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Summary Of Comments By Panelist William James, Bill James

Fifty Years Of Watershed Modeling - Past, Present And Future

No abstract provided.

Hear3d: A Study Of Spatial Sounds Effect On Language Learning, Brendan Cregan

Dissertations

Spatial sound is the manipulation of audio to add the illusion of position to the source of the sound, i.e. making sounds seem to originate from behind you or from different points around a room. Headphones must be used to achieve the optimum level of 3D sound. At any time over half a billion people are learning languages with the aide of audio which is why and the study of the effect or potential effects that the spatial sounds have on language learning is particularly interesting. If the application of spatial sounds to educational audio clips could be shown to …

Rapid, Large-Scale Production Of Full-Length, Human-Like Monoclonal Antibodies, Christopher M. Warner

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Current recombinant protein production systems require several months to develop. Existing systems fail to provide timely, flexible, and cost-effective therapies to protect against emergency mass-casualty infections or poisonings. As the identity of many new biological threat agents are unlikely to be known in advance, pre-emptive manufacturing and stockpiling of countermeasures cannot be performed. Preparedness for a biological catastrophe requires a radical solution to replace the current slow scale-up and manufacture of lifesaving medical countermeasures. Subunit vaccines and antibody fragments may be produced in bacteria, yeast, plant or insect cells. However, generation of full-length, human like glycosylated antibodies requires mammalian cell …

Fusing Heterogeneous Data For Detection Under Non-Stationary Dependence, Hao He, Arun Subramanian, Pramod K. Varshney, Thyagaraju Damarla

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - All Scholarship

In this paper, we consider the problem of detection for dependent, non-stationary signals where the non-stationarity is encoded in the dependence structure. We employ copula theory, which allows for a general parametric characterization of the joint distribution of sensor observations and, hence, allows for a more general description of inter-sensor dependence. We design a copula-based detector using the Neyman-Pearson framework. Our approach involves a sample-wise copula selection scheme, which for a simple hypothesis test, is proved to perform better than previously used single copula selection schemes. We demonstrate the utility of our copula-based approach on simulated data, and also for …

Study Of The Effect Of Biodiesel Fuel On Passive Oxidation In A Catalyzed Particulate Filter, Kenneth L. Shiel

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

A 2007 Cummins ISL 8.9L direct-injection common rail diesel engine rated at 272 kW (365 hp) and 317 kW (425 hp) was used to load the filter to 2.2 g/L and passively oxidize particulate matter (PM) within an aftertreatment system consisting of a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and catalyzed particulate filter (CPF). The tests conducted with the engine rated at 365 hp used a 2007 DOC and CPF. The tests conducted with the engine rated at 425 hp used a 2010 DOC and 2007 CPF. Understanding the passive NO₂ oxidation kinetics of PM within the CPF allows for reducing …

Predicting Speech Intelligibility, Andrew Hines [Thesis]

Other resources

Hearing impairment, and specifically sensorineural hearing loss, is an increasingly prevalent condition, especially amongst the ageing population. It occurs primarily as a result of damage to hair cells that act as sound receptors in the inner ear and causes a variety of hearing perception problems, most notably a reduction in speech intelligibility. Accurate diagnosis of hearing impairments is a time consuming process and is complicated by the reliance on indirect measurements based on patient feedback due to the inaccessible nature of the inner ear. The challenges of designing hearing aids to counteract sensorineural hearing losses are further compounded by the …

Fabrication And Testing Of Hierarchical Carbon Nanostructures For Multifunctional Applications, Ian Timothy Barney

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Multi-scale hierarchical carbon structures have been developed by growing strongly attached carbon nanotubes (CNT) on high surface area substrates having open, interconnected porosity. This investigation was developed on cellular carbon foams but the process is equally suitable for other geometries including flat, fibers, and other porous substrates (interconnected). It is also adaptable to other substrate materials such as metals, alloys or ceramic compounds. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes are grown using a floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method after pre-coating the substrate with a silica nano-layer. The silica-coated graphitic substrates are seen to grow 280 times more nanotubes per unit area …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 53 Number 3, Winter 2012, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

18 - MY FIGHT, MY FAITH By Steven Boyd Saum. As head of the CIA, Leon Panetta '60, J.D. '63 restored confidence in the agency and oversaw the mission to find Osama bin Laden. Now, as secretary of defense in an age of budget austerity, he has to make sure the Pentagon doesn't break the bank-and that the nation doesn't break faith with the men and women who serve.

