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Facilitating UAV Application for CAV Deployment
Get PDFConnectivity-equipped UAVs offer communication opportunities within CAV ecosystems. This study was motivated by challenges in UAV-based monitoring: (a) at intersections where road user trajectories could be irregular, leading to traffic conflicts or collisions, and (b) during inclement weather where video images are often corrupted by falling rain streaks thus impairing the integrity of the image. In response to these challenges, the study developed and demonstrated the efficacy of (a) an algorithm for UAVs to predict vehicle trajectories at intersections and (b) a 2-stage self-supervised algorithm for enhancing the quality of UAV-sourced images. Both parts of the study highlight the UAV potential and challenges for advanced traffic management in the prospective era of CAV operations. There are some potential practical benefits of this research. First, an enhanced UAV-CAV data domain can help road agencies to improve the reliability of their traffic safety risk assessments and vehicle trajectory tracking. Further, from perspectives of systems control, the study products could enhance CAV operations by providing reliable information for safe and efficient trajectory planning and control at urban intersections
Airport Operational Sustainability Practices in US Small Hub Airports
Get PDFOperational sustainability focuses on everyday activities that facilitate seamless and efficient operations of an airport. While a holistic view of sustainability is necessary when planning for the long term, each of the four dimensions of sustainability can be assessed independently. This session will analyze data, including sustainable master plans, from US small hub airports to assess the effectiveness of operational sustainability initiatives. Participants will learn the benefits of incorporating sustainability in airport planning and promoting the adoption of sustainability planning in airports of all sizes
Design and Management of Highway Infrastructure to Accommodate CAVs
Get PDFOver the past century, landmark advancements in vehicle technology have motivated road agencies to carry out changes in their road infrastructure design and management processes to accommodate these advancements. The advent of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), however, poses infrastructure challenges that could be more profound compared to those faced in the past. This study first discusses AV issues and concepts that could influence the scope and types of roadway infrastructure design and management in the AV era. These issues include AV technology readiness, the levels of vehicle autonomy, the stages of AV operations, and stakeholder roles. The study discusses AV demand forecasts and related factors and identifies the stakeholder perspectives regarding infrastructure readiness. The study indicates that the transition period (characterized by a mixed traffic environment of AVs and HDVs) will last for several decades, and that any infrastructure design changes should be based only on the party (AVs vs. HDVs) whose physical or operational features require designs that are more conservative compared to the other party. Further, in cognizance of the phased nature of road infrastructure development, the report discusses how AVs are expected to influence the way infrastructure owners and operators (IOOs) will plan, design, and operate their infrastructure in the AV era: changes in highway planning processes, introduce new classes of assets and cause obsolescence of certain existing asset types, changes in dimensions of certain elements of highway design, lead to reduced inspection expenditures but higher maintenance and operating expenditures. The study also presents AV-related legislation, policy, and regulations that are relevant to road infrastructure planning and revenues needed for infrastructure upkeep. Infrastructure is generally managed at project or network levels. In a context of project-level management, the study presented a flexibility-based framework for evaluating AV-related infrastructure investments, considering the uncertainty associated with AV market penetration as the main source of volatility. The framework considers that the IOO may choose to expand, defer, or scale back the investments at a future time as needed. Then, in a context of network-level management, the study presents and demonstrates how AV infrastructure investments could be influenced by holistic network effects regarding traffic flows on a capacitated network. The methodology can be used by IOOs to optimally select AV-related infrastructure implementation years, locations, their respective capacities, and user fee levels within a given horizon period
Data Interpretation of Automated Plate Load Test (APLT) for Real-Time In Situ Determination of Unbound Layer Resilient Modulus
