families enabled them to adapt to strong guardianship by showing respect, honor, and obedience to their families. During their quest for higher education, participants were guided by their families��� expectations for educational attainment. They developed resilience in the face of challenges, which altered their original plans for university and caused them to pivot and reconstruct their vision for a university experience. Upon finishing university and entering the workforce, participants��� greatest challenge was assimilating into a gender-mixed work environment. In this new environment the women faced gender bias, ageism, and had to confront societal judgement, which had a strong presence in their work environments. The women worked hard to prove their professional credibility by developing their interpersonal skills and finding their professional voice. Predominant enablers of their success were having a high-risk, growth mindset, managing positive relationships with their supervisors and mentors, and finding a meaningful purpose to drive their ambition and success
Neoconservatives and Taiwan: Adherents of Conservative Precedent or Advocates for Liberal Interventionism?
No full textDuring the 1990s neoconservatives grew concerned over a burgeoning People���s Republic of China (PRC) threatening the newly democratic government of Taiwan. They wanted the United States to bolster Taiwan���s standing in the international community, commit to defend Taiwan, end strategic ambiguity, prevent further entrenchment of the PRC in international organizations, and push for closer if not official relations between the United States and Taiwan. Neoconservatives frequently employed Wilsonian rhetoric to shore up support for Taiwan. Despite this liberal notion, their foreign policy positions and thinking built on the likes of the China Lobby and New Right. By analyzing neoconservative viewpoints on U.S. policy towards Taiwan one can see how evolved earlier conservative positions despite accusations that they carried on liberal tenets in foreign policy
Unveiling the Persistence of Residual Microislands of Calculus After Periodontal Procedures Using a Videoscope: An Initial Investigation into Clinical and Microbiological Associations
No full textPeriodontitis is a chronic disease which is addressed in cases with probing depths of more than 6mm with surgical intervention. In this study, our objective is to use an additional visualization tool, the videoscope, to understand the persistence of microislands of calculus and their clinical and microbial manifestations in human patients.
The videoscope was used to visualize residual calculus in patients after periodontal procedures, and three examiners identified the calculus in 25 micrographs. For the second part of the study, six patients underwent open flap debridement procedure, and clinical and microbiological parameters were compared.
92% of cases had residual calculus present after flapped periodontal procedures performed by multiple periodontics residents. The consensus between trained and untrained examiners on identifying residual microislands of calculus was not statistically different. Probing depths were significantly reduced prior to and after the procedure in both control and test groups; however, one patient with AA showed significantly better clinical results at 3 months in the test quadrant compared to the control.
Residual microislands of calculus are frequently observed when using conventional visualization tools such as surgical loupes. In addition, there is a trend indicating a potential advantage in incorporating additional visualization tools like videoscopes during open flap periodontal procedures
General Sizing Relationships for Axial Flux Motors
No full textThis dissertation presents a comprehensive study of the design, optimization, and performance analysis of axial flux motors, focusing on enhancing their performance potential using a multiphysics design approach of the motor���s shared electromagnetic, thermal, and structural geometry. Axial flux motors are known for their compact structure and high power density and are increasingly becoming an item of interest for applications such as aerospace and other traction applications.
The contemporary fractured design process substantially slows novel motor design, with each subsystem designed and optimized separately. A significant contribution of this research is the development of a set of simultaneous performance scaling relationships for axial flux motors, providing a valuable tool for designers to predict motor behavior based on key geometric and system-level parameters in the early stages of design. The resulting method can estimate equivalent finite element results within 8.8% across the range of interest in approximately 1/650th the time, with a maximum error of 16.6%. The final result validation is provided via comparison with commercially available high-performance motors as well as published results relating cooling topology with current density.
