Public Administration Strategies and Policy Solutions for Managing Deteriorating Urban Road Infrastructure

This study investigates how local agencies can allocate resources effectively to manage deteriorating urban road infrastructure through proactive maintenance strategies, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and data-driven decision-making. Addressing the growing challenges of aging infrastructure, limited budgets, and insufficient maintenance planning, the research highlights the need for practical guidance in implementing these strategies at the local level. A systematic literature review analyzed research on proactive maintenance, PPPs, and data-driven management practices, focusing on their contributions to sustainability, cost efficiency, and optimized resource allocation. Findings confirm that proactive maintenance reduces long-term costs, extends infrastructure lifespan, and minimizes costly reactive repairs. PPPs share financial and operational risks, promote private sector innovation, and encourage sustainable practices, while predictive analytics improve planning by forecasting maintenance needs and reducing disruptions. Despite these benefits, challenges such as political resistance, data limitations, and lack of exploration of PPPs in long-term maintenance hinder effective planning. Policymakers are encouraged to prioritize proactive maintenance and integrate data analytics to ensure efficient use of public funds

Early Intervention for Postpartum Depression in Women With a History of Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant public health concern affecting approximately 10-20% of new mothers worldwide. PPD goes beyond the "baby blues" and involves intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion that can interfere with a mother's ability to care for herself and her baby. Left untreated, PPD can lead to long-term consequences for both the mother and child, including delays in the child's emotional and cognitive development and strained family relationships. Recognizing and addressing PPD is essential to fostering healthy parent-child bonds, promoting mental health, and reducing stigma. The aim of this evidence-based project is early detection of PPD by implementing early screening, comprehensive screenings, early intervention, and referrals, in a clinical setting. By synthesizing current research and integrating data from recent clinical trials, the initiative seeks to improve current practices in the hopes of improving maternal mental health outcomes. The anticipated outcomes include increased screening rates, earlier diagnosis, and improved postpartum well-being for mothers and families. This project underscores the importance of addressing PPD as a preventable and treatable condition to foster healthier beginnings for mothers and their children

Embracing Resilience: The Voices of Self-Determination, Healing, and Rediscovery of Self-Worth and Hope In For Colared Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf

This article aims to investigate the motif of self-determination of hope and healing from the humiliated and oppressed women in For Colored Girls/ Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Ntozake Shange is an African American writer in the US who has contributed to the persistent prejudices about black women and their bodies. For ages, black woman's bodies have been subjected to historical representations of their entanglement with slavery. The black women's voices are simultaneously treated as subjects of exploitation, supposition, and sub-humanization. Black bodies were forced into a process of oppressive system, which in turn promoted several stereotyped and disparaging images. Most unheard of, they were the only group described as "masculine," the only group and class of women seen as sex symbols. Black women were viewed as laborers, breeders, and objects of desire for white males. Black women's key concerns are poverty, marginalization, discrimination in the workplace, and powerlessness. Women of color have broken their long standing silence by sharing their tales of how they went from being invisible to visible and insecure to alert. They are winners despite having been wronged. Her play challenges conventional discourse by bringing the impossible to life and calling upon the obscure

The Impact of CPA Exam Revisions

This thesis reviews the possible implications of the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) Exam that will be effective on January 4, 2024. The revision restructures the exam into three different disciplines that individuals taking exam can specialize in. Additionally, it places a greater emphasis on the incorporation of Information Systems to reflect the current state of the accounting industry more accurately. To obtain data, I conducted research through surveying three different committees from the California Society of CPAs: Accounting Principles and Assurance Standards (APAS), Forensic and Litigation Services (FLS), and Taxation. My analysis shows the impact restructuring of the exam will have on the industry, especially in the hiring process of newly certified candidates

Threshold Voltage for SiC MESFET with a Recoil-implanted Channel Profile.

The demand for high-power and high-frequency devices has driven research into Silicon Carbide (SiC) Metal-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MESFETs) due to their superior electrical properties. This study focuses on the threshold voltage characteristics of SiC MESFETs with a recoil-implanted channel profile, leveraging SiC's wide bandgap, high thermal conductivity, and strong breakdown voltage. These properties make SiC ideal for efficient power management and high-temperature applications. The analytical model developed evaluates the impact of recoil implantation on threshold voltage. By controlling the doping concentration through recoil implantation, a uniform doping profile is achieved, minimizing crystal defects and improving channel control and efficiency. Key results from MATLAB simulations show that threshold voltage decreases with increasing ion implant dose and moderated by substrate concentration. This tunability is required for optimizing SiC MESFET performance for specific applications. Additionally, I-V characteristics and transconductance studies of 4H-SiC MESFETs demonstrate effective operational control through variations in gate-to-source and drain-to-source voltages, making them acceptable for microwave and RF amplifier circuits. This research highlights SiC MESFETs as promising candidates for high-performance power devices

