Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Visualization Tool For A Highway Safety Management System, Indira Khanal, Naveen Veeramisti, Justin Baker, Alexander Paz

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• With lot of research, Federal Highway Administration
  has released a highway Safety management System
  software called as SafetyAnalyst (SA)
• SA has a suite of analytical tools to identify and
  manage system-wide safety improvements:
  Network Screening
  Diagnosis and Countermeasure Selection
  Economic Analyses and priority Ranking
  Countermeasure Evaluation
• SA provides a very rudimentary approach to display
  results just in tabular and textual format
• This study proposes a visualization tool that expands
  the output capabilities provided by SafetyAnalyst

New N-Nitrosodimethylamine (Ndma) Precursors That React With Ozone: Implications For Water Reuse, Erica Marti, Aleks Pisarenko, Eric Dickenson

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Ozonation is a promising treatment step for water reuse. Compared to the “gold standard” with reverse osmosis and advanced oxidation, ozone requires less energy and does not result in a waste brine. This makes ozone more cost-effective. However, the formation of nitrosamines may be a significant barrier to the use of ozonation in water reuse applications, particularly for potable reuse.

Solar Cell Design Using Metamaterials, Yang Liu, Yitung Chen, Jichun Li

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Natural structure with simultaneous negative permittivity and permeability has not been discovered yet. However, using specially-designed metal embedded in dielectric bodies can achieve a kind of artificial negative index. This periodic structure which is smaller than the guided wavelength is known as a metamaterial. However, recent designs of metamaterials have some disadvantages when they are used in the application of solar cell. The perfect absorption is only within a narrow band, and for most of the solar spectrum, the absorption is no more than 10%. Here, a new kind of absorber for the solar spectrum has been designed and analyzed, …

Calibration Of Traffic Flow Models, Victor Molano

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

This study proposes a methodology to calibrate microscopic traffic flow simulation models. A Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation (SPSA) algorithm searches for the set of model parameters that minimizes the difference between actual and simulated values

Applied Analysis Of Ionic Polymer Metal-Composite Actuators, Siul Ruiz, Benjamin Mead, Woosoon Yim

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• IPMC is a type of smart material called an electroactive polymer
• Consists of an ionic polymer such as Nafion or Flemion and a conducive metal such as platinum or gold
• COMSOL multi-physics simulations accurately model the experimental displacement results
• Optimization performed using the multi-physics model to find the maximum deflection, force, and twisting
• Using the closed loop control system accurate IPMC tip location can be achieved
• This control system has been extended to function using a computer mouse as an input

Assessing The Impact Of Additional Seismic Sources On The Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment For The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Suchan Lamichhane, Barbara Luke, Wanda Taylor, William Savage

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• The densely populated (~2M) Las Vegas Valley, Nevada (LVV) is underlain by sediments that are cut by six mapped, active normal faults that comprise the Las Vegas Valley Fault System (LVVFS). Recent research indicates that these faults have the potential to generate earthquakes up to a maximum magnitude of 6.8.
• The current (2008) USGS national seismic hazard model (NSHM) explicitly considered only the Eglington fault of the LVVFS (the remaining 5 LVVFS sources were classified as "Class B" in the USGS fault and fold database and effectively given a weight of zero in the 2008 NSHM) and also did not …

Development Of A Smart Application For Police Crash Reports, Sebastien Bonnet, Victor Molano, Alexander Paz

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• Gaining a significant amount of time to help police work
• Developing a User Friendly Interface
• Optimizing the GPS Gaining a significant amount of time to help police work
• Developing a User Friendly Interface
• Optimizing the bar code scan technology
• Application for MC 75 mobile technology

Owners’ Satisfaction Level With The Use Of Alternative Project Delivery Methods In Water And Wastewater Infrastructures, Pramen Shrestha, Jacimaria R. Batista

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

In 2013, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Report Card for America’s Infra-structure stated that the US needs up to $1.3 trillion in capital investments to replace the aging water pipes and repair the wastewater infrastructures. It is further believed by the industry that the streamlined approach of alternative project delivery methods, such as Design-Build (DB), and Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) helps ensure the economical and timely design and construction of the water and wastewater infrastructures.

Development Of A Comprehensive Database System For A Highway Safety Engineering And Management, Naveen Veeramisti, Justin Baker, Indira Khanal, Kenny Moupita, Alexander Paz

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

In simple words, the objective of this study is to develop a comprehensive database system to provide a data for highway safety engineering and management.