24 - GENERAL JOE By Sam Scott '96. When Joseph Peterson '72 signed up for ROTC as an undergrad, he planned to complete his military service and then move on. Nearly …

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 54 Number 1, Summer 2012, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

14 - BELLA VITA By Ron Hansen M.a. '95. After 66 years, Professor Victor Vari is retiring. He's imparted to generations of Santa Clara students an understanding of Italian language and culture-and how to live a beautiful life.

18 - THE SPORTING LIFE By Ann Killion. From when women first arrived on the Mission Campus 50 years ago and athletics was a dirty word-to internationally known programs and penalty shots heard 'round the world.

20 - RESPECT THE GAME By Britt Yap. They've been national champs and the subject of dreams-may-cometrue movies. But in the beginning, they were women who …

Nutrient Supply And Mercury Dynamics In Marine Ecosystems: A Conceptual Model, Charles T. Driscoll, Celia Y. Chen, Chad R. Hammerschmidt, Robert P. Mason, Cynthia C. Gilmour, Elsie M. Sunderland, Ben K. Greenfield, Kate L. Buckman, Carl H. Lamborg

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

There is increasing interest and concern over the impacts of mercury (Hg) inputs to marine ecosystems. One of the challenges in assessing these effects is that the cycling and trophic transfer of Hg are strongly linked to other contaminants and disturbances. In addition to Hg, a major problem facing coastal waters is the impacts of elevated nutrient, particularly nitrogen (N), inputs. Increases in nutrient loading alter coastal ecosystems in ways that should change the transport, transformations and fate of Hg, including increases in fixation of organic carbon and deposition to sediments, decreases in the redox status of sediments and changes …

Nutrient Supply And Mercury Dynamics In Marine Ecosystems: A Conceptual Model, Charles T. Driscoll, Celia Y. Chen, Chad R. Hammerschmidt, Robert P. Mason, Cynthia C. Gilmour

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

There is increasing interest and concern over the impacts of mercury (Hg) inputs to marine 32 ecosystems. One of the challenges in assessing these effects is that the cycling and trophic 33 transfer of Hg are strongly linked to other contaminants and disturbances. In addition to Hg, a 34 major problem facing coastal waters is the impacts of elevated nutrient, particularly nitrogen 35 (N), inputs. Increases in nutrient loading alter coastal ecosystems in ways that should change 36 the transport, transformations and fate of Hg, including increases in fixation of organic carbon 37 and deposition to sediments, decreases in the …

Marine Mercury Fate: From Sources To Seafood Consumers, Celia Y. Chen, Charles T. Driscoll, Kathy Lambert, Robert P. Mason, Laurie Rardin

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model Evolution Over 30 Years, Lewis Linker, Gary Shenk

Fifty Years Of Watershed Modeling - Past, Present And Future

No abstract provided.

Biological Engineering: Advances And Methods, Joel Schwartz

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The last few decades have seen a tremendous growth in the field of bioengineering. As the need for further treatment and innovation for tissue repair, partial to full organ replication, and gene therapy continues to increase, the field of bioengineering will be tasked with curing and preventing disease and traumatic injuries. The two primary fields currently being focused on in the lab are the way cells interact and communicate to build tissues, and the nature and materials utilized in scaffolding to allow differentiation and migration when cells are seeded. Within those two fields are subsets of different methods, materials that …

In Vitro Biomechanical Testing And Computational: Modeling In Spine, Mageswaran Prasath

ETD Archive

Two separate in vitro biomechanical studies were conducted on human cadaveric spines (Lumbar) to evaluate the stability following the implantation of two different spinal fixation devices interspinous fixation device (ISD) and Hybrid dynamic stabilizers. ISD was evaluated as a stand-alone and in combination with unilateral pedicle rod system. The results were compared against the gold standard, spinal fusion (bilateral pedicle rod system). The second study involving the hybrid dynamic system, evaluated the effect on adjacent levels using a hybrid testing protocol. A robotic spine testing system was used to conduct the biomechanical tests. This system has the ability to apply …

Effects Of Magnesium Sulfate, Digestate And Other Inorganic Nutrients On The Phototrophic Growth Of The Green Microalga Scenedesmus Dimorphus, Jacob R. Schwenk

ETD Archive

The individual components of the growth media, notably magnesium, have a profound impact on the growth and lipid production of the green microalgae, Scenedesmus dimorphus. The goal of this work was to investigate these effects and explain the causes via multiple experiments. It is important to understand the aspects of algal growth because they have a significant impact on the commercial viability of microalgal lipids as a potential feedstock for biofuel production. Digestate, derived from bovine waste and a potential cost effective nutrient replacement for conventional media types, was found to maximize growth and lipid concentration in S. dimorphus at …

