Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Architecture For An Interactive Motion-Based Traffic Simulation Environment, Romesh Khaddar, Naveen Veeramisti, Alexander Paz, Pushkin Kachroo

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

In simple words, the objective of this research is to identify the effect of human behavior on traffic To enhance the traffic simulation modeling realism by involving actual human beings navigating the system along with simulated entities in an immersive environment

Real-Time Face Detection And Recognition, Parker Hill, Brendan Morris

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

The face has become a popular biometric for identification due to the wide range of features and difficulty in manipulation of the metric. In order to work towards a robust facial recognition system, this work contains a foundation for using the face as a recognition metric. First, faces are detected from still images using a Viola-Jones object detection algorithm. Then, Eigenfaces is applied to the detected faces. The system was tested on face databases as well as real-time feed from a web camera.

Modeling Passive Solar Distillation In Las Vegas, Nv, Noe I. Santos

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Project Background

• Many rural areas on the planet do not have easy access to clean water!

• Water distillation basins are capable of distilling water by using incident solar radiation to evaporate polluted water.

• Current thermodynamic models used to predict behavior require instantaneous data; requires the use of expensive equipment.

• Distillation basins are dependent on multiple meteorological variables: insolation, temperature, wind speed, cloud cover.

• Non‐linear behavior is difficult to predict for long term operations.

Framework Developmant For Construction Safety Visialization, Kishor Shrestha

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Throughout the history of the construction industry, many fatalities and injuries have occurred in construction sites. One of the major causes of accidents is unsafe site conditions: basically, this is due to inadequate supervision. To improve upon the traditional supervision approach, this study proposes a 'Framework Development for Construction Safety Visualization' approach. In addition to this, a computer vision Edge Detection Algorithm was developed and tested to convert construction site still images into edges of the objects in the images. The framework development of this study uses computer vision, robot vision, image compression, pattern recognition, internet transmission, network communication, and …

Impact Of Sludge Treatment Processes On Estrogen Concentration In Wastewater Sludge, Erica Marti

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), such as estrogen, are known to be present in the aquatic environment at concentrations that affect fish and other wildlife. For example, juvenile male fish exposed to estrogen will synthesize vitellogenin, which is a female-specific protein. Estrogen exposure is also linked to sex reversal, intersexuality, and inhibition of gonadal growth (Jobling et al., 1996).

Wastewater treatment plants are major contributors of EDCs into the environment. EDCs end up in wastewater as a result of natural excretion from the body or being washed off the skin. WWTPs are not designed to remove these substances. As a result, EDCs …

Adaptive Image Diffusion In Wavelet Domain, Kumar Mandava

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

• Removing noise without sacrificing important structures
• Nonlinear strategies: Wavelet shrinkage and Nonlinear diffusion filtering based on features
• Clustering based wavelet diffusion

Comparative Study Of Various Data Collection Software Used For Seat-Belt Observation Surveys, Atul Sancheti, Puneet Lakhanpal, Sergio Contreras, Pushkin Kachroo, Masha Wilson

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

Every year, Click It or Ticket (CIOT) mobilization is held in U.S. which aims at increasing seat-belt usage awareness among the people. Data collection for assessing current seat-belt usage rates and campaign design for influencing mass audience are the two most important components of the mobilization. This paper presents a comparative study of various data collections software used for seat-belt observational surveys. The comparison is based on the speed and accuracy of the data collected from different software at the same locations and at the same time of the day.

College Of Engineering Graduate Celebration 2012 Announcement, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

College of Engineering: Graduate Celebration Programs

The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering Graduate Celebration is an event that recognizes the scholarly work of our engineering and computer science graduate students within the college. The target audience includes undergraduate students, graduate students, college faculty and staff, and the campus community as well as local and regional stakeholders. The objective of the event is to promote and publicize the research activities of the College of Engineering and to inform our stakeholders of our students’ achievements.

User Behaviour In The Webpac: Insights From Google Analytics, Yiu On Li, Christopher Chan

Hong Kong Innovative Users Group Meetings

No abstract provided.

