Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 31 - 60 of 394

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

The Use Of A Molecular Probe To Investigate The Details Of Pria Helicase Function Apr 2016

The Use Of A Molecular Probe To Investigate The Details Of Pria Helicase Function

Stander Symposium Projects

During DNA replication in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, the replication machinery (replisome) invariably encounters structural DNA damage, an event that can result in disbanding of the replisome and the creation of a collapsed replication fork. In order for DNA replication to continue, the replisome must be reloaded onto the DNA strand, a process that often begins with unwinding of double-stranded (duplex) DNA by the primosome protein PriA. Little is known about the mechanism through which PriA unwinds DNA and begins replisome recruitment. We seek to shed new light on this mechanism through the use of a PriA inhibitor, compound …


Role Of Axial Patterning Genes In Growth Regulation During Eye Development Apr 2016

Role Of Axial Patterning Genes In Growth Regulation During Eye Development

Stander Symposium Projects

An important question in developmental biology is that how axial patterning genes work with growth and patterning to form any three-dimensional organ. In any multicellular organism, Organogenesis, requires axial patterning i.e. formation of Antero-Posterior (AP), Dorso-Ventral (DV), Proximo-Distal (PD) axes. Any deviation in these axes during development leads to genetic birth defects. We use Drosophila melanogaster (a.k.a fruit fly), eye as our model. As the genetic machinery between flies and human is conserved, any insights generated in flies can be extrapolated into humans. In Drosophila, DV patterning marks first lineage restriction event where expression of dorsal, ventral fate selectors forms …


Mutant Pria C-Tev Ml346 And Its Unwinding Dna Capabilities Apr 2016

Mutant Pria C-Tev Ml346 And Its Unwinding Dna Capabilities

Stander Symposium Projects

DNA damage can cause the process of DNA replication to stall and this can lead to dissociation of the DNA replication enzymes from the DNA. In bacteria, a protein called PriA recognizes this, unwinds a portion of duplex DNA at the site where replication stalled, and reloads the replication enzymes to restart DNA replication. PriA has multiple structural domains that are closely associated with one another to give rise to a compact globular protein. The winged helix domain, however, is connected to the remainder of the protein by a long, flexible portion of polypeptide, akin to a tether. I examined …


Robust Nonlinear Adaptive Control For Longitudinal Dynamics Of Hypersonic Aircraft Vehicle Model Apr 2016

Robust Nonlinear Adaptive Control For Longitudinal Dynamics Of Hypersonic Aircraft Vehicle Model

Stander Symposium Projects

A hypersonic aircraft vehicle is a highly complex nonlinear system, which includes uncertainties in the dynamics. This paper presents the design of robust nonlinear adaptive control for a hypersonic aircraft vehicle model. The complexity of the dynamic system is considered into the design structure of the control in order to address robustness issues. Design of a robust control system should decouple the longitudinal and lateral dynamics to handle the flight of hypersonic vehicle under certain specific conditions. In this paper, we only consider longitudinal dynamics, which are divided into aircraft speed subsystem and flight-path angle subsystem. A robust control design …


Monetary Policy And Unemployment Rates: Is There A Relationship? An Empirical Analysis: 2001-2015 Apr 2016

Monetary Policy And Unemployment Rates: Is There A Relationship? An Empirical Analysis: 2001-2015

Stander Symposium Projects

The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate to carry out Policy objectives that bring about full employment in the economy with price stability. On the full employment side, monthly job growth along with unemployment rates are two key metrics that indicate how well the fed is doing in achieving the mandate. In this study, I focus on unemployment rate trends over the period 2001-2015.In 2001, the U.S. economy was dealing with a mild recession and in 2008 a severe recession. I look at the trend in the unemployment rate for the periods 2001-2007 and 2009-2015 to obtain a better understanding …


Evaluation Of Mammalian Stress And Inflammatory Response To A Novel Porphyrin Apr 2016

