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“I Just Need Another Set of Eyes”: Understanding Students’ Idea of the Writing Center
No full textIn this article, we describe writing center clients’ “idea” of the writing center based on interviews with 26 writing center users and qualitative coding of interview transcripts. Participants’ constructs of the writing center provide a lens to better understand how they perceive writing as an activity, the “writing culture” of the institution, the role of the writing center in their writing processes, and, ultimately, if they see writing centers in the way we would expect them to. The tensions we derived from our data are (1) between who and what tutors are and offer: discipline-specific expertise (including the disciplines of writing) versus generalist expertise, and (2) between how tutoring should occur: tutors as collaborative partners in students’ writing processes versus tutors as “another set of eyes” to give relatively quick feedback. Additionally, we offer our findings in a 2 x 2 matrix, a common visualization tool to productively illuminate the nuances, tensions, perspectives, and points of view in ways that can further writing center theory and practice. Our findings suggest that writing centers might respond to these tensions by expanding their “ideas” about who they are and what they do within their institutions
Standing Dead Tree Detection Using Remote Sensing and Deep Learning
No full textAdvances in remote sensing and AI-driven algorithms have improved forest structure measurement, enabling more efficient wildfire risk assessment by identifying critical fuel sources such as standing deadwood (snags). Snags are often omitted or underrepresented in field measurements, which can lead to inaccurate estimates of snag counts. This study applies CSRNet, a convolutional neural network originally designed for crowd counting, to count snags using National Agriculture Imagery Program color infrared images. We manually annotated 100 image tiles, which were split 70/15/15 for training, validation, and testing. Our preliminary results show a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.16 snags per 25 hectares and root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.70. These early outcomes are promising given the limited dataset size, and ongoing work will expand training data and geographic diversity to improve model generalizability across diverse forest types. This approach advances digital agriculture by integrating AI with remote sensing to improve wildfire fuel mapping and enhance resilience in agriculture landscapes
Correction of Temperature Effects on the Resistivity of GGBS Concrete under Natural Environmental Exposure
No full textElectrical resistivity is increasingly recognised as a practical indicator of concrete durability, particularly for assessing cover-zone properties and corrosion risk. However, interpretation of in-situ measurements is complicated by the influence of natural temperature fluctuations. This paper presents the application of a recently proposed temperature correction protocol for electrical resistivity measurements in newly batched concrete, enabling accurate evaluation of microstructural development under variable environmental conditions during both curing and post-curing periods. The proposed approach employs activation energy derived from in-situ measurements and implements an Arrhenius-based correction to normalise resistivity to reference temperatures of 10oC and 20oC. Experimental results demonstrate that the correction procedure effectively removes temperature-induced artefacts, revealing progressive increases in resistivity attributable to hydration and pore refinement. Activation energy was found to vary with time and binder composition, and empirical relationships were established for Portland cement and GGBS concretes. Validation using equivalent resistivity confirmed the robustness of the correction protocol, while comparisons between natural and controlled curing regimes highlighted the significant influence of temperature on concrete performance. The findings emphasise the importance of temperature correction for reliable interpretation of resistivity data and the need for caution against direct use of laboratory results to field conditions
Enhancing the Performance of Road Repair Materials with Polyacrylic Acid Ester in Sulfate Aluminate Cement
No full textSulfate aluminate cement (SAC) is an ideal material for emergency road repairs due to its excellent properties, such as rapid setting and early strength development. However, the strength of SAC gradually decreases over time, and its workability during construction is insufficient, leading to poor quality in the repaired pavement. The addition of redispersible polymer powders (RPP) can improve the rheological properties of the cement and reduce its porosity, significantly enhancing the performance of the repair material. This study investigates the effects of adding 0-2% RPP (based on polyacrylic acid ester, VAE) to SAC. The aim is to systematically assess the influence of VAE on the workability, mechanical properties, and development of hydration products in SAC. The results show that the addition of VAE has little effect on the setting time and flowability of SAC. However, as the VAE content increases, the rheological properties of the paste are significantly improved. In particular, at 1.5% VAE, the plastic viscosity and yield stress of SAC are notably increased (43.00 Pa·s vs. 123.00 Pa·s; 0.62 Pa vs. 6.13 Pa). The addition of VAE reduces the flexural and compressive strength of SAC in the initial phase but improves the mechanical properties over the long term (2% VAE: 5.18 MPa increase)
Molecular changes, histopathology, and ultrasonic vocalization acoustic profiles of systemically dehydrated rats
