Engineering Commons^™

Averting Hiv Infections In New York City: A Modeling Approach Estimating The Future Impact Of Additional Behavioral And Biomedical Hiv Prevention Strategies, Jason Kessler, Julie E. Myers, Kimberly A. Nucifora, Nana Mensah, Alexis Kowalski, Monica Sweeney, Christopher Toohey, Amin Khademi, Colin Shepard, Blayne Cutler, R. Scott Braithwaite

Publications

Background: New York City (NYC) remains an epicenter of the HIV epidemic in the United States. Given the variety of evidence-based HIV prevention strategies available and the significant resources required to implement each of them, comparative studies are needed to identify how to maximize the number of HIV cases prevented most economically.

Methods: A new model of HIV disease transmission was developed integrating information from a previously validated micro-simulation HIV disease progression model. Specification and parameterization of the model and its inputs, including the intervention portfolio, intervention effects and costs were conducted through a collaborative process between the academic modeling …

Moving Domain Computational Fluid Dynamics To Interface With An Embryonic Model Of Cardiac Morphogenesis, Juhyun Lee, Mahdi Esmaily Moghadam, Ethan Kung, Hung Cao, Tyler Beebe, Yury Miller, Beth L. Roman, Ching-Ling Lien, Neil C. Chi, Alison L. Marsden, Tzung K. Hsiai

Publications

Peristaltic contraction of the embryonic heart tube produces time- and spatial-varying wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure gradients (∇P) across the atrioventricular (AV) canal. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are a genetically tractable system to investigate cardiac morphogenesis. The use of Tg(fli1a:EGFP)y1 transgenic embryos allowed for delineation and two-dimensional reconstruction of the endocardium. This time-varying wall motion was then prescribed in a two-dimensional moving domain computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, providing new insights into spatial and temporal variations in WSS and ∇P during cardiac development. The CFD simulations were validated with particle image …

Navigating The Academic Job Search For Environmental Engineers: Guidance For Job Seekers And Mentors, David A. Ladner, Stephanie C. Bolyard, Defne Apul, Andrew J. Whelton

Publications

Students and postdoctoral associates interested in tenure-track environmental engineering positions have limited resources to aid them. The Student Services Committee (SSC) of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) organized a workshop to fill some of the need. Newly hired faculty and experienced search committee and department chairs shared information on how to create competitive applications. Students and postdoctoral associates were also provided with individualized feedback on their faculty application packages. Survey data were collected for all participants, and these data are presented in this paper along with tips shared during the workshop and information collected from the …

Focused Novice Driver Program - Assessment Results And Discussion, John Wagner, Lance Clark, Kim Alexander, Philip Pidgeon, Ken Rogich

Publications

Skills and experiences of novice drivers do not favorably compare to motorists with significantly greater driving time and life experiences. Recent developments in driver education and training have focused on multistage instruction to take advantage of the time delay for driving privileges in Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems as a means to provide additional instruction. A supplemental safe driving program tailored to address the risky behaviors of novice drivers has been developed by Clemson University Automotive Safety Research Institute (CU-ASRI) and the Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE). The program offers training in anticipatory safe driving strategies based on the leading …

Assessment Of An Automotive Driving Simulator To Educate Novice Drivers, John Wagner, Qimin Yao, Kim Alexander, Philip Pidgeon

Publications

Novice drivers are more likely to be involved in vehicle crashes than more experienced drivers. Transportation system simulators, such as aerospace, automotive, and rail, have been used effectively over several decades in support of operator training and research studies. The immersive high-end automotive simulators tend to be large-scale, difficult to move, and relatively cost ineffective for widespread deployment. In contrast, a mobile vehicle training system often features simplistic environments which are not readily accepted by teenagers who evaluate the driving experience as compared to commercial video games. Consequently, a need exists for a low-cost portable automotive training system that provides …

Design Of An Apparatus To Detect Small Changes In The Mass Of Rotational Machine Components, Jonathan R.A. Maier, M. Laine Mears, Joshua D. Summers

Publications

In this study, an apparatus was designed to detect changes on the order of grams in the mass of test samples subject to accelerations approaching 275g. The apparatus incorporated a surface speedometer, displacement transducer and on-board data-logging device in order to correlate mass loss events with changes in rotational speed and acceleration. An accessory was also designed to allow for on-board video recording to validate the findings and to better understand the mechanics of mass loss events. Such mass loss events are of interest for high-speed rotating machinery (e.g., manufacturing equipment, turbine rotors and automotive drivetrains), where material can build …

The Sustainability Generation: Why Young People Hold The Key To A Better Future, Leidy Klotz

Publications

In a standard test of reasoning, you are given a candle, a box of thumbtacks, and a book of matches. Your task is to attach the candle to the wall so that it does not drip onto the table below.

I thought about how to melt the wax and use it to stick the candle to the wall. What would you do?

This challenge is designed to reveal functional fixedness, mental blocks against using objects in a new way. The experience that comes with age is a disadvantage here because it leads to thinking of the normal use of the …

Predictive Modeling Of The Virtual Hemi-Fontan Operation For Second Stage Single Ventricle Palliation: Two Patient-Specific Cases, Ethan Kung, Alessia Baretta, Catriona Baker, Gregory Arbia, Giovanni Biglino, Chiara Corsini, Silvia Schievano, Irene E. Vignon-Clementel, Gabriele Dubini, Giancarlo Pennati, Andrew Taylor, Adam Dorfman, Anthony M. Hlavacek, Alison L. Marsden, Tain-Yen Hsia, Francesco Migliavacca

Publications

Single ventricle hearts are congenital cardiovascular defects in which the heart has only one functional pumping chamber. The treatment for these conditions typically requires a three-staged operative process where Stage 1 is typically achieved by a shunt between the systemic and pulmonary arteries, and Stage 2 by connecting the superior venous return to the pulmonary circulation. Surgically, the Stage 2 circulation can be achieved through a procedure called the Hemi-Fontan, which reconstructs the right atrium and pulmonary artery to allow for an enlarged confluence with the superior vena cava.

Based on pre-operative data obtained from two patients prior to Stage …