Engineering Commons^™

Non-Obstetrical Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery In Pregnancy: A Systematic Literature Review., Courtney Capella, Joseph Godovchik, Thenappan Chandrasekar, Huda B. Al-Kouatly

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

Urologic and gynecologic surgeons are the top utilizers of robotic surgery; however, non-obstetrical robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) in pregnant patients is infrequent. A systematic literature review was performed to ascertain the frequency, indication and complications of RALS in pregnancy. Results showed thirty-eight pregnancies from eleven publications between 2008-2020. Five cases were for urologic indication and thirty-three for gynecologic indication. Minimal surgical alterations were required. Although no adverse maternal-fetal outcomes were reported, there are not enough cases published to determine safety. This review demonstrates the feasibility of RALS for the pregnant population in the hands of competent robotic surgeons.

An Analysis Of Self-Reported Sleepiness And Fatigue Measures From Collegiate Aviation Pilots, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Julius Keller, Thomas Laub, Sarah Wolfe

Publications

Fatigue can be deleterious to pilot performance. The National Transportation Safety Board has called on the aviation community to reduce fatigue related accidents. Currently, there are few studies and guidance specific to collegiate aviation pilots. The current study is part of a larger effort by the authors to gain a clearer understanding of fatigue within the collegiate aviation environment. Collegiate aviation pilots are a unique group with different schedules, lifestyles, and demands when compared to airline, military, and on-demand pilots. The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported fatigue and sleepiness measures. Research instruments included the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale …

Maintenance Isn’T Just About Grease, Jim Burgin

Operations Management Presentations

Document maintenance is becoming a bit of a challenge. Slowly, but surely, business leaders are realizing that maintenance isn’t just a “necessary evil” but a competitive advantage that can help differentiate their company from others in the same industry. Maintenance is a broad concept, and this webinar is just to get you thinking about maintenance in a different way. Because of the “necessary evil” concept, professional maintenance resources are rare.

Maintenance costs real money. Depending on the size of the operation, labor, contractors, and material costs can be significant. While that seems like a lot of money, consider the costs …

Solutions Of The Problem Of Random Vibrations In Hereditary-Deformable Systems Using Impulsive Functions, Inobat Xaldibayeva

Technical science and innovation

In recent years, probabilistic-statistical methods for studying various problems of mechanics of solid deformable bodies are being applied more than ever.

The principal part of its field of application is the development of a general theory of strength and a hereditarily deformed solid. As known, the theory of random oscillations is increasingly being used in technology.

Current research is aimed to present a numerical-analytical approach for studying the dynamic response of a hereditarily deformable system to unsteady input influences.

It is established that the dynamic reaction of hereditarily deformable systems to an arbitrary form of random perturbations can also be …

Prediction On Service Life Of Concrete Pipeline Buried In Chlorinated Environment Under Nonuniformly Distributed Earth Pressure, Lin Li, Weibing Gong, Jingpei Li

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper proposes an analytical model to estimate the service life of concrete pipelines buried in chloride contaminated soils, which properly considers the effects of nonuniformly distributed earth pressures on both the internal tensile stress of concrete protective cover and the chloride diffusion coefficient through the nonhomogeneous coefficient of earth pressure. It is assumed that the underground concrete pipeline arrives at the service life end when cracking induced by expansion pressure due to the corrosion products occurs in the concrete protective cover. Hence, the whole service life of underground concrete pipeline is composed of chloride diffusion period and protective cover …

Estimation Of Autoregressive Parameters From Noisy Observations Using Iterated Covariance Updates, Todd K. Moon, Jacob H. Gunther

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Estimating the parameters of the autoregressive (AR) random process is a problem that has been well-studied. In many applications, only noisy measurements of AR process are available. The effect of the additive noise is that the system can be modeled as an AR model with colored noise, even when the measurement noise is white, where the correlation matrix depends on the AR parameters. Because of the correlation, it is expedient to compute using multiple stacked observations. Performing a weighted least-squares estimation of the AR parameters using an inverse covariance weighting can provide significantly better parameter estimates, with improvement increasing with …

Structural Reinforcement, Reinforced Structural Member And Related Method, Issam E. Harik, Nisal Abheetha Peiris, Drew Christian Thompson, David Cambron Murray, Clayten Nicholas Greenwell

Civil Engineering Faculty Patents

A structural reinforcement includes a plurality of individual reinforcing elements. Each of the plurality of reinforcing elements includes a first end segment, a second end segment and an intermediate segment between the first and second end segments. A support engages the plurality of individual reinforcing elements along the intermediate segments and holds the elements in parallel.

