Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Traditional Standard Drainfield With Innovative B&G Treatment Bed For Nutrient Removal From Septic Tank Wastewater, Fahim Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays people are more alert about conservation of water and water scarcity. The amount of usable water is decreasing due to unavailability of pure water for day to day use. Both surface and groundwater is contaminated by untreated wastewater discharged from improper onsite wastewater treatment system, nutrient laden agricultural runoff and increasing use of fertilizer in fields. This elevated nutrient level is increasing the maintenance and operation cost of water treatment plant. So it is an important task to remove those nutrients from wastewater and other water bodies by applying environmental friendly process. In the USA, about 25% homes are …

Real-Time Cinematic Design Of Visual Aspects In Computer-Generated Images, Juraj Obert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Creation of visually-pleasing images has always been one of the main goals of computer graphics. Two important components are necessary to achieve this goal --- artists who design visual aspects of an image (such as materials or lighting) and sophisticated algorithms that render the image. Traditionally, rendering has been of greater interest to researchers, while the design part has always been deemed as secondary. This has led to many inefficiencies, as artists, in order to create a stunning image, are often forced to resort to the traditional, creativity-baring, pipelines consisting of repeated rendering and parameter tweaking. Our work shifts the …

Assessment Of Aquifer Storage And Recovery Impact On Phosphorus Stability In Lake Sediment, Sha Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lake Okeechobee, the second largest natural freshwater lake in the United States, had experienced a historical drought in 2007-2008 and the inflow to Lake Okeechobee has been reduced by 40% of the average daily mean between warm phase and cold phase due to the impact of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation in the past six decades. To cope with this water resources management problem, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) proposed the largest national implementation plan of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project in the Kissimmee River Basin. Routine operation of ASR will deliver recovered water from ASR wells into the …

A New Development Of Feedback Controller For Left Ventricular Assist Device, Yu Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rotary Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) is a mechanical pump surgically implanted in patients with end-stage congestive heart failure to help maintain the flow of blood from the sick heart. The rotary type pumps are controlled by varying the impeller speed to control the amount of blood flowing through the LVAD. One important challenge in using these devices is to prevent the occurrence of excessive pumping of blood from the left ventricle (known as suction) that may cause it to collapse due to the high pump speed. The development of a proper feedback controller for the pump speed is …

A Field Investigation For The Wind Load Performance Of Vegetated Greenroofs Using Monitoring Systems, Melike Minareci

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Greenroof systems have been shown to be an environmentally friendly alternative based on various factors; such as, reduced lifecycle cost, improved air quality, ambient temperature reduction, stormwater management credit, sustainability and preservation of the environment. Recent research studies attempt to determine the construction methods of an ideal greenroof for environmental purposes, yet there is an absence of standards for the best design required to achieve acceptable structural performance and sustainability under wind loads. As a result, there is a need to document the effectiveness of greenroofs under high wind events by addressing the following questions: Do winds have an effect …

Episodic Memory Model For Embodied Conversational Agents, Miguel Elvir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECA) form part of a range of virtual characters whose intended purpose include engaging in natural conversations with human users. While works in literature are ripe with descriptions of attempts at producing viable ECA architectures, few authors have addressed the role of episodic memory models in conversational agents. This form of memory, which provides a sense of autobiographic record-keeping in humans, has only recently been peripherally integrated into dialog management tools for ECAs. In our work, we propose to take a closer look at the shared characteristics of episodic memory models in recent examples from the field. …

Bioelectric Applications For Treatment Of Melanoma, Stephen J. Beebe, Karl H. Schoenbach, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Two new cancer therapies apply bioelectric principles. These methods target tumor structures locally and function by applying millisecond electric fields to deliver plasmid DNA encoding cytokines using electrogene transfer (EGT) or by applying rapid rise-time nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs). EGT has been used to locally deliver cytokines such as IL-12 to activate an immune response, resulting in bystander effects. NsPEFs locally induce apoptosis-like effects and affect vascular networks, both promoting tumor demise and restoration of normal vascular homeostasis. EGT with IL-12 is in melanoma clinical trials and nsPEFs are used in models with B16F10 melanoma in vitro and in …

Acoustic Reflectometry Using Gaussian-Modulated Sinusoidal Waves And The Ware-Aki Algorithm, Ernesto Rodrigo Vazquez Ceron

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Acoustic reflectometry, a non invasive technique, consists of solving, the inverse problem of estimating the cross sectional area as function of the distance of a cylindrical cavity by impacting an audible acoustic pulse of high amplitude and short duration, and analyzing the reflected wave. The technique has been applied in Biomedical Engineering to estimate both the area of a human upper airway and the patency of endotracheal tubes as a function of distance. Several ways have been tested to improve the quality of an acoustic pulse and different algorithms have been tested to reduce the losses. However, an acoustic pulse …

