Michigan Technological University Research Articles

Assessing the Benefits of Electrification for the Mackinac Island Ferry from an Environmental and Economic Perspective

Ferry electrification has gained attention in the last decade as a potential path to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study, conducted by APS LABS at Michigan Technological University for the Mackinac Economic Alliance (MEA) and funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), looked at the feasibility and potential benefits of electrification of a particular vessel that is part of a ferry service from Mackinaw City, Michigan, USA, to Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA. The study included a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility of retrofitting the current configuration of the ferry into an all-electric ferry based on the availability of components in today’s market. A life-cycle assessment was conducted to compare the emissions between the baseline ferry rebuilt with new internal combustion engines and an all-electric ferry to understand the potential environmental benefits of ferry electrification and find the most sustainable solution for propulsion. The final prong of the three-pronged approach to this project consisted of estimating the difference in expenditures and profits for a rebuilt internal combustion (IC) engine versus electric configurations for a company operating the ferry. The analysis indicated that in the current scenario, electrification of the Mackinac Island ferry is not beneficial, and replacing the ferry’s current diesel engines with modern diesel engines is the preferred solution.

Induction of Controllable Vortex Flow in a New Aorta Stenosis Model for Potential Aorta Mechanobiology Study: A Flow Simulation Platform

Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are common, particularly among individuals over age 65, with a prevalence of 9%. To better understand the natural history of AAAs, one critical knowledge gap must be filled to elucidate the role of vortical flow in vascular degradation and thrombosis formation. We aimed to induce various types of vortical flow with aneurysm-like hemodynamic environments using a novel aorta stenosis model. Such a model will enable us to investigate the interplays between disturbed hemodynamics and vascular pathological remodeling. Methods: In this study, the hemodynamics and geometry of the aorta in rabbits were used to simulate the physiological flow conditions after two adjacent stenoses were created virtually with varying degrees of area reduction (30-70%) and spacing (5-6.8 mm). A physiological blood flow (rate) waveform measured in rabbits using ultrasound Doppler (normalized to 3.0 mL/s) was prescribed to the inlet (i.e., descending aorta), and zero pressure boundary conditions were applied at two outlets (i.e., iliac arteries). 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation in five different stenosis configurations was performed using commercial software (Fluent, Version 20, Ansys Inc., PA). In-house software assessed the evolution of flow vortices over three distinct regions post stenosis using an established method. The total volume of vortex flow, the number of vortices, and the phase-to-phase overlap of vortex flows within different post-stenosis regions were derived to characterize the vortex flow. Results: Quantitative and qualitative flow assessments were performed for all five CFD models. Firstly, in all models, we found consistent patterns of the three vortex flow parameters, indicating that the adjacent stenoses induced three different hemodynamic zones in the post-stenosis regions, namely, stable vortical flow (after first stenosis), transient flow (after second stenosis), unstable vortical flow (further distal to second stenosis). Moreover, increased stenosis degree or reduced spacing led to reduced vortex flow number but increased total volume of vortex flow. The distinctions of the three regions were most significant in the model with 50% and then 30% stenoses, and with a 5 mm (center-to-center) spacing between two stenoses. Conclusions: CFD simulations can offer a powerful tool to predict complex flows using subject-specific vasculature. Such a flow simulation platform is valuable for guiding experimental design or therapy in various diseases. We demonstrated that it is feasible to adjust and achieve multiple types of vortical flows with the novel stenosis model. The three zones with distinct hemodynamic environments allow us to investigate the vascular remodeling regulated by the specifics of the eddies. Our ongoing work is implementing optimized aorta stenosis models to preclinical or in vitro studies to reveal the interplays between varying disturbed flow and aneurysm remodeling. We acknowledge funding support from NIH/NIBIB (R01-EB029570A1) and the Health Research Institute of Michigan Technological University. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Reduced Cardiac Beta 1 Receptor Expression and Function in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disorder. HCMis characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and an increased risk of fatalarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Previous studies in humans with HCM havedemonstrated increased cardiac norepinephrine spillover and reduced beta-1 receptor(B1R) expression in the left ventricle (LV). We have previously demonstrated thatcardiac sympathetic tone is elevated in an alpha-tropomyosin mutant mouse model ofHCM. We hypothesized that HCM mice would demonstrate reduced B1R expression inthe LV and attenuated heart rate (HR) and dP/dt max responses to ramped infusion of theB1R agonist, dobutamine. First, we utilized western blot to measure B1R proteinexpression in LV tissue from HCM and littermate wild-type (WT) mice (n=4 male micein each group). B1R expression was significantly reduced in the LV of HCM micecompared to WT littermate controls (HCM 60±1% vs. WT 100±4%; paired t-test, p<0.05). Next, we recorded left ventricular pressure in male and female HCM andlittermate WT control (n=5 male mice, each group; n=6 female mice, each group) miceanesthetized with isoflurane (2% in O2). Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA withgenotype and sex as factors. Baseline HR and dP/dt max were significantly lower inHCM compared to WT mice (genotype p<0.05), however, there were no sex differencesin either variable (sex p>0.05). Next, in order to assess cardiac B1R function, we firstinfused the ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine (6ug/g) to eliminate autonomic reflexfunction in HCM and littermate WT mice (n=4 mice, each group). Then, we performed adobutamine stress test via ramped infusion of dobutamine starting at 2ng/g/min andincreasing the dose in 2ng/g/min increments every 2 minutes up to 12ng/g/min via aprogrammable syringe pump. Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA with dose andgenotype as factors. Contrary to our hypothesis, ramped infusion of dobutamine resultedin a similar, significant (dose p<0.05) increase in HR in both HCM and WT mice(genotype p>0.05). Peak increases in HR occurred during the highest dose ofdobutamine (12ng/g/min; ΔHR HCM 58±19 vs. WT 70±20 beats/min) in both groups.Consistent with our hypothesis, increases in dP/dt max were significantly blunted inHCM mice compared to littermate WT controls (dose x genotype p<0.05). Peakincreases in dP/dt max occurred at a lower dose of dobutamine for HCM (4ng/g/min;ΔdP/dt max 1129±767 mmHg/s) compared to WT (8ng/g/min; ΔdP/dt max 4882±499mmHg/s). In summary, LV B1R expression is reduced in HCM mice. Increases in HR inresponse to ramped infusion of dobutamine were similar between HCM and WT micewhereas increases in dP/dt max were attenuated in HCM mice. We speculate that thedifferential inotropic and chronotropic responses to dobutamine could be due to regionaldifferences in B1R expression or contractile dysfunction in HCM mice. Michigan Technological University Startup. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Incorporating Climate Adaptation into a Forest Management Plan: A Case Study on the Research and Teaching Forest of Michigan Technological University

