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Quantifying The Impact Of Altered Hemodynamics And Vascular Biomechanics To Changes In Structure And Function In Native And Corrected Aortic Coarctation, Arjun Menon

Dissertations (1934 -)

Coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is associated with substantial cardiovascular morbidities despite successful treatment through surgical or catheter-based intervention. Although specific mechanisms leading to these morbidities remain elusive, abnormal hemodynamics and vascular biomechanics are implicated. We used a novel animal model that facilitates quantification of CoA-induced hemodynamic and vascular biomechanics alterations and their impact on vascular structure and function, independent of genetic or confounding factors. Rabbits underwent thoracic CoA at 10 weeks of age (~9 human years) to induce a 20 mmHg blood pressure (BP) gradient using permanent or dissolvable suture thereby replicating untreated and corrected CoA. Computational fluid dynamics …

Anaerobic Co-Digestion For Enhanced Renewable Energy And Green House Gas Emission Reduction, Navaneethan Navaratnam

Dissertations (1934 -)

The need to develop renewable energy is important for replacing fossil fuel, which is limited in quantity and also tends to increase in price over time. The addition of high strength organic wastes in municipal anaerobic digesters is growing and tends to increase renewable energy production. In addition, conversion of wastes to energy significantly reduces uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions. Co-digestion of municipal sludge with any combination of wastes can result in synergistic, antagonistic or neutral outcomes. The objectives of this study were to identify potential co-digestates, determine synergistic, antagonistic and neutral effects, determine economic benefits, quantify performance of bench scale …

Developing Unique Engineering Solutions To Improve Patient Safety, Bradley Watts, Douglas Van Citters, Brian Shiner, Peter Mills

Dartmouth Scholarship

Many efforts to improve healthcare safety have focused on redesigning processes of care or retraining clinicians. Far less attention has been focused on the use of new technologies to improve safety. We present the results of a unique collaboration between the VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) and the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College. Each year, the NCPS identifies safety problems across the VA that could be addressed with newly-engineered devices. Teams of Thayer students and faculty participating in a senior design course evaluate and engineer a solution for one of the problems. Exemplar projects have targeted …

Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions In The Life Cycle Assessment Of Cellulosic Ethanol From Crop Residue, Xiao Xue Fang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Concerns about climate change and the increasing cost of fossil fuels have led to interest in the development of renewable biofuel pathways for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The use of corn residue as a potential source of biomass feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production has been favored as cost effective. Previous research has shown that crop residue removal can cause a loss of soil organic carbon (SOC), which potentially is a source of GHG emissions in the form of CO₂. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach, this study investigated the impact of corn residue removal on total …

Facility Implementation, Production, And Use Of Biodiesel On A University Campus, Michelle Erin Rodio

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

During the last two years, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been in the process of having a fully-functional biodiesel processing facility on campus. Within this time, it was shown that biodiesel was a great alternative to diesel fuel based on emissions, performance, and cost, allowing for a grant of $10,000 being awarded to fund the project. Upon properly producing biodiesel, the fuel was tested in a John Deere 2653A tractor to see what differences, if any, existed when using a biodiesel blend over diesel fuel. In doing this, carbon buildup and fuel economy were compared, and a cost analysis conducted. It …

Evaluation Of Decellularization Procedures For Porcine Arteries, Charles Clapp

Biomedical Engineering

Coronary artery disease has become the leading cause of death in the United States, with over 425,000 deaths in 2006. Stenting has evolved into the preferred preventative technique for myocardial infarction by opening up an occluded artery, due to its low invasiveness compared to the alternative of coronary artery bypass grafting. Bare metal stents have been improved by coating with anti-proliferative drugs to advance their effects, but even drug eluting stents still have a risk of restenosis, thrombus formation, and necessary revascularization. Continual advancement in stent design necessitates faster, effective pre-clinical evaluation techniques. Kristen Cardinal, Ph.D., developed the blood vessel …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between An Engineering Manager's Purpose-Seeking Beliefs And Behaviors And The Engineering Manager's Perception Of Employee Creativity, Initiative And Purpose-Seeking Behavior, Charles Burton Daniels

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Organizations have placed an overwhelming emphasis on extrinsic motivation of its workforce, normally in the form of financial incentives, in an attempt to assure individual and organizational high performance. While a significant level of financial resources is expended in this attempt to predict and influence employee behavior, no objective evidence exists of a favorable return of investment. In fact, the primary impact of most extrinsic motivation might actually be demotivation – the opposite of the intended use.

