Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of Hvfa Cementitious Paste And Concrete Mixtures, David Newton Richardson, K. W. Beckemeier, D. D. Davis

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the Paste Screening Study, 25 combinations of five Type I/II portland cements and five Class C fly ashes commonly used in Missouri were tested in paste form with no chemical or powder additives. Testing procedures included semi-adiabatic calorimetry, Vicat setting time, miniature slump, and compressive strength at one and 28 days. the two most reactive and two least reactive combinations (defined by one day strengths) were further evaluated in the Paste Main Effects Study. Eighty mixtures were examined.

Ua94/6/8 Student / Alumni Personal Papers Wku Terry Wilcutt, Wku Archives

WKU Archives Collection Inventories

Records created by and about Terry Wilcutt and manned space flights.

Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting For Hydrogen Production With Metal Oxide (Hematite And Cupric Oxide) Based Photocatalysts, Houwen Tang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Solar hydrogen is one ideal energy source to replace fossil fuel, as it is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Solar hydrogen can be generated in a number of ways. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is one of the most promising methods for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. In this research project, metal oxide-based photocatalysts, especially hematite (fÑ-Fe2O3) and cupric oxide (CuO), were investigated for use as electrodes in PEC water splitting for solar hydrogen production.

In our research project of hematite-based electrodes, we started with the incorporation of transition metal, particularly titanium (Ti), in hematite thin films to modify the valence and …

Fabrication And Testing Of Hierarchical Carbon Nanostructures For Multifunctional Applications, Ian Timothy Barney

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Multi-scale hierarchical carbon structures have been developed by growing strongly attached carbon nanotubes (CNT) on high surface area substrates having open, interconnected porosity. This investigation was developed on cellular carbon foams but the process is equally suitable for other geometries including flat, fibers, and other porous substrates (interconnected). It is also adaptable to other substrate materials such as metals, alloys or ceramic compounds. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are grown using a floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method after pre-coating the substrate with a silica nano-layer. The silica-coated graphitic substrates are seen to grow 280 times more nanotubes per unit area …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 53 Number 3, Winter 2012, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

18 - MY FIGHT, MY FAITH By Steven Boyd Saum. As head of the CIA, Leon Panetta '60, J.D. '63 restored confidence in the agency and oversaw the mission to find Osama bin Laden. Now, as secretary of defense in an age of budget austerity, he has to make sure the Pentagon doesn't break the bank-and that the nation doesn't break faith with the men and women who serve.

24 - GENERAL JOE By Sam Scott '96. When Joseph Peterson '72 signed up for ROTC as an undergrad, he planned to complete his military service and then move on. Nearly …

Increased Susceptibility Of Arterial Tissue To Wire Perforation With The Application Of High Frequency Mechanical Vibrations, Mark Wylie, Garrett Mcguinness, Graham Gavin

Articles

High frequency mechanical vibrations (20–50 kHz), delivered via small diameter flexible wire waveguides represent a minimally invasive technology for the treatment of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) and in other tissue ablation applications. Tissue disruption is reported to be caused by repetitive mechanical contact and cavitation. This work focuses on the effects of vibrating wire waveguides in contact with arterial tissue. An apparatus with clinically relevant parameters was used, characterized as operating at 22.5 kHz and delivering amplitudes of vibration of 17.8 - 34.3 µm (acoustic intensity, I_SATA: 1.03 - 3.83 W/cm²) via 1.0 mm diameter waveguides. …

On Inpainting The Adress Algorithm, Derry Fitzgerald, Dan Barry

Conference papers

The Adress algorithm has been demonstrated to be capable of separating sound sources from instantaneous linear mixtures, provided that the sources have a unique pan position in the stereo field. However, a shortcoming of the Adress algorithm is that all time-frequency bins outside of the chosen azimuth range are set to zero, resulting in audible artifacts in the resynthesised sound. Here we show that an inpainting algorithm based on NMF is capable of estimating these missing values and improves on the results obtained using Adress only.

