Engineering Commons^™

Living On Highways, Alexa Dicken

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

“Living on Highways” is a selection comprised of ten poems from my honors thesis. The poems focus on nature and views of human reality in the context of nature, two subjects that require attention to sustainability. I find my strongest inspiration in experiences of interaction with nature, simply being outside and observing the relationship between people and nature. Written in the environmental literary tradition of poets such as Billy Collins and Emily Dickinson, “Living on Highways” situates its poems within the context of nature but comes with a focused regard on humanity’s responsibility toward the appreciation of the environment and …

Performance Study Of A Mems Low-Noise Sound Pressure Gradient Microphone Under An Ac Bias, Jonathan Michelson

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

An AC bias was introduced into microelectromechanical system (MEMS) low-noise sound pressure gradient microphone by Miles, Cui, Su and Hormentcovschi (2014), and its implications for the device's noise performance and directivity readings are discussed. The schematic involved demodulation of the microphone output with external circuitry, and subsequent computer software analysis of the microphone and circuitry outputs. Although insights into noise improvement were frustrated due to subpar noisy components used in the demodulation circuitry, the simultaneous measuring of the microphone's varying directivity patterns was shown to be achievable with this AC bias scheme.

Orgin Of Subgap Features In Transparent Amorphous Oxide Semiconductors, Zachary Lebens-Higgins, Anne Dailey, Louis Piper

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) is a transparent amorphous oxide semiconductor (TAOS) that has shown promise as transparent thin film transistors (TTFTs) in various display applications. Within a-IGZO films, states can form in the band gap that hinder TTFT performance. In order to elucidate the origin of these states, we examined the formation of the subgap states for a-IGZO thin films with various compositions. We observed a positive correlation between the subgap formation and the percentage of oxygen ruling out oxygen deficiencies as a factor in the formation of subgap states. Furthermore, metallic indium crystallites were observed to form …

The Economic Payoff Of Party Membership In China, Kevin Acker

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Because political party membership could potentially confer large economic benefits, economists have increasingly turned their attention to the role of political and social status in one’s life. The Chinese Communist party is the biggest political party in the world, and members are often motivated to join for economic reasons. Previous studies examine the relationship between Communist party membership and earnings and find positive correlation but this correlation may be partly or totally spurious, thereby generating upwards-biased estimates of the importance of political party membership – political party membership is likely to be correlated with a variety of other variables, which …

Residue, Donovan Borger

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Residue is a flash fiction piece, exploring loss, specifically the loss of the protagonist’s sons and his teeth. To write this piece, I read a large number of anthologized flash fiction pieces written by contemporary authors including David Foster Wallace, Lydia Davis, Tobias Wolff, and George Saunders with the intent of understanding and reproducing their takes on the flash fiction form while adding my own nuances. For purposes of characterization and setting, I also researched logging done on the land of what is now Algonquin Park in Ontario. My research and writing show that flash fiction functions most effectively when …

Morality Of A Carbon Tax: Transition To A Sustainable Economy, Timothy Lamendola

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

A carbon tax is needed to address the negative externalities caused by carbon emissions. Increased carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have a direct and negative impact on net social benefit to current and future generations. Our current human population has a moral obligation to future generations and, therefore, is responsible for excess burning of fossil fuels. This essential carbon tax is needed to help wean humans off their fossil fuel reliance. One should not be concerned with the economic losses this could cause because an economy based off unlimited growth is unsustainable and must be altered. A new, sustainable …

A Finite Element Method Based Microwave Heat Transfer Modeling Of Frozen Multi-Component Foods, Krishnamoorthy Pitchai

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Microwave heating is fast and convenient, but is highly non-uniform. Non-uniform heating in microwave cooking affects not only food quality but also food safety. Most food industries develop microwavable food products based on “cook-and-look” approach. This approach is time-consuming, labor intensive and expensive and may not result in optimal food product design that assures food safety and quality. Design of microwavable food can be realized through a simulation model which describes the physical mechanisms of microwave heating in mathematical expressions. The objective of this study was to develop a microwave heat transfer model to predict spatial and temporal profiles of …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2015, 135th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Chemistry and Physics

Collegiate Academy: Biology

Collegiate Academy: Chemistry and Physics

Anthropology

Biological and Medical Sciences

Junior Academy, Senior High Competition

Aeronautics and Space Science, Poster Session

Maiben Memorial Lecture: “Nebraska Biocontainment Unit Planning and Response to Ebola,” Ebola team, University of nebraska medical Center

Applied Science and Technology

Earth Science

Teaching of Science and Math

Junior Academy, Junior High Competition

2015 - The Twentieth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Twentieth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 16, 2015. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2015, Jason L. Johnson

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

Welcome to the Twenty-Second SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair! On display today are 103 presentations involving 169 student researchers, writers, performers, and artists, and 40 faculty sponsors encompassing scholarly activity from the Departments of: Accounting, Computer Science, and Entrepreneurship; Art, Communication, and Theatre; Biological Sciences; Chemistry and Physics; Education; Engineering Technology; Finance, Management, and Marketing; Language and Literature; Music; Nursing and Allied Health; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Psychology; and Social Sciences.