Modeling And Architectural Simulations Of The Statistical Static Timing Analysis Of The Variation Sources For Vlsi Circuits, Abu M. Baker

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

As CMOS technology scales down, process variation introduces significant uncertainty in power and performance to VLSI circuits and significantly affects their reliability. Although Static-Timing Analysis (STA) remains an excellent tool, current trends in process scaling have imposed significant difficulties to STA. As one of the promising solutions, Statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) has become the frontier research topic in recent years in combating such variation effects. This poster will be focusing on two aspects of SSTA and its applications in VLSI designs: (1) Statistical timing modeling and analysis; and (2) Architectural implementations of the atomic operations (max and add) using …

Fast Sobel Edge Detection Using Parallel Pipeline-Based Architecture On Fpga, Mohammad Shokrolah Shirazi, Brendan Morris

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Implementing image processing algorithms on FPGA has recently become more popular since it provides high speed in comparison with software-based approaches. In this paper, we have presented fast pipeline-based architecture for one of the most popular edge detection algorithms called Sobel edge detection. The objective of our work is to present two fast pipeline-based architectures for Sobel edge detection on FPGA benefiting one and two way parallelism. We used Verilog language to implement our designs and we synthesized each one for Cyclone IV FPGA. Experimental results show that our pipeline-based architectures perform edge detection process more than 379 and 751 …

On High-Performance Parallel Decimal Fixed-Point Multiplier Designs, Ming Zhu

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Decimal computations are required in finance, and etc.

• Precise representation for decimals (E.g. 0.2, 0.7… )
• Performance Requirements (Software simulations are very slow)

A Computation Model For Nanoantenna-Based Solar Cell With High Conversion Efficiency, Yiyan Li, Ke-Xun Sun, Yingtao Jiang

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• Build a model of spiral nanoantenna and an antenna
  array based solar cell collector.
• Using Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) basis functions to
  simulate the spiral nanoantennas.
• We calculate the frequency response of the radiation
  gain as the indicator of receiving bandwidth which is a
  key factor in conversion efficiency.

Mono-Sized Sphere Packing Algorithm Development Using Optimized Monte Carlo Technique, Karn Soontrapa, Yitung Chen

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

In this research, fuel cell catalyst layer was developed using the optimized sphere packing algorithm. An optimization technique named adaptive random search technique (ARSET) was employed in this packing algorithm. The ARSET algorithm will generate the initial location of spheres and allow them to move in the random direction with the variable moving distance, randomly selected from the sampling range (a), based on the Lennard–Jones potential and Morse potential of the current and new configuration. The solid fraction values obtained from this developed algorithm are in the range of 0.610–0.624 while the actual processing time can significantly be reduced by …

Image Processing Algorithms For Improving Planetary Exploration And Understanding, Ali Pouryazdanpanah

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• To design a fully automated tool-set that allows to detect and extract the sky region in planetary images.

• To develop the new method for rock segmentation in planetary stereo images.
• To develop the new method for shadow detection in planetary images

Development And Characterization Of Multi-Functional Probes For Use With Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy, Jiwon Lee, Colleen Leonard, Melinda Baur, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) with electrode probes that make simultaneous current and impedance measurements is useful for analysis of biological substrates. The current and impedance measurements are both dependent upon the proximity to a surface.

Experiments with the single carbon fiber electrodes show that the impedance measurements are independent of the current and applied potential. In order to detect neurotransmitter release from a cell, the electrode must be positioned very close to the cell surface. Impedance-based positioning eliminates the need for addition of biologically toxic redox mediators to position the electrode. Furthermore, it was found that multiple carbon fiber …

A Look At Multi-Decompositions Of Complete Graphs Into Graph Pairs Of Order 4, Yizhe Gao, Daniel Roberts, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Firstly, a graph G consists of a vertex set V (G), and an edge set E (G) of endpoints which relate two vertices with each edge. Also, a decomposition of a graph is a list of subgraphs such that each edge appears in exactly one subgraph in the list. In the field ofgraph theory, graph decomposition is an active field of research. One type of decomposition is graph pairs. A graph pair is a pair of graphs on the same vertex set whose union is the complete graph. Abueida and Daven studieddecompositions of complete graphs into graph-pairs of order four. …

Elitist Schema Overlays: A Multi-Parent Genetic Operator, Nick Nichols, Mark Liffiton, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Genetic Algorithms are programs inspired by natural evolution used to solve difficult problems in Mathematics and Computer Science. The theoretical foundations of Genetic Algorithms, the schema theorem and the building-block hypothesis, state that the success of Genetic Algorithms stems from the propagation of fit genetic subsequences. Multi-parent operators were shown to increase the performance of Genetic Algorithms by increasing the disruptivity of genetic operations. Disruptive genetic operators help prevent suboptimal genetic sequences from propagating into future generations, which leads to an improved fitness for the population over time. In this paper we explore the use of a novel multi-parent genetic …

Frames And Spline Framelets, Tung Nguyen, Nahee Kim, Tian-Xiao He, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Frames can be seen as a generalization of orthonormal bases, which not only maintain useful characteristics of orthonormal bases but also allow more flexibility in applications. The applications of frames include communication and image processing, as its characteristic inherited from orthonormal bases helps speed up the transmitting and processing time while its additional flexibility adds to frames the ability to reconstruct lost information. In this project, we study the construction of a class of tight frames in Euclidean spaces. Also, we use Fourier transforms and the techniques of Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) in wavelet analysis to investigate a class of tight …

