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Review of Indiana Asphalt Binders (In-Situ PG Grade Asphalt Determination)
Get PDFIn the face of multifaceted challenges such as asphalt pavement deterioration and the introduction of new LTPPBind versions, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) initiated a pivotal research project focusing on three primary areas. First, the study examined the implications of Performance Grade (PG) binder selections on pavement performance using AASHTOware Pavement Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) Design V 2.6. It revealed that PG selections, particularly those made by LTPPBind V 3.1 Desktop and Online, significantly influenced pavement performance, impacting thermal and bottom-up cracking. Second, the project explored the efficacy of three solvents— n-propyl bromide (nPB), trichloroethylene (TCE), and a solution of toluene/ethanol (85%/15%)—in recovering asphalt binders. The investigation demonstrated that the solvents maintained the integrity of the binders, with all three exhibiting similar trends in their effects. However, they did slightly affect the relaxation properties of the recovered binders. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed the absence of residual solvents, indicating their concentration was either low or undetectable. Hence, any solvents could be used, with caution recommended for toluene. The third objective analyzed the quality of as-constructed PG in reclaimed asphalt, revealing an average deviation of 7˚C and 0.1˚C for high and low temperatures, respectively. The results indicated that including Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) more significantly affected the asphalt high-temperature grade of the binder. The findings suggested the consideration of performance-graded binders one grade lower for both high and low temperatures might be advantageous.
Furthermore, the research initiated a Percent Within Limit (PWL) framework for managing the quality of as-constructed performance-grade asphalt binders. The study underscored the need for additional research to refine this framework, emphasizing the importance of assessing various factors influencing PWL sampling to ensure its broad implementation. In conclusion, this comprehensive research contributes valuable insights into asphalt performance grade, offering guidance on material selection and laying the foundation for a robust quality management framework. However, it also brings to light the areas requiring further study to enhance the reliability and applicability of the derived solutions
Utilizing Culturally Responsive Strategies to Inspire African American Female Participation in Cybersecurity
Get PDFThe number of African American females participating in cyber fields is significantly low. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education requires a new approach to student engagement to increase African American female participation in cybersecurity. The most common approach to engaging more African American females in STEM is to provide students access to professional images or role models active in STEM; however, more is needed. More race-centered strategies beyond role modeling are necessary to attract and retain African American females in STEM. Research studies show that integrating personal experiences and making cultural connections can help improve student participation in STEM from underrepresented populations. In 2021, faculty in the Center for Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy at Morgan State University developed and implemented the GenCyber ‘‘Females are Cyber Stars’’ (FACS) Summer Camp. This initiative targeted female African American students in Baltimore public middle schools. Thirty-nine girls participated in the virtual program during the summer of 2021, and 25 girls engaged in the in-person program during the summer of 2022. The program’s goals were to increase female students’ interest in cybersecurity and exposure to the security of IoT (Internet of Things) devices in a smart home environment. The GenCyber FACS Summer Camp incorporated culturally responsive strategies to engage the participants in an inclusive and interactive setting. Participants were given pre- and post-program surveys to assess learning outcomes and examine the impact of using culturally responsive teaching strategies. The results showed that the girls reported increased knowledge and a gain in interest in cybersecurity and computing. This paper discusses the summer program and curriculum, culturally responsive teaching strategies deployed, student learning outcomes, and perceptions of cultural responsiveness assessed in the GenCyber FACS Summer Camp
Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Indiana STEM Education Conference: Resourcing STEM Education
Get PDFThe Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Indiana STEM Education Conference are edited by the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST, https://www.education.purdue.edu/catalyst/) at Purdue University. The theme for the 2024 conference is Resourcing STEM Education. This year’s Indiana STEM Education Conference provides opportunities to learn about effective STEM education strategies, curriculum, and resources to engage students in integrated STEM learning opportunities and address the recently updated Indiana Academic Standards for Science and Computer Science, Indiana Academic Standards for Mathematics, and Indiana Academic Standards for Integrated STEM (https://www.in.gov/doe/students/indiana-academic-standards/)
Elementary Preservice Teachers\u27 Conceptions and Ability to Develop and Assess Integrated STEM Lessons
Get PDFElementary teacher preparation programs prepare their pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach STEM. In this study, two teacher educators in the disciplines of science and mathematics utilized a modified “Draw a Science Teacher” (DASTT-C) framework (Thomas et al., 2001) and the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) to understand PSTs\u27 conceptions of integrated STEM and how they plan and assess their lessons. This research brief discusses some of the results of 16 PSTs’ pre- and post-DASTT-C results as well as analysis of STEM lesson plans written during their third-year pre-service program
