Digital Commons Network^™

Compliant Structures Facilitate Less Invasive And Biomechanically Improved Lumbar Spinal Implants, Daniel J. Orr

Theses and Dissertations

Implants used in lumbar spinal fusion and lumbar total disc replacement procedures have improved substantially over the years, however, the opportunity remains to improve either the adjustability, durability, motion, or minimally invasive characteristics which could aid in achieving optimal surgical outcomes. It is hypothesized that the inherent advantages of compliant mechanisms specifically Deployable Euler Spiral Connectors (DESCs) and a new mechanism known as the interior contact aided rolling element (I-CORE) are well suited for each of these applications and will be explored and utilized as the basis of these proposed designs. By addressing these challenges, the research endeavors to improve …

Sound Innovations For Biofabrication And Tissue Engineering, Mengxi Wu, Zhiteng Ma, Zhenhua Tian, Joseph Rich, Xin He, Jianping Xia, Ye He, Kaichun Yang, Shujie Yang, Kam W. Leong, Luke P. Lee, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

Advanced biofabrication techniques can create tissue-like constructs that can be applied for reconstructive surgery or as in vitro three-dimensional (3D) models for disease modeling and drug screening. While various biofabrication techniques have recently been widely reviewed in the literature, acoustics-based technologies still need to be explored. The rapidly increasing number of publications in the past two decades exploring the application of acoustic technologies highlights the tremendous potential of these technologies. In this review, we contend that acoustics-based methods can address many limitations inherent in other biofabrication techniques due to their unique advantages: noncontact manipulation, biocompatibility, deep tissue penetrability, versatility, precision …

Full Issue

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

Podcast Review: Brad Nelson & Kelston Mcguire, Stuart Bird

Marriott Student Review

“Our core mission statement is to help each individual grow through the rigor of racing,” said the BYU Formula E Club captain, Brad Nelson. In a particularly electrifying Measuring Success Right podcast interview, host Hunter Hawkins interviews Brad Nelson and Kelston McGuire (co-captain) as they discuss their goal to build outstanding students and future engineering professionals by empowering them to construct a fully electric race car despite lacking previous experience in electric vehicle engineering.

Excellence: From, The Editor, Savannah Pursglove

Marriott Student Review

Welcome to another special edition of the Marriott Student Review. For this issue, we focus on a simple yet powerful theme that all BYU students strive to emulate: excellence. As you look through the pages of this edition, I invite you to think for yourself what excellence means to you. What does it mean to you as a student? What does it mean to you as a friend or neighbor? What does it mean to you in your church calling? What does it mean to you as an individual?

Implementing Generative Ai In Higher Education, Braden Stephenson

Marriott Student Review

On November 30, 2022, ChatGPT was released to the public. Just days later, one of my professors scratched part of his planned lecture to explore ChatGPT as a class. We gave “Chat” a complex word problem to solve. ChatGPT got the question right and even explained how to get the answer!

Advancements Of A Vibration-Based Sound Power Method For Direct And Indirect Applications, Ian Charles Bacon

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advances the Vibration-Based Sound Power (VBSP) method for measuring the sound power of vibrating structures, expanding its applicability to a wider range of geometries and acoustic environments. The research addresses limitations of traditional sound power measurement techniques by developing an alternative method that achieves near Precision (Grade 1) accuracy while maintaining feasibility for in situ testing under uncontrolled acoustic conditions. After reviewing the current VBSP method in Unit 1, Unit 2 introduces stitching techniques for Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (SLDV) measurements, enabling accurate 3D scans and extending the method to complex geometries. Experimental validation is provided for baffled …

Biodegradable Polymeric Microspheres For Magnetically Guided Drug Delivery To Tumors, Tyler Payson Green

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the feasibility of utilizing biodegradable polymeric microspheres loaded with the anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to magnetically deliver the cancer therapeutic 5FU to a target tumor in the human body. The primary method of material loading consisted of a w/o/w double emulsion mechanism which 1) loads and protects 5FU in the inner water phase consisting of distilled water and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), 2) dispersed SPIONs in the biodegradable polymeric organic phase consisting of methylene chloride (MeCl2) for eventual magnetic transport, and 3) suspended these w/o emulsion droplets in an outer aqueous phase …