University Scholar Series: Alejandro Garcia, Alejandro Garcia

University Scholar Series

Collaborating with DreamWorks

On April 25, 2012 Professor Alejandro Garcia spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Ellen Junn at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Professor Alejandro Garcia developed and teaches Physics of Animation, a science course for visual artists. During 2011, he took a professional leave and worked in DreamWorks Animation's department of Artistic Development as a physics consultant on Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. In this seminar, Alejandro Garcia describes the animation industry from both the scientific and artistic perspectives

What Is Influencing Renewable Energy Infrastructure Deployment? A Multi-State Study Of U.S. Wind Generation Deployment Efforts, Laurence D. Helwig

Graduate Research Symposium (2010 - 2017)

Recent research has determined what influences the adoption of state renewable energy policy instruments. At present, nearly all of the U.S. states have deployed or have begun to deploy infrastructure that derives energy from renewable resources. This multiple U.S. State study represents an effort to determine the factors that are influencing the wind renewable energy infrastructure deployment efforts in thirty-eight U.S. states that have widely varying wind power potential capacities, different capacities of wind generation infrastructure deployed and varying Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) policy goals. This study utilizes the internal determinants and regional diffusion theoretical models of government policy innovation …

Establishment Of An Efficient Method For The Synthesis Of Srh, An Important Molecule In Bacterial Quorum Sensing, Emily Showell-Rouse, Ruoyi Liu

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Quorum sensing (QS) is a process of bacterial communication that regulates the expression of virulence genes in many bacteria. The study of QS, could lead to new treatments for bacterial diseases. Interspecies bacterial communication utilizes the signaling molecule autoinducer-2 (AI-2). The LuxS enzyme converts S-ribosyl-L-homocysteine (SRH) into 4(S),5-dihydroxypentane-2,3-dione (DPD), the precursor of AI-2. LuxS inhibitors could prevent QS by halting conversion of SRH. We have developed an efficient synthesis of SRH from D-ribose and L-homocystine. This procedure provides us with both a supply of SRH for biochemical assays and a foundation for the synthesis of SRH analogs …

Monte Carlo Simulations Of Electron Scattering Experiments, Alan Russian, Bruno Deharak, Faculty Advisor, Mark Liffiton, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

This project aims to look at the impact made by certain approximations in electron scattering experiments—specifically whether accounting for these approximation errors is necessary. When using a moveable gun mount, the interaction volume can be determined using a line and cylinder approximation. Data is presented comparing this approximation to the actual volume computed using a Monte Carlo method. A uniform gas distribution is compared to a cosine-squared distribution gas distribution. Additionally, an energy spectrum of a uniform beam is compared to a Gaussian beam for various polarization angles, and a comparison is made between representing the beam as a cone …

11th 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 …

Enantioselective Biotransformation Of Prochiral Ketone Via Daucus Carota, Ryan Smith, Charlie Knox, Elizabeth Davis

Undergraduate Research Conference

Biotransformations of prochiral ketones can be performed using plant cells. The benefits of using plant cells include low cost, environmentally sound procedures compared to conventional chemical processes, and the stereospecific nature of the reaction.1,2 Benzofuran-2-yl methyl ketone was reduced to (- )-benzofuran-2-yl-ethanol after incubation with carrots in water. The reaction was enantioselective in that it produced the S-isomer as indicated by optical activity. Currently, attempts to isolate the carrot enzyme and antimicrobial studies of the (-)-benzofuran-2-yl-ethanol product are underway.