Evaluation Of Mammalian Stress And Inflammatory Response To A Novel Porphyrin

Stander Symposium Projects

Porphyrins are a specific class of aromatic, heterocyclic compounds that are either naturally occurring or artificially synthesized. Porphyrins have demonstrated robust antibacterial properties, which arise from the generation of singlet oxygen. However, most porphyrins are photodynamic, meaning they require activation by light at an optimal wavelength. A novel porphyrin, developed by Dr. Shawn Swavey (UD Chemistry Department) has shown exceptional antibacterial efficiency against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, even without photoactivation. As P. aeruginosa infections are often the root cause behind lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, identifying a way to safely control bacterial presence is a major concern. The ability of this …


Greek Life And Catholic Universities: Do The Values Of Greek Life Match With Those Of The Catholic Church? Apr 2016

Greek Life And Catholic Universities: Do The Values Of Greek Life Match With Those Of The Catholic Church?

Stander Symposium Projects

Greek Life organizations face many negative stipulations across the United States due to several allegations of disrespectful actions. Due to these negative actions, there are Catholic institutions across the United States that do not allow Greek Life organizations on their respective campus. Such reasons Catholic institutions give is that Greek Life is not needed on campus for students to live out Catholic values. Instead, students have service, special interest and sports clubs to join to live out Catholic values. As a student apart of Greek Life on the University of Dayton’s campus feel that the values between Greek life and …


Effects Of Body Weight Loading On Arch Height Apr 2016

Effects Of Body Weight Loading On Arch Height

Stander Symposium Projects

Foot functionality is integral to normal human locomotion. The most commonly assessed area of the human body studied during locomotion is the medial longitudinal arch and its deformation. The Arch Height Index Measurement System (AHIMS) is the most reliable tool to measure this arch. This system typically measures arch deformation in two baseline conditions, sitting and standing. The sitting condition is considered unweighted and approximately 10% of a person’s body weight. The standing condition is considered a loaded condition and represents 50% of body weight. The first aim of this study was to see if the baseline measurements traditionally taken …


Portfolio Weights And Capture Ratio Analysis: A Look At Performance In The Consumers Staples Sector 2010-2015 Apr 2016

Portfolio Weights And Capture Ratio Analysis: A Look At Performance In The Consumers Staples Sector 2010-2015

Stander Symposium Projects

Since the recession in 2008, the stock market has experienced periods of extreme volatility, with market moves of 200-400 points on almost a daily basis. One sector that should do well when market volatility is high and rising is consumer staples. In this study I use a dynamic pricing model to determine the portfolio weights for the 10 largest value weighted stocks in the consumer staples sector. The model relies on the upside/downside Capture Ratios (U/D) for each stock to calculate the portfolio weights and dollar investment in each stock. I test the following hypotheses: (1) Stocks with higher U/D …


Size, Value And Momentum In Stock Returns: An Empirical Analysis, 2010-2014 Apr 2016

Size, Value And Momentum In Stock Returns: An Empirical Analysis, 2010-2014

Stander Symposium Projects

Based on the landmark studies of Eugene Fama and Kenneth French in the 1990's, most financial economists consider a firm's market capitalization (size) and price to book as two of the most important factors affecting the cross section of stock market returns. In recent years, other factors including stock price momentum have been accepted as predictors of stock returns in the cross section. In this study, I develop a three factor analysis of S&P 500 stock returns for the period 2010-2014. This period was chosen because it is not included in more recent studies. It also reflects a period of …


Design And Prototyping Of A Variable Geometry Extrusion Die To Exhibit Significant Alteration In Shape Apr 2016

Design And Prototyping Of A Variable Geometry Extrusion Die To Exhibit Significant Alteration In Shape

Stander Symposium Projects

Extruded parts are conventionally made by forcing melted plastic through a steel die having a fixed opening that matches the shape of the part. Plastic parts made by extrusion include weather stripping, PVC pipe, and composite lumber. Variable geometry dies can change their opening shape during the extrusion process. Developing shape-changing dies technology offers the possibility of making parts with varying cross-sections that currently need to be made through injection molding. This is desirable as, compared to molding, extrusion tends to be faster and less expensive. Variable geometry extrusion dies have been designed and prototyped by the University of Dayton …


