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Reoccurring Altar
No full textAs a former painter, when I developed an illness that weakened my body, I was able to find a new expression of myself using cyanotyping. Without using transparencies, I instead used my medical objects to print using cyanotype solutions I did not measure. My injection, swabs, napkins, cotton balls, and medications were used to print onto personal takeout napkins, canvas board, and canvas. I also used paintbrushes to paint on the solutions, bringing back my painter identity and gaining more control in the initial and final piece of the show. I had a total of 124 3x4-inch prints of just my injection, fading to more opaque formations within each row. For the pieces on taking an injection, I chose a triptych only using those supplies to reenact my physical motions done when taking my shot and the emotive feelings attached. The napkins it to resemble skin and have imagery of olive branches. The diptych is of a morning and night routine on transparent paper.When developing a chronic illness at my young age, my spirit was shaken. I fell into a depression as I could not use my hands, walk, or go through life like a healthy human or as an artist. When I discovered Cyanotyping, I had been at my lowest, and the beautiful Prussian blue that was developed from chemicals using the sun changed my perspective on what constitutes art. The stains put on canvas and paper would deepen if not rinsed, and you could see brush strokes left behind from the human hand that could not be changed. Within this discovery, I formed a new body of work in which I used the same medical tools and items I use for self-care to keep me functioning and healthy. Rumination and medical uncertainty can lead to magnifying anxieties. This body of work was an exploration of faith in medicine and how I connect using life-saving objects to create a sense of spirituality, necessity, and hope, while it also relies on consumerism and waste of plastic and materials. Through this process-based body of work, I focused more on routines and found that within chaos, the act of routine art-making can bring forth a new sense of religion in the self. Within this newfound sense of art making and loosening of rules set by my old self, who perfected portraits, I now find agency in the act of making and using materiality to find refuge in this chaotic world
Experiences of Asian Indian American Students in US Undergraduate Medical Education
No full textAsian Indian American (AIA) students are largely absent from the performance data and literature on medical student experiences in the United States. Masked by the variety of cultures aggregated under the broader Asian American label, institutions fail to recognize how experiences within the US medical education system may differ for AIA students. This study aimed to expand on knowledge of the diverse experiences within US medical education by centering the narratives of AIA students. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, it examined the experiences of third- and fourth-year AIA students attending publicly-funded medical schools in the United States. Data were collected through a semi-structured, web-based interview for each of the 13 AIA participants. Findings illustrated five core themes, which are (1) academic challenges and performance pressure, (2) mental health and coping strategies, (3) marginalization and conditional belonging in medical education, (4) the important role of family during medical school and the challenges in navigating family expectations and, (5) gendered cultural expectations, specifically with respect to medical specialty choice. Implications for medical school administrators, faculty, and support staff are discussed
Real-time Aerodynamic Modeling and Control of Optimum Power-Off Glide Performance During Emergency Forced Landings
No full textThis dissertation develops and validates a method to detect aircraft configuration changes, update aerodynamic performance models, and predict glide performance by creating a Kalman filter-based real-time drag model. This research utilizes theoretical modeling, system identification, and T-38 flight-test data. The framework implements a three-variable drag model, which enables real-time estimation of glide range, best-glide speed, and trajectory planning during loss-of-thrust or degraded-configuration scenarios.Loss of thrust remains one of the leading causes of mishap in general aviation and a critical hazard in single-engine military aircraft. Traditional glide-performance models rely on steady-state assumptions and precomputed data that cannot adapt to configuration changes. This research addresses those limitations by applying data-driven estimation to dynamic maneuvers, continuously updating aerodynamic coefficients and reachability predictions in real time.
The first major contribution is the extension of the classical parabolic drag model to a three-variable form: C_D=C_D0+k*C_L^2+k_L*C_L where k_L introduces a linear lift-dependent term that captures asymmetry in the drag polar when minimum drag occurs at nonzero lift.
The second contribution derives analytical expressions for optimum glide performance, yielding an updated maximum-glide efficiency relation: (L/D)_max=1/(2√(kC_D0 )+k_L ).
