Engineering Commons^™

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-boar ” material system investigation system functionally mounted on a three dimen sional locational system to enable positioning at desired locations on, and distances from, the surface of a large sample, including the capability to easily and conveniently change the angle-of-incidence of a beam of electromagnetic radiation onto a sample surface.

Steel Sheet Sheathing Options For Cfs Framed Shear Wall Assemblies Providing Shear Resistance, Cheng Yu, Hitesh Vora, Tony Dainard, Jimmy Tucker, Pradeep Veetvkuri

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

The North American Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing - Lateral Design, AISI S213-07, provides design provisions for cold-formed steel framed shear walls with steel sheet sheathing. However, options are limited to 18-mil and 27-mil steel sheet sheathing. Presented in this report are the findings from an extensive monotonic and cyclic testing program conducted at the University of North Texas of 30-mil and 33-mil steel sheet sheathed shear walls with 2:1 and 4:1 aspect ratios and 27-mil sheet steel shear walls with 2:1 aspect ratio and 6-in., 4-in., 3-in., and 2-in. fastener spacing at panel edges. It is anticipated that the …

North American Standard For Cold-Formed Steel Framing -- Floor And Roof System Design, 2007 Edition (Reaffirmed 2012), American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

Learning Navigation For Recharging A Self-Sufficient Colony Robot, Gary Parker, Richard Zbeda

Computer Science Faculty Publications

It is advantageous for colony robots to be autonomous and self-sufficient. This requires them to perform their duties while maintaining enough energy to operate. Previously, we reported the equipping of power storage for legged robots with high capacitance capacitors, the configuration of one of these robots to effectively use its power storage in a colony recharging system, and the learning of a control program that enabled the robot to navigate to a charging station in simulation. In this work, we report the learning of a control program that allowed the simulated robot to perform area coverage in a self-sufficient framework …

Acuta Enews October 2007, Vol.36, No. 10

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

From the President .............. Watt Magnussen, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

Tech Talk: Makin' Bacn: Another Way to Clog lnboxes............... Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

DC Update............... Jeanne Jansenius, Sewanee, The University of the South

Board Report ................. Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

New Faces at ACUTA

Web Tip: Listserv Reminders ................. Aaron Fuehrer, ACUTA Information Technology Mgr.

Member Sites to See

lnfo Links Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

lnvite Your Vendors to Join ACUTA............. Amy Burton, ACUTA Mgr., Membership Mktg.& Corp. Relations

Welcome New Members

Check lt Out: RFls/RFPs, Job Postings, Press Releases

Aggregation In Biological Systems: Computational Aspects, Vladik Kreinovich, Max Shpak

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Many biologically relevant dynamical systems are aggregable, in the sense that one can divide their (micro) variables x1,...,xn into several (k) non-intersecting groups and find functions y1,...,yk (k < n) from these groups (macrovariables) whose dynamics only depend on the initial state of the macrovariable. For example, the state of a population genetic system can be described by listing the frequencies xi of different genotypes, so that the corresponding dynamical system describe the effects of mutation, recombination, and natural selection. The goal of aggregation approaches in population genetics is to find macrovariables y1,...,yk to which aggregated mutation, recombination, and selection functions could be applied. Population genetic models are formally equivalent to genetic algorithms, and are therefore of wide interest in the computational sciences.

Another example of a multi-variable biological system of interest arises in ecology. Ecosystems contain many interacting species, and because of the complexity of multi-variable nonlinear systems, it would be of value to derive a formal description that reduces the number of variables to some macrostates that are weighted sums of the densities of individual species.

In this chapter, we explore different computational aspects of aggregability for linear and non-linear systems. Specifically, we …

Simulation Of Plasticity In Nanocrystalline Silicon, M. J. Demkowicz, A. S. Argon, D. Farkas, Megan Frary

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Molecular dynamics investigation of plasticity in a model nanocrystalline silicon system demonstrates that inelastic deformation localizes in intergranular regions. The carriers of plasticity in these regions are atomic environments that can be described as high-density liquid-like amorphous silicon. During fully developed flow, plasticity is confined to system-spanning intergranular zones of easy flow. As an active flow zone rotates out of the plane of maximum resolved shear stress during deformation to large strain, new zones of easy flow are formed. Compatibility of the microstructure is accommodated by processes such as grain rotation and formation of new grains. Nano-scale voids or cracks …

Ole Miss Engineer 2007

Ole Miss Engineer

No abstract provided.

