Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring The Elf Response Of An Acupuncture Meridian Compared To A Control Channel, Keith Spaulding

Master's Theses and Capstones

Acupuncture meridians are said to possess unique electrical characteristics; a characteristic of interest when analyzing systems is frequency response. The Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) response of the Large Intestine (LI) meridian was found by applying a Gaussian pulse signal to LI4 and detecting the signal at LI11; a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis is performed on this signal with a Power Spectral Density (PSD) measuring total power in the 2 -- 100 Hz region. This total power is compared to the total power measurement at a control point by applying the same Gaussian pulse on a control channel; this protocol …

Removing Radium-226 Contamination From Ion Exchange Resins Used In Drinking Water Treatment, James F. Mcmahon Iii.

Master's Theses and Capstones

Many groundwater sources used for drinking water in the United States contain naturally occurring gross alpha emitting radium-226 that exceeds the National Drinking Water Standards maximum contaminant level. The health risks associated with continuous and intermittent exposure to these low levels of naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) over long periods of time can cause genetic damage which may lead to effects such as cancer. The EPA identifies ion exchange resins as a best available technology (BAT) in radium-226 removals. This determination has resulted in an increased need for knowledge about the characteristics of these resins. The ability of the resins …

Byzantium Beneath The Black Sea, Bridget Buxton, Robert Ballard, Michael Brennan, Dwight Coleman, Katy Croff, Christopher Roman, Dan Davis, Dennis Piechota, Sergiy Voronov

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

This poster reports on the August 2007 Black Sea Expedition of the Institute for Archaeological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island (IAO) and the Institute for Exploration (IFE), in collaboration with the Department of the Underwater Heritage of Ukraine. This year’s work marks a new phase in a multi-year (2000–2012) archaeological and oceanographic survey of the Black Sea. 2007 fieldwork focuses on two Byzantine shipwrecks. The 10th century C.E. shipwreck Chersonesos A (discovered in 2006) lies at 140 m depth in the suboxic zone off the Crimean peninsula. The ship carried a cargo of one-handled jars of a widely …

Preparation And Accreditation Of Level 7 Engineering Programmes, Mark Mcgrath

Conference Papers

Accreditation of 3^rd level educational programmes by a suitably recognised professional body is of particular relevance in relation to engineering. The completion of a sequence of modules which leads to the attainment of this professionally recognised award is viewed as integral to the undertaking. The engineering technology fields are developing and expanding rapidly and the third level sector must keep abreast of these changes. This is essential if the third level institutions wish to continue delivering programmes which produce graduates who can successfully complete the transition from 3rd. Level to the various engineering sectors.

This paper outlines various aspects …

Development Of Case Stories By Interviewing Students About Their Critical Moments In Science, Math, And Engineering Classes, Vicki V. May, Thomas H. Luxon, Kathy Weaver, Rachel Esselstein, Cynthia Char

Numeracy

Dartmouth’s Critical Moments project is designed to promote discussions among faculty and graduate students about the retention of students, particularly women and minorities, in science, math, and engineering (SME) disciplines. The first phase of the ongoing project has been the development of four case stories, which are fictionalized composites drawn from surveys and interviews of real Dartmouth students. The surveyed population was 125 students in general chemistry. Of the 77 who agreed to be interviewed, 61 reported having experienced a critical moment – i.e., a positive or negative event or time that had a significant impact on the student’s academic …

2007 Fall Engr333/Biol354 Project Final Report, 2007 Fall Engr333, 2007 Fall Biol354

ENGR 333

The students of Calvin College’s Engineering 333 and Biology 354 classes were given the task of determining “What would it take to make Calvin College Carbon Neutral?” At first glance, it would not appear that classes on Advanced Thermal System Design and Investigations in Plant Ecology would have much in common. However, the biology and engineering students comprising these classes banded together to tackle the problem. Coming to a satisfactory conclusion would require:

• Creating an inventory of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration potential
• Coming up with detailed solutions to achieve Carbon Neutrality
• Working out a practical schedule to …

2007 Fall Engr333/Biol354 Project Solutions Poster, 2007 Fall Engr333, 2007 Fall Biol354

ENGR 333

A carbon footprint is term which refers to the net amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly or indirectly by human activities and is usually expressed in terms of metric tons of carbon dioxide. The Calvin community places a strong emphasis on practicing good stewardship, including stewardship of Creation. Reducing Calvin’s carbon footprint is crucial because carbon dioxide is a major greenhouse gas and contributes heavily to global climate change. In a previous portion of this project, the carbon footprint of Calvin College was calculated to be about 66,400 MTCE (Metric Tons Carbon dioxide Emitted). The goal of this portion …

