Engineering Commons^™

Understanding The Effect Of Adaptive Mutations On The Three-Dimensional Structure Of Rna, Justin Cook

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are variations in the genome where one base pair can differ between individuals.¹ SNPs occur throughout the genome and can correlate to a disease-state if they occur in a functional region of DNA.¹According to the central dogma of molecular biology, any variation in the DNA sequence will have a direct effect on the RNA sequence and will potentially alter the identity or conformation of a protein product. A single RNA molecule, due to intramolecular base pairing, can acquire a plethora of 3-D conformations that are described by its structural ensemble. One SNP, rs12477830, which …

Developing A Multimedia Interface For Electrical Biosignal Interpretation, Christopher Cox

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

In the last ten years, a great deal of interest has been generated around the practice of using plants’ electrical signals to create sound or music. In order to render biosignals capable of producing sound electronically, some kind of interface is necessary that converts a plant’s natural electrical signals into data that a computer can understand. Existing commercial interfaces cost at minimum $3001,2 . Worse yet, two popular off-the-shelf interfaces conform their output signals to stereotypical human notions of what a plant might “sound like”. In this project we fabricated a simple but high-performance interface for less than $5 in …

Project Alien, Rebecca Mccallin, Madelyn Hoying, Alex Evans, Matthew Nestler, Karli Rae Sutton, Garett Craig, Lucia Secaia Del Cid, Alexander Guy, Rachel Fernandez, Amanda Trusiak, Paige Aley, Ingabire Gakwerere, Nina Dorfner, Maria Mosbacher, Mary Flavin, Selvin Hernandez, Audrey Steen, Benjamin Kazimer

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Project ALIEN is a comprehensive plan to send humans to Mars to look for life on the Martian surface while exploring the viability and adaptability of terrestrial microbes in Martian atmospheric conditions. ALIEN will use a ballistic capture trajectory to get to Mars and stay in aerostationary orbit for a 30-day surface mission, during which two surface crewmembers will perform a variety of experiments to achieve the mission’s goals of Martian microbial discovery within brines of the Gale Crater and terrestrial microbe adaptability and viability to Martian conditions. Experimentation is based on the presumption that Martian microbes are metabolically similar …

3d Model Of Existing Conditions For The Creek On The Blue Mile Project, H M Imran Kays, Usman Ibrahim, Charles Crowner

Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning (Archived)

2021 Eagle Showcase Excellence in Service-Learning

Development Of Uavs And Propulsion Systems For Exploration On Other Planets, Aaron Young, Wayne Strasser

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Using Sound And Heat Waves To Produce Contact-Less Phase Change, Elijah Reeves, Wayne Strasser

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Bombardier Beetle Fire Extinguisher, Elijah Yoder, Wayne Strasser

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

How Much Mucus Do You Exhale?, Andres Del Valle, Wayne Strasser

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Hydrogen Combustion Engines In Fluid Dynamics, Isabelle Ambrose, Wayne Strasser

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Machine Learning Models For Energy Consumption Prediction In Buildings, Kolton Musgrove, Hector Medina

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

Bioprinting Alginate Structures Using The Fresh Method, Amanda Pellegrino

Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium

Three-dimensional bioprinting is a tissue engineering and regenerative medicine technique that utilizes biomaterials to print clinically relevant scaffolds. These scaffolds are used for tissue repair and to treat disease, such as end-organ failure. The main problem with 3D bioprinting is its inability to print soft biomaterials, which collapse due to gravitational forces. In addition, the materials that can be used do not mimic native tissue’s mechanical properties and texture. To combat this, Dr Feinberg’s laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University developed the freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH) method. The FRESH method allows for soft biomaterials to be supported in …

Reviving The Media Station: A Study In Reverse Engineering, Nathanael Gentry, Melesa Poole

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Applied

From Waste To Power: Biosludge Atomization For Efficient Energy Conversion, Daniel Wilson, Wayne Strasser

Liberty University Research Week

Graduate

Applied

Identity Construction In The Work Of Mario Benedetti, Grace Jennings, Andrew F. Milacci

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Textual or Investigative

"Inclusive Inquiry." 14th Annual Research Week: Event Proceedings, University Of The Incarnate Word

Excellence Summit (Research Week) Archived Proceedings

Presentations of completed and ongoing research activity conducted by graduate and undergraduate students and faculty at University of the Incarnate Word. Coordinated and presented by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies.

