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Understanding Peripheral Blood Pressure Signals: A Statistical Learning Approach, Md Abul Hayat Aug 2023

Understanding Peripheral Blood Pressure Signals: A Statistical Learning Approach, Md Abul Hayat

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proper estimation of body fluid status for human or animal subjects has always been a challenging problem. Accurate and timely estimate of body fluid can prevent life threatening conditions under trauma and severe dehydration. The main objective of this research is the estimation, classification and detection of dehydration in human and animal subjects using peripheral blood pressure (PBP) signals. Peripheral venous pressure (PVP) and peripheral arterial pressure (PAP) signals have been investigated in this research. Both PVP and PAP signals are PBP signals. A dataset of PVP signals was collected using standard peripheral intravenous catheters from human subjects suffering from …


Optocoupler Integration Of Ltcc-Based Gate Driver In A Sic Power Module, Michael Oghenekome Otobo Aug 2023

Optocoupler Integration Of Ltcc-Based Gate Driver In A Sic Power Module, Michael Oghenekome Otobo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The growing demand for electrical energy in today’s industrialized economy has driven the need for innovative approaches to meet diverse application requirements. Notably, advancements have been made in the field of power electronic systems, as reliable power electronic converters are essential for managing multiple power sources and loads. However, the development of these systems poses challenges related to power device switching speed, system weight and size, and power losses. The integration of a gate driver into a SiC power module offers a solution to many of these challenges, thereby driving the advancement of electrical power density expansion. An LTCC-based gate …


Non-Energy Circular Economy Potential Of Rice Husks: A Techno-Eco-Environmental Assessment, Winfred Oppong Yeboah Aug 2023

Non-Energy Circular Economy Potential Of Rice Husks: A Techno-Eco-Environmental Assessment, Winfred Oppong Yeboah

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The non-energy circular bioeconomy potential of rice husks was examined via sustainability assessments, namely life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle impact cost assessment (LCICA), and techno-economic assessment (TEA). The study was conducted with three objectives. The first objective was to review previous studies on the non-energy utilization potential of rice husks by the method of meta-analysis. This review followed a systematic approach where research papers were collected following a defined set of criteria. The study revealed 16 key utilization pathways, all of which showed promising results. However, a comprehensive sustainability assessment was lacking in all of the pathways. The second …


Development Of Self-Stressing Ultra High-Performance Concrete Using Expansive Chemical Admixtures, Lane Edwards May 2023

Development Of Self-Stressing Ultra High-Performance Concrete Using Expansive Chemical Admixtures, Lane Edwards

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effects of expansive chemical admixtures on ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) and self-stressing mechanisms. A literature review was performed to determine different types of expansive admixtures for feasibility of the self-prestressing concept. Ultimately it was decided that type-k cement, made by combining Komponent admixture with conventional UHPC, was the most suitable option due to its effects on wet and hardened concrete properties. Mix designs with varying amounts of Komponent were developed to test the effects the admixture had on various properties. Tested properties included, workability, compressive strength, expansion, short-term shrinkage, long-term shrinkage, and developed prestress. The development …


Improving Tribological Properties Of Polydopamine/Polytetrafluoroethylene Coatings Through Incorporating Core-Shell Nanoparticles And Laser Surface Texturing, Firuze Soltani-Kordshuli May 2023

Improving Tribological Properties Of Polydopamine/Polytetrafluoroethylene Coatings Through Incorporating Core-Shell Nanoparticles And Laser Surface Texturing, Firuze Soltani-Kordshuli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a widely used polymer that has unique properties such as chemical and temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, low maintenance cost, and a very low coefficient of friction (COF). These distinctive properties have made PTFE a promising candidate for industrial applications where surfaces are in relative motion. PTFE can be utilized as a thin film solid lubricant to significantly reduce the friction between moving surfaces. However, PTFE coatings have low cohesion and poor adhesion to the substrate resulting in its low wear resistance. This fact limits the application of PTFE coatings in load-bearing situations. To address these limitations, an …


Experimental Design For Determining The Cyclic Behavior Of Skewed Reduced Beam Section Moment Connections Having Composite Slabs, Paul Chabaud May 2023

Experimental Design For Determining The Cyclic Behavior Of Skewed Reduced Beam Section Moment Connections Having Composite Slabs, Paul Chabaud

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper details the experimental design for determining the cyclic behavior of skewed Reduced Beam Section (RBS) moment connections having composite slabs. The effects of composite concrete slabs on skewed RBS connections subjected to cyclic seismic prequalification loading are addressed in this test setup. Full-scale double-sided RBS SMF specimens representing both interior and exterior column connections are designed and fabricated in this work. Experimental test fixturing and a lateral load application setup within the existing Grady E. Harvell Civil Engineering Research and Education Center (CEREC) are designed. All cyclic loading protocols required for the prequalification testing are described herein. Prequalification …