2007 Fall Engr333/Biol354 Project Footprint Poster, 2007 Fall Engr333, 2007 Fall Biol354

ENGR 333

The students of Calvin College’s Engineering 333 and Biology 354 classes were given the task of determining “What would it take to make Calvin College Carbon Neutral?” At first glance, it would not appear that classes on Advanced Thermal System Design and Investigations in Plant Ecology would have much in common. However, the biology and engineering students comprising these classes banded together to tackle the problem. Coming to a satisfactory conclusion would require: Creating an inventory of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and sequestration potential Coming up with detailed solutions to achieve Carbon Neutrality Working out a practical schedule to …

Selected Nsf Projects Of Interest To K-12 Engineering And Technology Education, Dan L. Householder

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

The National Science Foundation (NSF) portfolio addressing K-12 engineering and technology education includes initiatives supported by a number of programs. This list includes projects identified by searching lists of awards in the respective NSF programs as well as projects suggested for inclusion by researchers, practitioners, and program officers. The list includes projects concerned with standards in technology education, teacher professional development, centers for learning and teaching, preparation of instructional materials, digital libraries, and technological activities in informal settings, as well as small numbers of projects in several other areas. This compilation provides current information on projects of interest to educators, …

Bs News

Building Services Engineering

No abstract provided.

2007 Engr333/Biol354 Project Assignment, Matthew K. Heun

ENGR 333

The Fall 2007 semester ENGR333 project involved a collaboration with students in BIOL354, taught by my colleague Dave Warners. We asked our students “What would it take to make Calvin College carbon neutral?”

This project resulted in the first-ever carbon dioxide emissions and sequestration assessment of Calvin College, attached below.

The student presenters animated the pie charts, and an audible gasp filled the hall when the imbalance between carbon emissions and carbon sequestration became clear.

The students also studied potential routes to carbon neutrality, one of which was a green revolving fund.

This class project resulted in a co-authored publication …

The Youth Urban Planning Institute, Fred Nastvogel

Essays in Education

This is a heuristic reflection on the challenge of increasing student interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) as a meta-discipline. A simulation at the high school level is proposed to the end of meaningful integration of divers student capacities, urban melioration, long range networking, and individual portfolio development. There is a recognized need to encourage American youth to pursue careers in engineering and related fields of technology, mathematics, and science. One helpful tack would be to engage potential high school candidates in a design event addressing the real world issues of their own day-to-day environments. The strategy is …

Computer-Based Instruction For Engineering Education In The Developing World, Bradford G. Singley

Theses and Dissertations

Although civil engineers continually develop new ways to solve problems involving water, energy, infrastructure and environmental sustainability, these innovations can take years – or even decades – to reach developing countries. Computer-based instruction has the potential to dramatically decrease this lag time by improving engineering education in the developing world. This paper discusses the development of instructional simulations, based on the theory of model-centered instruction. These simulations can serve as self-paced learning modules, which can be accessed for free over the Internet. A pilot learning module was developed for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the …

Construction Of (Hierarchical) Identity-Based Encryption Protocols Using Bilinear Pairing., Sanjit Chatterjee Dr.

Doctoral Theses

Science, it is argued [65], advances through paradigm shifts. Concepts emerge that open-up new vistas of research, fundamentally changing the way we are used to looking at things. Between these paradigm shifts remain the periods of consolidation. Periods when human mind explores the newly found territory, shedding light on hitherto unknown dimensions. If radical changes are the hallmarks of paradigm shifts, the period within witnesses small but continuous developments, occasionally marked by its own milestones. It is in these periods that human faculty tries to grasp the full significance of the new concepts, consolidates its gains and thereby pushes the …

Some Necessary Conditions Of Boolean Functions To Resist Algebraic Attacks., Deepak Dalai Dr.

Doctoral Theses

No abstract provided.