On The Use Of Masking Filters In Sound Source Separation, Derry Fitzgerald, Rajesh Jaiswal

Conference papers

Many sound source separation algorithms, such as NMF and related approaches, disregard phase information and operate only on magnitude or power spectrograms. In this context, generalised Wiener filters have been widely used to generate masks which are applied to the original complex-valued spectrogram before inversion to the time domain, as these masks have been shown to give good results. However, these masks may not be optimal from a perceptual point of view. To this end, we propose new families of masks and compare their performance to generalised Wiener filter masks using three different factorisation-based separation algorithms. Further, to-date no analysis …

Trust And Reputation For Successful Software Self-Organisation, Pierpaolo Dondio, Jean Marc Seigneur

Books/Book Chapters

Abstract An increasing number of dynamic software evolution approaches is com- monly based on integrating or utilising new pieces of software. This requires reso- lution of issues such as ensuring awareness of newly available software pieces and selection of most appropriate software pieces to use. Other chapters in this book dis- cuss dynamic software evolution focusing primarily on awareness, integration and utilisation of new software pieces, paying less attention on how selection among different software pieces is made. The selection issue is quite important since in the increasingly dynamic software world quite a few new software pieces occur over time, …

Nonlinear Response Of Structures To Characteristic Loading Scenarios, Donya Hajializadeh, Eugene J. Obrien, Bernard Enright, Emma Sheils

Conference papers

To assess the safety of an existing bridge, the traffic loads to which it may be subjected in its lifetime need to be accurately quantified. In this paper the 75 year characteristic maximum traffic load effects are found using a carefully calibrated traffic load simulation model. To generate the bridge loading scenarios, an extensive weigh in motion (WIM) database, from three different European countries, is used. Statistical distributions for vehicle weights, inter-vehicle gaps and other characteristics are derived from the measurements, and are used as the basis for Monte Carlo simulations of traffic representing many years. An advantage of this …

The Effect Of Lane Changing On Long-Span Highway Bridge Traffic Loading, Bernard Enright, Colm Carey, Colin C. Caprani

Conference papers

Maximum loading on long-span bridges typically occurs in congested traffic conditions. As traffic becomes congested car drivers may change lane, increasing the tendency for trucks to travel in platoons. For long-span bridges this phenomenon may increase the regularity and severity of bridge repair programs, with potential significant associated costs. This research investigates the effect of lane changing by car drivers on bridge loading. A Monte Carlo simulation model in which individual car drivers probabilistically decide, based on a lane-changing bias probability, whether or not to change lane has been developed. The sensitivity of bridge loading to this factor is investigated …

Engineering Leadership, Mike Murphy, Eugene Coyle

Books/Book chapters

By 1921 the American sociologist Thorstein Veblen in his book The Engi-neers and the Price System argued for a technocracy in which the welfare of humanity would be entrusted to the control of the engineers because they alone were competent to understand the complexities of the industrial system and processes and thereby optimize and maximize its output. This chapter sets out to explore the extent to which Veblen’s technocratic leadership thesis has come to pass. We first review the role of the engineer in society and in the context of Europe, the US and China, and examine the influence of …

Towards Symmetry-Based Explanation Of (Approximate) Shapes Of Alpha-Helices And Beta-Sheets (And Beta-Barrels) In Protein Structure, Jaime Nava, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Protein structure is invariably connected to protein function. There are two important secondary structure elements: alpha helices and beta-sheets (which sometimes come in a shape of beta-barrels). The actual shapes of these structures can be complicated, but in the first approximation, they are usually approximated by, correspondingly, cylindrical spirals and planes (and cylinders, for beta-barrels). In this paper, following the ideas pioneered by a renowned mathematician M. Gromov, we use natural symmetries to show that, under reasonable assumptions, these geometric shapes are indeed the best approximating families for secondary structures.

Fall Risk Assessments Based On Postural And Dynamic Stability Using Inertial Measurement Unit, Jian Liu, Xiaoyue Zhang, Thurmon E. Lockhart

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

Objectives: Slip and fall accidents in the workplace are one of the top causes of work related fatalities and injuries. Previous studies have indicated that fall risk was related to postural and dynamic stability. However, the usage of this theoretical relationship was limited by laboratory based measuring instruments. The current study proposed a new method for stability assessment by use of inertial measurement units (IMUs).

Methods: Accelerations at different body parts were recorded by the IMUs. Postural and local dynamic stability was assessed from these measures and compared with that computed from the traditional method. Results: The results demonstrated: 1) …

Hispanic Maternal And Children's Perceptions Of Neighborhood Safety Related To Walking And Cycling, Norma Olvera, Dennis W. Smith, Chanam Lee, Jian Liu, Jay Lee, Stephanie Kellam, Jun-Hyun Kim

Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering Faculty Research

This study examined neighborhood safety as perceived by children (mean age=10 years) and their mothers, and its association with children's physical activity. For all eight safety items examined, children perceived their environment as less dangerous than mothers (p<0.05). None of the multiple regression models predicting children's physical activity by safety perceptions were significant (p>0.10). The maternal perception model explained the highest percentage of variance (R²=0.26), compared to the children's perception model (R²=0.22). Findings suggest that future studies should explore relations between self-reported and objectively measured safety barriers to Hispanic youth walking and cycling.

