Digital Commons Network^™

Stormwater Harvesting Using Retention And In-Line Pipes For Treatment Consistent With The New Statewide Stormwater Rule, Martin Wanielista, Mike Hardin, Ikiensinma Gogo-Abite, Manoj Chopra

BMP Trains Research and Publications

Stormwater rules and regulations are evolving. Thus, there is a need for research that supports alternative methods for water quality treatment of runoff water. The information in this report supports the use of filtration media called Biosorption Activated Media (BAM) that improves runoff water quality. Runoff to impaired waters may need additional treatment or reduced volume of discharge to meet a mass discharge limitation. In addition, some nutrients in runoff waters may need to be removed before they percolate to nutrient sensitive areas such as aquifers with discharge to springs or estuaries. Thus, stormwater harvesting or reuse is another best …

Smaller Spacecraft For Education And Space Research, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "Smaller spacecraft for education and space research" from May 14, 2013.

Water Soluble Polymer Solar Cells From Electrospray Deposition, Marshall Sweet

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation reports the fabrication and characterization of thin films from the water soluble polymer sodium poly[2-(3-thienyl)-ethyloxy-4-butylsulfonate] (PTEBS) by electrospray deposition (ESD). Contiguous thin films were created by adjusting the parameters of the electrospray apparatus and solution properties to maintain a steady Taylor cone for uniform nanoparticle aerosolization and controlling the particle water content to enable coalescence with previously deposited particles. The majority of deposited particles had diameters less than 52 nm. A thin film of 64.7 nm with a root mean square surface roughness of 20.2 nm was achieved after 40 minutes of ESD. Hybrid Solar Cells (HSCs) with …

Techniques For Li-Bdn Synthesis For Hybrid Microarchitectural Simulation, Tyler S. Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Computer designers rely upon near-cycle-accurate microarchitectural simulation to explore the design space of new systems. Unfortunately, such simulators are becoming increasingly slow as systems become more complex. Hybrid simulators which offload some of the simulation work onto FPGAs can increase the speed; however, such simulators must be automatically synthesized or the time to design them becomes prohibitive. Furthermore, FPGA implementations of simulators may require multiple FPGA clock cycles to implement behavior that takes place within one simulated clock cycle, making correct arbitrary composition of simulator components impossible and limiting the amount of hardware concurrency which can be achieved. Latency-Insensitive Bounded …

Hollow Fiber Module For Continuous Ethanol Fermentation, Leia M. Dwyer

Honors Scholar Theses

Continuous processes have several advantages over their batch counterparts and are prevalent across the chemical engineering industry today. The process of brewing beer, however, remains a batch process. Transforming the brewing process into a continuous process could have many advantages including lowered process down-time, increased profits, and higher product homogeneity. This project looked into several aspects of the brewing process to gain insight into the potential for continuous ethanol fermentation. First, a kinetic model was developed for the enzymatic breakdown of starch to simple sugars in the production of wort from malted barley. Next, the growth kinetics of brewer’s yeast, …

An Exploration Of Carbon-Filled Carbon Nanotubes As A Potential Material In Coronary Stents, Kristopher Neil Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to explore the potential of using carbon-infiltrated carbon nanotubes (CI-CNT) as a material for coronary artery stents. Stents are commonly fabricated from metal, which may not perform as well as many polymers and ceramics in biomedical applications. Pyrolytic carbon, a ceramic, is currently used in medical implant devices due to its preferrable biocompatibility properties. Micro-patterned pyrolytic carbon devices can be created by growing carbon nanotubes, and then filling the space between with amorphous carbon via chemical vapor deposition. We prepared multiple samples of two different planar stent-like flexible geometries and smaller cubic structures out …

Biomedical Photoacoustic Imaging Using Gas-Coupled Laser Acoustic Detection, Jami Johnson

Student Research Initiative

Several detection methods have been explored for photoacoustic and ultrasound imaging of biological tissues. Piezoelectric transducers are commonly used, which require contact with the sample to be imaged and have limiting bandwidth characteristics. Interferometry detection exhibits improved bandwidth characteristics and resolution, yet generally require complicated optics and the incorporation of a contacting reflective medium. In this paper, we report the use of a noncontact photoacoustic imaging system that does not require the use of a reflective layer. A simple, robust technique known as gas-coupled laser acoustic detection is used, which has previously been applied to evaluation of composite materials. This …

Computational Capabilities Of Leaky Integrate-And-Fire Neural Networks For Liquid State Machines, Amin Almassian, Christof Teuscher