Producer Prices, Cost-Push-Inflation And Stock Market Returns Apr 2016

Producer Prices, Cost-Push-Inflation And Stock Market Returns

Stander Symposium Projects

Although the Fed looks at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Personal Consumption Expenditure index (PCE) as the key measures of inflation, in this study I focus my attention on Producer Prices (PPI) as a leading indicator of inflation in final goods produced. I want to test three hypotheses. First there is a high pass through rate for prices in the 4 basic stages of production identified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Using regression analysis to measure the pass through rate, I expect the b coefficients to be greater than zero and close to one. This would …


Spatial Mechanism Analysis And Synthesis By Dual Special Unitary Matrices Apr 2016

Spatial Mechanism Analysis And Synthesis By Dual Special Unitary Matrices

Stander Symposium Projects

Numerical algebraic geometry is the field that studies the computation and manipulation of the solution sets of systems of polynomial equations. The goal of this work is to formulate spatial mechanism analysis and design problems via a method suited to employ the tools of numerical algebraic geometry. Specifically, equations are developed using dual special unitary matrices that naturally use complex numbers to express physical and joint parameters in a mechanical system. Unknown parameters expressed as complex numbers readily admit solution by the methods of numerical algebraic geometry. This work illustrates their use by analyzing the spatial RCCC and RRRCC linkages. …


Star Decompositions Of The Complete Split Graph Apr 2016

Star Decompositions Of The Complete Split Graph

Stander Symposium Projects

A graph is a discrete mathematical structure that consists of a set of vertices and a set of edges between pairs of vertices. A problem of interest in graph theory is that of graph decomposition, partitioning the set of edges into disjoint sets, producing subgraphs which are isomorphic to each other. Here we consider the problem of decomposing a class of graphs called complete split graphs into stars of a fixed size. We present conditions for the decomposition as well as an algorithm for the decomposition when it is possible.


Research Exercise: Vocation And Arts Apr 2016

Research Exercise: Vocation And Arts

Stander Symposium Projects

The Chaminade Scholars 'Vocation and Arts' class have been preparing all semester for an in-depth pilgrimage to Italy in May. The interactive Stander Symposium experience introduces participants to the Art, Culture and Spirituality of Assisi and Rome. Included is an exhibit of students' photography and "Awakening to Beauty publication.


Wage Costs And Inflation Trends: An Empirical Analysis 2001-2015 Apr 2016

Wage Costs And Inflation Trends: An Empirical Analysis 2001-2015

Stander Symposium Projects

Rising wage costs have often been used as a leading indication of inflation in national economies. In the US since the 2008 recession wage costs growth has, to say the least, been erratic with no discernible upward trend. In 2015, however, wage cost growth showed some signs of picking up steam suggesting that overall spending in the economy will likely pick up. In this study we examine trends in the employee cost index (ECI) from 2001 to 2015, the long term trend period, and 2009 to 2015, an intermediate term period after the 2008 recession. Linear trend equations are developed …


Cross-Cultural Engagement: Is It Happening? Apr 2016

Cross-Cultural Engagement: Is It Happening?

Stander Symposium Projects

This study examines the cross-cultural engagement between international and domestic undergraduate engineering students at a private, Midwestern university. It uncovers the situations in which international and domestic students are engaging and explores the components which help or hinder the cross-cultural interaction between these students. This study informs higher education professionals endeavoring to provide undergraduate engineering students a greater ability to function in a global world. Data was collected through the use of one-on-one interviews with current international and domestic undergraduate engineering students. The study revealed that while international and domestic engineering students are engaging, the frequency remains low and there …


Imagery Solutions Geospatial Information System (Gis System) Apr 2016

Imagery Solutions Geospatial Information System (Gis System)

Stander Symposium Projects

Imagery Solutions is a small start-up company that specializes in imagery gathering technology using aerial methods for customers who need precise imaging data, such as those in precision agriculture and energy distributing industries. The purpose behind this image gathering functionality is to provide decision oriented information derived from image data. The mission for the company is to have this information come to the customer in a timely, accurate, and relevant way. Open GIS is the established open source application for this process. The task presented to our team is to create a business process for the organization from the point …


