Digital Commons Network^™

Women In Aviation: A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Needs And Wants Necessary For Graduation, Eugene Kim, Jorge L. Albelo

Publications

Despite the increased awareness of gender and race equality movements, today's population of minority women in aviation is still underrepresented. This research focused on underrepresented minority women who want to pursue a career in the aviation field and what factors affect their level of success in a specialized aviation higher education institution. There is not enough data and research surrounding the topic of minority women in aviation and their paths to success in these institutions. This qualitative research aimed to bridge the existing gap in the literature related to minority women in aviation and their needs and wants to complete …

Zero-Bias Deep Neural Network For Quickest Rf Signal Surveillance, Yongxin Liu, Jian Wang, Dahai Liu, Houbing Song, Yingjie Chen, Shuteng Niu

Publications

The Internet of Things (IoT) is reshaping modern society by allowing a decent number of RF devices to connect and share information through RF channels. However, such an open nature also brings obstacles to surveillance. For alleviation, a surveillance oracle, or a cognitive communication entity needs to identify and confirm the appearance of known or unknown signal sources in real-time. In this paper, we provide a deep learning framework for RF signal surveillance. Specifically, we jointly integrate the Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) and Quickest Detection (QD) to form a sequential signal surveillance scheme. We first analyze the latent space characteristic …

Mosaic: A Satellite Constellation To Enable Groundbreaking Mars Climate System Science And Prepare For Human Exploration, Robert J. Lillis, David Mitchell, Luca Montabone, Nicholas Heavens, Tanya Harrison, Cassie Stuurman, Et. Al.

Publications

The Martian climate system has been revealed to rival the complexity of Earth's. Over the last 20 yr, a fragmented and incomplete picture has emerged of its structure and variability; we remain largely ignorant of many of the physical processes driving matter and energy flow between and within Mars' diverse climate domains. Mars Orbiters for Surface, Atmosphere, and Ionosphere Connections (MOSAIC) is a constellation of ten platforms focused on understanding these climate connections, with orbits and instruments tailored to observe the Martian climate system from three complementary perspectives. First, low-circular near-polar Sun-synchronous orbits (a large mothership and three smallsats spaced …

A Quasi-27-Day Oscillation Activity From The Troposphere To The Mesosphere And Lower Thermosphere At Low Latitudes, Hao Cheng, Alan Z. Liu, Kaiming Huang, Shaodong Zhang, Chunming Huang, Yun Gong

Publications

Using meteor radar, radiosonde observations and MERRA-2 reanalysis data from 12 August to 31 October 2006, we report a dynamical coupling from the tropical lower atmosphere to the mesosphere and lower thermosphere through a quasi-27-day intraseasonal oscillation (ISO). It is interesting that the quasi-27-day ISO is observed in the troposphere, stratopause and mesopause regions, exhibiting a three-layer structure. In the MLT, the amplitude in the zonal wind increases from about 4 ms−1 at 90 km to 15 ms−1 at 100 km, which is diferent from previous observations that ISOs occurs generally in winter with an amplitude peak at about 80–90 …

Atmospheric Tomography Using The Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster And Chilean Observation Network De Meteor Radars: Network Details And 3d-Var Retrieval, Gunter Stober, Alan Z. Liu, Zishun Qiao, Alexander Kozlovsky, Masaki Tsutsumi, Chris Hall, Satonori Nozawa, Mark Lester, Evgenia Belova, Johan Kero, Patrick J. Espy, Robert E. Hibbins, Nicholas Mitchell

Publications

Ground-based remote sensing of atmospheric parameters is often limited to single station observations by vertical profiles at a certain geographic location. This is a limiting factor for investigating gravity wave dynamics as the spatial information is often missing, e.g., horizontal wavelength, propagation direction or intrinsic frequency. In this study, we present a new retrieval algorithm for multistatic meteor radar networks to obtain tomographic 3-D wind fields within a pre-defined domain area. The algorithm is part of the Agile Software for Gravity wAve Regional Dynamics (ASGARD) and called 3D-Var, and based on the optimal estimation technique and Bayesian statistics. The performance …

Systematic Review And Regression Modeling Of The Effects Of Age, Body Size, And Exercise On Cardiovascular Parameters In Healthy Adults, Aseem Pradhan, John Scaringi, Patrick Gerard, Ross Arena, Jonathan Myers, Leonard A. Kaminsky, Ethan Kung

Publications

Purpose

Blood pressure, cardiac output, and ventricular volumes correlate to various subject features such as age, body size, and exercise intensity. The purpose of this study is to quantify this correlation through regression modeling.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review to compile reference data of healthy subjects for several cardiovascular parameters and subject features. Regression algorithms used these aggregate data to formulate predictive models for the outputs—systolic and diastolic blood pressure, ventricular volumes, cardiac output, and heart rate—against the features—age, height, weight, and exercise intensity. A simulation-based procedure generated data of virtual subjects to test whether these regression models built …

Undergraduate Research In A Fully Online Engineering Program: Building The Framework Of Support, Emily Faulconer, Robert Deters, Brent Terwilliger

Publications

Undergraduate engineering programs often face low persistence and retention.

