Nonnative fishes threaten the existence of endemic fishes of the Southwest. Nonnative fishes have been extensively stocked throughout the United States. Fuller, Nico and Williams (1999) relate that over 536 nonnative fish taxa have been introduced outside their native range in U.S. waters. As of 2005, in the western United States alone, one in four fish is nonnative and 50.1% of the total length of Western streams contained nonnative fishes (Schade and Bonar 2005).

Nonnative fishes substantially impact native fishes through competition and predation. A study of North American fish extinctions during a 100-year period (1889-1989) indicates that 40 taxa, including 27 species, 13 subspecies and 3 genera were lost (Miller et al. 1989). A study of endangered species listings found nonnative fish species were implicated in 49% of listings, second only to habitat loss (Magnusson et al. 1998; Wilcove et al. 1998). Clarkson et al. (2005) suggested that nonnative fish presence is the primary factor preventing recovery of native fishes. However, introduced species also provide benefits. They comprise the majority of western U.S. sportfishes. In Arizona approximately $1 billion per year is spent angling for sportfishes. Sportfish movement among areas can affect both nonnative and native fish species (Stewart and Burrell 2013).

Clearly, targeted means to remove aggregations of nonnative fishes where they become pests are warranted. Chemical, biological and mechanical/physical means have been used to eradicate or control nonnative fishes (Meronek et al. 1996; Schill et al. 2016; Teal et al. 2024). Chemical control is effective, but controversial and nonselective within a waterbody and are not possible in specific applications (McClay 1997; Finlayson et al. 2000). Biological control is much less common. Promising methods exist such as genetic techniques and predator stocking, but approval of genetic techniques, which are often still at the experimental stage, or predator stockings, which are difficult to use to achieve specified levels of control, can also be controversial. Furthermore, biological techniques are often integrated with mechanical removal to achieve full effectiveness (Meronek et al. 1996; Schill et al. 2016; Teal et al. 2024). Mechanical control used by itself is typically much less controversial than other fish control methods and can be targeted. However, cost-effectiveness of this method has been low and success often elusive without substantial effort (e.g. Mueller 2005; Franssen et al. 2014).

Although mechanical techniques are ineffective in many situations, mechanical techniques, i.e., commercial fishing, have decimated fish populations throughout huge swaths of oceans and large lakes. We would not need to manage commercial fisheries if mechanical techniques were ineffective at removing large amounts of fishes from huge waterbodies. Therefore, the question is not whether mechanical techniques work to remove fish in large numbers – they do. The relevant question is “can the effectiveness of such techniques be maximized to control of nuisance nonnative freshwater fish populations by fisheries managers cost-effectively.”

A common mechanical means of removing nonnative freshwater fishes by fisheries managers is electrofishing. Most electrofishing efforts to remove fish have been based on use of standard fish management survey electrofishers and techniques, such as electrofishing boats or backpack electrofishers, applied across multiple passes or transects in a waterbody. Electricity has also been applied for fisheries management effectively as fish barriers (Reynolds and Dean 2020), and by electric seines (Angermeier 1991) to collect biological data from streams. With one exception, that of a gar fishing boat, (Burr 1931; Reynolds and Dean 2020), we found almost no information on designing electrofishers specifically for nuisance fish removal. An electrofisher designed specifically to remove fish from a waterbody may increase the cost-effectiveness of mechanical means for nonnative fish control, thus providing a less controversial, perhaps more selective, control method. Ideally, this method could be used by itself or in combination with other methods in integrated pest control programs.

This project will develop electrofishing equipment and methods designed specifically for nuisance fish removal. Such systems, if effective, would complement the suite of fish control options currently available, with much less controversy for its use. The objectives of our project are to collaborate with UA College of Engineering to design and develop an electrofishing system that falls outside the designs of the currently available standard survey electrofishers, maximizing the effectiveness of electricity for mechanical fish removal and 2) test the effectiveness of such a system in a waterbodie(s) containing nonnative fish.

Bibliography:
Angermeier, P. L., R. A. Smogor and S. D. Steele. 1991. An electric seine for collecting fish in streams, North American Journal of Fisheries Management 11:352-357.

Burr, J. G. 1931. Electricity as a means of garfish and carp control. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 61:174-182.

Clarkson, R. W., P. C. Marsh, S. E. Stefferud and J. A. Stefferud. 2005. Conflicts between native fish and nonnative sport fish management in the southwestern United States. Fisheries 30:20-27.

