Digital Commons Network^™

Biodegradation Of An Organophosphate Chemical Warfare Agent Simulant By Activated Sludge With Varying Solid Retention Times, Allen K. Janeczko

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the fate of malathion, a surrogate compound for VX studies, in bench-scale sequencing batch bioreactors being operated under varied solid retention times (SRTs) to simulate the activated sludge process in wastewater treatment facilities. Results show that a constant influent of the malathion will largely be removed. However, the heterotrophic bacteria undergo a stress response which temporarily inhibits malathion removal, the extent of which increases with increasing SRTs. After this stress response takes place, the activated sludge is able to resume a high degree of malathion removal, even with increased influent concentration; however, this is done so at …

The Moderating Effect Of Network Centrality On The Relationship Between Work Experience Variables And Organizational Commitment, Luke M. Kaspari

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the effect of an individual's network position on the relationship between work experience variables and affective commitment. This study tested three hypotheses, which were introduced through a comprehensive literature review, regarding the relationships between work experience variables and affective commitment. Research has indicated linkages between social network centrality and organizational commitment; however, the specific effects of centrality remain unclear. Therefore, this research developed and tested a moderation model to identify relationships between network centrality, affective commitment, and three work experience variables: psychological empowerment (PE), leader-member exchange (LMX), and perceived organizational support (POS). …

An Evaluation Of The Organizational Structure Of Air Force Emergency Operations Centers Using Social Network Analysis And Design Structure Matrices, John W. Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 demonstrated that the United States' emergency response capability, while robust, was disorganized in that organizations were not prepared or equipped to coordinate response actions across multiple agencies at a national level. This research investigates whether NIMS and the AFIMS structure is optimal for Air Force emergency managers, or whether, while maintaining NIMS compliance, there is a more effective way for the Air Force to organize its emergency management and response forces. Specifically this research focuses on the organization of the EOC and investigates whether shifting from the current structure of the ESFs to …

Influence Of Media Size And Flow Rate On The Transport Of Silver Nanoparticles In Saturated Porous Media: Laboratory Experiments And Modeling, Travis J. Meidinger

Theses and Dissertations

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely produced and used. Because of their potential toxicity and the possibility of their release into the environment, it is important to understand the factors involved in their transport; particularly how they may move in groundwater, which is a potential pathway to human and environmental receptors. By passing a solution of 15 mg/L AgNPs with an average size of 17 nm through sand-filled glass columns, this study looks at the physical effects of flow rate and media size on transport. Three different sand sizes ( 0.074, 0.21-0.297, and 0.4-2.0mm) were used, as well as two different …

Needed Actions Within Defense Acquisitions Based On A Forecast Of Future Mobile Information And Communications Technologies Deployed In Austere Environments, Andrew T. Soine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was twofold. First, it developed a forecast of future mobile information and communications technologies (ICT) suitable for use by military forces in austere environments in 5-10, 10-20, and beyond 20 years. Secondly, it explored whether or not current acquisitions practices will be adequate to meet the needs of warfighters who depend on mobile ICT. These questions were explored by conducting utilization of the Delphi technique. Eight panelists from within the private sector conducted three rounds of iterative feedback. This research resulted in a technology forecast for the three timeframes aforementioned, and the potential impacts to …

An Investigation And Analysis Of The Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex In A Vibration Environment, Daniel J. Uribe

Theses and Dissertations

Forty years of innovations have greatly improved Helmet-Mounted Displays (HMDs) and their integration into military systems. However, a significant issue with HMDs is the effect of vibration and the associated Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex (VOR). When a human’s head is subject to low-frequency vibration, the VOR stabilizes the eye with respect to objects in the external environment. However, this response is inappropriate in HMDs as the display moves with the user’s head and the VOR blurs the image as it is projected on the human retina. Current compensation techniques suggest increasing the size of displayed graphics or text to compensate for the …

Fate Of Malathion In An Activated Sludge Municipal Wastewater Treatment System, Edward B. Walters

Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphate compounds are used as pesticides and in chemical warfare agents such as nerve agents. VX (O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate) is one of the most toxic and environmentally persistent of these nerve agents. This research examined the fate of malathion, a pesticide and surrogate of VX (O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate), in bench-scale activated sludge (AS) sequencing batch reactors. Sorption kinetics and sorption equilibrium isotherm experiments indicate that sorption to AS biomass was not a statistically important removal mechanism. However, approximately 90% of the initial 4.25 mg L-1 malathion concentration degraded primarily via heterotrophic activity.

