Engineering Commons^™

Design And Verification Of Search Coil Inductance For Pulse Induction Metal Detection, David Desrochers

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

As violent attacks have increased at different venues such as schools, the need for affordable and effective metallic weapon detection has increased. Probing and scanning detection wands are the most common seen in use by guards. This project seeks to combine both probing and scanning coils into one pulse induction metal detector. The use of one drive circuit for both LC coil tank circuits further economizes the system. ANSYS Maxwell electromagnetic simulations are used to develop the geometries needed for sensitive metal detection. Analytical, simulation, and experimental methods are used to first verify the design flow for solenoid inductors. These …

Investigation Of The Effects Of A Situated Learning Digital Game On Mathematics Education At The Primary School Level, Mariana Rocha

Doctoral

Previous research suggests games can improve learning outcomesand students’ motivation. However, there still exists insufficient clarity on the design principles and pedagogical approach that should underpinmathematics educational games. This thesis is aimed at evaluating the effects of an educationalgame on the learningperformance and levels of anxiety promoted by mathematics activities of primary school students. The game was designed based on theprinciples of situated learning, following acombination of an in-depth literature review, a collection of teachers’ perceptions about educational games, and features ofclassroom games. Empirical evaluation of the game was performed through a 5-weeks experiment carried out in three Irish schools, …

Opendrop Elisa: Surface Development For Digital Microfluidic Elisa Testing, Michaela Q. Mead, Madeline G. Jackson, Jacob G. Taylor

Biomedical Engineering

This project aimed to develop a process to create a hydrophobic coating with capture antibodies attached. This process was developed in an attempt to create a digital microfluidic platform upon which an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) could be run, indicated for clinicians and educators in low-resource settings. Four requirements dictated the course of the design process: 1) the contact angle with water of the hydrophobic layer must be greater than 90º, 2) the colorimetric response of a positive ELISA result on our platform must be at least 85% of that run on polystyrene with the same result, 3) the platform …

Discontinuous Grain Boundaries Of Forged René 41, Aaron Rabin, Bryce Bitter

Materials Engineering

Certain nickel-based alloys, particularly René 41, characteristically have many low-angle grain boundaries (grain arrangements of less than 15 degrees), present in the microstructure of an in-use component. Frequently, these low-angle grain boundaries are not optically visible after the etching process, leading to the phenomena of discontinuous grain boundaries. There exists a risk for René 41 grain boundary characterization; since one cannot assume that a grain boundary continues beyond a discontinuity, the grain size requirements become difficult to meet. Despite favorable characteristics of René 41, such as the corrosion and oxidation resistance coupled with excellent strength at high temperatures, the risks …

Spectral Absorption Coefficient Of Additive Manufacturing Polymers, Nicholas J. Wallace, Matthew R. Jones, Nathan B. Crane

Utah Space Grant Consortium

As NASA turns to additive manufacturing processes, there is a need to ensure that the parts they produce are reliable. This is especially true when creating parts in space, where resources are limited and failure could result in catastrophe. Active thermography has shown potential as a non-destructive quality assurance technique for additive manufacturing processes. Heat transfer models used in active thermography techniques require accurate material property measurements in order to extract useful information about the system, including defect location. The spectral absorption coefficient, which determines the depth at which radiative power is absorbed into a surface, is a material property …

Investigating Novel Biomarkers Associated With Aki Diagnosis And Risk, Lars Lofgren, Natalie Silverton

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication associated with cardiac surgery. Those patients who develop AKI have increased hospital costs, hospital LOS and odds of death. The current diagnostic criteria rely on serum creatinine measurements and urine output data. Serum creatinine is not renal specific. It is known that there are other factors that influence serum creatine concentrations other than renal injury. Serum creatinine levels are measured as concentrations which means large changes in fluid balance may alter the serum creatinine measurement. Urine output is not a reliable measurement of renal injury either. During surgery it is common to …

A Reinforcement Learning Based Control Approach For Propofol-Induced Burst Suppression, Jason C. Huang, Scott C. Tadler, Brian J. Mickey, Keith Jones

Utah Space Grant Consortium

High-dose propofol is being investigated for its potential antidepressant effect. Propofol is titrated to induce burst suppression, a specific EEG pattern. However, propofol is difficult to dose due to uncertainty in each patient’s pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), and the lack of a commercially available monitor of propofol concentration. Clinicians currently infer the proper drug dose after observing the EEG response to the given dose. In this report we share our development of an automated controller to optimally administer propofol-induced burst suppression. We designed a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm, which includes two deep neural networks and relates a …

Advanced Video Laryngoscope And Automatic Data Collection System, Gabrielle Hoyer, Sean Runnels, Samer Merchant