• Females and ethnic minorities are underrepresented and show lower persistence
• Certain minorities may be less likely to enroll in online programs
• Lower persistence and retention in online students across disciplines

Undergraduate research may increase persistence and retention.

• Online students likely underrepresented due to access limitations

Aessa Young Professionals Forum Webinar “Technologies And Skills That Will Gearup The Aerospace Industry Post Pandemic” - A Global Perspective With An Emphasis On South Africa October 2021, Linda Vee Weiland

Publications

A webinar presentation for AeSSA Young Professionals.

Identifying Sources Of Anxiety In An Introductory Online Undergraduate Chemistry Course, Emily Faulconer, John C. Griffith

Publications

Learning chemistry in an online environment may have multiple sources of anxiety for students, including chemistry anxiety, math anxiety, computer anxiety, and trait anxiety (personality attribute of proneness to experience anxiety). While previous research has explored relationships between math and chemistry anxiety in a traditional setting, no studies have explored these anxieties in the online modality. Survey data were collected using existing scales (some with minor modifications), with a response rate of 31%. The scales used in this study demonstrated strong reliability. Highest sources of anxiety for each scale were presented. The perceived ease of use scale score was used …

No Bones About Art, Lydia Lytal, Brooke A. Whitworth, Gail Morton

Publications

No abstract provided.

In-Person Prehealth Advising: Impact Analysis Spring 2017 To Fall 2020, Alasdair Ekpenyong, Mykel Beorchia

Publications

At Utah State University, some of the advising department’s efforts specifically focus on preparing students for study in health professions graduate school. Students considering a career in the health sciences meet with an advisor who has been trained on the nuances of preparing for health professions graduate school.

This report explored the association between in-person prehealth advising participation and student persistence to the next term.

A Cdzntese Gamma Spectrometer Trained By Deep Convolutional Neural Network For Radioisotope Identification, Sandeep K. Chaudhuri, Joshua W. Kleppinger, Ritwik Nag, Kaushik Roy, Rojina Panta, Forest Agostinelli, Amit Sheth, Utpal N. Roy, Ralph B. James, Krishna C. Mandal

Publications

We report the implementation of a deep convolutional neural network to train a high-resolution room-temperature CdZnTeSe based gamma ray spectrometer for accurate and precise determination of gamma ray energies for radioisotope identification. The prototype learned spectrometer consists of a NI PCI 5122 fast digitizer connected to a pre-amplifier to recognize spectral features in a sequence of data. We used simulated preamplifier pulses that resemble actual data for various gamma photon energies to train a CNN on the equivalent of 90 seconds worth of data and validated it on 10 seconds worth of simulated data.

Options And Experiences For Online Chemistry Laboratory Instruction, Emily Faulconer, Matt Morgan

Publications

While online course offerings have been on the rise for many years, there was a rapid transition to online courses due to campus closures and social distancing protocols associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This has caused significant disruption in traditional chemistry laboratory activities. In this chapter, features of various distance laboratory approaches options are presented, including wet chemistry and dry laboratory options. Because the existing research comparing effectiveness of these strategies is scarce, no attempt is made to argue the effectiveness of one modality over the other, but rather advantages and disadvantages of each method are presented and discussed. The …

Observations And Validation Of Plasma Density, Temperature, And O+ Abundance From A Langmuir Probe Onboard The International Space Station, Shantanab Debchoudhury, Aroh Barjatya, Joseph I. Minow, Victoria N. Coffey, Michael O. Chandler

Publications

The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) has been operational on board the International Space Station (ISS) since 2006. One of the instruments in the FPMU suite is a spherical wide-sweeping Langmuir probe, referred to as the WLP, which is sampled at a temporal cadence of 1 s giving in-situ measurements of the plasma density and electron temperature. In this study we present our refinements to the Langmuir probe analysis algorithm that address the uncertainties associated with photoelectron emission current from the metal probe. We also derive the fraction of O⁺ ions as a secondary data product, which shows decrease …

Venus Mountain Waves In The Upper Atmosphere Simulated By A Time-Invariant Linear Full-Wave Spectral Model, Michael P. Hickey, Thomas Navarro, Gerald Schubert, Richard L. Walterscheid

Publications

A 2-D spectral full-wave model is described that simulates the generation and propagation of mountain waves over idealized topography in Venus’ atmosphere. Modeled temperature perturbations are compared with the Akatsuki observations. Lower atmosphere eddy diffusivity and stability play a major role in the upward propagation of gravity waves from their mountain sources. Two local times (LT) are considered. For LT = 11h the waves are blocked by a critical level near 100 km altitude, while for LT = 16 h the waves propagate into the thermosphere. As a result of the small scale height in the Venus thermosphere, for LT …