On The Micro-Mechanical Property Characterization And Bulk-Volume Behavior Prediction Of Additively Manufactured 17-4 Ph Stainless Steels, David González-Niño May 2023

On The Micro-Mechanical Property Characterization And Bulk-Volume Behavior Prediction Of Additively Manufactured 17-4 Ph Stainless Steels, David González-Niño

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Selective laser melting is an additive manufacturing technology that opens the possibility to manufacture components with complex geometries that are difficult with traditional manufacturing techniques which could benefit engineering applications such as aviation or structural engineering. However, the lack of a reliable universal predictive model for selective laser melting components could impede the full implementation in industrial applications. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the mechanical behavior of selective laser melting 17-4 PH stainless steel under ultra-low cycle fatigue regime and propose a novel micro-mechanical based modeling using statistical and representative volume element. The first phase of this project examined the mechanical …


Dpd Guided Insight On The Formation Process Of Polyethersulfone Membranes By Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation And The Effects Of Additives, Eric Ledieu May 2023

Dpd Guided Insight On The Formation Process Of Polyethersulfone Membranes By Nonsolvent Induced Phase Separation And The Effects Of Additives, Eric Ledieu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), a coarse grain simulation method, was applied to the membrane formation process of non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) to gain further insight on the mechanism of certain variables and how they affect the final morphology. NIPS involves two solutions, an organic polymer dissolved in an organic solvent colloquially called the dope and an aqueous coagulation bath, brought into contact with one another. The solvents then mix, causing the polymer to fall out of solution as an asymmetric membrane with a dense surface layer and a more open subsurface layer in response to the decreasing solubility. Polyethersulfone …


Demand Prediction And Inventory Management Of Surgical Supplies, Rajon Paul Pantha May 2023

Demand Prediction And Inventory Management Of Surgical Supplies, Rajon Paul Pantha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Effective supply chain management is critical to operations in various industries, including healthcare. Demand prediction and inventory management are essential parts of healthcare supply chain management for ensuring optimal patient outcomes, controlling costs, and minimizing waste. The advances in data analytics and technology have enabled many sophisticated approaches to demand forecasting and inventory control. This study aims to leverage these advancements to accurately predict demand and manage the inventory of surgical supplies to reduce costs and provide better services to patients. In order to achieve this objective, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model is developed to predict the demand for …


Polymeric Biomaterials Approaches For Engineering The In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment For Mscs, Mahsa Letter-Mahsa Haseli May 2023

Polymeric Biomaterials Approaches For Engineering The In Vitro Cellular Microenvironment For Mscs, Mahsa Letter-Mahsa Haseli

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cell therapy is a technology that relies on replacing diseased or dysfunctional cells with healthy functioning ones. One of the cells used for such advanced therapies are stem cells, owing to their ability to differentiate into specific cells required for repairing damaged or defective tissues or cells. The majority of cell-based products are intended to transiently persist in the patient, secreting factors which then allow the patient’s body to heal; in these products, the cells are subsequently eliminated from the body. Furthermore, unique manufacturing platforms, in addition to novel commercialization strategies, will be required to create a successful, sustainable cell …


Ranking Highway Transportation Asset Criticality Through Stakeholder Input Using The Analytical Hierarchy Process (Ahp), Kwadwo Amankwah-Nkyi May 2023

Ranking Highway Transportation Asset Criticality Through Stakeholder Input Using The Analytical Hierarchy Process (Ahp), Kwadwo Amankwah-Nkyi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The transportation system is especially vulnerable to natural and human-made disasters which can have effects on mobility, safety, and the economy. This thesis presents a method to rank transportation assets based on their criticality to the transportation system by uniquely gathering stakeholder input on criticality criteria weights. This serves as a typical first step in vulnerability and resilience assessments. Six criteria were used to estimate asset criticality: Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT), roadway classification, freight output, tourism output, Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI), and redundancy. Then, the criteria are combined via stakeholder input using a weighted ranking scheme called the Analytical …


On The Feasibility Of Embedding Fe-Sma Short-Fibers In Ultra-High-Performance Concrete For Self Prestressing, Gavin Briggs May 2023

On The Feasibility Of Embedding Fe-Sma Short-Fibers In Ultra-High-Performance Concrete For Self Prestressing, Gavin Briggs