A Trophic State Analysis Of Lakes In Yellowstone National Park, Anthony Alexander Melcher

Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication is of interest in the field of water quality. Eutrophic lakes, when used as sources for drinking water, can cause problems during the treatment process, for example algae blooms can clog filters, requiring more water and energy to be used during the cleaning and backwashing of the filters. Excess nutrient loading and eutrophication can also harm fish and aquatic life habitats. Certain species of algae and cyanobacteria can be toxic to humans as well. Since 1998, Dr. A. Woodruff Miller has collected water samples from 46 lakes and ponds in Yellowstone National Park. The Carlson Trophic State Index, the …

Microfabrication Processes And Advancements In Planar Electrode Ion Traps As Mass Spectrometers, Brett Jacob Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents advances in the development of planar electrode ion traps. An ion trap is a device that can be used in mass analysis applications. Electrode surfaces create an electric field profile that trap ionized molecules of an analyte. The electric fields can then be manipulated to mass-selectively eject ions out of the trap into a detector. The resulting data can be used to analyze molecular structure and composition of an unknown compound. Conventional ion traps require machined electrode surfaces to form the electric trapping field. This class of electrode presents significant obstacles when attempting to miniaturize ion traps …

Passive Stiffness Of Coupled Wrist And Forearm Rotations, Will Brandon Drake

Theses and Dissertations

The dynamics of wrist rotations are dominated by joint stiffness, which the neuromuscular system must account and compensate for when controlling wrist movements. Because wrist stiffness is anisotropic, movements in some directions require less torque than movements in others, creating opportunities to follow "paths of least resistance." Forearm pronation-supination (PS) can combine with wrist flexion-extension (FE) and radial-ulnar deviation (RUD) to allow the wrist to rotate in directions of least stiffness. Evaluating this hypothesis, and understanding the control of combined wrist and forearm rotations in general, requires a knowledge of the stiffness (the dominant mechanical impedance) encountered during combined wrist …

Protein-Surface Interactions With Coarse-Grain Simulation Methods, Shuai Wei

Theses and Dissertations

The interaction of proteins with surfaces is a major process involved in protein microarrays. Understanding protein-surface interactions is key to improving the performance of protein microarrays, but current understanding of the behavior of proteins on surfaces is lacking. Prevailing theories on the subject, which suggest that proteins should be stabilized when tethered to surfaces, do not explain the experimentally observed fact that proteins are often denatured on surfaces. This document outlines several studies done to develop a model which is capable of predicting the stabilization and destabilization of proteins tethered to surfaces. As the start point of the research, part …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The New Kentucky Nitrogen and Phosphorus Risk Assessment Tool to Protect Water Quality, Tibor Horvath and others, USDA-NRCS, Lexington, KY
• Groundwater Phosphorus in Kentucky Relative to Karst, Groundwater Sensitivity, and Groundwater Physiographic Region, Caroline Chan, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Comparison of Irrigation Scheduling Based on Daily Water Use or Plant Water Demand of Container Grown Nursery Plants, Susmitha Nambuthiri and others, Dept of Horticulture, UK
• Arsenic Species in Broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) Litter, Soils, Maize (Zea mays L.), and Groundwater from Litter-Amended Fields, Georgia Zeigler and others, Dept Plant and Soil Science, UK
• Cyberinfrastructure …