Geographic Information Systems And Cloud Computing, James Hearn

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

A Multiplicative "Conic", Tiffany Lundy

Undergraduate Research Conference

Early in their mathematical career, students learn about how ellipses and hyperbolas are formed, their properties, and their applications. In particular, an ellipse is the set of all points in the plane whose combined distance from two fixed locations (foci) is constant. A hyperbola is formed in much the same way, except instead of combining (adding) the distance from the foci, the difference is used. This research begins by examining a new locus of points. The locus of points if formed by taking all points whose distance from two fixed locations when multiplied in constant. The difference discernible types of …

Solids Of Revolution Formed By Rotating Functions, Cory Robinson, Blake Moyer

Undergraduate Research Conference

During Calculus students learn how to find the volume of regions formed by rotating a function about a vertical or horizontal line. This technique is useful in finding the volume of regular/symmetric three dimensional regions, but fails for regions which do not possess these qualities. This project is a generalization of this idea in order to find the volume of a solid generated by revolving one function about another. This should lead to being able to find or approximate the volume of regions which are not symmetric/regular.

Petrology Of Proterozoic To Tertiary Rocks In The Southern Burro Mountains, Nm: Insights Into Mazatzal To Basin And Range Magmatism And Tectonics, Theda Strickler

Undergraduate Research Conference

Analysis of thin sections from the Wind Mountain quadrangle, Burro Mountains, NM, near the Tyrone copper mine, reveals a complex geologic history. Rock samples collected in the study area were cut using a rock saw and thin sections were prepared and analyzed to determine mineral content and fabric patterns. The oldest rocks in the study area are strongly metamorphosed and locally mylonitized Proterozoic quartzofeldspathic gneisses and amphibolites of Mazatzal affinity. Mineralogical indications of shearing correlate with shear zones observed during field mapping in the area. Another set of samples are of younger Proterozoic granites and metagranites that intruded the country …

Understanding Student Gpa, Justin Rodrigues, Malcolm Recinos, Carla Torres

Undergraduate Research Conference

As a student of Stephen F. Austin State University have you ever wondered about the efficacy of you weekly habits as it relates towards your cumulative college GPA? Have you ever been curious of students with a higher GPA (grade point average) spent their free time than those with a lower GPAs? We decided to test various weekly habits of the everyday college student to discover if their actions are in fact a determinant of college GPA.

Research In The Teaching Laboratory: Improving The Synthesis Of Lidocaine, Chris Taliaferro

Undergraduate Research Conference

The multi-step synthesis of Lidocaine is traditionally a low-yielding reaction mainly due to its second step, formation of a-chloro-2,6-dimethylacetanilide. Students often question the use of an acid (acetic acid) as the solvent for the reaction of a base (2,6-dimethylaniline, 1) with the acyl chloride (a-chloroacetyl chloride, 2), (Reaction Scheme) but they follow the procedure as directed.

Students, if treated as scientists in training, should be able to form a hypothesis before an experiment, design experiments to test the given hypothesis, and evaluate the results. A typical laboratory class was assigned to synthesize a-chloro-2,6-dimethylacetanilide using …

Apartment Rental Prices In Dallas, Mandi Lovett

Undergraduate Research Conference

There are many questions in a graduating students mind such as “Will I get that job?” and “Where will I live?” We wanted to predict apartment rental prices in Dallas to give students an idea of what their living expenses could be. We found that an apartment's distance from downtown Dallas and if the apartment has a pool are two factors that decrease the apartment's overall rental price.

Venue & Accommodations, Bogdan P. Onac

Sea Level Changes into MIS 5: From observations to predictions

This map depicts the venue for the "Sea Level Changes into MIS 5" workshop, 10-14 April 2012, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Address and websites for five hotels are included.

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Western Kentucky Deep Saline Reservoir CO₂ Storage Test: Shallow Groundwater Monitoring Results, E. Glynn Beck and others, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Baseline Soil Properties of a Central Kentucky Riparian Buffer, Amanda Gumbert and others, Dept of Plant and Soil Science, UK
• The Kentucky Water Well Driller’s Certification Program, Scotty E. Robertson and David A. Jackson, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Influences of Cladophora Bloom on the Diets of Amblema plicata and Elliptio dilatata in the Upper Green River, Kentucky, Jennifer M. Yates and others, Dept of Biology, Western Kentucky University
• Using Electrical Resistivity to Locate …