Student Research Symposium

We analyze the computational capability of Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) Neural Networks used as a reservoir (liquid) in the framework of Liquid State Machines (LSM). Maass et. al. investigated LIF neurons in LSM and their results showed that they are capable of noise-robust, parallel, and real-time computation. However, it still remains an open question how the network topology affects the computational capability of a reservoir. To address that question, we investigate the performance of the reservoir as a function of the average reservoir connectivity. We also show that the dynamics of the LIF reservoir is sensitive to changes in the average …

Designing A Low Cost Prosthetic Arm Device, Samira Rezaei, Frank Fields, Tamara J. Depue

Student Research Symposium

The goal of the project is to build a functional low-cost prosthetic arm that is easily maintained. The focus is on prostheses that attach to the forearm. This design must perform daily life tasks such as picking up, holding and carrying objects while playing and working. To begin the design, a mechanical finger was built with wooden tongue depressors as bone material; rubber bands, string, and drinking straws as muscle material; and masking tape as ligament and tendon material. The length of each joint was set to the golden ratio. Using this method, a basic "hand" was created that could …

The Design And Validation Of A Computational Model Of The Human Wrist Joint, Afsarul Mir

Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in computational capabilities have allowed researchers to turn towards modeling as an efficient tool to replicate and predict outcomes of complex systems. Computational models of the musculoskeletal system have gone through various iterations with early versions employing dramatic simplifications. In this work, a three-dimensional computational model of the wrist joint was developed. It accurately recreated the skeletal structures of the hand and wrist and represented the constraints imposed by soft tissue structures like ligaments, tendons, and other surrounding tissues. It was developed to function as a tool to investigate the biomechanical contributions of structures and the kinematic response of …

Relating Air Quality In The Work Environment To Occupational Health Disease, Hussien Awad Alumar

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Comprehensive knowledge of the air pollutants effects on the human health generally is a crucial requirement in developing effective policies for reducing such adverse effects related to ambient air pollution. Such knowledge would be essential in helping various affected countries, including the less developed countries (LDCs), to develop effective regulatory frameworks for assessing and managing air quality in the workplaces. Developed and developing countries therefore need to develop effective techniques or strategies focused towards improving the workplace monitoring competence in diverse industrial environments. Such initiatives are essential in reducing or eliminating the industrial pollutants within the workplaces while also helping …

Oxygen Tomography By Čerenkov-Excited Phosphorescence During External Beam Irradiation, Rongxiao Zhang, Scott C. Davis, Jennifer-Lynn H. Demers, Adam K. Glaser, David J. Gladstone, Tatiana V. Esipova, Sergei A. Vinogradov, Brian W. Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

The efficacy of radiation therapy depends strongly on tumor oxygenation during irradiation. However, current techniques to measure this parameter in vivo do not facilitate routine monitoring in patients. Herein, we demonstrate a noninvasive method for tomographic imaging of oxygen partial pressure (pO₂ ) in deep tissue using the phosphorescence decay of an oxygen-sensitive probe excited by Čerenkov radiation induced by external beam radiotherapy. Tissue-simulating scattering phantoms (60 mm diameter with a 20 mm anomaly) containing platinum(II)-G4 (PtG4), a dendritic porphyrin-based phosphor, whose phosphorescence is quenched in the presence of oxygen, were irradiated with a clinical linear accelerator. The …

Tissue Engineering Composite Biomimetic Gelatin Sponges For Bone Regeneration, Isaac Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The field of tissue engineering aims to develop viable substitutes with the ability to repair and regenerate the functions of damaged tissue. Common practices to supplement bone regeneration in larger defects include bone graft biomaterials such as autografts, allografts, xenografts, and synthetic biomaterials. Autologous bone grafting is the current gold-standard procedure used to replace missing or damaged bone. However, these grafts have disadvantages such as donor site morbidity, limited availability, and the need for a secondary surgery. The focus of this study is to tissue engineer a lyophilized gelatin composite sponge composed of hydroxyapatite (HA), chitin whiskers (CW), and preparations …

Multilayer Bioactive Glass/Zirconium Titanate Thin Films In Bone Tissue Engineering And Regenerative Dentistry, Masoud Mozafari, Erfan Salahinejad, Vahid Shabafrooz, Mostafa Yazdimamaghani, Daryoosh Vashaee, Lobat Tayebi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Surface modification, particularly coatings deposition, is beneficial to tissue-engineering applications. In this work, bioactive glass/zirconium titanate composite thin films were prepared by a sol-gel spin-coating method. The surface features of the coatings were studied by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and spectroscopic reflection analyses. The results show that uniform and sound multilayer thin films were successfully prepared through the optimization of the process variables and the application of carboxymethyl cellulose as a dispersing agent. Also, it was found that the thickness and roughness of the multilayer coatings increase nonlinearly with increasing the number of the layers. This new class …

Performance Verification For Behavior-Based Robot Missions, Damian M. Lyons, Ronald Arkin, Shu Jiang, Tsung-Ming Liu, Paramesh Nirmal, J. Deeb

Faculty Publications

Certain robot missions need to perform predictably in a physical en-vironment that may only be poorly characterized in advance. This requirement raises many issues for existing approaches to software verification. An approach based on behavior-based controllers in a process-algebra framework is proposed by Lyons et al [15] to side-step state combinatorics. In this paper we show that this approach can be used to generate a Dynamic Bayesian Network for the problem, and that verification is reduced to a filtering problem for this network. We present validation results for the verification of a multiple waypoint robot mission using this approach.

