Using Manufacturing and Design Principles and Processes to Evaluate the Feasibility and Marketability of a Wooden Disc Golf Basket

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and discuss the product development process of a new product design of the commonly used disc golf basket as was executed through the Center for Manufacturing Excellence 2022 Senior Capstone Project. This project was executed over the course of the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 University of Mississippi undergraduate semesters by a team of six, consisting of two mechanical engineering students, one finance student, and three accounting students. The end goal of the project was to develop a production plan to produce 1,000 units a month based on market demand and analyze the effectiveness and profitability to determine the feasibility of implementation. The project began with team formation and a project management plan to meet predetermined goals and deadlines while distributing tasks equally amongst team members. This was followed by process and design creation for a prototype which led to design and process changes and costs analysis, finally resulting in a production plan. Post production analysis included discussion of why and how the decisions were made along the product development process and the effects of those decisions. Hindsight analysis of the consumer market, cost implications, and additional design and process improvements led to data driven discussion of the effectiveness of a wooden disc golf basket. The authors of this thesis will discuss the ideal vs actual implementation of manufacturing and design principles in relation to this project

Emotional Regulation in Synchronous Online Collaborative Learning: A Facial Expression Recognition Study

Emotional regulation in learning has been recognised as a critical factor for collaborative learning success. However, the “unobservable” processes of emotion and motivation at the core of learning regulation have challenged the methodological progress to examine and support learners’ regulation. Artificial intelligence (AI) and learning analytics have recently brought novel opportunities for investigating the learning processes. This multidisciplinary study proposes a novel fine-grained approach to provide empirical evidence on the application of these advanced technologies in assessing emotional regulation in synchronous computer-support collaborative learning (CSCL). The study involved eighteen university students (N=18) working collaboratively in groups of three. The process mining analysis was adopted to explore the patterns of emotional regulation in synchronous CSCL, while AI facial expression recognition was used for examining learners’ associated emotions and emotional synchrony in regulatory activities. Our findings establish a foundation for further design of human-centred AI-enhanced support for collaborative learning regulation

Metal Exposure during Pregnancy and Pre-Eclampsia: Links to Thyroid Hormone Signaling

Pre-eclampsia is the most common pregnancy complication that can be fatal for the mother and fetus. There is no cure nor known cause of disease, but symptoms are treatable. Pre-eclampsia causes 13 out of 100 maternal deaths due to pregnancy complications worldwide. Pre-eclampsia is defined by high blood pressure and high protein urine content 20 weeks into pregnancy. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between toxic metals and key signaling pathways that are associated with placental health. This study utilized 40 samples provided through a collaboration with UNC hospital. The samples were tested for metals levels and both gene and protein expression. We found that there is a positive, significant association between cadmium and zinc in pre-eclampsia cases. Additionally, in thyroid hormone receptor alpha (THRA) protein expression was significantly higher in cases than in controls. The placental zinc levels were also significantly lower in pre-eclampsia cases. These results agree with several other findings that have suggested the influence of thyroid hormone regulation on placenta placement and pre-eclampsia development. This suggests that relationships between metals and thyroid signaling may impact the development of pre-eclampsia. Based on these results, further studies can be done to understand the role of toxic metals in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia in terms of thyroid hormone dysfunction and placental formation errors.Bachelor of Science in Public Healt