Fast Algorithms For Computing Statistics Under Interval Uncertainty: An Overview, Vladik Kreinovich, Gang Xiang

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many areas of science and engineering, it is desirable to estimate statistical characteristics (mean, variance, covariance, etc.) under interval uncertainty. For example, we may want to use the measured values x(t) of a pollution level in a lake at different moments of time to estimate the average pollution level; however, we do not know the exact values x(t) -- e.g., if one of the measurement results is 0, this simply means that the actual (unknown) value of x(t) can be anywhere between 0 and the detection limit DL. We must therefore modify the existing statistical algorithms to process such …

Web Site Personalization Based On Link Analysis And Navigational Patterns, Magdalini Eirinaki, M. Varzirgiannis

Faculty Publications

The continuous growth in the size and use of the World Wide Web imposes new methods of design and development of on-line information services. The need for predicting the users’ needs in order to improve the usability and user retention of a web site is more than evident and can be addressed by personalizing it. Recommendation algorithms aim at proposing “next” pages to users based on their current visit and the past users’ navigational patterns. In the vast majority of related algorithms, however, only the usage data are used to produce recommendations, disregarding the structural properties of the web graph. …

Estimating Quality Of Support Vector Machines Learning Under Probabilistic And Interval Uncertainty: Algorithms And Computational Complexity, Canh Hao Nguyen, Tu Bao Ho, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Support Vector Machines (SVM) is one of the most widely used technique in machines leaning. After the SVM algorithms process the data and produce some classification, it is desirable to learn how well this classification fits the data. There exist several measures of fit, among them the most widely used is kernel target alignment. These measures, however, assume that the data are known exactly. In reality, whether the data points come from measurements or from expert estimates, they are only known with uncertainty. As a result, even if we know that the classification perfectly fits the nominal data, this same …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 49 Number 2, Fall 2007, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT By Ron Hansen. Set your alarm clock early-then get up and follow Paul Locatelli, S.J., through a day of leading the University and serving as pastor, professor, mayor, and CEO.

22 - BUILT BY IMMIGRANTS By Gerald McKevitt, S.J. How Italian Jesuits helped shape the American West, from religious devotions to curriculum to pasta.

28 - YOU ARE HERE By Sarah Stanek. SCU students and faculty collaborate on a groundbreaking project documenting early life at Mission Santa Clara-and the result is a book that's the first of its kind for …

Long-Term Trends From Ecosystem Research At The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, John L. Campbell, Charles T. Driscoll, Christopher Eagar, Gene E. Likens, Thomas G. Siccama, Chris E. Johnson, Timothy J. Fahey, Steven P. Hamburg, Richard T. Holmes, Amey S. Bailey, Donald C. Buso

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest was established by the U.S. Forest Service in 1955 as a major center for hydrologic research in the Northeast. The Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study originated 8 years later with the idea of using the small watershed approach to study element flux and cycling and the response of forest ecosystems to disturbance. Since that time, the research program at Hubbard Brook has expanded to include various physical, chemical and biological measurements collected by researchers from a number of cooperating institutions. Collaborative, long-term data are the keystone of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study and have provided invaluable …

Simulation And Fabrication Of Three Novel Micromechanical Sensors, Yanqing Lu

Doctoral Dissertations

This work focuses on the simulation, fabrication and characterization of novel microdevices for chemical and biological sensors for improved sensitivity, enhanced performance and applicability. Specifically, microbridge and microcoil sensors have been fabricated via advanced microfabrication technologies. Due to the potential application in chemical and biological sensing, the growth of gold and platinum nanowires during an electrolysis process have also been investigated.

A microbridge can be considered as the head-to-head fusion of two cantilevers and the middle of the bridge would deform in a way similar to a microcantilever. The microbridge sensing device is more stable than the microcantilever, especially in …

Semester Project For Engineering Management, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Instructional Materials

This is the semester-project for my IMSE 405/805 course on Engineering Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This team-based project required students to develop an operational plan (facility layout, required staffing, company operating policies, company benefits program) for a specified product.