Deposition And Fate Of Atmospheric Mercury In Forested Landscapes Of The Adirondack Park, Ny, Bradley Blackwell

Civil and Environmental Engineering - Dissertations

In this dissertation, I investigated the deposition and fate of atmospheric mercury (Hg) to forested landscapes of the Adirondack region in Upstate New York. Despite the fact that forests are the dominant land cover in North America, there has been relatively little research on the deposition, transport, and fate of Hg within forested ecosystems. The objective of this dissertation was to quantify pathways of Hg deposition in forested sites in the Adirondack Park and to examine spatial and geographic patterns of Hg deposition and fate.

The research for this dissertation was conducted in three phases. In Phase One, I compared …

The Role Of String Similarity Metrics In Ontology Alignment, Michelle Cheatham, Pascal Hitzler

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Tim Berners-Lee originally envisioned a much different world wide web than the one we have today - one that computers as well as humans could search for the information they need [3]. There are currently a wide variety of research efforts towards achieving this goal, one of which is ontology alignment.

Improving Bioactivity And The Anti-Bacterial Properties Of Two-Solution Bone Cement Containing Cross-Linked Polymethylmethacrylate (Pmma) Nanospheres (Η-Tsbc), Shailly Jariwala

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering - Dissertations

The high viscosity standard two-solution bone cements (STSBC) developed in our laboratory exhibits several advantages over other commercial powder-liquid cement formulations. However, the high monomer concentration, viscosity, and exothermal temperature are considered a major limitation to the use of this material. Modified two-solution cements containing cross-linked polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanospheres (η-TSBC), as part of the polymer phase, were fabricated as the first step for optimization of cement viscosity for application of the material in the treatment of vertebral compression fractures using vertebroplasty (VP) and kyphoplasty (KP). The η-TSBC exhibited reduced viscosity, lower polymerization exotherm, and residual monomer in comparison to STSBC. …

Section Abstracts: Biomedical And General Engineering

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Biomedical and General Engineering Section for the 91st Annual Virginia Journal of Science Meeting, May 2013

Synthesis Of Rhenium And Manganese Pyridazoal Complexes, Jesse Evans

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Pyridazines are a heterocyclic aromatic compound containing a characteristic N-N bond that are utilized in many fields, including medicine and electronics. It is this latter field that Dr. Snyder's research group is focused upon. Organometallic compounds are a better conducting material than the current inorganic compounds used in electronics due to better conductance of electricity, lower production cost, and the ability to be formed into thin films. With this in mind, Dr. Snyder's research group has set out to synthesize organometallic compounds for this purpose. Following procedures set forth by Snyder etc, and altered to form an off-metal route, we …

Comparison Of Personality Traits Among Estimators, Project Managers, And The Population, Alan Atalah

Construction Management Faculty Publications

The intuitive hypothesis that Construction Management Professionals (CMP) must have a high level of people skills implies that they should be different than the population at large in terms of people skills. In addition, estimators do not deal with as many people as project managers; therefore, they may not have/need as high of people skills as project managers. This paper tests these hypotheses through the analysis of 47 personality traits of 102 experienced applicants for construction management positions and compares this analysis to the traits of the overall population. The analysis suggested that (1) CMP were significantly different from the …

In Vivo Efficacy Of Chitosan/Interleukin-12 In Controlling Lung Metastasis In 4t1 Breast Cancer Model, Jimmy Vo

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a leading front in cancer treatment. In contrast to other treatment methods such as radiation and surgery, immunotherapy trains the patient's body to recognize and eliminate tumors, thus preventing reoccurrence of secondary tumors. IL-12 has been shown to display a potent anti-tumor immune response in mice; however, when clinical trials were conducted, it was shown to be toxic and in some cases fatal when administered systemically.1,2 Because of this, local delivery of IL-12 is under investigation. Our lab has shown that when paired with the polymer chitosan, local, intratumoral (i.t.) injections of IL-12 are retained …

Design And Construction Of An Experiment For The Investigation Of The Effects Of Gust On Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle Power Consumption, Brett Hiller