The third contribution demonstrates that configuration changes affect all three coefficients (C_D0, k, and k_L), not merely the traditionally accepted change to parasite drag only.
The fourth develops a real-time Kalman filter estimation framework that continuously updates aerodynamic parameters using adaptive covariance weighting and configuration-change detection logic.
The fifth applies the real-time model to glide-optimization and path-planning algorithms developed in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Validated with T-38 flight-test data collected at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, this research bridges steady-state aerodynamic characterization and dynamic, in-flight adaptation, advancing real-time safety, decision support, and autonomous guidance during loss-of-thrust emergencies
From Sun-Up to Sun-Down: A Bioarchaeological Study of Stress and Community Care Practices During Chattel Slavery in Colonial New Amsterdam (New York City)
No full textThe reality and existence of chattel slavery in the United States have often been viewed as a stain on the fabric of American History. Efforts to silence the survivors, descendants, historians, political activists, and scholars have been pervasive, as truths about the events of slavery continued to be revealed. The enslaved individuals who endured endless suffering at the hands of the slave owners were not only subject to silence and erasure in life, but also in death. With respect to the individuals unearthed in the New York African Burial Ground, their existence, their sacrifices, and their vital contributions to the development of the state of New York were buried below the ground and covered, repeatedly, as life continued as if they did not exist. Therefore, this dissertation aims to: 1) explore the evidence of age-dependent biological stress, resilience, and establish a framework of community care necessary to survive this environment; 2) explore the relationship between the present skeletal indicators of pathological conditions and enthesopathies within the adult and subadult populations as well as males and females, and continue the exploration of a social network of care; and 3) examine the barriers to infant care through the assessment of hypoplastic enamel defects and mortality in the subadult population and if a network of care was feasible for this suffering population. The results illustrate patterns of stress, neglect, violence, and exploitation in the skeletal population, across age groups and sex categories. With the use of statistical analyses across all three aims, it was determined that stress was high in the adult population, and a potential network of care was developed based on the present pathological conditions as well as reliance on the historical and cultural contexts. The analysis also indicated a relationship between the presence of enthesopathies and pathological conditions, revealing a pattern of both age-dependent correlations and statistical significance between these and other supporting variables. Finally, it was determined that care for the subadult population was severely and repeatedly interrupted causing high infant and childhood mortality.
With the acquisition of the data from the Institute of Historical Biology at the College of William and Mary, this dissertation joins several doctoral and master’s dissertations and thesis with efforts to continue the discourse surrounding these enslaved individuals who had previously been disregarded by the state of New York and history in general. This dissertation strives to contribute to and continue the discourse on the realities of enslavement and racism in New York as it follows the historical thread from the Dutch to the British colonial rule, and eventually to the establishment of New York State, while centering the burial ground and the enslaved individuals
Ultrasonic Thickness Inspection of Steel Structures Using Magnetic Climbing Robots: Design, Deployment, and Field Validation
No full textSteel-structure inspection remains a critical yet challenging task due to complex geometries,height constraints, and the demand for accurate structural health data. This work presents
a novel, platform-agnostic climbing robotic system equipped with a specialized ultrasonic
thickness (UT) gauge deployment mechanism and a couplant dispensing system to facilitate
in situ thickness measurement and structural health assessment. In contrast to traversability-
centric studies, this work prioritizes the practical execution of condition assessment using
UT measurements. Although many climbing robots demonstrate strong mobility, UT
deployment has often been ad hoc, with limited evaluation of reliability across complex
orientations. A universal couplant pumping mechanism is developed to enable consistent
gel delivery regardless of robot pose and is complemented by a mechanically actuated
probe deployment system that ensures stable transducer-to-surface contact across a wide
range of structural conditions. This work establishes a framework for reliable, orientation-
agnostic UT deployment using purpose-built climbing robots. The deployment mechanism
was integrated and tested on a bicycle climbing robot platform. A tricycle platform
was developed and a detailed force analysis for the tricycle platform is also presented.
