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Enhancing Surgical Training and Patient Outcomes Using Customizable 3D Printed Surgical Models for the WATCHMAN Device Insertion Procedure
No full textColor poster with text, images, photographs, and graphs.In patients with atrial fibrillation, many stroke-causing clots originate in the left atrial appendage. The WATCHMAN Procedure takes a minimally invasive approach by threading a catheter through the left femoral vein and deploying the WATCHMAN device into the left atrial appendage to decrease risk of atrial fibrillation-related strokes. Currently, no tailored surgical models exist for this procedure. This means surgeons who are learning the procedure must perform on patients instead of practice models. This project aims to fill that gap and create an interactive leg and torso model for surgical practice of the WATCHMAN device insertion procedure. Using software within the Materialise Suite, student researchers can convert 2D DICOM files into 3D stereolithography files (3D). These 3D files can be read by the 3D printer software, producing a physical model of the original 2D images. The patient’s leg is printed in a flexible material in the same manner utilizing SolidWorks. Models of customizable patient heart and femoral vein anatomy will be printed in a flexible material for surgical practice. A Raspberry Pi computer and 4 small cameras mimic the fluoroscopy used during surgery, allowing surgeons to practice the surgery with views of the heart that they would use in an actual procedure. Surgical outcomes utilizing the educational model will be compared with previous outcomes for surgeons of various education and experience levels. This project will reveal if customizable practice models are significantly beneficial to surgical practice by observing patient outcomes.UW-Eau Claire Foundation; Mayo Clinic; University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
An Analysis of Confined Space Related Hazards within Company XYZ’s Tool Facility
No full textPlan BThe goal of this study was to analyze the confined space related hazards present in a general
industry setting. A lack of established confined space procedures and policies created
unnecessary risk for employees and contractors who worked in and around these spaces. To
provide effective recommendations, data was gathered from worker interviews and confined
space identification and classification. A walkthrough of the facility generated an inventory of
confined spaces, which were evaluated against OSHA standard 1910.146 to classify each as
permit-required or a non-permit space. Worker interviews were conducted to determine typical
maintenance activities around present confined spaces including chillers, chambers and air
handlers. The results of the study indicated an absence of company policies and procedures for
safe entry into confined spaces, a lack of worker familiarity with hazard identification and
confined space identification. Recommendations were provided to develop effective confined
space training and policies for all affected workers, maintain a confined space inventory and
entry procedures for permit-required confined spaces. Procedures should be developed to
temporarily reclassify spaces and address potential hazards of non-routine maintenance
Development of Low Calorie Plant Based Heavy Whip Cream Using Water Soluble Seaweed Extract (Agar) as Fat Replacer and Stabilizer
No full textDepartment of Kinesiology, Health, Food & Nutritional Sciences UW-StoutThis research focuses on developing a low-calorie, plant-based heavy cream using agar, a seaweed extract, as a fat replacer and stabilizer. The resulting non-dairy whipped cream offers significant health benefits, including reduced calories and saturated fats compared to traditional dairy whipped cream. Sensory evaluations indicate that the agar-based cream maintains desirable texture and taste attributes, achieving higher acceptability among consumers. This innovative alternative not only meets the growing demand for healthier dietary options but also enhances the potential for sustainable food practices
Experiences of student affairs professionals who lead institutional responses to a student death by suicide
No full textThis phenomenological study was designed to explore the experiences of student affairs
professionals who lead institutional responses to student death by suicide. Although there
is extensive research to advise higher education professionals in suicide prevention and
postvention, there is little existing research to support and guide the professionals asked
to navigate the aftermath when a student dies by suicide. Purposive sampling was
conducted to yield five participants who engaged in two semi-structured interviews to
share their experiences. Participants also shared their institution’s student death protocols
for additional data analysis. The research was grounded in Kolb’s theory of experiential
learning and the concept of secondary trauma. Findings indicated that participants
experience a strong focus on the families of the deceased students, the experience is allconsuming, and they simultaneously navigate many groups of people as they execute the
student death protocols. Recommendations for higher education include appropriate
authority, additional supports, and better protective measures for responding
professional
Cold Spray Ni Coatings with Hybrid Peening Treatments for Addressing Corrosion in Stainless-Steel Used Fuel Storage Containers
No full textWith nuclear power generation projected to rise in the coming decades, increasing volumes of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) waste will be generated. Long-term safe storage of SNF is of paramount importance to regulators and to the public. Currently, after a period of residence in water pools, SNF is stored in Dry Cask Storage Systems (DCSS) which are typically located in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. The long-term plan, after interim storage in DCSS, is to permanently dispose SNF by burying it deep underground in geological repository sites.