Ribosome Kinetics And Aa-Trna Competition Determine Rate And Fidelity Of Peptide Synthesis, Aaron Fluitt, Elsje Pienaar, Hendrik J. Viljoen

Hendrik J. Viljoen Publications

It is generally accepted that the translation rate depends on the availability of cognate aa-tRNAs. In this study it is shown that the key factor that determines translation rate is the competition between near-cognate and cognate aa-tRNAs. The transport mechanism in the cytoplasm is diffusion, thus the competition between cognate, near-cognate and non-cognate aa-tRNAs to bind to the ribosome is a stochastic process. Two competition measures are introduced; C (i) and R (i) (i = 1, 64) are quotients of the arrival frequencies of near-cognates vs. cognates and noncognates vs. cognates, respectively. Furthermore, the reaction …

Quality And Inspection Of Machining Operations: Review Of Condition Monitoring And Cmm Inspection Techniques 2000 To Present, John T. Roth, Laine Mears, Dragan Djurdjanovic, Xiaping Yang, Thomas Kurfess

Publications

In order to consistently produce quality parts, many aspects of the manufacturing process must be carefully monitored, controlled, and measured. The methods and techniques by which to accomplish these tasks has been the focus of numerous studies in recent years. With the rapid advances in computing technology, the complexity and overhead that can be feasibly incorporated in any developed technique has dramatically improved. Thus, techniques that would have been impractical for implementation just a few years ago can now be realistically applied.

This rapid growth has resulted in a wealth of new capabilities for improving part and process quality and …

Gene Synthesis, Cloning, Expression, Purification And Biophysical Characterization Of The C2 Domain Of Human Tensin, Kiran Sukumar Gajula

Doctoral Dissertations

Tensin is a large "docking" protein found in the adhesive junctions of animal cells and recruited early in the development of cell-substrate contacts. There it binds to the cytoplasmic domain of integrin β1 and caps the barbed ends of filamentous actin. This forms a rational basis for its implication in a direct role in the mechanics of membrane-cytoskeleton interactions. Tensin provides a physical link between the actin cytoskeleton, integrins, and other proteins at the cell-substrate contacts. Its overall biochemical properties are a function of its domain composition and architecture, i.e., the domains that are present and their relative positions in …

Trade-Off Between Sample Size And Accuracy: Case Of Static Measurements Under Interval Uncertainty, Hung T. Nguyen, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical situations, we are not satisfied with the accuracy of the existing measurements. There are two possible ways to improve the measurement accuracy:

first, instead of a single measurement, we can make repeated measurements; the additional information coming from these additional measurements can improve the accuracy of the result of this series of measurements;

second, we can replace the current measuring instrument with a more accurate one; correspondingly, we can use a more accurate (and more expensive) measurement procedure provided by a measuring lab -- e.g., a procedure that includes the use of a higher quality reagent.

In …

Trade-Off Between Sample Size And Accuracy: Case Of Dynamic Measurements Under Interval Uncertainty, Hung T. Nguyen, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich, Scott Ferson

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many practical situations, we are not satisfied with the accuracy of the existing measurements. There are two possible ways to improve the measurement accuracy:

first, instead of a single measurement, we can make repeated measurements; the additional information coming from these additional measurements can improve the accuracy of the result of this series of measurements;

second, we can replace the current measuring instrument with a more accurate one; correspondingly, we can use a more accurate (and more expensive) measurement procedure provided by a measuring lab -- e.g., a procedure that includes the use of a higher quality reagent.

In …

How To Avoid Gerrymandering: A New Algorithmic Solution, Gregory B. Lush, Esteban Gamez, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Subdividing an area into voting districts is often a very controversial issue. If we divide purely geographically, then minority groups may not be properly represented. If we start changing the borders of the districts to accommodate different population groups, we may end up with very artificial borders -- borders which are often to set up in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to incumbents. In this paper, we describe redistricting as a precise optimization problem, and we propose a new algorithm for solving this problem.

Structural And Economical Impacts Of Heavy Truck Loads On Bridges, Xiang Zhou

Doctoral Dissertations

The study included in this dissertation assesses the strength, serviceability, and economic impact of overweight trucks on Louisiana bridges. Truck load configurations FHWA 3S2 and FHWA 3S3 were applied to bridge models that were originally designed for HS20-44 truck configuration to determine the effects of heavy truck loads on bridges. Behaviors of bridge components including bridge girder, deck, and diaphragm were evaluated separately.

AASHTO linear approach and finite element analysis were employed to evaluate bridge girder behaviors under the heavy truck load. Bridge models with different geometric configurations were considered. Both short term and long term effects on simple span …

Cold-Formed Steel Framing Design Guide, Second Edition, American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

This Design Guide has been developed under the direction of the American Iron and Steel Institute Committee on Specifications for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members. The development of the Guide was sponsored by the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Steel Stud Manufacturers Association. The AISI Committee on Specifications wishes to acknowledge and express gratitude to Mr. Thomas Trestain of T. W. J. Trestain Structural Engineering who was the author of this Guide.

