Digital Commons Network^™

Fabrication And Characterization Of Poly(Propylene Fumarate) Scaffolds With Controlled Pore Structures Using 3-Dimensional Printing And Injection Molding, Kee-Won Lee, Shanfeng Wang, Lichun Lu, Esmaiel Jabbari, Bradford L. Currier, Michael J. Yaszemski

Faculty Publications

Poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) is an injectable, biodegradable polymer that has been used for fabricating preformed scaffolds in tissue engineering applications because of in situ crosslinking characteristics. Aiming for understanding the effects of pore structure parameters on bone tissue ingrowth, 3-dimensional (3D) PPF scaffolds with controlled pore architecture have been produced in this study from computer-aided design (CAD) models. We have created original scaffold models with 3 pore sizes (300, 600, and 900 µm) and randomly closed 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30% of total pores from the original models in 3 planes. PPF scaffolds were fabricated by a series steps involving …

The Effect Of Auditory And Visual Distracters On The Useful Field Of View: Implications For The Driving Task, Joanne Wood, Alex Chaparro, Louise Hickson, Nick Thyer, Philippa Carter, Julie Hancock, Adrene Hoe, Ivy Le, Louisa Sahetapy, Floravel Ybarzabal

Publications

PURPOSE. The driving environment is becoming increasingly complex, including both visual and auditory distractions within the in-vehicle and external driving environments. This study was designed to investigate the effect of visual and auditory distractions on a performance measure that has been shown to be related to driving safety, the useful field of view.

METHODS. A laboratory study recorded the useful field of view in 28 young visually normal adults (mean 22.6 +- 2.2 years). The useful field of view was measured in the presence and absence of visual distracters (of the same angular subtense as the target) and with three …

Fall 2006 Che Newsletter, Department Of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Chemical Engineering Newsletters

Table of Contents

• CPM awarded First Place in Competition
• Letter from the Chair
• Sandell Recipient of Distinguished Teaching Award
• New Inductees for Chemical Engineering Distinguished Academy Honored
• New Presidential Council of Alumnae Member
• Alumni Notes
• Industrial Advisory Board
• Nam Him Retires
• Building Renovations completed
• Focus on Research

Nutrient Recycling: Rural On-Site Wastewater Disposal And Treatment In Can Tho City, Viet Nam, Micah Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to research a topic a holistic perspective is important. Often experiments are performed absent from the environment that is being observed. It is like thrusting one’s hand into an ocean to grope around for a specimen, extract it, and examine it apart from its native habitat. Although this is possible and often primarily the method, to immerse oneself into where one is studying is to increase one’s ability to obtain a more holistic perspective. I have come to believe that the more practical and accurate scientific experiments are a combination of laboratories and on the field. Not only …

Fault Modeling In Wireless Sensor Networks, Ahmed A. Elmiligui

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

A large amount of research has been done in the area of wireless sensor networks (WSN), but not much work has been done in modeling the fault tolerance and reliability of these networks. In this thesis, the fault tolerance of a WSN to node failures is studied and an analytical reliability model of the network is derived. A valid reliability model of a network could reveal an estimate of the network's performance before it is deployed.

A wireless sensor network was modeled as a k-out-of-n system and a generic fault tolerant framework for the network in terms of node losses …

The Effects Of Ultrashort Pulsed Electric Fields On The Fluorescent Molecule Bodipy Fl C5 Ceramide, Rachael Sara Shevin

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields are able to manipulate internal cell organelles by taking advantage of the small but finite time required for charge to establish across a capacitive barrier. Pulsed electric fields also affect macromolecular structures such as enzymes and proteins. Application of a single nanosecond pulsed electric field decreases the fluorescence of a commercially available biological dye Bodipy FL C₅ Ceramide, used to observe the Golgi apparatus of living cells. The effect is seen when the fluorophore is exposed to an electric field both in vitro and when incorporated into the Golgi of a living Jurkat cell. Observation …

Reverse Decision Making And Goal Attainment A Proof Of Concept As A New Approach To The Decision Making Process Under Uncertainty, Shitalkumar S. Sabne

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Decision making occurs when one must choose among alternatives. However, in uncertain environments where problems are complex and decision makers lack complete knowledge of the situation as well as decision alternatives, it's not possible for them to select an optimal decision outcome by 'Traditional Decision Approaches'. At present Reverse Decision Making is the central, although new and unproved, approach of Old Dominion University's Engineering Management and Systems Engineering research on decision making process for uncertain and complex situations. Even though research in decision making spans over one hundred years, there are still important problems which remain to be addressed.