Abstract We incorporated climate adaptation into a forest management plan for Michigan Technological University’s Ford Forest, a 2,000-ha property in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula used for education, research, and timber revenues. Our process was an opportunity to test the existing climate adaptation literature, pulling from multiple sources to meet the diverse needs of the institution at the time the plan was created. We present outcomes as well as lessons learned summarized in a series of broad takeaway messages. (1) Climate adaptation is a means to an end. The end must be defined and is made up of critical values and an adapted state. (2) Given the instability inherent in climate change, achieving adaptation means adjusting forest attributes in response to change but also preparing for unforeseen outcomes via adaptive management. (3) Decisions surrounding goals affect the entire process. Considering climate change–driven constraints when setting goals will improve outcomes. (4) Flawed decision-making is a risk associated with certain organizational contexts and affects the identification of goals, vulnerabilities, and adaptation options. (5) Climate adaptation actions cannot be evaluated in the short term for efficacy because climate change is ongoing. However, the appropriateness of a plan in responding to anticipated change can be evaluated. Study Implications: This work informs strategic planning for climate change adaptation in forests. We created a climate-informed forest management plan using adaptation frameworks for a university-owned forest in Upper Michigan at the confluence of the northern hardwoods and boreal forest ecotypes. We offer assessment of our plan outcomes and insights into how our decision-making context affected them. This case study expands on the ongoing scientific conversation, incorporating concepts from management science, on how best to adapt natural systems to climate change to protect human values derived from ecosystem services.

