Engineering Commons^™

An Evaluation Of Parameters Which Affect Dairy Herd Movement On Irish Pasture-Based Farms, Paul James Maher, Michael D. Murphy, Michael Egan, Patrick Tuohy

Publications

In pasture-based grazing systems, farm roadways are a pivotal link to connect paddocks on the grazing platform to the milking parlour. However, their effectiveness in the efficient movement of the dairy herd between the grazing paddocks and the milking parlour has yet to be fully quantified. A validation experiment was conducted on a research farm to analyse characteristics on farm roadways that may affect cow throughput, which was observed as the number of cows per minute (CPM) passing a specified location. Roadway width (R2 = 0.96) and surface condition score (SC) (R2 = 0.78, respectively) were both positively associated with …

Eeg Functional Connectivity In Infants At Elevated Familial Likelihood For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Christian O'Reilly, Scott Huberty, Stefon Van Noordt, James Desjardins, Nicky Wright, Julie Scorah, Sara Jane Webb, Mayada Elsabbagh, Basis Team

Publications

Background

Many studies have reported that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical structural and functional connectivity. However, we know relatively little about the development of these differences in infancy.

Methods

We used a high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) dataset pooled from two independent infant sibling cohorts, to characterize such neurodevelopmental deviations during the first years of life. EEG was recorded at 6 and 12 months of age in infants at typical (N = 92) or elevated likelihood for ASD (N = 90), determined by the presence of an older sibling with ASD. We computed the functional connectivity between …

The Wings Program And The Compliance Program, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

No abstract provided.

Perception Of Crisis Management, Service Quality, And Loyalty Programs On Airline Travel Intention: What Roles Do Fear Of Covid-19 And Risk Attitude Play?, Sohel M. Imroz, Tamilla Curtis, Scott C. Ambrose

Publications

This research investigates the antecedents of airline travel intention, including the effects of crisis management, service quality perceptions, and loyalty programs, along with the fear of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and risk attitude among individuals from different parts of the world during the peak of the pandemic. Its main objective is to assess how these variables impact passenger airline travel intention. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to assess the measurement model and test the hypothesized relationships on the sample of 944 travelers. Results indicated strong positive associations between fear of COVID-19, risk-averse attitudes, and service quality with respect …

Reducing Brain Kynurenic Acid Synthesis Precludes Kynurenine-Induced Sleep Disturbances, Katherine M. Rentschler, Snezana Milosavljevic, Annalisa M. Baratta, Courtney J. Wright, Maria V. Piroli, Zachary Tentor, Homayoun Valafar, Christian O'Reilly, Ana Pocivavsek

Publications

Patients with neurocognitive disorders often battle sleep disturbances. Kynurenic acid is a tryptophan metabolite of the kynurenine pathway implicated in the pathology of these illnesses. Modest increases in kynurenic acid, an antagonist at glutamatergic and cholinergic receptors, result in cognitive impairments and sleep dysfunction. We explored the hypothesis that inhibition of the kynurenic acid synthesising enzyme, kynurenine aminotransferase II, may alleviate sleep disturbances. At the start of the light phase, adult male and female Wistar rats received systemic injections of either: (i) vehicle; (ii) kynurenine (100 mg kg−1; i.p.); (iii) the kynurenine aminotransferase II inhibitor, PF-04859989 (30 mg kg−1; s.c.); …

Systems Thinking Applied To Higher Education Curricula Development, Reza Rahdar, Mark London, Yuetong Lin, Hong Jiang

Publications

Systems Thinking (ST) is a general and yet nebulous term that describes an approach to understanding and working with complexity in the real world. ST seeks to evaluate different behaviors of individual system elements when they operate in isolation as opposed to when they are integrated as part of a larger system and placed within a particular operating environment. The education environment consists of multiple systems with different digital content, learning goals/outcomes that serve different stakeholders including teachers, learners, and administrators. The inherent complexity and interaction among these various educational system elements and functions make this environment a worthy candidate …

Validation Of A Biomechanical Injury And Disease Assessment Platform Applying An Inertial-Based Biosensor And Axis Vector Computation, Wangdo Kim, Emir A. Vela, Sean S. Kohles, Victor Huayamave

