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Articles 1 - 26 of 26
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Sensitivity Analysis Of An Airfoil Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Itay Savion
Sensitivity Analysis Of An Airfoil Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Itay Savion
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
In fixed wing aircrafts, the variation of lift coefficient with the angle of attack is a major consideration. This project explores the variation of lift force and lift coefficient of an SD2030 airfoil as a function of the angle of attack, Raynolds number, size of the computational domain, length of the wing, and the fluid mesh size. The problem is modeled using the flow simulation (CFD) module of SolidWorks. The outcome of this sensitivity analysis is compared with available experimental data.
Measuring Birth Trauma Rates In Maine Using Public Data, Mike Lapika
Measuring Birth Trauma Rates In Maine Using Public Data, Mike Lapika
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
An increasing number of states are creating databases that collect and organize health insurance claims from public and private health care payers. Since December 2016, at least 18 states have these “all-payer claims databases” (APCDs), including Maine. APCDs are intended to inform cost containment and quality improvement by increasing transparency and informing consumer choice. For this project, we assessed how Maine’s APCD data might be used to produce standardized quality measures across facilities in the state. Specifically, we tested a birth outcome quality measure developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Birth Trauma – Injury to Neonate …
Synthesis And Analysis Of 6-Acetyl-1,2,3,4-Tetrahydropyridine, A Major Contributor To ‘Mousy’ Off-Flavor In Sour And Wild Beers, Liesel Krout
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Unexpected tastes can negatively impact consumer experience in the beer industry. One such taste, a ‘mousy’ off-flavor, is diminishing the quality of sour and wild beers throughout the brewing community. The unpleasant flavor is a result of the combined presence of three organic compounds: 6-acetyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine (ATHP), 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, and 2-ethyl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine. Because of its unpredictable nature, brewers must wait for the compound to disappear before distribution, costing them valuable time and revenue. The factors responsible for formation, reasons for persistence, and degradation timelines of the compounds were unknown. A method for quantification was therefore necessary to determine those characteristics, and such quantification …
Convolutional Neural Networks For Protein Image Classification, Nick Littlefield
Convolutional Neural Networks For Protein Image Classification, Nick Littlefield
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
A solution to the Kaggle competition: Human Protein Atlas Image Classification. Using microscopic images of cells provided by the Human Protein Atlas, convolutional neural networks, CNNs, were used to analyze and predict the location of protein patterns. Challenges included working with an unbalanced dataset, finding a correct learning rate, and choosing a correct architecture to solve the problem. To learn how to overcome these challenges and gain more understanding of the problem, various kernels and discussion posts for the competition, as well as papers on different CNN architectures were used.
Cross-Platform Openhds Web Application, Nick Littlefield
Cross-Platform Openhds Web Application, Nick Littlefield
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
A proof of concept cross platform data collection application for Demographic and Health studies has been developed. This application allows for the collection of information about locations, individuals, births, and deaths within a region. This application can be run on both mobile devices, laptops, and desktops.
Making Soap Green, Asia Sweet
Making Soap Green, Asia Sweet
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
The One Gallon Soap Company (OGSC) recycles partially used bar soap from local Portland hotels and repurposes it as liquid hand soap. The preliminary formulations originally prepared by the OGSC produced a smooth, homogeneous liquid soap with good foaming action. However, over short and often variable time periods, the soap would separate into two layers: a watery bottom layer with little foaming action and an oily top layer. The OGSC asked the USM Chemistry Department to investigate the formulation process in an effort to provide a more stable product – one that would maintain a constant consistency over several months.