Design And Experimental Validation Of Continuous Dna Separation Using Itp-Based Microfluidic Device, Nora C. M. Goscinski, Mary E. Rosa, Elizabeth K. Wheeler, Maxim Shusteff

Chemistry and Biochemistry

We have demonstrated a chip-based microfluidic device suitable for rapid and high-throughput DNA separation and purification for downstream analysis. The glass-based device incorporates a transverse free-flow isotachophoresis (tFF-ITP) that overcomes the volume limitations of CE approaches, and allows continuous sample processing in contrast to batch-mode solid-phase extraction (SPE). The device is able to focus DNA at flow rates up to 100 uL/min, and sample conductivity up to 2 mS/cm. Downstream of the chip, 30-40% of DNA from the input sample is recovered as a result of ITP focusing, and preliminary results indicate that this design is able to purify DNA …

The Development Of An Integrated Residential Construction Management Course, Scott D. Kelting, Eric A. Holt

Construction Management

This paper presents the recent changes to different delivery methods for a residential construction management course at a major university. The project-based course was delivered similarly to a capstone course by combining Residential Methods, Estimating, Scheduling, and Contracts into one class with one overall final project. The course introduced students to land acquisition, land development, construction services, operations, finance, marketing, and sales. Information about the course’s 14 different delivery methods and the recent changes is provided in this paper. The recent changes are based on a survey that was conducted to obtain the students’ perspectives about the course delivery methods …

Basin-Wide Remote Sensing Of Actual Evapotranspiration And Its Influence On Regional Water Resources Planning, Daniel J. Howes, Charles M. Burt, Kyle Feist

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The Irrigation Training & Research Center (ITRC) at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo has been using METRIC to compute actual evapotranspiration from remote sensing sources (namely LandSAT images). The driving force behind this is the increasing need for improved evapotranspiration information on a large scale. A recent study in the Mexicali Valley of Baja California, Mexico utilized the ITRC-modified METRIC procedure to compute the crop and riparian evapotranspiration component of a basin-wide water balance. The resulting comparison between the mass balance computed change in groundwater storage and that computed using groundwater elevation data showed excellent agreement. For water …

Pump Performance With Sand Wear, Charles M. Burt, Kyle Fesit

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

In many installations, pump performance declines over time due to sand wear. In order to pinpoint the type and rate of wear caused by pumping water with higher-than-average sand concentrations and its direct effect on various pump impeller materials, vertical pump impeller/bowl assemblies of approximately 900 GPM were each pumped for up to 2500 hours with high concentrations of sand in the water. Two different impeller materials were used for a total of five configurations. Well pump operation was simulated by maintaining a constant discharge pressure. The degrading performance, in terms of changing flow rate and kilowatt load, was recorded …

Spatial Variability In Evapotranspiration Related To Irrigation System Distribution Uniformity, Daniel J. Howes, Lucas Hoffmann, Franklin Gaudi

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Understanding the causes of variable ET in a field is critical for maximizing yield on a per-acre basis as well as for proper irrigation scheduling and regional water management. Since 2004, the ITRC has provided technical irrigation support and management for over 2,000 acres of center pivot irrigated forage crops being supplied by reclaimed water near Palmdale, California. Irrigation scheduling is conducted using a daily soil water balance dual crop coefficient approach. Detailed records on planting and harvest dates, daily water applications, pivot run speeds, and annual distribution uniformity evaluations are maintained along with daily reference evapotranspiration data from a …

Kinetic Models Of The Prebiotic Replication Of Dsrna Under Thermal Cycling Conditions, Pauline Schwartz, Dante M. Lepore, Carl Barratt

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

We present computational models for the replication of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) or related macromolecules under thermal cycling conditions that would reflect prebiotic (i.e. non-enzymatic) environments. Two models of the replication of dsRNA are represented as multi-step chemical systems. The objective of this investigation was to better understand the kinetic features of such chemical systems. It is shown that thermal cycling in a chemical system is advantageous (relative to a fixed temperature) if there are two competing reactions, one favored at high temperature and one favored at low temperature. For the prebiotic replication of dsRNA, a high temperature favors formation …

Service Life Prediction Of Residential Interior Finishes For Life Cycle Assessment, Can B. Aktas Ph.D.