14th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, presents student projects through presentations, papers, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments and independent projects. The projects do not have to be complete; presentations can represent any stage in the concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature review to fully …

Wright State University's Celebration Of Research, Scholarship And Creative Activities Book Of Abstracts From Friday, April 10, 2015, Wright State University Office Of Undergraduate Research And Stemm Activities

Celebration of Undergraduate & Graduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Materials

The student abstract booklet is a compilation of abstracts from students' oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's fifth annual Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 10, 2015.

Magnetic Manipulation And Multimodal Imaging For Single Cell Direct Mechanosensing, Robert L. Wilson

Open Access Theses

The study of internal mechanics of single cells is paramount to understand mechanisms of mechanoregulation. External loading and cell-mediated force generation result in changes in cell shape, rheology, and the deformation of subcellular structures such as the nucleus. Moreover, alterations in the processes that regulate these responses have been further correlated to specific pathologies. Cellular deformation is often studied through application of forces in the environment of the cell, relying on strain and stress transfer through focal adhesions and the cytoskeletal system. However, the transfer of these external forces to internal mechanics can introduce uncertainties in the interpretation of subcellular …

Individual Analysis Of T2*-Weighted Gradient Echo Imaging In Asymptomatic And Symptomatic Athletes, Xianglun Mao

Open Access Theses

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a commonly occurred sports-related injury, especially in contact sports like football and soccer. Hemorrhage will appear as hypointense lesions on T₂ ^*-weighted images, resulting from mTBI. Thus, T ₂^*-weighted gradient echo pulse sequence can be used to generate magnitude susceptibility-weighted (SW) images, and to further detect negative intensity changes of different regions of interests (ROIs) inside human brains. Our goal was to investigate how the ROI-specific intensity changes in each individual sports athlete over a single competition season and to interrogate whether these changes are correlated with repetitive subconcussive or …

Mass Transfer Of Large Molecules Through Collagen And Collagen-Silica Hybrid Membranes, Pedro Jofre Lora

Open Access Theses

Diabetes is a growing concern in the United States and around the world that must be addressed through new treatment options. Current standard treatment options of diabetes are limiting and have tremendous impacts on patient's lives. Emerging therapies, such as the implantation of encapsulated islets, are promising treatment options, but have not yet materialized due to unsolved problems with material properties. Hybrid silica-collagen membranes address some of these unsolved problems and are a promising material for cell encapsulation. However, the mass transfer properties of large molecules, such as insulin, TNF-α, IL1β, and other important proteins in the etiology of diabetes, …

A Novel In Vivo Tumor Oxygen Profiling Assay: Combining Functional And Molecular Imaging With Multivariate Mathematical Modeling, Chung-Wein Lee

Open Access Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of this study is to develop and test a novel high spatio-temporal in vivo assay to quantify tumor oxygenation and hypoxia. The assay implements a biophysical model of oxygen transport to fuse parameters acquired from in vivo functional and molecular imaging modalities. ^ Introduction: Tumor hypoxia plays an important role in carcinogenesis. It triggers pathological angiogenesis to supply more oxygen to the tumor cells and promotes cancer cell metastasis. Preclinical and clinical evidence show that anti-angiogenic treatment is capable of normalizing the tumor vasculature both structurally and functionally. The resulting normalized vasculature provides a more efficient and …

Optimizing The Neural Response To Electrical Stimulation And Exploring New Applications Of Neurostimulation, Kurt Yuqin Qing

Open Access Dissertations

Electrical stimulation has been successful in treating patients who suffer from neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders that are resistant to standard treatments. For deep brain stimulation (DBS), its official approved use has been limited to mainly motor disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. Alcohol use disorder, and addictive disorders in general, is a prevalent condition that is difficult to treat long-term. To determine whether DBS can reduce alcohol drinking in animals, voluntary alcohol consumption of alcohol-preferring rats before, during, and after stimulation of the nucleus accumbens shell were compared. Intake levels in the low stimulus intensity group (n=3, 100&mgr;A …

