23671 research outputs found
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Investigating mechanical behaviours of fire-retardant fiber composites in aggressive aviation fluids
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 study investigates the effects of aviation fluid exposure on aerospace-grade carbon and glass fiber composites. Five critical fluids—hydraulic fluid, dry cleaning solvent, isopropyl alcohol deicer, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and a hydraulic fluid/water mixture—were used to simulate real-world environmental conditions. Composite specimens were exposed for durations of 15 days and 30 days. Mechanical properties were assessed through short beam shear tests to determine the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of the aged specimen, while fluid uptake was measured gravimetrically. Results indicate that MEK consistently caused the most significant degradation in mechanical properties and the highest fluid absorption for both composite types. Glass fiber composites exhibited greater susceptibility to environmental effects compared to carbon fiber composites. The time-dependent nature of fluid absorption correlated strongly with changes in mechanical properties. These findings highlight the critical importance of specific fluid-composite compatibility testing in aerospace material selection and design. The study underscores the need for enhanced protective strategies and long-term durability assessments to improve the reliability and performance of composite structures in aerospace applications. Future research directions are suggested to address these challenges
The effectiveness of a geriatric simulation suit for improving empathy and simulating the aging process for older adults in a DPT program
No full textPresented to the 21st Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita State University, April 11, 2025.Research completed in the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions.INTRODUCTION: The older adult population in the United States is projected to increase to more than 83 million in the next 25 years. Students in the healthcare field might lack firsthand experience related to aging-related issues thus reducing their ability to empathize effectively with older adults.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of using a homemade geriatric simulation suit on empathy levels towards the older adult population in physical therapy students.
METHODS: Thirty-eight physical therapy students were fitted with a homemade geriatric simulation suit that provided simulated movement, balance, and vision changes that the older adult may experience. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Health Professions student version was utilized to measure empathy-related parameters before and after the geriatric simulation experience. Physical and cognitive performance tests were also used to assess the effectiveness of the geriatric suit to simulate the aging process. Additionally, sociodemographic data were collected such as age, gender and prior experience working with older adults.
RESULTS: The results of this study indicate that participant empathy increased after wearing the geriatric suit and participating in the geriatric simulation experience. The difference between pre and post empathy mean scores were statistically significant (t=2.09, p=0.022), but did have a small effect size (.34).
CONCLUSION: Using a homemade geriatric simulation suit may be an appropriate and cost-effective way to improve empathy in physical therapy students. The geriatric suit also closely mimics normative data for community dwelling older adults over 65 years of age.Graduate School, Academic Affairs, University Librarie
The Sunflower, v.129, no.18 (February 6, 2025)
No full textArticle(s): Remembering the lives lost -- What we know about Flight 5342 -- Kiah Duggins' lasting impact on Wichita State and beyond -- Deliverance despite difficulty: Faith community mourns Grace Maxwell -- Former colleagues, students remember the life and impact of Lindsey Fields -- Remembering the 67 lives lost. On Jan. 26 at approximately 7:48 p.m. CST, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with an Army helicopter. The 60 passengers, four flight crew members and three soldiers were pronounced dead. Here is what The Sunflower has gathered on the victims so far. -- 'Kind of our babies': Figure skating community left devastated by Flight 5342 crash -- A poem for Kiah Duggins -- Trump's reaction to 5342 plane crash was a shameful politicization of tragedy -- Flight 5342 reminds Wichita of a familiar grief — and even more familiar resilience. Staff editorial. -- 'A horrible tragedy': Wichita community gathers to mourn Flight 5342 victimsPhotograph(s): Portraits of the victims in the Flight 5342 plane crash. p. 1 -- Notes of support and remembrance at the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport memorial. The memorial was visited by Wichitans as well as American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Wichita Mayor Lily Wu, and U.S. Rep Ron Estes. p. 2 -- Spencer Lane, 16, posted a photo on his Instagram account before takeoff. Spencer and his mother, Christine Lane, died in the crash. He was a member of the Skating Club of Boston. p. 2 -- Everly Livingston, 14, and Alydia Livingston, 11, before takeoff on Flight 5342. The sisters were attending a figure skating training camp in Wichita. p. 2 -- Sen. Jerry Moran speaks at a press conference after the crash. p. 2 -- A woman cries and lifts her hands during a prayer given at the Jan. 30 vigil for Flight 5342 crash victims. p. 2 -- Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly at a press conference the afternoon after the crash. p. 2 -- The Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport set up a memorial for the people who died on American Airlines Flight 5342. p. 2 -- A memorial is set up at Lindsey Fields' office door at Butler Community College's Andover campus in the days after her death in the crash. p. 2 -- Taylre McPherson and Allison Jabara hug after the moment of silence at the Wichita Ice Center vigil. McPherson and Jabara are members of the Wichita Figure Skating Club. p. 2 -- Portrait of Kiah Duggins. p. 3 -- Portrait of Grace Maxwell. p. 3 -- Portrait of Lindsey Fields. p. 3 -- Portraits of Flight 5342 plane crash victims. p. 4-5 -- Individuals held plastic candle lights at the Feb. 3 vigil at the Wichita Ice Center. The vigil offered five minutes of silence for those lost on Flight 5342. p. 6 -- Taylre McPherson and Allison Jabara hold a sign at the Wichita Figure Skating Club vigil. McPherson and Jabara are members of the Wichita Figure Skating Club. p. 6 -- People stand in a circle during the vigil hosted at the Wichita Ice Center on Feb. 3. p. 6 -- Jemelle Holopirek hugs Mayor Lily Wu at the vigil hosted at the Wichita Ice Center on Feb. 3. Lights dimmed and the community stood in silence for five minutes. p. 6 -- Wichita Mayor Lily Wu stands during the vigil at the Wichita Ice Center on Feb. 3. p. 6 -- Illustration for "A poem for Kiah Duggins." p. 7 -- Photo of President Donald Trump. p. 7 -- Portrait of Piper Pinnetti, opinion editor. p. 7 -- Pamela Hughes Mason calls attendees of the Jan. 30 plan crash vigil to prayer. Members of the Wichita community, as well as local religious leaders, shared prayers during the community gathering. p. 8 -- Rabbi Shmulik Greenberg of Chabad of Wichita recites a traditional Hebrew prayer of mourning during the Jan. 30 vigil. "This is a very difficult time," Greenberg said. "In a time of tragedy like this, it's so important for us to come together as a community." p. 8 -- Mayor Lily Wu embraces a vigil attendee after the prayer service held on Jan. 30 for Flight 5342 crash victims. p. 8 -- Wichita community members listen to various religious leaders speak at a prayer vigil. The vigil was on Thursday, Jan. 30, and was held to mourn those who lost their lives in the crash of Flight 5342 on Wednesday, Jan. 29. p. 8 -- A bouquet of roses and a teddy bear sit outside of City Hall during the Jan. 30 vigil held for Flight 5342. p. 8 -- Wichita Mayor Lily Wu speaks to the Wichita crowd during prayer vigil. The vigil was held on Thursday, Jan. 30, to mourn victims of Flight 5342. Religious leaders from across the state gathered to mourn at the vigil for those who died in Wednesday's plane crash. p. 8 -- Members of the Wichita community fill City Hall for a vigil held in memory of Flight 5342 on Thursday, Jan. 30. p.
Non-standing committees of the Faculty Senate, 2023-2024
No full textNon-standing committees: Diversity committee -- Faculty chair policy review taskforce -- Faculty evaluation alignment committee -- Faculty workload/review taskforce -- President's innovation advisory council -- Revision of general education committee -- SPTE review committee -- Teaching evaluation taskforce committee -- Textbook selection guidelines committe
Examining the impact of human-animal interaction and therapeutic massage on physiological and psychological measures in first year doctor of physical therapy students
No full textPresented to the 21st Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Rhatigan Student Center, Wichita State University, April 11, 2025.Research completed in the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions.INTRODUCTION: Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students face significant anxiety due to demanding coursework, long hours of studying, intense academic challenges, and the pressure to excel. This stress can negatively affect mental and physical health, leading to increased anxiety and physiological responses. Human-animal interaction (HAI) and therapeutic massage (TM) have been studied as potential interventions to reduce anxiety, but limited research has compared their effectiveness in DPT students.
PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of HAI compared to TM in first year DPT students by measuring anxiety levels, blood pressure, and heart rate.
METHODS: Eight first-year DPT students at Wichita State University participated and were randomly assigned to either the HAI or TM group. The HAI group engaged in 10-minute sessions interacting with a therapy dog, while the TM group received a 10-minute massage focusing on the cervical and upper trapezius muscles. Anxiety levels were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), while BP and HR were measured pre- and post intervention using an automatic cuff. Data was collected across three sessions and analyzed for trends using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: The data did not show a consistent anxiety reduction for either group based on STAI scores. However, HR and BP exhibited a downward trend in the HAI group; the TM group showed more variability.
CONCLUSION: A clear advantage of one intervention over the other in anxiety reduction was not shown. Limitations such as small sample size and external stressors affecting anxiety levels should be addressed in future research.Graduate School, Academic Affairs, University Librarie
Responses of microbial isolates from spacecraft assembly facilities to the physical and chemical conditions relevant to Mars
No full textThesis (M.S.)-- Wichita State University, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Biological SciencesLiquid water is essential for life as we understand it. Eutectic brine preserves fluidity at minimal temperatures; however, microbial proliferation is inhibited due to low water activity and frigid conditions. I investigated the tolerances of bacteria to near-eutectic environments for NaCl (–21 °C, 24 wt%, aw = 0.77) and MgSO4 (–4 °C, 17 wt%, aw= 0.96). Culture density was assessed using viable cell counts on plates containing 10% NaCl at ambient temperature. Control cultures were sustained at ambient temperature. The salinotolerant bacteria examined were isolated from spaceship assembly facilities, comprising Bacillus, Oceanobacillus, Staphylococcus, and Virgibacillus. The control cultures in 24 wt% NaCl did not exhibit growth. The cultures deteriorated, exhibiting significant reductions in viable cell counts; yet, after 28 d, culturable cells were still detectable in some isolates. At –21 °C, cultures with 24 wt% NaCl exhibited logarithmic decreases, with viable cells persisting until 28 d. Almost all isolates proliferated at 17 wt% MgSO4 in shaking control conditions but Virgibacillus sp. str. JPL 26. At –4 °C, none of the 17 wt% MgSO4 cultures exhibited growth for a period of 28 d. The reduction in viable cell count was more significant under the eutectic conditions of MgSO4 compared to those of NaCl. The eutectic conditions inhibited microbial growth, however surviving cells may endure for months or years. The present circumstances on Mars are excessively frigid to sustain the fluidity of NaCl or MgSO4 solutions; yet specific (per)chlorate brines may be present. Organisms sent by spacecraft to extraterrestrial worlds may disrupt life detection or the indigenous environment
Fiber-reinforced composites for aerospace, energy, and marine applications: an insight into failure mechanisms under chemical, thermal, oxidative, and mechanical load conditions
No full textThis is an open access article under the CC BY license.Fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) materials have gained significant traction in various industrial sectors, including aerospace, marine, and energy applications, owing to their outstanding mechanical properties, lightweight nature, high strength, and corrosion resistance. However, ensuring the reliability and durability of these materials under diverse environmental conditions, such as exposure to elevated temperatures, mechanical loads, and chemicals/oxidations, remains a critical challenge. In this study, we provide an in-depth insight into the failure mechanisms of FRC materials under several scenarios expected when in service or during operations, particularly for failure arising from mechanical, thermal, and chemical exposure, which are the main conditions experienced in aircraft, helicopters, drones, wind turbines, and ships. Moreover, we excerpt representative cases that illustrate changes in material properties due to prolonged exposure to an uneven temperature gradient leading to thermal expansion mismatch, matrix softening, and fiber degradation. Also, a critical examination of the stress distribution, damage evolution, and failure criteria of FRC materials due to mechanical loads under the tensile, flexural, impact, and compressive loading conditions through experimental, theoretical, and numerical studies