Rigorous field testing was conducted across five steel structures, involving deployment in
diverse orientations—including horizontal, vertical, inverted, and inclined—and on surfaces
exhibiting various conditions, such as coatings and rust. The system demonstrated robust
and repeatable UT data acquisition in all tested configurations
Biophysical and Biochemical Modulation of Cerebral Capillary Blood Flow: Effects of Lipids, Cholesterol, and Drag-Reducing Polymers on Capillary Function
No full textThe cerebral vascular network is complex and vast, as it supplies constant resources to the neural tissue, as well as removing waste. The complexity of the vasculature lies in its structure, as it is divided into distinct regions with different functions and purposes: arteries, arterioles, capillaries, and veins. This complexity allows for mechanisms to maintain blood flow, such as pressure-induced tone generation, shear stress mechanotransduction, and neurovascular coupling. This allows for fine-tuned control of blood flow towards the metabolically active tissue; therefore, small deficits can lead to a major negative impact on neuronal function. Fine-tuned control of blood flow is performed by pericytes, which can control the diameter of multiple vessels along the capillaries. To determine the impact of pericytes on blood flow, the “Capillary Triangle method” was developed to quantify and predict the flow of RBCs by taking into account the diameter and angle of deviation. Through photo stimulation, RBCs were redirected by altering the triangle characteristics to influence blood flow. To further elucidate the flow of blood within the capillary network, intraluminal viscosity was increased in disease states to determine the impact on fluid flow. It was found to have a significant effect on shear stress mechanotransduction, activating eNOS and inhibiting pressure-induced tone generation. Additionally, HFD also caused endothelial remodeling, resulting in reduced eNOS activation in the arterioles but not within the deep capillary bed. The impact of high plasma viscosity on endothelial function and remodeling could play a potential role in the development of dementias. To determine how the vasculature changes in dementia, Alzheimer’s mice were used and stained with cholesterol labels, revealing distinct meso domains throughout the vasculature. These domains were shown to play a role in amyloidogenesis and Aβ aggregation. Patients with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are very likely to develop thrombi and emboli, which cause clots within the capillary network. To manage this, DRPs are suggested to be used to minimize the coagulation of blood and increase cerebral blood flow. Sepsis was used to maximize coagulation and decrease blood flow, and DRPs were shown to lubricate the blood enough to prevent coagulation from endothelial activation. Taken together, the data support the importance of cerebral blood flow in the context of dementia and provide novel mechanisms to treat and prevent the development of dementias
Texas Appellate Court Decisions on Model Lease and JOA Forms v. Non Model Forms: A Content Analysis
No full textAbstractThis paper explores whether certain perceptions about Texas appellate justices not utilizing oil and gas law to decide oil and gas disputes have any merit. This content analysis includes 600 Texas Appellate decisions—with the case—as the unit of analysis. The paper strives to assess any correlation on model vs. non model form lease or joint operating agreement has on a Texas appellate justices’ use of oil and gas case law, secondary sources, or industry customs to resolve disputes versus a non-model form. The paper hypothesizes that justices use oil and gas case law, secondary sources, or industry customs more frequently when the lease or JOA is a model form, but less frequently if the conveyance is not a model form.
Drawn from a random sample of Texas Appellate Court decisions from approximately 1920 to 2025, the randomly selected 600 cases will be analyzed, 300 for each of the two independent variables with 30 each for the ten dependent variables—three nominal and seven interval. The statistical analysis may use chi square linear regression along with MANOVA for the interval variables. The findings are (1) that non-ambiguous or ambiguous, non-model form leases and JOA disputes have a lower frequency count for the dependent variables then do AAPL model lease and JOA model form disputes, including cases with higher amounts in controversy. These findings should lead to the development of continuing judicial education and legal education as well as further study.