There …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Gait Characteristics In Mentally Handicapped Individuals, Prakriti Parijat, Jian Liu, Thurmon E. Lockhart, Courtney Haynes

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

Physical and motor dysfunctions in mentally handicapped individuals predispose them to a higher risk of slip and fall accidents. It is estimated that over 60 million people are currently suffering with some level of developmentally related cognitive impairment (American Disability Act ADA, 2000). Mental retardation occurs in 2.5-3% of the general population. About 6-7.5 million mentally retarded individuals live in the United States alone (ADA, 2000). Slip induced fall accidents are a primary source of injury in people with mental retardation (MR). Often, the incidence of falls among this population is compounded by other disabilities such as autism, seizure, and …

Volumetric Water Pricing, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This document discusses the concept of volumetric pricing for irrigation water, including:

1. The justification for paying volumetrically

2. The challenge of charging volumetrically

3. Characteristics of volumetric charges and influencing factors

4. Examples of irrigation projects with volumetric charges

5. A summary of necessary conditions for volumetric billing

Factors And Interactions That Affect Air Force C-17 Aircraft Mission Capable Rates, Scotty A. Pendley

Theses and Dissertations

Given the high demand for mission capable airlift aircraft and considering increasing budget pressures, Air Mobility Command decision makers need a better understanding of mission capable (MC) rate-related factors and their interactions for mobility aircraft. This is needed to comprehend how issues such as airlift funding, current and future force reductions, and manning and experience levels may impact future MC rates for air mobility assets. Existing tools do not incorporate several key variables that the literature suggests are related to MC rates. Using a longitudinal approach, this thesis combines C-17 aircraft data with a structural equations modeling approach to evaluate …

Laser Covariance Vibrometry For Unsymmetrical Mode Detection, Michael C. Kobold

Theses and Dissertations

Simulated cross - spectral covariance (CSC) from optical return from simulated surface vibration indicates CW phase modulation may be an appropriate phenomenology for adequate classification of vehicles by structural mode. The nonlinear structural to optical relationship is close to unity, avoiding nulls and high values; optical return contains sufficient spectral ID information necessary for data clustering. The FE model has contact between the homogeneous rolled armor and vehicle hull, a simple multi - layer skin model typical of most vehicles. Most of the high frequency energy moved to lower frequencies. This nonlinearity segments contact vibration modes into two classes: symmetrical …

2006 Model Highway County Ordinances, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Publications

This report is intended to provide model ordinances for common situations for county highway departments and local street departments in Indiana where no current sample or model ordinance is readily available. Information to prepare model ordinances was collected from other Indiana counties and municipalities. Some of the model ordinances were created at the request of local highway and street departments.

The purpose of this report was not to duplicate regulations already in place such as where state governments cover issues such road signage, or traffic control, but to provide references for situations that have no other regulation or where specific …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

Electrowetting Droplet Microfluidics On A Single Planar Surface, Christopher G. Cooney, Chao Yi Chen, Michael R. Emerling, Ali Nadim, James D. Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electrowetting refers to an electrostatically induced reduction in the contact angle of an electrically conductive liquid droplet on a surface. Most designs ground the droplet by either sandwiching the droplet with a grounding plate on top or by inserting a wire into the droplet. Washizu and others have developed systems capable of generating droplet motion without a top plate while allowing the droplet potential to float. In contrast to these designs, we demonstrate an electrowetting system in which the droplet can be electrically grounded from below using thin conductive lines on top of the dielectric layer. This alternative method of …

Calcium And Zinc Ion Release From Polyalkenoate Cements Formed From Zinc Oxide/Apatite Mixtures, Mark R. Towler, S. Kenny, D. Boyd, T. Pembroke, M. Buggy, A. Guida, R. G. Hill

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Calcium and zinc ion release from hydroxyapatite-zinc oxide-poly (acrylic acid) (HAZnO-PAA) composite cements into deionised water was investigated as a function of HA content, PAA concentration, PAA molecular weight and maturation time. At any given maturation time, zinc ion release was constant until the HA content was at the maximum loading (60 wt%) resulting in the cement matrix breaking up, allowing exacerbated ion release. The calcium ion release increased with increased HA content in the composite until the maximum loading where the release drops off. Up to this point, the release of both ionic species was proportional to square root …

