Digital Commons Network^™

Wireless Power Transfer For Space Applications: System Design And Electromagnetic Compatibility Compliance Of Radiated Emissions, Ramos Gabriel Vazquez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation evaluates the possibility of wireless power transfer (WPT) systems for space applications, with an emphasis in launch vehicles (rockets). After performing literature review for WPT systems, it was identified that magnetic resonance provides the more suited set of characteristics for this application. Advanced analysis, simulation and testing were performed to magnetic resonance WPT systems to acquire system performance insight. This was accomplished by evaluating/varying coupling configuration, load effects and magnetic element physical characteristics (i.e. wire material, loop radius, etc.). It was identified by analysis, circuit simulation and testing that the best coupling configuration for this application was series-series …

A Framework For Process Data Collection, Analysis, And Visualization In Construction Projects, Reza Akhavian

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Automated data collection, simulation and visualization can substantially enhance the process of designing, analysis, planning, and control of many engineering processes. In particular, managing processes that are dynamic in nature can significantly benefit from such techniques. Construction projects are good examples of such processes where a variety of equipment and resources constantly interact inside an evolving environment. Management of such settings requires a platform capable of providing decision-makers with updated information about the status of project entities and assisting site personnel making critical decisions under uncertainty. To this end, the current practice of using historical data or expert judgments as …

Stereoscopic Avatar Interfaces : A Study To Determine What Effect, If Any, 3d Technology Has At Increasing The Interpretability Of An Avatar's Gaze Into The Real-World, Mark Dunne, Brian Mac Namee, John D. Kelleher

Conference papers

An approach to displaying avatar interfaces monoscopically such as the Turning, Stretching and Boxing (TSB) technique (a combination of three graphical processes) has been shown to improve the communication efficiency of avatars by increasing a user's ability to interpret an avatar's gaze direction through the delivery of a sustained 3D illusion of the avatar on a standard 2D display. A reasonable question to ask about this approach is whether or not the improvement in interpretability can be matched or surpassed by using a standard 3D display technology (stereoscopic) with or without the fore-mentioned approach? This paper presents an experiment that …

Decorin Expression, Straw-Like Structure, And Differentiation Of Human Costal Cartilage, Michael W. Stacey, Janna Grubb, Anthony Asmar, Julie Pryor, Hani Elsayed-Ali, Ali Beskok, Diganta Dutta, Annie Fecteau, Alice Werner, Dennis A. Darby, Robert Kelly

Bioelectrics Publications

Costal cartilage is much understudied compared with the load-bearing cartilages. Abnormally grown costal cartilages are associated with the inherited chest wall deformities pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum resulting in sunken and pigeon chests, respectively. A lack of understanding of the ultrastructural and molecular biology of costal cartilage is a major confounder in predicting causes and outcomes of these disorders. This study analyzed the structure of marginal human costal cartilage (ribs 6-10) through scanning electron and atomic force microscopes and identified the presence of straw-like structures running longitudinally. We also demonstrated that chondrocytes tend to occur singly or as doublets and …

Development Of Eco-Friendly Flame Retardant Fabric Using Phosphorus Based Intumescence Chemistry, Vikas P. Joshi

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The research aims at developing Eco-friendly flame retardant textile fabric using phosphorous based intumescence chemistry. Phosphorous in the structure of Spirocyclic pentaerythriol diphosphoryl chloride (SPDPC) acts as the main group to impart flame retardancy. Intermediate compounds were synthesized in the laboratory and finally converted into sol. The silane sol was applied to the textile material using pad-dry-cure method. The intermediate compounds and the coated material were tested using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), and Thermogravemetric analysis (TGA) testing instruments. Vertical flammability testing was performed as per ASTM D-6413 standards to test the fabric for its flame …

Development And Deployment Of A Bioreactor For The Removal Of Sulfate And Manganese From Circumneutral Coal Mine Drainage, C. B. Mastin, J. D. Edwards, Christopher D. Barton, Anastasios D. Karathanasis, Carmen T. Agouridis, Richard C. Warner