Microalgae Harvesting By Flocculation With Polymer-Coated Magnetite Particles, Humayun Shariff

Masters Theses

"Although microalgae are considered to be one of the potentially significant feedstock for renewable biofuels, harvesting them efficiently from culture ponds has been a major hurdle. The conventional harvesting methods such as centrifugation and filtration are very time and labor intensive processes. Gravimetrical settlement with the aid of cationic flocculants is the most widely employed technique, but suffers from the difficulty in recovering microalgae floes. Furthermore, recycling of these flocculants after the harvesting process is not possible. Polymer-coated magnetite particles have been investigated for applications in various fields. This research has focused on the development of a novel and efficient …

Parameterization Of Microwave Assisted Oil Extraction And Its Transesterification To Biodiesel, Akanksha V. Kanitkar

LSU Master's Theses

Currently, a majority of the world’s energy needs are met through use of fossil fuels, petroleum, coal and natural gas. The depletion of petroleum reserves, rising and extremely volatile crude oil prices, and environmental concerns have led to search for renewable and environmentally friendly fuels. The ultimate goal of this research was to develop, test and optimize a batch microwave system using traditional and alternate non-food feedstocks. Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) of oil from conventional feedstocks (soybeans and rice bran) and an alternative feedstock (Chinese tallow tree (CTT) seeds) was carried out. The study concluded that MAE of oil is …

Investigating The Effects Of Various Crowd Characteristics On The Dynamic Properties Of An Occupied Structure, Robert Joseph Firman Iii

Honors Theses

One of the challenges for structural engineers during design is considering how the structure will respond to crowd-induced dynamic loading. It has been shown that human occupants of a structure do not simply add mass to the system when considering the overall dynamic response of the system, but interact with it and may induce changes of the dynamic properties from those of the empty structure. This study presents an investigation into the human-structure interaction based on several crowd characteristics and their effect on the dynamic properties of an empty structure. The dynamic properties including frequency, damping, and mode shapes were …

Investigating The Use Of Bioengineered Oyster Reefs As A Method Of Shoreline Protection And Carbon Storage, Daniel D. Dehon

LSU Master's Theses

The Louisiana Gulf Coast is losing land at an alarming rate for a combination of reasons. At the same time carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere and the oceans by the increased burning of fossil fuels. Therefore, bioengineered oyster dominated artificial reefs have been developed in an effort to mitigate erosion while storing carbon in the oyster shells. These reefs support the growth of a native oyster species, Crassostrea virginica, which are considered ecological engineers and serve to improve water quality, protect coastal wetlands, capture and store carbon, and enhance the economy. Evaluation of test pieces showed the addition …

Development Of A Compact Optical System For A Forward-Looking Endoscope, Anandi Kalyan Dutta

LSU Master's Theses

ABSTRACT Optical Coherence Tomography has been effectively used for endoscopy in many previous studies. In this work, a 2 mm diameter forward-looking endoscope is developed with the help of MEMS technology and Optical Coherence Technology (OCT) to obtain in-vivo cross-sectional images of tissues or body cavities. The design consists of a GRIN lens, optical fiber and MEMS chip that are placed in line to fulfill the aim of achieving a 2 mm diameter probe. A standard assembly process has been established for the probe. An anisotropic etching was performed on the sample chip to create the V-groove for carrying the …

Exomedicine Synthesis Paper, Rita Briggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A report by Rita Briggs titled "Exomedicine Synthesis Paper" from 2010.

Reeling In Big Phish With A Deep Md5 Net, Brad Wardman, Gary Warner, Heather Mccalley, Sarah Turner, Anthony Skjellum

Journal of Digital Forensics, Security and Law

Phishing continues to grow as phishers discover new exploits and attack vectors for hosting malicious content; the traditional response using takedowns and blacklists does not appear to impede phishers significantly. A handful of law enforcement projects — for example the FBI's Digital PhishNet and the Internet Crime and Complaint Center (ic3.gov) — have demonstrated that they can collect phishing data in substantial volumes, but these collections have not yet resulted in a significant decline in criminal phishing activity. In this paper, a new system is demonstrated for prioritizing investigative resources to help reduce the time and effort expended examining this …

Hydrodynamic Modeling Of San Elijo Lagoon, California, Mary Elizabeth Nee Friedmann Bourgoyne