Utah Space Grant Consortium

The Advanced Video Laryngoscope is designed to address the high stress situation of an inexperienced healthcare provider performing an intubation on a patient. The technology is superior to current video laryngoscopes in that it utilizes machine learning techniques to guide the healthcare provider in real-time, providing augmented reality cues to anatomical features, feedback to prevent critical levels of deoxygenation of the patient, and an automated system to assess the difficulty of airway and call on the assistance of other physicians if first-pass intubation is not successful. By providing real-time assistance to the operator, this device will increase the success rate …

Assessing The Impact Of Drop Velocity And Spacing In Binder Jetting To Improve Printing In Novel Powders And New Environments, Trenton Colton

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Binder Jetting (BJ) is a low-cost Additive Manufacturing (AM) process that uses inkjet technology to selectively bind particles in a powder bed. The interaction of the binder droplets with the powder is essential to the process. This is a complex interaction in which picoliter-sized droplets impact powder beds at velocities of approximately 10 m/s. The binder partially fills the voids between the powders. The fraction of void space filled with binder is the saturation and is a key parameter in BJ. The effects of printing parameters such as droplet velocity, size, and spacing on saturation levels are unknown. This study …

Effect Of Superhydrophobic Surface Microstructure On Transient Jet Impingement Cooling, D. Jacob Butterfield, John Morris

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Jet impingement is an effective method of rapid surface cooling, and is highly dependent on surface condition and properties. Here, silicon surfaces are modified by ion-etching different micropatterns (posts or holes) on one side and coated with Teflon to make them superhydrophobic (SH). The other side of the surface has a screen-printed resistance heater. Surfaces are heated to temperatures between 200 to 320 °C, and then impinged on by a pure water jet at room temperature with flow rates ranging from 6 to 18 mL/s. Results show that there is little effect of microstructure, although hole surfaces and shorter microstructures …

Applying Real-World Learning Through Amusement Parks To Help Teach The Upcoming Changes To Utah Core Standard, Phil Lundgreen, Amanda Otterstrom

Utah Space Grant Consortium

To assist educators in satisfying the Science with Engineering Education (SEEd) Standards the Utah State University (USU) Physics Department has developed a curriculum centered around USU Physics Day at Lagoon.

With an upcoming change to Utah's core standards and a shift to more hands-on learning styles, the use of real-world learning offered by amusement park applications is analyzed in its ability to satisfy the Utah State Bureau of Education’s (USBE) SEEd standards. Amusement park learning allows educators a vehicle to capture students’ attention in the classroom by discussing science principles in a fun and exciting manner with a promise of …

Studies Of Oval Tube And Fin Heat Exchangers, Phillip Nielsen

Undergraduate Student Works

Heating Ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) is a system which changes the temperature of the surroundings for the purposes of cooling or heating. This system requires energy to maintain a temperature difference from the outside temperature. Optimizing the flow over the evaporator coils is one way to increase the cooling efficiency. This will reduce the power required to have a sustainable system. Optimizing the flow to increase the energy transfer between the fins and the incoming air could result in a greater Coefficient of Performance (COP). This will be achieved by changing the geometry of the tubes for greater interaction with …

Water-Energy-Food Linkages In Shared Smallholder Irrigation Schemes, Ankit Chandra

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Irrigation is a policy focus in Sub-Saharan Africa and is viewed as an important mechanism to improve farmers’ income and livelihoods while reducing the impacts of climate change. Water, energy, and food are linked in intricate ways in irrigated agriculture, and understanding the interplay of these components is crucial for sustainable and profitable crop production. Although studies have been conducted in different parts of the world to understand water and energy use at a field scale under large irrigation systems, little is known about linkages under farmer-managed mechanized irrigated schemes in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates water-energy-food linkages, engineering and …

Using Infrared Radiometry Thermometer For Irrigation Management Of Dry Edible Beans In Western Nebraska, Isabella Presotto Possignolo

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Proper irrigation management requires farmers to determine the right timing and amount to irrigate. Soil water sensors are one of the most popular sensor-based approach used by farmers to decide when and how much to irrigate. However, installation and retrieval of soil water sensors require excavation of soil and can be challenging. Other than soil water sensors, there are plant-based water stress monitoring technologies that are less soil disturbing such as infrared radiometry thermometer (IRT). Using canopy temperature measured from IRT, researchers can calculate thermal-based indices such as crop water stress index (CWSI) for many crops around the world. Yet …

2020 Directory Of Indiana State, County, City And Town Officials Responsible For Road And Street Work, Indiana Ltap

Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Directory

Contact information for agency officials and employees responsible for Indiana’s local road infrastructure.

