Engineering Commons^™

A Methodology To Evaluate Obsolete Inventory In Health Care, Rama Thummalapalli

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Many organizations are currently facing inventory management problems such as distributing inventory on-time and maintain the correct inventory levels to satisfy the customer or end users. Organizations understand the need for maintaining the accurate inventory levels but sometimes fall short leading a wide performance gap in maintaining inventory accurately. The inventory inaccuracy can consume much of the investment on purchasing inventory and many times leads to excessive inventory. The research objective of thesis is to provide a decision making criteria to the management for closing or maintaining the warehouse based on basic purchasing and holding cost information. The specific objectives …

Acuta Enews July 2010, Vol 39, No. 7

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From ACUTA Headquarters: FCC: Traveling with Wireless Phones .....Jeri A. Semer, CAE, Executive Dir.

Why Should You Visit the ACUTA Community Often?

Tech Talk: The lnternet Just Keeps on Growing ....Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Cloud Security, Some Guidance...........Gary Audin, Delphi, lnc.

lnfo Links ............. Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Write for the ACUTA Journal in 2011

Second-Notice Membership Dues Mailed July 1

Washington Update Newsletter

Board Report......... George Denbow, Univ. of Texas, Austin

New Members

Check lt Out: Press Releases...Job Postings...RFls/RFPs...Special Deals

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 6, Number 2, July 2010

BSE Department Magazine

No abstract provided.

A Single Chip Computational Sensor System For Neutron Detection Applications, Nathan R. Schemm, Sina Balkir, Michael Hoffman, Mark Bauer, David Schultz, James C. Petrosky, John W. Mcclory, Marcus Natta, Jennifer I. Brand, Jinke Tang, Wendong Wang

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

This paper presents the design and test results of a standalone computational radiation sensor system based on a single chip solution. A low-power sensor front end with a charge sensitive amplifier and an event driven analog-to-digital converter is integrated on the same chip as a dedicated microcontroller to process and bin the data from the neutron detector diode heterojunction according to pulse height. This combination effectively implements a single chip multichannel analyzer with the capability to do further processing of the data in software. The design was fabricated in a 0.18 CMOS technology with field tests demonstrating the validity of …

Recombinant Factors For Hemostasis, Jennifer Calcaterra

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Trauma deaths are a result of hemorrhage in 37% of civilians and 47% military personnel and are the primary cause of death for individuals under 44 years of age. Current techniques used to treat hemorrhage are inadequate for severe bleeding. Preliminary research indicates that fibrin sealants (FS) alone or in combination with a dressing may be more effective; however, it has not been economically feasible for widespread use because of prohibitive costs related to procuring the proteins. To meet future demands for hemostatic therapies, FS will likely include recombinant human fibrinogen (rFI) and recombinant human Factor XIII (rFXIII). The underlying …

Load Rating Of Complex Bridges, George Morcous, Kromel E. Hanna, Maher K. Tadros

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Design Aids Of Nu I-Grinder Bridges, Kromel Hanna, George Morcous, Maher K. Tadros

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Temporary Concrete Barrier To Permanent Concrete Median Barrier Approach Transition, Mitchell J. Wiebelhaus, Karla A. Lechtenberg, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, Ryan J. Terpsma, Robert W. Bielenberg, Dean L. Sicking, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Securing Foreign Oil: A Case For Including Military Operations In The Climate Change Impact Of Fuels, Adam J. Liska, Richard K. Perrin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Military operations are major industrial activities that use massive amounts of fuel and materials that significantly contribute to climate change. In this article, we assert that military activity to protect international oil trade is a direct production component for importing foreign oil— as necessary for imports as are pipelines and supertankers—and therefore the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from that military activity are relevant to U.S. fuel policies related to climate change. Military security for protection of global maritime petroleum distribution is part of the acquisition process, but in addition, recent Middle Eastern wars may also be related to securing petroleum …

A Comparison Of Induction Motor Starting Methods Being Powered By A Diesel-Generator Set, Adam John Wigington

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Starting induction motors on isolated or weak systems is a highly dynamic process that can cause motor and load damage as well as electrical network fluctuations. Mechanical damage is associated with the high starting current drawn by a ramping induction motor. In order to compensate the load increase, the voltage of the electrical system decreases. Different starting methods can be applied to the electrical system to reduce these and other starting method issues. The purpose of this thesis is to build accurate and usable simulation models that can aid the designer in making the choice of an appropriate motor starting …