Session 2d, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• A Stability Index for Northern Kentucky Streams, Bob Hawley and others, Sustainable Streams, LLC, Louisville, KY
• The Gunpowder and Woolper Creek Watershed Initiatives, Local Cases of a National Problem, Mark Jacobs and others, Boone County Conservation District, Burlington, KY
• Watershed-Scale Model of Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles in Streams, William Ford and Jimmy Fox, Dept of Civil Engineering, UK
• Sensor Network for Suspended Sediment Monitoring, Robert Stewart and others, Dept of Civil Engineering, UK

Session 2c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Mercury Bioaccumulation and the Impact of Stream Basin Characteristics on Susceptible Populations: Policy Implications for Kentucky, Caroline Chan, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Asian Carp in Kentucky Waters: An Ecological Disaster? Ron Brooks, Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Frankfort, KY
• Effects of Streambed Sediments on the Fate of Selenium in Eastern Kentucky Watersheds Contaminated with Surface Coal Mining Operations, Edward Fisher and Yi-Tin Wang, Dept of Civil Engineering, UK
• Thermal Dependence of Solvation Geometries in Aqueous Nitrate Ion Solutions, Matthew Nee, Dept of Chemistry, WKU, Bowling Green, KY
• The Combined Effects of Atrazine and …

Session 2b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Developing a Vegetation-Based Index of Biotic Integrity for Assessing the Ecological Condition of Wetlands in Kentucky, Tanner Morris and others, Dept of Biological Sciences, EKU, Richmond, KY
• Using Vegetation and Landscape Analysis to Validate a Wetland Rapid Assessment Method for Kentucky's Forested Riparian Wetlands, JohnRyan Polascik and others, Dept of Biological Sciences, EKU, Richmond, KY
• Improving Overall Stream Function Beyond the Channel (Opportunity Meets Necessity), Oakes Routt and Wanda Lawson, Stantec Consulting Services Inc., Louisville, KY
• The Effects of Prescribed Fire Restoration on Amphibian and Reptile Diversity, Robert Knopp and others, Murray State University, Murray, KY …

Session 1c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Engaging Partners in the Cane Rune Watershed, Carol Hanley and others, College of Agriculture, UK
• Water Quality Monitoring Results from the McConnell Springs Stormwater Quality Wetland Pond and Gainseway Pond Retrofit Project, David Price and Susan Plueger, Lexington-Fayette County Government, Lexington, KY
• Hydrologic Characterization of a Tree- and Shrub-Vegetated Rain Garden in Central Kentucky, John McMaine and Carmen Agouridis, Dept Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, UK
• Watershed Based Planning in the Urban Wolf Run Watershed, Steven Evans, Third Rock Consultants, LLC, Lexington, KY
• Estimating Load Reduction Costs for Assessing Stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) Feasibility: A Case …

Session 1a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Development and Testing of a New Phosphorus Index for Kentucky, Carl Bolster and others, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• The New Kentucky Nitrogen and Phosphorus Risk Assessment Tool to Protect Water Quality, Tibor Horvath and others, USDA-NRCS, Lexington, KY
• Herbicide Transport Within Shallow Karst Groundwater on Kentucky's Pennyroyal Plateau Beneath Row Crop Agriculture, Chris Groves and others, Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, WKU, Bowling Green, KY
• Groundwater Tracing in the West Pennyrile Karst Region, Robert Blair and Jessica Moore, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY

Getting Real About The E In Steam, James Catterall

The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal

STEM and STEAM are in the news. Researchers and educators in my field (cognition, art, and creativity) argue reasons for adding the A to STEM. While I visit this below, my focus is elsewhere. In this brief essay, I want to explore the meaning and importance of the E appearing in both STEM and STEAM. What’s engineering doing in this mix? And what are some reasons for affirming the arts when the role of engineering is clarified?

