Digital Commons Network^™

Depth And Frequency Dependence Of Geoacoustic Properties On The New England Mud Patch From Reflection Coefficient Inversion, Jiang Yong-Min, Charles W. Holland, Stan E. Dosso, Jan Dettmer

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Muddy sediments cover significant portions of continental shelves, but their physical properties remain poorly understood compared to sandy sediments. This paper presents a generally applicable model for sediment-column structure and variability on the New England Mud Patch (NEMP), based on trans-dimensional Bayesian inversion of wide-angle, broadband reflection-coefficient data in this work and in two previously published reflection-coefficient inversions at different sites on the NEMP. The data considered here include higher frequencies and larger bandwidth and cover lower reflection grazing angles than the previous studies, hence, resulting in geoacoustic profiles with significantly better structural resolution and smaller uncertainties. The general sediment-column …

Biomembrane-Based Memcapacitive Reservoir Computing System For Energy-Efficient Temporal Data Processing, Md Razuan Hossain, Ahmed S. Mohamed, Nicholas X. Armendarez, Joseph S. Najem, Md Sakib Hasan

Faculty and Student Publications

Reservoir computing is a highly efficient machine learning framework for processing temporal data by extracting input features and mapping them into higher dimensional spaces. Physical reservoirs have been realized using spintronic oscillators, atomic switch networks, volatile memristors, etc. However, these devices are intrinsically energy-dissipative due to their resistive nature, increasing their power consumption. Therefore, memcapacitive devices can provide a more energy-efficient approach. Herein, volatile biomembrane-based memcapacitors are leveraged as reservoirs to solve classification tasks and process time series in simulation and experimentally. This system achieves a 99.6% accuracy for spoken-digit classification and a normalized mean square error of 7.81×10−4$7.81 \times …

Teacher Candidates’ Conceptions And Practices Of Computational Thinking For Equity, Heather F. Clark, Symone A. Gyles, Imelda Nava-Landeros

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This study documents novice science and math teachers’ developing pedagogical approaches to integrating computational thinking (CT) and data into their courses to support educational equity and social justice. The 10 novice teacher candidates (TCs) studied were part of an urban teacher residency program that empowered them with an asset-based pedagogy we describe as “CT for Equity.” Drawing on coursework and interviews as data, we asked three questions: What are teachers’ conceptions of CT? What are their CT instructional practices? And how did their students respond to those practices? To explore conceptions of CT, we used Kafai et al.’s (2020) articulation …

Lactation Physiokinetics—Using Advances In Technology For A Fresh Perspective On Human Milk Transfer, Jimi Francis, Paul Flynn, Maisha Naowar, Premananda Indic, Darby Dickton

Electrical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Though the nature of breastfeeding is critical, scant information is available on how the action of the milk transfer from mother to infant is regulated in humans, where the points of dysfunction are, and what can be done to optimize breastfeeding outcomes. While better therapeutic strategies are needed, before they can be devised, a basic scientific understanding of the biomechanical mechanisms that regulate human milk transfer from breast to stomach must first be identified, defined, and understood. Methods: Combining systems biology and systems medicine into a conceptual framework, using engineering design principles, this work investigates the use of biosensors …

Impact Of Thermal Maturation Of The Upper Cretaceous Bituminous Limestone Of Attarat Um Ghudran Central Jordan On Calcareous Nannofossil Preservation, Mohammad Alqudah, Mohammad Al Alaween, Adam Fermor, Ezaldeen Ali, Thomas Wagner, Mohammed Hail Alhakimi, Afikah Rahim

All Works

Oil shale deposits of the Late Cretaceous from three boreholes in central Jordan were examined to assess the impact of thermal maturation on the content of nannofossils. Thermal activity has been shown to have a strong effect on organic matter content and composition but its effect on calcareous nannofossil assemblages remains inconclusive. This study aims to determine the impact of thermal maturation on nannofossil assemblages and to compare this to an estimated maturity level based on bulk geochemical analysis. Micropaleontological and geochemical analyses were conducted on 31 samples from three oil shale wells drilled in Attarat Um Ghudran central Jordan. …

