Engineering Commons^™

Predicting Dry‐Season Flows With A Monthly Rainfall–Runoff Model: Performance For Gauged And Ungauged Catchments, Perrine Hamel, Andrew John Guswa, Jake Sahl, Lu Zhang

Engineering: Faculty Publications

Hydrologic models are useful to understand the effects of climate and land‐use changes on dry‐season flows. In practice, there is often a trade‐off between simplicity and accuracy, especially when resources for catchment management are scarce. Here, we evaluated the performance of a monthly rainfall–runoff model (dynamic water balance model, DWBM) for dry‐season flow prediction under climate and land‐use change. Using different methods with decreasing amounts of catchment information to set the four model parameters, we predicted dry‐season flow for 89 Australian catchments and verified model performance with an independent dataset of 641 catchments in the United States. For the Australian …

Smia: Improving Kosovo's Education Management System, Lazar Adjijgogov, Dejan Stamenov, Edmond Jajaga

UBT International Conference

Successful management of today’s education systems requires effective policy-making and system monitoring through data and information. To this end, countries around the world have invested significant resources into collecting, processing, and managing more and better data through education management information systems (EMIS). SMIA is a modern EMIS, which offers easier management of educational process in Kosovo. It facilitates decision-making, resource planning, strategy building, monitoring and evaluation of educational system through a rich set of analytical and statistical tools. For over six years of activity, the system has efficiently tracked and thus helped the development of the educational process for every …

Analysis Of Central Banks Platforms On Social Networks, Goran Bjelobaba, Ana Savic, Hana Stefanovic

UBT International Conference

The paper describes the advantages of using technical and technological achievements through the social networks and their implementation in Central Banks communication. A study of some Central Banks on their use of social media and some of the most popular social networks are given, showing that social media is becoming an important medium of communication for Central Banks around the world. The study shows that a majority of Central Banks use Twitter to send alerts for information already disseminated through the website, even as they are not very active in responding to public tweets, and also shows an increasing number …

An Evaluation Of The Water Lifting Limit Of A Manually Operated Suction Pump: Model Estimation And Laboratory Assessment, Katherine C. Marshall

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With 663 million people still without access to an improved drinking water source, there is no room for complacency in the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 6.1: “universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all” by 2030 (WHO, 2017). All of the current efforts related to water supply service delivery will require continued enthusiasm in diligent implementation and thoughtful evaluation. This cannot be over-emphasized in relation to rural inhabitants of low-income countries (LICs), as they represent the largest percentage of those still reliant on unimproved drinking water sources. In that lies the motivation and …

Sustainability Of Community-Managed Rural Water Supply Systems In Amazonas, Peru: Assessing Monitoring Tools And External Support Provision, Jacob E. Mangum

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Globally, there is still a large number of people without access to safe drinking water; a known health risk. In rural areas of countries like Peru, when potable water systems are built the responsibility for maintaining these systems is given to volunteer water committees. Despite its prevalence as a management model, there is a consensus that community management alone cannot ensure sustainable water service. Therefore, the overall goal of this research is to assess the sustainability of community-managed water systems in rural areas of the department of Amazonas, Peru. Specifically, this research examines two mechanisms that have been shown to …

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Precipitation In Togo, Koffi Djaman, Vivek Sharma, Daran Rudnick, Komlan Koudahe, Suat Irkmak, Kokou Adambounou Amouzou, Jean Mianikpo Sogbedji

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Precipitation is one of the important variables in hydrological cycle and has important application in both irrigated and rainfed agricultural crop production. Better understanding of spatio-temporal variability of precipitation across Togo is important and useful for water users and most agricultural activities. Thus, the objective this study was to analyze the spatial and temporal variation in monthly and annual precipitation across Togo for the period of 1961-2001. Monthly precipitation data was provided by the national direction of meteorology. The performed analysis revealed a decline in annual total precipitation across almost all agro-ecological zones in Togo with the Maritime Region revealed …