Designing Software Product Lines For Testability, Isis Cabral

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Software product line (SPL) engineering offers several advantages in the development of families of software products such as reduced costs, high quality and a short time to market. A software product line is a set of software intensive systems, each of which shares a common core set of functionalities, but also differs from the other products through customization tailored to fit the needs of individual groups of customers. The differences between products within the family are well-understood and organized into a feature model that represents the variability of the SPL. Products can then be built by generating and composing features …

Mechanical Testing Device For Viscoelastic Biomaterials, Jeff D. Berg

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nearly all biologic tissues exhibit viscoelastic behavior. This behavior is characterized by hysteresis in the response of the material to load or strain. This information can be utilized in extrapolation of life expectancy of vascular implant materials including native tissues and synthetic materials. This behavior is exhibited in many engineering materials as well such as the polymers PTFE, polyamide, polyethylene, etc. While procedures have been developed for evaluating the engineering polymers the techniques for biologic tissues are not as mature. There are multiple reasons for this. A major one is a cultural divide between the medical and engineering communities. Biomedical …

Design And Analysis Of Multifunctional Robot For Notes, Akiko Nakamura

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The elimination of all external incisions is an important step in reducing the invasiveness of surgical procedures. Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) is an incision-less surgery and provides explicit benefits such as reducing patient trauma and shortening recovery time. However, technological difficulties impede the widespread utilization of the NOTES method. A novel robotic tool has been developed, which makes NOTES procedures feasible by using multiple interchangeable tool tips.

The robotic tool has the capability of entering the body cavity through an orifice or a single incision using a flexible articulated positioning mechanism and once inserted is not constrained by …

Flying Mobile On-Board Ellipsometer, Polarimeter, Reflectometer And The Like Systems, Blaine D. Johs, Ping He, Martin M. Liphardt, Christopher A. Goeden, John A. Woollam, James D. Welch

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

A substantially self-contained "on-board" material system investigation system for effecting relative translational and rotational motion between a source and detector of electromagnetic radiation and a sample, which system is functionally mounted on a three-dimensional locational system to enable positioning at desired locations on, and distances from, the surface of a sample, including the capability to easily and conveniently effect rotation and/or to change the angle-of-incidence of a beam of electromagnetic radiation onto a sample surface and/or to provide gas flow confined in a mini-chamber near the surface of a sample, at a location at which a beam having UV, VUV, …

Ultrasound Transient Shear Wave Elasticity Imaging For Tendon Tissue, Pengfei Song

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Degeneration of tendon tissue is a common cause of tendon dysfunction with the symptoms of repeated episodes of pain and palpable increase of tendon thickness. Tendon mechanical properties are directly related to its physiological composition and the structural organization of the interior collagen fibers which could be altered by tendon degeneration due to overuse or injury. Thus, measuring mechanical properties of tendon tissue may represent a quantitative measurement of pain, reduced function, and tissue health. Ultrasound elasticity imaging has been developed in the last two decades and has proved to be a promising tool for tissue elasticity imaging. To date, …

Boron Carbide Based Solid State Neutron Detectors: The Effects Of Bias And Time Constant On Detection Efficiency, Nina Hong, John Mullins, Keith Foreman, Shireen Adenwalla

Shireen Adenwalla Papers

Neutron detection in thick boron carbide(BC)/n-type Si heterojunction diodes shows a threefold increase in efficiency with applied bias and longer time constants. The improved efficiencies resulting from long time constants have been conclusively linked to the much longer charge collection times in the BC layer. Neutron detection signals from both the p-type BC layer and the n-type Si side of the heterojunction diode are observed, with comparable efficiencies. Collectively, these provide strong evidence that the semiconducting BC layer plays an active role in neutron detection, both in neutron capture and in charge generation and collection.