With anticipated improvements in understanding of the behavior of cold-formed steel and the continuing development of new technology, this material might become dated. It …

North American Standard For Cold-Formed Steel Framing -- Wall Stud Design, 2007 Edition (Reaffirmed 2012), American Iron And Steel Institute

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Specifications, Standards, Manuals and Research Reports (1946 - present)

No abstract provided.

Steel Sheet Sheathing Options For Cfs Framed Shear Wall Aseemblies Providing Shear Resistance, Cheng Yu, Hitesh Vora, Tony Dainard, Pradeep Veetvkuri

CCFSS Library (1939 - present)

In cold-formed steel construction, stud walls covered with steel sheet sheathing is an available option to resist lateral loads such as those caused by wind and earthquakes. The current American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) Standard for Cold-Formed Steel Framing - Lateral Design 2004 Edition provides nominal shear strength for a limited range of steel sheet sheathed shear wall configurations. This report presents a research project developed to add values for 0.030-in. and 0.033-in. steel sheet sheathed shear walls with 2:1 and 4:1 aspect ratios and 0.027-in. sheet steel shear walls with 2:1 aspect ratio and 6-in., 4-in., 3-in., and …

Gold Nanorods Mediate Tumor Cell Death By Compromising Membrane Integrity, Ling Tong, Yan Zhao, Terry B. Huff, Matthew N. Hansen, Alexander Wei, Ji-Xin Cheng

Other Nanotechnology Publications

Folate-conjugated gold nanorods targeted to tumor cell surfaces produced severe membrane damage upon near-infrared irradiation. Photoinduced injury to the plasma membrane resulted in a rapid increase in intracellular calcium (shown in green) with subsequent disruption of the actin network, featured prominently by the formation of membrane blebs.

Study Of Contra-Rotating Coaxial Rotors In Hover: A Performance Model Based On Blade Element Theory Including Swirl Velocity, Florent Lucas

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

The purpose of this study is to create a simple model to evaluate the performance of a counter-rotating coaxial rotor system. As it is based on the blade element theory, it could be used as a design tool where the engineer can modify all parameters - rotor radius, blade pitch distribution, tip velocity, rotor spacing, number of blades, blade chord, and airfoil's shape through its lift coefficient versus angle of attack slope. Different blade pitch distributions are tried and are assessed based on the power required to hover at the same weight. Also, the impact of the swirl velocity induced …

Time-Varying Feedback Systems Design Via Diophantine Equation Order Reduction, Shr-Hua Wu

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Diophantine equation plays an important role in the design and synthesis of feedback compensators. Many methods have been developed to solve the Diophantine equation. This dissertation develops a new systematic approach of solving a linear time-varying Diophantine equation. This approach is based upon successively reducing the order of the Diophantine equation by Euclidean algorithm. Euclidean algorithm for solving for both time-invariant and time-varying Diophantine equations for directly determining both the quotient and the remainder associated with the division of one polynomial by another is presented. The coprimeness (right or left) of two Polynomial Differential Operators is needed to guarantee, in …

Study Of Interaction Between Indium Species And Dna In The Formation Of Dna -Templated Nanowires, Shivashankar Suryanarayanan

Doctoral Dissertations

A primary goal of semiconductor industry is to improve device performance and capability by downscaling feature size and upscaling packaging density. As optical-lithography, the mainstream technology for microfabrication, is being stretched to its limit, new unconventional fabrication techniques are being explored as alternatives. A "Bottom-up" approach for manufacturing is emerging as an answer to limitations posed by the traditional "Top-down" approach. Nanowires, bearing the potential of being the basic building blocks for such an approach, are gaining tremendous attention in nanoelectronics. Metal nanowires fabricated using DNA as templates have potential for precise control of length, diameter and positioning. However, wires …

Design And Development Of Microcantilever As A Platform For Moisture Sensing, Qi Chen

Doctoral Dissertations

Ultra-sensitive and selective moisture sensors are needed in various industries for processing control or environmental monitoring. As an outstanding sensor platform, microcantilevers have potential application in moisture detection due to their advantages, such as low-level moisture detection limits, high accuracy, quick response time, high reproducibility, good recovery rate and low in cost. Our research results will lead to the first of its kind for the commercialization of a microcantilever-based moisture sensor used for industrial and household applications. The novelty of the present work is the development of SiO2 and Si cantilevers, which were fabricated using developed processes and modified with …