The Pathological Role Of Acrolein In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis And Multiple Sclerosis, Melissa A. Tully

Open Access Dissertations

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune demyelinating neuropathy that affects nearly 2.5 million people worldwide. Despite substantial efforts, few treatments are currently available largely due to limited knowledge of pathogenic mechanisms underlying the disease. The immune-inflammatory nature of the pathology has prompted investigation of the role of oxidative stress in disease development and progression; however targeting reactive oxygen species for neutralization has had marginal success therapeutically, suggesting that an alternate oxidative stress-related target would prove beneficial. Recently, our lab has implicated acrolein, a highly reactive aldehyde that is both a byproduct and catalyst of lipid peroxidation, as a potential therapeutic …

Multichannel Characterization Of Brain Activity In Neurological Impairments, Yalda Shahriari

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Hundreds of millions of people worldwide suffer from various neurological and psychiatric disorders. A better understanding of the underlying neurophysiology and mechanisms for these disorders can lead to improved diagnostic techniques and treatments. The objective of this dissertation is to create a novel characterization of multichannel EEG activity for selected neurological and psychiatric disorders based on available datasets. Specifically, this work provides spatial, spectral, and temporal characterizations of brain activity differences between patients/animal models and healthy controls, with focus on modern techniques that quantify cortical connectivity, which is widely believed to be abnormal in such disorders. Exploring the functional brain …

In Vivo Near Ir Fluorescent Imaging Of Hollow Polymeric Nanocapsules, Venkata Suresh Patthipati

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Medical Imaging has been an integral component in medical diagnosis and therapeutics. It is frequently used in conjunction with other treatment modalities and has been used for developing applications that range from cancer management to clinical practice. Nanotechnology and its applications are foreseen to have a profound impact on life sciences. Nanomaterial based imaging has a significant potential in addressing medical challenges such as tumor localization, targeted delivery of drugs and real time diagnosis and management of circulation pathology. In particular, polymer based nanoparticles are increasingly being developed as they can be customized according to the diagnostic and/or therapeutic requirements. …

Development Of A Practical Visual-Evoked Potential-Based Brain-Computer Interface, Nicholas R. Waytowich

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

There are many different neuromuscular disorders that disrupt the normal communication pathways between the brain and the rest of the body. These diseases often leave patients in a `locked-in" state, rendering them unable to communicate with their environment despite having cognitively normal brain function. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are augmentative communication devices that establish a direct link between the brain and a computer. Visual evoked potential (VEP)- based BCIs, which are dependent upon the use of salient visual stimuli, are amongst the fastest BCIs available and provide the highest communication rates compared to other BCI modalities. However. the majority of research …

Research: South Dakota State University, Spring 2015, Christie Delfanian

State of Discovery South Dakota State University's Research Magazine

CONTENTS:

Cyanide: Prototype detects cyanide poisoning in 70 seconds [Page] 2
Grapes: Plant scientists help improve cold-hardy grape varieties, develop local wine industry [Page] 3
Plant-derived compound may reduce cancer recurrence, spread [Page] 5
Imagining tool targets degenerative diseases [Page] 5
Nutrient-gene interaction research inspires Nelson Scholarship winner [Page] 6
Bridge girder: Improved bridge girder design can save taxpayers money [Page] 7
Microgrids help integrate renewables, maintain power flow [Page] 9
Tobacco: Nursing researchers document positive effects of tobacco-free policies [Page] 10
Rehab Counseling: rehabilitation counselors improve lives of disabled clients [Page] 11
Vocational rehab support puts asthmatic on university …

An Evaluation Of Carbon Concentrations Associated With Biodiesel Particulate Matter In An Underground Metal Mine, David Evans

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Exposure to diesel particulate matter from diesel exhaust has been shown to have adverse health effects in humans. In 2012 The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified diesel exhaust as a group 1 know human carcinogen. Because of the associated health effects, there has been a strong push to reduce the amount of diesel exhaust present in the mining industry. Biodiesel is one to the more common and promising control options used to reduce the amount of diesel particulate matter that is generated during fuel combustion. The use of biodiesel over petroleum diesel has been shown to reduce not …

Cerebrovascular Reactivity Alterations Due To Subconcussive Repetitive Head Trauma In Asymptomatic High School Football Players, Chetas Joshi

