LIBRO DE RESÚMENES XVI ENCUENTRO DE INVESTIGADORES ABSTRACT BOOK XVI RESEARCHERS FORUM Table of Contents Applied Engineering ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Biological, Chemical and Ecological Systems Characterization .................................................................. 7 Business and Entrepreneurship ................................................................................................................. 24 Design ......................................................................................................................................................... 31 Educational Leadership .............................................................................................................................. 37 Educational Strategies and Learning Environments ................................................................................. 40 Energy and Clean Technologies ................................................................................................................. 44 Environmental Technologies...................................................................................................................... 49 Natural and Applied Sciences Innovational Studies ................................................................................. 50 Networks and Telecommunications .......................................................................................................... 52 Public and Environmental Health .............................................................................................................. 53 Social and Human Sciences ........................................................................................................................ 57 Applied Engineering S.O.S Guide Alvear, Alcides, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Montañez, Karla M, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Disdier, Shawn, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico Currently, there are different types of local media that contain and give out helpful tips for all sorts of occasions, especially for when natural phenomena occur such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. However, by the time, these events happen, most people have already forgotten these tips and advices, and have no way of accessing them during emergency events. Due to the recent catastrophe caused by hurricane María, we decided to find new ways to help people prepare themselves in similar natural disasters. As part of our research project, we took on the task of investigating how technology can be helpful in situations where there is no electricity, no internet and communication systems are down. This project consists in developing a mobile application, that aids users by displaying different tips and ideas on how to be prepared or act in front of emergency events, by collecting all the necessary items in one place. The information stored in the application will be sorted under different categories, depending on their content, giving the users the ability to search based on their needs. One of the most important features for this application is the ability to read these tips anywhere, no matter the circumstances, meaning that the user will be able to save the information they find online, so it can be accessed for future viewing. Future work in this application calls for the development of a 2D map that users can use to be wary of where to go during these natural phenomena. Virtual reality treatment for Acrophobia Alvear, Alcides, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Young, Kenneth R., Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Vargas, Jonathan, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico Approximately ten percent of people in the United States suffer from phobias. One of these is acrophobia, the fear of heights. This impacts their way of life because it can keep people from their businesses, families, and appointments. The plan is to give psychologists a better tool to help treat people with this phobia using virtual reality. Very similar to exposure therapy, the patients will be exposed to their fears by entering a virtual reality world that will allow them to face what causes them irrational and overwhelming distress in a safe environment, while the psychologist will be able to monitor their pulse and track the progress. This will be divided into three different scenarios, one where the patient is walking into a building elevator, one where he is in a building elevator, and one where he is on the roof of a building. The objective is that the patient will reduce the chance of having panic attacks in tall places and improve their quality of life. To implement the project, the Oculus Rift, which includes a sensor and a virtual reality gear, a heartbeat sensor bracelet, and a database that stores the information of the patients will be used. 1 Heat Transfer Enhancement in Minichannel Flow Serrano, Luis, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Pedro, José, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Rodríguez, Jahian, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Carbajal, Gerardo , Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico The objective of this research study was to test the hypothesis that there is a difference in the heat transfer enhancement of minichannels if protuberances and concavities are incorporated. Rectangular, triangular and semi-circular shapes were considered. A uniform fluid flow of water with a prescribed temperature was applied in the horizontal channel and subjected to constant heat flux and constant surface temperature. A two-dimensional numerical study was done to determine the best geometry for heat transfer enhancement. The results of velocity, heat transfer coefficient, average outlet temperature, and difference in temperature were studied. The selected parameter to determine which model was more efficient was which had the highest average outlet temperature. The results indicated that the rectangular protuberance model was the one with the most heat transfer enhancement and a two-dimensional study, with various values for the surface heat flux, surface temperature, and the Reynold’s Number was performed in order to analyze how it affected the outlet temperature. In addition, a preliminary three- dimensional parametric study, under the same conditions as the two-dimensional study, was done in order to observe the average outlet temperature. Finally, all two-dimensional results were compared with the dummy model and it was found that the heat transfer coefficient for the rectangular protuberance model had an enhancement of 16% for constant heat flux and 25.34% for constant surface temperature. On the sustained oscillations of a Foucault pendulum Roberto C. Callarotti, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico; Yahya M. Masalmah, Universidad del Turabo, School of Engineering, Gurabo, Puerto Rico Foucault pendulums are in exhibitions at many public places throughout the world due to their role in proving the rotation of the earth. They generally consist of a metallic sphere hanged to the ceiling of a building by a long (several meters) cable. The oscillation plane is maintained and appears to rotate as the earth rotates. Air friction attenuates the amplitude of the oscillation indicating the importance of schemes that can compensate the reduction in the amplitude of the oscillations without altering their rotation. We present the following results: a) experimental measurements of attenuation in Foucault pendulums of reduced length (2.25 meters) with spheres of variable size and mass, suspended by wires of different materials, b) analysis of the pendulum at the United Nation building in New York, at the city of Padua (in Italy), at the Lincoln Laboratory of MIT, and at the Oregon Convention Center, c) elements required for the analysis of the possible oscillation sustaining effect due to Eddy currents induced in the pendulum metallic spheres, as these spheres pass through a controlled time varying magnetic field. The attenuation measurements were carried out for spheres of brass, copper, aluminum, rubber and plastic hollow spheres. The plastic spheres could be filled with different metal disks, thus varying their weight while preserving their shape. The suspension cables used were solid copper wire, stranded copper wire, nylon, and steel fishing line. As the mass of the oscillating spheres and the type of wire for the suspension are changed, the 5 cm diameter spheres show an attenuation which depends on the type of suspension wire used. This proves that the attenuation is complex. The Foucault pendulum oscillations at the UN building, are sustained through the action of a time varying magnetic field (external to the bob) on a metal plate inside the bob. This is similar to the driving mechanisms of the Padua pendulum as well as the Oregon 2 pendulum. The Lincoln Lab pendulum has a mechanism where the lateral pendulum deviations are corrected through the Eddy currents induced in the bob. The effect of eddy currents induced in the metal (not magnetized) bob - as it swings through an external sinusoidal varying magnetic field created by a coil located at (or near) the center of the system, is very