In this research the prevailing literature was examined and a conclusion about the power of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation was synthesized to …

Supercritical Co2 Extraction Of Oil From Henna Flower: Experimental, Mathematical Modeling, And Antioxidant Activity, Bushra Saeed Mohammed Dohai

Theses

Henna is a plant that has been used traditionally for coloring nail, skin, and hair, and as medicinal plant. The supercritical fluid technology offers a considerable promise as extraction media due to its advantages over other conventional extraction techniques. The extraction of volatile components from flowers of henna was studied using supercritical carbon dioxide at temperatures and pressures ranging from 35 to 55°C and 80 to 120 bar, respectively. A maximum extraction yield of 31 % from 2g of henna flowers was obtained at 45 °C and 120 bar. The composition of the extracts was investigated by gas chromatography technique. …

Image-Guided Robotic Dental Implantation With Natural-Root-Formed Implants, Xiaoyan Sun

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Dental implantation is now recognized as the standard of the care for tooth replacement. Although many studies show high short term survival rates greater than 95%, long term studies (> 5 years) have shown success rates as low as 41.9%. Reasons affecting the long term success rates might include surgical factors such as limited accuracy of implant placement, lack of spacing controls, and overheating during the placement.

In this dissertation, a comprehensive solution for improving the outcome of current dental implantation is presented, which includes computer-aided preoperative planning for better visualization of patient-specific information and automated robotic site-preparation for superior …

Health Nexus: A Serious Game Prototype For Prevention And Treatment Of Obesity And Diabetes, Joseph C. Miller

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Electronic games are a prevalent phenomenon of American culture and entertainment. Serious games are video games that take advantage of games' intrinsic entertaining and challenging characteristics for serious purposes, such as education, training, advertisement, and political campaigns. A significant number of serious games have been developed for a variety of diverse purposes. The last few years have witnessed the inception and growth of motion sensing technologies for games, including Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation Move, and Microsoft Kinect. These motion sensing technologies usually require game players' physical body movement in order to perform and achieve in the games, such as playing …

Whole-Genome Resequencing Of Two Elite Sires For The Detection Of Haplotypes Under Selection In Dairy Cattle Supporting Information, Denis M. Larkin, Hans D. Daetwyler, Alvaro G. Hernandez, Chris L. Wright, Lorie A. Hetrick, Lisa Boucek, Sharon Bachman, Jyothi Thimmapuram

Cyber Center Publications

Using a combination of whole-genome resequencing and high-density genotyping arrays, genome-wide haplotypes were reconstructed for two of the most important bulls in the history of the dairy cattle industry, Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief (“Chief”) and his son Walkway Chief Mark (“Mark”), each accounting for ∼7% of all current genomes. We aligned 20.5 Gbp (∼7.3× coverage) and 37.9 Gbp (∼13.5× coverage) of the Chief and Mark genomic sequences, respectively. More than 1.3 million high-quality SNPs were detected in Chief and Mark sequences. The genome-wide haplotypes inherited by Mark from Chief were reconstructed using ∼1 million informative SNPs. Comparison of a set …

Evaluation Of The Thorax Of Manduca Sexta For Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle Applications, Alex C. Hollenbeck

