23671 research outputs found
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UV-curable polyester oligomers containing triptycene segments
No full textClick on the DOI link to access this article at the publishers website (may not be free).A series of UV-curable polyesters containing triptycene segments were synthesized via the melt polycondensation of 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, triptycene-1,4-hydroquinone-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ether, and various comonomer diols including 1,6-hexanediol, neopentyl glycol, and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. The polyesters were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gel-permeation chromatography, and differential scanning calorimetry. Thin films were prepared by solvent casting and were cured via exposure to UV-light at elevated temperature. The crosslinked films were subsequently analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, Soxhlet extractions, and tensile tests. Most of the samples that contained a high concentration of the triptycene monomer resulted in brittle materials with relatively high moduli and tensile strengths, but poor extensibilities. However, the 1,6-hexanediol/1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid polyester with 30 mol% of triptycene-1,4-hydroquinone-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ether exhibited a Tg above room temperature, a relatively high modulus (~1.1 GPa) and tensile strength (~25 MPa), and ductility (144% elongation-at-break). These unique properties were attributed to the triptycene monomer, which is capable of threading polymer chains through its V-shaped cavities to reinforce the polymer network. When these polyesters were formulated into UV-curable coatings, the coatings displayed excellent impact resistance and substrate adhesion. © 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC
Joint autonomous repair verification and inspection system
No full textWSU inventors: Waruna Seneviratne, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering, John Tomblin, Caleb Saathoff, John M. Tomblin, Christopher Pini, NIARApplication No: 17/828,558 filed May 21, 2022. Patent No: US 12318916 B2 granted June 3, 2025.An autonomous or semi-autonomous cell for inspecting composite parts, verifying repairs made to such parts, and facilitating repairs to composite parts. The cell employs automated inspection, damage assessment, and repair systems. An industrial robot automatically attaches to a set of interchangeable inspection and repair end effectors to carry out the inspection, verification, and repair processes. The cell can be equipped with fixtures for supporting a rotorcraft blade and rotating the blade within the cell so that the robot can access the entire blade. Processes are provided for performing inspections, tracking the inspection data for parts in a database, and carrying out repairs. Over time, a software applicant can use the inspection data to train a machine learning model for recognizing damage to the composite part based on inspection images
The prosecution of sexual assault cases with forensic DNA evidence: Survivors’ testimony experiences
No full textThis is an open access article under the CC BY license.Most sexual assaults reported to the police are not prosecuted, and recent federal policy initiatives seek to change these patterns by promoting forensic DNA testing and utilizing that evidence in court. These directives also instruct legal practitioners to place more emphasize on the evidentiary merits of a case rather than common rape myths about perceived victim credibility. This study explored sexual assault survivors’ experiences providing court testimony in the prosecution of “cold case” sexual assaults that were reopened after DNA testing results corroborated their reports. Using qualitative interview methods, we explored two research questions: (a) how did survivors describe the emotions they experienced during court testimony? (b) how did survivors describe their interactions with legal practitioners during their court testimony? We examined whether survivors’ narratives differed based on the type of sexual assault (stranger perpetrated or nonstranger perpetrated, a defining feature of the “real rape” myth), and how their cases were adjudicated (guilty plea or trial). Results indicated that while forensic DNA evidence was instrumental in reopening these cases, it did not appear to qualitatively shift survivors’ experiences in court or prevent retraumatization. Nearly all survivors described testifying as an emotionally difficult experience marked by anxiety and humiliation. Most survivors stated that defense attorneys attempted to discredit them by evoking common rape myths about victims’ credibility. The results highlight the need for trauma-informed training for legal practitioners on how to prepare survivors for court hearings and how to mitigate the harm of rape myth stereotypes. © 2025 The Author(s)U.S. Department of Justice, DOJ; Office on Violence Against Women, OVW, (2018-SI-AX-0001); Office on Violence Against Women, OVWThe methodology and results of this project were summarized in the grant\u2019s final report, \u201CEvaluating A Victim Notification Protocols for Untested Sexual Assault Kits (SAKs),\u201D submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. This report was also archived in the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR38921.v1). This research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (2018-SI-AX-0001). The opinions or points of view expressed in this document are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the official positions of any participating organization or the U.S. Department of Justice. The authors assure that no financial interest or benefit has arisen from the direct applications of this research
Micron-sized Fe3O4/PCL biocomposite scaffolds to attract magnetic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery
No full textThis is an open access article under the CC BY license.Adjuvant chemotherapy is a critical regime in cancer treatment. The magnetic targeted drug delivery system (MTDDS) can selectively aggregate chemotherapy agents at the target areas, which has attracted great attention due to its safety, high efficiency, and minimal side effects on the human body. It would be ideal to establish a tissue engineering scaffold that can not only reconstruct the defect from the surgical tumor removal, but also serve as a magnetic station to attract MTDDS to the local site to enhance the targeted drug delivery. The current study constructed polycaprolactone magnetic tissue engineering scaffolds with various micrometer-sized magnets. The degradation properties of the scaffolds were assessed in simulated body fluid (SBF), and primary mouse bone marrow stromal cells were used to evaluate the biocompatibility of the scaffolds to osteoblast differentiations. The scaffolds were further examined by implantation to an air pouch model on the back of BALB/c mice. The in vitro data suggested that up to 40% of micron-sized magnetite can be used to formulate porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with comparable biocompatibility to the PCL-alone scaffold. A mouse study revealed that the intro-peritoneal injected fluorescence-magnetic particles were collectedly enriched in the mouse air pouch tissues containing the 20% magnetic/PCL scaffolds. Histological assessment and the real-time PCR results of the air pouches confirmed the benign biocompatibility of the implanted magnetic scaffolds. © 2025 by the authors.Wichita Medical Research and Education Foundation, WMREF; School of Medicine, University of Kansas, KUMCThis research was partially funded by a grant from the Wichita Medical Research and Education Foundation and Level 1 Dean\u2019s Fund, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita
Relationship between body-image perception and DEXA body composition measures in college-aged students
No full textPoster and abstract presented at the FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2025.Research project completed at the Department of Biology and Department of Human Performance Studies.Over 60% of young people have reported negative feelings related to one’s own body perception. With the increased presence of filtered photos and curated algorithms, the line between self-perception and physical reality may be blurred. Self-perception is the process in which a person observes themselves by interpreting their own behaviors, thoughts, and feelings; while the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry is a non-invasive medical test that provides highly accurate measurements of body composition. This study examined the association between one’s body image perception and one's body composition measures (percent body fat). Methods: 19 college adults aged [ m=22.21 + sd=3.54; Females 57.89%] participated. The study consisted of 2 sessions, 1-wk apart. Session 1: included intake survey (demographics, inclusion criterion) and a standardized body-image perception survey [MBSRQ] and Session 2: DEXA body composition analysis was administered. Results: A Pearson’s Product Correlational Analysis will be administered to evaluate the association between body-image perception and body fat percentage. Significance will be set at a p-value equal to .05. Discussion: Based on current literature it is anticipated that the findings may suggest that an individual’s actual percentage of body fat does not support one’s body image perception. It is important to build on future research and better understanding how one’s body image perception may also relate to social media usage
Fast implementation of generalized Koebe’s iterative method
No full textThis is an open access article under the CC BY license.Let G be a given bounded multiply connected domain of connectivity (Formula presented.) bounded by smooth Jordan curves. Koebe’s iterative method is a classical method for computing the conformal mapping from the domain G onto a bounded multiply connected circular domain obtained by removing m disks from the unit disk. Koebe’s method has been generalized to compute the conformal mapping from the domain G onto a bounded multiply connected circular domain obtained by removing (Formula presented.) disks from a circular ring. A fast numerical implementation of the generalized Koebe’s iterative method is presented in this paper. The proposed method is based on using the boundary integral equation with the generalized Neumann kernel. Several numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. © 2025 by the authors.Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM; Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, MOHE, (FRGS/1/2019/STG06/UTM/02/20); Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, MOHE; UTMFR, (QJ130000.2554.20H72)The first author would like to acknowledge the partial financial support for his research study from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia under Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2019/STG06/UTM/02/20) and from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia under UTM Fundamental Research (UTMFR) (QJ130000.2554.20H72)
Effects of surface plasma treatments on adhesion properties of aerospace coatings on carbon, glass and kevlar fiber reinforced composites
No full textThesis (M.S.)-- Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Mechanical EngineeringIn the field of aerospace, it is important to select materials with adequate adhesion and mechanical integrity. This study evaluated the fabrication and characterization of plasma-treated composite materials with a goal of optimizing coating adhesion strength to carbon fiber, glass fiber, and Kevlar fiber composites. The goal of this research program is to optimize the plasma treatment of composite surfaces to improve coating surface properties and adhesion, while maintaining the mechanical integrity of the composites. In this program, the composite surfaces were plasma surface treated, coated, and then tested using pull-off adhesion tests and a cross-cut adhesion test.
