Engineering Commons^™

The Arm Movement Detection (Amd) Test: A Fast Robotic Test Of Proprioceptive Acuity In The Arm, Leigh A. Mrotek, Maria Bengtson, Tina M. Stoeckmann, Lior Botzer, Claude Ghez, John Mcguire, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

We examined the validity and reliability of a short robotic test of upper limb proprioception, the Arm Movement Detection (AMD) test, which yields a ratio-scaled, objective outcome measure to be used for evaluating the impact of sensory deficits on impairments of motor control, motor adaptation and functional recovery in stroke survivors.

Methods

Subjects grasped the handle of a horizontal planar robot, with their arm and the robot hidden from view. The robot applied graded force perturbations, which produced small displacements of the handle. The AMD test required subjects to respond verbally to queries regarding whether or not they detected …

Insights On Osmotic Tolerance Mechanisms In Escherichia Coli Gained From An Rpoc Mutation, Yuqi Guo, James Winkler, Katy Kao

Faculty Publications

An 84 bp in-frame duplication (K370_A396dup) within the rpoC subunit of RNA polymerase was found in two independent mutants selected during an adaptive laboratory evolution experiment under osmotic stress in Escherichia coli, suggesting that this mutation confers improved osmotic tolerance. To determine the role this mutation in rpoC plays in osmotic tolerance, we reconstructed the mutation in BW25113, and found it to confer improved tolerance to hyperosmotic stress. Metabolite analysis, exogenous supplementation assays, and cell membrane damage analysis suggest that the mechanism of improved osmotic tolerance by this rpoC mutation may be related to the higher production of acetic acid …

Morphometric Analysis Of The Talus On The Cohort Of Healthy And Arthritic Patient Population:, Tia Arvaneh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) is less common in the ankle compared to other joints; however, deformation brought on by degeneration causes pain, loss of function, and overall decreased quality of life. Current surgical interventions for end-stage ankle OA are not as reliable as surgical treatments for other joints. Ankle arthroplasty currently has high failure rates, and there are lack of substantial data from long-term outcome studies. By understanding the morphometric changes that occur during the different stages of OA, we are able to identify early signs of the disease with the intention to apply treatment earlier in order to preclude …

A Hardware One-Time Pad Prototype Generator For Localising Cloud Security, Paul Tobin, Lee Tobin, Michael Mckeever, Jonathan Blackledge

Conference papers

In this paper, we examine a system for encrypting data before storing in the Cloud. Adopting this system gives excellent security to stored data and complete control for accessing data by the client at different locations. The motivation for developing this personal encryption came about because of poor Cloud security and doubts over the safety of public encryption algorithms which might contain backdoors. However, side-channel attacks and other unwanted third-party interventions in Cloud security, probably contribute more to the poor security record history. These factors led to the development of a prototype for personalising security locally which defeats cryptanalysis. The …

Swing-Up Of The Inertia Wheel Pendulum Using Impulsive Torques, Nilay Kant, Ranjan Mukherjee, Hassan K. Khalil

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The swing-up control problem of the inertia wheel pendulum is revisited in this paper. As different from existing methods, purely impulsive control inputs are used for swing-up. A mathematical formulation of the problem indicates that swing-up can be achieved using impulsive inputs applied at two discrete time instants. Two different swing-up schemes are presented and validated using numerical simulations where the impulsive inputs are approximated by high-gain feedback. The results of numerical simulations establish a direct link between high wheel velocities during swing-up and control strategies that take the pendulum directly to the upright configuration. They also indicate that the …

Liquefied Natural Gas (Lng) As A Marine Fuel: Optimising The Associated Infrastructure In The Baltic Sea Region, Dimitrios Dalaklis Dd, Josefin Madjidian Jam, Aykut I. Ölçer Aio, Fabio Ballini Fb, Momoko Kitada Mk