Publications

Inertial kinetics and kinematics have substantial influences on human biomechanical function. A new algorithm for Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)-based motion tracking is presented in this work. The primary aims of this paper are to combine recent developments in improved biosensor technology with mainstream motion-tracking hardware to measure the overall performance of human movement based on joint axis-angle representations of limb rotation. This work describes an alternative approach to representing three-dimensional rotations using a normalized vector around which an identified joint angle defines the overall rotation, rather than a traditional Euler angle approach. Furthermore, IMUs allow for the direct measurement of …

A Literary Survey On The U.S. Airline Maintenance Outsourcing: Technology, Economics, And Politics Perspectives, Linfeng Jin, Chien-Ting Lu

Publications

This study examines the U.S. airline maintenance outsourcing- a common business phenomenon in the post-1978 deregulated airline industry. Over the years, there have been several fatal accidents in the U.S. linked to airline maintenance outsourcing, and it has caught the attention of the government and general public. This paper went over the complex airline maintenance outsourcing factors from technology, economics, and political tripartite perspectives. And suggestions for the airlines, the regulators and the legislators are made in the end

Pilots’ Desire To Become Future Space Tourism Pilots: Polynomial Regression Using Response Surface Analysis, Robert A. Goehlich, Ralf Bebenroth

Publications

In this study, we investigated the impact of pilots’ motivation on their desire to be space tourism pilots or to remain in their current occupation (adherence). We analyzed the feedback obtained from a survey questionnaire on a sample consisting of 106 pilots with flying experience. In particular, we compared the pilots’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to investigate two outcomes: the desire to become future space pilots or to remain as air pilots. Applying the self-determination theory, we found that intrinsic motivation mattered more than extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, by applying response surface analysis as our statistical tool, it was revealed that …

Ki-Cook: Clustering Multimodal Cooking Representations Through Knowledge-Infused Learning, Revathy Venkataramanan, Swati Padhee, Saini Rohan Rao, Ronak Kaoshik, Anirudh Sundara Rajan, Amit Sheth

Publications

Cross-modal recipe retrieval has gained prominence due to its ability to retrieve a text representation given an image representation and vice versa. Clustering these recipe representations based on similarity is essential to retrieve relevant information about unknown food images. Existing studies cluster similar recipe representations in the latent space based on class names. Due to inter-class similarity and intraclass variation, associating a recipe with a class name does not provide sufficient knowledge about recipes to determine similarity. However, recipe title, ingredients, and cooking actions provide detailed knowledge about recipes and are a better determinant of similar recipes. In this study, …

Ecg Recordings As Predictors Of Very Early Autism Likelihood: A Machine Learning Approach, Deepa Tilwani, Jessica Bradshaw, Amit Sheth, Christian O'Reilly

Publications

In recent years, there has been a rise in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The diagnosis of ASD requires behavioral observation and standardized testing completed by highly trained experts. Early intervention for ASD can begin as early as 1–2 years of age, but ASD diagnoses are not typically made until ages 2–5 years, thus delaying the start of intervention. There is an urgent need for non-invasive biomarkers to detect ASD in infancy. While previous research using physiological recordings has focused on brain-based biomarkers of ASD, this study investigated the potential of electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings as an ASD biomarker …

Probabilistic Modeling Of North Atlantic Ocean Hurricane Spawn Considering Climate Change, Susmita Bhowmik, Weichiang Pang, Michael Stoner

Publications

Hurricanes are a significant natural hazard, which cause significant damage and financial losses in the coastal areas of the United States almost every year. For example, the devastating nature of North Atlantic Ocean (NAO) storms can easily be understood from the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, which was the most damaging NAO storm in modern history, causing more than 1,800 deaths and a financial loss of at least 161.3 billion USD. It has been found that the formations of hurricanes depend heavily on climate conditions, which implies a direct relationship between the changes in climate extremes and the occurrences of hurricanes or …

Design Of Bamboo Reinforced Concrete Beams Considering Variability In Tensile Strength Of Bamboo, Bibek Bhardwaj, Michael Stoner, Weichiang Pang

