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Reconstruction And Texturing Of 3d Surfaces From Fused Low-Cost Aerial Lidar And Optical Imagery, Samuel Kiguthi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Drones equipped with laser scanners (LiDAR) and cameras capture detailed 3D scenes. Combining the laser points with photos builds realistic, photo-textured 3D maps used in surveying, agriculture, and infrastructure planning. Conventional methods to create these maps often misrepresent inward shapes such as doorways, overhangs, and outcrops. These shapes are misrepresented because drones mainly view top surfaces and do not collect significant data on vertical or hidden areas.

This study introduces a surface-reconstruction method that groups LiDAR points into clusters, reconstructs smooth surfaces for each cluster, and uses information from recorded camera poses to stitch clusters together. Tests on real drone …

Separating The Control Of Moving And Holding In Human Post-Stroke Arm Paresis, Alkis M. Hadjiosif, Kahori Kita, Scott T. Albert, Robert A. Scheidt, Reza Shadmehr, John W. Krakauer

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Moving and holding-still (holding) have been posited to be separately controlled. The paretic arm after stroke exhibits different abnormalities during rest vs. movement, providing an opportunity to ask whether control of these behaviors is independently affected in stroke. We quantified resting postural abnormalities in human stroke patients by measuring their biases in force production as they held their hand still in various locations in a planar workspace and then assessed whether these resting force biases influenced reaching in the same workspace. Patients displayed marked resting force biases at each location, even when the arm was supported. However, these …

Analysis Of Engine Parameters Of High Composition Palm Oil Biodiesel In Crdi System, Achmad Aminudin, Kelvin Dwi Wardana, Nanang Romandoni, Ahmad Yusril Aminullah, Nur Ihda Farikhatin Nisa, Hari Setiapraja

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The heavy reliance on fossil fuels has serious consequences, particularly regarding increased greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. In order to obtain cleaner fuel resources and reduce fossil fuel dependence, palm oil biodiesel is added to fossil diesel by volume ratio resulting in B50 and B55 blends. Combustion characteristics, performance, fuel consumption, and emissions were performed in a diesel engine with a 4-cylinder common rail direct injection (CRDI) at different engine speeds (1500, 2000, 2500, and 3000 rpm). Compared to fossil diesel, biodiesel blends exhibit higher density at 855.9 kg/m³ (B55), kinematic viscosity with a value of 5.1 …

Impact Of Cpo And B35 On Diesel Engine Rocker Arm Wear During Long-Term Operation, Fawwaz Aqilah Nurmansyah, Nur Fadilah Rizky Supramono, Muhammad Ikhsan, Erwan Adi Saputro, Wiliandi Saputro

Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science and Technology (JMEST)

The increasing number of motor vehicles has led to higher fossil fuel consumption, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and environmental degradation. As a renewable alternative, biodiesel offers a way to reduce these impacts. Indonesia, with its abundant natural resources, has significant potential for biodiesel production. Crude palm oil (CPO) is a promising feedstock due to its availability and relatively low environmental impact. However, the high costs associated with the transesterification process make direct use of pre-heated CPO an area worth exploring. This study investigates the impact of pre-heated pure CPO compared to B35 ("Dexlite") on rocker arm wear …

Users’ Expectations Of The Water Element As A Recreational Feature On University Campuses, Zubaidah Nadhem Mahmood Alzubaidi, Gökçen Firdevs Yücel Caymaz

HBRC Journal

Water is an important element in campus landscaping. Hence the importance of the lake opposite the Department of Architecture at the University of Mosul. However, the lake and its surroundings are currently neglected and in need of development. But any development must consider the expectations of the users, as the lake is there for them. Therefore, the research aims to identify users’ expectations of the lake as a recreational element on the campus, which can be used in any development of the lake. To this end, the literature review identified several characteristics related to the lake, such as size, movement, …

Fusion Of Simulation And Ai Methods For Understanding Hov/Hot Lane Operational Flow Dynamics, Deo Chimba, Therezia Matongo, Hellen Shita, Erickson Senkondo, Masanja Madalo, Afia Yeboah

Civil and Architectural Engineering Faculty Research

This study investigated the impact of converting High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on fundamental traffic flow characteristics, focusing on speed, density, and flow relationships. A 25-mile HOV corridor along I-24 Westbound in Nashville, Tennessee was evaluated using both microscopic simulation via VISSIM and data-driven machine learning through a Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network. Four operational scenarios were assessed: (1) HOV lanes without enforcement, (2) HOV lanes with effective occupancy enforcement, (3) HOT lanes with limited access points, and (4) HOT lanes with intermediate access points. Flow-density and speed-flow relationships were modeled using Greenshields theory …