Ssetgami: Secure Software Education Through Gamification, Hector Suarez, Hooper Kincannon, Li Yang

KSU Proceedings on Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Since web browsers have become essential to accomplishing everyday tasks, developing secure web applications has become a priority in order to protect user data, corporate databases and critical infrastructure against cyber-crimes . This research presents a game-like (gamification) approach to teach key concepts and skills on how to develop secure web applications. Gamification draws on motivational models, one of psychological theories. Gamification design has great potential over traditional education where we often find students demotivated and lecturers failing to engage them in learning activities. This research created game-like learning modules to teach top vulnerabilities and countermeasures for these top vulnerabilities …

Water Supply In Developing Countries: Student Experiences In The Dominican Republic, Albert Alwang, Margaret Busse, Audrey Caprio, Marieke Fenton, Jason Hawes, Andrew Kanach, Autumn Mcelfresh-Sutton

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

In 2010, the United Nations established access to safe drinking water as a basic human right; however, many areas around the globe still lack access. The interdisciplinary service-learning course “Water Supply in Developing Countries” was established at Purdue in 2012 to address the complex issue of water insecurity around the world. Over the past five years, the course has produced teams involving students from nursing, engineering, agricultural economics, biology, and food science working together to develop sustainable, community-scale drinking water treatment systems. In partnership with Aqua Clara International, the student team in 2017 established a drinking water treatment system at …

How Useful Is Gsv As An Environmental Observation Tool? An Analysis Of The Evidence So Far., Katherine Nesse, Leah Airt

SPU Works

Researchers in many disciplines have turned to Google Street View to replace pedestrian- or carbased in-person observation of streetscapes. It is most prevalent within the research literature on the relationship between neighborhood environments and public health but has been used as diverse as disaster recovery, ecology and wildlife habitat, and urban design. Evaluations of the tool have found that the results of GSV-based observation are similar to the results from in-person observation although the similarity depends on the type of characteristic being observed. Larger, permanent and discrete features showed more consistency between the two methods and smaller, transient and judgmental …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 58 Number 4, Fall 2017, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

18 - TIME FOR A BIG SHIFT We work and save for decades. And then what? A behavioral finance expert writes about the tough transition many face. By Meir Statman. Illustrations by Hanna Barczyk.

22 - WHAT WE OWE At the very least: stories that capture the contour of a life. A Pulitzer Prize– winning reporter on tales of human strife and resilience. By Tatiana Sanchez ’10.

28 - THE MOST IMPORTANT Lawsuit on the Planet It was first filed against the Obama administration and draws on decades of government records. It seeks no monetary damages. But advocates and critics …

Geopolitical Relations: Uganda’S Role In The Development Of The River Nile, Jordan Williams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined the geopolitical relations of the Nile Basin by looking at Uganda as a case study, and analyzed Uganda’s use and development of the River Nile. It reviews the history of transboundary politics and treaties along with Uganda’s development projects in the region. The paper then discusses modern relations and agreements, with a focus on the most recent agreement between the Riparian States, the Cooperative Framework Agreement, and how Uganda fits into them with regards to their interest in hydropower development within their borders on the Nile. It then explores possible future developments on the river and the …

Developing Ict Skills Of Stem Teachers In Mexico: The Key Role Of The Tutorial Function, Alexander N. Chen, David Mccalman, Mark E. Mcmurtrey, J. Gabriel Domínguez Castillo, Víctor Manuel Cab Pech

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

It is well documented in distance education literature that one of the factors that are considered essential to the success of an online course is the tutorial function. The role of counselor consists of assisting and encouraging students, building learning activities, and developing support strategies for the use of technology. The tutor thus was assessed as one element of great importance in on-line education, and, to some, an essential feature of this mode. In this paper, the importance of the tutorial function and its effect on the development of skills for using information and communication technology (ICT) in science, technology, …

Construction And Characterization Of A Single Stage Dual Diaphragm Gas Gun, Nathaniel Steven Helminiak

Master's Theses (2009 -)