Get PDFThis project examined the results of an extensive program of (1) cyclic plate loading tests carried out at Purdue University’s S-BRITE site on two testing strips comprised of a coarse aggregate (Indiana #53) subbase layer compacted over either untreated or cement-stabilized subgrade, and (2) static loading tests conducted on #53 aggregate compacted in a 3.6-foot-deep testing pit. The testing program on the two strips included multistage resilient modulus (MR) tests and extended cyclic performance tests with random distributed loading (RDL) tests on both the subbase and the underlying subgrade. Two of the RDL tests were performed at locations where a nonwoven geotextile had been placed between subgrade and subbase. The work was aimed at improving the understanding of the behavior of subbase and subgrade materials under cyclic loading, mitigating ambiguities regarding the performance of subbase and subgrade materials, and exploring the use of automated plate load tests for determining such properties, ultimately advancing the state of pavement design practice at INDOT
A mechanistic model to predict saturated pool boiling critical heat flux (CHF) in confined geometries
Get PDFScanning Electron Microscopy Analysis of Murine Renal, Aortic, and Cardiac Tissue
Get PDFScanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a tool that provides detailed insight into objects invisible to the human eye. As the name suggests, an electron beam is used to create an image down to the nanometer scale. The beam focuses on the surface of a sample using lenses in the electron column. In this project, we use SEM to study three types of murine tissue. First, we examine the glomerulus, found in the kidney, that is primarily responsible for filtering blood. Following a left renal vein (LRV) stenosis, SEM is used to observe changes to the glomeruli. Differences in the left and right kidney glomeruli are noted, with glomeruli appearing intact from the right kidney, while glomeruli from the left kidney are broken down. These findings are vital for preeclampsia studies, where these glomerular changes are likely a result of renal ischemia induced by the LRV stenosis. Second, cross sections of the murine descending aorta with a type B aortic dissection are examined under SEM. High magnification images reveal the morphology of red blood cell types in the false lumen. These findings will be used for studies in evaluating medical interventions for aortic dissection. Third, we examine tissue from the left ventricle and atrium of the murine heart. SEM can be used to detect if hypertrophy caused by transverse aortic constriction causes changes to cells lining the endocardium. This project demonstrates that SEM provides high resolution and magnification images, revealing new information that is pivotal to current and future biomedical studies
Feasibility Study of an Equine-Assisted Learning Intervention for Children with Disabilities
Get PDFInterest in equine-assisted learning (EAL) has grown rapidly among behavioral health professionals. The available research on the effects of EAL are limited, sparse, and mostly exploratory in nature. In this feasibility study, we evaluated the effectiveness of an EAL intervention, the Just Ask Yourself to Care (JAYC) program, for youth with disabilities. The eight-week JAYC curriculum is psycho-educational, strength-based, and resiliency-focused. We hypothesized that participation in the JAYC program would lead to improvement in social skills, empathy, and self-confidence. Children with disabilities (n = 25) at two sites participated in a feasibility study of implementation and evaluation procedures. Before and after completing the curriculum, children completed two measures, the Self-Efficacy Scale and the Basic Empathy Scale. Parents of participants completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Program facilitators completed a fidelity checklist of activities completed during each session. All surveys were self-administered. The findings demonstrated the feasibility of implementing the JAYC program with fidelity and evaluating the program using the SDQ surveys with parents. The analysis of SDQ data indicates promising trends, although changes were not statistically significant. Specifically, parents reported small improvements in conduct problems, peer problems, prosocial behavior, and internalizing symptoms. In the case of prosocial behavior, scores improved to be consistent with normative scores from a national sample. Children’s scores on the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire indicated statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy
Front Matter
Get PDFFront matter and editors\u27 introduction to The Writing Center Journal 41:2 (2023)
Embedded vs. Drop-in Tutors in Developmental Writing Contexts: Course/Tutoring Perceptions and Impact on Student Writing Efficacy
Get PDFMany higher education institutions offer drop-in tutoring programs hosted by writing specialists to support struggling students while others may also/alternatively embed tutors directly into courses. In this quasi-experimental study, we compared survey results from 100 students in basic/developmental courses that featured embedded peer tutors with 78 students who experienced tutoring via a walk-in writing center. Variables explored included writing efficacy and course/tutor perception survey items. While students generally found both embedded and walk-in tutoring to be helpful, the ratings for embedding tutoring tended to be statistically stronger for most variables we investigated, suggesting that students responded more positively to embedded tutoring