Integrating Cardiovascular Engineering and Biofluid Mechanics in High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education: An Experiential Approach.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education workshops and programs play a key role in promoting early exposure to scientific applications and questions. Such early engagement leads to growing not only passion and interest in science, but it also leads to skill development through hands-on learning and critical thinking activities. Integrating physiology and engineering together is necessary especially to promote health technology awareness and introduce the young generation to areas where innovation is needed and where there is no separation between health-related matters and engineering methods and applications. To achieve this, we created a workshop aimed at K-12 (grades 9-11) students as part of the Summer Youth Programs at Michigan Technological University. The aim of this workshop was to expose students to how engineering concepts and methods translate into health- and medicine-related applications and cases. The program consisted of a total of 15 h and was divided into three sections over a period of 2 weeks. It involved a combination of theoretical and hands-on guided activities that we developed. At the end of the workshop, the students were provided a lesson or activity-specific assessment sheet and a whole workshop-specific assessment sheet to complete. They rated the programs along a 1-5 Likert scale and provided comments and feedback on what can be improved in the future. Students rated hands-on activities the highest in comparison with case studies and individual independent research. Conclusively, this STEM summer-youth program was a successful experience with many opportunities that will contribute to the continued improvement of the workshop in the future.

Editorial

CHIEF EDITOR Ahmad Faris Ismail, IIUM, Malaysia TECHNICAL EDITOR Sany Izan Ihsan, IIUM, Malaysia EXECUTIVE EDITOR AHM Zahirul Alam, IIUM, Malaysia ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nor Farahidah Za’bah, IIUM, Malaysia LANGUAGE EDITOR Lynn Mason, Malaysia COPY EDITOR Hamzah Mohd. Salleh, UNISSA, Brunei Darussalam MALAY TRANSLATOR Nurul Arfah Che Mustapha, IIUM, Malaysia EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Abdullah Al-Mamun, IIUM, Malaysia Abdumalik Rakhimov, IIUM, Malaysia Aishah Najiah Bt. Dahnel, IIUM, Malaysia Alya Naili Binti Rozhan, IIUM, Malaysia Norsinnira Bt. Zainul Azlan, IIUM, Malaysia Hanafy Omar, Saudi Arabia Hazleen Anuar, IIUM, Malaysia Konstantin Khanin, University of Toronto, Canada Ma'an Al-Khatib, IIUM, Malaysia Meftah Hrairi, IIUM, Malaysia Mohamed B. Trabia, United States Mohammad S. Alam, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, United States Mustafizur Rahman, National University Singapore, Singapore Ossama Abdulkhalik, Michigan Technological University, United States Mohamed Hadi Habaebi, IIUM, Malaysia Mohd. Sultan Ibrahim Bin Shaik Dawood, IIUM, Malaysia Muhammad Ibn Ibrahimy, IIUM, Malaysia Nor Fadhillah Mohamed Azmin, IIUM, Malaysia Waqar Asrar, IIUM, Malaysia INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE A. Anwar, United States Abdul Latif Bin Ahmad, Malaysia Farzad Ismail, USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia Hanafy Omar, Saudi Arabia Hany Ammar, United States Idris Mohammed Bugaje, Nigeria K.B. Ramachandran, India Kunzu Abdella, Canada Luis Le Moyne, ISAT, University of Burgundy, France M Mujtaba, United Kingdom Mohamed AI-Rubei, Ireland Mohamed B Trabia, United States Syed Kamrul Islam, United States Tibor Czigany, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary Yiu-Wing Mai, The University of Sydney, Australia. AIMS & SCOPE OF IIUM ENGINEERING JOURNAL The IIUM Engineering Journal, published biannually (January and July), is a carefully refereed international publication of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Contributions of high technical merit within the span of engineering disciplines; covering the main areas of engineering: Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; Automation and Mechatronics Engineering; Material and Chemical Engineering; Environmental and Civil Engineering; Biotechnology and Bioengineering; Engineering Mathematics and Physics; and Computer Science and Information Technology are considered for publication in this journal. Contributions from other areas of Engineering and Applied Science are also welcomed. The IIUM Engineering Journal publishes contributions under Regular papers and Invited review papers. It also welcomes contributions that address solutions to the specific challenges of the developing world and address science and technology issues from an Islamic and multidisciplinary perspective. REFEREES’ NETWORK All papers submitted to IIUM Engineering Journal will be subjected to a rigorous reviewing process through a worldwide network of specialized and competent referees. Each accepted paper should have at least two positive referees’ assessments. SUBMISSION OF A MANUSCRIPT A manuscript should be submitted online to the IIUM Engineering Journal website at http://journals.iium.edu.my/ejournal. The journal website could conduct further correspondence on the paper's status. Whilst the publisher and editorial board make every effort to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinion, or statement appears in this Journal, they wish to make it clear that the data and opinions appearing in the articles and advertisements herein are the responsibility of the contributor or advertiser concerned. Accordingly, the publisher and the editorial committee accept no liability whatsoever for the consequence of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion, or statement. IIUM Engineering Journal ISSN: 1511-788X E-ISSN: 2289-7860 Published by: IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone (+603) 6421-5014, Fax: (+603) 6421-6298