Advanced
 Biological 
And 
Biomedical 
Applications 
In 
Electrical 
Engineering, Dr. Neal K. Bangerter, Dr. Brian A. Mazzeo

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The 
aim 
of 
the 
awarded 
MEG 
grant
 was 
to
 provide
 seed 
funding 
to 
establish
 a
 mentorship 
program 
for
 undergraduate 
students 
wishing
 to
 prepare 
for 
careers 
or 
graduate
 work 
in 
biological
 or 
biomedical
 applications 
of 
electrical
 engineering. 

Such
 a 
program
 has 
been
notably 
absent
in
 the
 College 
of
 Engineering 
at
 BYU.

Adaptive Human Control Gains During Precision Grip, Erik D. Engeberg

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Eight human test subjects attempted to track a desired position trajectory with an instrumented manipulandum (MN). The test subjects used the MN with three different levels of stiffness. A transfer function was developed to represent the human application of a precision grip from the data when the test subjects initially displaced the MN so as to learn the position mapping from the MN onto the display. Another transfer function was formed from the data of the remainder of the experiments, after significant displacement of the MN occurred. Both of these transfer functions accurately modelled the system dynamics for a portion …

Microfluidic Refractive Index Sensor Based On An All-Silica In-Line Fabry–Perot Interferometer Fabricated With Microstructured Fibers, Jiajun Tian, Yujie Lu, Qi Zhang, Ming Han

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

We report a microfluidic fiber-optic refractive index (RI) sensor based on an in-line Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer, which is formed by a silica tube sandwiched by two microstructured fibers (MFs). The sensor reported here can be fabricated at low cost, possess a robust structure, and has microfluidic capability. The micro-sized holes in the MFs naturally function as microfluidic channels through which liquid samples can be efficiently and conveniently delivered into and out of the FP cavity by a pressure/vacuum pump system for high-performance RI measurement. Due to the microfluidic capability enabled by the MFs, only sub microliter sample is required. We …

Self-Assembling Biomimetic Hydrogels With Bioadhesive Properties For Tissue Engineering Applications, Craig Wiltsey

Theses and Dissertations

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that aims to repair or regenerate lost or damaged tissues and organs in the body. For the repair of certain load-bearing parts of the body, success of a tissue regeneration strategy can be dependent on scaffold adhesion or integration with the surrounding host tissue to prevent dislocation. One such area is the regeneration of the intervertebral disc (IVD). The objective of this work is to generate a bioadhesive polymer that, in addition to bonding with tissue, can support encapsulated cell survival post-adhesion. Thermosensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was grafted with chondroitin sulfate (CS) (PNIPAAm-g-CS) and blended …

Developing A Stem Teacher Recruitment Pipeline, Kimberly Shaw, Cindy Ticknor, Tim Howard

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

The Columbus Region Academy of Future Teachers of STEM (CRAFT-STEM), a Phase I Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program, combines internships and scholarships, an exciting summer STEM Honors Camp, a new Teaching Connections Seminar, and an impressive array of existing resources to recruit, prepare, and graduate an increasing number of STEM teachers committed to serving high need high schools.

Research Participants Discuss Stem Conference Participation And Impacton Thinking And Practice, Colleen Beyer, Thomas Koballa, Delena Bell Gatch, Leslie S. Jones, Sharmistha Basu-Dutt, Farooq Khan

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

Last spring, Georgia Southern University hosted its first Scholarship of STEM Teaching and Learning conference. Conference participants were asked to respond to a survey and a subset of participants was selected for an in-depth study. In this session, an overview of the research project will be presented and current research participants will discuss the impact of conference participation on their thinking and practice.