Optimization Of Power Performance Of A Wave Energy Converter, L. F. De Valderrama, C. Harrison, P. Tubuntoeng, A. Kapperman, B. Rodriguez, A. Daniels, J. Whipple, B. Labban, C. Akan, N. Ozdemir

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

With climate change on the rise, unprecedented dependence on electricity, and an increased incidence of extreme weather, the UNF team participating in the U.S. Department of Energy 2021 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition: Powering the Blue Economy wants to give an alternative solution to provide renewable energy in areas that lose electricity as a result of a natural disaster, or that due to their isolated location cannot use traditional renewable energy sources. This led to the creation of the Osprey C.R.E.W (Cheap Reliable Energy from Waves). The Osprey C.R.E.W. is a wave energy converter that uses the vertical motion of the …

Hydrodynamic Analysis Of A Wave Energy Converter (Wec), A. Kapperman, B. Rodriguez, A. Daniels, C. Harrison, P. Tubuntoeng, L. Fernandez De Valderrama, B. Labban, J. Whipple, C. Akan, N. Ozdemir

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

The UNF CREW competing in the U.S. Department of Energy 2021 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition developed a Wave Energy Converter (WEC) for quick deployment in disaster relief areas. When natural disasters disable coastal power grids, a WEC can be easily deployed close to shore and serve as a source of electricity. The ocean waves move magnets through a coil wired within the WEC to generate electricity. To initiate the design process, ANSYS AQWA software simulated both the oceanic environment and the device’s response in the WEC’s testing conditions. AQWA allows the user to change device dimensions easily …

Cost Analysis Of Osprey C.R.E.W., J. Whipple, B. Labban, A. Kapperman, B. Rodriguez, C. Harrison, P. Tubuntoeng, L. F. De Valderrama, A. Daniels, C. Akan, N. Ozdemir

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Renewable energy adoption is on the rise in the U.S. and abroad. More than ever, energy sourcing needs to shift away from harmful fossil fuels and towards fully renewable energy sources. Adapting from traditional fossil fuel energy sources to renewable energy sources is paramount for environmental health and public health. Fossil fuels emit harmful pollutants, which have led to changing weather conditions and exasperated natural disasters. Existing renewable sources are not ideal, either. For instance, solar cannot run continuously and wind turbines are subject to weather changes. The recent energy debacle in Texas shows the need for alternative renewable energy …

Effects On Fatigue Of Applying Titanium Nitride Coating To 17-4 Ph Stainless Steel, Jade Welsh, Scott Zinn, Steve Stagon, Jutima Simsiriwong

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Honorable Mention Winner

Surface coatings when applied to metals have many useful applications such as improving the biocompatibility and resistance to corrosion and wear. In this study, the effect of thickness of titanium nitride (TiN) on 17-4 precipitation hardened (PH) stainless steel under cyclic (i.e. fatigue) loading is investigated. TiN are applied to wrought 17-4 PH stainless steel using physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique in a low-pressure vacuum chamber filled with a mixture of inert argon and nitrogen gases with a ratio of 10:1. In addition, these specimens are subjected to two different vapor durations, but a constant voltage and …

3d-Printed Energy-Absorbing Polymer Structures For Reducing Injury Risk From Overhead Impacts To Hard Hats, Andrew Miceli, Grant Bevill, Jutima Simsiriwong

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Project of Merit Winner

Struck-by accidents (i.e., being hit by a falling object) are a leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in the construction industry. While hardhats are the conventional means of head protection in this setting, their overall design has not appreciably changed in decades. In this project, a commercially available hardhat was augmented by creating a compliant cantilever on the superior surface supported by a 3D-printed block (10 x 10 x 50mm, with hexagonal lattice infill) to serve as a sacrificial energy-absorbing structure. The lattices were created using three polymer materials (PLA, ABS, and High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)) …

Relay Communication With Real Time Microgrid Simulation, Ryan Crump, Daniel David, Touria El Mezyani

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

The development of smart grids with increasing penetration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grids have raised several technical challenges for the control and monitoring. One of these challenges is the system reliability, which depends on power grids’ resilience and high integrity of data. The protective relays play vital role in the grid reliability that involves monitoring power lines and mitigating blackouts. In a large power grid, the protective relays operate locally by controlling the opening and closing of switches (breakers) in power lines, which allows to disconnect or remove from service any part of the power system when …

Real Time Simulation And Experimentation Of Smart Grid Control Using An Fpgi-Based Controller, Nicholas Myers, Christopher Merring, Touria El Mezyani

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Smart Grids consist of multiple controls, computers, and new technologies and equipment that operate distributed renewable energy resources and energy storage devices, monitoring systems, and smart meters. Advanced control is utilized to manage real-time pricing, flexible loads, solar, wind, and many forms of energy storage, and microgrid management. Distributed and fast control routines are essential for an optimal system operation to manage the smart grids efficiently. The control design and development require adequate experimentation and validation due to the significant rule that plays the smart grids’ control in energy management, grid security, and economic benefits. Therefore, it is essential to …

