Engineering Commons^™

A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Role Of Web-Based Collaboration Tools And Instructional Scaffolds In The Facilitation Of Team Processes, Nina Magpili, Pilar Pazos, Preetham S. Ullal

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Learning has expanded beyond take-home assignments and lectures. Team-based learning, for instance, supports the extended development of students by offering further education through collaborating with others. This type of learning develops teamwork skills that have become essential skills for students in today’s complex work environment. Furthermore, the use of online collaboration tools in virtual teams adds complexity to the collaboration process. This trend calls for valuable insights related to enhancing online team-based collaboration to ensure team success and learning. Scaffolds provide a promising approach because they support team processes online by providing guidance through the use of tools, activities and …

Lifetime And Efficiency Improvement Of Organic Luminescent Solar Concentrators For Photovoltaic Applications, Yamna El Mouedden

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In order to achieve the goal of zero net-energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings, substantial research has been devoted to developing methods for energy harvesting from window glass that is capable of passing visible light through the windows of buildings while converting the unwanted invisible solar radiation into electricity. Research has focussed on two particular aspects, namely (i) the integration of thin-film technology for solar radiation transmission control and (ii) light guiding structures for solar radiation routing towards the edges of the glass window.

Recently, photovoltaic (PV) solar cells have been investigated and promoted as products for converting solar …

Analysis Of Right-Turn Lane Length In Left-Hand Traffic Countries At Signalised Intersections Of Urban Roads, Noura Thomas

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Analysis of the right turn lane length of urban roads in left-hand traffic countries, such as Australia, UK and India (left-turn lane length in right-hand traffic countries such as USA), at signalised intersections encounters two main geometric features namely, deceleration length and storage length. The literature shows that in routine practice, the deceleration length is generally estimated by using constant deceleration rate. Many researchers consider this assumption for all design speeds unrealistic as it does not reflect the influence of the pavement condition. Hence, it may be desirable to consider the pavement’s condition in terms of its longitudinal coefficient of …

An Experimental And Numerical Study Of Surface Interactions In Turbulent Swirling Jets, Zahir Uddin Ahmed

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Convective heat transfer and drying processes are found in industrial applications from gas turbine blade cooling to drying of food products and paper. In many instances, these processes rely on either a single or an array of fluid jets which impinge onto a surface. Traditionally, non-swirling impinging jets have been used, but interest surrounds possible advantages from imposing swirl into these jets to further promote heat and mass transfer at the surface. The challenge of resolving this question is that including swirl further complicates fluid-surface interactions. Studies are faced with the complexity of flow behaviour, the need for intricate measurement …

Impacts Of Artisanal And Large Scale Gold Mining On Tropical Rivers In West Africa: A Case Study From The Brong Ahafo Region Of Ghana, Karunia F. Macdonald

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Mining communities in more than 70 developing countries, mostly in the tropical regions, still practise artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM). ASGM commonly operates along rivers and streams for easy access to process water and as receptacles for mine water discharges. A largely unregulated industry, ASGM employs rudimentary mining and processing methods including the use of mercury amalgamation, and is often found near to larger scale and modern mining (LSM) operations.

The substantial use of mercury by ASGM has drawn the attention of agencies and researchers but so has its persistent economic role in providing much needed rural employment. …

An Experimental Investigation Of A Reinforced Steel Frame Via Structural Dynamics, Ethan Baker

Honors Theses

With the current decaying condition of America's infrastructure, a need for a more efficient inspection method is evident. The combination of Structural Health Monitoring data and data analysis tools could be a solution. In this study, laboratory data was captured for both a baseline bare-frame and a wooden wall reinforced steel structure. A MATLAB®-based computer program, the in-house SHE™ accomplishes an array of tasks, including signal processing and modal decomposition among others. A SAP2000® model contextualized the experimental data by producing trend behaviors, such as mode order or common mode shapes. Both sequential and cumulative reinforcement detection was performed on …