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Service life of building products has an important influence on life cycle assessment (LCA) results of buildings. The goal of this study was to propose a systematic approach to estimate service life of building products by including both technical and social factors. A hybrid service life prediction method, combining the statistical approach described in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard G166, with the Factor Method adopted by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 15686 was proposed. In their current forms, the two methods are not suitable to provide accurate lifetime estimates for the wide variety of products that …

Network-Based Data Collection For A Project-Based Freshman Class, Samuel Bogan Daniels, Cheryl Q. Li, David Harding

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

The hands-on experience for engineering students is often lacking with class sizes increasing and classroom resources under constant pressure. Even with smaller class sizes and studio classrooms there is only so much equipment and technical support to run experiments and allow for student interaction. Network-based data collection and control may alleviate some of these issues and allow for more hands-on experiences, although remote, in the classroom. This paper discusses the interesting problems and not so obvious pitfalls of setting up some simple network-based data acquisition systems for a multidisciplinary freshman level engineering course. The course as currently taught includes some …

Year Eight Annual Report: Activities, Findings And Evaluators' Reports, Ncete Faculty, Jim Dorward

Reports to NSF

The National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) is a collaborative network of scholars with backgrounds in technology education, engineering, and related fields. Our mission is to build capacity in technology education and to improve the understanding of the learning and teaching of high school students and teachers as they apply engineering design processes to technological problems. NCETE was granted a no-cost extension for an eighth year of work. Significant activities were focused in three areas: building research capacity within the engineering and technology education field; building on current research programs; and communicating and disseminating NCETE works and findings.

Measuring Faculty Satisfaction And Motivation To Use Podcasts: A Pilot Study, Thomas Augustine Mitchell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Modern society is constantly evolving, affecting the creation and use of technology. Concurrently, technology is relentlessly developing and expanding, influencing the very society to which it is introduced. In a rapid-paced, globally influenced educational community, podcasts are among the latest and promising innovations being introduced into the educational arena to reach technology-savvy students. Information in various technological formats is not new, nor is their application to the educational process unique. Many past technologies such as the record player, tape player, radio, television, and computers were all believed to exhibit enormous potential to transform education. However, in almost every instance, they …

Dr. Regan Zane Joins The Ece Department As A Ustar Professor | Utah State University Power Electronics Lab, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

The ECE Department is pleased to announce that Dr. Regan Zane has joined us as a USTAR professor in the area of electrical power conversion. His work, funded by USTAR, DOE, and other sources, deals with efficient and bidirectional conversion of power levels.

Trust Development In Swift Starting Action Teams: A Multilevel Framework, Jessica Wildman, Marissa Shuffler, Elizabeth Lazzara, Stephen Fiore, C. Shawn Burke, Eduardo Salas, Sena Garven

United States Army: Publications

Swift starting action teams (STATs) are increasingly prevalent in organizations, and the development of trust is often a critical issue for their effectiveness. However, current theory and research do not provide a clear picture regarding how trust toward the team (i.e., the team as the target) is developed in these settings. The primary contribution of this article is to present a theoretical framework describing how individual-level trust toward one’s team is developed in STAT contexts. This article integrates several existing trust theories into one comprehensive context-specific multilevel theory of how trust develops in STATs from cognitive, affective, behavioral, and contextual …

Gap Detection For Genome-Scale Constraint-Based Models, J. Paul Brooks, William P. Burns, Stephen S. Fong, Chris M. Gowen, Seth B. Roberts

Statistical Sciences and Operations Research Publications

Constraint-based metabolic models are currently the most comprehensive system-wide models of cellular metabolism. Several challenges arise when building an in silico constraint-based model of an organism that need to be addressed before flux balance analysis (FBA) can be applied for simulations. An algorithm called FBA-Gap is presented here that aids the construction of a working model based on plausible modifications to a given list of reactions that are known to occur in the organism. When applied to a working model, the algorithm gives a hypothesis concerning a minimal medium for sustaining the cell in culture. The utility of the algorithm …

An Assessment Of Student Perceptions On The Use Of Multiple Engineering Textbook Editions To Reduce Cost To Students, Frank G. Jacobitz, Thomas F. Schubert, Ernest M. Kim

School of Engineering: Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Applications Of Capillary Electrophoresis For Studying Serum Albumin Enantioselection Of D,L-Tryptophan Analogs, Jelynn A. Stinson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The pharmacokinetic difference between drug enantiomers is the impetus for developing analytical techniques to assess enantiomeric purity. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is an analytical technique that is used for characterizing drug-protein binding. The pitfall to using CE for drug-protein binding studies is protein chiral selectors tend to adsorb onto capillary walls and cause changes in electroosmotic flow that lead to decreased enantioselection and migration time irreproducibility between consecutive injections. The experimental parameters for minimizing the adverse effects of protein adsorption are not clear from the literature.

Rinsing protocols to improve enantioselection and migration time repeatability were developed using the tryptophan-bovine serum …