No full textSystemic hydration is known to promote optimal functioning of bodily systems—including the vocal folds. The impact of systemic dehydration on the biology of the vocal folds and the downstream effects of dehydration on voice output are not well understood. An in vivo rat model of systemic dehydration was employed to investigate vocal fold gene expression, histological changes, and acoustic changes in vocalization. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) were recorded every day for 5 days (baseline), in male and female Long-Evans rats (N = 36, ages: 3–4 months) using an anticipatory reward paradigm. Next, rats were dehydrated (N = 18) using a published water-restriction model for 5 days or euhydrated (N = 18) and provided ad libitum access to water for 5 days. USVs were recorded daily during the dehydration/euhydration period. The USV variables were averaged at baseline and following dehydration/euhydration for individual animals, and the difference between these time periods was used for statistical analysis. USV analysis included total USV count, complexity ratio, duration (s), frequency range (kHz), and maximum intensity (dB). At the end of dehydration/euhydration, animals were euthanized, and kidney and vocal fold tissue samples were dissected and processed for histology and gene expression analysis. Compared to euhydrated rats, dehydrated male and female rats had significantly up-regulated gene expression of kidney renin (male p = 0.047; female p = 0.018), indicating physiologic dehydration. There were no statistically significant differences in the USV acoustic profile or histopathology between the two groups. Differential expression (p \u3c 0.05) of several genes related to extracellular matrix remodeling, inflammatory responses, and water ion transport in the vocal folds was present. Our results indicate that mild systemic dehydration impacts gene expression in the vocal fold mucosa; however, these gene expression changes are not evident in the acoustic profile of vocalizations
150 Years of Purdue Engineering: Celebrating Our Consequential Impact on the World
No full textSince its founding 150 years ago, Purdue University’s College of Engineering has profoundly shaped and improved the world, amassing breakthroughs spanning nearly all facets of society. Highlighting the indomitable spirit, ingenuity, and achievements of more than 100 Boilermaker alumni and faculty members, 150 Years of Purdue Engineering describes the program’s journey to become one of the most consequential engineering colleges in the United States. Richly illustrated with archival and contemporary images, this book includes stories that focus on Purdue innovators who have created everything from the barcode and the electronic TV receiver to the soft-serve ice cream machine and artificial kidney. It also shares the story of “John” Mohammed M. Atalla, the co-inventor of the MOSFET, the most produced and used digital circuits in circulation today. Indeed, a Purdue alumnus played a key role in the development of the most replicated engineered device in human history. Other Boilermakers featured include Neil Armstrong, the first human to step foot on the moon; Charles Alton Ellis, a lead designer of the Golden Gate Bridge; and Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. While celebrating the past, 150 Years of Purdue Engineering also provides a glimpse into the next century and a half as the university continues to cultivate talent, promote research, and share its engineering acumen with the state of Indiana and the world.https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/purduepress_ebooks/1098/thumbnail.jp
The Equity Dead Zones: Legal Intersectionality Failure Points in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy
No full textLegal intersectionality failure points describe the systemic fractures that occur where overlapping legal, social, and economic inequalities converge, potentially producing compounded barriers to relief. Each failure point marks a site of marginalization. In what ways do individuals already recognized as vulnerable in Chapter 13 bankruptcy face a heightened risk when multiple forms of disadvantage intersect? When these intersections combine in mutually reinforcing ways—racial, economic, and relational disparities colliding with structural deficiencies in family, property, and bankruptcy law—does it result in pronounced negative outcomes, and, if so, what are those outcomes? Within this convergence, could there be a space where compounded marginalization so severely disadvantages individuals and families that traditional legal remedies, such as Chapter 13 bankruptcy, cease to function as meaningful relief? A research study was undertaken, to examine the impact of compounding marginalization on individual debtors in Chapter 13 bankruptcy through an extensive analysis of the interaction of these marginalizations. Barriers to relief that were examined in this study include financial hardships, racial disparities, emerging social responses to debt and instability, conflicts of law, particularly in the areas of contemporary issues in bankruptcy, such as gig work and substance abuse disorders, racial disparities, success metrics, access to legal assistance, and the framing of economic justice as a civil right
A Study of Suburban Arterial Safety Performance Based on Median Type
No full textSuburban arterial roadways must serve two conflicting road functions: regional mobility and access to the abutting land. The potential for conflicts between traffic passing through and traffic accessing road from the neighboring areas could raise safety concerns. Selecting an adequate cross-section is among important decisions that road designers and traffic engineers consider when mitigating the mentioned conflict. The following three alternative treatments offer different access control levels: undivided cross-section with no median, two-way left-turn lane instead of a typical median, and non-traversable median. The frequency of access points and the selected median treatment option should be commensurate.
