Linking Channel Stability And Bed Sediment Characteristics To Biological Integrity In Tennessee Ridge And Valley Streams, Kelley H. Williams

Masters Theses

Streambed sedimentation has plagued waterways since the beginning of civilization, whether as a natural flow process or human disturbances on the landscape in more recent times. Due to the continual degradation in the quantity and diversity of aquatic organisms within streams, the issue has finally surfaced as a significant concern. The need to develop better Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessment tools to link sediment impairment to biological integrity was the driving force behind this study.

Within the Ridge and Valley Ecoregion, 76 stream reaches were analyzed to investigate the impacts of stability issues and bed sediment characteristics on stream …

Automated Analysis Of Fluorescent Microscopic Images To Identify Protein-Protein Interactions, Sankar Venkataraman

Masters Theses

The identification and confirmation of protein interactions significantly challenges the field of systems biology and related bio-computational efforts. The identification of protein-protein interactions along with their spatial and temporal localization is useful for assigning functional information to proteins. Fluorescence microscopy is an ideal method for assessing protein localization and interactions as a number of techniques and reagents have been described. Historically, data sets obtained from fluorescence microscopy have been analyzed manually, a process that is both time consuming and tedious. The development of an automated system that can measure the location and dynamics of interacting proteins inside a live cell …

Kinetics Of Cellulose Dissolution In N-Methyl Morpholine-N-Oxide And Evaporative Processes Of Similar Solutions, John William Tierney

Masters Theses

The lyocell process is an environmentally friendly process for producing regenerated cellulose fibers, but is not entirely understood. The lyocell process uses the hygroscopic solvent N-methyl morpholine N-oxide (NMMO) to dissolve cellulose; the resulting solution is often termed a lyocell solution [1-4]. It is the objective of this study to better understand the process by which cellulose dissolves and the nature of lyocell solutions. By observing the disappearance of cellulose fibers into the solvent, rate data may be obtained from which kinetic parameters may be developed. Additionally an independent method for determining the concentration of cellulose in lyocell solutions was …

Bench Scale Evaluation Of Dense Ceramic Membranes For Production Of High Purity Hydrogen From Gasification, Binay Kumar Singh

Masters Theses

Gasification for production of hydrogen and other useful gases, has achieved increasing importance in recent years. The reactions involved in gasification are favored at high temperatures and they are also limited by thermodynamic equilibrium. The development of membranes which can separate these gases under gasifier exit gas condition will significantly improve process efficiency and economics and simultaneously provide for the recovery of valuable gases. The availability of a membrane with adequate hydrogen selectivity and good thermal and mechanical stability is the key for the successful application of membrane technology in hydrogen production and separation. This work introduces a special method …

Performance Study Of Hybrid Spread Spectrum Techniques, Yachna Sharma

Masters Theses

This thesis focuses on the performance analysis of hybrid direct sequence/slow frequency hopping (DS/SFH) and hybrid direct sequence/fast frequency hopping (DS/FFH) systems under multi-user interference and Rayleigh fading. First, we analyze the performance of direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS), slow frequency hopping (SFH) and fast frequency hopping (FFH) systems for varying processing gains under interference environment assuming equal bandwidth constraint with Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulation and synchronous system. After thorough literature survey, we show that hybrid DS/FFH systems outperform both SFH and hybrid DS/SFH systems under Rayleigh fading and multi-user interference. Also, both hybrid DS/SFH and hybrid DS/FFH …

Managing The Remaining Service Life Of The T-34c Aircraft, John Howard Rousseau

Masters Theses

The T-34C Airplane has been the primary trainer aircraft of the United States Navy for more than twenty-five years and is reaching the end of its service life. The Navy has delayed the procurement of the replacement T-6A Texan II aircraft for five years, yet does not expect the future training requirements to diminish. This delay in T-6A procurement along with recent observed increases in primary trainer aircraft usage have resulted in the need for the Navy to pay considerable attention to the remaining service life of the T-34C aircraft.