Session 2c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Developing Need for the Regulation of Geothermal Closed Loop Borehole Installations, David A. Jackson, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Strategies for Effective Management and Mitigation of Nonpoint Source Pollution within Wellhead Protection Areas, Jessica Moore and others, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Status and Early Findings at the Kentucky Horse Park Monitoring Station, James C. Currens and others, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Fluid Evolution in Cambrian-Ordovician Knox Group Reservoirs, Marty Parris and M.W. Bradley, Kentucky Geological Survey and USGS, Tennessee Water Science Center, Nashville, TN
• Simulating Long-Term Fate of CO₂ for a Western …

Session 2b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Agriculture Producer Responses to Government-Funded Conservation Programs to Address Water Quality, Wuyang Hu and others, Dept of Agricultural Economics, UK
• Abatement Costs for Agricultural Non-Point Source Polluters, Jack Schieffer and others, Dept of Agricultural Economics, UK
• Point Source Polluters in the Kentucky River Watershed and the Potential for Water Quality Trading, Ron Childress and others, Dept of Agricultural Economics, UK
• Point Source Abatement Costs and Preferences for Trading Market Mechanisms in the Kentucky River Watershed, Andrew McLaughlin and others, Dept of Agricultural Economics, UK

Session 2a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Potential for Using a P Loss Model to Improve the Accuracy of the Kentucky Phosphorus Index, Carl H. Bolster, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• Additive State Space Model – A Promising Approach to Water- Quality-Related Treatment Experiments in Heterogeneous Landscapes, Ole Wendroth, Dept of Plant and Soil Sciences, UK
• Development and Application of Numeric Interpretations of Kentucky’s Narrative Water Quality Standards for Nutrients, Lara Panayotoff, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Arsenic Removal in Reactor Systems, Aniruddha Dastidar and Y.T. Wang, Watershed Management Branch and Dept of Civil Engineering, UK
• Trends in Water Quality Issues for …

Session 1c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Effects of Prescribed Fire on Amphibian and Reptile Diversity in an Oak-Grassland Restoration Area, Robert Knopp and Howard Whiteman, Dept Biological Sciences and Watershed Studies, Murray State University
• Results of a Data Evaluation to Establish Priority Remediation Areas for Dry Weather Fecal Contamination in a Karst Influenced Watershed, Steve Evans and others, Third Rock Consultants, Lexington, KY
• Development of In-House Methods for High-Throughput DNA Extraction, Kimberly L. Cook and LorraBelle Hill, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• Validation of the Sanitary Category Value Model (SCV) for the Identification of Leaking Sewer Lines: A Study of the West Hickman …

Session 1b, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• University – Habitat for Humanity Green Infrastructure Demonstration Project, Nancy Givens and Terry Wilson, WKU Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability, Bowling Green, KY
• Effectiveness of Pollutant Removal in the McConnell Springs Stormwater Quality Wetland Pond and the Gainesway Pond Retrofit Project, Year Two, David J. Price and Susan L. Plueger, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
• Coca-Cola Stormwater Replenish Project, Eric Dawalt and Russ Turpin, Ridegewater, LLC and EcoGro, Lexington, KY
• ITEST and LFUCG Stormwater Professional Development, Brian Radcliffe and Carol D. Hanley, Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, UK

Session 1a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• A Regionally-Calibrated Critical Flow for Stream Channel Protection, Bob Hawley and others, Sustainable Streams LLC, Louisville, KY
• Monitoring Wetland Restoration Success at North Fork of Irish Creek, Brian C. Reeder, Center for Environmental Education and Institute for Regional Analysis and Public Policy, Morehead State University
• NC2D Open Channel Flow Model: Development and Applications for Stream Restoration Design in Kentucky, Brian J. Belcher, Beaver Creek Hydrology LLC, Lexington, KY
• Using Remote Sensing Tools to Target Stream Protection and Wastewater Treatment BMPs in Rural Kentucky, Catherine Carter and others, Tetra Tech, Research Triangle Park, NC
• Improving Water Quality …