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Surface mining, in the form of contour mining and mountain-top removal, is a common means for retrieving coal in the Appalachian Coal Belt region of Kentucky. Overburden or excess spoil generated by these two methods is placed in valley fills. Traditionally Constructed fills have been shown to adversely impact headwater ecosystems via stream burial and through alterations to the hydrology, sediment supply, water quality and biological composition of downstream reaches. Mine drainages emanating from the toe of valley fills often contain elevated levels of total dissolved solids and heavy metals. Drainage chemistry from Guy Cove, a valley fill located in …

Evaluation Of Algae Concentration In Manure Based Media, Maira Freire Pecegueiro Do Amaral

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Algae can be used to treat wastewater and manure while producing a feedstock for renewable energy. Algae require nutrients to achieve their maximum growth and manure could provide those nutrients, thereby reducing the cost of algae production and the impact of manure treatment. Algae concentration during cultivation is a critical variable that is difficult to measure due to the high concentration of suspended solids present in manure. This dissertation addresses methods to measure algae concentration in the presence of manure solids.

Quantifying the algae concentration gravimetrically or by optical density was unreliable due to manure solids interfering with the measurement. …

Development Of A Bi-Directional Electronics Platform For Advanced Neural Applications, Luca Abbati

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This work presents a high-voltage, high-precision bi-directional multi-channel system capable of stimulating neural activity through bi-phasic pulses of amplitude up to ∓50 V while recording very low-voltage responses as low as tens of microvolts. Most of the systems reported from the scientific community possess at least one of the following common limitations: low stimulation voltages, low gain capabilities, or insufficient bandwidth to acquire a wide range of different neural activities.

While systems can be found that present remarkable capabilities in one or more specific areas, a versatile system that performs over all these aspects is missing. Moreover, as many novel …

Evaluation Of Phosphorous And Nitrogen Removal In Alligator And Dairy Wastewater Via Lime And Bentonite Precipitation, Srikanth Bukkapatnam Tirumala

LSU Master's Theses

In many situations, the manure produced by confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) needs to be treated before being land applied in order to prevent negative impacts on the environment. Treatment methods are focused on reducing organics, recovering nitrogen and phosphorous. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of burnt-lime (Ca(OH)2) and bentonite clay precipitation system of recovering phosphorous from dairy wastewater and alligator wastewater and trapping any possible emissions of ammonia (NH3). Wastewater samples of flush dairy manure from a collection pit, dairy wastewater from an anaerobic lagoon and alligator wastewater from an anaerobic lagoon were investigated …

Effective Knowledge Management System Implementation In Small Organisations., Orna Nicholl

Dissertations

Much of the key research in the field of Knowledge Management carries an inherent set of assumptions as to the nature of the organisations under investigation, such as the fact that the organisation is a large one. As a consequence of this, Knowledge Management papers tend to focus on the distinctions such as: management-led initiatives versus grassroots initiatives, and the importance of inter-departmental communications, but for smaller organisations these types of issues are minimised or completely absent. This project will look at models and techniques from the existing body of Knowledge Management literature (with its focus on larger organisations) and …

5 Cm Gap Injury Repair: Growth Factor Support And Functional Analysis In A Rabbit Common Peroneal Nerve Model, Princy K. Prasad

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Nerve conduits have shown to successfully bridge nerve gaps of ≤ 3 cm; however repair of longer, mixed or motor nerve gaps still remains a clinical challenge. In order to study regeneration techniques in clinically relevant long gaps, larger animal models are required. Standardized methods to evaluate functional outcome are necessary to clinically translate experimental treatments. In this study, the capability of the biodegradable and transparent cross-linked doped polyester elastomer (CUPE) to serve as a nerve conduit material in a multiluminal nerve conduit across a 5 cm gap in a rabbit common peroneal nerve model was evaluated. The effect of …

Evaluation Of Tissue Response From The Regenerative Multielectrode Array (Remi) Implant Using Atf-3 And Cjun, Sarita Bhetawal

Bioengineering Theses - Archive

Currently available peripheral nerve regenerative interfaces such as the sieve and the micro-channel regenerative electrode, intended to be used for the control and natural feel from advanced robotic prosthetic devices, eventually fail due to nerve damage due to axonopathy. The Regenerative Multi-electrode array (REMI) developed in our lab overcomes this limitation by providing a non-obstructive pathway for regenerating axons. However, it is possible that the mismatch at the electrode-tissue interface may cause axonal injury during limb stretching. In order to determine if micro-motion at the REMI causes neuronal injury I evaluated the nuclear expression of Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF-3), …