Development Of A Digestion Procedure Using Fe2+ Ions For Electrochemical Detection Of Mno2 Particles In Drinking Water, Kayla Elliott, Sarah Jane Payne, Zhe She

Journal of Electrochemistry

Developing methods for detection contaminants in drinking water is essential to ensuring that safe and acceptable quality drinking water is delivered to consumers. While manganese (Mn) was previously known only as a mere aesthetic issue, recent epidemiological data has shown to have negative neurological effects on humans, especially on children, prompting new health-based guidelines by Health Canada and the World Health Organization. In drinking water, Mn exists predominantly as Mn(II) and Mn(IV), and is regulated based on total Mn levels. Interestingly, measurement of Mn particulate using electroanalytical methods has not yet been reported in the literature. Herein, a digestion procedure …

Biocompatible And Antibacterial Pcl-Tio2@Ag/Γ-Cd Mof Nanocomposite Coating For Corrosion Resistance Of Magnesium Alloy In Simulated Body Fluid, Sara Dehghan-Chenar, Hamid R. Zare, Zahra Mohammadpour, Maryam Sadat Mirbagheri-Firoozabad

Journal of Electrochemistry

Magnesium alloys are promising candidates for bio-implant applications due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, their rapid corrosion remains a critical limitation. This study presents the development of a multifunctional nanocomposite coating designed to enhance the corrosion resistance and antibacterial properties of magnesium alloy implants. The coating comprised γ-cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (γ-CD MOFs) decorated with TiO₂@Ag core-shell nanoparticles, embedded in a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix. Immersion tests in a simulated body fluid (SBF) revealed an initially higher corrosion rate for the PCL-TiO₂@Ag/γ-CD MOF coating compared to the coating without TiO₂@Ag nanoparticles; however, it demonstrated significant …

Transdisciplinary Perspectives On Ai: The Fourth Annual Conference Of The European Culture And Technology Laboratory, Connell Vaughan, Ioana Madalina Moldovan, Silivan Moldovan, Noel Fitzpatrick

Books/Book Chapters

The fourth annual conference of the ECT Lab+ was hosted by Technical University of Cluj-Napoca over two days in October 2024 at the Cluj Innovation Park. The conference brought together experts from the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Technology, and other fields to discuss and reflect on the advent of Artificial Intelligence and how the associated technologies are transforming how we live, work and study. Under the title Transdisciplinary perspectives on AI: Alternative Histories, Current Practices and Possible Futures the conference moved beyond simplistic technophila and technophobia to consider whether we can co-evolve with these new technologies which combine machine learning …

Flash Effect Is Diminished By Daily Fractionation Of Electron Rt In Mouse Skin, Aleksandra Ilina, William S. Thomas, Xu Cao, Matthew S. Reed, Kendall Jarvis, Albert Van Der Kogel, Nathaniel Van Asselt, Wesley S. Culberson, Brian W. Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objective. While FLASH radiotherapy is known to reduce skin damage in vivo from ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) irradiation relative to conventional dose rates (CDR), it is not clear whether this sparing is preserved when delivered as fractionated. This study was designed to directly assess whether three daily fractions would maintain the sparing effects in murine leg models and preserve the murine skin sparing with single fraction treatments. Approach. C57Bl/6j female mice were irradiated with 9 MeV UHDR and CDR beams from a FLASH-capable Mobetron system, in a dose escalation study with doses ranging from single dose 22–30 Gy in a …

Grey Wolf Optimization Of Pi Controller For Power Management In Wind Farms: A Novel Approach, Anis Feddaoui, Lotfi Farah, Abdelouahab Benretem, Mohammed Abdeldjalil Djehaf

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This study proposes a novel power management strategy for wind farms using a grey wolf optimization (GWO)-based PI controller. The method aims to enhance active and reactive power control in systems employing dou bly fed induction generators. Three control strategies are evaluated—namely, a classical frequency-domain PI controller, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based controller, and the proposed GWO-based PI controller—the last of which represents the main contribution. The classical PI and ANN controllers are included strictly for comparative bench marking. MATLAB simulations demonstrate that the GWO-beased PI controller offers superior dynamic performance, particularly in settling time and overshoot reduction. A power …

2025 - The Sixth Annual Fall Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Fall 2025 Symposium of Student Scholars, held in November 2025. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Mechanisms Of Correlated Neuronal Activity In The Globus Pallidus, Hamza Albawaliz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the mechanisms of correlated neuronal activity in the globus pallidus externus (GPe), a key structure in the basal ganglia. Neuronal activity in the GPe is reportedly decorrelated in healthy subjects but can become highly correlated in Parkinson’s disease. However, high-density neuronal recordings in the GPe of healthy rats reveal a surprising degree of correlated activity. This raises the question of whether intrinsic properties or network connectivity alone can account for such patterns. To explore this, a computational model was developed in which GPe neurons are represented as coupled phase oscillators influenced by experimentally derived phase-response curves and …