Publications

In recent years, the price of steel has soared, making steel reinforcement in concrete structures unaffordable for households in low-income countries. Seismic activities in low-income households, particularly those in developing countries, pose a significant threat to life and property to unreinforced concrete structures. The application of bamboo as an alternative to steel in reinforced concrete is still in its early stages of development. Unlike steel, bamboo is a natural material, and its structural properties vary greatly based on species, location, age, and geometric properties. Thus, the design of bamboo-reinforced concrete involves more uncertainties than steel-reinforced concrete. This research investigates the …

Predicting Corrosion Damage In The Human Body Using Artificial Intelligence: In Vitro Progress And Future Applications Applications, Michael A. Kurtz, Ruoyu Yang, Mohan S. R. Elapolu, Audrey C. Wessinger, William Nelson, Kazzandra Alaniz, Rahul Rai, Jeremy L. Gilbert

Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in the clinic to improve patient care. While the successes illustrate the impact AI can have, few studies have led to improved clinical outcomes. A gap in translational studies, beginning at the basic science level, exists. In this review, we focus on how AI models implemented in non-orthopedic fields of corrosion science may apply to the study of orthopedic alloys. We first define and introduce fundamental AI concepts and models, as well as physiologically relevant corrosion damage modes. We then systematically review the corrosion/AI literature. Finally, we identify several AI models that may be Preprint …

Hyper-Local Weather Predictions With The Enhanced General Urban Area Microclimate Predictions Tool, Kevin A. Adkins, William Becker, Sricharan Ayyalasomayajula, Steven Lavenstein, Kleoniki Vlachou, David Miller, Marc Compere, Avinash Muthu Krishnan, Nickolas Macchiarella

Publications

This paper presents enhancements to, and the demonstration of, the General Urban area Microclimate Predictions tool (GUMP), which is designed to provide hyper-local weather predictions by combining machine-learning (ML) models and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations. For the further development and demonstration of GUMP, the Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) campus was used as a test environment. Local weather sensors provided data to train ML models, and CFD models of urban- and suburban-like areas of ERAU’s campus were created and iterated through with a wide assortment of inlet wind speed and direction combinations. ML weather sensor predictions were combined with best-fit …

From Prosumer To Flexumer: Case Study On The Value Of Flexibility In Decarbonizing The Multi-Energy System Of A Manufacturing Company, Markus Fleschutz, Markus Bohlayer, Marco Braun, Michael B. Murphy

Publications

Digitalization and sector coupling enable companies to turn into flexumers. By using the flexibility of their multi-energy system (MES), they reduce costs and carbon emissions while balancing the electricity grid. However, to identify the necessary investments in energy conversion and storage technologies to leverage demand response (DR) potentials, companies need to assess the value of flexibility. Therefore, this study quantifies the flexibility value of a production company’s MES by optimizing the synthesis, design, and operation of a decarbonizing MES considering self-consumption optimization, peak shaving, and integrated DR based on hourly prices and carbon emission factors (CEFs). The detailed case study …

Impact Of Critical Narrative On Students’ Abilities To Recognize Ethical Dilemmas In Engineering Work, Jeff Brown, Chad Rohrbacher, Taylor J. Mitchell, Dr. Leroy Long Iii, Jenna Korentsides, Joseph R. Keebler

Publications

This study aims to investigate the impact of exposure to critical narratives on students' abilities to recognize ethical dilemmas and broader impacts in engineering work. Critical narratives are place-based stories that engage students and help them enhance their critical thinking skills by making connections between the narratives, broader impacts of engineering work, and their responsibility to address these issues. The effectiveness of the critical narrative intervention was assessed by implementing discussion-based assignments around three critical narratives, which required students to listen to the narrative, respond to focus questions, engage with their peers, and reflect on the process. The intervention was …

Advances In Spacecraft Thermal Control, Sandra K. S. Boetcher, Robert C. Consolo Jr.