Fault And Defect Tolerant Computer Architectures: Reliable Computing With Unreliable Devices, George R. Roelke Iv

Theses and Dissertations

This research addresses design of a reliable computer from unreliable device technologies. A system architecture is developed for a "fault and defect tolerant" (FDT) computer. Trade-offs between different techniques are studied and yield and hardware cost models are developed. Fault and defect tolerant designs are created for the processor and the cache memory. Simulation results for the content-addressable memory (CAM)-based cache show 90% yield with device failure probabilities of 3 x 10(-6), three orders of magnitude better than non fault tolerant caches of the same size. The entire processor achieves 70% yield with device failure probabilities exceeding 10(-6). The required …

Unified Architecture Of Mobile Ad Hoc Network Security (Mans) System, Li Ling

Dissertations

In this dissertation, a unified architecture of Mobile Ad-hoc Network Security (MANS) system is proposed, under which IDS agent, authentication, recovery policy and other policies can be defined formally and explicitly, and are enforced by a uniform architecture. A new authentication model for high-value transactions in cluster-based MANET is also designed in MANS system. This model is motivated by previous works but try to use their beauties and avoid their shortcomings, by using threshold sharing of the certificate signing key within each cluster to distribute the certificate services, and using certificate chain and certificate repository to achieve better scalability, less …

Evaluation Of Environmental Carrying Capacity And Application Of The Sustainability Target Method, Chatpet Yossapol

Dissertations

The environmental carrying capacity (CC) is defined as the capacity of the earth to absorb or tolerate potentially stressful burdens imparted at various scales and locations, that is, to accommodate the ecological stresses without showing permanent damage. The CC can be used as a reference dataset for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) purposes and as a baseline for other environmental studies.

In this research, a set of impact-oriented U.S. CC is developed for both input- and output-related impacts. CC for eight common impact categories is evaluated: resource depletion, global warming, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, photochemical ozone formation, human toxicity, and eco-toxicity. …

The Biodiesel Industry: A National Perspective, Leland Tong

Industrial Agricultural Products Center: Publications and Information

CONTENTS:
Increasing OEM Support
Inquiries & Sales Up in All Markets
Demand Trends
US Biodiesel Demand
Reasons for Industry Growth
Ranked Importance of Biodiesel Benefits for U.S. Consumers
US Crude Oil, Diesel Fuel and Biodiesel Spot Prices
Biodiesel and Diesel Prices
Biodiesel Blenders Tax Credit
Renewable Fuel Standard
Small Agri Biodiesel Producer Credit
Alt Fuel Refueling Infrastructure Credit
Distribution Locations
Terminal Blending
Production Locations
Industry Plant Size
Plants Under Construction & Expansion
Size of Plants Under Construction & Expansion
Production Capacity by State
Production Capacity Trends
Industry Implications
Soybean oil, Palm Oil and Yellow Grease Prices
USDA Soybean Oil Price …

A Wireless Method For Monitoring Medication Compliance, Jeffrey Scott Jonas

Theses

There are many devices on the market to help remind patients to take their pills, but most require observation by a caregiver to assure medication compliance. This project demonstrates three modes to detect pill removal from a pillbox: a switch under the pills, a reflective type photointerrupter and a transmissive "electric eye" photosensor. Each mode exhibited blind spots or other failures to detect pill presence, but by combining modes with complementary characteristics, the accuracy of pill detection is greatly increased.

Two methods of caregiver notification are demonstrated: text messages transmitted via an attached cellular phone, or the status is collected …

Individual Cell Pressure Control In An Air Mattress For The Prevention Of The Pressure Sores, Kapilchandra Anand

Theses

Many kinds of pressure-relieving mattresses have been developed to prevent pressure sores in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) and obesity. Current technology uses alternating air pressure mattress, foam and low pressure mattress for reducing the incidence of pressure sores in SCI and obesity patients. These mattresses do not have control of pressure in individual air chambers. They are open loop system and they do not receive any feedback from the system. They have at the most control of two different pressures. The purpose of this study is to improve the current assistive technology in reducing pressure sores and to …

In-Vitro Characterization Of Boronized Titanium Alloy By Means Of Corrosion And Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Methods In Simulated Body Fluids, David Anthony Panus

Theses

Titanium and titanium alloys are becoming the backbone of medical implants and prosthetics. Titanium alloys are used because of its high biocompatibility and similarity to bone. However, titanium and titanium alloys have a low wear resistance. Titanium and titanium alloys are susceptible to particle erosion, which can cause inflammation, infection, and even implant rejection. Boronizing titanium alloy improves titanium's wear resistance and also improves corrosion resistance.