A Practical Guide To Chemical Process Optimization: Analysis Of A Styrene Plant, Fleur Phelps

Honors Theses

This report acts as a beginner's guide to chemical processes optimization. Performed universally, optimization merely entails improving an existing process, situation, device or system. For a chemical engineer, optimization typically aims to maximize potential economics of a chemical process by manipulating decision variables while staying within known constraints. In order to maximize the overall economics of a chemical process, individual equipment or stream conditions are examined. The chemical process is implemented in simulation software The optimization of individual components of the process may aim to maximize or minimize an outcome specific to that component, but still ultimately maximizes economic potential. …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Aripiprazole-Loaded Ph-Modulated Solid Dispersion Via Hot-Melt Extrusion Technology, Haley Mcfall

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to prepare aripiprazole (ARI)-loaded solid dispersions (SDs) to enhance solubility and dissolution via hot-melt extrusion (HME) technology. ARI was chosen due to its poorly water-soluble properties. Solubility screenings of various polymers and acidifiers were performed to select appropriate excipients for the SD. Succinic acid (SA) and Kollidon 12 PF (PVP) were selected as the acidifier and the polymer, respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were used to determine the miscibility, interactions, and thermal stability of the drug and selected excipients. MODDE 8.0 is a design of experiment software that was implemented to produce …

Concussion In Women's Soccer: A Prescriptive Analysis Of Force Loading During Heading, James Michael Robinson

Honors Theses

Women's soccer has the highest incidence of concussion among female sports. However, there has been relatively little research investigating the immediate and cumulative effects of soccer heading on brain injury, especially among youth. In an effort to better understand concussion in the often-underserved population of women high school soccer players, we investigated, both quantitatively and qualitatively, the nature of force loading during heading of a soccer ball. Data was collected from the Oxford High School Women's Varsity Soccer Team using X2 Biosystems' xPatch, which measures force loading magnitude and direction with six degrees of linear and rotational freedom using a …

Design And Synthesis Of Dual Opioids/Npff Ligands As Novel Analgesics With Reduced Tolerance Potential, John N. Yi

Honors Theses

Opioid use has become prevalent in today's culture. As a treatment for acute and chronic pain, opioids permeate in the public sphere as a seemingly easy solution. However, problems that come from the increased use of opiates, especially in the last fifteen years, have shown detrimental effects in society. Not only are all opioid-based analgesics considered addictive, but the nature of such painkillers also enables a phenomenon known as tolerance, where the body adapts to the use of exogenous opioids. This creates a situation where a more potent dose of painkiller is required for the same analgesic effect. The focus …

Biological Activity Of Garcinia Kola On Hepatitis C, Madeline Dwyer

Honors Theses

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to the World Health Organization, hepatitis C infections affect between 130-150 million people worldwide. It is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, and approximately 500,000 people die from hepatitis C infections or related complications each year. Although new treatments are 90% effective at curing chronic hepatitis C infections, they cost tens of thousands of dollars. Available treatments are incredibly cost prohibitive, especially considering that the regions most affected by hepatitis C are Africa and central and eastern Asia (Hepatitis C). This creates a …

G-Quadruplex Mediated Splicing Of P53 Mrna, Melissa Holy

Honors Theses

The protein p53 is a master regulator of the cell cycle and its mutation/inactivation is associated with over 50% of cancer cases. Mutations in p53 are associated with worse survival rates, resistance to therapies, and other risk factors in breast cancer specifically. p53 is encoded by the TP53 gene and is expressed as several transcripts. In the G-rich portion of intron 3, secondary DNA structures known as G-quadruplexes are able to form. The stabilization of these G-quadruplexes leads to correct splicing of intron 2, thus making a functional p53 protein. A known quadruplex-stabilizing compound (TMPyP4) was tested to determine its …

Severity Of Spinal Cord Injury Influences Diffusion Tensor Imaging Of The Brain, Michael B. Jirjis, Aditya Vedantam, Matthew D. Budde, Benjamin Kalinosky, Shekar N. Kurpad

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether DTI changes in the brain induced by a thoracic spinal cord injury are sensitive to varying severity of spinal contusion in rats.