Fortifying Iot Against Crimpling Cyber-Attacks: A Systematic Review, Usman Tariq, Irfan Ahmed, Muhammad Attique Khan, Ali Kashif Bashir

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The rapid growth and increasing demand for Internet of Things (IoT) devices in our everyday lives create exciting opportunities for human involvement, data integration, and seamless automation. This fully interconnected ecosystem considerably impacts crucial aspects of our lives, such as transportation, healthcare, energy management, and urban infrastructure. However, alongside the immense benefits, the widespread adoption of IoT also brings a complex web of security threats that can influence society, policy, and infrastructure conditions. IoT devices are particularly vulnerable to security violations, and industrial routines face potentially damaging vulnerabilities. To ensure a trustworthy and robust security framework, it is crucial to …

Coexistence Of Specialist And Generalist Species Within Mixed Plastic Derivative-Utilizing Microbial Communities, Laura G. Schaerer, Lindsay I. Putman, Isaac Bigcraft, Emma Byrne, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Sulihat Aloba, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications

BACKGROUND Plastic-degrading microbial isolates offer great potential to degrade, transform, and upcycle plastic waste. Tandem chemical and biological processing of plastic wastes has been shown to substantially increase the rates of plastic degradation however, the focus of this work has been almost entirely on microbial isolates (either bioengineered or naturally occurring). We propose that a microbial community has even greater potential for plastic upcycling. A microbial community has greater metabolic diversity to process mixed plastic waste streams and has built-in functional redundancy for optimal resilience. RESULTS Here, we used two plastic-derivative degrading communities as a model system to investigate the …

The Santa Clara, 2023-10-13, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches To Describe Factors Affecting Preweaning Mortality Of Piglets, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Bandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Vamsi Manthena, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska, over the years 2016 to 2021. Sows were housed in a farrowing building with three rooms, each with 20 farrowing crates, and taken care of by well-trained animal caretakers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the various sow, litter, …

Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches To Describe Factors Affecting Preweaning Mortality Of Piglets, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Bandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Vamsi Manthena, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska, over the years 2016 to 2021. Sows were housed in a farrowing building with three rooms, each with 20 farrowing crates, and taken care of by well-trained animal caretakers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the various sow, litter, …

Contemplation Of Improvement Efforts To Manage Combined Sewer Overflows †, Younghan Edwin Jung, Myung Jeong, Hwandon Jun, Trevor Smith

Civil Engineering & Construction: Faculty Publications

Combined sewer overflow (CSO) is a significant environmental concern and public health risk (e.g., water contamination, eutrophication, and beach closure). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program to regulate and address this matter. This program mandates the control of CSOs for more than 700 municipalities obligated to devise Long-term Control Plans (LTCPs) to curb combined sewer overflows and reduce them to safe levels. The LTCP involves diverse strategies, including sewer separation, green infrastructure improvements, and conventional gray infrastructure upgrades. This study investigates several municipalities’ solutions for CSO problems that use conventional …

Engineering Students Emotional Intelligence And Neuro-Linguistics Programming (Nlp) As Developmental Tool, Ahlem Khefacha, Beatrix Séllei

Research Papers

This article investigates the strengths and weaknesses of engineering students' emotional intelligence (EI) and the possibility of using neurolinguistics programming (NLP) as a developmental tool. Students' emotional intelligence was assessed using the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-I) with 5 points Likert scale. Firstsemester engineering students were approached by part of a broader study at the Budapest University of Technology during 2018-2022. In the article, we describe the emotional intelligence profile of more than 3600 students in various fields of engineering. NLP professionals around the world filled out the second questionnaire. We got answers from 35 professionals based in Tunisia, Hungary, …

Why Do Students Dislike Peer Feedback?, Becky Selwyn, Joel Ross, Sean Lancastle

Research Papers

Engineers are required to communicate in a range of formats, including written reports, but this skill does not come naturally to undergraduates. Typical approaches to teaching writing skills require small class sizes, expert staff, and multiple cycles of feedback. These approaches, while successful, are difficult to scale and do not always result in students being able to transfer their writing skills to other units/topics.