Can Transcranial Electrical Stimulation Motor Threshold Estimate Individualized Tdcs Doses Over The Prefrontal Cortex? Evidence From Reverse-Calculation Electric Field Modeling, Kevin A. Caulfield, Bashar W. Badran, Xingbao Li, Marom Bikson, Mark S. George

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Parametric Nasopharyngeal Swab For Sampling Covid-19 And Other Respiratory Viruses: Open Source Design, Sla 3-D Printing And Uv Curing System, Nicole Gallup, Adam Pringle, Shane Oberloier, Nagendra Gautam Tanikella, Joshua M. Pearce

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Access to nasopharyngeal swabs for sampling remain a bottleneck in some regions for COVID19 testing. This study develops a distributed manufacturing solution using only an open source manufacturing tool chain consisting of two types of open source 3-D printing and batch UV curing, and provides a parametric fully free design of a nasopharyngeal swab. The swab was designed using parametric OpenSCAD in two components (a head with engineered break point and various handles), which has several advantages: i) minimizing print time on relatively slow SLA printers, ii) enabling the use of smaller print volume open source SLA printers, iii) reducing …

Finite Element Simulation Of Metal Cutting Of Aluminum Using Johnson-Cook Damage Model And Shear Failure Model., Mohammed Saber

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper evaluates the use of the Johnson-Cook (J-C) damage model and the shear failure model in the Finite Element metal cutting simulations of an Aluminum alloy (Al 1100) using an FE commercial package ABAQUS. For the J-C model, the damage evolution in the model is controlled by the value of the parameter "equivalent plastic displacement at failure", . The value of this parameter is provided to ABAQUS by user. It was found that the value of that parameter, in conjunction with mesh size, highly affects the chip morphology, chip ratio and analysis completion. Therefore, a compromising between the value …

Determination Of The Optimal Location For Constructing Solar Photovoltaic Farms Based On Multi-Criteria Decision System And Dempster–Shafer Theory, Marzieh Mokarram, Mohammad J. Mokarram, Mohammad R. Khosravi, Ali Saber, Akbar Rahideh

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Considering environmental concerns regarding air pollution which is induced by burning fossil fuels to generate electrical power, utilizing solar energy as a green and sustainable energy source is of great interest. This study proposes a novel framework to determine the optimal location for constructing solar photovoltaic (PV) farms. To locate the suitable areas for PV farms, firstly, a fuzzy-based method is utilized to homogenize the input parameters, thereafter, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Dempster-Shafer (DS) methods are independently used. In the AHP method, the proper weight for each input parameter is generated utilizing a pairwise comparison matrix. However, the …

Integrated Resource Plan For Portland General Electric (Pge), Mary Biswal, Alejandro Castelan

Master's Projects and Capstones

An integrated resource plan (IRP) for Portland General Electric (PGE) is developed in this master’s project. The IRP is based on capacity expansion modeling for zero-carbon emission scenarios. PGE is a public electric utility based in Oregon and serves around 887,000 customers across a territory of 4,000 sq. miles. The utility’s resource mix is currently heavily dependent on natural gas making up almost 50% of its capacity. While the state renewable portfolio standards (RPS) require Oregon power utilities to derive 50% of their generation from renewable sources by 2040, PGE plans to move rapidly into a clean energy mix by …

Evaluating And Developing A Reliable Reference Electrode For Choline Chloride Based Deep Eutectic Solvents, Xiaochen Shen, Jesse Wainright, Rohan Akolkar, Robert F. Savinell

Faculty Scholarship

The Ag/AgCl reference electrode is commonly used in choline chloride based deep eutectic solvents. However, we found it undergoes significant potential shifts in electrochemical tests which previous reports largely ignored. In this work, we studied the degradation mechanism leading to its instability. Results show that due to the high Cl− concentration in ethaline, the AgCl film easily dissolves and forms AgCl2 − species causing a potential shift. Therefore, we suggest a [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4− reference electrode based on the reversibility and low diffusivity of [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4− redox couple in ethaline, which was demonstrated to be reliable and stable over weeks of operation.

An Integrated Resource Plan For Arizona Public Service Electric (Aps), Irene Boghdadi, Randy Chiu

Master's Projects and Capstones

Our Masters Capstone Project is an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for Arizona’s largest electric utility, Arizona Public Service Electric (APS).

An IRP is developed by utilities to identify the optimal combination of demand- and supply-side resources needed to reliably meet forecasted demand for energy and capacity, including a planning reserve margin, over a future period.

In addition to APS’s obligation to serve the growing load in Arizona while minimizing costs, it is required by the state to adhere to the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) policy of 15 percent retail sales from renewable energy resources by 2025.