However, in the United States (and many nuclear power nations), such permanent geological repository sites have not been fully identified. Thus, SNF will have to be stored in interim DCSS for multiple decades. The DCSS essentially consists of an inner austenitic stainless-steel canister surrounded by concrete overpack with a gap between the two to circulate ambient air for cooling the canister. A confluence of Cl-ions in the environment, tensile stresses, and sensitized microstructure at the welds in the stainless-steel canister could potentially render them susceptible to chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking (CISCC) in the long-term. While no instances of CISCC have been reported in operational casks, the extended reliance on DCSS for SNF storage warrants the development of technologies for mitigation and repair of corrosion and CISCC in the DCSS stainless-steel canisters. Several technologies are being investigated to address this issue, including friction stir welding, peening, and cold spray deposition.
This research is focused on corrosion of cold sprayed nickel coatings (CS-Ni) and hybrid surface treatments involving peening treatments of the CS-Ni coatings. It is noted here that CS- Ni is being considered as one of the leading candidate technologies for the DCSS application by national programs. The substrate for these surface treatments was 304H stainless-steel. ‘H’ refers to high carbon (0.04% or higher) while the ‘L’ grade used for canisters contains < 0.04%C. ‘H’ grade is more prone to the detrimental effects of sensitization and therefore was selected to amplify the effects of sensitization. Most of this research was performed on sensitized 304H stainless steel substrates.
Commercially pure gas-atomized Ni powder was used, and cold spray coating deposition was performed using 100% N2 or 95% He propellant gases. Peening of the coatings was performed using two approaches, cold spray peening (CSP) and ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM). CSP, a process developed at UW-Madison, involves performing cold spray at powder particle velocities lower than the critical particle velocity such that the impacting particles create the necessary plastic deformation of the surface particles but rebound off rather than bonding to the surface. Particle impact modeling based on ANSYS was used to predict the particle velocity for CSP. UNSM involves tapping the surface at high frequencies with a hard tungsten-carbide pin to impart high strain rate deformation in the near surface regions of the material. For the UNSM study, load and vertical amplitude of pin were investigated as variables. Separately, in collaboration with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), UNSM was also investigated for repair of prototypical CISCC created in 304H stainless steel.The support provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Grant No.: DE-NE0008962.
Instrumentation partially supported by the NSF through the University of Wisconsin Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (DMR- 1720415
Collections of Data Licenses and Collections of Data Licenses for Evaluation
No full textThe dataset contains license information collected from data repositories and was used in the study “Developing a Faceted Classification of Terms of Use for Research Data.” It consists of two Excel files. The first file, “Collections of data licenses.xlsx,” served as the basis for developing the Terms of Use Faceted Classification (TUFC). The second file, “Collections of data licenses for evaluation.xlsx,” was then used to evaluate the effectiveness of the TUFC
The role of 3PL and 4PL providers in shaping agile pharmaceutical supply chains
No full textAn Educational Project presented to the graduate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science - Integrated Supply Chain ManagementPharmaceutical companies are increasingly relying on third-party (3PL) and fourth-party logistics (4PL) providers to manage growing supply chain complexity, regulatory pressure, and global distribution demands. This paper explores how these external partnerships contribute to supply chain agility while posing challenges in compliance, integration, and performance alignment. Using secondary research, the study examines key drivers of logistics outsourcing in the pharmaceutical sector and applies three theoretical frameworks—Transaction Cost Economics (TCE), Principal-Agent Theory (PAT), and the Resource-Based View (RBV)—to analyze outsourcing decisions and relationship management. While this study outlines several best practices, it is important to note that implementation may vary widely depending on company size, therapeutic area, and geographic scope. The paper presents strategic recommendations to help pharmaceutical companies balance flexibility with control, ensuring that 3PL and 4PL providers are operationally integrated and aligned with internal goals. The findings offer a practical framework for optimizing outsourced logistics relationships while maintaining quality, compliance, and responsiveness in a dynamic global environment