A Graphical Introduction To Special Relativity Based On A Modern Approach To Minkowski Diagrams, Boxiang Liu, Thushara Perera, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

We present a graphical method that can be used to learn/teach Einstein’s special theory of relativity. The “Minkowski diagram”, developed in 1908 by Hermann Minkowski, has long been recognized as an effective graphical tool for introducing special relativity. In our study, we adapted and modernized this graphical method in a way that would help current college students progress from Galilean transformations (based on Newton's Three Laws of Motion) to the kinematics of relativity and other key results. This study has revealed new ways to apply Minkowski diagrams to well known problems in relativity. Here, we will introduce our graphical technique …

Tests Of A Novel Technique For Finding Galaxies In Millimeter Wavelength Maps, Alejandro Mancera, Thushara Perera, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

The study of very distant “dusty” galaxies whose visible light is obscured by cosmic dust is a developing field in astronomy. To discover such galaxies, images of the sky are made with telescopes sensitive to millimeter-wavelength light. Because these images are inherently low in signal-to-noise, special image processing techniques are needed to reliably identify galaxies in them. Usually, a software “filter” is applied to a sky image in order to better distinguish galaxies from noise. We have developed a novel filter that, in principle, performs better than the standard filter used in the astronomical community. Our study, which involved testing …

The Feasibility Of Eliminating Disposable Plastic Water Bottles At Illinois Wesleyan University, Joseph Daniels, Abigail Jahiel, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

The bottled water industry is polluting, costly, and dangerous to the health of the consumers and the environment. Chemicals in the plastic bottles often leach into the water, which can be harmful to the consumer. Water bottles also create many problems after disposal, often ending up in landfills or in waterways rather than being recycled.

This report looks into what needs to be done to eliminate the sale of disposable plastic water bottles at Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU). It discusses the negative effects of the bottled water industry, and why a ban would benefit IWU students, faculty, and staff. What …

The Effects Of Climate Science Literacy And Cultural Polarization Around Climate Change Risk Perception, Gabriel R. Young, Helen R. Neill

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

Science communicators have struggled to provide meaningful information about climate change due to the complex nature of the problem and the polarized political and media landscapes, and yet, a well informed public is a crucial element to both public acceptance and policy initiatives aimed at climate change mitigation. Current literature suggests that scientific literacy actually increases cultural polarization around the issue of climate change (Kahan, 2012). This study adds to the literature by testing the hypothesis that climate change risk perception is more heavily tied to climate science literacy than general science literacy when controlling for cultural worldviews. We use …

Investigating Perspectives Of Rural Nevadans On Climate Change Solutions, Tricia Dutcher

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

Rural perspectives are important for the issue of climate change. Rural areas are high concentrations of active voters who deny the problem of anthropogenic climate change. Rural residents also face decisions about inviting large, utility scale renewable energy developments in their areas. This research examines rural Nevadan’s perspectives on climate change to offer insights about the relationship between climate change perceptions and communication strategies. The research offers policy implications that address context specific issues, solution-oriented dialogue, and interest matching to mitigate anthropogenic climate change.

12th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, presents student projects through presentations, papers, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The Symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments as well as from independent projects. The projects do not have to be complete; presentations can represent any stage in the concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature …

Vertebrate Neuronal Chemorepellents, Semaphorin 3c And Netrin-1, Are Chemorepellents In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Caleb Alley, Chris Griffin, Josie Hein, Daniel Kohl, Brad Schmidt, David Yoder, Heather Kuruvilla

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of California Coastal Dune And Beach Sand Samples, Dylan J. Mckevitt

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

No abstract provided.

Disconjugacy And Differentiation For Solutions Of Boundary Value Problems For Second-Order Dynamic Equations On A Time Scale, Jeffrey W. Lyons

Mathematics Colloquium Series

On the specific time scale—given as integer multiples of a fixed, positive real number h—and under certain conditions, solutions of a nonlinear second-order dynamic equation with conjugate boundary conditions are differentiated with respect to the boundary values and delta differentiated with respect to the boundary points. Lyons will also present two corollaries of the result.

Measuring The Eco-Hydrological Performance Of The Lower Bear River Basin Through Experiential Learning – The Bear River Fellows Program, Liisa Piiparinen, Russell Babb, Sarah Stander, Ayman Alafifi, David E. Rosenberg

Spring Runoff Conference

Measuring and evaluating the performance of river systems necessarily requires understanding the variety of environmental and ecological variables driving the decision-making process in managing river basins. Such variables are best understood with field measurements, data analysis and computational modeling. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University (USU), through a National Science Foundation project, has partnered with the Outdoor Recreation, and Parks and Recreation programs at USU to offer the Bear River Fellows Program - a new, unique river-based experiential learning opportunity for 5 freshmen Fellows to receive first-hand experience in collecting, synthesizing and analyzing environmental and …

Economics And Attitude: The Effects Of Happiness On Economic Development, Chris Pace

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.