A Novel Qos-Aware Mpeg-4 Video Delivery Algorithm Over The Lossy Ieee 802.11 Wlans To Improve The Video Quality, Tanmoy Debnath

Doctoral

Video traffic is bursty in nature and has different network requirements compared to other types of traffic (e.g. voice, data) in terms of bandwidth, delay, jitter, and loss etc. So it becomes important to manage video traffic on a WLAN carefully to achieve acceptable levels of Quality of Service (QoS). The unique contribution of this work is that it presents experimental and simulation studies of the performance of real video content streamed over WLAN networks. Under various test scenarios the performance of the WLAN network in terms of delay, loss, throughput etc. is analysed in the presence of background traffic. …

Multi-Wavelength Laser Sensor For Intruder Detection And Discrimination, Kavitha Venkataraayan, Sreten Askraba, Kamal E. Alameh, Clifton L. Smith

Research outputs 2011

An intruder detection and discrimination sensor with improved optical design is developed using lasers of different wavelengths to demonstrate the concept of discrimination over a distance of 6 m. A distinctive feature of optics is used to provide additional transverse laser beam scanning. The sample objects used to demonstrate the concept of discrimination over a distance of 6 m are leaf, bark, black fabric, PVC, wood and camouflage material. A camouflage material is chosen to illustrate the discrimination capability of the sensor. The sensor utilizes a five-wavelength laser combination module, which sequentially emits identically-polarized laser light beams along one optical …

Silk Cryogels For Microfluidics, Christopher David Hinojosa

Dissertations and Theses

Silk fibroin from silkworm cocoons is found in numerous applications ranging from textiles to medical implants. Its recent adoption as a biomaterial is due to the material's strength, biocompatibility, self-assembling behavior, programmable degradability, optical clarity, and its ability to be functionalized with antibodies and proteins. In the field of bioengineering it has been utilized as a tissue scaffolding, drug delivery system, biosensor, and implantable electrode. This work suggests a new application for porous silk in a microscale chromatography column. We demonstrate in situ cryotropic polymerization of highly porous structures in microscale geometries by freezing aqueous silk with a solvent. The …

Biodiesel Production From Microalgae: Co-Location With Sugar Mills, Christian Lohrey

LSU Master's Theses

Co-location of algae production facilities with sugarcane mills in Louisiana was investigated as a way to address the bottlenecks for algal biodiesel production. Using the process modeling software Sugars™, an algal biodiesel production process was integrated with the operation of a typical-sized 10,000 metric tons/day (11,000 short tons/day) sugarcane mill to evaluate material and energy balances. A process is proposed wherein alga production is supplemented with energy, water, and CO2 available from a sugarcane mill. The Energy Return on Invested, EROI (a ratio of the energy produced/energy required) of the proposed algal biodiesel production process was 1.25; meaning 25% more …

Reductive Dechlorination Of High Concentrations Of 1,2-Dichloroethane, 1,2-Dichloropropane, And 1,1,2-Trichloroethane By Dehalogenimonas Sp., Andrew D. Maness

LSU Master's Theses

The research goals presented here were to evaluate the solvent concentrations over which Dehalogenimonas lykanthroporepellens strain BL-DC-9T and Dehalogenimonas sp. IP3-3 are able to reductively dechlorinate 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), 1,2-dichloropropane (1,2-DCP), and 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA). Both of these novel bacteria were isolated from contaminated groundwater at the PetroProcessors of Louisiana, Inc. Superfund site located near Baton Rouge. Both cluster in the phylum Chloroflexi, related to, but distinct from, the widely studied, reductively dechlorinating “Dehalococcoides” strains .