Civil And Mechanical Engineering Students Learning Mechanics In A Multidisciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Gregory Broderick, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Michael Collura, Richard Stanley

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes how mechanical and civil engineering students are introduced to and develop an understanding of mechanics concepts through a sequence of integrated courses as part of a new curriculum taken during the freshman and sophomore years. The Multi- Disciplinary Engineering Foundation Spiral is a four-semester sequence of engineering courses, matched closely with the development of students’ mathematical sophistication and analytical capabilities and integrated with course work in the sciences. Students develop a conceptual understanding of engineering basics in this series of courses, which stress practical applications of these principles. Mechanics concepts are introduced in a pair of first …

A Hybrid First Year Science Course For Engineering Students – Integrating Biology With Chemistry, David Harding, Pauline Schwartz, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Agamemnon Koutsospyros

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Biology is playing an increasingly important role in many engineering fields. With the typical engineering program already having a high credit hour requirement, the question becomes, how to best integrate biology concepts into a packed engineering curriculum. A typical biology course is not likely to introduce the important concepts of biology to engineering students. The solution here is to develop a hybrid course that integrates chemistry and biology. In the course, Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems, the concept is to develop a course that integrally links important concepts of chemistry and biology. The course focuses on the areas of biology …

Knovel - Tool For Engineering Research And Education, Brian Gray, Mohan Sankaran

Research ShowCASE

Knovel is a library database that provides interactive features that blends itself well to instruction and research.

Physics Alumni Newsletter Spring 2007, Terry Goforth

Physics Alumni Newsletter

Physics Alumni Newsletter

The Physics Alumni Newsletter is produced by the SWOSU Physics Department.

Our Engineering Physics students are recruited in fields such as electronics, aerospace, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering and software engineering. Graduates also have careers in meteorology, architecture, education and more.

Applying The Levels Of Conceptual Interoperability Model In Support Of Integratability, Interoperability, And Composability For System-Of-Systems Engineering, Andreas Tolk, Saikou Y. Diallo, Charles D. Turnitsa

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Faculty Publications

The Levels of Conceptual Interoperability Model (LCIM) was developed to cope with the different layers of interoperation of modeling & simulation applications. It introduced technical, syntactic, semantic, pragmatic, dynamic, and conceptual layers of interoperation and showed how they are related to the ideas of integratability, interoperability, and composability. The model was successfully applied in various domains of systems, cybernetics, and informatics.

Recruitment And Retention: The Role Of The Public Image Of Engineering, Eddie Conlon

Conference papers

This paper presents findings of three surveys conducted with first year students in the Faculty of Engineering in the Dublin Institute of Technology. It focuses on their motivation for studying engineering and the people who influenced the decision to do engineering. It shows there are gaps in the students’ knowledge of their programmes and also between their expectations and their experience of their course. Some proposed areas of action are identified to increase both recruitment and retention. It is argued that projecting an image of engineering as a creative activity would help in addressing recruitment and retention issues.

Engineering Science As Opposed To Natural Science, Eugene Coyle, Mike Murphy, William Grimson

Books/Book chapters

In exploring the epistemology of engineering science, we propose a model of engineering. This model incorporates the goals of engineering, the approach to engineering (also called the engineering method) and the role of experience in engineering. The basis for understanding the nature of engineering science will be explored, and will be contrasted with natural science. To begin, a large-scale engineering project that was successfully completed in Ireland many years ago is discussed - specifically, the development of a megalithic passage tomb as an exemplar of the engineering method in structural design, project management and aesthetics. This exemplar firmly demonstrates that …

Critical Inquiry Into Urban African American Students' Perceptions Of Engineering, Cameron D. Denson, Zanj K. Avery, John W. Schell

Reports of Center Studies

The purpose of this study was to critically examine the perceptions that African- American high school students have towards engineering. A qualitative research design using criterion sampling and snowballing was used to select seven African-American students from urban high schools to participate in the research. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from participants attending urban high schools on the east and west coast. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as the theoretical framework, the study was able to produce “emergent themes” from collected data. Findings from this study will help researchers understand how African-American students may perceive the field of …

Young Women’S Perceptions Of Technology And Engineering: Factors Influencing Their Participation In Math, Science And Technology?, Leah C. Roue

Reports of Center Studies

The current number of women in technology and engineering only represents a fraction of today’s workforce. Technological innovation depends on our nation’s best and brightest, representing all segments of our diverse society. Sanders (2005), in talking about women in technology and engineering, stated that women’s lack of participation can only be measured in jobs not filled, problems not solved, and technology not created. Research in the area of how young women view technology will provide insights into how to better encourage and prepare them for careers in technology and engineering.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine four …