A Finite Element Approach To Stress Analysis Of Face Gears, Lokamanya Siva Manohar Rampilla

ETD Archive

Face Gears have alternative gear-teeth configuration compared to Bevel Gears. Face Gear have a standard spur pinion as opposed to a bevel Gear. This work concentrates on modeling of a Face-gear, Meshed with a spur gear, using CAD Software and Finite Elements Analysis. The bending stress developed at the gear teeth is determined. Numerical results are validated using the bending stress developed between two involute spur gears

Distributed Biogeography Based Optimization For Mobile Robots, Arpit Shah

ETD Archive

I present hardware testing of an evolutionary algorithm (EA) known as distributed biogeography based optimization (DBBO). DBBO is an extended version of biogeography based optimization (BBO). Typically, EAs require a central computer to control the evaluation of candidate solutions to some optimization problem, and to control the sharing of information between those candidate solutions. DBBO, however, does not require a centralized unit to control individuals. Individuals independently run the EA and find a solution to a given optimization problem. Both BBO and DBBO are based on the theory of biogeography, which describes how organisms are distributed geographically in nature. I …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Vascular Suture Closure, Linxia Gu, Ananth Ram Mahanth Kasavajhala, Haili Lang, James M. Hammel

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Purpose — In order to optimize the performance of the suture for tissue closure, it is essential to develop strategies for devising new and improved techniques that can visualize and compare various suturing techniques. This paper describes an experimental and numerical investigation on the performance of sutured tissue.

Methods — In the experiments, two pieces of glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine pericardium were sutured together through simple running suture and tensioned to study the performance of the sutured tissue. During testing, the tension load and the total displacement of the specimen were recorded. The strain field of the specimen was simultaneously captured …

Biofuels Production From Hydrotreating Of Vegetable Oil Using Supported Noble Metals, And Transition Metal Carbide And Nitride, Huali Wang

Wayne State University Dissertations

The focus of this research is to prepare non-sulfided hydrotreating catalysts, supported noble metal and transition metal carbide/ nitride, and evaluate their hydrocracking activities and selectivities by using soybean oil as the feedstock. For comparison study, catalytic cracking of soybean oil over a commercialized ZSM-5 was investigated. However, steady state could not be reached because significant amounts of tar and coke were generated during the reaction though a high yield (21%) of jet fuel was obtained from the process. Compared to the catalytic cracking process, less tar and coke were formed during the hydrocracking process and stable continuous flow reaction …

Transportation Impacts Of The Chicago River Closure To Prevent An Asian Carp Infestation, Aaron Strong Ph.D., Nikhil Sikka Ph.D., Lindsay Salvatore Ph.D.

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

This project develops a simple linear programming model of the Upper Midwest regions rail transportation network to test whether a closure of the Chicago River to freight traffic would impact the capacity constraint of the rail system. The result suggest that the rail network in the Upper Midwest regions are nowhere near approaching capacity and that a closure would have little impact on the rail network. Two noteworthy sets of commodities may be adversely affected, cereal grains and other agricultural product and gravel and crushed stone.

Illustration Of Fundamentals Of Mechanical Vibration Using Computable Document Format, Shiva Deshmukh

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The main objective of this study is focused on the better understanding of the basic concepts of mechanical vibrations and its free and ready availability to the entire student community all over the globe.In this study the concepts of vibrations are projected in the form of mathematical models. The mathematical models are designed using MATHEMATICA. These models are graphical in nature and can be animated at will. They are compiled and converted to the Computable Document Format referred as CDF.A very special function Manipulate is used in making the models. This function has given the models an ability to compute …

Investigations Into Causes Of Failure Of Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfaces, R. Collins Watson

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

All highly selective methods of neural interfacing for mental control of a robotic prosthesis tested to date have exhibited high rates of failure over time. Regenerative peripheral nerve interfaces (RPNIs) may offer the greatest potential among the proposed technologies for providing the number of degrees of freedom necessary to control a robotic limb, but are unacceptable for clinical use due to several shortcomings of current technology: (1) all RPNIs tested to date have exhibited signal loss over time due to biological mechanisms of rejection of implanted electrodes; (2) all chronically tested interfaces have suffered from high rates of device failure …

A Novel Minimally Invasive Dual-Modality Fiber Optic Probe For Prostate Cancer Detection, Vikrant Sharma