This thesis will discuss the methodology used to determine future …

A Computational Model To Predict In Vivo Kinetics In Implanted And Non-Implanted Shoulders, Matthew Brennon-Kyle Kubo

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a computational model designed to input in vivo kinematic and predict in vivo forces and torques for the shoulder, elbow, and wrist in normal, rotator cuff-deficient (RCD), reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) and total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) shoulder subjects. Twenty subjects, divided evenly amongst the four shoulder types, performed a box-lift activity while under fluoroscopic surveillance. Three dimensional (3D) in vivo kinematics was determined for the subjects using implant models and bone models created from CT (computed tomography) scans in a 2D-to-3D registration process. The kinematics were used as input for …

A Comparative Analysis Of Management Accounting Systems On Lean Implementation, Karuppuchamy Ramasamy

Masters Theses

The adoption of lean principles and practices has become widespread in many industries since the early 1990’s. Companies are now beginning to realize that traditional costing and accounting methods may conflict with lean initiatives they are implementing. Consequently, important research questions are being raised. Which cost management and accounting approach required for companies that adopt lean principles and practices?

The primary objective of this research is to asses the impact of different management accounting systems on lean manufacturing as measured by performance metrics and to investigate the development of management accounting strategy which will support lean operations and will help …

Reverse-Flow Oxidation Catalyst With Supplemental Fuel Injection For Lean-Burn Natural Gas Engines, Steven Scott Smith

Masters Theses

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate that the use of a reverse-flow oxidation catalyst reactor (RFOCR), both with and without supplemental fuel injection (SFI), will result in significant reductions of methane (CH4) in a simulated lean-burn natural gas exhaust mixture. Methane reduction is investigated as a function of the directional duration of the exhaust gases through the oxidation catalyst, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), and exhaust gas temperature. The CH4 catalytic chemical reaction, at an elevated exhaust gas temperature, is an exothermic reaction and elevating the temperature across the catalyst reactor corresponds to an increase in CH4 conversion. …

Determination And Comparison Of In Vivo Forces And Torques In Normal And Degenerative Lumbar Spines, Shaun Kevin Stinton

Masters Theses

In vivo motions of normal and degenerative lumbar spine patients performing extension/flexion were obtained using video fluoroscopy. 3-D models of each patient’s vertebrae were registered to the 2-D fluoroscopy images using a process developed at Rocky Mountain Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory. Temporal equations representing the motions were input into a math model and the forces at the contact point between vertebral levels and the body torques between the vertebrae were the output. The vertical forces in the normal and degenerative patients were similar and ranged from 0.35-0.42 times the body weight of the patient. The maximum torques were higher in the …

A 2.4 Ghz Lc-Vco Using On-Chip Inductors And Accumulation-Mode Varactors In A Cmos 0.18 Μm Process, Bryant Derand Williamson

Masters Theses

The demand for low power, low cost, and low noise RF sub-systems has lead to the development of completely integrated transceivers. Frequency synthesizers containing a PLL and a crystal oscillator are perhaps the most challenging part of a transceiver’s design. One of its nosiest, most power consuming components, the VCO, often makes the PLL a challenging design. For an LC-VCO, the best type of VCO for quality noise performance, the struggle lies in the fully integrated inductor. Despite the vast improvement in additional facets of the LC-VCO, the integrated inductor lags in its accomplishments; and the focus of designers is …

Reconfigurable Hardware Acceleration Of Exact Stochastic Simulation, Brandon Parks Thurmon

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the use of reconfigurable hardware in modeling chemical species reacting in a spatially homogeneous environment. The time evolution of biochemical models is often evaluated using a deterministic approach that uses differential equations to describe the chemical interactions of the model. However, such an approach treats species as continuous valued concentrations, is inaccurate for small species populations, and neglects the stochastic nature of biochemical systems. The Stochastic Simulation Algorithm (SSA) developed by Gillespie is able to properly account for these inherent noise fluctuations. This allows the SSA to accurately project the time evolution of a biochemical model. Unfortunately, …