Moisture Effects On The Mechanical Behavior Of Flexible Pavement Subgrades, Edel Rudilio Cortez

Doctoral Dissertations

All pavement materials contain moisture in various forms and amounts. The effects of moisture on the mechanical behavior of these materials vary from small for some bound materials to very significant for some fine grained soils. Moisture effects become critical particularly during the spring thaw, but also where prolonged exposure to water sources occurs. The pavement design engineer must consider the effect of moisture on the mechanical properties of the constituent materials, and how different pavement layers interact under wet conditions.

This doctoral dissertation focuses on the effect that moisture in the subgrade has on the mechanical response and performance …

A Statistical Approach To Understanding Microcosm Methods For Microbially Mediated Dechlorination Of Trichloroethene In Bedrock Aquifers, Stephen J. Druschel

Doctoral Dissertations

Microcosms were evaluated using statistical methods to advance the measurement and characterization abilities for in situ reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) in fractured rock aquifers. Microcosms constructed with unincubated crushed rock in groundwater provided the best microcosm model of in situ TCE degradation, when prepared and incubated to simulate the in situ environment. Microcosms constructed with only groundwater were effective at modeling the TCE degradation only when the microcosms were amended with (total) organic carbon (TOC). Incubation of crushed rock core within the residual TCE plume caused a substantial decline in TCE degradation for biotic intrinsic microcosms, suggesting an effect …

Smart Machining System Platform For Cnc Milling With The Integration Of A Power Sensor And Cutting Model, Min Xu

Doctoral Dissertations

Novel techniques and strategies are investigated for dynamically measuring the process capability of machine tools and using this information for Smart Machine System (SMS) research. Several aspects of the system are explored including system integration, data acquisition, force and power model calibration, feedrate scheduling and tool condition monitoring.

A key aspect of a SMS is its ability to provide synchronization between process measurements and model estimates. It permits real time feedback regarding the current machine tool process. This information can be used to accurately determine and keep track of model coefficients for the actual tooling and materials in use, providing …

An Observer-Based Attitude And Nutation Control And Flexible Dynamic Analysis For The Nasa Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, Neil Mushaweh

Master's Theses and Capstones

Current research with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) involves the dynamic modeling and control of the NASA Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Mission, a. Solar-Terrestrial Probe mission to study Earth's magnetosphere. Four observer-based attitude and nutrition controllers are designed and evaluated to determine the most effective feedback control system as it applies to MMS. Also, a dynamic analysis of each of the four identical satellites' two Axial Double Probe (ADP) booms is performed to provide an understanding of flexible boom dynamics.

The Finite Element method is used in evaluating boom modes of vibration for confirmation of NASA GSFC theoretical analysis …

Acoustic Calibration And Bathymetric Processing With A Klein 5410 Sidescan Sonar, James Michael Glynn Jr.

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 2001, NOAA acquired an L-3 Communications Klein 5410 bathymetric sidescan sonar system that simultaneously provided high resolution multibeam acoustic imagery and wide swath bathymetry. The sonar's inability to produce matching bathymetry in overlapping swaths motivated the detailed acoustic and signal processing analyses described in this thesis.

Results of this research include specific corrections for phase distortions introduced by the sonar's transmit pulses, receiver electronics, and transducer elements, which are implemented in a newly-developed full vector bathymetric processing algorithm to estimate accurate acoustic arrival angles for each sample of the seafloor echo acquired by the Klein 5410 sonar. Performance of …

A Comparative Study Of The Extended Kalman Filter And Sliding Mode Observer For Orbital Determination For Formation Flying About The L(2) Lagrange Point, Oliver Olson

Master's Theses and Capstones

Two nonlinear state estimation techniques, the Sliding Mode Observer and the Extended Kalman Filter, are compared in terms of their ability to provide accurate relative position and velocity estimates for a formation flying mission about the Earth/Moon - Sun L2 libration point. The observers are individually tested on the NASA Constellation X simulation model. Constellation X is a proposed x-ray telescope mission, where formation flying spacecraft was considered as a possible mission scenario. A follower spacecraft is controlled to maintain a fixed distance (50 meters) from a leader spacecraft to with 1 millimeter accuracy.

The state estimates propagated by each …