Remote Elementary Education: A Comparative Analysis Of Learner Development (Part1), Stefan Kleinke, David Cross

Publications

Purpose – The purpose of this two-part research was to investigate the effect of remote learning on student progress in elementary education. Part one, presented in this paper, examined achievement differences between learners in a fully remote learning environment and those in a hybrid setting. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative, quasi-experimental study with factorial design was used to investigate group differences in student achievement between the different learning environments. Ex-post-facto data from standardized test scores were utilized to examine in which ways the learning environment may have affected learner progress in two distinct subject areas crucial to elementary education: English language …

Robust Nonlinear Tracking Control For Unmanned Aircraft In The Presence Of Wake Vortex, Petr Kazarin, Vladimir Golubev, William Mackunis, Claudia Moreno

Publications

The flight trajectory of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be significantly affected by external disturbances such as turbulence, upstream wake vortices, or wind gusts. These effects present challenges for UAV flight safety. Hence, addressing these challenges is of critical importance for the integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS), especially in terminal zones. This work presents a robust nonlinear control method that has been designed to achieve roll/yaw regulation in the presence of unmodeled external disturbances and system nonlinearities. The data from NASA-conducted airport experimental measurements as well as high-fidelity Large Eddy Simulations of the …

Online Prehealth Advising: Impact Analysis Spring 2017 To Fall 2020, Alasdair Ekpenyong, Mykel Beorchia

Publications

At Utah State University, various online, Canvas-based advising programs complement the traditional in-person advising program. The online prehealth advising service assists students who are considering health professions graduate school.

This report explored the association between online prehealth advising participation and student persistence to the next term at Utah State University.

Feasibility Assessment Of Warm Mix Asphalt In Arkansas, Zahid Hossain, Ashraf Elsayed, Mohammad Najmush Sakib Oyan

Publications

The future of Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technologies is promising in the U.S. However, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) does not have any specific guidelines to implement them in the field. This research aims to provide necessary baseline data for WMA as a proof of concept. In this study, three ARDOT approved Performance Grade (PG) binders namely PG 64-22, PG 70-22, and PG 76-22 were investigated. Each of these binders was obtained from two different sources. They were modified by varying doses of four selected additives: Sasobit®, Advera®, Evotherm®, and Rediset®. Additionally, four different types of aggregates (sandstone, limestone, …

Resource Guide For State Dot’S Maintenance Equipment Fleet Management Decisions, Yongwei Shan, Samir Ahmed, Lei Qiao

Publications

This research created a guide for state Departments of Transportation fleet management on utilizing equipment fleet management system data to make informed fleet management decisions. The research team took the historical equipment fleet data from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and developed workflows, algorithms, and examples to demonstrate the use of historical equipment data for equipment decisions. Specifically, the research team demonstrated 1) the use of life cycle analysis and dynamic programming models for equipment replacement decisions; 2) developed algorithms to calculate equipment rental rates that can be used by the Department to forecast and allocate equipment operational budget among …

Bridge Cracks Monitoring: Detection, Measurement, And Comparison Using Augmented Reality, Fernando Moreu, Kaveh Malek

Publications

Crack occurrence and propagation are among critical factors that affect the performance and lifespan of civil infrastructures such as bridges. Consequently, numerous crack detection and measurement methods have been proposed and developed in the recent decades in the areas of Structural Health Monitoring and non-destructive testing. Many novel technologies have emerged with the potential to overcome the limitations of the presented techniques of crack detection and characterization. Crack detection and characterization method used in this research lies in supplementing human visual inspection capabilities in a systematic manner through an appropriate level of automation. The Augmented Reality (AR) tool developed in …

Maintenance And Restriping Strategies For Pavement Markings On Asphalt Pavements In Louisiana, Momen R. Mousa, Marwa Hassan

Publications

In Louisiana, most districts restripe their roadways using waterborne paints every other year; this strategy is questionable in terms of efficiency and economy. Meanwhile, previous studies showed substantial variability in the paint service life throughout the United States ranging between 0.25 and 6.2 years. Shortcomings in modeling the retroreflectivity of waterborne paints appear to significantly contribute to these variations as several studies predicted these values using degradation curves with a coefficient of determination (R2) as low as 0.1. Therefore, the objective of this study was to (i) develop new cost-effective restriping strategies using 4-inch (15-mil thickness) and 6-inch (25-mil thickness) …

Development Of A Multi-Level Dynamic Model To Measure The Resilience Level Of Transportation Infrastructure Networks, Sharareh Kermanshachi, Jianling Li, Thahomina Jahan Nipa