The Implementation Of Two-Way Immersion Programs Apr 2016

The Implementation Of Two-Way Immersion Programs

Stander Symposium Projects

As society becomes more global, educators are searching for models of education that provide students with the ability to be competitive in the global marketplace. Bilingual education offers students the opportunity to learn two languages while maintaining student achievement in other content areas. One option of bilingual education is called two-way immersion (TWI) programs. TWI classrooms are comprised of students who are native speakers of two different languages. Together, these students communicate in both languages, while receiving instruction in both languages as well. These programs have been shown to be effective in teaching two languages without lowering student achievement. Bilingual …


Inflation Trends In Personal Consumption Expenditures, 2001-2015 Apr 2016

Inflation Trends In Personal Consumption Expenditures, 2001-2015

Stander Symposium Projects

The Federal Reserve, as a key element in its monetary policy, uses a 2% target inflation rate to determine if the federal funds rate needs to be increased. The purpose of this study is to evaluate long, intermediate, and short term trends in inflation to determine if the inflation policy objective has been reached. My inflation metric is Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) and the period of analysis is 2001-20015. I develop linear trend equations for both PCE and PCE less food and energy using the b coefficients from the regressions as a proxy for the PCE inflation rate. Out of …


A Numerical Solution Of A Model Of Diabetes Apr 2016

A Numerical Solution Of A Model Of Diabetes

Stander Symposium Projects

Many researchers use mathematical models to understand and predict the behavior of biological systems. In this work we consider a mathematical model for diabetes mellitus presented by Hussain and Zadeng to study a metabolic disease for the regulation of glucose in the body by pancreatic insulin. The mathematical models consists of two ordinary differential equations for glucose concentration and insulin concentration. In particular, this study attempts to numerically solve the model using the Runge-Kutta methods of order 2 and 4. We will also perform a qualitative analysis on the behavior of the system


Culture As Context: Effects Of Cultural Polarization On Chinese International Student Adjustment Apr 2016

Culture As Context: Effects Of Cultural Polarization On Chinese International Student Adjustment

Stander Symposium Projects

Due to the fact that Chinese international students are such a significant population within American universities across the country, it is worth investigating how this population typically adjusts to living in the United States and what stresses or issues are unique to them. However, it is also important to investigate whether or not Chinese international students experience positive transformations within themselves as a result of the adjustment challenges that they are faced with. This qualitative inquiry examines these vital questions surrounding Chinese international student adjustment, in order to contribute to a more holistic understanding of the complex experiences of Chinese …


State Initiatives, Ballot Language, And The Media: Do They Overlap? Apr 2016

State Initiatives, Ballot Language, And The Media: Do They Overlap?

Stander Symposium Projects

State Initiatives are seen throughout every state, some more than others, but every election brings them. However, not every election is equal when it comes to turnout, depending on if it is a presidential or midterm year. Some are given more media attention, some are given minimal attention, if at all. The fundamental question is what role doe’s media play in turnout during elections and does any amount of roll-off occurs during presidential or governor’s elections? Does this poll-off or turnout have to do with media (or lack of) attention, or is there something more going on? Besides looking at …


Honor's Thesis Proposal: Effects Of Tactile Versus Electronic Games On Attention, Distraction, And Understanding Apr 2016

Honor's Thesis Proposal: Effects Of Tactile Versus Electronic Games On Attention, Distraction, And Understanding

Stander Symposium Projects

The ability to attend to relevant information and resist attention to distractors is important for children’s cognitive development. Difficulties with attention can impede memory development and impact learning. Much has been written in the news about the impact of electronic media on children’s development of attention skills, but little research has been done explicitly comparing children’s attention to relevant information and resistance to distractions across activities that are presented in either tactile or electronic format. The goal of this study is to compare levels of attention and distraction among preschool-aged children while they engage in a common childhood activity, playing …


Investigation Of The Role Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction As A Trigger For Neurodegeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease Apr 2016

Investigation Of The Role Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction As A Trigger For Neurodegeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease

Stander Symposium Projects

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects cognitive function and memory of the patient. It results from plaques formed by the abnormal cleavage of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), which result in the formation of 42 amino acid polypeptide, also known as amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42). Accumulation of Aβ42 peptide triggers cell death in the neuronal cell population of central nervous system. However, the trigger for this abnormal cell death is unknown. I will investigate the role of mitochondrial dysfunction as the trigger for neurodegeneration. Since the mitochondria is the site for triggering neurodegeneration, its malfunction or loss …


Can Airplane Recycling Take Off? Apr 2016

Can Airplane Recycling Take Off?