Conference papers

International and national policies and regulations call for faster transition to sustainable energy production and use. Within the shipping industry one way forward is the use of LNG. Despite being of fossil origin LNG is considered to be an important step towards cleaner shipping given the better properties of the exhausts. The Go LNG initiative is focused on the development of demand and accessibility of LNG in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). Activities associated with this strategic-in-nature project aim to promote the implementation of EU’s Clean Fuel Strategy and boost LNG usage through the whole transport chain. This paper will …

Impact Of Integrated E-Learning Modules In Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset Based On Deployment At 25 Institutions, Nadiye O. Erdil, Ronald S. Harichandran, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Cheryl Q. Li, Maria-Isabel Carnasciali

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

In this paper, we describe an innovative curricular model employed at the University of New Haven to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering students. The entrepreneurial mindset in this model is characterized by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN)’s 3C’s, which are curiosity, connections and creating value. The core of the model is the integration of short, self-paced, e-learning modules into courses spanning all four years of all engineering and computer science programs. A flipped classroom instructional model is used to integrate the modules into courses. We are in the third year of implementation on campus, and following a pilot …

Impact Of Mastering Engineering On Student Learning And Perceptions In A Strength Of Materials Course, Harry G. Cooke, Md Abdullah Al Faruque

Presentations and other scholarship

The impact of Mastering Engineering on student learning of key concepts in strength of materials has been assessed in this study by comparing homework and examination grades received by students who used Mastering to those from prior years when it was not used. Student perceptions of the effectiveness of Mastering for helping promote learning were obtained through weekly surveys that students completed about their use of the tutorials and videos. In addition, student ratings of teaching effectiveness and the accomplishment of course learning outcomes were evaluated to see if there were any impacts on student perceptions of the course. From …

Pedagogical Resources For Industrial Control Systems Security: Design, Implementation, Conveyance, And Evaluation, Guillermo A. Francia Iii, Greg Randall, Jay Snellen

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Industrial Control Systems (ICS), which are pervasive in our nation’s critical infrastructures, are becoming increasingly at risk and vulnerable to internal and external threats. It is imperative that the future workforce be educated and trained on the security of such systems. However, it is equally important that careful and deliberate considerations must be exercised in designing and implementing the educational and training activities that pertain to ICS. To that end, we designed and implemented pedagogical materials and tools to facilitate the teaching and learning processes in the area of ICS security. In this paper, we describe those resources, the professional …

Assessment And Modeling Of Three Decentralized Resource Recovery Systems In The Cayes Of The Belize Barrier Reef, Mark D. Kalivoda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Three wastewater treatment systems (WWTS) situated on Cayes in the Belize Barrier Reef System were assessed in terms of the unique public health and environmental circumstances of being a tourist destination surrounded by fragile coral reef. Laughing Bird Caye, Silk Caye, and Little Water Caye are three small cayes that are the staging points for local diving, fishing, and other recreational tourism. All three systems are based upon pour-flush toilets, semi-anaerobic biodigesters and drainage fields. Limitations in cost, available resources, useable area, high infiltration rates of the sand, and salinity of the water have played a major factor in the …

Electronic Receiver Device Detection System And Method, Jagannathan Sarangapani, Maciej Jan Zawodniok, Vivek Thotla, Mohammad Tayeb Ahmad Ghasr, Jake Hertenstein

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A super regenerative receiver detection system and method that includes a computing system that stores and executes a cross modulation correlation component to modulate a radio-frequency (RF) stimulation signal that is transmitted in an area using a modulating signal having a first modulating mode, and receive a response UEE signal from the area in which the response UEE signal includes a cross modulated signal emitted from a super regenerative receiver (SRR). The cross modulated signal having a second modulation mode that is different from the first modulation mode. Using this information, the cross modulation correlation component processes the received UEE …

