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Articles 1 - 30 of 38
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Robust Discrete Choice Models For Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions At Unsignalized Locations, Shrikanth Mamidipalli
Robust Discrete Choice Models For Pedestrian-Vehicle Interactions At Unsignalized Locations, Shrikanth Mamidipalli
All ETDs from UAB
There has been a growing emphasis on improving multimodal serviceability of transportation systems. The integration of pedestrian behavior in mainstream traffic models, hence, is gaining traction. Advances in modeling pedestrian-vehicle interactions can aid in better understanding and development of control strategies for pedestrian safety. In support of such efforts, this study delivers an improved understanding of pedestrian and driver behavior at crossing locations through the development of discrete gap choice models to model the interaction between pedestrian and drivers at unsignalized crossing locations. First a comprehensive literature review was performed and latest advances in modeling pedestrian-vehicle interaction at various types …
Transforming Complexity Into Order: A Grounded Theory Of An Agile Methodology Applied To Complex Problem Domains, R Steven Wingo
Transforming Complexity Into Order: A Grounded Theory Of An Agile Methodology Applied To Complex Problem Domains, R Steven Wingo
All ETDs from UAB
This dissertation is focused on the phenomenon of implementing abstractions from complex problem domains in concrete software systems. The question of this inquiry is to determine how an agile software development process, in particular Extreme Programming, supports the development of large software systems as solutions for complex problem domains. This study used the Grounded Theory Methodology to identify and explain the qualities of software development using the Extreme Programming methodology and to construct a theory grounded in data collected from interviews of experienced practitioners of Extreme Programming, from observations of Extreme Programming in practice, and from a review literature related …
A Low-Power Analog-Signal-Processing-Unit For Wirelessly-Powered Implantable Recording System, Qingyun Ma
A Low-Power Analog-Signal-Processing-Unit For Wirelessly-Powered Implantable Recording System, Qingyun Ma
All ETDs from UAB
Bio-electric signals convey information and phenomenon of the physiological activities of organisms, such as gene, protein sequences, neural, and cardiac rhythms. Various types of bio-electrical signals are extensively used for diagnostics as well as therapeutic interventions. Bio-electrical signals are low-amplitude, low-frequency and numerous unique properties (spiking, small oscillation, local field potential interference). The original signal's amplitude is so small that directly lower the output resolution of the analog to digital converter (ADC). Furthermore, the detected signals are corrupted with, local field potential, white noise, system noise, and other interference, so the relevant information could be easily missed during the digitization. …
Probing Astrocytes With Carbon Nanotubes And Assessing Their Effects On Astrocytic Structural And Functional Properties, Manoj K. Gottipati
Probing Astrocytes With Carbon Nanotubes And Assessing Their Effects On Astrocytic Structural And Functional Properties, Manoj K. Gottipati
All ETDs from UAB
Single-walled carbon nanotubes, chemically-functionalized with polyethylene glycol (SWCNT-PEG) have been shown to modulate the morphology and proliferation characteristics of astrocytes in culture, when applied to the cells as colloidal solutes or as films upon which the cells can attach and grow. These changes were associated with a change in the immunoreactivity of the astrocyte-specific protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP); the solutes and films caused an increase and a decrease in GFAP levels, respectively. To assess if these morpho-functional changes induced by the SWCNT-PEG modalities are dependent on GFAP or if the changes in GFAP levels are independent events, I …
Natural Fiber Derived Activated Carbons For Industrial Emission Minimization And Capture, Melike Dizbay Onat
Natural Fiber Derived Activated Carbons For Industrial Emission Minimization And Capture, Melike Dizbay Onat
All ETDs from UAB
Natural fibers including hemp, sisal, flax and industrial natural fiber waste that are con-sidered as "green" alternative sources to prepare low cost, high quality activated carbon comprise this study. Natural fibers were carbonized and subjected to chemical activation to convert them to activated carbon materials. Adsorption isotherm plots, pore size char-acteristics and the Brunauer, Emmet and Teller (BET) surface areas of natural fiber de-rived activated carbons were determined to understand the physical adsorption proper-ties. Chemical structures were determined by ultimate and proximate analyses. Porosity was visualized through SEM images. FTIR analysis was used to indicate the main func-tional groups of …
Simulation Of Bridge Responses To Heavy Vehicles, Rahul Kalyankar
Simulation Of Bridge Responses To Heavy Vehicles, Rahul Kalyankar
All ETDs from UAB
The main objective of this dissertation is to simulate dynamic heavy vehicle bridge interaction using advanced numerical models of heavy vehicle and bridges for the Next Generation Bridge Weigh in Motion (B-WIM) system. The traditional B-WIM system uses a simplified approach where the bridge is considered as a beam and the heavy vehicle is considered as a stable mass moving with constant speed. On the contrary, the moving heavy vehicle consists of a series of complex parts such as tire assembly, springs and dampers, rigid bodies, and types of materials. Along with the complexities of the heavy vehicle, the bridge …