Cultivating Information Literacy Pedagogy with Student-Instructor Partnership
No full textIn traditional approaches to teaching, instructors make decisions about what should be learned and how. In contrast, Students as Partners (SaP) pedagogy recognizes that students have unique contributions to offer in their learning journeys. In this 50-minute session, learn about two novel information literacy programs in which students worked with instructors to co-develop meaningful educational experiences exploring today’s information ecosystem. We will provide an overview of the SaP approach, its benefits, and recommended practices. We will also highlight how SaP aligns with core librarianship values. Throughout the session, attendees will envision opportunities for growing relationships with students in their contexts.
• Describe elements of SaP and various ways in which a it may be applied to libraries contexts (i.e. teaching, research, programming, services)
• Explain how SaP can be applied as an inclusive teaching and learning approach
• Identify opportunities for integrating SaP practices into new or ongoing initiatives in their contex
Explaining the Staircase Gelb illusion, simultaneous contrast, and perceptual fading of stabilized images with a neural model driven by fixational eye movements
Get PDFA neural model of lightness computation driven by fixational eye movements is described and used to simulate various lightness phenomenon, including the Staircase Gelb illusion and its variants, simultaneous contrast, the Chevreul illusion, and perceptual fading of stabilized images. The model provides a precise account of the lightness matches from several experiments, with an overall error of only 1.5%. In the model, spatial maps of transient ON and OFF cell activations—produced as the eyes traverse the visual scene—are sorted by eye movement direction in visual cortex. At a subsequent processing stage, the activations within these maps are summed across space and eye movement directions by hypothesized ON and OFF spatial integrator cells, whose outputs are differenced, then network-normalized, to construct a neural map of the perceived reflectances of the surfaces within the visual scene. Finally, the reflectance map undergoes a leaky temporal integration, which results in a lightness model in which the percept depends on an average of the netword computations generated across many individual eye movements. A key model assumption is that ON and OFF cells have different neural gains: smaller for ON cells than for OFF cells. When combined with a spatial integration mechanism that takes into account realistic assumptions regarding cortical magnification, the ON/OFF gain asymmetry leads to a model in which the perceived dynamic range of the surfaces lightnesses depends on both the contrast polarities and spatial arrangement of local contrast in the image in a manner that closely mimics perceptual data
Dissecting Bayes: Using influence measures to test normative use of probability density information derived from a sample
Get PDFBayesian decision theory (BDT) is used to model human performance in tasks where the decision maker must compensate for uncertainty in order to gain rewards and avoid losses. BDT prescribes how the decision maker can combine available data, prior knowledge, and value to reach a decision maximizing expected winnings. Do human decision makers actually use BDT in making decisions? Researchers typically compare overall human performance (total winnings or overall percent correct) to the predictions of BDT but we cannot conclude that BDT is an adequate model for human performance based on just overall performance. We break BDT down into elementary operations and test human ability to execute such operations. In two of the tests human performance deviated only slightly (but systematically) from the predictions of BDT. In the third test we use a novel method to measure the influence of each sample point provided to the human decision maker and compare it to the influence predicted by BDT. When we look at what human decision makers do – in detail – we find that they use sensory information very differently from what the normative BDT observer does. We advance an alternative non-Bayesian model that better predicts human performance. We propose that influence measures are a more sensitive way to discover discrepancies between human and optimal performance than comparing overall performance
Smart Airports: Artificial Intelligence–Enabled Internet of Things Networks Using Blockchain Technology
Get PDFThis article provides a perspective on how an internet of heterogeneous self-service airport terminal systems can be used for data collection, which is stored on a private or consortium blockchain depending on the ownership or operations of an airport or both. Such a setup would help to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve traveler experience at airport terminals. Moreover, it would allow airports to gather data directly from passengers as opposed to waiting to receive the same data from airlines. Subsequently, this data, now on a blockchain system, becomes a data source for other applications such as machine learning. In this way, meaningful insights for immediate and long-term decision-making can be derived. This article can be useful to airport management, blockchain application developers, academics, and researchers who are interested in automating airport terminal systems
Service Dogs: A Catalyst for Post-Traumatic Growth Among Military Veterans with PTSD
Get PDFThe conclusion of the war in Afghanistan in 2021 has left a significant portion of veterans grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with estimates suggesting 23% of post-9/ 11 veterans are affected. Traditional psychotherapies, while effective, often see high attrition rates due to stigma-related barriers, underscoring the need for complementary approaches that resonate with the unique psychosocial needs embedded in military veteran culture.