The analysis described in …

The Shape Of Earth And Pressure Altimetry, Nihad E. Daidzic

Aviation Department Publications

FAA Safety Webinar (GL15100313) held online at 8:45 CST on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Side-Channel Power Resistance For Encryption Algorithms Using Implementation Diversity, Ivan M. Bow

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

This thesis paper investigates countermeasures to hardware side-channel attacks and proposes a new solution to this ever growing threat against data integrity and security. The side-channel attack methods, differential power analysis and correlation power analysis, are both very powerful techniques and are used to gain access to secrets inside of a field programmable gate array that are otherwise inaccessible, in particular the cryptographic key for the Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm. To counter these attacks, we propose a method of changing the internal hardware configuration of the field programmable gate array using dynamic partial reconfiguration. Using this method, we change the …

Application Of Optimal Switching Using Adaptive Dynamic Programming In Power Electronics, Ataollah Gogani Khiabani

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, optimal switching in switched systems using adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) is presented. Two applications in power electronics, namely single-phase inverter control and permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control are studied using ADP. In both applications, the objective of the control problem is to design an optimal switching controller, which is also relatively robust to parameter uncertainties and disturbances in the system. An inverter is used to convert the direct current (DC) voltage to an alternating current (AC) voltage. The control scheme of the single-phase inverter uses a single function approximator, called critic, to evaluate the optimal cost …

Space And Depth-Resolved Naturally Occurring Toxic Groundwater Species In Bangladesh And Rwanda: Origination And Risk Analysis, Kenneth Hamilton

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses and Dissertations

Access to safe potable water is a necessity for all. Groundwater is a commonly relied upon drinking water source for many areas around the world. This is especially true for communities in high density, rural settings. Such is the case for populations near Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, and in the Bugesera region of Rwanda. Sediment and groundwater contamination, through toxic dissolved species, represents a significant public health risk to exposed populations. Tropical soils, such as the soil profiles in Bangladesh and Rwanda, often contain higher concentrations of heavy metals (Rieuwerts, 2007). Additionally, nitrate from fertilizers, are widely used on the soils …

Control And Locomotion Of Inertially And Magnetically Actuated Multi-Scale Robotic Systems, Ehab Al Khatib

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

In this research, two actuation systems were introduced, inertial and magnetic actuation. In the inertial actuation, the robot used the transfer of momentum to navigate, and this momentum could be generated by spinning masses and wheels. Recent studies in our System Laboratory proved that a wide range of inertially actuated locomotion systems could be generated. This can be achieved by using a family tree approach, starting from a very simple system, and progressively evolving it to more complex ones. The motion diversity of these robots inspired us to extend their locomotion from a macro scale to millimeter and micro scales. …

Investigating The Effects Of Accelerated Lithium Deposition On The Abuse Response Of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Eric J. Deichmann

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Li deposition at the graphitic anode is widely reported in literature as one of the leading causes of capacity fade in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Previous literature has also linked Li deposition resulting from low-temperature and high-rate ageing to diminished safety characteristics, however no current research has probed the effects of Li deposition on the abuse response of well- characterized cells. Additionally, no previous studies have investigated the use of an accelerated Li deposition technique for probing the effects of Li deposition. Using overtemperature testing, a relationship between increased concentrations of Li deposition and exacerbated abuse response in 1Ah pouch cells …

Design Of A Drone-Flight-Enabled Wireless Isolation Chamber, John Wensowitch

Electrical Engineering Theses and Dissertations

The next wave of drone applications is moving from repeatable, single-drone activities such as evaluating propagation environments to team-based, multi-drone objectives such as drone-based emergency services. In parallel, testbeds have sought to evaluate emerging concepts such as highly-directional and distributed wireless communications. However, there is a lack of intersection between the two works to characterize the impact of the drone body, antenna placement, swarm topologies, and multi-dimensional connectivity needs that require in-flight experimentation with a surrounding testbed infrastructure. In this work, we design a drone-flight-enabled isolation chamber to capture complex spatial wireless channel relationships that drone links experience as applications …

A Data-Driven Framework For Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Integrating Markov Decision Processes, Hidden Markov Models And Predictive Modeling, Hossein Kamalzadeh

Operations Research and Engineering Management Theses and Dissertations

The problem of decision making under uncertainty can be broken down into two parts. First, how do we learn about the world? This involves the problem of modeling the system and its uncertainty. Secondly, given what we currently know about the world, how should we decide what to do, taking into account uncertainty of future events and observations that may change our conclusions. Many systems evolve over time and often the next state of the system is not known with certainty, often modeled as a probability distribution over system states. Dealing with such systems especially when we can make a …

