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PHYSIOCHEMICAL DEGRADATION OF PLASTIC FIBERS FROM SYNTHETIC FABRICS AND EFFECT OF NATURAL ORGANIC MATTER IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS ON NANOPLASTICS’ BEHAVIOR
No full textPlastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges globally due to the extensive use of plastics across various industries. Large plastics in the environment break down into smaller pieces, forming microplastics (MPs) (less than 5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs) (less than 100 nm). These tiny particles can easily disperse and enter the food chain, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. Microfibers (MFs) from textiles are a growing pollutant, with domestic laundry being a primary source of microplastic pollution. The main goals of this research were: first, to determine how different laundry conditions affect the release of MP from various synthetic fabrics and their degradation under UV irradiation and varying pH conditions; and second, to identify the behavior of polyethylene nanoplastics (PE NPs) in different ionic strengths and their interactions with natural organic matter (NOM). This will be achieved using advanced quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technology. Although previous studies have examined individual effects of washing conditions, fabric types, and laundering additives on MFs release, the combined impact of these factors has not been comprehensively assessed. This research evaluates microfiber shedding from cotton, acrylic, polyester, and nylon fabrics under a range of washing parameters. Results indicate that detergent use and extended washing time significantly increase MFs release, with cotton shedding the most microfibers (617.34 ± 85.2 mg/kg per wash) and nylon the least (225.12 ± 30 mg/kg per wash). The use of a laundry ball during washing raised microfiber release by 10-60%, and when washing duration and temperature were both increased, duration emerged as the primary contributor to MFs release for cotton. However, nylon shows greater sensitivity to temperature than to exposure duration. In mixed washing conditions, maximum MF release was observed at 75 minutes and using laundry ball, with a shedding increase of approximately 30-40% across fabrics. In complementary research examining environmental degradation pathways, UV exposure and pH-mediated hydrolysis were shown to significantly impact microfiber breakdown. After 150 days of UV irradiation, nylon fibers demonstrated the most severe degradation with approximately 38 μm² of surface damage per fiber, while acrylic showed remarkable resistance with only 9 μm² of damage. Notably, seawater\u27s complex composition dramatically reduced UV degradation efficacy compared to both surface water and DI water, with observed damage decreasing by 40-60% due to UV scattering by dissolved salts and radical quenching by halide ions. The study revealed pH as a critical driver of microfiber degradation, with alkaline conditions (pH 12) inducing the most severe damage. Polyester exhibited complete ester bond hydrolysis within 72 hours under high pH, evidenced by FTIR and TOC results. In contrast, acidic environments (pH 4) caused minimal degradation (\u3c5% mass loss), highlighting alkaline hydrolysis as the dominant chemical degradation pathway. Additionally, this study investigates the behavior of PE NPs on silica surfaces in the presence of NOM using QCM. Findings reveal that, under unfavorable conditions (bare negatively charged silica), PE NPs deposition is minimal across various salt types and ionic strengths, diverging from the Derjaguin−Landau−Verwey−Overbeek (DLVO) theory. However, on NOM- and poly-L-lysine (PLL)-coated surfaces, both salt type and ionic strength (IS) significantly influence NPs deposition and release. NaCl promoted the highest NPs deposition, whereas MgCl₂ had less effect, with the trend in deposition following NaCl \u3e MgCl₂. Increasing IS enhanced NPs deposition on NOM-coated surfaces. This research provides key insights into factors influencing NPs deposition and release dynamics, to inform future MPs pollution mitigation strategies
RESPONSE-INDEPENDENT ACCESS TO REINFORCEMENT REDUCES DELAY DISCOUNTING: A WITHIN-SUBJECT SYSTEMATIC REPLICATION OF RENDA ET AL. (2021).