Methods: A control, mild, moderate, or severe contusion injury was administered over the eighth thoracic vertebral level in 32 Sprague-Dawley rats. At 11 weeks postinjury, ex vivo DTI of the brain was performed on a 9.4T Bruker scanner using a pulsed gradient spin-echo sequence.

Results: Mean water diffusion in the internal capsule regions of the brain and pyramid locations of the brainstem were correlated with motor function (r …

Biomechanics Of Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Current Concepts And Emerging Horizons, Carolyne Albert, Jessica M. Fritz, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Osteogenesis inperfecta (OI) is associated with bone fragility. Long bone fractures are a common occurrence in individuals with OI. Although there have been significant advances in understanding the genetic defects associated with OI, the mechanisms behind bone fragility in this patient population are not yet well understood. This fragility is believed to stem in part from characteristic bone mass deficiencies. Research further suggests that the material properties of the bone are also compromised in individuals with this disorder. There is currently on quantitative method available to assess bone fracture risk in individuals with OI. This chapter examines several critical elements …

Finite Element Modeling And Analysis Applications In Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Jessica M. Fritz, Nicole M. Grosland, Peter Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Understanding the biomechanics of bones in persons with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a key component to further understanding the disease, optimizing treatment and quality of life, as well as injury prevention. However, it is not feasible to study bone biomechanics in vivo. Thus, modeling may play a key role in understanding how OI bones respond to the loading experienced during various activities, especially ambulation. Biomechanical modeling can provide insight into bone fracture risks, such as type and location, from single applied loads or repetitive loading. One method for obtaining this information is via a finite element analysis (FEA). FEA is …

Smartphone Microendoscopy For High Resolution Fluorescence Imaging, Xiangqian Hong, Vivek K. Nagarajan, Dale H. Mugler, Bing Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

High resolution optical endoscopes arc increasingly used in diagnosis of various medical conditions of internal organs, such as the cervix and gastrointestinal (GI) tracts, but they are too expensive for use in resource-poor settings. On the other hand, smartphones with high resolution cameras and Internet access have become more affordable, enabling them to diffuse into most rural areas and developing countries in the past decade. In this paper, we describe a smartphone microendoscope that can take fluorescence images with a spatial resolution of 3.1 μm. Images collected from ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo samples using the device …

Flexc: Protein Flexibility Prediction Using Context-Based Statistics, Predicted Structural Features, And Sequence Information, Ashraf Yaseen, Mais Nijim, Brandon Williams, Lei Qian, Min Li, Jianxin Wang, Yaohang Li

Computer Science Faculty Publications

The fluctuation of atoms around their average positions in protein structures provides important information regarding protein dynamics. This flexibility of protein structures is associated with various biological processes. Predicting flexibility of residues from protein sequences is significant for analyzing the dynamic properties of proteins which will be helpful in predicting their functions.

Optimization-Based Path Planning For Separation Assurance On Small Unmanned Aircraft, Matthew Duffield, Andrew Ning, Timothy Mclain

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a time-based path planning optimizer for separation assurance for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Given Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) as a sensor, intruder information such as position, velocity, and identification information is available at ranges on the order of 50 nautical miles. Such long-range intruder detection facilitates path planning for separation assurance, but also poses computational challenges. The time-based path optimizer presented in this paper provides a path-planning method that takes advantage of long-range ADS-B information and addresses the associated challenges. It is capable of long-range path planning and, due to the convex formulation, is computationally efficient enough …

Size Specific Transfection To Mammalian Cells By Micropillar Array Electroporation, Yingbo Zu