is presented to offer significant contributions to the understanding of failure mechanisms and their consequences for structural design and performance optimization. Thus, chemical and oxidative degradation in FRC materials, including matrix degradation, fiber-matrix interface debonding, and their impact on mechanical properties, has been analyzed. The media include aviation fuels, seawater environments, hydraulic fluids, deicer, and acidic and alkaline solvents. Furthermore, this work includes an overview of numerical and analytical perspectives concerning the tripod (mechanical, thermal, and chemical oxidations). To bring forth a series of models, theories, and assumptions employed by several researchers to recreate real-world applications with very high accuracy to experimental data, a detailed overview of the FRC failure mechanism in various environmental conditions has been reviewed, and gaps that can be explored in future research have been highlighted. Challenges and limitations hindering the accurate screening of composite materials for intended applications have been reported. It is anticipated that scholars, engineers, and researchers engaged in the development and application of the FRC materials in the aerospace, marine, and energy industries will find this review beneficial. It will assist them in comprehending composite failures under different environmental and loading conditions and provide critical insights for advancing the design, manufacturing, durability, and reliability of the FRC-based structures and components in the harsh operating environments. © This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply 2025
Unraveling the psychological links between organizational security climate and extra-role security behaviors
No full textClick on the DOI link to access this article at the publishers website (may not be free).Facing constant cyberattacks, organizations should use IT security tools, train employees, and motivate them to comply with security policies. Accordingly, employees’ extra-role security behaviors can benefit organizations as an additional line of defense. Drawing on organizational climate theory, we examined the psychological mechanisms through which organizational security climate could shape extra-role security behaviors. These mechanisms, such as employees' increased organizational security concern and a broader definition of their perceived security-related responsibilities, were found to have a full mediating effect between organizational security climate and extra-role security behaviors. This research contributes to the information security literature by presenting an empirically validated model that provides nuanced insights into the role of organizational climate in shaping extra-role security behaviors. © 202
Cross-lingual keyword extraction for pesticide terminology in Brazilian Portuguese and English
No full textClick on the DOI link to access this article at the publishers website (may not be free).Agriculture plays a crucial role in Brazil's economy. As the country intensifies its activities in the sector, the use of pesticides also increases. Hence, the risks associated with pesticide-laden food consumption have become a concern for chemistry researchers. An issue affecting regulatory standardization of pesticides in Brazil is the difficulty in translating pesticide names, particularly from English. For example, the word malathion can be translated from English to Portuguese as malatiom or malatio, resulting in inconsistent labeling. This issue extends to the broader problem of translating highly technical terms between languages, in particular for low-resource languages. In this work, we investigate terminological variation in the chemistry of organophosphorus pesticides. Our goal is to study strategies for domain-specific multilingual keyword extraction. To that end, two corpora were built based on pesticide-related scientific documents in Brazilian Portuguese and English, which led to a total of 84 and 210 texts, respectively, representing the low- and high-resource languages in this study. We then assessed 6 methods for keyword extraction: Simple Maths, TF-IDF, YAKE, TextRank, MultipartiteRank, and KeyBERT. We relied on a multilingual contextual BERT embedding to retrieve corresponding pesticide names in the target language. Fine-tuning was also explored to improve the multilingual representation further. Moreover, we evaluated the use of large language models (LLMs) combined with the recent retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) framework. As a result, we found that the contextual approach, combined with fine-tuning, provided the best results, contributing to enhancing Pesticide Terminology Extraction in a multilingual scenario