AJUR Volume 23 Issue 3 (September 2026)
Click on this link to download the full high-definition pdf for AJUR Volume 23 Issue 3 (September 2026). The Crossref link for this issue is https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.176
Links to individual manuscripts, abstracts, and keywords are provided below.
p.3. Adherence to the Photovoice Method in Food Insecurity Research: A Methodological Review
Victoria R. Braynin, Amy T. Galloway, & Christopher M. Seitz
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.177
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Photovoice is a community-based participatory research tool critical in engaging participants as collaborators to determine the health needs of their communities. The photovoice method is defined by its three major goals: (1) to support participants’ use of photos to document community needs, (2) to facilitate participants’ group discussion about community issues highlighted in their photos, and (3) to exhibit the photos as a way to reach policymakers and advocate for community change. The purpose of this methodological review was to assess the extent of how photovoice’s three major goals were achieved in food insecurity research that used the photovoice method. Methods: Peer-reviewed articles were searched for using the search terms “photovoice” and “food insecurity” in the databases PubMed and CINAHL. Additional articles were located using backward and forward chaining of reference lists. Inclusion criteria were defined to determine the articles’ eligibility for review. Articles were assessed for their level of achievement of each photovoice goal (e.g., full, partial, none). Results: A total of 19 articles were included in the literature review, which described 15 different photovoice projects. Overall, the photovoice projects underachieved the goals of photovoice. Specifically, only two of the photovoice projects fully achieved each photovoice goal, and five projects at least partially achieved each goal. Conclusion: In sum, the literature review’s findings emphasize the need for projects labeled as “photovoice” to implement all the fundamental goals of the method. KEYWORDS: Photovoice; Food Insecurity; Community; Participatory research
p.15. Examining Barriers to the Application of Modern Construction Technologies in Historic Building Treatments in Metro Detroit
Alexander F. Okoh & Sooin Kim
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.178
ABSTRACT: Modern construction technologies can offer significant potential for historic building treatments by addressing structural deterioration, enhancing safety, improving energy performance, and supporting long-term sustainability. However, integrating these modern construction technologies into historic construction requires a careful balance between preserving historic integrity, complying with contemporary construction standards and advancing technological capabilities. This tension often results in complex managerial and technical challenges for project stakeholders when considering, selecting, and implementing modern construction technologies into historic building treatments. Understanding the perspective and decision-making considerations of key stakeholders is critical to the effective development, utilization, and application of modern construction technologies in the historic construction field. However, there is a lack of empirical understanding of how project stakeholders, including construction engineers and managers, experience, interpret, and address the managerial and technical challenges in practice. In addition, little is known about how such challenges influence technology adoption decisions during historic building treatments. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the lived experiences and perspectives of the project stakeholders to identify the key drivers and challenges shaping modern technology adoption during historic building treatments. To address this research gap and capture nuanced, context-dependent perspectives, the current study employed an in-depth qualitative approach, drawing on detailed interviews with subject matter experts who participated in historic building treatment projects in the Metro Detroit area. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed to examine the lived experiences, interpretations, and professional judgments of stakeholders, which are often shaped by project-specific constraints, regulatory environments, and organizational contexts that cannot be adequately captured through purely quantitative measures. The findings of this research indicate that major barriers to the application of modern construction technologies in Detroit’s historic building treatment projects include limited knowledge, technology reluctance, and high costs. The findings of this research advance empirical understanding of how project stakeholders and decision-makers determine the appropriate technologies in historic building treatments. The results identify key factors that contribute to practitioners’ and contractors’ reluctance to adopt these technologies, including financial constraints, limited technical knowledge, and training gaps among contractors. By revealing the practical considerations that influence technology adoption and implementation, this study provides evidence-based guidance for construction firms, owners, consultants, and historic-building preservation professionals. The findings also inform preservation policy and regulatory decision-making by clarifying the barriers and decision processes associated with modern technology adoption, supporting the more consistent, cost-effective, and context-sensitive application of modern construction technologies in historic building treatments. KEYWORDS: Historic Integrity; Historic Property; Historic Building Treatments; Preservation; Rehabilitation; Restoration; Reconstruction
p.29. Implementation of Buprenorphine After X-Waiver Elimination: A Health System Review of Rural North Carolina
Madison Wood, Lori Ann Eldridge, Courtney Pope, Beth E. Meyerson, & Christopher Norman
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.179