Hemodynamic Effects On Aortic Development Due To Outflow Tract Banding, Humza Ismail

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Hemodynamic forces drive remodeling of the early cardiac system in embryonic development. Perturbations of normal cardiac blood flow can cause the formation of defects and malformations within the cardiac system. Specifically, changes in hemodynamics can cause the formation of different congenital heart defects. The formation of heart defects has been studied; however, vasculature specific defects caused by changes in blood flow patterns in the early cardiac system have not been studied to the same degree. In this thesis, the effects of hemodynamic changes on arterial development were studied. Outflow tract banding (OTB) was used to cause a local increase in …

Robust Control Of Burst Suppression Amid Physical And Neurological Uncertainty, Stephen Ampleman, Shinung Ching

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Burst suppression is a clinical term describing a phenomenon in which the electroencephalogram (EEG) of a sedated patient produces behavior that switches between higher frequency and amplitude bursting to lower frequency and lower amplitude suppression. This phenomenon can be observed during general anesthesia, hypothermia, or in an otherwise induced coma state. In a clinical setting, this phenomenon is typically induced by sedation from a drug such as propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol). The level of sedation can be quantified by something called the burst suppression ratio (BSR), which is defined as the amount of time that a patient’s EEG is in a suppressed …

Toward Controlling Cardiac Tissue Pacing Using Modified Mrna, Yicheng Zhao

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Arrhythmia is a common heart disease that happens when the heart is beating too fast, too slow, or irregularly. To study the mechanisms and treatments of this disease, it is important to acutely control the beating rate of the model as it will help distinguish the contribution of different potassium currents and drug-induced action potential in cardiomyocytes. The current method of tissue pacing, electrical pacing, causes contamination and corrosive damage to tissues, thus the tissues fail to be used repeatedly or in future studies. In this study, red-shifted channelrhodopsin (ReaChR) is applied as a non-chemical means to control the beating …

Evaluation Of Bridge Decks With Overlays Using Impact Echo, A Deep Learning Approach, Sattar Dorafshan, Hoda Azari

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, the feasibility of using deep learning models (DLMs) for evaluation of bridges with overlay systems is investigated. Several laboratory-made concrete specimens with artificial subsurface defects and overlay systems (bonded and debonded) made of cement and asphalt overlay materials were tested using impact echo (IE). One-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were developed, trained, and tested on the IE data. The proposed 1D CNN was the most successful in detecting debonding and subsurface defects; it achieved an average accuracy of 0.68 on the cement overlay specimens and 0.58 for asphalt overlay specimens. Maps of the …

High- And Low-Voltage Mitigation In Distribution Systems Using Residential Static Volt-Ampere Reactive Compensators, Andrés Valdepeña Delgado

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Power distribution systems are experiencing a fast transformation from simple one-way radial feeders to complex systems with multiple sources and bidirectional power flows. The rapid increase of Distributed Generation (DG) connected to the distribution system over the last decade, especially solar photovoltaic (PV), has been the key element to this transformation.

The variable nature of PV-based DG has increased the complexity of voltage regulation in distribution systems. Electric Utilities are facing an increasing number of voltage issues in distribution systems with high penetration of DGs, leading customers to experience voltage levels outside of range A of the ANSI C84.1 standard. …

An All-Optical Excitonic Switch Templated On A Dna Scaffold Operated In The Liquid And Solid Phases, Donald L. Kellis

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The natural excitonic circuitry of photosynthetic organisms, including light harvesting antennas, provides a distinctive example of a highly attractive bio-inspired alternative to electronic circuits. Excitonics, which capitalizes on spatially arranged optically active molecules ability to capture and transfer light energy below the diffraction limit of light has garnered recognition as a potential disruptive replacement for electronic circuits. However, assembly of optically active molecules to construct even simple excitonic devices has been impeded by the limited maturity of suitable molecular scale assembly technologies.

An example of nanophotonic circuitry, natural light harvesting antennas employ proteins as scaffolds to organize and self-assemble light-active …

Diffusion Bonding Of Inconel 600 To Silicon Carbide For Next Generation High Temperature Applications, Yaiza Rodriguez Ortego

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Ceramic to metal interfaces are of interest for applications in extreme environments because they allow increased operational temperatures, resulting in greater thermodynamic efficiency in energy conversion processes. Ceramics offer high temperature corrosion resistance while metals offer robust and versatile solutions to assemblies. Understanding the solid-state reactions, the resulting interfacial microstructure, and the properties of the joints produced by diffusion bonding is essential for developing reliable ceramic to metal interfaces.