Civilian Target Recognition Using Hierarchical Fusion, Balasubramanian Lakshminarayanan

Masters Theses

The growth of computer vision technology has been marked by attempts to imitate human behavior to impart robustness and confidence to the decision making process of automated systems. Examples of disciplines in computer vision that have been targets of such efforts are Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) and fusion. ATR is the process of aided or unaided target detection and recognition using data from different sensors. Usually, it is synonymous with its military application of recognizing battlefield targets using imaging sensors. Fusion is the process of integrating information from different sources at the data or decision levels so as to provide …

Clinical Significance Of Hip Separation In Metal On Polyethylene, Metal On Metal, And Ceramic On Ceramic Tha Due To Resonant And Energy Dispersion Effects, Joseph Scott Bader

Masters Theses

Femoral head sliding within the acetabular cup does occur in THA. Since it is
known that impact conditions can lead to component ringing, the present study
investigates the vibrational response of variable bearing surface materials. A further understanding of the physical response resulting from impact during femoral head sliding may lead to valuable insight pertaining to THA failure.
Accelerometers were mounted to synthetic bones which had been implanted with hip prostheses. Data was collected from these sensors as a machine impacted the femoral head into the acetabular cup. These tests were carried out for metal-metal, ceramicceramic, and metal-polyethylene bearing surfaces …

Using Artificial Intelligence Methods To Predict Doses From Large Solar Particle Events In Space, Theodore Franklin Nichols

Masters Theses

Space exploration presents mankind with an opportunity to investigate and discover the nature of our solar system, galaxy, perhaps even the universe. The accomplishment of space exploration will only be achieved if the multitude of problems inherent in space travel are solved. One such problem is protecting humans from radiation. The astronauts are able to protect themselves by surrounding themselves with a radiation shield. For the radiation shield to be effective, the astronauts must have advanced warning of incoming radiation in order to seek shelter in a timely manner.

The parameterization of a time-dose profile from an SPE reveals that …

Mechanical Design And Integration Of A Tracking Fluoroscope System, Robert Bradley Cunningham

Masters Theses

The Tracking Fluoroscope System (TFS) – patent pending serial number 60/606,480 – is a robotic platform designed to follow a patient's natural, uninhibited walking motion and obtain full-range-of-motion x-ray videos of a patient's ankle, knee, or hip. The video data can be used to analyze dynamics within the human body and develop mathematical models of the joints. The TFS can also be used to study artificial implants under various conditions in order to design more effective versions. Similar systems could be used to aid surgeons in artificial implant procedures. Athletic motions could be analyzed to design more effective sports equipment …

The Role Of Simulation In The Test And Evaluation Of A Man In The Loop Weapon System, Keith Matthew Henry

Masters Theses

The Department of Defense has attempted to use recent advances in modeling and simulation to improve the acquisition process for weapons systems. This Simulation Based Acquisition brought advances in the process, but considerable disagreement remains over the universal applicability of this approach. This paper focuses on the challenges of applying modeling and simulation to the Test and Evaluation of a weapon system with significant Pilot-Vehicle interface concerns.

The Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) is an aircraft-launched missile with GPS/INS guidance for navigation to the target area and Man In The Loop (MITL) control in the terminal phase. …

Inverse Problems In Image Processing: Blind Image Restoration, Ravi Viswanathan

Masters Theses

Blind Image Restoration pertains to the estimation of degradation in an image, without any prior knowledge of the degradation system, and using this estimation to help restore the original image. Original Image, in this case, refers to that version of the image before it experienced degradation. In this thesis, after estimating the degradation system in the form of Gaussian blur and noise, we employ Deconvolution to help restore the original image.