The target of this research was to characterize the corrosion characteristics of both unboronized and boronized titanium using both electrochemical corrosion methods and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (ELS) in simulated body fluid. Using electrochemical methods …

Photovoltaic Use In A Disaster: Mitigation Verses Response, Florida Solar Energy Center, William Young

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Natural disasters can happen at any time destroying lives, homes, businesses and the natural environment. In their path they leave many people without medical services, potable water, electrical services and communication for long periods of time. A disaster can be a minor or major incident impacting the people that survive its effect. We all become aware of the destruction caused by major hurricanes such as Katrina leaving several hundred-thousand people homeless and the resources needed to respond to save lives and restore property. In the midst of these extraordinary complications, emergency management teams, medical personnel, the military, and countless public …

Ifc To Contram Translator, Florida Solar Energy Center, Mangesh Basarkar

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Building security issues are of serious concern in the industry today. This paper will describe the design, development and testing of a software tool that can be effectively used to translate three dimensional building data sets of geometry, materials and HVAC components into an input file for the airflow and contaminant concentration simulation program CONTAM. The objective of the exercise is to allow for shorter turnaround time in evaluating IAQ strategies and building security related issues.

The software tool, 'fsIFCCTM', has been successfully tested to translate 3-D building elements like spaces, walls, doors, windows, and HVAC components like ducts, duct …

Improved Specifications For Federally Procured Ruggedized Manufactured Homes For Disaster Relief In Hot/Humid Climates, Florida Solar Energy Center, Stephanie Thomas-Rees

FSEC Energy Research Center®

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) uses ruggedized manufactured homes to provide short term housing solutions during the repair and rebuilding phase after a natural disaster.

Federally procured manufactured homes are currently constructed in accordance with the Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) manufactured housing standards and typically built to the minimum code requirements. These homes can consume more energy than their site built comparatives and use materials and mechanical systems that can potentially contribute to poor indoor quality and low durability. Two improved specifications are presented in this report to enhance energy efficiency, sustainability, indoor air quality and provide back …

Mansfield Ct: Planning A New Village Center, Maggie Jones, Richard Barringer

Planning

The case follows the development of a plan for a new village center in Storrs, the central village of Mansfield, Connecticut. A process that was transparent and inclusive of the community members yielded a plan that gained the approval of the Town, the landowner (the University of Connecticut), and the citizenry. The process relied on the mending of fences, the leadership of key participants, and an innovative strategy that included development of a nonprofit corporation and creative use of grant money. While zoning changes are still in the works, the first stage of building goes forward.

Augusta Me: The New Bridge Begets A New Planned Neighborhood, Molly Pulsifer, Richard Barringer

Planning

Construction of a new Third Bridge over the Kennebec River in Augusta offered the prospect of a new and handsome gateway to the city. Further, the resulting change in traffic patterns offered the City the chance to plan for a pattern of development quite different from what the city had experienced for the past half-century. The case study describes the planning and construction of the new bridge and corridors that re-routed traffic out of Augusta’s downtown and older neighborhoods, and created the opportunity for planned development adjacent to the corridor created by the new bridge. It goes on to describe …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Issue 1, August 2006

BSE Department Magazine

Contents:
Welcome Comments from Department Head
Student Poster Exhibition
Quarter-scale Tractor Team
Distinguished Fellowship Awards
Scoops and Scholars
Educational Objectives
ASABE Honors Department Faculty and Staff Members
Computer Tool Helps Crop Production under Limited Irrigation
Comings and Goings
Milestones
Faculty and Staff News
Alumni Update
Alumni Profile
Graduation
UCare Spring 2006 Undergraduate Research
MSYM Student on Winning Team
A Nebraskan Goes Way South
Visitors to BSE

Applying Lean Manufacturing Techniques To Improve The Performance Of An Emergency Department, Ramesh Pondhe

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research was an attempt to apply lean manufacturing (LM) techniques, to the healthcare setting specifically to Emergency Department (ED) of a local hospital and to improve its performance. An ED is meant to attend/provide immediate care to a patient who needs medical care immediately and also balancing the care to patients with lesser acuity who arrive at the ED for treatment. The data was collected from the ED by direct observation. The data was statistically analyzed to find out the bottlenecks in the process during the course of a patient's treatment to further provide solutions and improve the performance …