Finlayson, B. J., R. A. Schnick, R. L. Cailteux, L. DeMong, W. D. Horton, W. McClay, C. W. Thompson, and G. J. Tichacek. 2000. Rotenone use in fisheries management. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Franssen, N. R., J. E. Davis, D. W. Ryden and K. B. Gido. 2014. Fisheries 39:352-363.

Fuller, P. L., L. G. Nico, and J. D. Williams. 1999. Nonindigenous fishes introduced into inland waters of the United States. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 27. Bethesda, Maryland.

McClay, W. 2000. Rotenone use in North America (1988-1997). Fisheries 25:15-21.

Magnusson, J. J., W. M. Tonn, A. Banerjee, J. Toivonen, O. Sanchez, and M. Rask. 1998. Isolation vs. extinction in the assembly of fishes in small northern lakes. Ecology 79:2941-2956.

Meronek, T. G., P. M. Bouchard, E. R. Buckner, T. M. Burri, K. K. Demmerly, D. C. Hatleli, … D. W. Coble. 1996. A review of fish control projects. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 16:63–74.

Miller, R. R., J. D. Williams, and J. E. Williams. 1989. Extinctions of North-American fishes during the past century. Fisheries 14:22-48.

Mueller, G. A. 2005. Predatory fish removal and native fish recovery in the Colorado River Mainstem. Fisheries 30:10-19.

Reynolds, J. B., and J. C. Dean. 2020. Development of electrofishing for fisheries management. Fisheries 45:229-237.

Schade, C. B., and S. A. Bonar. 2005. Distribution and abundance of nonnative fishes in streams of the western United States. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 25:1386-1394.

Schill, D. J., J. A. Heindel, M. R. Campbell, K. A. Meyer and E. R. J. M. Mamer. 2016. Production of a YY male brook trout broodstock for potential eradication of undesired Brook Trout populations. North American Journal of Aquaculture 78:72-83.

Stewart, W. T., and M. Burrell. 2013. Striped bass dispersion and effects on fisheries management in Lakes Mohave and Pleasant, Colorado River Basin. American Fisheries Society Symposium 80:431-448.

Teal, C. N., D. J. Schill, J. M. Bauder, S. B. Fogelson, K. Fitzsimmons, W. T. Stewart, ... & S. A. Bonar. 2024. The effects of estradiol‐17β on the sex reversal, survival, and growth of Red Shiner and its use in the development of YY individuals. North American Journal of Aquaculture, 86:110-129.

Wilcove, D. S., D. Rothstein, J. Dubow, A. Phillips, and E. Losos. 1998. Quantifying threats to imperiled species in the United States. Bioscience 48:607-615.

Design a passive all fiber depolarizer to depolarize incoming light with broad wavelength range (400-1100nm) in any state of polarization (SOP).

The study goal is to design a broadband all fiber depolarizer system and verify the concept of the design with experimental testing.
The study shall include theoretical physics explanation for the working principle of the design.
The design shall use fibers or fiber optical devices only.
The design shall be passive without using external power devices.
The degree of polarization (DOP) shall be defined by Stokes vector and measured with Stokes polarimeter.
The test shall use one or multi colors in the specified wavelength range.

******This sponsor will not be present at Open House. If interested, please sign up for an interview slot here - https://bit.ly/ASML25034******

BACKGROUND

The MD-Sensei (MD-S) platform is an advanced AI-driven solution acting as a Digital Clinical Mentor to deliver concise, situationally relevant, real-life clinical guidance to Healthcare Workers (HCWs) in the developing world, at point-of-care, in real-time, and on-demand.

Developed by medical volunteers from Global Medic Force (GMF), a global medical social enterprise, MD-S harnesses the wealth of clinical expertise from over +2,000 GMF medical volunteers across 18 Western countries to empower HCWs to provide the best care possible within their existing resource limitations. As the digital version of a GMF Clinical Mentor, MD-S vastly expands the reach, scale, speed, and impact of GMF’s traditional in-person skill transfer programs which have consistently shown significant improvement in clinical outcomes and standardization of care in areas where effective care delivery is severely limited. While currently available in beta via a web-browser interface, MD-S’ accessibility is greatly hindered by a lack of computers and reliable internet connections in local clinic facilities where HCWs provide care, especially in remote, rural areas and among community health centers, clinics and hospitals. To overcome these inherent structural deficits and maximize MD-S’ impact, a robust and specialized mobile application (MD-S App) is to be developed. The MD-S App will be designed for broad compatibility and offline functionality, ensuring that the wealth of GMF’s critical clinical expertise is in the hands of HCWs whenever they need it irrespective of infrastructure limitations. The technical robustness and scalability of the MD-S App will be as critical to maximizing the impact of MD-S across resource-poor settings as is its clinical content.