Geochemistry Of Archaeological And Marine Environments In Southwest Maine, Heather L. Bushie
Geochemistry Of Archaeological And Marine Environments In Southwest Maine, Heather L. Bushie
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Two archaeological excavations for the University of Southern Maine collected sediment columns from select units for geological and chemical analysis. The Spiller Farms site is a Native American site located in Wells, Maine marking a transition period between the Pleistocene and Holocene epochs, 12,000 BP. The Malaga Island site was a historic mixed-race community at the north end of Casco Bay where sediment columns were obtained in near-shore and subtidal zones. The samples obtained from Malaga Island have been radiocarbon dated to 3800 +/- 30 BP at 23 meters below the low-tide line. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis is being conducted …
Virus Testing Across Multiple Platforms, Ryan Ignaciuk, Louis Hychko
Virus Testing Across Multiple Platforms, Ryan Ignaciuk, Louis Hychko
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Systems Engineering, as a value added re-seller, has noticed a number of organizations questioning the value of anti-virus / anti-malware applications in addition to native operating system protections. So the Maine Cyber Security Cluster (MCSC) at USM teamed up with Systems Engineering in Portland to find out exactly what would happen if a great deal of viruses and malware made it onto your computer that is protected with anti-virus programs they recommend to clients. We used a variety of different operating systems with an assortment of anti-virus programs. These are all either currently in use by Systems Engineering or are …
Impact Of Road Salts (Nacl) On Winter Water Quality In Mill Brook, Westbrook, Maine, Devin Page
Impact Of Road Salts (Nacl) On Winter Water Quality In Mill Brook, Westbrook, Maine, Devin Page
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Mill Brook is approximately 5 miles long and is an important migration route for Alewife during the spawning season. Mill Brook stretches from Highland Lake, Westbrook, Maine to the Presumpscot River in Portland, Maine and is surrounded by relatively well-protected forest land. However, chloride concentrations still rise from the upper end of the brook to the end: preliminary data, collected in the winter of 2017, showed an increase in mean chloride concentration from 37.28mg/L +/- 25.61mg/L at the start of Mill Brook to 51.25mg/L +/- 11.63 mg/L at the end of the brook. Chloride concentrations increase in the winter due …
Topological Manifolds, Grant Wilson
Topological Manifolds, Grant Wilson
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Topological Manifolds are abstract spaces that locally resemble Euclidean space. For example, consider a round globe and a flat map. The map is a 2-dimensional representation of a 3-dimensional space. Given any point on the globe we can find a corresponding position on the map, and vice versa. This correspondence is called a chart. With a sufficient number of charts, we can describe the whole space. Such a collection of charts is called an Atlas. It is possible to construct different Atlases for the same space, allowing us to move from one chart, to the space, to another chart. This …
An Outdoor Classroom To Improve The Student Experience And Connect The Community, Chelsea Malacara
An Outdoor Classroom To Improve The Student Experience And Connect The Community, Chelsea Malacara
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
An opportunity to learn outdoors unites students to their surroundings and closes the gap between human and nature. Outdoor spaces contribute to ecological literacy and are critical to a well-rounded education. The University of Southern Maine community places emphasis on environmental stewardship through classroom instruction and campus projects. The Gorham campus has 9 acres of wooded area plus unused greenspace. I am proposing the construction of an outdoor classroom. The proposal will include interviews from various stakeholders, a site assessment, and a digital and 3D model of the outdoor classroom that will be created per the Site Planning and Design …
Remote Sensing Of Beachrock And Other Geomorphological Indicators Of Sea-Level Rise On Lesvos, Greece, Frankie St. Amand
Remote Sensing Of Beachrock And Other Geomorphological Indicators Of Sea-Level Rise On Lesvos, Greece, Frankie St. Amand
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
While research has shown the possibility of seafloor mapping at depths of up to 30m, a number of factors restrict exploration of bathymetry such as pixel size, sun azimuth, season, water turbidity and suspended sediments, as well as seafloor topography13. Though the 30m composite images of Lesvos were able to penetrate shallow water to expose submerged features, pixel size prevented mapping of beachrock outcrops because they couldn’t be differentiated from other sediments or underwater features. Higher resolution aerial images enabled accurate beachrock mapping. These images were obtained by a helicopter but increasingly, remote drones are a cost effective way of …
Accuracy Of Optical Character Recognition Software Google Tesseract, Joshua A. Suitter
Accuracy Of Optical Character Recognition Software Google Tesseract, Joshua A. Suitter