Industry-academia collaboration to develop new building standards

Industry and academia must go hand-in-hand to progress science and knowledge. Often, academic solutions may not be the most optimal solution for the field where there may be a time/ equipment/ training restriction. For our work, we focused on improving the building acoustic standards—specifically the impact performance of floor-ceiling assemblies–through industry and academic collaboration. The research student at Michigan Technological University worked closely with Veneklasen Associates through their (non-profit) funding arm, as well as through summer internships to learn the existing limitations for impact performance field tests. The student used this knowledge to develop a test method with improved reproducibility while ensuring that the test is fast and minimal new training is required. The student now works with Veneklasen Associates after graduating to continue developing this test method.

Editorial

CHIEF EDITOR Ahmad Faris Ismail, IIUM, Malaysia TECHNICAL EDITOR Sany Izan Ihsan, IIUM, Malaysia EXECUTIVE EDITOR AHM Zahirul Alam, IIUM, Malaysia ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nor Farahidah Za’bah, IIUM, Malaysia LANGUAGE EDITOR Lynn Mason, Malaysia COPY EDITOR Hamzah Mohd. Salleh, IIUM, Malaysia MALAY TRANSLATOR Nurul Arfah Che Mustapha, IIUM, Malaysia EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Abdullah Al-Mamun, IIUM, Malaysia Abdumalik Rakhimov, IIUM, Malaysia Aishah Najiah Bt. Dahnel, IIUM, Malaysia Alya Naili Binti Rozhan, IIUM, Malaysia Norsinnira Bt. Zainul Azlan, IIUM, Malaysia Hanafy Omar, Saudi Arabia Hazleen Anuar, IIUM, Malaysia Konstantin Khanin, University of Toronto, Canada Ma'an Al-Khatib, IIUM, Malaysia Meftah Hrairi, IIUM, Malaysia Mohamed B. Trabia, United States Mohammad S. Alam, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, United States Mustafizur Rahman, National University Singapore, Singapore Ossama Abdulkhalik, Michigan Technological University, United States Mohamed Hadi Habaebi, IIUM, Malaysia Mohd. Sultan Ibrahim Bin Shaik Dawood, IIUM, Malaysia Muhammad Ibn Ibrahimy, IIUM, Malaysia Nor Fadhillah Mohamed Azmin, IIUM, Malaysia Waqar Asrar, IIUM, Malaysia INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE A. Anwar, United States Abdul Latif Bin Ahmad, Malaysia Farzad Ismail, USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia Hanafy Omar, Saudi Arabia Hany Ammar, United States Idris Mohammed Bugaje, Nigeria K.B. Ramachandran, India Kunzu Abdella, Canada Luis Le Moyne, ISAT, University of Burgundy, France M Mujtaba, United Kingdom Mohamed AI-Rubei, Ireland Mohamed B Trabia, United States Syed Kamrul Islam, United States Tibor Czigany, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary Yiu-Wing Mai, The University of Sydney, Australia. AIMS & SCOPE OF IIUM ENGINEERING JOURNAL The IIUM Engineering Journal, published biannually (January and July), is a carefully refereed international publication of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Contributions of high technical merit within the span of engineering disciplines; covering the main areas of engineering: Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; Automation and Mechatronics Engineering; Material and Chemical Engineering; Environmental and Civil Engineering; Biotechnology and Bioengineering; Engineering Mathematics and Physics; and Computer Science and Information Technology are considered for publication in this journal. Contributions from other areas of Engineering and Applied Science are also welcomed. The IIUM Engineering Journal publishes contributions under Regular papers and Invited review papers. It also welcomes contributions that address solutions to the specific challenges of the developing world and address science and technology issues from an Islamic and multidisciplinary perspective. REFEREES’ NETWORK All papers submitted to IIUM Engineering Journal will be subjected to a rigorous reviewing process through a worldwide network of specialized and competent referees. Each accepted paper should have at least two positive referees’ assessments. SUBMISSION OF A MANUSCRIPT A manuscript should be submitted online to the IIUM Engineering Journal website at http://journals.iium.edu.my/ejournal. The journal website could conduct further correspondence on the paper's status. Whilst the publisher and editorial board make every effort to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinion, or statement appears in this Journal, they wish to make it clear that the data and opinions appearing in the articles and advertisements herein are the responsibility of the contributor or advertiser concerned. Accordingly, the publisher and the editorial committee accept no liability whatsoever for the consequence of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion, or statement. IIUM Engineering Journal ISSN: 1511-788X E-ISSN: 2289-7860 Published by: IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone (+603) 6421-5014, Fax: (+603) 6421-6298

Dioxygen Binding Is Controlled by the Protein Environment in Non-heme FeII and 2-Oxoglutarate Oxygenases: A Study on Histone Demethylase PHF8 and an Ethylene-Forming Enzyme.