The MD-S App will be distributed across the developing world to HCWs (any location: remote, rural, cities, community health centers, clinics, hospitals), Ministries of Health, healthcare NGOs, United Nations/WHO/USAID sponsored healthcare programs, amongst others. Its ultimate beneficiaries are the millions of patients and their families whose lives and livelihoods are transformed by quality healthcare delivery.

SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Introduction:
The MD-S App is a digital extension of GMF’s clinical mentoring programs designed to provide HCWs with concise, instant and on-demand access to situationally relevant expert clinical guidance at point- of-care, in real-time, through a user-friendly mobile interface. The MD-S App seeks to harness the power of artificial intelligence and mobile technology to deliver vital clinical expertise to HCWs at point-of-care in developing nations, enhancing the quality of care provided and improving patient outcomes regardless of infrastructure and resource limitations. The MD-S App will be developed for Android and iOS mobile devices.

System Architecture:
The MD-S App operates as a client in a client-server model, where the server-side is the existing MD-S content platform. The MD-S App integrates with the MD-S content platform through a secure API, enabling synchronous and asynchronous data exchange. The MD-S App architecture supports core functionalities such as user authentication, personalized content delivery, online data collection, performance analytics, offline access & data collection, and data synchronization.

Component Integration: Key components of the system include:
1. GMF-branded User Interface (UI): a responsive and adaptive UI that provides an optimized user experience for mobile devices (various OS and screen sizes) and that seamlessly transitions between online and offline modes without confusing the HCW.
2. Application Programming Interface (API): A robust and secure API layer that facilitates communication between the MD-S App and the MD-S content platform, ensuring data consistency and real-time content updates, as well as data collection for analytics purposes.
3. Dual-mode chatbot: A dual-mode chatbot capable of operating both online (with access to the MD-S content platform) and offline (using a local database while offline). The chatbot is trained on the GMF clinical content available on the MD-S content platform. Its answers are limited to the clinical content on the MD-S content platform.
4. Local Data Storage: An efficient, comprehensive and easily searchable local database for storing usage data and clinical content accessed during offline use, with mechanisms for periodic synchronization with the central MD-S content platform without disrupting the user experience. The database is optimized for quick access and response generation.
5. Security Module: A security component that manages encryption, user authentication, and data protection, adhering to standards and regulations.

Priority Functionality: The MD-S App includes the following key functions:
1. Real-time access to concise, situationally relevant, clinical expert guidance at point-of-care in Q&A format.
2. Offline access to clinical expert guidance (Q&A format) via the clinical content stored in a local database, with updates and data collected synchronized when connectivity is established.
3. User authentication and session management to ensure secure and personalized access.
4. Search and navigation tools to allow HCWs to quickly access relevant information.
5. Dual-mode chatbot capable of operating both online (with access to the MD-S content platform) and offline (using a local database) delivering Q&A clinical guidance in a chatbot-like manner. The Q&A clinical guidance is strictly limited to the clinical content on the MD-S content platform, on which the chatbot has been trained.
6. Feedback and support features to collect user input, user data, user questions, and provide technical assistance.
7. Contact button for contacting GMF (via email or a whatsapp-like facility).
8. In-app video call facilities for follow-up one-on-one guidance with individual GMF medical volunteers (not available in offline modus).
9. In-app messaging system allowing HCWs to request additional assistance and follow-up from GMF medical volunteers while providing functionality for enclosing patient pictures, lab results, patient videos. (not available in offline modus).
10. Real-time access to concise, situationally relevant, clinical expert guidance at point-of-care based on geolocation of individual HCWs
11. Engaging UI/UX design

Operational Environment:
The MD-S App is designed to be resilient and functional in diverse environments, from urban centers to off-grid rural areas. It accounts for the variability in mobile device capabilities (various OS versions), internet connectivity, and user technical proficiency. The MD-S App is optimized to ensure it does not compromise the overall functionality of the user’s device including excessively draining the battery or requiring more storage than is customary.

Maintenance and Evolution:
The MD-S App is structured to facilitate ongoing maintenance, including regular updates to both the software and clinical content. The MD-S App design allows for scalability and for the introduction of additional future features.

1. Project description: Investing in solar power at a home or business location can often produce results that fall short of initial estimates. This may possibly be due to exaggerated claims made by solar providers, but it can also be the result of factors that were not included in a theoretical analysis: space limitations making it impossible to orient panels southward, mounting surfaces making correct tilt difficult to achieve or aesthetically undesirable, shading from nearby structures or vegetation reducing performance, inaccurate average exposure data for a particular location.