Safe Route: A Mobile App-Based Intelligent And Personalized Fire Evacuation System, Christian Hayes, Aiyin Jiang, Zornitza Prodanoff, Hemani Kaushal

Showcase of Osprey Advancements in Research and Scholarship (SOARS)

Project of Merit Winner

All modern buildings have fire evacuation protocols, the most common of which are exit signs to the nearest exit. However, these simple protocols ignore the possibility of unsafe paths and unexpected fire hazards. The goal during fire evacuations is to escape safely and efficiently, but this can be difficult without knowing which routes are safest. A mobile application called Safe Route was created at the University of North Florida (UNF) to provide building occupants with a personalized fire evacuation route helping them to efficiently navigate to the safest exit. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons were utilized …

Crowd-Based Requirement Engineering, Ume Sauda Ghanyani

CBER Conference

Requirement elicitation through crowdsourcing is trending nowadays and due to its major benefits, some of the organizations are implementing this idea. Our research paper discusses the traditional requirement engineering concepts and then compares them with crowd-based requirement engineering to show the benefits of crowdsourcing. Features of Crowd-Based Requirements Engineering are highlighted to give an idea of the basis on which the survey was conducted. Furthermore, we have discussed the online survey and gamification methods to motivate the crowd.

Foot Temperature Before And After Walking In Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease, Jose Anguiano-Hernandez

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a pathology that can decrease blood flow to the lower limbs, resulting in the inability to regulate body temperature [1]. The effects of impaired blood flow caused by PAD on body temperature are unclear. The purpose of this study is to compare foot temperature changes before and after walking in healthy people and in patients with PAD. We hypothesize that 1) feet affected by PAD will experience a greater increase in temperature than healthy feet during walking and 2) feet affected by PAD will experience a slower rate of temperature recovery after walking compared …

Modeling Spatial Asymmetry In Visuomotor Coordination, Kolby Brink, Aaron Likens, Nikolaos Stergiou

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Coordination is foundational to human movement. One prominent model of coordination is the Haken-Kelso-Bunz which predicts change in relative phase between two oscillators during movement. Use of this model has shown that the body has a natural tendency to prefer certain coordination patterns over others. The generalizability of the model has sparked its use throughout the scientific community to observe movement through the lens of dynamical systems theory. We contend that this model can be advanced further through incorporation of visually perceived spatial asymmetries, a component not currently accounted for by the model. That is, we sought to find if …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Baseball Pitching Program And Its Impact On Injury Prevention And Performance, Tyler Hamer

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The purpose of this study sought to examine the efficacy of biomechanical evaluations on collegiate baseball pitchers. Through this, we seek to develop a model for identifying at-risk athletes through a longitudinal assessment of pitching mechanics spanning pre-season to post-season along with in-season tracking of pathomechanics.

Heterogeneous Resources Cost-Aware Geo-Distributed Data Analytics, Minmin Zhang

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Many popular cloud service providers deploy tens of data centers (DCs) around the world to reduce user-perceived latency for better user experiences, in which a large amount of data is generated and stored in a geo-distributed manner. Geo-distributed Data Analytics (GDA) has gained great popularity in meeting the growing demand to mine meaningful and timely knowledge from such highly dispersed data. Since GDA systems require a large data migration between DCs via a wide area network (WAN), many existing works invested significant effort to optimize data transfer strategies to efficiently use limited WAN by considering the network pricing policies on …

Design And Development Of A Semi-Rigid Hip Exoskeleton To Reduce Metabolic Cost, Arash Mohammadzadeh Gonabadi, Prokopios Antonellis, Sara Myers, Iraklis Pipinos, Philippe Malcolm

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Robotic exoskeletons can reduce metabolic cost in healthy individuals and restore mobility in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). PAD is a cardiovascular disease produced by atherosclerosis of the leg arteries. The primary symptom of PAD is claudication or pain in the legs during walking, which severely shortens the distance a patient can walk. Knowing that up to 40% of the metabolic cost of walking comes from the hip muscles, different groups have been developing rigid exoskeletons and soft exosuits that assist the hip. Assisting at the hip has the advantage that the exoskeleton mass is positioned close to the …

The Effect Of Walking Speed And Magnitude Of Perturbation On Compensatory Responses, Farahnaz Fallah Tafti, Jenna Yentes

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Imposing a perturbation can induce an unstable condition during gait. Measuring the compensatory responses may be an accurate indicator of the ability to control stability. Responses to a perturbation can be quantified through the perturbed walking pattern deviations from an unperturbed condition. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of perturbation magnitude or speed of walking on compensatory responses to lateral perturbations during walking. Twenty healthy young participants recruited to this study and they were perturbed with the medium magnitude of perturbation, while walking on the treadmill at three different speeds (slow, preferred, and fast). They also …