In this thesis, we use a Redundant Wavelet based technique to estimate blur in the image using high-frequency information in the image itself. Lipschitz exponent – a measure of …

A Cartesian Space Approach To Teleoperate A Slave Robot With A Kinematically Dissimilar Redundant Manipulator, Hariharan Ananthanarayanan

Masters Theses

Due to the inability of humans to interact with certain unstructured environments,
telemanipulation of robots have gained immense importance. One of the primary tasks in telemanipulating robots remotely, is the effective manipulation of the slave robot using the master manipulator. Ideally a kinematic replica of the slave manipulator is used as the master to provide a joint-to-joint control to the slave. This research uses the 7-DOF Whole Arm Manipulator© (WAM) as the master manipulator and a 6-DOF Titan as the slave manipulator. Due to the kinematic dissimilarity between the two, a Cartesian space position mapping technique is adapted in which …

Human Factors Evaluation Of Portable Electronic Devices In Tactical Aircraft, Martin Bernard Fuerst

Masters Theses

As the service life of aging military aircraft are extended and these aircraft are tasked with new missions they were never designed to support, military aircraft are constantly being upgraded with new systems and avionics. Additionally, many legacy aircraft have poor cockpit layouts or incorporate older displays that are not compatible with or require extensive modification to support these new technologies. Unfortunately, many acquisition programs do not have the luxury of an unlimited budget and schedule to complete the required upgrades. One alternative is to incorporate a portable electronic device or PED into the cockpit. These devices can provide moving …

Analysis Of 2d Spatial Filtering Of Simulated Muscle Action Potential Using Grid Arrays, Mohammad Moshiur Rahman

Masters Theses

Surface grid electrode is a noninvasive technique, which can be utilized for topographic analysis of EMG signals. In this study, an innovative spatial filtering technique is proposed in the form of grid electrodes to enhance the selectivity of surface EMG signal considering the effect of intermediate tissue layers between source and recording electrode. A simulation algorithm is developed to generate complete profile of single fiber action potential (SFAP) using previously derived mathematical model and published clinical data. A multiple-layer model is investigated in order to determine the potential distribution at the skin, fat and muscle surface based on the solution …

Analytical Verification Of The Aci Approach Of Estimating Tensile Strain Capacity Of Mass Concrete, Cristina Diane Seay

Masters Theses

Mass concrete fill is being used for the support of a facility foundation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The facility design requires the support foundation to be relatively crack-free in order to attain the shear wave velocity of 6000 fps, which is necessary for acceptable structural behavior during a design basis earthquake. Specifications were developed for use during construction of the support foundation to ensure that the mix design, sequential placement, and curing are performed to standards that would best ensure a relatively crack-free product. The mix design and subsequent placement strategy were developed by using an American Concrete Institute (ACI) …

“Modeling Study Of Individual And Group Behavior Of Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats (Tadarida Brasiliensis) And Dynamic Bat Counting Using Real-Time Infrared Thermal Video, Aruna Raghavan

Masters Theses

Brazilian free-tailed bats live as colonies in caves, under bridges and in places where human exploitation is perceived to be minimal. These bats emerge out of their habitats to forage in the fields nearby and help in natural pest control. These bats consume thousands of tons of insects every day in quantities that can amount to 2/3 of the body weight of each bat. The life of these natural pest destroyers are under threat due to human ignorance, exploitation and unknown myths.

For economic reasons, it becomes necessary to study the behavior and movement of these bats and to count …

Real-Time Monitoring And Quantification Of Drug Induced Changes In Endothelial Cytoskeleton Filaments Using A Cellular Impedance Biosensor, Vijay Nandakumar

Masters Theses

The analysis of electrical signals originating from biological cells and tissues have yielded a large amount of useful information over the past years. Technologies have been developed, wherein we can monitor the health of the biological material of interest using these electrical signals. Instruments for the study of living cells have historically been of significant importance for such things as basic neuroscience, cell biology, pharmaceutical screening, environmental monitoring, and toxin detection. One of the practical realizations of these methods was successfully implemented by Giaver and Keese with their Electric Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) system. The purpose of this Masters Thesis …

Evaluation Of Experimental Bridge: Massman Drive Bridge Over Interstate 40 In Davidson County, Jeremy Glen Pettus

Masters Theses

The Massman Drive Bridge is a 284ft. two-span continuous steel bridge over Interstate 40 in Nashville, TN. The bridge is an experimental design that unifies the construction economy of simple span bridges and the structural economy of continuous span bridges. The structural system involves bridge girders initially erected with simple supports at the center bent and abutments.