Carbon And Nutrient Balances In Microalgal Bioenergy System, Eunyoung Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research investigated life cycle environmental impacts and benefits of an integrated microalgae system with wastewater treatment system using an integrated process modeling approach combined with experimentation. The overall goal of this research is to understand energy, carbon and nutrient balances in the integrated system and to evaluate the environmental impacts and benefits of the integrated system from a carbon, nutrient, and energy perspective. In this study, four major research tasks were designed to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the environmental and economic sustainability of the integrated system, which included development of an integrated co-limitation kinetic model for microalgae …

2015, January 16 - State Of The Salinas River Groundwater Basin - Hydrology Report

Monterey County Water Resources Agency Water Reports

A study conducted for Monterey County under County Professional Agreement 14-714, in response to Referral No. 2014.01. Prepared by Brown and Caldwell under the oversight of Monterey County Water Resources Agency, this report addresses the effects of prolonged drought by considering likely changes in groundwater head elevations, groundwater storage, and seawater intrusion. Some steps are offered that might help alleviate the consequences of further depleting groundwater storage. They study area is MCWRA Benefit Zone 2C which largely straddles the Salinas River in Monterey County. Zone 2C consists of 7 subareas: Above Dam, Below Dam, Upper Valley, Arroyo Seco, Forebay, East …

Minimum Required Detection Range For Detect And Avoid Of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Jared Kevin Wikle, Tim Mclain, Randal W. Beard, Laith Rasmi Sahawneh

Faculty Publications

For unmanned aircraft systems to gain full access to the National Airspace System, they must have the capability to detect and avoid other aircraft. To safely avoid an- other aircraft, an unmanned aircraft must detect the intruder aircraft with ample time and distance to allow the ownship to track the intruder, perform risk assessment, plan an avoidance path, and execute the maneuver. This paper describes two analytical methods for finding the minimum detection range to ensure that these detection and avoidance steps can be carried out. The first method, time-based geometric velocity vectors, includes the bank-angle dynamics of the ownship; …

Understanding The Impact Of Strategic Team Formation In Early Programming Education, Tony A. Lowe, Sean B. Brophy

School of Engineering Education Graduate Student Series

This evidence based research looks at the impact of a team-based instruction on learning to program in a first year engineering course designed under the Bauhaus studio model. Each team is formulated with a “more knowledgeable other” [1], or for this paper the “ringer” based on selfreported prior learning. The ringer is intended to support the team through early programming challenges. In addition to the professor and teaching assistants, having a peer mentor can yield higher satisfaction and confidence in learners [2]. Our analysis evaluates learning outcomes as student progress through the term, comparing performance based on the performance and …

Vicarious Calibration Of Suas Microbolometer Temperature Imagery For Estimation Of Radiometric Land Surface Temperature., Alfonso F. Torres-Rua

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

In recent years, the availability of lightweight microbolometer thermal cameras compatible with small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) has allowed their use in diverse scientific and management activities that require sub-meter pixel resolution. Nevertheless, as with sensors already used in temperature remote sensing (e.g., Landsat satellites), a radiance atmospheric correction is necessary to estimate land surface temperature. This is because atmospheric conditions at any sUAS flight elevation will have an adverse impact on the image accuracy, derived calculations, and study replicability using the microbolometer technology. This study presents a vicarious calibration methodology (sUAS-specific, time-specific, flight-specific, and sensor-specific) for sUAS temperature imagery …

Multiple Ngf Treatments Enhance Regeneration In Peripheral Nerves, Keaton Karlinsey, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project is to develop an effective treatment for damaged nerves. A team led by Dr. Cook has been working in this area for several years. Their project used a combination of biochemical treatments on rats with damaged sciatic nerves to improve the rate and quality of regeneration. The team is comparing the recovery of the nerves through a treatment receiving a combination of Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) with a treatment receiving only NGF and with a control that receives no treatment. LPC has been shown to upregulate the trkA receptor for NGF, thus …

Performance Analysis Of On-Line Camera-Based Web Inspection Sensors: A Pilot-Scale Experimental Study, Barry Hojjatie Dr, E. Lafond