Publications

The recent increase in disasters is making the largest critical infrastructure system namely the transportation infrastructure system susceptible to unexpected damage. Discontinuation of services provided by transportation infrastructures will create significant societal, economic, and collateral damages. Therefore, this study aims to identify dimensions to measure the resilience of the transportation infrastructures. This study also aims to develop a model to measure the resilience of the transportation infrastructures resilience. To fulfill the aims of this study, a questionnaire was developed which was supported by a comprehensive literature review. 92 valid responses were received and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Statistically significant variables …

Splash: Learnable Activation Functions For Improving Accuracy And Adversarial Robustness, Mohammadamin Tavakoli, Forest Agostinelli, Pierre Baldi

Publications

We introduce SPLASH units, a class of learnable activation functions shown to simultaneously improve the accuracy of deep neural networks while also improving their robustness to adversarial attacks. SPLASH units have both a simple parameterization and maintain the ability to approximate a wide range of non-linear functions. SPLASH units are: (1) continuous; (2) grounded (f(0)=0"); (3) use symmetric hinges; and (4) their hinges are placed at fixed locations which are derived from the data (i.e. no learning required). Compared to nine other learned and fixed activation functions, including ReLU and its variants, SPLASH units show superior performance across three datasets …

Peer-Led-Team Learning In Introductory Engineering Courses: An Analysis Of An Interventional Method Of Support For Underrepresented Students At A Two-Year, Hispanic-Serving Public Institution, Kimberly T. Luthi, Lisa Macon, Mohua Kar

Publications

The three-year project entitled Engagement in Engineering Pathways funded by the National Science Foundation Improving Undergraduate STEM education grant explored the conditions that led to increased academic outcomes and non-cognitive factors related to persistence of nontraditional undergraduate students in engineering education. The study was conducted at a multicampus, federally-designated, Hispanic-serving, public, two-year college in the southeast United States. This paper presents one aspect of the effects of peer-led team learning (PLTL) on academic success through the inclusion of active learning modules in introductory undergraduate engineering course. The researchers found that PLTL introduced in engineering courses, to include statics and dynamics, …

Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation Solitons On Quantum Droplets, A. Ludu, A.S. Carstea

Publications

Irrotational flow of a spherical thin liquid layer surrounding a rigid core is described using the defocusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation. Accordingly, azimuthal moving nonlinear waves are modeled by periodic dark solitons expressed by elliptic functions. In the quantum regime the algebraic Bethe ansatz is used in order to capture the energy levels of such motions, which we expect to be relevant for the dynamics of the nuclear clusters in deformed heavy nuclei surface modeled by quantum liquid drops. In order to validate the model we match our theoretical energy spectra with experimental results on energy, angular momentum, and parity for …

Learning-To-Dispatch: Reinforcement Learning Based Flight Planning Under Emergency, Kai Zhang, Yupeng Yang, Chengtao Xu, Dahai Liu, Houbing Song

Publications

The effectiveness of resource allocation under emergencies especially hurricane disasters is crucial. However, most researchers focus on emergency resource allocation in a ground transportation system. In this paper, we propose Learning-to- Dispatch (L2D), a reinforcement learning (RL) based air route dispatching system, that aims to add additional flights for hurricane evacuation while minimizing the airspace’s complexity and air traffic controller’s workload. Given a bipartite graph with weights that are learned from the historical flight data using RL in consideration of short- and long-term gains, we formulate the flight dispatch as an online maximum weight matching problem. Different from the conventional …

Covid-19 Pandemic Leadership A Case For Return To Platonic Values, Richard Runyon, Daryl Watkins

Publications

In western education, Plato is often cited as a foundational thinker for education of leaders. 2,395 years later, many leaders in governments of the world are struggling to address the COVID-19 global pandemic. The 2019–2021 global pandemic has provided academics with a wonderful opportunity to evaluate government leadership at many levels. All the different forms of governance as well as theoretical economic systems are being tested in real-time. Success can be measured on a government’s ability to reduce both deaths and spread of the COVID-19 virus among their citizens. This article will discuss these concepts focused on successful government leadership.

Connected Design Rationale: A Model For Measuring Design Learning Using Epistemic Network Analysis, Golnaz Arastoopour Irgens

Publications

Virtual learning environments have the potential to support students’ development of design skills in engineering education. However, few approaches exist for modeling and measuring design learning as it emerges in authentic practices, which often includes collaboration. This study merges learning sciences research with engineering design education to develop an approach for modeling and measuring design thinking. I propose a connected design rationale model which identifies relationships among design moves and rationale. Results from a qualitative examination of how professional engineers make connections among moves and rationales were used as the foundation to examine students in virtual internships. Using digital collaborative …

The “Magic” Of Density - A Unique Take On The 5e Lesson, Jacquelyn J. Mosely, Brooke A. Whitworth

Publications

No abstract provided.