Polarity Effects Of Aluminium Nitride Thin Films And Morphological Characterization Of Molybdenum Thin Films, Aseem Poudyal

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

AlN (Aluminium Nitride) is a piezoelectric material that is often used in numerous applications as a transducer. C-axis crystal orientation control of AlN is very important as it corresponds to a high piezoelectric coefficient. Crystal orientation of sputtered AlN is strongly affected by its deposition parameters such as sputtering pressure, target to substrate distance, growth temperature, gas pressure and frequency/duty cycle in the case of pulsed DC sputtering. Crystal orientation of AlN depends on the energy of the sputtered atom and the mobility of the adatoms on the surface of the substrate. Varying the deposition parameters can alter the kinetic …

Effect Of Post-Consumer Content And Bioplastic Incorporation On Polymeric Resin In Consumer Applications, Shelby Bicknell

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Controversy surrounds the use of plastic products, primarily due to their potentially negative impact on the environment at the end of their lifecycle. The most widely used plastics are manufactured from petrochemicals such as petroleum, coal or natural gas. Petrochemical plastics are not able to readily breakdown in the environment, which aggravates the existing pollution problems. Fortunately, there are eco-friendly alternatives to petrochemical-based plastics. Bioplastics may be derived from renewable sources, biodegradable, or both. Bio-based plastics are plastics that may be derived from renewable biomass sources including, but not limited to, vegetable oils, cornstarch, straw, woodchips, and food waste. They …

Empirical Models For Predicting Water And Heat Flow Properties Of Permafrost Soils, Michael T. O'Connor, M. Bayani Cardenas, Stephen B. Ferencz, Yue Wu, Bethany T. Neilson, Jingyi Chen, George W. Kling

Publications

Warming and thawing in the Arctic are promoting biogeochemical processing and hydrologic transport in carbon‐rich permafrost and soils that transfer carbon to surface waters or the atmosphere. Hydrologic and biogeochemical impacts of thawing are challenging to predict with sparse information on arctic soil hydraulic and thermal properties. We developed empirical and statistical models of soil properties for three main strata in the shallow, seasonally thawed soils above permafrost in a study area of ~7,500 km² in Alaska. The models show that soil vertical stratification and hydraulic properties are predictable based on vegetation cover and slope. We also show that …

Tympanal Asymmetry In A Parasitoid Fly: Small Asymmetries Produce Big Gains, Max Mikel-Stites, Anne E. Staples

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

About Computer Simulation Of The Structure Of Cellular Concrete With A Tasked Heat Conductivity, Anvar Ishanovich Adilkhodjayev, S.S. Shaumarov, E.V. Shchipacheva

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

This article presents the developed mathematical model of the structure of cellular concrete and its computer implementation in the form of a computational software package that allows you to determine pore sizes and characteristics of inter-pore walls, corresponding to the required thermal conductivity of the material. The stages of computer simulation of the macrostructure of cellular concrete are also given.

Calculation Of Hanging Shells Complex Geometry, Sayidmahsud Razzakov, Gennady Fridman, Rasul Khuzhakulov

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

A method for calculating large-span, spatial hanging shells is presented. A resolving system of equations is obtained for determining the stress-strain state of the hanging shells, the support contour, bearing and stabilizing cables

Plastometry Application For Control Of Portland Cement Consumer Properties, Aleksandr Petrovich Nikolaev, Elena Vladimirovna Kondrashchenko, Valery Іvanovich Kondrashchenko

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

It was shown that cements of the same strength grade substantially differ at initial dynamics of their interaction with water and structure-forming capacity din the course of stiffening. The necessity was substantiated for current control of Portland cement consumer properties in operation with cement from the same vendor. It was proved that the amount of added plasticizer for obtaining plastisized concrete on the basis of cements of the same strength grade from different vendors may differ several times. The efficiency was demonstrated of input control of Portland cement structure- forming capacity at plants manufacturing concrete and ferroconcrete products, using modified …

Effectiveness Of Seismic Base Isolation In Reinforced Concrete Multi-Storey Buildings, Ravshanbek Abdujabborovich Mavlonov, Sohiba Ergashboevna Numanova

Journal of Tashkent Institute of Railway Engineers

The dynamic reaction of a building to earthquake ground motion is the most critical reason for earthquake actuated damage to structures. The basic concept in seismic isolation is to protect the structure from the damaging effects of an earthquake by introducing a flexible support isolating the building from the shaking ground. Seismic isolation consists of essentially the installation of mechanisms such as isolators which decouple the structure from base. In the present study, the seismic response of the reinforced concrete building, base isolated by lead rubber bearings (LRBs) is compared with the seismic response of the same structure which does …