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Tesseract is an open-source OCR (Optical Character Recognition) softwareengine originally developed by HP between 1985 and 1995, it is now sponsored by Google Projects (Google Tesseract). While Tesseract is known as one of the most accurate free OCR enginesavailable today, it has numerous limitations that dramatically affect its performance; its ability to correctly recognize characters in a scan or image. During my research I have found that certain fonts are accepted more than others, and font size, spacing, and image quality all play a role in how Tesseract performs. In this project, I will also be looking into Wolfram’s Mathematica …
An Investigation To Remotely Sense Mineral Leeching Through Soils, Paul C. Shaffer
An Investigation To Remotely Sense Mineral Leeching Through Soils, Paul C. Shaffer
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Satellite data on Earth's surface provide a wealth of information on landscape conditions. I use Landsat data to determine an important geologic process that influences the composition of the soils. My project focusses on the experimental hypothesis that we can use plant vigor as a proxy to document mineral washing downslopes through soils. I constructed a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) composite image from Landsat data to help assess vegetation heath in my target location - a national park south of Mount St. Helens. This location was selected because of its steep inclines, dense undisturbed vegetation, and fertile soils. It …
The Truman Show: Scalable Generation Of Artificial Network Traffic For Cyber Security Research, Adam Wirth
The Truman Show: Scalable Generation Of Artificial Network Traffic For Cyber Security Research, Adam Wirth
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Network traffic generation is a key component of the creation of a network simulation environment. In order to create a realistic simulation of a large scale network in action, it is necessary to have a large volume of user traffic. Past methods for providing user traffic, such as hiring users to manually generate traffic, or recording existing traffic of an active network, provide limited control. Managing and directing users is time consuming, and using existing traffic is restricted by recorded conditions. The Truman Show project provides an infinitely adjustable alternative by utilizing agent based modeling of individual users. An agent …
Inside Out: Properties Of The Klein Bottle, Andrew Pogg, Jennifer Daigle, Deirdra Brown
Inside Out: Properties Of The Klein Bottle, Andrew Pogg, Jennifer Daigle, Deirdra Brown
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
A Klein Bottle is a two-dimensional manifold in mathematics that, despite appearing like an ordinary bottle, is actually completely closed and completely open at the same time. The Klein Bottle, which can be represented in three dimensions with self-intersection, is a four dimensional object with no intersection of material. In this presentation we illustrate some topological properties of the Klein Bottle, use the Möbius Strip to help demonstrate the construction of the Klein Bottle, and use mathematical properties to show that the Klein Bottle intersection that appears in ℝ3 does not exist in ℝ4. Introduction: Topology
Habitat Fragmenta-On In The Sebago Lake Watershed, Jared Lank
Habitat Fragmenta-On In The Sebago Lake Watershed, Jared Lank
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
The goal of this research was to evaluate the extent of land use change occurring in the Sebago lake watershed of southern Maine. The primary data set used was Landsat 7 Near Infrared satellite imagery of the region which was analyzed with ESRI’s ArcGIS soQware. Data was clipped to the Portland Water District’s sub watershed shape file and analyzed with the soQware’s image analysis ‘difference’ tool which calculates the differences in pixel values between to raster datasets. The 2013 Landsat reclassifica-on was compared to 1987, 1995 and 2009 reclassifica-ons. NOAA’s Habitat Priority Planner plugin tool was also u-lized in order …
The Physics Of A Space Elevator, Trevor Hamer
The Physics Of A Space Elevator, Trevor Hamer
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
A space elevator is a hypothetical device consisting of a long cable attached to the surface of the earth that extends upward into space. Its purpose is to provide a tether on which a vehicle could be lifted up into orbit, greatly reducing the cost of space travel. This project explains the physical forces acting on the elevator along with the kinds of materials required to keep such a cable intact. It also examines different design aspects, as well as potential problems facing the construction and usage of the elevator, and whether or not it is something we should expect …
Identification Of Slums In Mumbai, India: Unsupervised Classification Techniques, Frankie St. Amand
Identification Of Slums In Mumbai, India: Unsupervised Classification Techniques, Frankie St. Amand
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Slums are contiguous settlements. Inhabitants lack access to safe water, sanitation and sewage infrastructure, secure housing tenure, uncrowded living space, and permanent, durable housing. Addressing these problematic trends begins with identifying contiguous settlements within Mumbai’s urban fabric. Classifications can be performed using satellite images and remote sensing techniques to yield accurate results. Through literature reviews, socio-cultural analysis, and examination of high resolution satellite imagery, this project aims to develop a systematic, accessible, and reproducible method of classifying Mumbai’s slums.