Stander Symposium Projects

As of 2015, the worldwide air transportation industry is expected to contain an estimated 10,000 aircraft ready for retirement. In order to offset the introduction of waste from aircraft disposal into landfills, as well as to cope with the depletion of natural resources, the recycling of airplanes is becoming more prevalent. Aircraft Recycling is a process of highly variable economic revenues. Often, the difference between having a loss and a profit is with the resale of aircraft parts, namely the engines. Recycling companies often have to charge the owner of an aircraft for the recycling process in order to make …


Research Exercise: Amplifying Signals Via Riboswitch Biosensors Apr 2016

Research Exercise: Amplifying Signals Via Riboswitch Biosensors

Stander Symposium Projects

The Air Force is always in search of new and efficient ways to protect the lives of their Airman and equipment. Biosensors are self-sufficient, natural systems that can report a signal based on the presence of a specific molecule. However, biosensors are limited by a low signal output. Here we describe how a biological amplification circuit, loosely based on concepts similar to electrical circuitry, will be used to produce and amplify a signal. The biosensor consists of sensing cells and reporter cells that are ‘wired’ together via quorum-sensing signal molecules. The sensing cells contain a riboswitch that activates the reporter …


Development Of A Muscle Model Parameter Calibration Method Via Passive Muscle Force Minimization, Allison Kinney, Benjamin J. Fregly Jul 2015

Development Of A Muscle Model Parameter Calibration Method Via Passive Muscle Force Minimization, Allison Kinney, Benjamin J. Fregly

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Computational predictions of subject-specific muscle and knee joint contact forces during walking may improve individual rehabilitation treatment design. Such predictions depend directly on specified model parameter values. However, model parameters are difficult to measure non-invasively. Methods for muscle model parameter calibration have been developed previously. However, it is currently unknown how the musculoskeletal system chooses muscle model parameter values. Previous studies have hypothesized that muscles avoid injury during walking by generating little passive force and operating in the ascending region of the force-length curve. This hypothesis suggests that muscle model parameter values may be selected by the body to minimize …


Synergy-Based Two-Level Optimization For Predicting Knee Contact Forces During Walking, Gil Serrancolí, Allison Kinney, Josep M. Font-Llagunes, Benjamin J. Fregly Jul 2015

Synergy-Based Two-Level Optimization For Predicting Knee Contact Forces During Walking, Gil Serrancolí, Allison Kinney, Josep M. Font-Llagunes, Benjamin J. Fregly

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Musculoskeletal models and optimization methods are combined to calculate muscle forces. Some model parameters cannot be experimentally measured due to the invasiveness, such as the muscle moment arms or the muscle and tendon lengths. Moreover, other parameters used in the optimization, such as the muscle synergy components, can be also unknown. The estimation of all these parameters needs to be validated to obtain physiologically consistent results. In this study, a two-step optimization problem was formulated to predict both muscle and knee contact forces of a subject wearing an instrumented knee prosthesis. In the outer level, muscle parameters were calibrated, whereas …


The Influence Of Neuromusculoskeletal Model Calibration Method On Predicted Knee Contact Forces During Walking, Gil Serrancolí, Allison Kinney, Benjamin J. Fregly, Josep M. Font-Llagunes Jun 2015

The Influence Of Neuromusculoskeletal Model Calibration Method On Predicted Knee Contact Forces During Walking, Gil Serrancolí, Allison Kinney, Benjamin J. Fregly, Josep M. Font-Llagunes

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This study explored the influence of three model calibration methods on predicted knee contact and leg muscle forces during walking. Static optimization was used to calculate muscle activations for all three methods. Approach A used muscle-tendon model parameter values (i.e., optimal muscle fiber lengths and tendon slack lengths) taken directly from literature. Approach B used a simple algorithm to calibrate muscle-tendon model parameter values such that each muscle operated within the ascending region of its normalized force-length curve. Approach C used a novel two-level optimization procedure to calibrate muscle-tendon, moment arm, and neural control model parameter values while simultaneously predicting …