Publications

Spacecraft thermal management is critical for ensuring mission success, as it affects the performance and longevity of onboard systems. A comprehensive overview of the state of the art in spacecraft thermal control solutions, as well as a design methodology framework for efficient and effective thermal management, is provided. Various thermal control solutions, including coatings, insulation, heat pipes, phase-change materials, conductive materials, thermal devices, actively pumped fluid loops, and radiators, are discussed along with the primary sources of heat loading in space. The need for accurate modeling and analysis of the thermal environment to identify appropriate thermal control solutions and design …

Model-Driven Analysis Of Ecg Using Reinforcement Learning, Christian O'Reilly, Sai Durga Rithvik Oruganti, Deepa Tilwani, Jessica Bradshaw

Publications

Modeling is essential to better understand the generative mechanisms responsible for experimental observations gathered from complex systems. In this work, we are using such an approach to analyze the electrocardiogram (ECG). We present a systematic framework to decompose ECG signals into sums of overlapping lognormal components. We use reinforcement learning to train a deep neural network to estimate the modeling parameters from an ECG recorded in babies from 1 to 24 months of age. We demonstrate this model-driven approach by showing how the extracted parameters vary with age. From the 751,510 PQRST complexes modeled, 82.7% provided a signal-to-noise ratio that …

When Is An Owl More Than An Owl? An Interaction Analysis Of A Computer Science Co-Design Conversation On Cultural Relevance, Stephanie M. Robillard, Victor R. Lee, Jody Clarke-Midura, Jessica F. Shumway

Publications

The learning sciences community is currently exploring new ways to enact productive and equitable co-design research-practice partnerships that are sensitive to all the concerns and needs of stakeholders. The paper contributes to that still-growing literature through an interaction analysis of a co-design discussion involving school district partners that unfolded about cultural relevance and sensitivity in relation to the use of a specific image in an elementary school coding lesson. The episode involved looking moment-by-moment at how district educators recognized and acknowledged that a specific design decision could be harmful for a minoritized population of students enrolled in the district. However, …

Thermoplastics Foams: An Automotive Perspective, Sai Aditya Pradeep, Srishti Shukla, Nathaniel Brown, Srikanth Pilla

Publications

The automotive industry has witnessed a massive shift in terms of materials used, ranging from being a metallic heavyweight in the 1950s to employing a hybrid sandwich of multiple material systems. This apparent shift can be attributed to achieving improvements in performance, safety and fuel efficiency, along with responding to the various environmental regulations imposed by different governments. The recent advocacy of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard of 54.5 MPG by 2025 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [1] has spurred the sector at large towards the use of lightweight materials.

The Impact Of Retrofitted Ventilation Approaches On Long-Range Airborne Infection Risk For Lecture Room Environments: Design Stage Methodology And Application, Adam O'Donovan

Publications

There is a continued need to improve the energy (and by extension carbon) performance of the existing building stock in Europe and globally. Recent experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic have demanded even more of the built environment disciplines when it comes to air quality and ventilation rates particularly in teaching environments which are seen as necessary developmental sectors for the learning of the population. As such it is important that these spaces are safe for students and staff where, until now, infectious disease risk assessments were not typical. In addition to this, there is a risk that envelope refurbishment (which …

On The Measurement Of Nakazima Testing Based Out-Of-Plane Forming Limit Curves Using 2d Digital Image Correlation, Akshat Agha, Fadi Abu-Farha

Publications

The strain compensation method for measuring in-plane forming limit curves (FLCs) using 2D digital image correlation developed previously [A method of measuring in-plane forming limit curves using 2D Digital Image Correlation, SAE Int. J. Mater. Manf., 2023] was modified and extended to more versatile and popular out-of-plane FLCs. The current study introduces a straightforward strain compensation technique for measuring Nakazima testing based out-of-plane FLCs utilizing an affordable single-camera (2D) DIC system. In this study, forming tests are performed on two automotive-grade sheet metal alloys: DP980 steel and a 6xxx series aluminum alloy using the Nakazima test method. The experiments are …

Composites 4.0: Enabling The Modernization Of Legacy Manufacturing Assets In South Carolina, Amit Makarand Deshpande, Gayatri Keskar, Sai Aditya Pradeep, Saeed Farahani, Srikanth Pilla

Publications

Composites 4.0 is the implementation of Industry 4.0 concepts to plastics and composites manufacturing with the goal to overcome the complexities associated with these materials. Due to very complex process-structure-property relationships associated with plastics and composites, a wide range of process parameters need to be tracked and monitored. Furthermore, these parameters are often affected by the tool and machinery, human intervention and variability and should thus, be monitored by integrating intelligence and connectivity in manufacturing systems. Retrofitting legacy manufacturing systems with modern sensing and control systems is emerging as one of the more cost-effective approaches as it circumvents the substantial …