Theses and Dissertations

The tobacco hornworm hawkmoth (Manduca sexta) provides an excellent model from which to garner knowledge pertaining to the development of a Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicle (FWMAV). Insect-sized FWMAVs will be used by the future warfighter for reconnaissance, nuclear/chemical/biological hazard sensing, and targeting. One of the major challenges facing FWMAV developers is the energetically demanding nature of low Reynolds flapping flight. Investigating the Manduca sexta thorax/wing flapping mechanism as a mechanical system will provide insight into its inherent efficiency. This thesis examined the energetics of the thorax under static loading and dynamic loading using an innovative load-application technique. It was …

Development And Application Of An F/M Based Anaerobic Digestion Model And The Rt-Ribosyn Molecular Biology Method, Matthew Raymond Cutter

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A simple anaerobic digestion model has been developed for a continuously-stirred tank reactor (CSTR), which links the specific biogas production rate to the food/microorganism ratio (F/M). The model treats the various microbial populations involved in the sequential biological processes involved in anaerobic digestion as a composite and links the entire biomass specific growth rate directly to the specific biogas production rate. The model was calibrated by determining the specific gas production rate for a range of F/M values using a municipal wastewater seed sludge. The model predictions for steady-state biogas production rates were compared to observed biogas production and volatile …

Computer Aided Multi-Data Fusion Dismount Modeling, Juan L. Morales

Theses and Dissertations

Recent research efforts strive to address the growing need for dismount surveillance, dismount tracking and characterization. Current work in this area utilizes hyperspectral and multispectral imaging systems to exploit spectral properties in order to detect areas of exposed skin and clothing characteristics. Because of the large bandwidth and high resolution, hyperspectral imaging systems pose great ability to characterize and detect dismounts. A multi-data dismount modeling system where the development and manipulation of dismount models is a necessity. This thesis demonstrates a computer aided multi-data fused dismount model, which facilitates studies of dismount detection, characterization and identification. The system is created …

A Finite Element Analysis Of A Carbon Fiber Composite Micro Air Vehicle Wing, Theodore A. Szelag

Theses and Dissertations

Micro-air vehicles (MAV)s provide a valuable and low observable way to do the jobs that the Air Force deems to be dull, dirty and dangerous. Basing the design of an MAV wing on that of a biological counterpart will provide a proven design that is capable of achieving the mission requirements. This research is designed to analyze the design and manufacturing of a wing based off the Manduca Sexta.

Inaccuracies in the fiber orientation can result in substantial changes in the material properties. Experimental vibration data of composite material samples manufactured using a three-ply [0/90/0] small non-homogenous fiber composite provided …

Investigation And Synthesis Of Novel Graphene-Based Nanocomposites For Hydrogen Storage, Anthony Joseph D'Angelo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

It is of great interest to develop and utilize a high surface area material with optimized hydrogen sorption properties. The need for a renewable energy source to replace automobile gasoline has become more critical in the past decade. Hydrogen is a viable fuel source for automobile usage; however, the question of how hydrogen will be safely and efficiently stored still remains. Critical factors for optimum hydrogen storage include ambient conditions and low activation temperature for adsorption and desorption phenomena. In order for optimum hydrogen adsorption to be achieved, the properties of (1) high surface area, (2) optimum hydrogen adsorption energy, …

Dismount Threat Recognition Through Automatic Pose Identification, Andrew M. Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. military has an increased need to rapidly identify nonconventional adversaries. Dismount detection systems are being developed to provide more information on and identify any potential threats. Current work in this area utilizes multispectral imagery to exploit the spectral properties of exposed skin and clothing. These methods are useful in the location and tracking of dismounts, but they do not directly discern a dismount's level of threat. Analyzing the actions that precede hostile events yields information about how the event occurred and uncovers warning signs that are useful in the prediction and prevention of future events. A dismount's posturing, …

The Effects Of Cognitive Jamming On Wireless Sensor Networks Used For Geolocation, Michael A. Huffman

Theses and Dissertations

The increased use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) for geolocation has led to an increased reliance on this technology. Jamming, protecting jamming, and detecting jamming in a WSN are areas of study that have greatly increased in interest. This research uses simulations and data collected from hardware experiments to test the effects of jamming on a WSN. Hardware jamming was tested using a Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) Version 2 to assess the effects of jamming on a cooperative network of Java Sun SPOTs. The research combines simulations and data collected from the hardware experiments to see the effects of …