Impact Of Preferential Flow Paths On Alluvial Groundwater Flow Patterns And Phosphorus Transport, Derek M. Heeren, Ronald B. Miller, Garey A. Fox, Daniel E. Storm, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Chad J. Penn

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

While surface runoff is considered to be the primary transport mechanism for phosphorus (P), subsurface transport through coarse subsoil to gravel bed streams may be significant and represent a source of P not alleviated by current conservation practices (e.g., riparian buffers). Previous research has documented P transport in a preferential flow path (PFP) identified as a buried gravel bar. It is hypothesized that PFPs, if connected to the soil surface, provide a rapid and efficient method of transporting P, and that these alluvial features are transient storage zones for nutrients, acting as a sink during high flow and a source …

Acuta Enews June 2010, Vol 39, No. 6

ACUTA Newsletters

In this Issue

Extremely Strong Program Planned for San Francisco Seminar

From the President..........Matt Arthur, Washington Univ. in St. Louis, ACUTA President

Can Wireless Replace the RSTN?.... Gary Audin, Delphi, lnc.

Add Names from Your Campus to Your ACUTA Roster

Multi-Event Discount: Attend More in 2010 and Save More!

ACUTA Resources Are Better than Ever

Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

FYI: Useful lnformation from the Campus...................Student Monitor

Board Report............ George Denbow, Univ. of Texas, ACUTA Secretary/Treasurer

lnfo Links .......... Randy Hoyes, Univ of Northern lowa

Washington Update Newsletter

Welcome New Members

Check lt Out: Press Releases...Job Postings...RFls/RFPs...Special Deals

Foundation Design For High Tension Cable Guardrails, John R. Rohde, Ryan J. Terpsma, Ling Zhu

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Analysis And Transformation Of Pipe-Like Web Mashups For End User Programmers, Kathryn T. Stolee

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mashups are becoming increasingly popular as end users are able to easily access, manipulate, and compose data from several web sources. To support end users, communities are forming around mashup development environments that facilitate sharing code and knowledge. We have observed, however, that end user mashups tend to suffer from several deficiencies, such as inoperable components or references to invalid data sources, and that those deficiencies are often propagated through the rampant reuse in these end user communities.

In this work, we identify and specify ten code smells indicative of deficiencies we observed in a sample of 8,051 pipe-like web …

Offset Right-Turn Lanes For Improved Intersection Sight Distance, Karen Schurr, Timothy J. Foss Jr.

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Steady-State Green’S Function Solution For Moving Media With Axial Conduction, A. Haji-Sheikh, J. V. Beck, Kevin D. Cole

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The objective of this presentation is the development of a generalized steady-state Green’s function solution to study the temperature field in moving bodies. This type of solution permits the inclusion of different nonhomogeneous boundary conditions, volumetric heat sources, and possible position-dependent thermophysical properties. Although the mathematical formulation is for moving solids, it can be used to study the heat transfer in a moving fluid with a non-uniform velocity distribution passing through a micro-channel or fluid-saturated porous ducts. Additionally, this presentation includes the application of this Green’s function solution to acquire numerical information for selected examples to further illustrate the numerical …

Multi-Robot System Control Architecture (Mrsca) For Agricultural Production, Santosh Pitla, Joe D. Luck, Scott A. Shearer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Coordinating multiple autonomous robots for achieving an assigned collective task presents a complex engineering challenge. In this paper multi robot system control architecture (MRSCA) for the coordination of multiple agricultural robots is developed. The two important aspects of MRSCA; coordination strategy and inter-robot communication were discussed with typical agricultural tasks as examples. Classification of MRS into homogeneous and heterogeneous robots was done to identify appropriate form of cooperative behavior and inter-robot communication. The framework developed, proposes that inter-robot communication is not always required for a MRS. Three types of cooperative behaviors; No-cooperation, modest cooperation and absolute cooperation for a MRS …

Pneumatic Control Of A Variable Orifice Nozzle, Joe D. Luck, Michael P. Sama, Santosh Pitla, Scott A. Shearer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

A variable-orifice nozzle with droplet optimization was recently developed and introduced for use on agricultural sprayers. The VariTarget (VT) nozzle reacts to changes in the system flow rate via a metering assembly that is controlled by a diaphragm and spring. As the liquid pressure changes, the VT metering assembly attempts to control the flow rate and spray pattern exiting the nozzle. The goal of this study was to replace the spring controlled “reactive” system with a pneumatically controlled metering assembly. The proposed system would allow for the metering assembly to adjust the flow rate and spray pattern exiting the nozzle …