Historically, research on psychiatric service dogs has focused predominantly on PTSD symptom alleviation. This conceptual article introduces a novel focus on their role in promoting positive psychological change known as post-traumatic growth (PTG), a topic that has not been explored to the author’s knowledge. This study highlights the multifaceted contributions of service dogs in fostering PTG through the five domains of PTG: improved relationships with others, new possibilities, a greater appreciation for life, a greater sense of personal strength, and new perspectives on spiritual and existential issues.
The findings from this study reveal that service dogs profoundly catalyze growth among veterans with PTSD in the following themes: providing emotional support through companionship, enhancing interpersonal relationships, reducing social isolation, reshaping core beliefs, and reinforcing a sense of purpose. Importantly, the study demonstrates that veterans can achieve notable positive growth and transformation, even while navigating the ongoing symptoms of PTSD, through the support of service dogs.
By extending the focus beyond mere symptom management, service dogs are shown to offer a comprehensive support system that enhances traditional therapy, potentially increasing treatment adherence and efficacy. This research advocates for the integration of service dogs into therapeutic frameworks for PTSD, emphasizing their pivotal role not just as adjuncts but as central facilitators of healing and growth
Optical Fiber Sensor-Embedded Strands for Long-Term Monitoring of Post-Tensioned Tendons in Bridge Elements
Get PDFTendon forces are fundamental to the performance of post-tensioned (PT) bridges. Therefore, monitoring tendon forces is important for understanding the health of PT bridge elements and evaluating the condition of prestressing strands. Implementing a reliable method to monitor PT tendons during the service life of the structure, however, is a challenge. The ideal technology should provide a measurement of prestress (or strain) over the length of the tendon and not be limited to measurement only at discrete locations.
When installed along the length of PT tendons, optical fiber sensors provide a promising means to overcome many of the challenges of tendon force monitoring that currently exist. The technology offers the ability to assess the strain along the length of PT tendons as the bridge is in service.
A research project was conducted to evaluate the use of optical fiber sensors in new PT bridges as a means for long-term monitoring of tendon force and identification of unexpected changes (i.e., losses) in prestress. More specifically, the use of optical fiber sensors embedded within epoxy coating along the length of prestressing strands was assessed. The test program included in the research was aimed at evaluating the accuracy and reliability of data acquired from the optical fiber sensors. The program consisted of tests on optical fiber sensor-embedded prestressing strand specimens in a universal testing machine and installed in a prestressing bed in the laboratory. Then, the strands were used to post-tension beam specimens, allowing the strain data to be evaluated during the post-tensioning procedures and during load tests on the beams. The experimental results from the beam tests were compared to the results from analytical models of the specimens to further assess the strain data from the optical fiber sensors. Overall, the test results indicated the feasibility of using the optical fiber sensor-embedded strands as a reliable means for monitoring PT tendons of in-service bridges