Automated Processing Of Continuous Glucose Monitor (Cgm) Data To Study Onset Of Diabetes, Aman Khatri
Automated Processing Of Continuous Glucose Monitor (Cgm) Data To Study Onset Of Diabetes, Aman Khatri
All ETDs from UAB
Diabetes is a long term condition that causes high levels of blood glucose, and it is necessary to get a complete picture of glucose levels which can lead to better treatment decision and better glucose control. The advent of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is helping researches to track the blood glucose levels continuously and to understand the effects of impaired glucose levels on human body which in turn can lead to better treatment of diabetes. Current CGM systems process enormous amounts of data and have limitations in regards to data accuracy, precision, and reliability of raw glucose data. The inaccuracy …
Sorting Of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes En Route To Exploring Nano-Scale Molecular Cloaking In Hydorocarbon Based Structures, Bohao Li
All ETDs from UAB
Carbon nanotubes have been widely used as a reinforcement in polymer materials in various ways due to their high mechanical strength, excellent electrical conductivity, and great thermal conductivity. In this paper, we will investigate the effects of length and chirality of carbon nanotubes on the properties of nanocomposite as just mentioned. Therefore we demonstrate a carbon nanotubes length separation method, and further validate the length of individual fractional carbon nanotubes after separation by UV-Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Chirality-separated, length-separated SWNT fraction via the ultracentrifugation technique is also demonstrated. Due to the differences in the scaling of buoyancy …
Developing A Rating Model Using Social Media Data, Suman Silwal
Developing A Rating Model Using Social Media Data, Suman Silwal
All ETDs from UAB
Social Media (SM) is becoming a normal part of everyday life for many people around the world. This new form of communication has helped to close social gaps and bring the world closer. The information generated from Social Networking Sites (SNS) is increasingly utilized as a communication channel for market trend, brand awareness, breaking news, person-to-person online social interaction, etc. As more and more people are using SNS, their reach and power are growing rapidly in daily life. Massive amounts of daily data generated from SNS can be used in many interdisciplinary areas of research such as the Humanities, Art, …
Kinect Movements For Navigating A Virtual Exercise Environment By People With Mobility Impairments, Sean Pool
Kinect Movements For Navigating A Virtual Exercise Environment By People With Mobility Impairments, Sean Pool
All ETDs from UAB
People with physical disabilities exhibit decreased physical activity compared to able-bodied individuals. While physical activity plays an integral role in the health of any individual, people with disabilities have difficulty attaining the quality and quantity of recommended exercise. A recent technique for encouraging physical activity in able-bodied individuals is to combine exercise equipment with a virtual exercise environment; as the user exercises, a video screen portrays the user moving through a virtual recreation of a real-world location. However, little has been done to adapt this technology, specifically the interface between user and environment, for people with mobility impairments. This project …
Unmanned Ground Vehicle Dynamics And Energy Efficiency Control, Mostafa Salama
Unmanned Ground Vehicle Dynamics And Energy Efficiency Control, Mostafa Salama
All ETDs from UAB
Nowadays, energy saving is a prominent concern for scientists and researchers in the automobile industry and academic research institutions. The technological development of more efficient vehicles is a relentless quest. Moreover, maximizing such energy efficiency is essential for vehicle design. Although, existing In-Wheel Motor (IWM) vehicles have successfully improved energy efficiency compared to conventional vehicles, those IWM vehicles are lacking the usage of wheel power distribution strategies to maximize slip energy efficiency. There is a need for researching power distribution among driving wheels that would lead to a breakthrough in off-road IWM Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) energy efficiency. UGV energy …
Lab-On-A-Brane: A Novel Physiologically Relevant Planar Arterial Model To Study Transendothelial Transport, Karim I. Budhwani
Lab-On-A-Brane: A Novel Physiologically Relevant Planar Arterial Model To Study Transendothelial Transport, Karim I. Budhwani
All ETDs from UAB
The tremendous quality of life impact notwithstanding, cardiovascular diseases and Cancer add up to over US$ 700bn each year in financial costs alone. Aging and population growth are expected to further expand the problem space while drug research and development remain expensive. However, preclinical costs can be substantially mitigated by substituting animal models with in vitro devices that accurately model human cardiovascular transport. Here we present a novel physiologically relevant lab-on-a-brane that simulates in vivo pressure, flow, strain, and shear waveforms associated with normal and pathological conditions in large and small blood vessels for studying molecular transport across the endothelial …