Geophysical Mapping Of Preferential Flow Paths Across Multiple Floodplains, Ronald B. Miller, Derek M. Heeren, Garey A. Fox, Daniel E. Storm, Todd Halihan, Aaron R. Mittelstet

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In the Ozark ecoregion of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, the erosion of carbonate bedrock (primarily limestone) by slightly acidic water has left a residuum of chert gravel, producing gravel-bed streams and floodplains generally consisting of coarse chert gravel overlain by a mantle (1 to 300 cm) of gravelly loam or silt loam. Previous research has documented the occurrence of preferential flow paths (PFP) in an alluvial floodplain hypothesized to be a buried gravel bar. Field experiments have shown that the PFP affected alluvial groundwater flow in the floodplain and that water flow in the PFP was transmitted at rates that …

Assembly Of Ordered Carbon Shells On Semconducting Nanomaterals, Eli Anguelova Sutter, Peter Werner Sutter

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

In some embodiments of the invention, encapsulated semiconducting nanomaterials are described. In certain embodiments the nanostructures described are semiconducting nanomaterials encapsulated with ordered carbon shells. In some aspects a method for producing encapsulated semiconducting nanomaterials is disclosed. In some embodiments applications of encapsulated semiconducting nanomaterials are described.

Acuta Enews May 2010, Vol 39, No. 5

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

Report from Annual Conference in San Antonio

From ACUTA Headquarters: Expanded ACUTA Benefits Jeri A. Semer, CAE, Executive Dir.

Hurricane Preparedness Checklist

Tech Talk: A Different Way of Measuring Value of Unified Communications....... Kevin Tonzillo, Dux PR

See the Conference on Your Desktop

DC Update ................Dove Ostrom, Washington State Univ. (retired)

ACUTA Alert: Write Your Senators to Urge Passage of IRS/Cell Phone Legislation

Dues lnvoices Mailed May 1

Washington Update Newsletter

lnfo Links ............ Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

Another Great Conference, More Terrific Prizes!

Board Report ......... George Denbow, Univ. of Texas, Austin

New Members …

Rapid Diagnosis Of Tuberculosis In A Peripheral Setting, Elsje Pienaar

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tuberculosis is an ancient and worldwide epidemic affecting millions of people in mainly the developing world, killing almost 2 million people in 2008. Current diagnostic techniques are outdated and have proven insufficient to control the disease. Smear microscopy has poor sensitivity and culture is slow to yield results. Modern diagnostic techniques are making great strides in shortening time to result but are restricted by two qualities: 1) prohibitively high costs prevent implementation in resource poor areas, and 2) equipment and technician requirements limit application to centralized laboratories. There exists a divide between new technologies and the people that need them …

Safety And Driver Behavior Studies At Multiple Lane Approaches To Stop-Controlled Intersections, Karen Schurr, Daniel Sitorius

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

Multiple-lane approaches (MLAs) controlled by stop signs are becoming increasingly common in Nebraska. Installation of MLAs occurs when a single approach lane can no longer adequately serve the minor road traffic volume, and a signal is unwarranted because Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) warrants are not satisfied (7, FHWA, 2003). A common example of a location at which MLA stop-controlled intersections can occur in Nebraska is the rural intersection of two state or federal highways. Forty such intersections in Nebraska were available for study in this research. Additionally, such intersections are often located in suburban areas of Nebraska …

Mechanical Milling Of Co-Rich Melt-Spun Sm-Co Alloys, Farhad Reza Golkar-Fard

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Rare-earth, high-energy permanent magnets are currently the best performing permanent magnets used today. The discovery of single domain magnetism in 1950’s ultimately led to the development of nanocomposite magnets which had superior magnetic properties. Previous work has shown that mechanical milling (MM) effectively generates nanoscale structures in Sm-Co-based alloys. MM of more Co-rich, melt-spun Sm-Co alloys (up to the eutectic composition) and the role of initial structure on the milling behavior were investigated.

Sm-Co alloys with compositions of Sm_10.5Co_89.5 and Sm₈Co₉₂ were produced by arc melting, melt-spinning and mechanical milling. X-ray diffraction results showed …