In the interest of studying the propagation of shock waves, this work sets out to design, construct, and characterize a pneumatic accelerator that performs high-velocity flyer plate impact tests. A single stage gas gun with a dual diaphragm breach allows for a non-volatile, reliable experimental testing platform for shock phenomena. This remotely operated gas gun utilizes compressed nitrogen to launch projectiles down a 14 foot long, 2 inch diameter bore barrel, which subsequently impacts a target material of interest. A dual diaphragm firing mechanism allows the 4.5 liter breech to reach a total pressure differential of 10ksi before accelerating projectiles …

An Abbreviated Leap: The Geopolitical And Geoeconomic Significance Of The China – Pakistan Economic Corridor To The New Silk Road, Emma Nichols

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this analysis is to reveal the geopolitical and geoeconomic significance of the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative to its major stakeholders; Pakistan and China. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled one of the most ambitious international infrastructure plans in modern history. The plan, in its earliest stages, is currently underway with its first portion, the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Through careful preliminary analysis of the greater Belt and Road Initiative, the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor, and history of Sino-Pak relations, the motivations of the collaborating nations are …

Rethinking The Design Of Low-Cost Point-Of-Care Diagnostic Devices, Faith W. Kimani, Samuel M. Mwangi, Benjamin J. Kwasa, Abdi M. Kusow, Benjamin K. Ngugi, Jiahao Chen, Xinyu Liu, Rebecca Cademartiri, Martin M. Thuo

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reducing the global diseases burden requires effective diagnosis and treatment. In the developing world, accurate diagnosis can be the most expensive and time-consuming aspect of health care. Healthcare cost can, however, be reduced by use of affordable rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). In the developed world, low-cost RDTs are being developed in many research laboratories; however, they are not being equally adopted in the developing countries. This disconnect points to a gap in the design philosophy, where parameterization of design variables ignores the most critical component of the system, the point-of-use stakeholders (e.g., doctors, nurses and patients). Herein, we demonstrated that …

Implementation Of A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (Mcda) Toolkit To Aid In Ranking Naval Mission Vessel Combinations With Uncertainty, Andrew R. Miller

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

United States (U.S.) military bases have largely been constructed outside of the contiguous United States (OCONUS) due to the need of close support logistics for conflicts and wars. In contrast, military bases within the contiguous United States (CONUS) have been constructed mostly due to economic and other related monetary factors. In addition to monetary concerns for the placement of military bases (specifically naval bases), there exists tactical, environmental, cultural, climate, logistical, and geographical issues that need to be fully considered before deciding on a naval installation location and the vessels to be stationed there. I will present a new toolkit …

The Gmo/Ge Debate, Joanna K. Sax

Texas A&M Law Review

We live longer and healthier lives because advances in science create easier and better ways to sustain and survive. Society has an intricate relationship with biotechnology. Vaccines save lives. Fluoridated water decreases dental issues. Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. Nuclear power is a form of clean energy. With any emerging technology, the benefits do not exist in a vacuum, thus, negative consequences result as well. Our widespread uses of antibiotics are creating antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Our research into nuclear energy also facilitated the creation of nuclear bombs. Perhaps it is human nature to use scientific advances for good and for …

A Location-Aware Middleware Framework For Collaborative Visual Information Discovery And Retrieval, Andrew J.M. Compton

Theses and Dissertations

This work addresses the problem of scalable location-aware distributed indexing to enable the leveraging of collaborative effort for the construction and maintenance of world-scale visual maps and models which could support numerous activities including navigation, visual localization, persistent surveillance, structure from motion, and hazard or disaster detection. Current distributed approaches to mapping and modeling fail to incorporate global geospatial addressing and are limited in their functionality to customize search. Our solution is a peer-to-peer middleware framework based on XOR distance routing which employs a Hilbert Space curve addressing scheme in a novel distributed geographic index. This allows for a universal …

Characterization Of Jet Fuel Combustion Emissions During A C-130 Aeromedical Evacuation Engines Running Onload, Michelle L. Page