Microstructural Analysis Of Aluminum High Pressure Die Castings, Maria Diana David
Microstructural Analysis Of Aluminum High Pressure Die Castings, Maria Diana David
All ETDs from UAB
Microstructural analysis of aluminum high pressure die castings (HPDC) is challenging and time consuming. Automating the stereology method is an efficient way in obtaining quantitative data; however, validating the accuracy of this technique can also pose some challenges. In this research, a semi-automated algorithm to quantify microstructural features in aluminum HPDC was developed. Analysis was done near the casting surface where it exhibited fine microstructure. Optical and Secondary electron (SE) and backscatter electron (BSE) SEM images were taken to characterize the features in the casting. Image processing steps applied on SEM and optical micrographs included median and range filters, dilation, …
Application Of Adaptive Albedo Roofing Coatings In The Southeastern United States, Christopher Michael Gray
Application Of Adaptive Albedo Roofing Coatings In The Southeastern United States, Christopher Michael Gray
All ETDs from UAB
In hot climates, such as the Southeastern United States, the roof heat gain of low-rise commercial buildings has led to widespread adoption of high reflectivity, "cool" roofing materials to reduce the building's cooling load. Cooling reduction techniques are of particular interest to electric utilities in the Southeast who are obligated to provide energy infrastructure to supply these loads. Regrettably, a consequence of cool roofs is increased heating load in cool months, thereby reducing their overall value. A potential solution is a roof surface which reversibly and automatically adapts its albedo to the building's thermal profile. Thermochromic polymers, which reversibly change …
Novel Non-Invasive Assessment Of Pulmonary Arterial Impedance Using Velocity Transfer Function And Its Relation With Right Ventricular Remodeling, Ankur Gupta
All ETDs from UAB
Pulmonary arterial (PA) impedance takes in to account pulsatile blood flow through elastic pulmonary arteries as compared to static pulmonary vascular resistance. Increased PA impedance is an early physiological manifestation of PA remodeling. Currently PA impedance can only be detected invasively, is expensive and cumbersome to calculate and thus not done in routine clinical practice. The ability to assess PA impedance non-invasively can provide fundamental insights in evaluation of patients with normal PA pressures or mild pulmonary hypertension such as in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease. Non-invasive evaluation of right ventricular (RV)-PA axis to detect patients who could develop …
Carbon Fiber Content Measurement In Composite, Qiushi Wang
Carbon Fiber Content Measurement In Composite, Qiushi Wang
All ETDs from UAB
. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have been widely used in various structural applications in industries such as aerospace and automotive because of their high specific stiffness and specific strength. Their mechanical properties are strongly influenced by the carbon fiber content in the composites. Measurement of the carbon fiber content in CFRPs is essential for product quality control and process optimization. In this work, a novel carbonization-in-nitrogen method (CIN) is developed to characterize the fiber content in carbon fiber reinforced thermoset and thermoplastic composites. In this method, a carbon fiber composite sample is carbonized in a nitrogen environment at elevated …
Web Computing For Bioinformatics Applications, Sean Wilkinson
Web Computing For Bioinformatics Applications, Sean Wilkinson
All ETDs from UAB
This work explores web computing as a solution to current problems in informatics, including algorithm delivery, distributed computation, and data visualization. A novel computing platform called QMachine has been developed for use in clinical research environments for computationally intensive applications like medical image processing and genomics sequence processing. In such applications, the emergence of Big Data as the inevitable reference for the analysis of local (“small”) data from individual experiments or patients has presented numerous challenges. In particular, computational workflows that handle Big Data need significantly greater processing and memory resources. Advances in virtualization – especially in cloud computing – …
The Impact Of Roofing Material On Building Energy Performance, Ali Badiee
The Impact Of Roofing Material On Building Energy Performance, Ali Badiee
All ETDs from UAB
The last decade has seen an increase in the efficient use of energy sources such as water, electricity, and natural gas as well as a variety of roofing materials, in the heating and cooling of both residential and commercial infrastructure. Oil costs, coal and natural gas prices remain high and unstable. All of these instabilities and increased costs have resulted in higher heating and cooling costs, and engineers are making an effort to keep them under control by using energy efficient building materials. The building envelope (that which separates the indoor and outdoor environments of a building) plays a significant …
Dynamic Simulation Of Concrete Barriers, Adel Badiee
Dynamic Simulation Of Concrete Barriers, Adel Badiee
All ETDs from UAB