The School of Civil, Aerospace, and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bristol teaches writing skills mainly within a single 20-credit first-year unit, delivered to 550-650 students per year. Students are required to complete a number …

Comparing Xr And Digital Flipped Methods To Meet Learning Objectives, Krys Bangert, Edward Browncross, Matteo Di Benedetti, Harry Day, Andrew Garrard

Research Papers

Digital learning has become increasingly important over the last decade as students and educators adopt new types of technology to keep up with emerging trends. The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this rate of change in the higher education sector, leading to remote laboratory experiences and video conferencing becoming increasingly normal. In the wake of this transition, the priority is to understand how these technologies can be blended into existing teaching methodologies, in a complementary way, that enhances the student’s pedagogical experience. The upcoming study will compare three digital-based learning simulations to see which has the most beneficial effect …

Rethinking Evolution Of Active Learning In The Hybrid/Online Engineering Education In The Post-Covid-19 Era: A Quantitative Keyword Co-Occurrence Analysis, Yiwen Xu, Thitiwat Piyatamrong, Abel Nyamapfene

Research Papers

In response to COVID-19, education witnessed a rapid shift to online and virtual platforms. Our previous research has raised questions about the efficacy of these methods for hands-on practice and active learning experiences - crucial elements of engineering education. Emergent solutions like online laboratories and virtual field trips have led to the rise of a hybrid learning era in the post-pandemic context. This change necessitates a reassessment of active learning in hybrid/online engineering education. In this study, we examine recent literature on online and virtual education during and post-COVID-19 to redefine and reevaluate strategies for engaging students actively. We propose …

Rethinking The Nature Of Experimental Learning: Moving Beyond Conventional Laboratory Experiences, David Lowe

Research Papers

Laboratory experimentation is an important educational tool across many disciplines, providing a mechanism for students to enhance their understanding of the relationships between theoretical models and physical reality. However, whilst laboratories are used extensively, the existing approaches to experimental learning have evolved little in the last 100 years, the intended learning outcomes are often poorly articulated and the connection between the learning outcomes and the student experiences is unclear. These limitations hasve meant that the development of laboratory experiences has tended to be driven by a combination of history, the capability of physical laboratory environments, and technological opportunity (e.g. the …

The Role Of Earth System Literacy In Sustainability Education For Engineers, Sudeshna Basu

Research Papers

Engineers should be able to demonstrate sustainability competencies transcending their specialised discipline. But all cross-disciplinary sustainability competencies are not targeted adequately in engineering education and are often mismatched with competencies required by engineers in their professional roles. Future engineers should have an understanding of the environment alongside technical knowledge, with all engineering design and product showing consideration to sustainability. The study of the Earth system is relevant to the understanding of environmental issues and the interplay between the sub-systems of the Earth (atmosphere, geosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere) . Yet, integration of Earth system literacy in the engineering curriculum has received …

Study Success And Failure Of Stem Students And The Connection To Their Learning Habits, Fabian Mumenthaler, Patrick Jermann, Cécile Hardebolle, Roland Tormey

Research Papers

With the educational expansion, ever more students start a tertiary degree. At the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, an engineering school, the number of bachelor students increased from 3’713 in 2010 to 6’330 in 2022. However, in Switzerland, a considerable number of students fail to achieve their first university degree – and failure rates are even higher at engineering schools. A weak mathematics background is often identified as the main reason for dropout. In this paper, we are interested to test whether inadequate learning habits are also responsible to some extent for first-year dropouts. To this end, we matched admission …

Sustainable Engineering Education Embedded Curricula Research Project, Anthony Edward Smith, Alfredo Soeiro, Ragna Ann Berge, Tamer Atabarut, John Atkinson, Patricia Caratozzolo