Building Footprint Extraction: A Land Use Classification Comparison Of Satellite Imagery Vs. Orthoimagery, Elisa Trepanier
Building Footprint Extraction: A Land Use Classification Comparison Of Satellite Imagery Vs. Orthoimagery, Elisa Trepanier
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
The Town of Windham, Maine Proposed Municipal Budget FY 2012-2013 called for $12,750 for professional services to develop a building footprint database. There are several municipal applications for building footprints including, but not limited to: Taxation/valuation of properties; setbacks for code enforcement; public safety planning; historical analysis of building patterns; general planning, where to encourage growth and redevelopment; zoning analysis and recreational planning. Due to the town’s in-house GIS (Geographic Information Systems) capabilities, the project will be developed within the Assessor’s Office and based on the 2012 Maine Office of GIS 6 Orthoimagery for Windham. The following is an effort …
Identifying High Crime Areas Using Spatial Analysis, Elisa Trepanier
Identifying High Crime Areas Using Spatial Analysis, Elisa Trepanier
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Crime incident locations and trends are examined spatially using GIS to produce maps that pinpoint high crime areas or Hot Spots Crime mapping aids police departments by identifying areas to allocate limited resources where and when they are most needed. This project introduces the availability of GIS technology to smaller police departments as a tool to assist in the development of crime prevention strategies. In this model crime incident reports for Windham, Maine are geocoded and patterns of motor vehicle and structure burglaries analyzed for date, time and location of incident. An addressing protocol is followed to protect victim privacy …
Effects Of Digital Elevation Model Resolution On Estimates Of Flood Damage In Westbrook, Maine, Scott Webber
Effects Of Digital Elevation Model Resolution On Estimates Of Flood Damage In Westbrook, Maine, Scott Webber
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Accurate predictions of flood damage and economic losses are increasingly important as historically low-probability floods have become more common. Digital elevation models (DEMs) are essential to flood modeling as they define stream channel and floodplain morphology, the accuracy of which influence estimates of flood damage. The city of Westbrook, Maine experiences episodic flooding of the Presumpscot River; therefore, flooding in Westbrook was simulated with HAZUS, a model created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The model is designed to assess the costs associated with hazard scenarios including riverine flooding. HAZUS was run for a 100-year return period flood with both …
Wind Pattern Effects On The Southern Shetland Islands, Helen Pottle
Wind Pattern Effects On The Southern Shetland Islands, Helen Pottle
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
The Shetland Islands, northeast of Scotland, experienced an unusually extreme storm that caused unique sand shifting patterns and sand dune formations that resulted in the destruction of the Village of Broo. There is little existing information about the weather and terrain of the Shetland Islands during the extreme storm that was estimated to have occurred between 1650 and 1670. WindNinja, a wind model originally developed for wildland fire application, was used to understand the wind patterns that may have caused the unique sand patterns and resulting destruction. It incorporates existing terrain elevations and vegetation as well as average wind speed …
Obesity Rates In Maine Exceed New England's Obesity Rate: A Look At Possible Contributing Factors, Susan Walker
Obesity Rates In Maine Exceed New England's Obesity Rate: A Look At Possible Contributing Factors, Susan Walker
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
The purpose of this study was to explore adult obesity data to: Compare Maine’s rates with other New England states and explore differences in Maine counties by looking at known risk factors.
Stream Crossing Barrier Prioritization Methods For Increasing Eastern Brook Trout Habitat In The Little Androscoggin River Watershed, Michele Windsor
Stream Crossing Barrier Prioritization Methods For Increasing Eastern Brook Trout Habitat In The Little Androscoggin River Watershed, Michele Windsor
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
Eastern Brook Trout (Salvelinas fontanalis) are an important cold water fishery in the state of Maine. While populations in Maine are relatively abundant there has been decline in some parts of its range due in part to loss of habitat connectivity. Brook trout require access to specific types of stream habitat for spawning, feeding, and seasonal thermal refuges. Stream crossing structures such as undersized, poorly installed, or blocked culverts, as well as small remnant dams, can create barriers to accessing important stream habitat for brook trout. A recent Fish Barrier/Culvert Survey in the Little Androscoggin River Watershed provided data about …
3-D Modeling Of Coastal Aquifers, Seth Mullendore
3-D Modeling Of Coastal Aquifers, Seth Mullendore
Thinking Matters Symposium Archive
The purpose of this project is to assess the accuracy of a simplified computer modeling approach to coastal fresh/salt water interface groundwater flow. A number of test cases will be run to compare the results of the sophisticated USGS computer program SEAWAT with those of the program AnAqSim (analytic aquifer simulator), written by Dr. Charles Fitts. In order to reduce input complexity and model processing time, AnAqSim uses several simplifying assumptions. The analysis will lead to guidance regarding the range of conditions where the simplified approach is applicable, and the nature of the errors that may be introduced.