Doctoral Dissertations

Electroporation serves as a promising non-viral gene delivery approach, while its current configurations carry drawbacks associated with high-voltage electrical pulses and heterogeneous treatment on individual cells. Here, we developed a new micropillar array electroporation (MAE) platform to advance the delivery of plasmid DNA and RNA to mammalian cells. By introducing well-patterned micropillar array on the electrode surface, the number of pillars each cell faces varies with its cell membrane surface area, despite their large population and random locations. In this way, cell size specific electroporation is conveniently done and contributed to a 2.5~3 fold increase on plasmid DNA transfection and …

Improving Nano-Drug Delivery By Using Near-Real Time Sensing And Feedback, Pratik Adhikari

Doctoral Dissertations

Personalized medicine, seen as the solution to address the variability among the individuals, is the movement which proposes customization of medical procedures based on the need of the patient during the stages of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow up. As the technology in medicine expands and newer methods of diagnosis and treatment are introduced in the clinic, real time data from the procedures is critical to assess the performance at point of care. Real time feedback, through collection of data at point of care would help make informed clinical decisions, potentially improving the efficacy of the treatment. In this dissertation, …

Multi-Type Display Calculus For Dynamic Epistemic Logic, Sabine Frittella, Giuseppe Greco, Alexander Kurz, Alessandra Palmigiano, Vlasta Sikimić

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

In the present paper, we introduce a multi-type display calculus for dynamic epistemic logic, which we refer to as Dynamic Calculus. The displayapproach is suitable to modularly chart the space of dynamic epistemic logics on weaker-than-classical propositional base. The presence of types endows the language of the Dynamic Calculus with additional expressivity, allows for a smooth proof-theoretic treatment, and paves the way towards a general methodology for the design of proof systems for the generality of dynamic logics, and certainly beyond dynamic epistemic logic. We prove that the Dynamic Calculus adequately captures Baltag-Moss-Solecki’s dynamic epistemic logic, and enjoys Belnap-style cut …

Sparse Adaptive Local Machine Learning Algorithms For Sensing And Analytics, Jack Cannon

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

The goal of digital image processing is to capture, transmit, and display images as efficiently as possible. Such tasks are computationally intensive because an image is digitally represented by large amounts of data. It is possible to render an image by reconstructing it with a subset of the most relevant data. One such procedure used to accomplish this task is commonly referred to as sparse coding. For our purpose, we use images of handwritten digits that are presented to an artificial neural network. The network implements Rozell's locally competitive algorithm (LCA) to generate a sparse code. This sparse code is …

3d Fpga Cell Matrix By Self-Assembly, Jeffrey Udall

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Physical size limitations in miniaturizing two-dimensional (2D) transistors are becoming more difficult to overcome. In order to continue increasing the processing power of electronic circuits, new design paradigms are needed. Three-dimensional (3D) architectures provide a solution to this issue and are currently being implemented via wafer stacking. However, more significant gains in terms of packing and speed can be achieved by CMOS components with truly integrated 3D cellular architectures. One of these is the Cell Matrix, a self-configurable defect- and fault-tolerant architecture, which is ideally suited for ultra large-scale integration. For this project, we worked to expand the Cell Matrix …

Complex Capillary Fluidic Phenomena For Passive Control Of Liquids In Low-Gravity Environments, Logan Torres

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

In an effort to further apply the recent results of puddle jumping research, we seek to expand the oblique droplet impact studies of others by exploiting large liquid droplets in the near weightless environment of a drop tower. By using the spontaneous puddle jump mechanism, droplets of volumes 1 mL ≤ V ≤ 3 mL with corresponding Weber numbers of We ≈ 1 are impinged on surfaces inclined in the range 40° ≤ α ≤ 80° (measured from the horizontal plane). Impact surface wetting characteristics exhibit static contact angles θstatic = 165 ± 5°. All impacts result in complete rebound. …