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Prestressing concrete is common practice in the construction industry. Current prestressing methods are often used for large, straight members and come with geometric limitations for curved or thin-walled members. Shape memory alloy short fibers embedded within concrete mixes may allow for the prestressing of geometries not possible with traditional methods. This study reviews past research on prestressing concrete with shape memory alloys, evaluates the achievable recovery stress within an Fe-SMA (when deformed at room temperature), and examines the mechanical behavior of Ductal dark grey UHPC when heated to 250 °C. The flexural behavior, compressive strength, and fiber-to-concrete bond strength of …


Geophysical Assessment Of Internal Erosion Damage At The Crawford County Levee, Samuel Ross Hokett May 2023

Geophysical Assessment Of Internal Erosion Damage At The Crawford County Levee, Samuel Ross Hokett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Levee failures during flooding events can result in catastrophic loss of life and property. Soil erosion during high water events is a primary cause of levee failures. Accordingly, this research focuses on the geophysical assessment of internal erosion damage in levees. This thesis presents a case study utilizing Capacitively Coupled Resistivity (CCR), Direct Current Electrical Resistivity Tomography (DC ERT), and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) to assess internal erosion damage at the Crawford County Levee System in Van Buren, AR, that occurred during the 2019 Arkansas River flood. Geophysical surveys acquired included longitudinal CCR, DC ERT, and MASW lines …


Pda/Ptfe Solid Lubricant Coating For 60niti Applications, Charles Richey Miller May 2023

Pda/Ptfe Solid Lubricant Coating For 60niti Applications, Charles Richey Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The intermetallic alloy 60NiTi has a unique combination of high hardness and low elastic modulus, which makes it highly resistant to dents. Additionally, 60NiTi is extremely corrosion resistant and chemically inert. These properties make 60NiTi a desirable material for challenging mechanical component applications with high contact stresses and in harsh environments. However, lubrication issues have hindered the use of 60NiTi because it has poor tribological performance if it is not properly lubricated. The mechanical properties of hardened 60NiTi and its microconstituents were studied by nanoindentation. This study showed that the bulk properties of 60NiTi are driven by the properties of …


Tangential Flow Treatment Of Poultry Processing Wastewater Using Stainless Steel Ultrafiltration Membrane, Saubana Olorunsola Dada May 2023

Tangential Flow Treatment Of Poultry Processing Wastewater Using Stainless Steel Ultrafiltration Membrane, Saubana Olorunsola Dada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current treatment of poultry processing wastewater (PPW) requires a large expanse of land, takes time, and requires chemical usage. The wastewater is typically treated prior to discharge. Apart from aiming to reuse the treated water for non-potable activities, this project aimed to reduce the footprint and time required for PPW treatment. To intensify the PPW treatment units, we studied the possibility of replacing dissolved air floatation (DAF) with a stainless steel ultrafiltration membrane (SSUF). Combined PPW from all processing units taken before the first DAF and the second DAF were used for this study with no pretreatment. The SSUF …


Automation Of Life Cycle Assessment, Jacob Hickman May 2023

Automation Of Life Cycle Assessment, Jacob Hickman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An automation program, named Jacob LCA, was created to help perform life cycle assessment (LCA). The program uses a template file to perform controlled and consistently ordered actions with the LCA program, SimaPro, and effectively removes the need for manual user input. It can be set to run using data from one or more life cycle inventory (LCI) files, which allows for rapid iteration and testing of data. It also partially addresses some of the limitations of LCA by establishing a procedure through which temporal and spatial variations in data can be integrated into LCI files and then passed to …


Efficient Routing For Disaster Scenarios In Uncertain Networks: A Computational Study Of Adaptive Algorithms For The Stochastic Canadian Traveler Problem With Multiple Agents And Destinations, Neel Chanchad May 2023

Efficient Routing For Disaster Scenarios In Uncertain Networks: A Computational Study Of Adaptive Algorithms For The Stochastic Canadian Traveler Problem With Multiple Agents And Destinations, Neel Chanchad

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research is to develop adaptive online algorithms for solving the Canadian Traveler Problem (CTP), which is a well-studied problem in the literature that has important applications in disaster scenarios. To this end, we propose two novel approaches, namely Maximum Likely Node (MLN) and Maximum Likely Path (MLP), to address the single-agent single-destination variant of the CTP. Our computational experiments demonstrate that the MLN and MLP algorithms together achieve new best-known solutions for 10,715 instances. In the context of disaster scenarios, the CTP can be extended to the multiple-agent multiple-destination variant, which we refer to as …


The Influence Of Pesticides On Us Corn Production Environmental Impact: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Dominant Production Practices, Kyle Marinoni Lawrence May 2023

