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Multi-City Travel Routing Tool: Reducing Travel Costs and Time Spent Planning using APIs
No full textTravel planning is a time-consuming and ever-changing problem that can diminish the travel experience and greatly increase expenditure, if not done correctly. It is important to have an easy travel planning experience so you can enjoy the travel experience more and not waste time where it is not needed. This thesis aims to minimize the costs and time spent on travel planning using APIs and simple optimization models, creating a travel planning tool. This travel planning tool was developed in Java with the main API being Amadeus, this was combined with a greedy best-permutation heuristic to create the main route optimization function. Fixer.io was an API used to convert currency, and a database caching system was created to decrease the total amount of API pulls consumed. The average travel costs for a user-input travel itinerary that was put into the tool received an 11% average reduction in costs. There is currently no application or website dedicated to optimizing your travel route to decrease the cost of flights. This tool can be developed to fill that gap, helping users decrease the amount of time and money spent on travel planning
Diving Into Commercial Banking: Internship experience at Hilborn & Howell, LLC
Full text linkThis paper attempts to provide insight into the commercial banking industry through personal experience and the help of high-level lending professionals
Rekindling Hearth: An Investigation and Discussion of the Traditional and Evolving Roles of Hearth in Architecture
Full text linkThis research explores the evolving role of the hearth in domestic architecture, examining its historical significance and its continuing symbolic and architectural significance. Once essential for heat, cooking, and gathering, the hearth has shifted from necessity to nostalgic artifact due to technological advances and changing domestic patterns. This study reexamines the hearth’s spatial, social, and functional roles in architecture through a combination of literature review, theoretical analysis, and visual diagramming. Six case studies, spanning pre-modern to contemporary housing, are analyzed to identify patterns and transformations in hearth placement and significance. Through detailed diagrams, the paper offers a visual and theoretical framework to understand hearth as both a cultural artifact and architectural feature, encouraging readers to question the role of comfort, memory, and centeredness in modern homes. Interpretations suggest that the hearth remains a vital architectural and cultural element, offering insight into how we define comfort, community, and home. This study concludes by advocating for a renewed understanding of the hearth in contemporary architecture as a meaningful tool for fostering well-being, and long-lasting domestic design
Validating an Electronics Cooler Experiment and Optimizing Its Performance Using ANSYS Icepak
Full text linkResearchers at the University of Arkansas\u27 Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Research Departments have designed and built a cold plate and substrate design for a 10 kV SiC MOSFET power module. Many variables define the design of the cold plate and substrate system and have quantifiable effects on the device’s performance. These variables include but are not limited to geometry and material selection of the fins and substrate. Manufacturing many test designs, running experiments, and comparing their performance is a time-consuming and expensive design optimization method that may be effective for some low-cost applications. Still, simulation is often a more cost-effective optimization method for designs comprised of costly components. This project uses numerical modeling to model and simulate a digital twin of the cold plate-substrate system. Specifically, ANSYS Electronics Desktop Icepak was used. The conductivity of the complex substrate design will be modeled in CAD and simulated with an 80W digital MOSFET that mimics the thermal properties of a physical chip. Furthermore, the cold plate\u27s ability to channel the heat out of the chip, into the fluid region, and out of the system will be modeled and tested across different flow rates (0.05 – 0.55 L/min). Experimental testing was compared to the mirror computational setup and indicated strong agreement for flow rates above 0.16 L/min, with deviations at lower flow rates being attributed to potential measurement inaccuracies or modeling limitations. Finally, design iterations were explored, including modifications to the outlet configuration, straight fins, and a slimmed design, to maximize cooling efficiency while reducing system weight, volume, and pressure drop
Consumer Preferences for Delayed Ripening in Apples: A Comparative Study of Gene-Editing and All-Natural Fruit Coating
No full textThis study investigates consumer preferences for food waste reduction technologies using a discrete choice experiment and Latent Class Analysis (LCA). Willingness to pay (WTP) results reveal a higher WTP for gene-edited (3.05/lb) relative to untreated apples ($1.80/lb). LCA identifies three consumer segments with distinct preferences and behavioral traits. Segment differences in WTP, food waste concern (F = 12.13, p \u3c 0.001), and consumption habits (F = 20.40, p \u3c 0.001) were statistically significant. Findings highlight the need for tailored marketing and policy strategies to promote the adoption of sustainable technologies and reduce food waste
The Effect of Self-Esteem and Social Ostracism on Conspiratorial Thinking
No full textWith the rise of misinformation in America today, conspiracy theories and the conditions that influence them have increasingly become a topic of focus for researchers. This study investigated whether social exclusion increases belief in conspiracy theories, and how this relationship is impact by self-esteem among other individual factors. Participants (N = 309) were randomly assigned to recall either a personal experience of social exclusion or their last trip to the grocery store. They then completed randomized measures assessing conspiratorial beliefs, self-esteem, loneliness, and need for uniqueness. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found between the exclusion and control groups in relation to conspiratorial attitudes. The manipulation check also failed to produce a significant difference in reported feelings of exclusion between the two groups, suggesting the experimental manipulation was ineffective. These findings limit the interpretability of the results but underscore the need to refine future experimental designs. As conspiratorial thinking continues to rise in social and political discourse, understanding its psychological underpinnings remains an urgent and necessary direction for future research
The Price of Profit: A Literature Review on Private Equity\u27s Impact on Patient Care and Healthcare Costs
No full textIn healthcare, private equity (PE) firms have rapidly expanded their presence across sectors, acquiring and consolidating providers. They typically operate on short investment cycles and employ strategies like heavy debt financing, roll-ups of fragmented practices, and aggressive cost-cutting to maximize returns. This expansion has sparked debate: supporters argue PE provides needed capital and efficiency to struggling providers, while critics contend that profit-driven ownership risks compromising care quality and access. This literature review synthesizes current evidence on how PE’s profit-driven approach affects patient care and healthcare costs. Overall, the findings suggest that PE ownership often raises costs—through higher prices and increased utilization—and can negatively impact care quality and patient outcomes. Case studies from nursing homes to hospitals reveal trade-offs such as reduced staffing, service cuts, and even increased mortality in some PE-owned facilities. At the same time, a few examples show that private capital can support expansion or innovation without harming care, indicating outcomes vary with management. The review highlights key policy implications, including the need for stronger regulatory oversight and transparency in ownership to mitigate negative effects. It also outlines areas for future research, such as understanding what practices can align PE investments with high-quality care. In sum, the thesis concludes that while PE brings new resources into healthcare, its pursuit of profit can come at a significant cost, warranting careful oversight and further study
Luxury: The Shifting Moral Perspective in Eighteenth-Century Netherlands
No full textThis work describes the changing views of luxury during the 18th Century. Using a case study of the Netherlands, the author examines the changing views on the role and availability of luxury items