No full textMounting delay discounting (DD) research has demonstrated its value to understand impulsive behavior, and there is growing interest in testing interventions that reduce DD using animal models. Delay exposure (DE) has been one of the most extensively studied interventions in rats, showing consistently strong and long-lasting decrements in DD. DE training consists of rats pressing a lever to produce a cue light for a 17.5 s interval, at the end of which a reinforcer is delivered (Renda et al., 2021). Two main limitations identified in DE research were addressed in the present study; namely, extensive resources needed in terms of number of training sessions (60 or more) and exclusive use of group designs. A systematic replication of Renda et al. (2021) using a single-case reversal design was conducted. We evaluated session-by-session the effects of DE and its standard control condition (Immediate Exposure-IE) on the pattern of impulsive choice of each subject. This approach allowed us to assess more precisely the timing of the changes in DD, in terms of how many sessions were required for them to be steady and noticeable. The fact that subjects in the present experiment experienced both DE and IE manipulations, which contrasted with all previous studies in this line of research, allowed us to test for sequence effects. Equipment limitations prevented us from implementing one aspect of the DE protocol: namely, the use of a third operandum that produced the cue light and delayed reinforcer. An adapted respondent procedure was used. All aspects of the DE and IE protocol remained the same as reported in previous studies, but rats did not respond to produce the 17.5 cue light or reinforcer, i.e., the light and delayed pellets were response independent. Eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to eight conditions. All subjects experienced daily a delay-discounting task (DDT) plus four manipulations, including two control conditions and alternations of DE and IE. As per single-case research guidelines, conditions changed when steady DD was reached. Consistent with previous DE research, DDT test and retest were the first and last conditions of the study. The DDT consisted of rats choosing between one pellet delivered immediately (SS option) or three pellets delivered after 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16 s delays (LL option). Next, a condition aimed at controlling for changes in food deprivation and access to reinforcers when rats transitioned from the DDT test to subsequent DE/IE conditions was introduced. This 60Pellets+DDT condition consisted of 1-hr pre-DDT response-independent access to the same amount of reinforcement (60 pellets) delivered during DE and IE manipulations. Next, half of the rats (4) were exposed to a DDT+DE condition, and the other half to a DDT+IE condition. Reversals to 60Pellets+DDT were interspersed between the DE and IE conditions. Based on the overall performance of the subjects after the first six conditions, a second control condition was introduced. This Wait+DDT condition aimed to test the effect of having the rats wait in the operant chamber during the 60-min before the daily DDT session, in the absence operanda, cue lights, or pellets. Six of the eight rats displayed moderate levels of DD by the end of the baseline DDT, while the other two animals displayed high levels. Unexpectedly, the introduction of the 60Pellets+DDT control condition resulted in an important reduction of DD in five of the eight rats. These animals required on average 16 sessions of the 60Pellets+DDT condition to reach steady low level of DD and maintained such low DD levels throughout the rest of the experiment. The DD of the remaining three animals also dramatically decreased, but it happened during different subsequent conditions. As predicted, two of these rats reduced DD when exposed to DE. Unpredictably, the remaining rat reached low DD levels during IE, and after having experienced DE. Like the other rats, these three animals maintained a low level of DD during the rest of the experiment. Lastly, changes in weight and DD seemed unrelated for six of the eight animals; the other two rats showed a transitory positive relationship (DD increased as weight increased) during the last conditions of the study. These findings, including the unexpected and promising effect of response-independent reinforcer access before the DD assessment are interpreted in terms of motivating operations, respondent conditioning, reduction of the aversiveness of delays, and maturation effects. Different factors limit these interpretations, including the possible role of repeated DDT exposure and maturation effects. Our findings show promise for future research that tests if response-independent access to the reinforcers before the delay-discounting assessment is effective, and if it is an efficient alternative to DE interventions in terms of the number of sessions required to produce changes in DD
HYBRID SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL AND MOLTEN SODIUM-SULFUR BATTERY SYSTEM FOR STATIONARY APPLICATIONS
No full textRecent years have seen a push for alternative fuel sources and energy generation systems. These systems must be able both to generate and store large amounts of energy for use in industrial and grid-scale applications. Some of the most separately attractive systems for these applications are held back by their very high operating temperatures. One such system for power generation that has seen extensive research is solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Made practical by recent advancements in materials and manufacturing techniques, SOFCs offer a promising alternative to traditional power generation. For large-scale energy storage, molten sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries have been considered for the availability of their materials, low capital cost, and simplicity. The implementation of both of these technologies is limited by their high operating temperatures. However, this drawback can be mitigated by utilizing these systems together, and their efficiency can even be increased by the use of an additional power cycle or combined heat and power. In this paper, a novel system for the co-utilization of high-temperature energy generation and storage systems will be presented and modeled, and the example application of a small-scale data center will be explored
AI Medical Document Generation
No full textClinical documentation is an essential component of modern healthcare, yet it remains a time-consuming and manual process that often contributes to clinician burnout and delays in patient care. This project introduces the AI-Based Medical Document Generation System, a comprehensive solution that automates the generation of structured clinical reports using advanced techniques in Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). The system accepts clinical input from doctors and nurses in both text and voice formats. Voice input is transcribed using the Web Speech API, and the resulting text undergoes preprocessing before being summarized using models such as T5, BART, and GPT-2. These summaries are then used to retrieve semantically similar historical patient cases through TF-IDF and FAISS, which provide relevant clinical context for report generation. The summarization and retrieved data are combined and sent to ChatGPT via the OpenAI API to produce a professional, structured medical report. Additionally, the system includes a Naive Bayes–based disease prediction module, which provides real-time diagnostic support and medication suggestions. The platform is developed using React for the frontend and FastAPI for the backend, ensuring performance, modularity, and ease of deployment. Evaluation results show high summarization accuracy (ROUGE, BLEU), strong disease prediction performance, and positive feedback from user testing. This project demonstrates a practical, scalable approach to automating clinical documentation, reducing administrative workload, and enhancing the quality and efficiency of patient care
Smile! Like You Mean It.