Research Papers

A previous conference paper with case study report findings began this research so as to inform and be of use to the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education (IACEE) institutions and its membership on the importance of embedding sustainability in all engineering education courses from the beginning to the end of the Degree and beyond into Continuing Engineering Education (CEE) . This present project continues to qualitatively research and investigate the extent to which and how Engineering Learning Curricula (ELC) incorporate and embed sustainability as central to the future work practice of all engineers. Specifically, as the project takes a …

Expert-Novice Differences In Electrical Circuit Analysis Based On The Order Of Attention, Amit Mahendra Paikrao, Ritayan Mitra

Research Papers

The difference between experts and novices during problem-solving has been established in several domains. However, in electrical engineering, studies are sparse. This study compares experts and novices in an introductory electrical engineering course. Four novices (students) and three experts (teachers) were made to solve eight circuit problems with a concurrent think-aloud protocol conducted remotely due to COVID restrictions in India at the time of the study. Experts predominantly followed the direction of the current showing a working-forward strategy. Conversely, Novices displayed a means-end approach by jumping to mathematical calculations more than anything else. In addition, the arrangement of complex circuits …

Nurturing Community: Using Community-Based Service Learning In Biopharmaceutical Engineering Education., Miriam I Jiménez-Pérez, Yocanxóchitl Perfecto-Avalos., Mariana C Orellana- Haro

Research Papers

This project evaluates the use of CBSL as a strategy for teaching clinical investigation in the development of biopharmaceutical products based on the nutritional needs of children of a low-income community. To achieve this purpose, our students formulated various functional foods that provided the necessary nutrients for the children in the target community. Afterwards, they drafted the corresponding clinical protocols for each formulation, considering possible ethical implications. The academic evaluation was based on the comparison of courses with and without CBSL. The study found that students showed a slight improvement in academic performance with CBSL. This suggests that CBSL can …

Can Oral Examinations Replace Written Examinations?, Zixuan Mu, Fred Marquis

Research Papers

The purpose of any assessment is to determine students’ learning. While oral examinations have been adopted in many education systems, such as the PhD thesis viva and medical assessments (Huxham, Campbell, and Westwood 2012), they are rarely used in undergraduate engineering courses (Baghdadchi et al. 2022) which traditionally rely on written papers. This is not surprising given, generally, the large cohort sizes and the need to efficiently conduct such examinations in a timely manner. It has been shown that widening the range of assessments that a student experiences can lead to a more comprehensive development of the student (Rust 2005) …

Emerging Trends, Approaches And Challenges In Engineering Education In The Uk, Stella Fowler, Ines Direito, Kate Bellingham, John Mitchell

Research Papers

Worldwide, engineering educators are searching for approaches, pedagogies and change strategies to develop programmes that will equip their graduates to be successful engineers, effective engineering leaders and catalysts for social 1 S. Fowler, [email protected] development. In the UK, focus largely rests on new pathway initiatives and new Higher Education (HE) institutions. There is little shared understanding of the established sector’s evolution from a maths and science heavy curricula to the innovative and world-leading models of engineering education found in the UK HE sector today.

Teaching Sustainability Through A Role-Play Case Study Of E-Scooter Use On College Campuses, Shruti Mehta, Ashish Hingle, Aditya Johri

Research Papers

Sustainability has developed into a pressing concern across disciplinary domains, and the need for teaching sustainability concepts to students has grown significantly. In this paper, we present a research study that assessed undergraduate students’ understanding of sustainability after participating in a case study discussion. We designed and implemented a role-play case study of e-scooters on a college campus. The case facilitated “near transfer,” as it focused on an issue most students have personally experienced. Furthermore, the role-play component simulated a real-world context and allowed students to take different perspectives related to the topic, resulting in a discussion of social, political, …

Inclusive Engineering Classrooms: Student Teaching Assistants’ Perspectives, Joelyn De Lima, Siara Isaac, Helena Kovacs