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In recent years, the promising nature of flapping wing flight has led researchers to investigate the wing morphology and unsteady wing aerodynamics found in insects to aid in the design of modern micro air vehicles (MAVs). A high-fidelity flapping wing MAV could achieve high mobility, hovering stability, increased stealth, and efficient flight at low speeds. These characteristics offer a viable solution to the operational requirements for the typical hazardous and dynamic environments encountered during flight. While the kinematics and morphology of flapping wings are well-understood, significant research has yet to be completed with respect to the control and power requirements …

Characterization Of An Affitoid Variable Region To Be Used For Mdm-2 Detection In Elisa Microarray, Graham Reinhard

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) microarray using peptoid-based affinity reagents, referred to as affitoids, is potentially a very powerful tool for the early detection of cancer and other complex diseases. Current detection methods for cancer are inadequate because most are imaging techniques and require that the cancer has progressed far enough for growths to be visible, which is often far too late for treatment to be effective. One possible way to overcome this issue is to use a biological detection technique that is able to detect proteins that are secreted specifically by cancerous cells (referred to as biomarkers). These biomarkers …

Cationic Starch Synthesis, Development, And Evaluation For Harvesting Microalgae For Wastewater Treatment, Renil John Anthony

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Microalgae are the preferred crop for the production of biodiesel. Microalgae are microplants that have the ability to harness sunlight more efficiently than other plants and store 20-80% lipids per g of dry algae in their cells. Microalgae have the extraordinary ability to grow in brackish water or wastewater. Microalgae can be grown in municipal wastewater to uptake phosphorus and nitrogen and remediate the wastewater of these nutrients. Microalgae thus cultivated accomplishes a dual role of wastewater treatment and provides a sustainable feedstock for biofuels and other bioproducts.

This study focused on efficiently harvesting microalgae from water using modified starch. …

Analysis And Design Of A Thermal Capacitor For Use In The Food Industry, Karen Nielson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Team Hot Stuff is working with Thermal Management Technologies (TMT) of Logan, UT to explore the concept of a thermal capacitor serving platter. With the funding from TMT, Hot Stuff will design, build, and test a prototype serving platter. This report is written by Hot Stuff for MAE 4800, Capstone Design I; it covers the design and analysis of a serving platter.

Nutrient Contribution Of The Shallow Unconfined Aquifer To Pineview Reservoir, Thomas Nyanda Reuben

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pineview Reservoir, near Utah’s populous Wasatch Front, could play an important role in modulating water supply as water demands and water uses change in response to increasing population densities. The reservoir’s water quality may decline if nitrogen and phosphorus additions to the reservoir are not controlled. Most of the water flowing into the reservoir in summer and fall is contributed by the shallow ground water. The quantity and quality of the shallow ground water to Pineview Reservoir were studied from February 2010 through November 2011. The objectives were to: 1) increase understanding of nitrogen and phosphorus transport from ground water …

Bio-Separation Process Improvement Via Genomic Manipulation: Development Of Novel Strains For Use In Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (Imac), Ryan Curtis Haley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation is comprised of three parts. Part I describes proteomic analysis of native bacterial proteins from Escherichia coli (E.coli) that bind during Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography (IMAC). Part II describes the value in exploiting proteome based data as a tool toward the design an E. coli expression strain that is particularly useful when Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography is employed as the initial capture step of a homologous protein purification process. Part III describes a methodology of chromosomal mapping of all contaminant gene products.

The objective of Part I was to identify all E. coli proteins that bind to Co(II), …

Study Of Immobilizing Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots In Selected Polymers For Application In Peroxyoxalate Chemiluminescence Flow Injection Analysis, Christopher S. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two batches of CdSe QDs with different sizes were synthesized for immobilizing in polyisoprene (PI), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The combinations of QDs and polymer substrates were evaluated for their analytical fit-for-use in applicable immunoassays. Hydrogen peroxide standards were injected into the flow injection analyzer (FIA) constructed to simulate enzyme-generated hydrogen peroxide reacting with bis-(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate.

Linear correlations between hydrogen peroxide and chemilumenscent intensities yielded regression values greater than 0.9750 for hydrogen peroxide concentrations between 1.0 x 10^-4 M and 1.0 x 10^-1 M. The developed technique’s LOD was approximately 10 ppm. Variability of the prepared …

Analysis And Mitigation Of The Cubesat Dynamic Environment, Steve M. Furger

Master's Theses

A vibration model was developed for CubeSats inside the Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD). CubeSats are fixed in the Z axis of deployers, and therefore resonate with deployer peaks. CubeSats generally start fixed in the X and Y axes, and then settle into an isolated position. CubeSats do not resonate with deployers after settling into an isolated position. Experimental data shows that the P-POD amplifies vibration loads when CubeSats are fixed in the deployer, and vibration loads are reduced when the CubeSats settle into an isolated position. A concept for a future deployer was proposed that isolates CubeSats from the deployer …