Georgia Journal of Science

Camera-based web inspection sensors have been available in the paper industry for many years. However, in recent years because of a market demand for high-quality paper products, the need for realtime flaw-detection systems has increased significantly. In addition to flaw-detection capabilities, these systems should be capable of doing defect classification (e.g., relative to size and type of flaws) as well as defect localization (providing information on location of flaws). The technique employed in flaw detection and measurement principles used in common systems are based on laser, CCD (charge coupled device) camera, or infrared technology. The study was designed to determine …

Influencing Student Motivation Through Scaffolded Assignments In A Quality Analysis Course And Its Impact On Learning, Nadiye O. Erdil

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

This paper discusses the impact of various class assignments and activities that build upon each other with the aim of increasing student motivation and student learning in a Quality Analysis course. Scaffolding is an instructional strategy that aims to reduce the amount of cognitive effort that students have to make to learn the materials by breaking down the material into more manageable components. In this study, critical thinking scaffolding is applied in the quality analysis course by structuring several elements to lead students to an assignment that is more complex. At the end of the semester, the impact assessment of …

Establishment Of Innovative Shared Departments To Advance Interdisciplinary Education, Ronald S. Harichandran, Brian Kench, Summer Mcgee, Michael A. Collura, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Charles David Skipton

Engineering and Applied Science Education Faculty Publications

More and more universities are pursuing interdisciplinary academic activities that span across department and college boundaries. Administrative structures to facilitate such programs are difficult to establish within traditional university frameworks consisting of disciplinary departments and colleges. Often interdisciplinary programs are housed in a traditional disciplinary department or college, or in a standalone center reporting to a college dean or the provost. The difficulty of these structures is obtaining broad buy-in from faculty across departments and having disciplinary degree programs include interdisciplinary coursework.

To overcome the difficulties described above, an innovative shared department structure that fosters collaborations to advance interdisciplinary education …

Detection Of Structural Bolt Detorquing Using Direct Stethoscope Measurement, Joe Guarino, Robert Hamilton

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A method for detecting loosened bolts in a structural joint based upon open-loop acoustic measurement is presented. The acoustic measurement is taken directly on the bolt head. The response of the bolt to a proximal hammer impact is evaluated and characterized using wavelet decomposition of the signal measured from the bolt head. Data were also taken from an accelerometer mounted longitudinally and transversely on the bolt head. Results from the stethoscope and the accelerometer are presented from a set of structural bolts in several conditions of preload and looseness. A stethoscope applied to the loose bolt and a proximal bolt …

Teachers’ Incorporation Of Argumentation To Support Engineering Learning In Stem Integration Curricula, Corey A. Mathis, Emilie A. Siverling, Aran W. Glancy, Tamara J. Moore

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

One of the fundamental practices identified in Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) is argumentation, which has been researched in P-12 science education for the previous two decades but has yet to be studied within the context of P-12 engineering education. This research explores how elementary and middle school science teachers incorporated argumentation into engineering design-based STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) integration curricular units they developed during a professional development program. To gain a better understanding of how teachers included argumentation in their curricula, a multiple case study approach was conducted using four STEM integration units. While evidence of argumentation …

Students’ Successes And Challenges Applying Data Analysis And Measurement Skills In A Fifth-Grade Integrated Stem Unit, Aran W. Glancy, Tamara J. Moore, Selcen Guzey, Karl A. Smith

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

An understanding of statistics and skills in data analysis are becoming more and more essential, yet research consistently shows that students struggle with these concepts at all levels. This case study documents some of the struggles four groups of fifth-grade students encounter as they collect, organize, and interpret data and then ultimately attempt to draw conclusions or make decisions based on these data. The activities in which the students engaged were part of an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) unit that had students collecting and analyzing data both in the context of learning science concepts and in the …

Perspectives On Failure In The Classroom By Elementary Teachers New To Teaching Engineering, Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Elizabeth A. Parry