Alkali-Silica Reaction Mitigation Using Alternative Supplementary Cementitious Materials, Craig Newtson, Judit M. Garcia, Seyedsaleh Mousavinezhad

Publications

Over the past few decades, Class F fly ash has been widely used in concrete as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) due, in part, to its ability to mitigate alkali-silica reaction (ASR). However, future availability of fly ash is uncertain as the energy industry shifts towards renewable sources, resulting in the closure of coal-burning power plants. Therefore, there is a growing need to find alternatives to fly ash that are both cost effective and environmentally friendly. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ground-granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), metakaolin, and a locally available natural pozzolan mined from a pumicite …

Accelerated Sulfate Attack Testing For Concrete, Craig Newtson, Seyedsaleh Mousavinezhad, William Toledo, Federico Aguayo

Publications

Extensive research has been conducted on sulfate attack of concrete structures, however, the need to adopt use of more sustainable materials is driving a need for a quicker test method to assess sulfate resistance. Class F fly ash, which is a byproduct of coal combustion for electricity generation, has historically been used in concrete mixtures to improve sulfate resistance. However, environmental considerations and evolving energy industry has decreased its availability, requiring the identification of economically viable and environmentally friendly alternatives to fly ash. Another challenge in addressing sulfate attack durability issues in concrete is that the standard sulfate attack test …

Overview Of Low-Cost Carriers In Russia And Post-Soviet States, Tamilla Curtis, Dawna L. Rhoades

Publications

The low-cost carrier's model made remarkable gains across the globe in the prior decade, although growth was uneven domestically and intraregionally. Within this region, there are significant differences in overall country size, the size of the domestic aviation market, and the number of carriers serving the market. The largest and most developed market is in Russia, but rest of the region also experienced growth in economy airlines' activity as they discovered the power of the model to expand aviation access and lower costs. The success of low-cost carriers, however, has been halting and hampered by government decisions on foreign investment, …

Evidence-Based Managerial Decision-Making With Machine Learning: The Case Of Bayesian Inference In Aviation Incidents, Aaron Glassman, Burak Cankaya, Kazim Topuz, Dursun Delen

Publications

Understanding the factors behind aviation incidents is essential, not only because of the lethality of the accidents but also the incidents’ direct and indirect economic impact. Even minor incidents trigger significant economic damage and create disruptions to aviation operations. It is crucial to investigate these incidents to understand the underlying reasons and hence, reduce the risk associated with physical and financial safety in a precarious industry like aviation. The findings may provide decision-makers with a causally accurate means of investigating the topic while untangling the difficulties concerning the statistical associations and causal effects. This research aims to identify the significant …

The Role Of Near-Façade Flow In Wind-Dominant Single-Sided Natural Ventilation For An Isolated Three-Storey Building: An Les Study, Nima Najafi Ziarani, Malcolm J. Cook, Farnood Freidooni, Paul D. O'Sullivan

Publications

Wind-driven single-sided ventilation is present in many existing buildings globally, and its performance can be unreliable and challenging to improve. To address these performance challenges, a better understanding of the interconnected relationship between the external and internal flows is required. Therefore, a detailed assessment of this type of natural ventilation is vital. A detailed CFD analysis of wind-dominant single-sided natural ventilation is presented by adopting the Large Eddy Simulation method, validated using previous wind tunnel studies. An isolated cube, representing a three-storey building, was used to investigate four case studies with different opening positions on the building façade. The …

The Effect Of Airflow Guiding Components On Effective Ventilation Rates In Single-Sided Ventilation Applications, Nima Najafi Ziarani, Malcolm Cook, Paul D. O’Sullivan

Publications

Wind-driven single-sided ventilation (SSV) is present in many existing buildings across Europe, and with new near-zero energy building (NZEB) regulations for the refurbishment of the existing building stock, its attractiveness as a noninvasive, low-energy solution is set to continue. As a strategy, however, in addition to its air change rate capacity, the distribution of fresh air is an important evaluation criterion for its performance. Airflow guiding components located in the external opening that enhance the effectiveness of the wind-driven flow in ventilating the occupied zone could improve the quality of indoor environments. To our knowledge, the literature is sparse on …