A portable kit could be designed to provide real-world power production data, improving estimates and installation outcomes. The kit must be battery-powered, designed for deployment on a flat or pitched roof with gravity mounts (no penetration of the roof). It must be easy to install, configure, move, and remove. It must be able to record solar panel performance over an extended weather period. If sufficiently rugged, the kit could be rented to reduce consumer cost.

The kit must a support wireless link to an analysis program recording performance and scaling results to estimate the utility of either solar panels alone (scaled to the efficiency of a selected solar panel) or, ideally, a complete installation (solar panels, solar controller, battery storage, inverter). The analysis must have either a library of current equipment or allow the user to input equipment specifications. Savings must be calculated using power company peak and off-peak rates, and they must be calculated over a 10-year period to support a return-on-investment decision when a consumer receives quotes from solar companies.

This project comprises two parts, the kit itself and the analysis program that processes data and produces a report.

Note that General Dynamics is not a solar provider, but its Rescue 21 program includes remote sites that could make use of solar power. Overall cost and performance may be improved for its customer if a solar system were installed.

2. Student learning experience: Hands-on experience designing and executing the test kit: design may include an Arduino microcontroller to manage battery charging, data storage, and wireless data transmission. Design would be a scale model of an actual system powering a home or remote site installation, minus the power inverter.

Analysis application would require software programming and HMI design for interaction with customers having little/no knowledge of solar power systems.

3. Required background: Background information required to successfully execute the project includes:
• C++ Programming (Arduino)
• Python web application development experience
• Basic physical design and assembly skills
• Some knowledge of solar power generation, control, storage, power inversion
• US Citizenship Required

Elbit Systems of America has a need for a piece of test equipment which will illuminate a target with visible and near-infrared laser light while capturing video imagery. This field test equipment will be used to assist ESA engineers in the development of critical specifications for handheld, helmet-mounted, and vehicle-mounted electro-optical devices.

The Dual Output Recon Camera (DORC) will contain
•A wide 20°FFOV camera mode
•A narrow 5°FFOV camera mode
•A visible laser
•A near-infrared laser

Many of the component level specifications of the DORC must be based on the objective target:
•“Man-size” target (1 meter x 1 meter)
•At a range of 500 m
•With 50% reflectivity

Laser characteristics
•The beam waist and divergence of the lasers shall be such that beam will at a minimum fill the target, and at a maximum fill 2x the target size
•The laser power shall be balanced with the camera resolution and sensitivity such that the illuminated target can be discerned by the camera
•Visible laser shall be 510nm –570nm
•NIR laser shall be 850nm –1000nm

Camera characteristics
•5°FFOV for narrow camera mode
•“Man-size” target at range shall be discernable in narrow camera mode
•20°FFOV for wide camera mode
•Have sensitivity in NIR sufficient to detect NIR laser
•Objective requirement of operation in low light “star lit” scene, threshold daytime light
•Minimum 24 FPS
•Digital reticule boresightedto lasers –objective 25% of target at range, threshold 50% of target at range

Final Form
•The DORC is intended foremost to be a piece of test equipment, prioritizing technical functionality over package
•No eyepiece or built-in display is required, rather the DORC shall have a video output to plug into a standard external display
•Objective requirement for the DORC is to be a stand-alone, battery-operated unit in an enclosed housing
•Threshold requirement for the DORC is to be an “open-frame” setup powered by 120VAC
•Regardless of final form, the unit shall be reasonably mounted to a tripod for field use (8lbs max)

In sponsoring this project, Elbit Systems of America is dedicated to your success. While the innovation and hard work will be provided by the students, ESA will provide:
•Meaningful guidance and mentorship from two senior level engineers
•University of Arizona alumni
•Weekly teleconferences as needed
•Regular campus visits as required

Project Goal/Summary: To develop a sleek, hydrodynamic, optimized, self-righting hull design for an autonomous water/ocean drone. The optimized hull design will form the basis for manufacture of a swarm or fleet of autonomous water/ocean drones known as “Aquabots.”

Aquabots are autonomous water/ocean drones designed to monitor ocean health, sample and sense a wide variety of water indicators and collect material on either a small or large scale (depending upon final drone size). The project is motivated by increasing threat to our oceans with contamination by plastics and harm to a wide variety of ocean life. The team will benefit from excellent work of two prior Sr. Engineering teams who built other modular components of the Aquabot, namely 1. a simple control and sensor/data gathering system for the drone fleet, and 2. a satellite communication system for the swarm. It is now time to focus on the Aquabot hull design!! We have called this project “Fluence” – which in Latin means “fluid and flow”; and in English means “magical”. This is what we strive to this design and build - i.e sleek fluid flow with a bit of magic!