Engineered Mushing Cooker, Aimee Ritter

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

This project revolves around building methanol cookers for dog mushers in the Iditarod and for the Denali Park Ranger Kennel in Denali National Park, Alaska. Traditional cookers are bulky, slow to burn, and use up a lot of fuel. Our goal has been to revolutionize the way mushing cookers look and perform. Our cookers are built to pack well in the sleds, heat up to 3 gallons of snowmelt, perform in arctic climates, use methanol (specifically HEET) for fuel, and be lightweight. A traditional cooker would use 3 to 4 bottles or more of HEET (36-48+oz.) and take at least …

Design For Fractal Grid Generated Turbulence, Moira Gion

Maseeh Summer Undergraduate Research Experience

Fractal geometry can be used to find organization or order in something that appears to be in disorder, or chaos. Turbulence is viewed as one place where fractal geometry can be found in nature. The irregularity in fluid flow is dependent on the initial conditions. In the past, the idea of self-similarity has been used to develop statistical theories of energy cascade in a turbulent flow. Recent studies have done experiments on obstructing flows with fractal objects to observe intermittency, (or self-similarity) within a turbulent flow. Experiments on fractal grid generated turbulence has been performed by other research groups, so …

Robot Fish Do Not Need Sentience, Antonio Chella

Animal Sentience

The target article by Key (2016) discusses the thesis that fish cannot feel pain because of the lack of the necessary neural structure. This commentary suggests the possibility that fish do not need conscious neural processing by taking into account recent results from biomimetic robotics. State-of-the-art biomimetic robot fish are based on a tight interaction between the body and the environment and are typically controlled by behavior-based architectures. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that cognitive architectures are not needed to control a robot fish. This is in line with the thesis proposed by Key: what biomimetic robot fish show is …

An Investigation Into Off-Link Ipv6 Host Enumeration Search Methods, Clinton Carpene

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research investigated search methods for enumerating networked devices on off-link 64 bit Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) subnetworks. IPv6 host enumeration is an emerging research area involving strategies to enable detection of networked devices on IPv6 networks. Host enumeration is an integral component in vulnerability assessments (VAs), and can be used to strengthen the security profile of a system. Recently, host enumeration has been applied to Internet-wide VAs in an effort to detect devices that are vulnerable to specific threats. These host enumeration exercises rely on the fact that the existing Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) can be exhaustively …

Automated Selection Of The Optimal Cardiac Phase For Single-Beat Coronary Ct Angiography Reconstruction, Daniel Stassi, S. Dutta, H. Ma, A. Soderman, D. Pazzani, E. Gros, D. Okerlund, Taly Gilat-Schmidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: Reconstructing a low-motion cardiac phase is expected to improve coronary artery visualization in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) exams. This study developed an automated algorithm for selecting the optimal cardiac phase for CCTA reconstruction. The algorithm uses prospectively gated, single-beat, multiphase data made possible by wide cone-beam imaging. The proposed algorithm differs from previous approaches because the optimal phase is identified based on vessel image quality (IQ) directly, compared to previous approaches that included motion estimation and interphase processing. Because there is no processing of interphase information, the algorithm can be applied to any sampling of image phases, …

Assessing Photoreceptor Structure Associated With Ellipsoid Zone Disruptions Visualized With Optical Coherence Tomography, Drew Scoles, John A. Flatter, Robert F. Cooper, Christopher S. Langlo, Scott Robison, Maureen Neitz, David V. Weinberg, Mark E. Pennesi, Dennis P. Han, Alfredo Dubra, Joseph Carroll

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose: To compare images of photoreceptor layer disruptions obtained with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) in a variety of pathologic states.

Methods: Five subjects with photoreceptor ellipsoid zone disruption as per OCT and clinical diagnoses of closed-globe blunt ocular trauma (n = 2), macular telangiectasia type 2 (n = 1), blue-cone monochromacy (n = 1), or cone-rod dystrophy (n = 1) were included. Images were acquired within and around photoreceptor lesions using spectral domain OCT, confocal AOSLO, and split-detector AOSLO.

Results: There were substantial differences in the extent and appearance of the photoreceptor mosaic …