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to characterize jet fuel combustion emissions (JFCE) in an occupational setting. Prior research demonstrated that aircraft emit hazardous species, especially at engine start-up and ground idle. Complaints of eye, nose, and throat irritation from occupational exposures near aircraft exist. In this study JFCE were tested during an aeromedical evacuation engines running patient onload (ERO) on a C-130 Hercules at the 179^th Airlift Wing, Mansfield-Lahm Air National Guard. Ultrafine particles, VOC, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfuric acid, and metals were sampled simultaneously in approximate crew and patient breathing zones. Testing methods were portable condensation …

Development Of Starch-Polyvinyl Alcohol (Pva) Biodegradable Film: Effect Of Cross-Linking Agent And Antimicrobials On Film Characteristics, Aniket Satish More, Chandani Sen, Madhusweta Das

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

To satisfy the need of developing eco-friendly flexible antimicrobial packaging film with minimum use of synthetic chemical ingredients, the present study examined the efficacy of citric acid (CA) as cross-linking agent and essential oils (EOs), viz., cinnamon essential oil (CEO) and oregano essential oil (OEO) as natural antimicrobials in corn starch-polyvinyl alcohol (CS-PVA) film. Compared to film prepared from filmogenic solution (FS) containing 75 kg CS+8.75 kg PVA+24.6 kg glycerol per m³ FS, film additionally containing CA at 0.07 kg/kg CS indicated 95% higher ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and 27% lower water vapor permeability (WVP). Film developed with incorporation …

Optimal Cultivation Pattern To Increase Revenue And Reduce Water Use: Application Of Linear Programming To Arjan Plain In Fars Province, Amin Daghighi, Ali Nahvi, Ungtae Kim

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Because the available water resources of the Arjan plain region in Iran do not fully meet the watering requirements for plants in farmlands, the crops suffer from water stress, a situation that causes them to wilt. The aim of this study is to develop a water resources planning model that helps decision-makers determine an appropriate cultivation pattern, optimize the exploitation from surface water resources, and specify the method of allocating water across different farm crops to minimize the detrimental effects of water shortage. Through investigating various models of water resources planning and properties along with the governing conditions for each …

Multi Layered Shotcrete Design For Tunnel Construction, Matthias Werner Beisler, Sebastian Höser, Vladimir Bartos

Shotcrete for Underground Support XIII: New Developments in Rock Engineering, Tunneling, Underground Space and Deep Excavation

Shotcrete linings have been applied successfully for a large number of tunnel constructions within the last couple of decades all around the world. While up to the 1980’s the structural design of the shotcrete linings mainly was based on experience gathered throughout the construction and some simplified analyses in the following years the application of the Finite Element Method lead to much more sophisticated design and more accurate estimation of deformations and stress state in the shotcrete lining. This was amongst others achieved by considering the time and construction sequence - dependent development of the deformations as well as by …

Physical Water Scarcity Metrics For Monitoring Progress Towards Sdg Target 6.4: An Evaluation Of Indicator 6.4.2 “Level Of Water Stress”, D. Vanhama, A. Y. Hoekstra, Y. Wada, F. Bouraoui, A. De Roo, Mesfin Mekonnen, W. J. Van De Bund, O. Batelaan, P. Pavelic, W. G.M. Bastiaanssen, M. Kummu, J. Rockström, J. Liu, B. Bisselink, P. Ronco, A. Pistocchi, G. Bidoglio

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Target 6.4 of the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) dealswith the reduction ofwater scarcity. To monitor progress towards this target, two indicators are used: Indicator 6.4.1 measuring water use efficiency and 6.4.2 measuring the level of water stress (WS). This paper aims to identify whether the currently proposed indicator 6.4.2 considers the different elements that need to be accounted for in a WS indicator.WS indicators compare water use with water availability.We identify seven essential elements: 1) both gross and net water abstraction (or withdrawal) provide important information to understand WS; 2) WS indicators need to incorporate environmental flow requirements …