The Influence Of Pesticides On Us Corn Production Environmental Impact: A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Of Dominant Production Practices, Kyle Marinoni Lawrence

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years there has been increasing interest in reducing agricultural environmental footprints in the United States, particularly for commodity crops like corn grain. Pest management is one aspect of agricultural production that is often identified as having potential for improvement with regard to environmental impact, but there is not a robust body of literature to identify the wide-scale influence of pesticides on yield and environmental impact. In this study, we hypothesized that the use of different classifications of pesticides has a significant impact on the overall environmental impact. To test this, agricultural models were created to represent the dominant …


Bond-Breaker Properties Of Different Media For Concrete Pavement Design, Andres Calzacorta May 2023

Bond-Breaker Properties Of Different Media For Concrete Pavement Design, Andres Calzacorta

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently Arkansas requires a layer of asphalt as the main bond-breaker over cement treated base for rigid pavement design. The study presented in this paper aims to replicate the results from previous research which demonstrated the bond-breaker properties of concrete curing compounds and geotextiles. Bond-breakers are materials applied to the surface of stabilized bases to reduce the interaction between the base and a pavement cement concrete layer. The excessive interaction between these two layers can lead to cracking in the overlay and reduction of the serviceability life of concrete. The curing compound was applied in a single application (SA, 200 …


Effect Of Human Decellularized Skeletal Muscle On Recovery From Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury, Jacob Schluns May 2023

Effect Of Human Decellularized Skeletal Muscle On Recovery From Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury, Jacob Schluns

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Volumetric muscle loss (VML) overwhelms muscle’s robust capacity for regeneration. A key event in the etiology of VML injury is the bulk loss of structural cues provided by the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM). While muscle is a highly structured tissue, with cell and ECM alignment in the direction of contractile force production, the impact of scaffold alignment on recovery remains unclear. Bulk human decellularized skeletal muscle (DSM) tissues were sectioned into 10 x 1-2 mm fibers. VML defects were repaired using multi-fiber implants consisting of approximately 8 fibers per defect arranged into two layers. Fibers were oriented 1) to the …


Analysis Of An Isolated Bidirectional Ćuk Converter, Yeny Hau Chen May 2023

Analysis Of An Isolated Bidirectional Ćuk Converter, Yeny Hau Chen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to perform an analysis of the isolated bidirectional Ćuk dc-dc converter topology and demonstrate the advantages and operation of this configuration through simulations using MATLAB/SimulinkTM and measurements collected from a 1.5-kW prototype tested at the Engineering Research Center (ENRC) laboratory of the University of Arkansas. The idea of integrating an active-clamp snubber circuit on each side of the converter, proposed by Dr. Sudip Mazumder from the University of Illinois, Chicago, limits the additional voltage stresses on the components due to the energy from the transformer’s leakage inductance. This is studied in this thesis to …


Understanding And Tuning Magnetism In Van Der Waals Magnetic Compounds, Rabindra Basnet May 2023

Understanding And Tuning Magnetism In Van Der Waals Magnetic Compounds, Rabindra Basnet

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The recently discovered two-dimensional (2D) magnetism has attracted intensive attention due to possible magnetic phenomenon arising from 2D magnetism and their promising potential for spintronics applications. The advances in 2D magnetism have motivated the study of layered magnetic materials, and further enhanced our ability to tune their magnetic properties. Among various layered magnets, tunable magnetism has been widely investigated in metal thiophosphates MPX3. It is a class of magnetic van der Waals (vdW) materials with antiferromagnetic ordering persisting down to atomically thin limit. Their magnetism originates from the localized moments due to 3d electrons in transition metal ions. So, their …


Improving Classification In Single And Multi-View Images, Hadi Kanaan Hadi Salman May 2023

Improving Classification In Single And Multi-View Images, Hadi Kanaan Hadi Salman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Image classification is a sub-field of computer vision that focuses on identifying objects within digital images. In order to improve image classification we must address the following areas of improvement: 1) Single and Multi-View data quality using data pre-processing techniques. 2) Enhancing deep feature learning to extract alternative representation of the data. 3) Improving decision or prediction of labels. This dissertation presents a series of four published papers that explore different improvements of image classification. In our first paper, we explore the Siamese network architecture to create a Convolution Neural Network based similarity metric. We learn the priority features that …


Advanced Cmos Process For Submicron Silicon Carbide (Sic) Device, Niloy Saha May 2023

Advanced Cmos Process For Submicron Silicon Carbide (Sic) Device, Niloy Saha

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a wide semiconductor material with superior material properties compared to other rival materials. Due to its fewer dislocation defects than gallium nitride and its ability to form native oxides, this material possesses an advantage among wide band gap materials. Despite having several superior properties its low voltage application is less explored. CMOS is extremely important in low voltage areas and silicon is the dominant player in it for the last 50 years where scaling has contributed a major role in this flourishment. The channel length of silicon devices has reached 3 nm whereas SiC is still …