The dissertation concludes with a discussion of the potential impacts of the study on the future development of axial flux motors, highlighting the opportunities for further research. This work not only advances the state-of-the-art in axial flux motor technology but also contributes to the broader field of electric machinery by providing valuable insight into how the design of electric machines can be improved to reflect the computational tools available to modern engineers
Integrated Techno-Economic and Life-Cycle Assessment of Subsurface Energy-Storage Technologies for Renewable Energy
No full textThe Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has encountered significant renewable energy losses, known as curtailments, due to the fluctuating nature of wind and solar energy, which strains the electric grid. Although energy storage technologies have the potential to alleviate this issue by managing the energy supply, the lack of efficient methods and understanding of their impact has limited their integration into the electric grid. This thesis aims to provide an integrated
techno-economic and life-cycle assessment of two emerging storage technologies, namely subsurface hydrogen (H���) storage and synthetic geothermal storage, to determine the optimal storing option based on estimated efficiency, levelized cost, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Various phases were analyzed for H��� storage, including H��� production through electrolysis, compression, pumping, subsurface storage, withdrawal, and power generation through a fuel cell. Geothermal storage phases included water heating through an electric-powered hot water/steam
boiler or concentrated solar power (CSP), pumping, storage in geological porous media, withdrawal, and power generation through steam turbines. The monthly averages of ERCOT���s curtailed energy from 2017 to 2021 were used in this study and projected for the next 5 years. Additionally, a reservoir simulation model was utilized to determine the withdrawal efficiency of the geothermal storage. Results showed that around 32-49% of curtailed energy can be recovered through subsurface H��� storage at a minimal levelized cost of 31-50/MWh. Synthetic geothermal storage exhibited higher life-cycle annual emissions and energy consumption, compared to subsurface H��� storage. Results suggest that subsurface H��� storage holds more promise for mitigating renewable energy curtailments
EMF Shielding of Stepper Motors as a Means of Improving the Security of CNC Operations
No full textThis paper is a documentation on a study conducted exploring possible shield samples that can be used on standardized stepper motors. The cause for this study is the existence of a security vulnerability in computer numerical control (CNC) operations in which the stepper motors that are used in this operation emit a distinctive electromagnetic field (EMF). This distinctive EMF can be captured by an EMF reader and recorded by an outside party to reproduce the operation. For private CNC operators, this is a source for an unwanted leak of data and needs to be addressed. As a preventative measure, it was proposed to explore ways to passively shield the motors in operations. Therefore, twenty-seven different shields of varying degrees of freedom were used as candidates to test the effectiveness of these degrees of freedom. The degrees of freedom include the material, infill geometry, and overall thickness. Additionally, measurements were made at two different distances from the motor to observe the shielding effects in both close range and long range. Aside from the degrees of freedom, the experiment was thoroughly controlled for accuracy. Measurements from the experiments were then collected and compiled for visual and statistical analysis. During statistical analysis, it was discovered that the data collected failed to meet the requirements of a parametric analysis leading to the use of a nonparametric means instead. The statistical analysis concluded the degrees of freedom that were specifically explored were statistically not significant. The results in this study lead to other possible factors that may prove to be more effective in shielding EMF. These other possible factors may lead to further work to be conducted outside of the scope of this thesis
Turbulent Spherical Flames in a Constant-Volume Fan-Stirred Vessel
No full textTurbulent flame speed is a measurement of the flame propagation rate in a turbulent flow field, combining chemical kinetics with fluid mechanics. Because turbulence is very influential to the flame propagation rate, it is a challenge to model turbulent combustion. The velocity field and relevant length scales of the test chamber flow must be determined to fully analyze the turbulent combustion. In spherically expanding turbulent flame speed experiments, wrinkles in the flame front form pockets and cause the flame to morph into a non-spherical shape. Because of this random non-spherical propagation, the experimental variability is higher for turbulent flame speed experiments than laminar flame speed experiments. The experiments in this study were conducted inside a fan-stirred flame vessel at Texas A&M University.
In this study, we aimed to verify the new heating system and reestablish the turbulent flame analysis method to prepare for future turbulent experiments. To verify the heating system, we performed laminar flame speed experiments and measured the pre-test temperature distribution with an array of thermocouples. Because of the interest in methane as a rocket propellant, the turbulent experiment matrix used methane as the chosen fuel. Methane-air turbulent flame speed experiments were performed for pressures of 1 and 5 atm; turbulent intensities of 1.4 and 2.8 m/s; and equivalence ratios of 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2. The data confirmed that increased turbulence increases the flame speed due to additional instability at the flame front and increased material transport due to turbulent flow. The experiments at higher turbulence intensity show an increased flame acceleration compared to the lower-turbulence tests. Turbulent flame speed increases with increased pressure due to stronger wrinkles increasing the surface area of the flame front