Revealing Casual Pathways To Sustainable Water Service Delivering Using Fsqca, Kate E. Gasparro, Jeffrey P. Walters

Faculty Publications - Biomedical, Mechanical, and Civil Engineering

This study aimed to build on theory and practice regarding the combinations of conditions that influence water service sustainability when external partners are involved. The study investigates 26 well projects that have been implemented in developing countries with the assistance of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA). Using past literature on sustainable water service delivery in developing communities, emergent coding techniques with project documents, and surveys with EWB-USA team members, this study identifies a set of project conditions to conduct fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Findings show that the presence of a water committee cannot alone account for project sustainability. Additional conditions, …

Convergence Of The Fast State Estimation For Power Systems, Md Ashfaqur Rahman, Ganesh Kumar Venayagamoorthy

Publications

Power system state estimation is a fundamental computational process that requires both speed and reliability. To meet the needs, some variants of the constant Jacobian methods have been used in the industry over the last several decades. The variants work very well under normal operating conditions with nominal values of the states. However, the convergence of the methods are not analysed mathematically and it may contain pitfalls. In this study, the convergence of the constant Jacobian methods are analysed and it is shown that the methods fail under high variations of the states. To increase the reliability of the processes, …

Chaos-Based Encryption Keys And Neural Key-Store For Cloud-Hosted Data Confidentiality, N.N Mosola, M.T Dlamini, Jonathan Blackledge, J.H.P Eloff, H.S Venter

Conference papers

Cloud computing brings flexible and cost-effective services. However, security concerns plague the cloud. Data confidentiality is one of the security concerns inhibiting the adoption of cloud computing. This concern stems from various cyberattacks directed towards gaining unauthorised access to cloud-bound or cloud-hosted data. This paper proposes a clientend encryption and key management system to curb cyberattacks that target compromising data confidentiality on the cloud.

Development And Investigation Of An Air Transportation Operations Safety Climate Scale, Matthew D. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Safety is of critical importance in many industries, and the US Air Force is no exception. Since 2005, the US Air Force has experienced more than 119 on-duty air and ground fatalities as well as 520 off-duty ground fatalities. One of the more dangerous environments in the U.S. Air Force and the civilian industry is air transportation operations where the fatal injury rate is higher than the national average. However, peer-reviewed safety research focusing on air transportation operations is practically non-existent, both in the military and civilian context. Therefore, safety research that helps us better understand how to shape safety …

Degradation Of Bisphenol-A By Dielectric Barrier Discharge System: Influence Of Polyethylene Glycol Stabilized Nano Zero Valent Iron Particles, Jimoh O. Tijani, Massima E.S. Mouele, Ojo O. Fatoba, Omotola O. Babajide, Leslie F. Petrik

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this study we report the synthesis and catalytic properties of polyethylene glycol stabilized nano zero valent iron particles (PEG-nZVI) added to the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) system to induce photo-Fenton process in the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) in aqueous solution. The influence of operating parameters such as solution pH, initial concentration of the modelled pollutant and PEG-nZVI dosage on the extent of BPA degradation was investigated. The residual concentration of BPA and its intermediates were determined using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS). The high-resolution scanning electron microscope (HRSEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller …

A Study On Vessel Deficiency Risk Assessment Based On Psc Inspection Data From Tokyo Mou, Jingfeng Wang

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Rice Hull Bioreactor For Recirculating Aquaculture, Marlon A. Greensword

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The engineering of floating media biofilters has been optimized over the years. The backwashing process has made them more energy and water efficient. Likewise, moving bed bioreactors (MBBR) are gaining interest and popularity because they are relatively affordable to build. Yet, developing countries’ aquaculture production remains largely excluded from the advances made in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). This discrepancy is partially driven by the high costs of media such plastic beads and Kaldnes (KMT) media, commonly used in MBBR.

This dissertation evaluates the usability and profitability of rice hulls (RH), an abundant by-product in many developing nations, as a sinking …