The Growth And Characterization Of Inn Quantum Dots Using Droplets Epitaxy In Mbe, Malak Refaei May 2023

The Growth And Characterization Of Inn Quantum Dots Using Droplets Epitaxy In Mbe, Malak Refaei

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

III-nitride semiconductor material systems offer great potential for next-generation optoelectronic devices due to their direct bandgaps, which vary from 0.7 eV (InN) to 3.5 eV (GaN) to 6.2 eV (AlN), as well as their other unique properties. InN has gained much less attention than GaN and AlN within this family of semiconductors due to its complicated low-temperature growth. However, the prediction that an InN quantum well on GaN can become a two-dimensional (2D) topological insulator has resulted in expanding the research interest in InN. At the same time, this renewed interest has begun to reveal that the formation of an …


Stream Processor Development Using Multi-Threshold Null Convention Logic Asynchronous Design Methodology, Wassim Khalil May 2023

Stream Processor Development Using Multi-Threshold Null Convention Logic Asynchronous Design Methodology, Wassim Khalil

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Decreasing transistor feature size has led to an increase in the number of transistors in integrated circuits (IC), allowing for the implementation of more complex logic. However, such logic also requires more complex clock tree synthesis (CTS) to avoid timing violations as the clock must reach many more gates over larger areas. Thus, timing analysis requires significantly more computing power and designer involvement than in the past. For these reasons, IC designers have been pushed to nix conventional synchronous (SYNC) architecture and explore novel methodologies such as asynchronous, self-timed architecture. This dissertation evaluates the nominal active energy, voltage-scaled active energy, …


Achieving Causal Fairness In Recommendation, Wen Huang May 2023

Achieving Causal Fairness In Recommendation, Wen Huang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recommender systems provide personalized services for users seeking information and play an increasingly important role in online applications. While most research papers focus on inventing machine learning algorithms to fit user behavior data and maximizing predictive performance in recommendation, it is also very important to develop fairness-aware machine learning algorithms such that the decisions made by them are not only accurate but also meet desired fairness requirements. In personalized recommendation, although there are many works focusing on fairness and discrimination, how to achieve user-side fairness in bandit recommendation from a causal perspective still remains a challenging task. Besides, the deployed …


Mitral Valve Imaging And Biomechanics: A Workflow Towards Computational Modeling And Validation, Sam Stephens May 2023

Mitral Valve Imaging And Biomechanics: A Workflow Towards Computational Modeling And Validation, Sam Stephens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The mitral valve serves a critical role in healthy cardiac function by ensuring the unidirectional flow of oxygenated blood from the left atrium into the left ventricle. It experiences the highest pressures found within the heart and its closure is the result of a complex interaction of several different structures that, furthermore, are unique to each individual. Despite the valve’s vital role however, the specific function of these constituent structures is not fully understood. This, confounded by its asymmetric, personalized nature, make surgical interventions for the mitral valve far less effective than for its neighboring aortic valve. Efforts to overcome …


Modbus Rtu For Embedded Cyber Secure Inverter Controller, Brady Mcbride May 2023

Modbus Rtu For Embedded Cyber Secure Inverter Controller, Brady Mcbride

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Modbus communication protocol is a widely adopted communication standard in industrial control systems. This communication protocol is known for being reliable and straightforward to implement while being versatile in terms of its operating parameters while supporting multiple formats over various hardware infrastructures and architectures. Many intelligent devices such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), Internet-of-Things (IoT), and various Operational Technologies (OT) utilize Modbus for their communication systems. These types of systems must communicate with each other through a standardized and central communication process. To support the integration of these modular systems, a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) can …


Design Approaches To Enhance Power Density In Power Converters For Traction Applications, Shamar Christian May 2023

Design Approaches To Enhance Power Density In Power Converters For Traction Applications, Shamar Christian

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a design strategy to increase the power density for automotive Power Conversion Units (PCUs) consisting of DC-DC and DC-AC stages. The strategy significantly improves the volumetric power density, as evident by a proposed PCU constructed and tested having 55.6 kW/L, representing an 11.2 % improvement on the Department of Energy’s 2025 goal of 50 kW/L for the same power electronics architecture. The dissertation begins with a custom magnetic design procedure, based on optimization of a predetermined C-core geometrical relationship and custom Litz wire. It accounts for electrical and thermal tradeoffs to produce a magnetic structure to best …