NDSU EXPLORE
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NDSU EXPLORE is a program to encourage and celebrate the scholarly accomplishments of NDSU undergraduate students. Whether majoring in the sciences, engineering, business, arts or humanities – all undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in research and creative activity to enrich their academic experience.
Find out more about the program at https://www.ndsu.edu/research/explore/
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Item 2021 NDSU EXPLORE Program Booklet(North Dakota State University, 2021) North Dakota State UniversityItem 2019 NDSU EXPLORE Program Booklet(North Dakota State University, 2019) North Dakota State UniversityItem Ruggedness Test for Density Measurements of Flax Fiber(North Dakota State University, 2015) Moreira, AugustoDensity is a fundamental physical property of a reinforcement for composites. It appears widely in calculations, which are mostly used for engineering designs. The density of homogeneous solid materials is generally straightforward to determine, because it requires only measurements of mass (or weight) and of volume of a specimen. Flax fiber requires a different method of density measurement because it is a porous material and possesses unique surface chemistry. Two methods can be utilized to verify the density of natural fibers, but they have their particularities. The first one is called Gas Pycnometry, which is more precise. The second is called Buoyancy (Archimedes), and it is acceptable as an alternative to the first cited in applications where less precise results are sufficient. The second method was chosen for the experiment with flax fiber. One of the reasons for this choice was the lower cost of the equipment, since it uses a simple density measurement kit for laboratory mass balances. For the Pycnometry test, an expensive machine must be acquired and maintained. The main issues of the experiments were to verify which fluid and vacuum chamber pressure prior to immersion could give the best results. Types of oil used for the experiments include: canola, soybean and mineral oil. A range of pressure used was between 50-100kPa. It has been realized from the experiments that the vacuum chamber pressure is more significant than the type of fluid, but only when high pressure is used.Item Effect of coagulants in removing cyanotoxin-microcystinin drinking water treatment process(North Dakota State University, 2015) Xu, Yue; Roy, Dhriti; Khan, EakalakThe presence of cyanotoxins in source water is a worldwide problem. The most widespread cyanotoxin, called microcystins (MCs), produced from Microcystis Aeroginosa, can cause severe problems to the environment, animals and human health. A standard drinking water treatment process involves coagulation/flocculation process as primary treatment to remove cyanobacteria from source water. In coagulation/flocculation processes, a chemical coagulant is added to source water using rapid/slow mixing to facilitate bonding among particulates. As the process involves chemical and mechanical stress, cyanotoxin may get released to the drinking water. Coagulation/flocculation process can remove intact cyanobacteria effectively, however, study is limited to show the effect of coagulants in removing cyanotoxins during coagulation/flocculation. Our study would evaluate different types and concentration of coagulants to establish effective methods to remove cyanotoxins at the preliminary drinking water treatment. In this study, a jar test was conducted with microcystin-LR (MCLR) and microcystin-LA (MCLA) to show improved removal. A coagulation/flocculation process was used at laboratory bench scale. This study is important, as it establishes a method that would eliminate harmful cyanotoxins before they enter the secondary treatment process. The results would help drinking water facilities to remove cyanotoxins in the primary treatment where cyanobacteria and their toxins may be found in the source water.Item 2015 NDSU EXPLORE Program Booklet(North Dakota State University, 7/7/1905) North Dakota State UniversityItem 2014 NDSU EXPLORE Program Booklet(North Dakota State University, 7/6/1905) North Dakota State UniversityItem 3-D Printing: A New Approach to Water Filtration(North Dakota State University, 2015) Giesler, StevenPeople often find themselves in situations where clean drinking water is not readily available. One solution to this problem is the use of portable water filters. However, some water filters are too expensive or bulky to be economically sensible. A recent surge in additive manufacturing, involving the use of 3-D printers, has provided an alternative solution to this problem. This project’s primary objective is to test the usability of 3-D printed water filters. There are two major aspects to testing the filters: structural and performance. The filters will be designed with AutoCAD software and manufactured in a 3-D printer. Laboratory tests