Invited for the cover of this issue are Christo Z. Christov and co-workers at Michigan Technological University, University of Oxford, and Michigan State University. The image depicts the oxygen diffusion channel in class 7 histone demethylase (PHF8) and ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) and changes in the enzymes' conformations upon binding. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202300138.

Learning to Teach Well in Any Format: Examining the Effects of Online Teachers’ Training on University Faculty Teaching

In the 2018/2019 academic year, Michigan Technological University’s Faculty Senate voted to require all online instructors to be trained in current best practices of online teaching to be able to teach fully online courses. With the onset of the Spring 2020 pandemic, Michigan Tech informed all faculty that the senate policy requiring online teacher certification would be enforced for Fall 2020. The faculty body responded by completing the required training. This study surveyed the faculty who completed online teaching training from 2019 through 2021 to determine how that training changed their approach to the design of a course, a lesson, and their teaching in general. This work found that the training provided essential pedagogical and instructional design education absent in most Ph.D. programs, resulting in self-reported improvements in both online and in-person instruction. Additionally, the experience of learning online increased faculty empathy for students.

Mechanism of the Early Catalytic Events in the Collagenolysis by Matrix Metalloproteinase-1.

The front cover artwork is provided by Dr. Karabencheva-Christova's group at Michigan Technological University. The images show the initially formed and the catalytically productive conformations of MMP-1 complex with the Triple Helical Peptide (THP), the free energy profile connecting them as well as the coordination geometry of the catalytic zinc (II). The background shows the collagen macromolecule. Read the full text of the Research Article at 10.1002/cphc.202200649.

Leading at the Edge During COVID-19: Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Pandemic Preparedness

In this paper, we describe how the Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology at Michigan Technological University assembled a COVID-19 pandemic response team to help protect the health of the campus and rural community. Specifically, our team worked to (a) enhance public health messaging, (b) manage the university contact tracing program, (c) expand health science curricula, (d) promote and facilitate physical activity as a key mitigation strategy, and (e) provide professional development opportunities for students. We also consider strategies to prepare for subsequent COVID-19 surges and future health emergencies. Leveraging our broad-based training in health science and “leading at the edge” was a critical asset for the campus and community and may serve as a model for other kinesiology departments and rural colleges and universities.

Education to practice, the stories of two early-career acousticians

This presentation will highlight several key educational and extracurricular endeavors that have enriched the careers of two recent Michigan Technological University graduates. Examples include experiences at Michigan Technological University, such as diffuser modelling and construction projects with professionals in acoustics, broad course material, and excellent faculty mentorship. Additionally discussed topics include internship opportunities, professional development, and firsthand technical experience in performing arts and studio environments.

Company Suburbs: Architecture, Power, and the Transformation of Michigan’s Mining Frontier by Sarah Fayen Scarlett