Older Adults’ Perspective: Exploring the Experience of Owning a Guide Dog

Guide dogs have been shown to be an effective assistive device that can help older adults with low vision navigate their community and improve overall well-being. Despite vast research conducted on pet therapy and dog companionship, limited research exists on the facilitators and barriers of owning a dog guide among older adults with low vision. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the facilitators and barriers of owning a guide dog as experienced by older adults with low vision participating in Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) organization. Data were gathered among seven participants using semi-structured phone interviews and themes were extracted. Five themes emerged using constant comparison methods: changes in habits and routines, being a dog guide owner, increase in community integration, human-dog guide bonding, and guide dog enhances autonomy. Participants’ increased confidence from using their guide dog contributed to further engagement in unfamiliar environments, thus improving self-esteem, freedom, and autonomy. Themes revealed that using a guide dog for the first time required adjustments in daily habits and routines to fit the guide dog’s lifestyle. Moreover, participants felt calmer and safer with the guide dogs resulting in a reciprocal bond with their guide dogs. Study results provide health practitioners, such as occupational therapists (OTs), insight to how guide dogs may affect the daily living patterns and quality of life of older adults with low vision. Additionally, study results provide insight for GDB and OTs into improving support and training processes

Older Adults’ Experience in Owning a Guide Dog

Low vision is an age-related condition that affects many older adults, and may create challenges in everyday activities in older adults. Guide dogs have been shown to be an effective assistive device that can help older adults within their community. Despite vast research on dog companionship, there is limited research on the facilitators and barriers of owning a guide dog among older adults with low vision. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the facilitators and barriers of owning a guide dog as experienced by older adults with low vision participating in Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) organization. Seven first time guide dog owners, ages 55 and older, were interviewed using semi-structured questions. Through constant comparison methods, five major themes emerged: changes in habits and routines, being a dog guide owner, increase in community integration, human-dog guide bonding, and dog guide enhances autonomy. Study results provide implications for occupational therapists (OT) of how guide dogs affect the daily living patterns of older adults. Additionally, study results provide insight for GDB and OTs into improving support and training processes.https://scholar.dominican.edu/ug-student-posters/1063/thumbnail.jp

Should ChatGPT be Banned at Schools? Organizing Visions for Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education

Several sectors, including education, have experienced rapid growth in the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI). The emergence of generative AI (GAI) models, such as GPT-4, hold the potential to transform teaching and learning. However, GAI in education presents unique challenges and risks, such as potential violation of academic integrity, negative effects on critical thinking skills, and propagation of biases and inaccuracies. This study examines organizing vision functions in the digital world to explore the opportunities and threats posed by GAI, specifically ChatGPT, in education. By identifying the main actors contributing to the early development of organizing visions of ChatGPT in education, we aim to provide valuable insights into the shared visions concerning ChatGPT in education. Understanding these implications will be crucial for educational stakeholders and society at large as they navigate the complex challenges associated with GAI in education

Real-Time Adaptive Least-Squares Drag Minimization for Performance Adaptive Aeroelastic Wing

This paper contains a simulation study of a real-time adaptive least-squares drag minimization algorithm for an aeroelastic model of a flexible wing aircraft. The aircraft model is based on the NASA Generic Transport Model (GTM). The wing structures incorporate a novel aerodynamic control surface known as the Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap (VCCTEF). The drag minimization algorithm uses the Newton-Raphson method to find the optimal VCCTEF deflections for minimum drag in the context of an altitude-hold flight control mode at cruise conditions. The aerodynamic coefficient parameters used in this optimization method are identified in real-time using Recursive Least Squares (RLS). The results demonstrate the potential of the VCCTEF to improve aerodynamic efficiency for drag minimization for transport aircraft

Revealing the Hidden Structure of Affective States During Emotion Regulation in Synchronous Online Collaborative Learning

This study aims to explore the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to reveal learners' emotion regulation. In particular, this study attempts to discover the hidden structure of affective states associated with facial expression during challenges, interactions, and strategies for emotion regulation in the context of synchronous online collaborative learning. The participants consist of 18 higher education students (N=18) who collaboratively worked in groups. The Hidden Markov Model (HMM) results indicated interesting transition patterns of latent state of emotion and provided insights into how learners engage in the emotion regulation process. This study demonstrates a new opportunity for theoretical and methodology advancement in the exploration of AI in researching socially shared regulation in collaborative learning

Providing adaptive health updates across the personal social network

Peer reviewedPublisher PD