Although previous research demonstrated that strains BL-DC-9T and IP3-3 are able to reductively dechlorinate a variety of polyhalogenated alkanes, the solvent concentration at which the strains …

Rapid Microwave Drying Of Non-Food Agricultural Feedstock For Improved Biofuel Production, Laura A. Picou

LSU Master's Theses

Due to limited supply of traditional fossil based fuels, and increased interest in air and water quality along with other environmental concerns, there has been a rise in the utilization of biomass based energy sources. Many agricultural materials can be used for the production of biofuels, including materials that are typically underutilized such as sweet sorghum bagasse and otherwise nuisance species such as Chinese tallow tree seeds. The goal of this project was to examine the relationship between the dielectric properties of sweet sorghum bagasse and Chinese tallow tree (CTT) seeds, respectively, and frequency and moisture content; to determine pertinent …

A Statically Balanced Shape-Shifting Surface, Joseph Eugene Pishnery

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a concept for producing a Statically Balanced Shape-Shifting Surface (SB-SSS). In this context, an SB-SSS is a surface that can require near-zero magnitude force changes to accomplish a change in shape while retaining effectiveness as a physical barrier. This paper focuses on how to statically balance a specifically-designed compliant mechanism and how to incorporate this mechanism into a polygonal cell.

The mechanism consists of a compliant Peaucellier-Lipkin linkage layered with a pre-stressed link as the balancer. Previous work is presented that can show how a polygonal cell can be incorporated into a surface via a tiling …

Catalytic Tri-Reforming Of Biomass-Derived Syngas To Produce Desired H2:Co Ratios For Fuel Applications, Devin Mason Walker

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on upgrading biomass derived syngas for the synthesis of liquid fuels using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS). The process includes novel gasification of biomass via a tri-reforming process which involves a synergetic combination of CO2 reforming, steam reforming, and partial oxidation of methane. Typical biomass-derived syngas H2:CO is 1:1 and contains tars that deactivate FT catalyst. This innovation allows for cost-effective one-step production of syngas in the required H2:CO of 2:1 with reduction of tars for use in the FTS. To maximize the performance of the tri-reforming catalyst, an attempt to control oxygen mobility, thermal stability, dispersion of metal, …

Precipitation Of Phosphate Minerals From Effluent Of Anaerobically Digested Swine Manure, Alex Y. Lin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Swine production represents approximately 40% of the world's meat production, and its wastes contain high concentrations of organic carbon, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). Anaerobic digestion is an increasingly popular technology for treating animal wastes while simultaneously generating energy. Its propagation and ability to solubilize organic N and P make adding a struvite recovery process attractive. Recovering struvite (MgNH4PO4) from anaerobically digested swine waste can address global P shortages, meet P discharge guidelines, and produce slow-release fertilizer, which can be sold for revenue.

Anaerobic digesters were operated with at organic loading rates of 3.4-3.9 g volatile solids per liter per …

Development And Application Of Its Operations Evaluation Models (Itsoems), Gummadavelly Narasimha Murthy

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) play an important role in supporting motorists and first responders to handle major incidents, hazmat spills, security measures and other emergency operations. Increasingly, technology advancements and applications are providing invaluable integration opportunities to interconnect safety, maintenance, ITS, traffic operations, facilities, and transportation equipment programs to maximize available resources and achieve efficiency in transportation operations.

This research focuses on one of the prominent ITS devices: Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) operations. Using real time incident management operations data and ITS operations data, an attempt is made to develop ITS Operations Evaluations Models (ITSOEMs) that are capable of quantifying …

Dolphin Sound Production And Distribution On The West Florida Shelf, Peter Simard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an investigation of dolphin sound production and distribution off west central Florida. Although a wealth of information exists on the production of common sounds (whistles, echolocation) made by captive, trained dolphins, far less is known about free-ranging dolphin sound production and of unusual sounds. In addition, while inshore dolphin populations or communities are the subjects of research projects in many locations, dolphins in offshore waters are less commonly studied. The objectives of this dissertation were to contribute information on free-ranging dolphin sounds and continental shelf dolphin distribution.