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Bridge Specifications proposes “Yield Line Theory Analysis” in order to determine the structural capacity of concrete barriers based on their static strength. However, it appears that this method conservatively underestimates the structural capacity of concrete barriers to endure high vehicle impacts. Typically, this deficiency has been compensated for artificial reductions in bridge rail design loads used in the design code. Existing barrier design guidelines - static design methods incorporated into the AASHTO Bridge Specifications - are based upon National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350. The Manual for Assessing …
Synthesis And Characterization Of A Collagen Based Biodegradable Polymer Initiated By Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticle For Bone Regeneration, Didarul B. Bhuiyan
Synthesis And Characterization Of A Collagen Based Biodegradable Polymer Initiated By Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticle For Bone Regeneration, Didarul B. Bhuiyan
All ETDs from UAB
Synthetic bone graft biomaterials are considered as a potential alternative to the conventional use of bone grafts, due to their limitless supply and lack of disease transmission. Current synthetic bone graft materials generally lack the necessary combination of biological and mechanical properties for use as a bone graft substitute. Bone is a dynamic tissue that serves biological, chemical and mechanical purpose in the body and it is unlikely that a single component synthetic biomaterial can provide the appropriate combination of mechanical integrity and biological stimulation to replace bone. Multicomponent biomaterials need chemical bonding between the components to prevent phase separation …
Orthogonal Pulse Based Wideband Communication For High Speed Data Transfer In Sensor Applications, Kushal Prasad Pradhan
Orthogonal Pulse Based Wideband Communication For High Speed Data Transfer In Sensor Applications, Kushal Prasad Pradhan
All ETDs from UAB
There has been an ever increasing demand and need for high speed and reliable data transfer between a remote transmitter and a receiver station. We have proposed a novel scheme for Ultra Wide Band (UWB) communication technology, to enhance the data rate in single user scenario and to increase the number of sources for simultaneous data transmission in the multi-source scenario. We have proposed to exploit the orthogonal property of Modified Hermite Pulse (MHP) by transmitting the composite pulse (Pulse shape modulation, PSM) instead of transmitting a single orthogonal pulse. With the proposed scheme for data modulation with 4 different …
The Effect Of Applied Stress On Knowledge Retention In A Multiwall Virtual Environment, David Wayne Brown
The Effect Of Applied Stress On Knowledge Retention In A Multiwall Virtual Environment, David Wayne Brown
All ETDs from UAB
While the science of medicine continues to grow as new discoveries in the treatment of disease are made, the education of existing procedures has not evolved with the growth of new technology. The training of doctors and nurses is still, primarily, one of classrooms and presentations. In addition, this training is predominately focused on treating the patient once they have reached the hospital, with limited thought given to out of hospital emergencies. Simulation labs are present at most schools, but these are limited in their ability to deliver identical scenarios across the entire student population due to variances in personnel …
Drive-By Bridge Damage Inspection, Ahmed Ali Elhattab
Drive-By Bridge Damage Inspection, Ahmed Ali Elhattab
All ETDs from UAB
Bridge structures are subjected to continuous degradation due to environmental effects and increase in traffic loading. Bridge monitoring is a key element of any maintenance strategy as it can provide early signs of structural deterioration. In recent years, the demand towards sensor-based bridge monitoring in lieu of visual inspection, has increased. However, sensor-based monitoring is costly and requires significant maintenance. Recent studies on bridge damage monitoring have focused on the instrumentation of a passing vehicle instead of the bridge. This approach is referred to ‘drive-by’ bridge inspection (Kim and Kawatani, 2009). Using this approach, the bridge itself is not instrumented, …
Kinomic Profiling And Drug Screening Of Three-Dimensional Glioblastoma Microtumors As A Potential Comparative Model To Orthotopic Xenolines, Ashley Nichole Gilbert
Kinomic Profiling And Drug Screening Of Three-Dimensional Glioblastoma Microtumors As A Potential Comparative Model To Orthotopic Xenolines, Ashley Nichole Gilbert
All ETDs from UAB
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common form of primary malignant brain cancer in adults, is a devastating disease for which effective treatment has remained elusive for over 75 years. A likely reason for the minimal progress during this time is the lack of accurate preclinical models to represent the patient in vivo environment, causing a disconnect in drug therapy effectiveness between the laboratory and clinic. Our proposed solution to address this disconnect and the issues of traditional preclinical modeling is to use innovative HuBiogel-based MicroTumors as a three-dimensional (3D) drug screening model for GBM. Six subcutaneous patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) prepared …
Unmanned Ground Vehicle Terrain/Road Mobility Foundation And Its Algorithmic Formalization For Wheel Power Management To Improve Leader And Follower Capabilities, Jeremy P. Gray