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This mixed methods study examines perspectives on failure in the classroom by elementary teachers new to teaching engineering. The study participants included 254 teachers in third, fourth, and fifth grade who responded to survey questions about failure, as well as a subset of 38 of those teachers who participated in interviews about failure. The study first examines the literature about failure in the contexts of engineering and education. Failure is positioned as largely normative and expected in engineering, whereas in education, learning and failure have a more tenuous relationship. Identity, failure avoidance, failure as part of the learning process, growth …

Undergraduate Engineers And Teachers: Can Students Be Both?, Malinda S. Zarske, Maia L. Vadeen, Janet Y. Tsai, Jacquelyn F. Sullivan, Denise W. Carlson

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Today’s college-aged students are graduating into a world that relies on multidisciplinary talents to succeed. Engineering college majors are more likely to find jobs after college that are outside of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, including jobs in healthcare, management, and social services. A survey of engineering undergraduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder in November 2012 indicated a desire by students to simultaneously pursue secondary teacher licensure alongside their engineering degrees: 25 percent ‘‘agreed’’ or ‘‘strongly agreed’’ that they ‘‘would be interested in earning grades 7–12 science or math teaching licenses while [they] earn [their] engineering …

Examining Experienced Teachers’ Noticing Of And Responses To Students’ Engineering, Aaron W. Johnson, Kristen B. Wendell, Jessica Watkins

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Engineering design places unique demands on teachers, as students are coming up with new, unanticipated ideas to problems along often unpredictable trajectories. These demands motivate a responsive approach to teaching, in which teachers attend their students’ thinking and flexibly adapt their instructional plans and objectives. A great deal of literature has focused on responsive teaching in science and mathematics, but there has been little research or professional development on this approach in engineering. In this work, we conducted clinical video-based interviews with six elementary teachers experienced in teaching engineering to discuss what they noticed in their students’ thinking and how …

Elementary Teachers’ Reflections On Design Failures And Use Of Fail Words After Teaching Engineering For Two Years, Pamela S. Lottero-Perdue, Elizabeth A. Parry

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

This mixed-methods study examines how teachers who have taught one or two units of the Engineering is Elementary (EiE) curriculum for two years reported on: students’ responses to design failure; the ways in which they, the teachers, supported these students and used fail words (e.g. fail, failure); and the teachers’ broad perspectives and messages to students about failure. In addition, the study explores how strategies, perspectives, messages, and fail word use may change after two years of engineering instruction. This study builds on previous work about elementary teachers’: perspectives on failure prior to teaching engineering, and responses to and perspectives …

From Creativity To Classification: A Logical Approach To Patent Searching, Marian G. Armour-Gemmen

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Engineering students and professors need to understand and search intellectual property. In the past, librarians have instructed them on using the United States Patent Classification (USPC). In 2015, after a period of transition, the United States Patent and Trademark Office phased out the USPC and began exclusively classifying in the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC). This adoption presented librarians a challenge of instructing students and professors in the easiest and most effective patent search. By tying patent searching to an example and presenting classification in an understandable fashion using CPC in conjunction with USPC, this writer presents a logical directed search …

Listening And Negotiation Ii, Adjo A. Amekudzi-Kennedy, Kevin D. Hall, Trevor Scott Harding, Amy J. Moll, Janet Callahan

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper is based on a panel held in June, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio, jointly sponsored by the Women in Engineering Division and by the Minorities in Engineering Division. It is focused on negotiation, with an emphasis on providing practical strategies that are relevant in an academic setting. The panel featured academic leaders at multiple levels, including professor, chair and dean, from diverse engineering institutions, ranging from teaching-centric to heavily research-focused. Panelists discussed strategies for negotiation, with an emphasis on an approach that meets the interests of both parties to the extent possible. The panel was administrated with an opening …

Water Lab Draws Wide Media Coverage | College Of Engineering, Usu College Of Engineering

College of Engineering News

Reporters, photographers and video journalists converged at the Utah Water Research Lab on June 16 for an up-close view of the lab's latest project.