Research Papers

Inclusive teaching is the intentional practice of recognising biases, working to mitigate their impact, and ensuring that students have equitable learning opportunities. In addition to improving students' sense of belonging and self efficacy, inclusive teaching improves retention, improves academic performance, and reduces achievement gaps. In many large enrollment introductory classrooms, student teaching assistants (TAs) contribute to the classroom climate in addition to the teachers and the students. In this qualitative study, 262 TAs were asked about their teaching strengths, areas that need improvement, obstacles, and ideas about their role in reducing incidents of discrimination or harassment. We coded their open-ended …

Embedding Competencies In Sustainability And Authentic Learning Experiences In Food Science Education Through A Study Program-Driven Approach, Anita Nordeng Jakobsen, Sunniva Hoel, Ida-Johanne Jensen

Research Papers

The food sector is experiencing a substantial shift towards Industry 4.0 regarding technological solutions to ensure efficient and sustainable food production. To face the required changes and be able to influence and change existing systems, future candidates must have solid capabilities in their respective subject areas as well as generic skills such as critical thinking, reflection, communication, and teamwork skills. At NTNU, a program-driven approach for embedding sustainability and authentic learning experiences in the bachelor program of Food Science, technology and sustainability was conducted. Thematic groups of staff members developed learning outcomes and learning- and assessment methods to ensure coherence …

Is “Improving The Quality Of Life” The Only Sustainability Issue That Is Related To Engineering? - Exploring Engineering Students’ Conceptions Of Sustainability, Lillian Yun Yung Luk, Inês Direito, John Mitchell, Kate Roach

Research Papers

UNESCO’s (2021) report on engineering for sustainable development has emphasized the critical role of engineers in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, there is a lack of clarity about the conceptualization or definition of sustainability (Moore et al., 2017), which makes it difficult to integrate sustainability into the curriculum. While Walshe (2008) conducted a study on high school students’ conceptions of sustainability in the UK, there appears to be a lack of research conducted in the context of higher education. The study presented in this paper explores engineering students’ understanding of sustainability in engineering and how it is …

The Stability Of Pre-Enrolment Prediction Of Academic Achievement: Criterion-Referencing Versus Norm-Referencing, Jolan Hanssens, Carolien Van Soom, Greet Langie

Research Papers

Positioning tests are organized in Flanders for prospective STEM students. They provide a low-stakes opportunity to assess their level of starting competences before enrolment. Predictive validity for subsequent academic achievement is an important quality measure of these positioning tests. However, the content of the tests varies over the years. This could be problematic for making accurate predictions based on data from previous years. Therefore, the objective of this study is to compare the stability over time of the predictions of academic achievement using either criterionreferenced (absolute grading) or norm-referenced (relative grading) positioning test grades of engineering and science students. Comparisons …

Exploration Of Corona Charge As A Novel In Vitro Human T Cell Dna Transfection Method, Molly A. Skinner

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With gene-based immunotherapies on the rise to treat a multitude of diseases, the ability to genetically modify cells in a rapid and efficient fashion is necessary to keep up with demand. Gene electrotransfer (gene transfer by electroporation) is an appealing transfection method due to its low cost, high efficiency compared to other physical forms of gene delivery, and low toxicity compared to liposomal or viral vectors.

Traditional gene delivery via electroporation is done within a cuvette where the cell suspension is placed between two plate electrodes. This method requires cells to be moved from the treatment cuvette to a growth …

Metabolomic Insights Into Tuberculosis: Machine Learning Approaches For Biomarker Identification, Miftahul Khair Akbar, Arief Aulia Rahman

Indonesian Journal of Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics

The lung parenchyma is largely impacted by the infectious condition known as pulmonary tuberculosis (pulmonary TB) when the immune system creates a wall around the germs in the lungs, a tiny, hard bulge known as a tubercle develops, earning the disease the name tuberculosis. Although the majority of TB germs target the lungs, they can also harm other bodily organs. The identification of TB biomarkers, which are crucial for diagnosis, treatment monitoring, risk analysis, and prognosis, has been the subject of extensive research. Differences in metabolites between normal cells and tuberculosis are considered to be able to support the diagnosis …