September
Dr. Todd Nelson
Origami-Inspired Morphing Structure and Developable Mechanisms
September 13 (12 pm) | UC 2207 & https://youtu.be/QEuGFFwpeoM (Presentation begins at 14:53)
The ancient art of origami holds unique potential for innovative solutions to certain engineering challenges. In applications where deploying from a small volume is required or the ability of a product to be manufactured from flat materials is desirable, origami techniques can be adapted to create high performance, compact mechanisms. This presentation will show an origami-inspired technique for creating a flat surface that deploys into a target convex profile using a simple actuation method such as pulling the two ends of the sheet together. Modeling is presented showing how the 2D cut pattern placed in the surface is chosen for a desired profile. Physical demonstrations of the technique are shown with a flat metal surface deploying into a parabolic reflector, and a polymer surface deploying to an airfoil shape. The result of this work has application in fields such as aerodynamics, foldable medical devices, deployable antennae or reflectors, and folding solar arrays. This project was a collaboration between researchers at the University of Southern Indiana, the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Brigham Young University-Idaho, and Brigham Young University with funding from the USI Pott College SEERGA. The results are published in the ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics.
October
Dr. Moriah Smothers & Dr. Alyssa Weatherholt
Students' Self-Efficacy Toward Health Behavior During the First Year of College
October 21 (1 pm) | rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2
The purpose of this study was to understand the exercise self-efficacy and confidence of freshman kinesiology (KIN) majors compared to the other (OTR) freshman majors. 36 KIN and 15 OTR freshman majors were compared in this descriptive research study. The independent variable was major, and the dependent variables were exercise self-efficacy (ESE) and confidence (EC) scores. These dependent variables were measured by using modified questionnaires. KIN majors scored higher on questions: exercise early and weekends (KIN: 3.9 ± 0.2 vs. OTR: 3.1 ± 0.3, p=0.04), exercise when depressed (KIN: 4.3 ± 0.1 vs. OTR: 3.5 ± 0.3, p=.05), exercise before a party (KIN: 3.9 ± 0.2 vs. OTR: 3.0 ± 0.3, p=0.02), exercise during excessive demands (KIN: 3.9 ± 0.2 vs. OTR: 3.0 ± 0.4, p=0.04) and exercise during social obligations (KIN: 3.8 ± 0.2 vs. OTR: 3.0 ± 0.3, p=0.03) on the EC survey and KIN majors scored higher on the question: exercise when busy (KIN: 2.8 ± 0.1 vs. OTR: 2.1 ± 0.2, p=0.03) on the ESE survey. These findings indicate freshman KIN majors are more likely to exercise during stressful times compared to the freshman OTR majors.
November
Dr. Jenna Kloosterman
Gusto Instrument Testing and Integration
November 2 (12 pm) | UC 2207
The Galactic Ultra-long-duration Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (GUSTO) is a NASA-funded balloon project at the University of Arizona designed to further our understanding of the lifecycle of clouds of dust and gas in the Milky Way and other nearby galaxies. The goal of this project is to map out large multi-square degree clouds in ionized nitrogen, ionized carbon, and neutral oxygen, which trace the star formation process. These clouds begin to collapse under their own self gravity and must radiate away their excess heat through the fine structure transitions in ionized carbon (C+) at 1.9 Terahertz (THz) (0.158 mm) and neutral oxygen at 4.7 THz (0.063 mm). The percentage of ionized gas can then be determined when C+ is used in conjunction with the ionized nitrogen (N+) line at 1.4 THz (205 mm). To detect these atoms, THz frequency receivers are needed and these receiver systems require thermal control for safe operation. Thus, in the Summer of 2020, I designed and implemented a test for a thermal control loop system using the fluid Galden D-02. The thermal control loop was tested at multiple temperatures, pressures, and operating powers to determine whether the system could handle the thermal loading.
December
Dr. Alyssa Weatherholt
Acute Hemodynamic Responses Before, During, and After a Bout of Cycling
December 2 (12 pm) | UC 2207 or Virtual
The purpose of this study was to assess the subacute arterial blood flow velocity of the lower extremity (LE) immediately after a bout of high-intensity LE cycling exercise. Twenty-eight healthy males (n=14) and females (n=14) aged 20.9± 1.7 years participated in this study. All subjects performed a single bout of high-intensity cycling (70% of HRR) for 45 min. The subjects' LE blood flow velocity, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) were measured at rest, immediately post-, post-15 min., and post- 30 min. intervention. A repeated-measures ANOVA with a Bonferroni adjustment was used for each measure to compare the responses at each time point. Resting blood flow velocity (37.5 ± 11.3 cm/s) and HR (64.9 ± 11.8 bpm) and measures were significantly different (p<0.05) compared to measures of immediately post cycling (44.8 ± 13.7 cm/s; 118.3 ± 17.2 bpm), post-15 min (50.1 ± 15.0 cm/s; 80.1 ± 12.0 bpm) and post-30 min (52.7 ± 18.1 cm/s; 73.9 ± 11.9 bpm). SBP measures were significantly different (p<0.05) at immediately post cycling (118.2 ±17.0 mmHg) compared to post-15 min (108.1±13.6 mmHg). Resting SpO2 (98.2 ± 1.3 %) measures were significantly different (p<0.05) compared to measures immediately post cycling (96.5 ± 1.1 %) and post-15 min (96.9 ± 1.2 %). This study indicates that LE blood flow velocity was increased, and HR was elevated following a single bout of high-intensity LE cycling up to 30 min-post activity. Additionally, SBP was elevated, while SpO2 dropped following a bout of exercise to 15 min.-post activity.