Key words: oil and gas, contracts, leases, JOAs, ambiguous contracts, non-ambiguous contracts, interpretation, oil and gas principles, oil industry customs, oil and gas secondary sources, content analysis, contract interpretation
Analyzing California Wildfire Data and Modeling Large Fires With a Power Law Distribution
No full textCalifornia’s fires become larger and more frequent with the change in climate.While the frequency of relatively small fires increased with the advances in the
fire-fighting technology and methods, the large fires became huge. We explore
the problem of modeling these extreme, very large fires. The last two decades
witnessed the largest fires on record: the August Complex fire in 2020 (1,032,700
acres burnt) and the Dixie fire in 2021 (963,405 acres burnt). We use two data sets:
(1) the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Fire and Resource
Assessment Programs (FRAP) data going back to 1878, and the data set developed
in Kolden and Abatzoglou (2018) (KA) with the purpose of comparing the wind
driven (katabatic) fires to other fires in Southern California. Our focus is on the
fires accelerated by the Santa Ana winds which are common in southern California
from September to May. We show that the distribution of fire size (acres burnt)
is well modeled using power laws, explore two common methods of estimation of
parameters, and present results of fitting power law models to fire data including
estimates of the probabilities of extreme fires
Self-Efficacy of US College Faculty in a Four-Year University for Responding to Students with Diagnosed or Self-Disclosed Mental Health Issues
No full textMental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and stress, are becoming more prevalent among college students, exacerbated by various academic, social, and personal risk factors. College faculty can play a key role in supporting students who experience these issues by creating safe learning environments. Self-efficacy of college faculty can reflect how faculty respond to students with diagnosed or self-disclosed mental health issues. Higher self-efficacy is associated with greater effort, persistence, and resilience. This study aimed to explore perceived self-efficacy of college faculty in one major western university in responding to students with diagnosed or self-disclosed mental health issues. Further, this study examined what factors affect self-efficacy of college faculty, concerns faculty have about their self-efficacy and suggested strategies for enhancing self-efficacy. To gather data, an anonymous mixed methods online survey was distributed among college faculty at a large public university in the Western United States. The survey included an adapted General Self-efficacy Scale (GSE), four open-ended questions, and demographic questions. Quantitative findings showed that faculty reported moderate overall self-efficacy, with higher confidence among those who had prior mental health training and perceived institutional support. Qualitative responses revealed four themes—confidence through experience, uncertainty and emotional strain, role boundary concerns, and recommendations for institutional support—illustrating how experience, training, and organizational culture influence confidence. The results highlight the importance of structured faculty development and institutional support in enhancing faculty self-efficacy and promoting student mental health and success
Investigation of Mobile Organic Biofilm as a Process Intensification Option for the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility
No full textThe removal of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus species from municipal wastewater is essential to protect human and environmental health, preventing eutrophication and meeting stringent discharge regulations following treatment. This study investigated the use of kenaf granule-based biofilm systems as a sustainable and biodegradable alternative for enhancing simultaneous removal of ammonia, nitrite/nitrate, and phosphate in activated sludge systems. Kenaf is a high surface area media that is used in an activated sludge intensification configuration developed by Nuvoda, a wastewater biotechnology and engineering firm, being considered for potential use at the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility. Over the course of this study, multiple sets of laboratory-scale bioreactors were operated under controlled conditions to evaluate the granules’ effectiveness in supporting biofilm formation, promoting nutrient transformation processes, and achieving stable treatment performance. Nutrient removal analysis showed that reactors containing kenaf granules achieved an initial specific rate of 0.083 to 0.13 mg-N/mg-VSS/day of ammonia removal; 0.117 to 0.13 mg-N/mg-VSS/day of nitrate/nitrite production; 0.076 to 0.15 mg-P/mg-VSS/day of phosphate release; and 0.024 to 0.58 mg-P/mg- VSS/day of phosphate uptake. The reactors with kenaf granules improved in overall nutrient removal, matching or outperforming conventional systems in the control system that was operated without kenaf. With strong nitrification performance, in- system denitrification was successfully implemented to address the high nitrite/nitrate production. Through DNA sequencing analysis, the presence of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), and phosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) was confirmed in the sampled kenaf, including Nitrosomonas,Nitrospira, and Dechloromonas. The results highlight the potential of kenaf granules as a low-cost, environmentally friendly media for integrated biological nutrient removal. Further research is recommended to assess system longevity, performance under dynamic loading, and feasibility at full-scale