Reviewed by: Company Suburbs: Architecture, Power, and the Transformation of Michigan’s Mining Frontier by Sarah Fayen Scarlett Alison K. Hoagland, Professor Emerita Sarah Fayen Scarlett. Company Suburbs: Architecture, Power, and the Transformation of Michigan’s Mining Frontier. Knoxville, Tennessee: University of Tennessee Press, 2021. Pp. 291. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Maps. Notes. Photographs. Table. Hardcover: $55.00. Power and hierarchy are expressed in residential neighborhoods in myriad ways—for example: lot size, street trees, architecture, landscaping, proximity to desirable things, and distance from offensive ones. Viewers read these signals and many more in order to assess a home and the status of its occupants. Sarah Fayen Scarlett takes on this social sorting in Company Suburbs: Architecture, Power, and the Transformation of Michigan’s Mining Frontier, her study of middle- and upper-class neighborhoods in Michigan’s Copper Country. Scarlett explores the neighborhoods, specific houses, and public spaces of people who were engaged with maintaining power in an inequitable mining industry. Company Suburbs is a fascinating study of how the built landscape reinforces social difference. To understand the residential landscape that the mining industry spawned, Scarlett takes two well-studied systems—corporate paternalism and suburbanization—and examines their intersection in the Copper Country. Initially, companies provided housing for their elite managers and mining captains, just as they did for miners and unskilled laborers. But, at the Quincy Mining Co., [End Page 130] mine officers moved away from their free housing into the elite neighborhood that became known as East Hancock. While suburbs usually connote picturesque surroundings and distance from workplaces, these neighborhoods did not afford the separation of workplace and home that residents might have desired. The mining companies controlled the available land—accommodating their managerial elite but controlling them nonetheless. Hence the term “company suburb.” Scarlett’s close study of specific houses gives depth to her argument about status and architecture. James Pryor altered his house on the east side of Houghton repeatedly. While meticulously documenting a quarter century of alterations, Scarlett relates his changing circumstances in terms of his business, family size, and wealth. Beginning in 1875 with a modest house built for a manager at Shelden-Columbian mine, Pryor produced an elaborate Queen Anne-style dwelling that faced both Main Street (later College Avenue), which was emerging as a prestigious boulevard, and Portage Lake, where his expanding lumberyard contributed to his wealth. Inside the house, room functions changed as well, finally becoming a fashionable wood-paneled interior with wall paintings and beveled mirrors. This is surely the only occasion of a historian using the room designations written in a fuse box as evidence for her argument! While Pryor’s house illustrated overlapping landscapes of the industrial and the domestic, Scarlett turns to East Hancock to examine overlapping social landscapes. To understand the world of the Finnish servant who lived in one house in 1900, Scarlett explores how she might have moved through the house—where she was in her domain and where was she on her employer’s turf—as well as how she moved through the neighborhood and town to get to and from the Finnish area. Scarlett similarly looks at movement when she shifts her attention to the Calumet area, where she tracks the construction of houses for the enormously wealthy investors of the Calumet and Arizona Mining Co. In the first decade of the twentieth century, they clustered in a few blocks of the newly developing village of Laurium. But, in 1913, strikers paraded past these very houses on their way to the Palestra, the only building on non-company land that was large enough to accommodate strike meetings. The dissonance between the strikers and the idle wealthy, the street and the mansion, serve to illustrate Scarlett’s point about contentious social geographies. In this thoroughly researched work, Scarlett combines two areas of study usually kept separate, by scholars as well as geography: industry and suburbs. Her examination of the two together reaps benefits, bringing new insights into the relationship between landscape, people, and power. [End Page 131] Alison K. Hoagland, Professor Emerita Michigan Technological University Copyright © 2022 Historical Society of Michigan

Statistics: An Intrinsic Part of Everyday Life

Fast becoming an ever-present reality in our day-to-day lives, statistics play an intrinsic and contemporary role in our everyday activities, especially, in today’s data-driven world. Owning to its definition as the science of collecting, summarizing, presenting and interpreting information, statistics helps us understand the world a little bit better through numbers as well as other quantitative and qualitative source of information. Although statistics originated many centuries ago, its impacts and applications have evolved in recent years as modern statisticians have advanced applications of statistics through innovative, problem-solving approaches, far beyond its historic use by governmental offices to capture censuses in order to track population sizes and growths (Michigan Technological University, 2021). One of these modern statisticians was Sir Ronald Aylmer Fisher (1890 - 1962) who was active as a mathematician, statistician and geneticist. Although trained as an (evolutionary) biologist, Fisher was referred to as the “father of the modern science of statistics” as he single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical science (Anders, 1998). He further pioneered the design of experiments principles, small samples statistics and the analysis of real data. He went on to published a book titled “Statistical Methods for Research Workers” in 1925, which later became one of the 20th century's most influential books on statistical methods and even to date. His notable works includes the popularly used F-test, F-distribution, Fisher’s exact test, maximum likelihood estimation, random effects models and analysis of variance, to mention a few. The importance of statistics being relevant to nearly every area of our lives cannot be overemphasized enough, to the extent that all countries over the world have at least one national statistical agency operating within their respective countries that manages critical information related to labour trends, health, education, political campaigns and many more. Statistics has influenced and is still influencing the operations of industries such as the sales and financial markets, profit and non-profit organizations, meteorological services, medical care services, manufacturing, urban planning, education, law, and even social media analytics (to mention a few). In this present world, we as individuals and organizations regularly use statistics to make daily financial and non-financial planning and budgeting decisions that affects our lives. For example, consider the daily forecasted weathers, lending risks at banks, impacts of economy crises, healthcare financial policies, traffic flow operations, investment payoffs, urban planning with respect to population growths and declines, predicting diseases, stock markets, human psychology behaviours, insurance pay-outs, and political election results. All these, and more, are statistics and/or derived from statistics. Another simple life application of statistics is the global daily recorded number of COVID-19 cases, deaths, recoveries and vaccination numbers. As of 23 August 2021, a total of 212,679,403 COVID-19 cases were recorded, with 4,446,610 deaths and 190,301,359 recoveries, with majority of these cases reported in the United States of America, India, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Turkey and Italy (Worldometer, 2021). Again, all these basic figures were all compiled through the use of statistics in various regions, states, countries, provinces and continents all over the world. Thus, statistics is heavily used in many different fields for a variety of applications as showcased in this journal issue.