Building, Refining & Defining Stem Learning Outcomes: K-16 Implications, Richard A. Duschl

Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019) (Archived)

The July 2012 release of the National Research Council Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts and Core Ideas heralds ‘a new vision of science in education.’ The Framework sets out a comprehensive agenda for the reform of science and engineering education coordinated around 3 Dimensions: Science & Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. While the Framework’s central mission is to impact K-12 education through implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards, there are important but less understood implications for higher education, informal science education and publics’ understandings of science communication efforts. In this talk, I will provide …

Effects Of Forming Gas Anneal On Ultrathin Ingaas Nanowire Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors, Mengwei Si, Jiangjiang Gu, Xinwei Wang, Jiayi Shao, Xuefei Li, Michael J. Manfra, Roy G. Gordon, Peide D. Ye

Birck and NCN Publications

InGaAs gate-all-around metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with 6 nm nanowire thickness have been experimentally demonstrated at sub-80 nm channel length. The effects of forming gas anneal (FGA) on the performance of these devices have been systematically studied. The 30min 400 degrees C FGA (4% H-2/96% N-2) is found to improve the quality of the Al2O3/InGaAs interface, resulting in a subthreshold slope reduction over 20mV/dec (from 117mV/dec in average to 93mV/dec). Moreover, the improvement of interface quality also has positive impact on the on-state device performance. A scaling metrics study has been carried out for FGA treated devices with channel lengths …

Laser Direct Writing Of Silicon Field Effect Transistor Sensors, Woongsik Nam, James I. Mitchell, Chookiat Tansarawiput, Minghao Qi, Xianfan Xu

Birck and NCN Publications

We demonstrate a single step technique to fabricate silicon wires for field effect transistor sensors. Boron-doped silicon wires are fabricated using laser direct writing in combination with chemical vapor deposition, which has the advantages of precise control of position, orientation, and length, and in situ doping. The silicon wires can be fabricated to have very rough surfaces by controlling laser operation parameters, and thus, have large surface areas, enabling high sensitivity for sensing. Highly sensitive pH sensing is demonstrated. We expect our method can be expanded to the fabrication of various sensing devices beyond chemical sensors. (C) 2013 American Institute …

A Software Tool For The Design Of Critical Robot Missions With Performance Guarantees, Damian M. Lyons, Ronald C. Arkin, Paramesh Nirmal, Shu Jiang, Tsung-Ming Liu

Faculty Publications

Deploying a robot as part of a counter-weapons of mass destruction mission demands that the robotic software operates with high assurance. A unique feature of robotic software development is the need to perform predictably in a physical environment that may only be poorly characterized in advance. In this paper, we present an approach to building high assurance software for robot missions carried out in uncertain environments. The software development framework and the verification algorithm, VIPARS, are described in detail. Results are presented for missions including motion and sensing uncertainty, interaction with obstacles, and the use of sensors to guide behavior.

Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Thresholds For Nanopore Formation In Neural Cells., Caleb C Roth, Gleb P Tolstykh, Jason A Payne, Marjorie A Kuipers, Gary L. Thompson Iii, Mauris N Desilva, Bennett L Ibey

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

The persistent influx of ions through nanopores created upon cellular exposure to nanosecond pulse electric fields (nsPEF) could be used to modulate neuronal function. One ion, calcium (Ca(2+)), is important to action potential firing and regulates many ion channels. However, uncontrolled hyper-excitability of neurons leads to Ca(2+) overload and neurodegeneration. Thus, to prevent unintended consequences of nsPEF-induced neural stimulation, knowledge of optimum exposure parameters is required. We determined the relationship between nsPEF exposure parameters (pulse width and amplitude) and nanopore formation in two cell types: rodent neuroblastoma (NG108) and mouse primary hippocampal neurons (PHN). We identified thresholds for nanoporation using …

Case History Of Microtunneling Through A Very Soft Soil Condition, Alan Atalah

Construction Management Faculty Publications

Waikiki Public Bath Force Main Replacement Project consists of 1,037 m of 400 mm force main that carries the wastewater from the Public Bath pump station to a gravity sewer on the Kuhio Avenue. This force main transports wastewater underneath Kalakaua Ave, very close to some of the most expensive real state in the world. This area is the heart of Waikiki beach, and it is full of beach resorts, five star hotels, shopping, etc. The soil strata can be described as 2.50 to 3.00 m deep of beach sand on top of half a meter of a very hard …