Analysis of Ozone Levels in Lower Atmosphere of Kenosha, Wisconsin
No full textColor poster with text, maps, charts, photographs, and graphs.Air quality is of concern to the communities along Lake Michigan’s shores in easternWisconsin. In the troposphere oxides of nitrogen, like NO2, react with volatile organic compounds, like formaldehyde, to form ozone,which is a harmful pollutant to human health. Lake Michigan traps these harmful chemicals in the troposphere, which results in ahigher-than-normal amount of ozone in these communities’ air. During the summer of 2023 in Kenosha, WI, the OPSIS DOASinstrument was placed on the Kenosha Municipal Building and the water treatment plant and took measurements of O3, NO2 and SO2 during the months of July and August. During this time, the AGES+ field campaign was also taking place, where ground, satellite, and aircraft observations were targeted around the Chicago, New York and Toronto regions. This data has been uploaded a repository that is part of the field campaign, AGES+. My poster will display the OPSIS DOAS data from the Kenosha, Wisconsin and data gathered from overwater aircraft sampling by University of Alabama Huntsville and perform an analysis to determine data correlations and find possible trends.National Science Foundation Grant #1918893; University of Wisconsin--Eau Claire Office of Research and Sponsored Program
Using visual aids to improve third grade English vocabulary in rural China
No full textA seminar paper presented to the graduate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of science in education - English educationIn recent years, English education has rapid advancements in China, especially in rural areas. However, it also faces some unavailable challenges and obstacles during teaching English vocabulary by taking visual aids as a tool in rural schools.
With the method of literature analysis, This paper reviews existing literature to explore how visual aids, such as flashcards, images, and videos, can provide contextual and sensory support to improve vocabulary learning. The study identifies the types of visual aids currently used in rural classrooms and examines their impact on vocabulary acquisition. It highlights the benefits of visual aids in engaging students, enhancing literacy skills, and catering to diverse learning styles. However, challenges such as limited technological infrastructure and inadequate teacher training are also discussed. The paper suggests that incorporating visual aids can significantly enhance vocabulary learning for third-grade students, and offers suggestions for further enhancing its effectiveness, in the hope of contributing to the research and development of rural English education
Macro to micro challenges comforting organizations' ability to address strategic succession planning
No full textA seminar paper presented to the graduate faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science - Strategic ManagementOrganizations are fraught with numerous talent-related changes that threaten their long-term
viability. Ensuring that the right talent is in place and is provided with growth and development
opportunities is crucial for ongoing success. This seminar paper identifies macro and microscale challenges that hinder the effective execution of talent and strategic succession initiatives.
Existing literature highlights global trends and organization-specific factors that disrupt
the development and advancement of strategic succession efforts. Macro challenges include
generational differences, global talent scarcity, and transformative technology. Micro challenges
are institution-specific and include the absence of intentional, strategically aligned planning;
stakeholder ambiguity and missing accountability; resource constraints - particularly knowledge,
funding, and time; insufficient mechanisms for continuous evaluation; and succession bias. This
paper confirms that strategic succession efforts are hampered by macro and micro challenges that
limit an organization's ability to flourish and employ an effective talent strategy. Despite
widespread recognition of succession planning’s importance, many organizations fail to execute
these practices effectively (Stockton, 2014; Routch et al., 2018; Robinson, 2019).
Examining macro and micro challenges provides insight into early issue detection and
highlights how organizations successfully use intentional strategies to mitigate such adversities.
Failure to conduct effective succession planning can result in financial losses, knowledge
erosion, strategic misalignment, and operational mistakes. Understanding the factors that impede
organizations’ ability to build effective plans helps form resilience against obstacles by creating
awareness to identify and avoid pitfalls, prepare contingency plans, and make informed
decisions. Research in this domain can reframe an organization’s perspective to see challenges
not merely as impediments, but as opportunities to drive growth, innovation, and sustainability