Surveillance Versus Reconnaissance: An Entropy Based Model, Tamilyn S. Dismukes

Theses and Dissertations

With the advancing capabilities of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets and sensors, effective utilization of these resources continues to pose a challenge to military decision makers. The methodology developed explores allocation of ISR assets while balancing detection of new targets versus surveillance of already detected targets using entropy as a Measure of Effectiveness (MOE). Scenarios with an unknown number of static and moving targets in a bounded geographical region are considered. A baseline model was built to examine four different search algorithms: random, raster, greedy, and a rollout algorithm based on dynamic programming. A space-filling Nearly Orthogonal Latin Hypercube …

Tanker Fuel Consolidation: Effects Of Higher Fidelity Modeling On A Resilient Plan, Jason A. Larimore

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has selected the KC-46 to begin replacing the aged KC-135 fleet. One of the major differences between the KC-46 and the KC-135 is the KC-46's ability to be refueled. This allows for tanker fuel consolidation, or the refueling of one tanker by another. The effects of this capability on the efficiency of tanker operations must be quantified and included in determining an appropriate substitution ratio between the two aircraft. This ratio will be used to plan the retirement of KC-135s as the KC-46 enters operational fielding. This study utilizes simulation to determine the efficiencies gained …

Impact Of Self-Reported Biases And Familiarity In A Baggage Screening Context, Scott W. Halwes

Theses and Dissertations

A common assumption is that items that evoke strong emotions are more easily recognized than items that do not evoke strong emotions (Bessette-Symons, 2008). For example, items such as guns or knives may evoke strong emotions within some people, and it may be presumed that these items may be more easily recognized by people that have strong emotions associated with them. If this is true, then perhaps these people would be more apt to locate these items in situations such as baggage screening services that rely on accurate detection of weapons for the public's safety. This study explores this reasoning …

Combat Identification Of Synthetic Aperture Radar Images Using Contextual Features And Bayesian Belief Networks, John X. Situ

Theses and Dissertations

Given the nearly infinite combination of modifications and configurations for weapon systems, no two targets are ever exactly the same. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery and associated High Range Resolution (HRR) profiles of the same target will have different signatures when viewed from different angles. To overcome this challenge, data from a wide range of aspect and depression angles must be used to train pattern recognition algorithms. Alternatively, features invariant to aspect and depression angle must be found. This research uses simple segmentation algorithms and multivariate analysis methods to extract contextual features from SAR imagery. These features used in conjunction …

Development Of A Radar-Frequency Metamaterial Measurement And Characterization Apparatus, Stephen I. Faris

Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this research was to design, build, and test an apparatus for the measurement and characterization of radar-frequency metamaterial performance in the S-band through Ku-band (2-18 GHz). Measurement and characterization is vital to metamaterial taxonomy and ultimately vital to metamaterial definitions. Thus, the current lack of clarity in metamaterial definitions has served as the primary motivation for pursuing a method for taxonomy and thus, this apparatus. The technical goal of this thesis was to aid in the understanding of a metamaterial's radar-frequency response by developing an apparatus that would take simple, yet significant measurements of a metamaterial's …

Conceptual Layout Of Wing Structure Using Topology Optimization For Morphing Micro Air Vehicles In A Perching Maneuver, James R. Elgersma

Theses and Dissertations

A topology optimization model for conceptual wing structure layouts of morphing micro air vehicles (MAVs) has been developed and implemented in MATLAB. Specifically, a six degree-of-freedom finite element (FE) model with a general quadrilateral discretization scheme was created by superposition of a known simple linear plane membrane element and a Kirchhoff plate bending element derived herein. The purpose of the six degree-offreedom model was to accommodate in-plane and out-of-plane aerodynamic loading combinations. The FE model was validated and the MATLAB implementation was verified with classical beam and plate solutions. A compliance minimization optimization objective was then formulated with the Solid …