Comparative Architecture of Cryptographic Algorithms using Verilog

Applications of cryptography range over secure communications and storage. The cryptographic algorithms have found their place in the implementation of Advanced Encryption Standard, which has emerged as a widely adopted standard for its robustness and efficiency. This report begins with a comparative study regarding the architectural issues of the AES cryptographic algorithm implementation using Verilog, which is a hardware description language. This paper only focuses on the simulation of two different modes of encryption under AES, namely Cipher Block Chaining mode and Electronic Codebook mode. While simulating, the study probes into minute details of architecture for each cryptographic mode and brings out relative strengths, weaknesses, and performance characteristics. The Verilog-based simulations establish how each mode would carry out its operations at the hardware level and hence help study efficiencies and complexities. This comparative analysis is supposed to enable judgment on the trade-offs CBC and ECB modes represent in considerations like speed, resource utilization, and security. This work shall serve as a foundation for the further enhancement and optimization of AES implementations, enabling development in secure data transit and storage systems. Drawing on the conclusions of side arguments, this report lays the foundation for an investigation into the architectural intricacies of cryptographic algorithms and serves as a building block toward taking on further research in hardware-based cryptography

PHYSICAL MODEL DESIGN FOR COCHLEAR IMPLANT SURGICAL PLANNING AND PATIENT EDUCATION

The goal of this project was to create a 3D printed composite temporal model for the purposes of patient education, medical education, and surgical planning in cochlear implantation surgery. Cochlear implantation surgery takes place in a small region and can be difficult to comprehend, however the use of models has been shown in past research to aid in the understanding of procedures and conditions. Using open-source software, composite models containing the relevant structures in cochlear implantation surgery were created for the left and right side of a patient's raw CT imaging data. A simulated electrode pathway was also created in the models to demonstrate how the cochlear implant electrode lead travels through the temporal bone. Three total printed models were created. One actual anatomical size model was created for the left side, one 3x size model for the left side, and one 3x size model for the right side. The models were validated by taking measurements between the raw CT data, the computational models, and the actual size 3D printed model. All measurements came to within 1mm. The simulated electrode pathway was also validated using single slice CT imaging data in literature. The models created have potential to be used in patient education, medical education, and in surgical planning in a patient-to-patient basis

Machismo & Latinx Family Functioning

Previous research highlights machismo's role in Latinx family functioning, serving as a key factor in how families navigate social, economic, and institutional stressors and inequities. To better understand its impact on family well-being, this study explores the relationship between machismo family values and levels of family conflict, cohesion, and communication. Through an anonymous online survey of 51 close-ended questions and the use of The Machismo and Caballerismo Scale (Arciniega et al., 2008) and the Brief Family Relationship Scale (Fok et al., 2014), this study examines nuanced perceptions of their family's values of machismo and family functioning within Latinx families. Although results revealed no significant relationship between machismo and family functioning, cohesion, communication, and conflict domains, findings revealed a stronger relationship between cabellerismo and family functioning. Findings indicated that caballerismo is positively and significantly correlated with family cohesion, suggesting that households with higher caballerismo value and experience greater family unity and emotional closeness. Unveiling a relationship between caballerismo and Latinx family functioning promotes reason to further study positive features of current dualities of machismo that can help implement interventions that foster healthy Latinx family relationships

Memristor Modeling and Simulation Using Matlab Simulink

Memristors—non-volatile elements capable of retaining memory without power—have the potential to revolutionize future memory systems and neuromorphic computing. Despite their theoretical appeal and initial experimental success by HP Labs in 2008, several critical challenges have prevented their widespread adoption. Fabrication inconsistencies, long-term reliability, and difficulties in integrating memristors with existing technologies remain significant hurdles. Moreover, existing SPICE-based models, though valuable, often lack the flexibility to simulate essential parameters such as the normalized doped region width (w/D), non-linear dopant drift, and dynamic behaviors under varying frequencies and voltages. These limitations in literature motivate the need for improved, accessible, and more comprehensive modeling tools. To address this gap, this research focuses on the modeling and simulation of memristor devices using MATLAB Simulink, which offers a more intuitive environment for visualizing and analyzing device behavior. We examine and simulate key memristor models—including the HP, TiO₂, Joglekar, and VTEAM models—to capture non-linear and time-dependent characteristics fundamental to memristor functionality. Specific attention is given to modeling the hysteresis loops, current-voltage relationships, and the impact of the w/D ratio, which is often overlooked in prior studies. By bridging the gap between theoretical models and practical simulation tools, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of memristor behavior and modeling strategies. These insights may guide the development of more reliable and efficient memristor-based technologies, enabling their integration into real-world applications such as resistive memory systems and neuromorphic circuits

The Art of Gratefulness

Researchers have conducted positive psychology interventions (PPI) that have demonstrated the benefits of practicing thanks. To our knowledge, prior studies have typically been conducted over a short time frame. This study expanded on the existing body of knowledge by evaluating the art of gratefulness over a 4-week duration among university students. Significant effects indicated that participants experienced fewer negative feelings and higher affect during the PPI than the during control