A Study Of Fit And Friction Force As A Function Of The Printing Process For Fff 3d-Printed Piston–Cylinder Assembly, Philippe A. Passeraub, Quentin Allen, Elizabeth Clark, Michael Miles, Siddartha Berns, Maija Pearson, Sterling Allred, Jonah Brooks, Sylvain Hugon

ScholarsArchive Data

Dataset DOI: https://doi.org/10.26067/hjm6-3d45

The shared data comprises the experimental measurements performed presented in the figures 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and in the tables for the following article:

Passeraub, P.A.; Allen, Q.; Clark, E.; Miles, M.; Berns, S.; Pearson, M.; Allred, S.; Brooks, J.; Hugon, S. A Study of Fit and Friction Force as a Function of the Printing Process for FFF 3D-Printed Piston–Cylinder Assembly. J. Manuf. Mater. Process. 2024, 8, 249. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp8060249

Ignis: A One-Dimensional Laminar Flame Code, Jansen P. Berryhill, Jacob K. Spinti, David O. Lignell

Faculty Publications

Laminar flame codes have an important role in combustion modeling. They can provide a fundamental understanding of flame dynamics and provide a basis for building subgrid scale models in turbulent flow simulations. This paper presents Ignis, an open-source laminar flame code with the capability to offload submodels, like soot formation and radiation, using external packages and libraries. Ignis is written in C++, is documented with Doxygen, and is available on GitHub. It contains three different flame formulations: diffusion flames, premixed flames, and laminar flamelets solved in the mixture fraction coordinate. An option to facilitate creation of a diffusion flame table …

Data Literacy: Finding Knowledge From Data, Taylor Anderson

Marriott Student Review

Data literacy is the skill to turn data into useful knowledge. This universal skill is essential in our technology driven world. Data literacy helps people make better decisions, increases innovation, and grows productivity.

More Than A Cashier: Making Space For Neurodivergent Individuals In The Workplace, Abby Ebert

Marriott Student Review

Most people know someone – a friend, a sibling, a schoolmate, or otherwise – who has autism, down-syndrome, Asperger’s, or is otherwise on the spectrum. These individuals likely function mostly normal, but have an especially hard time in social situations coming off as awkward, uncomfortable, or nervous. Thinking of a friend of yours in this situation, what future do you see for them? Knowing them as individuals had you thinking of cool careers that would fit their personality – an engineer, programmer, or lawyer. However, people belonging to this demographic find themselves unemployed or in low entry-level positions, such as …

Embrace: Full Issue

Marriott Student Review

No abstract provided.

A Tour Of Lucerne Reveals The Spirit Of The Belle Epoque, Kurt Messmer

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Swiss cities such as Lucerne experienced an epochal transformation around 1900. Its medieval centre was expanded to include prestigious residential and commercial buildings, stations, postal and administrative offices, school buildings, hotels and villas. However, architecturally this modernisation bore the hallmarks of the past. Time for a virtual tour of Lucerne.

Schwarzenbach’S Dark End Of The Street In Washington, Annemarie Schwarzenbach, Padraig Rooney , Translator

Swiss American Historical Society Review

First published in National-Zeitung, on November 11, 1936.

Annemarie Schwarzenbach wrote this piece about Washington, D.C. shortly after her arrival in the city in late August 1936. She stayed on Waterside Drive at the home of Elizabeth Washburn Wright, the widow of Dr. Hamilton Wright, a specialist in tropical medicine but also a government-appointed anti-drug crusader in the battle against Chinese opium.

As a morphine addict, Annemarie was hiding in plain sight. In September, with their daughter, Barbara Hamilton Wright (‘Baa’), Annemarie travelled a thousand miles north to Livingston Falls in Maine, homestead of the illustrious Washburn family to …

Four Swiss At Fort Laramie, Jocelyn Moore

Swiss American Historical Society Review

Starting as a frontier fur trade post in the 1830’s, Fort Laramie, Wyoming Territory, played a prominent role in western expansion. Purchased by the United States government in 1849, the fort’s location near immigrant trails and Native American homelands provided a front row seat to American history. It is estimated that over three hundred thousand people passed the fort during their migration westward. Of the multitude, many were Swiss, including Private Jacob Haudenschild, Sergeant Leodegar Schnyder, Dr. Rudolph B. Hitz and Captain Alfred von Wattenwyl.