Open Access Theses

Chronic neurological damage as a result of chronic repetitive head trauma is a major concern for football athletes today. Repetitive concussions have been linked to many neurological disorders. Recently, it has been reported that repetitive subconcussive events can contribute to long-term neurodegeneration. For these reasons, it is important to understand the effect repetitive subconcussive head trauma has on brain health in young athletes. Past research has demonstrated that cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), an important mediator of cerebrovascular regulation, is impaired following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This impairment increases susceptibility to secondary injury following mTBI. In this study, Breath-Hold (BH) task …

Plasma Activated Air Mediates Gene Transfer, Chelsea M. Edelblute

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Cold plasma is produced when strong applied electric fields accelerate free electrons, which dissociate, excite, or ionize gaseous molecules [1]. The deposition of ions from the plasma source is dependent on power generation, input gas composition, and gas flow rate. In the presence of reactive species, the membrane of eukaryotic cells is compromised allowing for otherwise impermeant molecules, such as DNA, to enter the inner-cell milieu [2].

The efficacy of a novel cold plasma reactor based on shielded sliding discharge for the delivery of plasmid DNA was assessed. The device is entirely non-contact, wherein the plasma never directly touches the …

Pertumbuhan, Hasil Dan Kualitas Tomat Cv. Marta-9 Pada Berbagai Sistem Budidaya Dalam Rumah Plastik Di Dataran Medium Jatinangor, Tino Mutiarawati Onggo, Sumadi, R. Fauziah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penanaman tomat dalam rumah plastik dengan sistem budidaya hidroponik, meng-0hasilkan buah dengan kuantitas dan kualitas baik serta dapat dilakukan secara kontinu, namun kekurangan sistem tersebut adalah bahan kimia yang digunakan untuk hara tanaman mahal, sehingga perlu dicarikan sistem budidaya alter-natif yang dapat mengimbangi hasil dan kualitas hasil sistem hidroponik. Tujuan dilaku-kannya penelitian ini adalah untuk mempelajari berbagai sistem budidaya tanaman tomat dalam rumah plastik yang dapat diaplikasikan di dataran medium dengan biaya yang lebih murah serta menguji jumlah batang produksi yang dapat menghasilkan pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman serta kualitas tomat yang baik. Penelitian dilakukan dari bulan Juni sampai dengan Oktober …

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

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

1. Quantification of Common Agricultural Herbicide Dispersal and Land Use in Selected Areas of the Kentucky River Watershed, Andrew Nagel and others, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY
2. Exploring the Effects of Herbicides on Willow Seedlings, Sarah Stryffeler and others, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY
3. LiDAR Mapping Sinkholes in Cane Run Watershed, Fidele Tibouo and others, Dept. Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
4. Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to Study Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants, Frankie Wallace and Matthew Nee, Dept. of Chemistry, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
5. Test …

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

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Investigating the Recent Invasion of Silver Carp (Hypopthalmicthys molitrix) into Kentucky Lake, Utilizing Diet and Long Term Data Analysis, Ben Tumolo and Michael B. Flinn, Hancock Biological Station, Murray State University, Murray, KY
• Assessment of Chytrid Fungus (Bactrachochytrium dendrobatidis) Occurrence and Prevalence in Plethodontid Salamanders Across a Forest Disturbance Gradient in Southeastern Kentucky, Sarah M. Hamilton and others, Forestry Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Strain Diversity in the Fecal Indicator Escherichia coli: Implications for its Use as a Produce Pathogen Surrogate, Ethan Givan and others, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY

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

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Kentucky Nutrient Watershed Model, Ben Albritton and others, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• Model Parameter Uncertainty Analysis for an Annual Field-Scale P Loss Model, Carl Bolster, Food Animal Environmental Systems Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• Flood Modeling Using a Virtual 3D Environment to Help Student Learning, C. V. Chandramouli and others, Mechanical Engineering Department, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN
• Updating the Fresh-Saline Water Interface Map in Eastern Kentucky, Jerrad Grider and T. M. Parris, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

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

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Space-Time Behavior of Soil Water Status Measured Across Two Land Use Systems, Yang Yang and Ole Wendroth, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
• "Wetness" in Landsat Scenes versus "Wetness" on the Ground: Uses of the Tasselled Cap Transformation on Archival Imagery, Demetrio Zourarakis, Kentucky Division of Geographic Information, Frankfort, KY
• Dynamics of Soil Quality Indicators in Western Kentucky, Hannah Robbins and Iin Handayani, Hutson School of Agriculture, Murray State University, Murray, KY
• Sediment Organic Carbon Fate and Transport Mechanisms in a Fluvial Karst System in the Bluegrass Region, Admin Husic and …