Although it is known that access control usually leads to better safety performance, selecting a median treatment and under certain operational conditions requires careful consideration that must be associated with a properly selected speed limit. It is a challenging task not well covered in the existing literature. Drivers’ perception of crash risk affects their speed choice and, consequently, the speed limits selected by traffic engineers. On the other hand, the posted speed limits affect both drivers’ speed selection and road safety. Properly estimating this complex relationship is important for providing adequate guidance on median treatment selection.
To properly compare the safety performance of different median treatments on suburban arterial roads and to provide practical median treatment selection guidance for traffic engineers, this study analyzed roadway geometrics, traffic and crash data along 200 road segments across Indiana by applying simultaneous equations to address the endogeneity problem mentioned earlier. A comprehensive crash cost-oriented analysis framework was applied to help identify the most appropriate median treatment among the three types evaluated.
Traffic volume, density of access points, speed limit, and median treatments on the road segments studied were found to significantly affect safety performance. It was also confirmed that the operational conditions affect the crash cost and, consequently, they influence the choice of the median treatment. The study results were used to generate a convenient set of tables and figures to support a median treatment selection. The results presented and implementation suggestions are meant to help end users economically assess the safety performance of median treatments on suburban arterials to select the best alternative
Remixing the Integrative Model of Pedagogy Through Varied Hip-Hop Contexts
No full textEmbedding literature which promotes positive views of disabilities into teacher preparation programs is not an uncommon practice (Hansen et al., 2023; Yu & Meyer, 2024). However, multimedia, such as music and television, allow a more inclusive approach to disability studies. Hip-Hop music serves to represent the underrepresented in society and the overrepresented in disability categories. This paper describes how to incorporate three multimedia projects utilizing an Integrative Model of Pedagogy and Hip-Hop into teacher preparation programs for more inclusive, strategic and reflective teacher candidates. Within each project the instructor embeds specific High-Leverage Practices for students with disabilities and culturally responsive teaching strategies in order to model best practices for their teacher candidates. With Hip-Hop as the context, instructors utilize the television show Glee, the musical Hamilton, and the 2025 SuperBowl Halftime Show performance as the tools to create deeper understanding of Disability as a sociocultural concept
Co-creating AI Learning Solutions: A Qualitative Analysis of Student and Faculty Deliverables in an Algorithmic Literacy Learning Community
No full textThis research describes the conceptual development and insights from implementation of Partners for Algorithmic Literacy (PAL) - a groundbreaking student-faculty learning community model, facilitated by academic librarians, where undergraduates and instructors partner to co-design curricular plans integrating or interrogating AI in the classroom. In the fall of 2023 and 2024, two cohorts in this learning community were partnered. In weekly sessions, partners experimented with AI tools and engaged PAL’s novel Algorithmic Literacy Pedagogy Framework to guide their conversations and co-design process.
Employing qualitative content analysis, an in-depth exploration is underway to glean valuable insights from the student-faculty partners’ personal reflections, collaborative conversations, and co-developed curricular plans. This qualitative analysis seeks to identify common themes that will help inform future implementations of student-faculty learning communities and partnership-oriented algorithmic literacy pedagogy.
This presentation includes an overview of the PAL program, an explanation of the methodology behind the qualitative content analysis, and initial findings from this study and their implications for library instructors and students. These findings shed light on how pedagogical partnership can support mindful engagement with AI in education, as well as introduce two novel pedagogical tools for library instructors: the student-faculty learning community program model and the Algorithmic Literacy Pedagogy Framework behind it