While echolocation has been rigorously studied in captive, trained dolphins, …

Assessing The Reuse Potential Of Wastewater For Irrigation: The Removal Of Helminth Eggs From A Uasb Reactor And Stabilization Ponds In Bolivia, Matthew Eric Verbyla

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Extreme hunger, malnutrition, and the lack of access to sanitation are among the most pressing development challenges, but the world is not on track to meet the targets that have been established by the Millennium Development Goals. The integration of wastewater treatment and food production systems allows for the recovery of resources from wastewater, and can provide an important solution to meet the sanitation needs of growing urban populations and provide periurban farmers with a consistent supply of water and nutrients. Stabilization ponds have been long considered to be an appropriate technology for wastewater reuse systems in developing countries, but …

Quantification Of Nox Reduction Via Nitrate Accumulation On A Tio2 Photocatalytic Concrete Pavement, David James Osborn

LSU Master's Theses

Field trials of photocatalytic pavements were recently initiated and are presently being considered by many states (e.g., Virginia, Texas, New York, and Missouri). Results from this study originate from the country’s first air-purifying asphalt and concrete photocatalytic pavements, constructed on Dec. 20, 2010. The test area is a pavement site located on the LSU campus. The objective of the study is to validate field photocatalytic degradation of NOx in a field environment by measuring the day to day accumulation of the oxidized byproduct; nitrate salts. The mass of nitrates, produced by the real life photocatalytic pavement, were measured. The measurement …

The Use Of A Mixed Chlorella Cyanobacteria Culture As A Protein Source For Aquaculture, Marjan Sadat Mohtashamian

LSU Master's Theses

The increase in the global demand for fish feed in the last decades has resulted in the over exploitation of natural resources to produce more fishmeal supplies for aquaculture industry. The supply issues and high prices of fishmeal products have raised the incentives to seek for suitable alternatives to replace fishmeal protein. As a by-product of biofuel production process, residual microalgal biomass may be a low cost feed ingredient to the aquaculture diet. The potential of the use of a post lipid extraction Chlorella vulgaris/Leptolyngbya sp. Co-Culture (Louisiana co-culture) as a protein source in aquaculture feeds could help offset fishmeal. …

Surface-Modified Plga Nanoparticles For Targeted Drug Delivery To Neurons, Jingyan Li

LSU Master's Theses

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), which protects the central nervous system (CNS) from unnecessary substances, is a challenging obstacle in the treatment of CNS disease such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Many therapeutic agents such as hydrophilic and macromolecular drugs cannot overcome the BBB. One promising solution is the employment of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) such as poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) NPs as drug carrier. Over the past few years, significant breakthroughs have been made in developing suitable poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles for drug delivery across the BBB. Recent advances on PLGA/PLA NPs enhanced neural delivery of …

Towards The Development Of Biotin Carboxylase Driven Robotic Nanoswimmers, Rachel Yates

LSU Master's Theses

The objective of this research is to take the first step towards demonstrating the use of the enzyme biotin carboxylase (BC) as a biomolecular motor. BC is a homodimeric protein involved in fatty biosynthesis in all organisms. The conjecture is that BC can convert chemical energy into useful mechanical work via its conformation change, which acts as a fin or flexible oar producing nonreciprocal motion. To this end, we fabricate a proof-of-concept biomolecular machine driven by BC molecules, viz., a robotic nanoswimmer. This machine consists of a Janus-type nanosize silica particle, where one hemisphere is coated with an intermediate layer …

Non-Rigid Registration Of 2-D/3-D Dynamic Data With Feature Alignment, Huanhuan Xu

LSU Master's Theses

In this work, we are computing the matching between 2D manifolds and 3D manifolds with temporal constraints, that is we are computing the matching among a time sequence of 2D/3D manifolds. It is solved by mapping all the manifolds to a common domain, then build their matching by composing the forward mapping and the inverse mapping. At first, we solve the matching problem between 2D manifolds with temporal constraints by using mesh-based registration method. We propose a surface parameterization method to compute the mapping between the 2D manifold and the common 2D planar domain. We can compute the matching among …

Speech Intelligibility Prediction Using A Neurogram Similarity Index Measure, Andrew Hines, Naomi Harte

Articles

Performance Intensity functions can be used to provide additional information over measurement of speech reception threshold and maximum phoneme recognition by plotting a test subject's recognition probability over a range of sound intensities. A computational model of the auditory periphery was used to replace the human subject and develop a methodology that simulates a real listener test. The newly developed NSIM is used to evaluate the model outputs in response to Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC) word lists and produce phoneme discrimination scores.