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in males, and is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths in United States. In prostate cancer diagnostics and theapy, there is a critical need for a minimally invasive tool for in vivo evaluation of prostate tissue. Such a tool finds its niche in improving TRUS (trans-rectal ultrasound) guided biopsy procedure, surgical margin assessment during radical prostatectomy, and active surveillance of patients with a certain risk levels. This work is focused on development of a fiber-based dual-modality optical device (dMOD), to differentiate prostate cancer from benign tissue, in vivo. dMOD …

Development Of Sers Nanoprobes For Multiplexed And Multi-Modality Molecular Diagnosis Of Cancer, James Otieno Nyagilo

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Importance of cancer diagnosis and staging through molecular biomarker detection is evident in the increasing number of molecular biomarkers being discovered that are associated with specific cancers types with their role in disease severity and progression being elucidated. Development of molecular imaging modalities capable of simultaneously detecting multiple molecular biomarkers will have a major impact on research, detection, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of cancer. Combining molecular imaging with high resolution structural imaging can potentially deliver a cancer diagnostic imaging platform with superior resolution and sensitivity. Nanotechnology, specifically in the form of functionalized metal nanoparticles exhibit unique chemical and electromagnetic properties …

Visualising Urban Flooding Scenarios Using Video Game Technology, William Elliott Lynn

Theses

This thesis investigates the application of computer graphics to the visualisation of urban flooding scenarios. The demand for urban flooding visualisations is presented in the context of an EU wide climate change response strategy. An analysis of the requirements from various stakeholders is presented and a strategy that addresses these requirements is synthesised. A study on the appropriate computer graphics methods and technologies is outlined and limitations of current technologies are assessed. Systems that solve these limitations are described and the result of usability and user acceptance testing are offered as evidence.

Factors Controlling Macondo Oil Biodegraqdation On A Rapidly Eroding Coastal Headlands Beach, Marilany G. Urbano

LSU Master's Theses

Fourchon Beach, located along the southeast Louisiana coast, was affected by the oil leaking from the British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon Oil rig explosion in 2010. The oil, labeled MC252 oil, came ashore in a stable emulsion form, contaminating the sand, salt pan, marsh and mangroves along the beach. A unique oil form, labeled SSRB (small surface residue ball) was formed from the MC252 oil and a combination of environmental factors. The SSRB is an aggregate of sand and emulsified oil, and forms a large portion of the oil still present on the supratidal zone of Fourchon Beach. SSRBs have not …

Development Of Gelatin Microbubble Based Plga Scaffold For Application In Bone Tissue Engineering, Krishna M. Shah

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

The overall goal of the study was to develop a delivery system for a potential bone tissue engineering application focusing on fabrication of gelatin microbubble (MB) based PLGA scaffolds capable of recruiting Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and delivering bioactive molecules. Challenges associated with inefficient use of stem cells, scaffolding techniques and poor understanding of the role of growth factors hinders the success of tissue engineering strategies. A major challenge with the use of autologous stem cells is its low proliferation and migratory capacity. Our lab previously established that using a biomaterial implant, autologous MSCs can be directed and recruited in …

Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interfacing Of Sensory Modalities, Nilanjana T. Dutta

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Peripheral neural interfaces (PNI) has proved potential to record motor commands for the control of these prosthetic limbs, together with stimulation of specific sensory axons, so as to transmit specific sensory sub-modalities. Although PNI is hypothesized to provide adequate sensory feedback, realizing this degree of specificity is not fully established. Recently, a regenerative multi-electrode interface (REMI) was reported to be capable of recording peripheral nerve activity from a transected nerve. This study is aimed at interfacing neural activity specific to sensory sub-modalities, such as thermal pain, mechanoception and limb stretching using the REMI, in a freely moving animal. In the …

Characterization Of Immune Response And Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Of Implanted Regenerative Multi-Electrode Interface Post-Subchronic Amputation, Camilo Andres Sanchez Useche

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Interfacing high degree-of-freedom robotic prosthetics directly to the peripheral nervous system aims at improving the quotidian life of amputees. Despite advancements in robotics that have lead to human-like upper limb prosthetics, long-term interfacing has not been accomplished, thus voiding them from clinical use. Interfacing electrodes in the central nervous system fail due to the foreign body reaction and glial scar formation at the site of implantation. Concrete mechanisms for the failure of long-term Interfacing at the peripheral nervous level remain unclear. A regenerative multi-electrode interface (REMI) which allows for action potential recording as early as 7 days and provides support …