The team will develop an optimized hull design for the aquatic drone. Drones are designed to operate as a fleet or swarm that communicate to a central command, as well as with each other. The drones are envisioned to be robust enough to be dropped from an airplane as a collective kit, as well as placed directly in the water. The hull design should be self-righting and with optimized fluid and hydrodynamics to have minimal drag/shear, induce minimal turbulence, and with reduced propulsive energy requirements. The drone body should have adequate contained volume to house the propulsion system (electric motor), control and data storage motherboard, sensor bay, and have a secure waterproof portal for sensor placement externally.

Specifications – 1 meter long hull unit, self-righting, waterproof to IP68 – i.e. waterproof to a depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes), a non-rope snagging design, run duration 5 hrs, Internal volume of 0.07m3, RC controllable, capable of parachute deployment and ground impact at 11mph.

Requirements: (1) Research into hull types (2) Identify how these systems can be adopted (3) Design a suitable hull system and drives (4) Demonstrate system operation through prototyping and testing. Friday afternoon mentoring sessions (for all Kidney/ACABI teams) on a rotating pre-scheduled basis will be in place to provide adequate guidance.

Goal: to build a prototype system that could produce 1 L of water in 24 hour from a lunar regolith analog at 2% water content
1st year project - develop and build a prototype that works under standard temperature and pressure.

As electronic components have progressively improved capabilities with regard to their Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP), engineers are faced with challenges inherent to increased thermal density and reliability targets for packaged electronic equipment. In the aerospace industry, engineers designing aviation electronics (avionics) products such as radios, displays, and flight data recorders for L3Harris Commercial Aviation Solutions are seeing these challenges firsthand. A new market in Urban Air Mobility (UAM), featuring electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, pushes these product requirements to an extreme.

The project team will work with engineers from L3Harris to define, analyze, develop, and test enhancements to avionics products to support new customer requirements for Air Transport and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

Background:
SynCardia is the manufacturer of the only FDA-approved Total Artificial Heart (SynCardia TAH or STAH), used as a therapeutic bridge to stabilize and sustain patients until heart transplantation. The STAH system is composed of a surgically implanted, pneumatically driven replacement heart, that is connected to an external driver that provides the pulsatile pneumatic pressure required to pump the patient’s blood. There are two models of external driver: one for hospital use only, and one for home use following patient discharge.

Project Scope:
The current Companion 2 (C2) Hospital Driver that is used intraoperatively and throughout much of a TAH recipient's hospital stay is in need of design updates. Specifically, the wheeled cart that the driver unit is docked into for power, transport, and intraoperative use suffers from component obsolescence issues and a difficult supply chain. Of particular note is the obsolescence of the connector that is used to enable power and input/output communication between the cart and driver.

In order to address these issues, a significant enough set of modifications are needed such that a total redesign of this cart and connector are in scope. This means a full redesign of the mechanical and electrical systems that connect the driver to power, enable it to move through the operating room and hospital, and display detailed information during the implant procedure and throughout the patient’s hospital stay. Because half of the connector is integrated into the C2 driver unit, this means minor changes will be needed to the driver unit itself.

SynCardia is tasking the team with initial design and prototyping of this integrated cart and driver system. The team will:
(1) Work with SynCardia engineers to design an updated C2 hospital driver system that addresses component obsolescence and improves upon the existing design.
(2) Produce a prototype of the new C2 hospital driver system and hospital cart.
(3) Work with SynCardia’s quality and regulatory compliance processes in order to document the updated C2 driver system for future design iteration, verification and validation testing, regulatory submission, and integration into the TAH system.

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. A successful design will undergo additional iterations before verification and validation and, if demonstrated to be a viable update to the hospital driver, could be incorporated into a clinical device that would be used as a critical part of the process of every future SynCardia TAH implant. Depending on the quality of your work and the demonstration of its effectiveness to regulatory authorities, your design or a future iteration of it could be included in future STAH systems and used to sustain and improve patient lives.

Amazon is looking for an automated solution that identifies when an amazon associate places the incorrect parcel type on a conveyor. Incorrect parcel types can lead to downtime events at Amazon FCs, as incorrect parcels travel into paths that they are not designed for. A successful project will be able to:

Identify the parcel type by scanning a barcode
Identify the difference between a parcel and an Amazon tote
Communicate/integrate with existing Amazon PLC and conveyance to divert the tote to a new desired location
Track the parcel back to an associate that made the error