Full Issue

Swiss American Historical Society Review

No abstract provided.

Experimental Study Of The Impact Of Droplet And Printing Parameters On Line Formation In Binder Jetting, Jacob E. Lawrence, Madi P. Lawrence, Nathan Crane

ScholarsArchive Data

This dataset consists of images of lines printed into 316 SS powder with varied droplet parameters (velocity, size, satellite or not) and print parameters (droplet spacing, printing frequency). Additionally, it includes data that was extracted from the images and some secondary measurements such as droplet height performed for some samples. The codes for the image processing routines are also included for reference as are the tables of data that were extracted from the images.

Data For "Providing Access To Historical Sec Filings: An Assessment Of Mergent Archives And Physical Microfiche Collections", Rebekah Dizes, Maggie Marchant

ScholarsArchive Data

The dataset consists of a sample of 3,458 physical microfiche of Security and Exchange Commission filings that we compared to holdings in a digital archive in Mergent Archives. Variables in the data include year of filing, filing type, company name if known, letter range of the company name is not known, digital availability and a readability score.for the digital record.

Exploring The Potential Applications Of Generative Ai In East Asian Librarianship: Use Cases, Reflections, And Inspirations, Yi Jiang, Kwok-Leong Tang, Tang Li, Haruko Nakamura

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This article delves into the nuances, opportunities, and challenges of generative AI tools as discussed in the CEAL conference workshop, exploring how this innovative technology could profoundly transform the future of East Asian librarianship. It begins with a concise overview of the recent workshop hosted by the CEAL Technology Committee, detailing its background, content, and key insights. It then examines the four use cases demonstrated during the workshop session, exploring the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) into everyday library workflows. With the analysis of the use cases, the article identifies several critical questions that need …

Beyond Boundaries: Evaluating Bl/Yaoi Subject Headings In Academic Library Classification, Cecilia Zhang

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This study critically evaluates the effectiveness of the newly established Library of Congress Subject Headings, "Boys' Love (Gay Erotica)" and "Yaoi (Gay Erotica)," in classifying and facilitating the retrieval of information related to these genres. By examining the complex history of these terms within fan communities in Japan, China, and Korea across different historical periods, this research argues that the current LCSH oversimplifies the genre's rich cultural context and ongoing innovation, creating barriers to effective information retrieval and access. Additionally, the use of the term "Gay Erotica" is misaligned with the nuanced nature of BL/Yaoi, further complicating its classification. This …

Automation, Improvement, And Sensitivity Analysis Of 3d Parameterized Maize Stalk Models, Joseph Steven Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Maize is the most grown crop in the world. Each year, 5% of maize is lost due to a phenomenon known as stalk lodging (breakage of the stalk below the ear). One of the most promising solutions to stalk lodging is to design stalks with superior geometry to increase stalk strength. Researchers have developed a 3D parameterized maize stalk model, but these models take a long time to structurally analyze and are missing important material properties. This thesis addressed these problems by developing an automated package for analyzing the 3D parameterized maize stalk model, and by measuring the longitudinal shear …

Actuation And Stabilization Of Volume-Efficient Origami-Inspired Mechanisms, Hunter T. Pruett

Theses and Dissertations

Trends in the aerospace industry are driving payloads to be smaller and less expensive while yet delivering comparatively large antennas. Deployable reflectarray antennas (RA) are the object of much research to meet these demands because they operate in a flat plane and are easier to stow than parabolic reflector antennas. Because they operate in flat plane, deployable RAs are well-suited to thickness-accommodated origami-inspired mechanisms. This work addresses pattern selection and modification, thickness accommodation, actuation, and stabilization of origami-inspired mechanisms intended to be used as RAs. First, a modified Miura-ori pattern termed volume-efficient Miura-ori (VEMO) is introduced, selected for its ability …

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Ultrasound Fields For Visualization And Measurement Of Pressure Amplitudes, Paul-Emile Victor Passe-Carlus