Using Hybrid Simulation/Analytical Queueing Networks To Capacitate Usaf Air Mobility Command Passenger Terminals, Meredithe A. Jessup Ii

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study is to model operations at an airport passenger terminal to determine the optimal service capacities at each station given estimated passenger flow patterns and service rates. The central formulation is an open Jackson queueing network that can be applied to any USAF Air Mobility Command (AMC) terminal regardless of passenger type mix and flow data. A complete methodology for analyzing passenger flows and queue performance of a single flight is produced and then embedded in a framework to analyze the same for multiple departing flights. Queueing network analysis (QNA) is used because no special software …

Combustion Simulations Using Graphic Processing Units, Mingjie Wang

Master's Theses

Graphic processing units (GPUs) are powerful graphics engines featuring high levels of parallelism and extreme memory bandwidth, which constitute a powerful computing platform to solve complex problems involving chemically reacting flows. In the present study, computer programs for combustion simulations with detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms were compiled in the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) language for NVIDIA GPU architecture. Ignition processes were simulated under constant pressure and constant volume conditions using an explicit 4^th order Runge-Kutta algorithm for time integration. Sufficiently small time steps were identified with time scale analysis to ensure the integration stability. The program was validated …

Rainwater Harvesting Storage Methods And Self Supply In Uganda, Jonathan Peter Blanchard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self supply is an emerging approach to water supply which focuses on fostering household investment in incremental improvements to their water sources. When successful, it can lower costs and increase sustainability by offering users a larger share

of ownership in their own supply, and harnessing the already existing strengths of a community rather than trying to impose an external perspective. In addition to well upgrading and source protection, one of the key self supply areas is rainwater harvesting.

Uganda has a diverse selection of rainwater storage options, but many of them are scattered and disparate.

The objective of this study …

Poster Session, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• Western Kentucky Deep Saline Reservoir CO₂ Storage Test: Shallow Groundwater Monitoring Results, E. Glynn Beck and others, Kentucky Geological Survey
• Baseline Soil Properties of a Central Kentucky Riparian Buffer, Amanda Gumbert and others, Dept of Plant and Soil Science, UK
• The Kentucky Water Well Driller’s Certification Program, Scotty E. Robertson and David A. Jackson, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Influences of Cladophora Bloom on the Diets of Amblema plicata and Elliptio dilatata in the Upper Green River, Kentucky, Jennifer M. Yates and others, Dept of Biology, Western Kentucky University
• Using Electrical Resistivity to Locate …

Session 2a, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Potential for Using a P Loss Model to Improve the Accuracy of the Kentucky Phosphorus Index, Carl H. Bolster, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• Additive State Space Model – A Promising Approach to Water- Quality-Related Treatment Experiments in Heterogeneous Landscapes, Ole Wendroth, Dept of Plant and Soil Sciences, UK
• Development and Application of Numeric Interpretations of Kentucky’s Narrative Water Quality Standards for Nutrients, Lara Panayotoff, Kentucky Division of Water, Frankfort, KY
• Arsenic Removal in Reactor Systems, Aniruddha Dastidar and Y.T. Wang, Watershed Management Branch and Dept of Civil Engineering, UK
• Trends in Water Quality Issues for …

Session 1c, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, University Of Kentucky

Kentucky Water Resources Annual Symposium

• The Effects of Prescribed Fire on Amphibian and Reptile Diversity in an Oak-Grassland Restoration Area, Robert Knopp and Howard Whiteman, Dept Biological Sciences and Watershed Studies, Murray State University
• Results of a Data Evaluation to Establish Priority Remediation Areas for Dry Weather Fecal Contamination in a Karst Influenced Watershed, Steve Evans and others, Third Rock Consultants, Lexington, KY
• Development of In-House Methods for High-Throughput DNA Extraction, Kimberly L. Cook and LorraBelle Hill, USDA-ARS, Bowling Green, KY
• Validation of the Sanitary Category Value Model (SCV) for the Identification of Leaking Sewer Lines: A Study of the West Hickman …