All ETDs from UAB
The implementation of the autonomy-enabled technologies to improve soldier safety and battlefield distribution for the Ground Distribution fleet, by using semi-autonomous leader and follower capabilities, has begun. The need for tactical and operational mobility and agility is a key element in this process. Their success significantly depends on mobility of the convoy vehicles in terrain and road conditions. Although, existing methods have successfully improved vehicle mobility, those methods have exhausted their potential. There is a need for a new technological paradigm that would lead to a breakthrough in vehicle and convoy mobility research and engineering. Mobility strongly depends on the …
Non Destructive Evaluation And Characterization Of Continuous And Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites, Ahmed Arabi Tawfic Mohamed Hassen
Non Destructive Evaluation And Characterization Of Continuous And Long Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites, Ahmed Arabi Tawfic Mohamed Hassen
All ETDs from UAB
Thermoplastic composites have advantages over other traditional materials, such as steel, aluminum and ceramics, in terms of lightweight, specific strength, corrosion resistance and superior damping capacity ability to recycle, shorter processing times, and lack of exothermic reactions or toxic emissions. These advantages allow them to be widely used in various high-end products used in many industrial applications such as marine, offshore, mass-transit and automotive industries. There are several factors that affect the mechanical and thermal properties of thermoplastic composites, such as fiber length, fiber volume fraction and fiber orientation to name a few. Fiber orientation plays a critical role in …
A Bio-Inspired Hybrid Nanosack For Pancreatic Islet Transplantation In The Omentum, Patrick Tj Hwang
A Bio-Inspired Hybrid Nanosack For Pancreatic Islet Transplantation In The Omentum, Patrick Tj Hwang
All ETDs from UAB
Pancreatic islet transplantation (PIT) has demonstrated consistent and sustained reversal of type 1 diabetes, generating optimism for its wider application as a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. However, the clinical efficacy is still lacking because of a substantial loss of islets during or shortly after transplant to the implantation site. The liver has been widely used as an implantation site for PIT, but it has serious risks for islet loss, such as massive islet destruction by instant blood-mediated inflammatory reaction, progressive attrition of islet cells due to exposure to the toxic environment. The omentum has gained significant attention as …
A Comprehensive Assessment Of Possible Links Between Digital Advertising Billboards And Traffic Safety, Md Mozahidul Islam
A Comprehensive Assessment Of Possible Links Between Digital Advertising Billboards And Traffic Safety, Md Mozahidul Islam
All ETDs from UAB
Advertising billboards are a common roadside object and a very efficient medium of outside advertising. For years, static billboards have been adopted by the billboard advertising companies. Most recently, a sizeable portion of the regular (static) billboards have been digitized to convey more information to the drivers, thus raising questions about their potential impact on traffic safety. Frequently changing images on digital advertising billboards may compel more glances, and sequential messages may hold drivers' gazes longer until the entire message is read. Earlier studies sponsored by billboard advertising companies did not report statistically significant correlations between the crash occurrences and …
Joining And Assembly With Long Fiber Thermoplastic Composites, Danila Kaliberov
Joining And Assembly With Long Fiber Thermoplastic Composites, Danila Kaliberov
All ETDs from UAB
Thermoplastic composites are used extensively in automotive, mass transit, aerospace and other commercial industries. Current industry usage is typically limited to short fiber composites formed by injection molding processes, and continuous fiber reinforced composites through processes such as autoclave molding, filament winding etc. Long fiber thermoplastics (LFT) are a class of composites known for their specific strength, corrosion resistance, impact and damping properties, as well as high production rates, recyclability, and ability for complex part fabrication. The overall objective of this research was to investigate viability of joining and assembly with long fiber thermoplastic composites. This research deals with (1) …
The Utilization Of Blue - Green Algae Lyngbya Recovered From Local Ponds As Natural Reinforcement Of Composite Materials, Ninfa Alejandra Constante Perez
The Utilization Of Blue - Green Algae Lyngbya Recovered From Local Ponds As Natural Reinforcement Of Composite Materials, Ninfa Alejandra Constante Perez
All ETDs from UAB
The abundance of blue - green algae (BGAs) has created a social and industrial problem. The overgrowth of algae blooms in water bodies across the U.S. reduces the quality of water for ecological and recreational purposes. The production of algae biofuels is forecasted to exponentially grow in the coming years, but waste residual algal biomass represents a challenge to biofuel producers. This work explores possible avenues for the utilization of BGAs as an effective reinforcement of natural fiber composites. Natural fiber composites (NFCs) are of great importance for the automotive industry in applications such as interior door panels, headliners, and …