Theses and Dissertations

In vivo pressure estimations for therapeutic ultrasound has the potential of rendering treatments using non-invasive ultrasound targeting safer and more reliable. By quantifying pressures and their respective spatial locations, better acoustic predictions and models can be made. In this thesis, we aim to measure a pressure field from a piezo-electric transducer through a ballistic gel medium by using an external gradient coil to encode the pressure field in a way that can be read and quantified using an MRI scanner. We describe the methods and the results pertaining to visualizing a pressure field. The setup was able to capture pressure …

Development Of Temperature Measurement And Control Of 3d Printed Microfluidic Devices Towards Biomolecular Analysis, Derek A. Sanchez

Theses and Dissertations

Microfluidics are devices with channels or reservoirs that have dimensions in the range of micrometers. They have an increasing role in biological analysis processes due to their ability to use very small sample volumes. Many microfluidic processes rely heavily on precise temperature measurement and control. Advances in 3D printing have led to high resolution digital light processing stereolithography (DLP-SLA) printers capable of using bio-compatible materials, available at BYU. This custom 3D printer has a resolution of 7.6 µm in the XY plane and 10 µm in the Z axis. Combined with a custom-made resin, we can produce microfluidic features as …

Joint Subarray Acoustic Tweezers Enable Controllable Cell Translation, Rotation, And Deformation, Liang Shen, Zhenhua Tian, Kaichun Yang, Joseph Rich, Jianping Xia, Neil Upreti, Jinxin Zhang, Chuyi Chen, Nanjing Hao, Zhichao Pei, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

Contactless microscale tweezers are highly effective tools for manipulating, patterning, and assembling bioparticles. However, current tweezers are limited in their ability to comprehensively manipulate bioparticles, providing only partial control over the six fundamental motions (three translational and three rotational motions). This study presents a joint subarray acoustic tweezers platform that leverages acoustic radiation force and viscous torque to control the six fundamental motions of single bioparticles. This breakthrough is significant as our manipulation mechanism allows for controlling the three translational and three rotational motions of single cells, as well as enabling complex manipulation that combines controlled translational and rotational motions. …

Hydrogen Underground Storage For Grid Electricity Storage: An Optimization Study On Techno-Economic Analysis, Yunzhi Chen, Daniel Hill, Blake Billings, John Hedengren, Kody Powell

Faculty Publications

This study performs a techno-economic analysis of hydrogen underground storage systems for grid electricity storage, evaluating their economic viability at the plant scale using dynamic optimization. It explores the feasibility of various system configurations and revenue models in the context of volatile electricity prices and the necessity for multiple revenue streams. The hypothesis tested is that large-scale hydrogen storage, despite its low round-trip efficiency, can be economically viable with the right mix of revenue streams. This study uses scenario-based analysis to assess the impacts of different system configurations, including engaging in time-shifting arbitrage, ancillary service markets and blending hydrogen with …

50 Universities Working On Research In Public Health Technologies, Angie Holzer, Erica Bassett

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

No abstract provided.

Ideas For Professional Development In The Nonprofit Sector, Elise Lael Kieffer

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

The nonprofit and nongovernmental sector serves the critical role, in our world, of filling in the gaps in service and opportunity that are unfulfilled by the public sector and either unfilled or unobtainable through the private sector. This thought paper presents one option for a professional development program for nonprofit professionals working in rural communities. This program serves to facilitate the training of nonprofit employees and volunteers in critical leadership and management education. Through this educational opportunity, nonprofit leaders, board members, and aspiring nonprofit directors come together in a cohort of peers to learn both foundational and advanced theories, strategies, …

Flexible Operation Of Nuclear Hybrid Energy Systems For Load Following And Water Desalination, An Ho, Blake W. Billings, John Hedengren, Kody M. Powell

Faculty Publications

Nuclear hybrid energy systems (NHES) have the potential to provide dependable and emission-free electricity to the grid while also increasing the flexibility and reliability of the electrical grid. Molten salt reactor (MSR) technology can provide consistent, carbon-free electricity while also increasing efficiency, security, and sustainability and reducing nuclear waste. This study investigates the integration of Molten Salt Reactors (MSR) and conventional Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) with desalination technologies: Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD), Multi-Stage Flash Distillation (MSFD), and Reverse Osmosis (RO). Dynamic first-principles models were developed and tested using real grid data from the New York Independent System Operator. The …