Digital Commons Network^™

Production Of Mesophase Pitch From Gasified Lignin-Derived Tars, Adedayo O. Idowu

Theses and Dissertations

Lignin tars are created as a by-product of lignin gasification. Significant effort has gone into minimizing tar production. However, no process has been shown to completely eliminate its formation. As a result, the tar is being used to manufacture low value products such as asphalt, or is being used as a fuel in fixed combustion systems.

The research presented here is part of an effort to increase the viability of using lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock to produce high value products. We tested the postulate that tars derived from lignin could be processed into a mesophase pitch allowable for conversion …

Parkinson's Symptoms Quantification Using Wearable Sensors, Md Nafiul Alam

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than one million people in the United States and seven million people worldwide. Motor symptoms such as tremor, slowness of movements, rigidity, postural instability, and gait impairment are commonly observed in PD patients. Currently, Parkinsonian symptoms are usually assessed in clinical settings, where a patient has to complete some predefined motor tasks. Then a physician assigns a score based on the United Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) after observing the motor task. However, this procedure suffers from inter subject variability. Also, patients tend to show fewer symptoms during clinical visit, …