Before the deck is placed, an experimental connection is used to rigidly connect the two adjacent girders over the center bent. The experimental connection couples a cover plate in tension and two kicker wedge plates in compression. The kicker wedge plates supply resistance …

Evaluation Of Seal Integrity Of Flexible Food Polytrays By Destructive And Non-Destructive Techniques, Kshitish A. Patankar

Masters Theses

The companies which supply military ration packages (MRP) have been suffering significant loss due to high rejection rate (more than 20 %) by the military. The standards set by the military, as far as acceptance of packages is concerned, are very high and conservative. The means employed are also based mostly on visual observation. The aim of the project is to quantitatively device test which reduce the high rejections the companies are incurring. Thus the drive behind this project is to determine the extent to which certain defects affect the seal strength of food trays.

Earlier work on this project …

Electron Beam Cured Resins For Wood Composites, Ting Song

Masters Theses

Adoption of rapid, low temperature electron beam curable resin systems provide a great potential for energy saving to the wood composites industry. Other considerable advantages benefit from the radiation progression including: cost saving, reduction curing time, increased throughout capacity, minimal volatile emissions, increased the design flexibility.

The research was mainly focused on radiation dose optimization, resin structure-property relationships investigation, and resin-wood bonds evaluation. Resin chemical, physical, and mechanical properties were explored in detail by means of various testing methods. The formulating studies were concentrated on the radiation curable monomers (polyfunctional and monofunctional) and their effects to the network performance. Mechanical …

Design And Development Of Epics Based Rf Conditioning System For The High Power Rf Components Of Charged Particle Accelerators, S.M. Shajedul Hasan

Masters Theses

Charged particle accelerators use various vacuum windows on their accelerating RF cavities to pass very high RF power through for the acceleration of particles. The accelerating cavities and the windows should be cleaned, baked and fully RF conditioned to eliminate poor vacuum caused by outgassing and other contamination. The linear accelerator (Linac) in the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) contains various accelerating cavity structures and RF conditioning of their high power vacuum windows is necessary for present work as well as future upgrade and development. An example is the coaxial fundamental power coupler (FPC) with an annular alumina ceramic window for …

Microstructural Evolution Of Tial-Intermetallic Alloys Containing W And B, Lan Huang

Masters Theses

The TiAl alloys have been considered as promising candidates for structural-materials applications at around 800⁰C. In this work, new TiAl alloys, containing tungsten (W) and boron (B), have been developed. Using the scanning-electron microscopy (SEM), electron-microprobe, and transmission-electron microscopy (TEM), the effects of W and B on the microstructural evolution of TiAl alloys, including the colony size and lamellar spacing, were analyzed. It is important to point out that fine uniform microstructures (with the colony size smaller than 50 mm) can be conveniently developed after Hot-Isostatic Pressing (HIP) the as-cast alloys at 1,250⁰C and 150 MPa …

Simulations And Experiments Of Pump Trip Transients In A Mercury Loop At The Ornl Target Test Facility, Nathan Paul Delauder

Masters Theses

A transient fluid acoustic model is developed and compared with experimental data obtained from a mercury loop in the Target Test Facility (TTF) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The TTF is a full-scale prototype of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) target. The target is liquid mercury operating at 100 ^oC and flowing approximately 1440 liters per minute (380 GPM). A loss of power to the mercury pump causes a low-pressure wave to propagate from the pump outlet through the mercury supply lines that may cause vapor to form in the supply lines. The collapse …