The results showed that adhesion properties of all composite types improved significantly with plasma treatment. Plasma treatment changed the surfaces by increasing surface energy and introducing polar functional groups, which resulted in a stronger interfacial bond. The results for the pull-off adhesion test showed that plasma-treated Carbon fiber, Glass fiber and Kevlar fiber composites improved by 200.43%, 218.78%, and 149.25% respectively. The cross-cut adhesion test results showed plasma-treated carbon fiber composites improved from Grade 4B (Good Adhesion) to Grade 5B (Excellent Adhesion); glass fiber composites improved from Grade 4B to Grade 5B; and Kevlar fiber composites improved from Grade 3B (Moderate Adhesion) to Grade 4B (Good Adhesion).
FTIR analysis indicated that plasma treatment created polar functional groups, including hydroxyl (OH) and carbonyl (C=O), which elevated surface energy and boosted adhesion. Additionally, contact angle measurements revealed that the treatment improved the hydrophilicity of the surfaces, further aiding adhesion. These results highlight that plasma surface treatment is a valuable technique for strengthening adhesive bonds in coatings, particularly in aerospace and other high-performance sectors where robust bonding is essential for composite materials
Key uncertainties in Jira meetings and their implications for organizational structuring
No full textPublished in SOAR: Shocker Open Access Repository by Wichita State University Libraries Technical Services, November 2025. 2025 IEMS Officers: Gamal Weheba (Conference Chair); Hesham Mahgoub (Program Chair); Dalia Mahgoub (Technical Director); Ed Sawan (Publications Editor); Wilfredo Moscoso (Proceedings Editor); Abdulaziz G. Abdulaziz (Associate Editor)This paper is an ethnographic analysis of Agile methodology (Jira) meetings at a large defense contracting company. Uncertainties expressed by engineers in the Jira status meetings promise to
reveal important shifts in social structure and power
What's linker got to do with it? Examining the structure and stability of palladin's Ig3-4 linker region
No full textFirst place winner of poster presentations for Natural Sciences & Engineering at the 24th Annual Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum (URCAF) held in the Woolsey Hall, Wichita State University, April 25, 2025.Actin is the most abundant protein within all eukaryotic cells and is essential for motility, structure, and cellular division. Actin participates in more protein-protein interactions than any other known protein, and one such relationship involves palladin. Palladin is a lesser- known protein that is typically only expressed during embryonic development. However, recent work has proven that palladin is expressed in metastatic cancer cells. To understand the role palladin plays in cancer metastasis, we must first understand its structure. Palladin is comprised of five immunoglobulin-like domains (Ig), each connected via an unstructured linker region. Our research focuses on one of these linker regions, known as Ig3-4. The Ig3-4 linker consists of forty-one amino acids and is predicted to be intrinsically disordered. Previous research has proven that Ig3 is the minimal actin-binding domain, but binding affinity is significantly increased when the Ig3-4 linker domain is present. However, the Ig3-4 linker has no innate actin- binding ability. Current research seeks to determine the Ig3-4 linker region's effect on palladin and actin's interactions. To determine the structure and function of the Ig3-4 domain, the Beck lab introduced several mutations to the linker. The most prominent mutation is RLinkerA, a conversion of the domain's ten arginines into alanines, which completely disrupted the binding ability of both actin and palladin. All the mutated and wild-type linker regions have undergone circular dichroism spectroscopy to determine structure, as well as chemical and thermal denaturation tests to determine stability. Current analysis of these results indicates no alteration in the structure or stability of either the Ig3 domain or its linker, despite the obstruction of actin- palladin binding
Characterization of thermal expansion of continuous fiber reinforced prepreg composites
No full textThesis (M.S.)-- Wichita State University, College of Engineering, Dept. of Aerospace EngineeringA thorough review of existing methods and theories of measurement of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was conducted. The kinetic cure theories and parameters behind known curing models are presented and discussed. Four finite element models were constructed. One model to evaluate the coefficient of thermal expansion in longitudinal direction (α1) of several published data and the CTE of the thru-thickness direction (α3) of the primary composite material system with glued boundary conditions between the sample and the quartz plates. The second model is constructed similar to the first model except without quartz plates and glued boundary conditions. Third model to investigate the thru-thickness direction non-reversible dimension change (cure shrinkage) of the primary composite material system. And the last model to evaluate the curing process and to numerically compute the degree of cure for a given composite material system. It was shown that the experimental data and simulation results for longitudinal, and thru-thickness coefficient of thermal expansion, cure shrinkage, and degree of cure are generally in a good agreement of each other. Future improvements to the findings of this study are also proposed