Effects of the Nature of Metal Ion, Protein and Substrate on the Catalytic Center in Matrix Metalloproteinase‐1: Insights from Multilevel MD, QM/MM and QM Studies

The front cover artwork is provided by Dr. Karabencheva-Christova's group at Michigan Technological University. The image shows the multilevel molecular dynamics (MD), quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) and quantum mechanics (QM) study on matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/cphc.202100680.

Material Mechanics and Hussein Zbib: A Tribute to His Memory

Abstract A number of new trends in material mechanics and engineering science can be traced back to the PhD work of Hussein Zbib at Michigan Technological University (MTU). In particular, the topics of shear bands and plastic instabilities found a new basis and direction, prompting distinguished researchers—whom he begun interacting with during his doctoral and post-doctoral years (seeAppendix)—to turn their attention to gradient plasticity and make their own monumental contributions in this field. This article first provides a brief account of the initial attempts, I had the joy to share with him, on gradient mechanics theory and its implications to the problems of strain localization and size effects. It then continues with a brief exposition of topics that his “scientific family” has taken up in parallel with him or later on. Finally, it concludes with a sketch of ideas I discussed with him during his post-doctoral period at MTU and his tenure period as a faculty member and Chairman at Washington State University (WSU) which, unfortunately, he did not have the time to elaborate upon.

Editorial

CHIEF EDITOR Ahmad Faris Ismail, IIUM, Malaysia TECHNICAL EDITOR Sany Izan Ihsan, IIUM, Malaysia EXECUTIVE EDITOR AHM Zahirul Alam, IIUM, Malaysia ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nor Farahidah Za’bah, IIUM, Malaysia LANGUAGE EDITOR Lynn Mason, Malaysia COPY EDITOR Hamzah Mohd. Salleh, IIUM, Malaysia MALAY TRANSLATOR Nurul Arfah Che Mustapha, IIUM, Malaysia EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Abdullah Al-Mamun, IIUM, Malaysia Abdumalik Rakhimov, IIUM, Malaysia Ali Sophian, IIUM, Malaysia Erwin Sulaeman, IIUM, Malaysia Hanafy Omar, Saudi Arabia Hazleen Anuar, IIUM, Malaysia Konstantin Khanin, University of Toronto, Canada Ma'an Al-Khatib, IIUM, Malaysia Md Zahangir Alam, IIUM, Malaysia Meftah Hrairi, IIUM, Malaysia Mohamed B. Trabia, United States Mohammad S. Alam, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, United States Mustafizur Rahman, National University Singapore, Singapore Ossama Abdulkhalik, Michigan Technological University, United States Othman O Khalifa, IIUM, Malaysia Razi Nalim, IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Rosminazuin AB. Rahim, IIUM, Malaysia Sharifah Imihezri Syed Shaharuddin, IIUM, Malaysia Waqar Asrar, IIUM, Malaysia INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Anwar, United States Abdul Latif Bin Ahmad, Malaysia Farzad Ismail, USM, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia Hanafy Omar, Saudi Arabia Hany Ammar, United States Idris Mohammed Bugaje, Nigeria K.B. Ramachandran, India Kunzu Abdella, Canada Luis Le Moyne, ISAT, University of Burgundy, France M Mujtaba, United Kingdom Mohamed AI-Rubei, Ireland Mohamed B Trabia, United States Syed Kamrul Islam, United States Tibor Czigany, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary Yiu-Wing Mai, The University of Sydney, Australia. AIMS & SCOPE OF IIUM ENGINEERING JOURNAL The IIUM Engineering Journal, published biannually (January and July), is a carefully refereed international publication of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Contributions of high technical merit within the span of engineering disciplines; covering the main areas of engineering: Electrical and Computer Engineering; Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering; Automation and Mechatronics Engineering; Material and Chemical Engineering; Environmental and Civil Engineering; Biotechnology and Bioengineering; Engineering Mathematics and Physics; and Computer Science and Information Technology are considered for publication in this journal. Contributions from other areas of Engineering and Applied Science are also welcomed. The IIUM Engineering Journal publishes contributions under Regular papers and Invited review papers. It also welcomes contributions that address solutions to the specific challenges of the developing world, and address science and technology issues from an Islamic and multidisciplinary perspective. REFEREES’ NETWORK All papers submitted to IIUM Engineering Journal will be subjected to a rigorous reviewing process through a worldwide network of specialized and competent referees. Each accepted paper should have at least two positive referees’ assessments. SUBMISSION OF A MANUSCRIPT A manuscript should be submitted online to the IIUM-Engineering Journal website at http://journals.iium.edu.my/ejournal. Further correspondence on the status of the paper could be done through the journal website. Whilst every effort is made by the publisher and editorial board to see that no inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or statement appears in this Journal, they wish to make it clear that the data and opinions appearing in the articles and advertisement herein are the responsibility of the contributor or advertiser concerned. Accordingly, the publisher and the editorial committee accept no liability whatsoever for the consequence of any such inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or statement. IIUM Engineering Journal ISSN: 1511-788X E-ISSN: 2289-7860 Published by: IIUM Press, International Islamic University Malaysia Jalan Gombak, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Phone (+603) 6421-5014, Fax: (+603) 6421-6298