will be conducted to measure the performance of the water filters. The tests involve running manufactured wastewater with a known particle size distribution through the filters. Each filters’ performance is measured in three ways: net permeability, susceptibility to plugging and durability. The filters are expected to remove turbidity and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Results show the current filters being tested can remove particles as small as 500 micrometers in size. This corresponds to conventional particle filtration (1 – 1,000 micrometers), but improvements in design are expected to screen out even smaller particles. Once an optimal design has been selected, new water filters will be manufactured from various polymers and modified with various surface coatings for specific contaminant removal. A survey has been conducted to explore peoples’ perceptions to the risks and benefits of 3-D printed water filters. It is important to gauge both professional and public responses to this new application. An individual may soon download a water filter design from an online website (or submit a personal design), have it manufactured at a local 3-D print vendor and then use the subsequent filter. The low-cost process will produce a small, portable and functional water filter.Item Investigation of Potential Anti-Microbial Agents Capable of Inhibiting the Growth of Microorganisms Associated with Dental Implantation-related Infections(North Dakota State University, 2015) Gradin, Collin; Hewitt, Austin; Johanson, Alexis; McCullough, Austin; Rehovsky, ColeStatement of Problem: Approximately 500,000 dental implant procedures are performed every year, and this number is growing exponentially [1]. Data have shown that these operations have a failure rate of around 5 percent [2]. Though seemingly low, this rate corresponds to the failure of 25,000 dental implants each year, where a leading cause of implantation failure is attributable to infection-related complications [1]. The economic impact of which has resulted in financial losses that have been estimated at approximately $50 million per year. Methods: The screening process for identifying chemical agents that exhibit the intended anti-microbial action will be facilitated by the utilization of Biolog® phenotypic microarray plates on oral bacteria. These products will allow for rapid, simultaneous investigation of numerous chemical agents. The inhibitory action exhibited by these agents will be interpreted by measuring the density of bacterial cell growth prior to and after exposure to the chemical agents. Product: The intention of this experiment is to identify a chemical agent that demonstrates antimicrobial activity against microorganisms associated with dental implant-related infections. The agent must exhibit a minimal level of cytotoxic activity toward native tissues and maintain its intended action once incorporated into an actual dental implant. Implications: It is hypothesized that integrating an appropriate chemical agent into the design of dental implants has the potential to reduce the incidence of dental implantation rejection, thus reducing financial losses to patients and health care professionals. [1] Dental Implant Facts and Figures. 2015. American Academy of Implant Dentistry. (12 October 2015) [2] Lee Ann Brady, DMD. 16 March 2012. Dental Implant Failure Rate. Lee Ann Brady LLC. (12 October 2015)Item Converting 3D Point Cloud Data into 2D Occupancy Grids suitable for Robot Applications(North Dakota State University, 2015) Huesman, JacobPoint clouds are a common data type in robotics applications. They allow a robot to “see” its environment. Unfortunately, its use for path planning is somewhat limited. There is just too much data for a robot to look through to calculate a path in a timely fashion. The objective of this research project is to create an algorithm that can take a 3D point cloud data set and convert it into a 2D occupancy grid, a much more common data type for navigation/path planning algorithms. The algorithm is named Cloud To Map. The development for this project proceeds according to the software development lifecycle. After extensive research, a list of requirements is developed. The algorithm is then designed and implemented. Subsequently, testing is done to ensure that the implementation satisfies the project requirements. During the testing phase, if any requirements are left unsatisfied, this process is then repeated. The research is ongoing. The first iteration of the algorithm is only capable of converting point clouds output by a specific application. Work is being done to allow it to convert point clouds from any source. While conversion algorithms like this one have been developed before, Cloud To Map has a broader range of applications. Upon completion, the project package will be published to ROS.org, which will make it available to developers around the world as a solution to the issue defined above.