The combination of silicon carbide (SiC) and a nickel-based alloy (Inconel 600) offers improved strength and resistance to high temperature degradation. This work focuses on the understanding of the solid-state diffusion …

Low Intensity Vibrations Restore Nuclear Yap Levels And Acute Yap Nuclear Shuttling In Mesenchymal Stem Cells Subjected To Simulated Microgravity, Matt Thompson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The bone deterioration that astronauts experience in microgravity environments is known to occur in response to the lack of gravity-based tissue stress. Mechanical forces are crucial to maintain healthy bone mass by regulating the function of bone-making osteoblasts as well as the proliferation and differentiation of their progenitors, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which replenish osteoblastic cells. Regulation of proliferative function of MSCs in response to mechanical force is in part controlled by the “mechanotransducer” protein YAP (Yes-associated protein) which is shuttled into the nucleus in response to mechanical challenge to induce gene expression necessary for cell proliferation. Our group had …

Secure Network-On-Chip Against Black Hole And Tampering Attacks, Luka Daoud

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Network-on-Chip (NoC) has become the communication heart of Multiprocessors-System-on-Chip (MPSoC). Therefore, it has been subject to a plethora of security threats to degrade the system performance or steal sensitive information. Due to the globalization of the modern semiconductor industry, many different parties take part in the hardware design of the system. As a result, the NoC could be infected with a malicious circuit, known as a Hardware Trojan (HT), to leave a back door for security breach purposes. HTs are smartly designed to be too small to be uncovered by offline circuit-level testing, so the system requires an online …

Towards Hybrid Quantum-Classical Ciphersuite Primitives, H. Shelton Jacinto

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

With the dawn of quantum computing in scale, current secure classical primitives are at risk. Protocols with immediate risk of breach are those built on the advanced encryption standard (AES) and Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) algorithms. To secure classical data against a quantum adversary, a secure communications ciphersuite must be developed. The ciphersuite developed in this work contains components that do not necessarily rely on quantum key distribution (QKD), due to recent insecurities found when a QKD-based protocol is faced with a quantum eavesdropper.

A set of quantum-classical ciphersuite primitives were developed using less common mathematical methods where a quantum adversary will …

Empirical Modeling Of Structural Distortions In Perovskite Ceramics, Evan Connor Smith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Predictive models for composition-structure-property relationships are essential to realizing the full potential of electroceramic materials; however, the electroceramics industry has largely failed to invest in predictive models in favor of simple rules of thumb or expensive, time-consuming trial-and-error methods. Empirically derived predictive models have the potential to significantly improve and guide future research in a more cost-effective and timely manner. It may even be possible to predict some intrinsic properties (e.g., polarization) on the order of a unit cell using only the charge and size of each chemical component. Scientists and researchers may ultimately be able to use …

Analysis Of Blood Purification Studies On Oxone Mediated Tempo-Oxidized Nano Cellulose Mixed-Matrix Membranes, Tony Roller

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is currently the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, and of the 661,00 Americans diagnosed with ESRD, approximately 468,800 were on hemodialysis in 2016. Hemodialysis refers to a technique where a machine combined with a membrane, often referred to as an artificial kidney, is used to clean blood by removing any waste such as urea, potassium, and other smaller waste products while preserving the concentrations and integrity of cells and proteins in the blood. It has been shown in artificial blood studies that cellulose nanomaterials, like TEMPO/Oxidized cellulose nanoparticles (TOCNs), can be integrated …

Autofluorescence Spectral Unmixing For Quantitative Metabolic Imaging Within Tissues, Lucy Woodbury

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Label-free metabolic imaging through quantification of NADH and FAD autofluorescence has become a powerful and efficient tool for non-invasive measurements of cell metabolism. It has applications in a variety of fields including diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring. However, NADH and FAD imaging typically selects specific single excitation and emission bands where it is assumed that these fluorophores are individually isolated. In some cases of isolated cell imaging, this assumption holds true, but for samples with other intrinsic fluorophores present (i.e. collagen and elastin), it can interfere with quantitative results. Elastin and collagen autofluorescence prevent the broader application of these optical metabolic …

Theoretical Applicability Of Crispr-Mediated Exon Skipping In Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Andrew Greek

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) affects approximately 1 in 5,000 males. DMD results from genetic mutations within the gene that interrupts the open reading frame and prematurely truncates the protein. From a non-functional dystrophin protein, DMD results in serious muscle weakening and muscle wasting ultimately leading to death around the age of 26. In some cases of muscular dystrophy, a mutation can occur in areas of the gene that are less essential. In Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD), these mutations cause less significant consequences in phenotype as the dystrophin protein is still semi-functional. With gene editing techniques, it may be possible to …

Electrodialysis Device For In Vivo Power Delivery, Jessica L. Orton

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

It is estimated that over 3 million cardiac pacemakers have been implanted in patients globally. Current lithium-iodine pacemaker batteries last an average of about 10 years before the entire pacemaker unit must surgically be replaced, increasing the patient’s risk of procedure-related complications. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate means by which to extend the pacemaker battery lifetime. The renal vein and renal artery in the body naturally produce a salinity gradient through the filtering work of the kidneys. This salinity gradient energy potential can be harnessed through reverse electrodialysis (RED). RED is an electrochemical process that harnesses the Gibbs Free …