Rural Community Health: Keeping Michigan's Upper Peninsula Informed During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, public health departments and healthcare systems are working to navigate the crisis and protect the community. Those communities in rural areas, where health and communication infrastructure are often limited, face additional challenges in keeping individuals informed, safe, and healthy. Moreover, the amount of misleading information circulating is making it even more difficult to convey critical and rapidly evolving public health recommendations. Michigan Technological University is located in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula which accounts for 30% of the State's land mass but only 3% of the total population. Our goal was to increase campus and community awareness about COVID‐19 and its impact on health and society.For our rural community, we offered a 1) COVID‐19 public town hall series and 2) COVID‐19 university wide academic course. The public town hall series was delivered weekly and broadcasted live through a webinar (Zoom), social media, and local radio. Each week a speaker panel consisting of public health officials, clinicians, educators, and/or other local experts discussed a COVID‐19 topic theme and answered questions from the community. The academic course was presented as a 1‐credit seminar‐based online course open to any student. Each week students explored a COVID‐19 related topic, participated in the weekly town hall, and engaged in follow‐up discussion and reflection. Primary course learning objectives were for students to locate credible COVID‐19 information sources and describe what is known about the general health impacts of the disease.Twelve public town halls, that included more than 35 different presenters, were delivered. Number of attendees on the Zoom webinars ranged between 20‐75 individuals with many others interacting with content through social media, radio, and the recorded content. Town hall themes included the role of public health to protect community health, impact of disease on physical and mental health, health disparities, mechanisms to interrupt and halt transmission, and strategies for adapting to lifestyle changes. Undergraduate and graduate students (n=37) from a variety of majors (biology, exercise science, chemistry, engineering, business, forestry) enrolled in the course. Nearly all students (96%) reported that the course increased their awareness about COVID‐19 and the majority (61%) indicated that the course was the most effective way to obtain COVID‐19 related information. All students recommended that other students take this course in the future.The public town hall series provided a robust platform to deliver critical, real‐time health information to our campus and broader community during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Additionally, students perceived that the academic course increased their awareness of COVID‐19. Increased public health messaging is a critical step to keeping Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula informed, safe, and healthy during the COVID‐19 pandemic and may serve as a model for other rural university‐community partnerships.

Mechanical Response of Polymer Epoxy/BMI Composites with Graphene and a Boron Nitride Monolayer from First Principles

This work was partially supported by the NASA Space Technology Research Institute (STRI) for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design (US-COMP), Grant NNX17AJ32G. SUPERIOR, a high-performance computing cluster at Michigan Technological University, was used in obtaining the DFT simulation results presented in this publication.