LSU Master's Theses

Decisions on where to concentrate management efforts need to be guided by an ability to accurately simulate and predict physical and ecological changes. Many restoration projects experience difficulties due to a lack of understanding of the ecological response and evolution of wetland systems (Goodwin et al., 2001). There are several approaches that can be taken in analyzing a system. The appropriate selection should be based on the available data, the spatial scale of the wetland, and the physical processes governing the system (Goodwin and Kamman, 2001). Predictive tools are essential for good long-term management (Goodwin et al., 2001). The objective …

Dynamic Model Of Ecological Factors Impacting The Gulf Of Mexico Dead Zone, Jimmie Arnold Brumfield Ii

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The industrial agriculture complex of the Mississippi River Drainage Basin has the positive effect of feeding more individuals with less land via the use of chemical nutrients, pesticides and drainage. The negative effects of the agricultural nutrient load are carried by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. After the flood of 1927 the Flood Control Act of 1928 began changing the Mississippi River into a navigation and flood control project. While successful, the river was turned into a channel where nutrient input was discharged into the Gulf of Mexico. Nitrogen compounds discharged from the Mississippi are claimed to …

Arsenite Oxidation By Pure Cultures Of Thiomonas Arsenivorans Strain B6 In Bioreactor Systems, Aniruddha Dastidar

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The removal of arsenic toxicity from water is accomplished by a preliminary preoxidative step transforming the most toxic form, arsenite (As (III)), to the least toxic form, arsenate (As (V)). The potential of As (III) oxidation to As (V) was initially investigated in batch reactors using the chemoautotrophic Thiomonas arsenivorans strain b6 under varying initial As (III) and cell concentrations and at optimal pH and temperature conditions (pH 6.0 and temperature 30°C). The strain b6 completely oxidized As (III) to As (V) during exponential growth phase for lower levels of As (III) concentrations (≤ 100 mg/L) but continued into stationary …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Magnetic Hydrogel Nanocomposites For Cancer Therapy Applications, Samantha Ann Meenach

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Currently, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Conventional cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical resection, but unfortunately, all of these methods have significant drawbacks. Hyperthermia, the heating of cancerous tissues to between 41 and 45°C, has been shown to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy when used in conjunction with irradiation and/or chemotherapy. In this work, a novel method for remotely administering heat is presented. This method involves heating of tumor tissue using hydrogel nanocomposites containing magnetic nanoparticles which can be remotely heated upon exposure to an external alternating magnetic field (AMF). The …

Spheroid Detection In 2d Images Using Circular Hough Transform, Priyanka Chaudhary

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

Three-dimensional endothelial cell sprouting assay (3D-ECSA) exhibits differentiation of endothelial cells into sprouting structures inside a 3D matrix of collagen I. It is a screening tool to study endothelial cell behavior and identification of angiogenesis inhibitors. The shape and size of an EC spheroid (aggregation of ~ 750 cells) is important with respect to its growth performance in presence of angiogenic stimulators. Apparently, tubules formed on malformed spheroids lack homogeneity in terms of density and length. This requires segregation of well formed spheroids from malformed ones to obtain better performance metrics. We aim to develop and validate an automated imaging …

Gains In Knowledge And Perception Of Engineering After Participation In An Engineering Design Web-Experience Are Gender-Dependent, Kimberly Edginton Bigelow, Gail Wheatley, David Tomasko

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Web-based activities have the potential to teach engineering in both formal and informal science education settings, maximizing outreach efforts. To date, many activities available on the internet teach about engineering, but few allow students to truly “do” engineering.

This project utilized web animation and interaction in the design of a web-based experience focused on engineering design. In this activity, targeted toward middle school students, users played the role of engineer and engaged in the process of designing a cell phone for the older adult market. It was hoped that this web-based activity would increase participant understanding of what engineering is …

Performance Analysis Of Micro Gas Turbine Fueled By Blends Of Biodiesel And Petroleum-Based Diesel, Farshid Zabihian, Hsiao-Wei D. Chiang, Alan S. Fung

Early Career Technical Journal (ECTJ)

Proceedings of the ASME Early Career Technical Conference, October 1-2, 2010. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia

pp. 66-74

Optimization Of Parameters And Study Of Kinetics In Lactulose Production By Lactose Isomerization Using Strong Basic Anion Exchange Resin, Arvind Nanduri

Masters Theses

"In this work, an experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of different operating conditions on the isomerization of lactose to lactulose by using strong basic anion exchange resin (AMBERLITE-IRA 402). Temperature, resin/lactose mass ratio and pH were considered to be the three factors affecting the conversion of lactose. Box-Behnken design was then used to optimize the operating conditions for maximum response and also to study the various interaction and main effects of the factors. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the experimental data showed a high correlation coefficient R² (0.99) and a low root mean square error (2.84) …