Guardrail Design And Placement 101, Katherine Smutzer

Civil Engineering Professional Development Seminar

Not all “guardrail” is created equal. Within the last 10 years INDOT has adopted the MASH-compliant Midwest Guardrail System (MGS). While similar to the previous standard w-beam guardrail, there are nuances that aren’t well understood by designers. The presentation would reinforce the fundamentals of guardrail as a safety barrier, explain the function of various components of a guardrail system, and review important design considerations.

The Impact Of Domed Architecture On The Architectural Character Of Western Desert Oases, Nader Mohamed Gharib, Mo’Men Abdelqader, Yousab Magdy Shafik

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The visual disharmony arising from the indiscriminate and architecturally unplanned integration of curved roofing elements, notably domes, into the built environment of the Western Desert oases has become a significant issue, particularly in the Siwa Oasis, where the adoption of domed architecture was first introduced in the village of Jafar in 1997. This research delves into a detailed study that focuses on how pivotal historical, cultural, environmental, aesthetic, functional, and technical factors have crucially shaped the widespread integration of these iconic curved roofing superstructures in the oases' architectural heritage over generations, contributing to the uniquely recognizable architectural character and sense …

Exploring The Effectiveness Of Virtual Reality Learning Through Use Of Visual Eye-Tracking Analytics (Veta) And Biological Measurements, Mckinley Anne Sherman

Master's Theses

Virtual Reality (VR) offers an immersive and interactive platform for experiential learning. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the relationship between physiological responses and cognitive workload within a VR learning environment and to explore VR as an effective instructional tool. This research compared participant engagement, stress, and learning performance within a 6th-grade science module developed in VR by incorporating biometric data collected via Polar H10 heart rate monitor and Varjo Areo VR headset eye-tracking. Thirty-three participants completed a pre-lesson demographic survey, post-lesson survey, VR sickness questionnaire, and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). While completing the lesson, the …

Seismic Responsive Buildings: Comparison Between Egyptian Code 2012 With Different International Codes For Seismic Structural Irregularities At Architectural Design, Aya Abd El Ghaffar Mohamed, Mohamed Anwar Mohamed Fikry, Mai Mohamed Abdo

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Seismic codes are laws and regulations that establish the basic requirements for building structures that can withstand seismic activity. Each country has different restrictions under different subheadings, depending on the seismic history of the region and the economic situation of the country. "Structural irregularity" is the most significant aspect of earthquake codes contributing to architectural design. A regular design of a structure leads to more rational behavior during earthquakes, enhancing resistance to dynamic loads and economic performance in comparison to irregular buildings. Architects must understand how earthquakes impact structures, as the structural system shapes the building's form and aesthetics, and …

User Interface And Watchstation Improvements Required For Multi-Vehicle Usv Operations, Val Schmidt, Joshua Bergeron

Faculty Publications

In October 2024, the University of New Hampshire and NOAA’s Uncrewed Systems Office embarked on a mapping mission in the Gulf of Maine, simultaneously operating two DriX Un-crewed Surface Vehicles. Goals of the project were focused on testing hypotheses related to concepts of operation, including the safety of operations, cognitive loading of operators, management of vehicle endurance, vehicle logistics, maintenance and field support, refueling and a host of others.

Heritage-Based City Branding Case Study Of Fayoum City, Menna Mounir, Sameir Hammad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Uniqueness and distinction have become fundamental requirements in promoting and branding cities. Influencing people's perceptions is best achieved by reinforcing the city's identity. This identity is the main component that can transform any ‘space’ into a ‘place’. Promoting a city should extend to highlighting the Heritage, landscape, religious sites, pathways, cuisine, inhabitants, activities, and personal experiences. These elements collectively express the city spirit and enrich visitors’ experience.

This study aims to enhance the image of heritage-based cities by exploring the potential for city branding and leveraging heritage to boost the national economy.

Fayoum was selected as a case study for …

Design And Implementation Of Home Energy Management System (Hems) In Smart Grid Through Demand Side Management (Dsm), Nirmala Jegadeesan Ms

Theses and Dissertations

The rising global energy demand, combined with environmental concerns and the depletion of conventional energy sources, has driven the need for the development of smarter and more sustainable energy systems. This research focuses on Home Energy Management System (HEMS) using soft computing techniques to optimize load scheduling, enhance energy efficiency, and integrate Renewable Energy Sources (RES) such as solar and battery storage. The primary goal is to balance supply and demand, reduce peak loads, and minimize energy costs while ensuring consumer comfort and system reliability.