No full textThe short film “Smile! Like you Mean It.” is a depiction of mentality and reality. The weaving of a pediatrics journey through medications and diagnosis, alongside an adult reflection on their past going through the same thing, brings to light the odd similarities between past and future. There is an intense and intriguing play with standard documentary, experimental, and essay film as they blend into one cohesive short story. The movie is filled with abstraction to ground the hard topics of the dialogue. The film plays out almost as fragments of two-story lines, a single day for my nephew Oliver, as he goes to his first therapy appointment, and an in- depth conversation I have with my friend Cole about my past. The film plays out like a love story to pediatrics who are struggling with medication and intense mental illness diagnoses. This movie seeks to inform and to emotionally engage an audience on a true story as it plays out across a sea of repetition, progression and abstraction
The Farewell Tour: Extended Program Notes For The Graduate Recital of Michalah “Micy” Troutt
Get PDFThe purpose of this research paper is to provide background information about the composers and their respective pieces and shed light on the ways that these pieces stand out amongst other percussion repertoire. The diversity of the pieces chosen reflects a recital program comprised of a full percussion curriculum including works for marimba, snare drum, timpani, and even tambourine. Two of the pieces also feature electronic backing tracks. The pieces performed on this program are Triptych Boom by Chad Floyd, Starlight Meadow by Robert Clayson, Easy Money by Christopher Butler, Preludio No. 1 by Ney Rosauro, Conversation for Two Tambourines by Bobby Lopez, Vespertine Formations by Christopher Deane, and Watercolor Sun by Ivan Trevino.
These works were performed on the graduate recital of Michalah Troutt on May 2nd, 2025
E-LEARNING IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: UNVEILING FACULTY DIGITAL REALITIES
Get PDFFaculty in developing regions like the Caribbean play a crucial role in shaping education systems and the broader academic landscape. In this era of technology and e-learning, faculty encounter unique experiences, perceptions, and challenges that influence their roles, effectiveness, and the learning environment. This qualitative phenomenological study examined the perceptions, experiences, and challenges of e-learning among higher education faculty in developing countries, particularly in the English-speaking Caribbean region. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of 11 faculty members from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Jamacia, St. Lucia, and the Bahamas. These participants represented a range of backgrounds including faculty rank, discipline, age, and technological proficiency. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews via Zoom to gather in-depth insights. Descriptive coding methods and MAXQDA software supported the data analysis. From this process, key themes emerged and illuminated the specific experiences and challenges of e-learning among faculty in the English-speaking Caribbean region. The research questions that guided this study were: 1. What are the lived experiences of higher education faculty regarding e-learning? 2. What challenges do higher education faculty encounter with e-learning? 3. What support systems do higher education faculty need to succeed with e-learning? The findings indicated that participants generally viewed e-learning positively, even as they faced common challenges. These challenges included technological barriers, institutional constraints, time demands, and low student engagement. Although participants acknowledged the availability of institutional support and training, they emphasized the need for policies to guide and regulate e-learning effectively. The study offered insights into best practices for e-learning and underscored important implications for improving e-learning across the Caribbean. One significant implication was the need to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles within institutions of higher education. The study also recommended future research to explore these dynamics and contribute to the advancement of e-learning in developing regions
A Costuming Carol: A Costume Design Thesis on A Christmas Carol
Get PDFThis thesis is a collection of research, analysis, design, and production work done for the costumes for A Christmas Carol. The play production took place in the McLeod Theater at Southern Illinois University from December 5th- December 8th, 2024. The play was written by Darwin Reid Payne and published in 1981. It is an adaptation of the novella A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens. Chapter 1 contains the research and script analysis used to make design decisions for this production. Chapter 2 documents the design process, and how the costume design evolved between the first and final design meetings. Chapter 3 focuses on the production process, and how much the labor force impacted the realization of the costume design. Chapter 4 narrates a self-analysis of the entire process and path to realization, including feedback from faculty and past costume students. The appendices cover relevant research, renderings, paperwork, and production photos (provided by Jessica Edmond)
Effectiveness of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists in the Treatment of Heart Failure
Get PDFABSTRACT
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to review the use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) in heart failure (HF) treatment considering the HF phenotype and comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and obesity.
Method: A PubMed and Google Scholar literature search was conducted with search terms, HF and GLP-1 RA. Seven pertinent articles were retrieved and served as the basis for this clinical review.
Results: The efficacy of GLP-1 RA therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fractions (HFrEF) is unclear, with one study showing increased adverse cardiac events including tachyarrhythmias, and others showing significant benefit. Meta-analysis of secondary endpoints from cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOT) showed reduced HF hospitalization in those with DM treated with GLP-1 RAs. GLP-1 RAs showed significant clinical improvement and weight reduction in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity.
Conclusion: GLP-1 RAs are an exciting class of medications approved to treat DM and obesity with positive effects on atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease, but an unclear role in HF treatment. Current data suggests a greater role for GLP-1 therapy in those with HFpEF, especially with comorbid obesity. Further research is needed examining GLP-1 RA therapy in HF based on phenotype and presence of comorbidities.
Keywords: Heart failure, Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist, GLP-1