Emi Suppression Of Dc-Dc Synchronous Buck Converters By Layout Optimizations And Emi Prediction Using Non-Linear And Spice Circuit Co-Simulation, Ankit Bhargava

Masters Theses

"The oscillation on the phase voltage is due to the resonant structure formed by a parasitic loop (consisting of two FETs and the input decoupling capacitors) inductance and the output capacitance of the low side FET. Therefore, it is important to minimize this parasitic loop inductance. A simulation guideline is developed on full-wave modeling and simulation of buck converter layouts to estimate the parasitic loop inductances. Furthermore, this method is taken one step further to estimate the far-field radiation from the loop. These simulations were verified on six PCB variants of the buck converter and were compared with measurements in …

Embedded Optimal Control Of Mobile Robot Formations Using Neural Networks, Bryan M. Brenner

Masters Theses

"This work first presents the development of a nearly-optimal control scheme and then evaluates the effectiveness of this nearly-optimal control scheme by comparing it to a non optimal controller in Paper I. It is shown that the proposed nearly-optimal scheme is a significant improvement over the non optimal one in both simulation and hardware tests. The test was carried out on a differentially driven robotic vehicle in both obstacle free and obstacle ridden environments. On the other hand, the controller introduced for the obstacle avoidance in Paper II will also function in the absence of obstacles so that no switching …

Impaired Vascular Reactivity Following Chronic Ischemia In The Arteries Of The Mouse Hindlimb, Thomas (Tom) Kesler

Biomedical Engineering

Collateral dependent hyperemia is reduced following chronic ischemia, but the contribution of individual vessel reactivity is unknown. Further, it is not known what aspect of the complex ischemic injury response impacts vascular reactivity. To determine the impact of ischemia on vascular reactivity, we measured functional vasodilation in the muscular branch artery following resection of the femoral artery proximal to the muscular branch. On day-14 after surgery the diameter of the muscular branch was measured using side-stream dark field (SDF) imaging intravital microscopy. At moderate intensity skeletal muscle contraction (1mA, 200µs, 8Hz, 90sec), functional vasodilation is reduced compared to the contralateral …

Morphological Assessment Of Basic Multicellular Unit Resorption Parameters In Dogs Shows Additional Mechanisms Of Bisphosphonate Effects On Bone, Matthew R. Allen, Antonia M. Erickson, Xiang Wang, David B. Burr, R. Bruce Martin, Scott J. Hazelwood

Biomedical Engineering

Bisphosphonates (BPs) slow bone loss by reducing initiation of new basic multicellular units (BMUs). Whether or not BPs simply prevent osteoclasts from initiating new BMUs that resorb bone or also reduce the amount of bone they resorb at the BMU level is not clear. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of BPs on three morphological parameters of individual BMUs, resorption depth (Rs.De), area (Rs.Ar), and width (Rs.Wi). After 1 year of treatment with vehicle (VEH), alendronate (ALN; 0.10, 0.20, or 1.00 mg/kg/day), or risedronate (RIS; 0.05, 0.10, or 0.50 mg/kg/day), resorption cavity morphology was assessed in …

Impaired Vascular Reactivity Following Chronic Ischemia In The Arteries Of The Mouse Hindlimb, Trevor Cardinal, Thomas J. Kesler, Matthew D. Yocum, Tyler S. Smith, Nolan M. Mott

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Computational Thinking Across The Curriculum: A Conceptual Framework, Amber Settle, Ljubomir Perkovic

Technical Reports

We describe a framework for implementing computational thinking in a broad variety of general education courses. The framework is designed to be used by faculty without formal training in information technology in order to understand and integrate computational thinking into their own general education courses. The framework includes examples of computational thinking in a variety of general education courses, as well as sample in-class activities, assignments, and other assessments for the courses. The examples in the different courses are related and differentiated using categories taken from Peter Denning’s Great Principles of Computing, so that similar types of computational thinking appearing …

Modeling Mechanical Response Of Heterogeneous Materials, Siladitya Pal

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

Heterogeneous materials are ubiquitous in nature and as synthetic materials. These materials provide unique combination of desirable mechanical properties emerging from its heterogeneities at different length scales. Future structural and technological applications will require the development of advanced light weight materials with superior strength and toughness. Cost effective design of the advanced high performance synthetic materials by tailoring their microstructure is the challenge facing the materials design community. Prior knowledge of structure-property relationships for these materials is imperative for optimal design. Thus, understanding such relationships for heterogeneous materials is of primary interest. Furthermore, computational burden is becoming critical concern in …