ABSTRACT: Background: Increasing accessibility of buprenorphine among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) is essential to decreasing the prevalence of overdose-related deaths. In January 2023, the Federal Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT Act) eliminated the X-waiver requirement for clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine to increase treatment provision. Prescriber-level behaviors following this policy change are not well understood in rural areas. This study investigates how buprenorphine prescribing practices changed in one North Carolina health system after the elimination of the X-waiver. Methods: Data were obtained through a convergent mixed-methods online survey conducted from February-July 2025. Survey items included structured survey questions and free response opportunities. Clinicians from the East Carolina University (ECU) Health System were identified from the North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) Roster and from an ECU Health advanced practice provider email network (N = 978). Buprenorphine prescribing behaviors were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Barriers and facilitators to buprenorphine prescription were identified using thematic analysis. Results: Fifty clinicians responded to the survey for a response rate of 5.1%. Prior to the MAT Act, 42% reported prescribing buprenorphine; following the MAT Act, only 28% did so. Prescribing was shaped by (1) individual clinician factors; (2) health systems-level factors; and (3) community-level factors. Conclusions: Findings suggest that federal policy change alone may be insufficient to increase buprenorphine prescribing in this rural health system. Implementation of evidence-based strategies addressing factors at the community, health system, and individual level can potentially strengthen institutional support, reduce community-level barriers, and enhance clinician engagement in providing medication for OUD. KEYWORDS: Buprenorphine; X-waiver; Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) Policy; CFIR; Rural; North Carolina; Physician Assistant; Nurse Practitioner
p.45. Demographic Influences on Cooperation in One-Shot, Anonymous Prisoner’s Dilemma Games
Peyton Strack & Elana Reiser
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.180
ABSTRACT: The Prisoner’s Dilemma examines decision-making in situations in which there is discord between individual incentives and cooperation. Theory predicts that rational individuals, working to maximize their own individual payoff, will act non-cooperatively in their own self-interest. However, prior research proposes that cooperation may vary across demographic groups. A total of 184 individuals were surveyed using Google Forms to collect demographic information and were presented with a modern adaptation of the Prisoner’s Dilemma. Associations between age, race, gender, religiosity, and likelihood of cooperation were explored. Results indicated that female participants demonstrate significantly higher rates of cooperation than their male counterparts. Additionally, younger individuals (18-34) were also significantly more likely to defect than older individuals (35+). Unexpectedly, there were no significant associations found between race, religion, and cooperation despite expectations. The findings suggest that gender and age may have some influence over variation in cooperative decision-making while other demographics such as race and religiosity have limited influence. Theory provides a guideline for what to expect, but human behavior is not fully predictable. This research provides insight into the nuances of cooperation and how individual characteristics and their corresponding life experiences can cause deviation from theoretical expectation. KEYWORDS: Cooperation; Prisoner’s Dilemma; Game Theory; Demographics; Decision-Making; Behavioral Economics; Chi-Square; Experimental Economics; Economic Psychology; R Programming
p.53. Mathematical Models for Coupling Rocket Trajectory with Passive Stability
Jonathan A. Bartik & Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.182
ABSTRACT: This article develops a unified hierarchy of mathematical models for rocket trajectory and stability. While modern rocket simulators utilize full six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) formulations, these models can be very computationally expensive. They also obscure the true mathematical structure governing the coupling of trajectory and stability. Conversely, simplified rocket models often neglect aerodynamic restoring and damping effects, leading to inaccurate predictions. In this paper a sequence of progressively higher-order dynamical systems is constructed from two to four degrees of freedom. These models are each derived from basic physical principles, verified against the real-world validated rocket simulator RASAeroII. This framework uncovers the minimal set of physical mechanisms required to capture important stability characteristics, including oscillatory modes, damping behavior, and the influence of roll coupling. By tracking the mathematics, the proposed models provide both computational efficiency and a unique physical insight to rocket dynamics. The resulting hierarchy establishes a clear connection between simplified trajectory models and full 6DOF simulations. This offers a practical and understandable foundation for passive stability analysis and rocket simulation. KEYWORDS: Degrees of Freedom; Trajectory; Apogee; Passive Stability; Caliber; Sounding Rocket; Axisymmetric; Harmonic Oscillator; Force Averaging
p.73. A Comparative Study of MBTI- and Learning Style–Based Grouping for Enhancing Group Effectiveness and Balance in Problem-Based Learning
Basith Nasik & Shanna Nifoussi
https://doi.org/10.33697/ajur.2026.183
ABSTRACT: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) depends on effective collaboration, yet the optimal strategy for forming student groups remains unclear. This study compared two group formation approaches: heterogeneous groups based on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and homogeneous groups based on the Active Experimentation–Reflective Observation dimension of Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI). Undergraduate students enrolled in Cell Biology and Introduction to Biology Laboratory courses were assigned to one of the two grouping strategies. Group functioning and role performance were evaluated using end-of-course surveys, and outcomes were compared using independent-samples t-tests and Pearson correlation analyses. Students in LSI-based groups reported significantly higher listening, productivity, psychological safety, belonging, satisfaction, and leader and communicator role performance than those in MBTI-based groups, whereas contribution and organizer performance did not differ significantly. Correlation analyses showed that satisfaction was most strongly associated with productivity in MBTI-based groups but with psychological safety in LSI-based groups. These findings suggest that grouping students according to learning style may better promote effective collaboration and positive group experiences than personality-based grouping in undergraduate PBL settings. KEYWORDS: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory; Group Dynamics; Problem-Based Learning; Group Productivity; Group Satisfaction; Classroom Learning; Group Roles; Educational Outcome