Smart grids provide enhanced capabilities compared to conventional grids by enabling bidirectional flows of energy …

The Resonance Of Desire: A Sonic Exploration And Guide To Recreating Disney’S Signature ‘I Want’ Songs, Aiyanna E. Riley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the sonic architecture of Disney’s Renaissance-era “I Want” songs and develops a framework for recreating their signature production style. This study analyzes how vocal timbre, microphone choices, layering, stereo placement, and mixing strategies contribute to the immersive qualities that define the Disney sound. Drawing from historical accounts, interviews with industry professionals, and technical literature, the thesis documents production practices unexamined in scholarly work. Inspired by David Gibson’s The Art of Mixing, my analyses prioritize spatial and textural qualities in Disney mixes, highlighting how sound design shapes narrative impact. The study culminates in two original compositions modeled …

Neutrosophic Graded Jordan–Bialgebra Framework For Ai-Driven Analysis, Mona Gharib, Rana Muhammad Zulqarnain, Xiao Long Xin, Muhammad Gulistan, Muhammad Abid

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems face significant challenges in processing and analyzing datasets characterized by high degrees of uncertainty, ambiguity, and indeterminacy, which are prevalent features in complex real-world scenarios. To address this limitation, this study introduces a novel neutrosophic graded Jordan–bialgebra framework. This framework strategically integrates the inherent structural properties of Jordan–Bialgebras with the advanced capability of Neutrosophic Graded Structures to simultaneously model degrees of truth, indeterminacy, and falsehood. The primary objective of this study is to establish a rigorous algebraic foundation that enables AI models to perform a more robust and comprehensive analysis of data containing incomplete or …

Comprehensive Risk Evaluation Framework For Reducing Errors In Critical Airport Systems, Arshad Hameed, Muhammad Umer Farooq

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Airports are intricate systems that are subject to a number of operational hazards that might impair safety and cause service interruptions. There is a dearth of thorough approaches designed specifically for airport operations, despite a wealth of research on risk management in several industries. In order to anticipate and prevent breakdowns in vital airport systems, we offer a thorough risk assessment approach that combines quantitative evaluation and human factor analysis. This study uses the decision-making methodology such as MARCOS method to rank the alternatives. The criteria weights are computed in this study. This study uses six criteria and 14 alternatives.

Evaluating Solar Energy Challenges And Strategies To Overcome Challenges Under Neutrosophic Decision Making Methodology, Ahmed A El-Douh, Mina Samir Shenouda

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Because of its reliance on fossil fuels and fast population expansion, the nation confronts severe socioeconomic problems that can result in political instability, environmental damage, health issues, and economic instability. A switch to clean energy is now necessary as a result of these problems widening the gap between supply and demand for energy. To close this gap, photovoltaic (PV) technology holds great potential. In order to reduce bias and handle ambiguity while assessing solar energy (SE) issues and regulations, this study offers a decision-making process in a single valued neutrosophic set (SVNS) environment. The neutrosophic set is used to overcome …

Integrated Neutrosophic Set For Assessing The Route Options In Overweight Complex Transportation Planning Scenarios, Muhammad Abid, Tayyaba Akhtar, Harshit Bhatt

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Due to improvements in lifting and transportation technology that enable the long-distance movement of heavy loads, overweight and oversized transport (O&OT) has emerged as one of the most important aspects of project logistics. This kind of transportation operation, also known as abnormal transportation, is heavily influenced by external variables like weather, traffic density, and legal regulations, as well as technical factors like the load’s weight and geometry, road surface, axle load limitations, slope, and ground strength. Decision-Makers (DMs) and practitioners who plan and carry out operations without giving these variables and factors enough thought may cause operational delays, significant hazards, …

Evaluation Of Integrating Smart Technologies Into Business Ecosystems Using Neutrosophic Uncertainty Model, Kainat Muniba, Muhammad Naveed Jafar, Adil Ahmad, Aruna Pavate

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This study proposes a methodological framework for Evaluation of Integrating Smart Technologies into Business Ecosystems. We use the decision-making process to deal with different criteria and alternatives. The decision-making process is used under the neutrosophic set to overcome uncertainty information. Neutrosophic set has three membership functions such as truth, indeterminacy, and falsity. These functions are used to overcome vague information. The average method is used to compute the criteria weights. The COBRA method is used to rank the alternatives based on different alternatives. This study uses 8 criteria and 15 alternatives to be evaluated to show the best option.

A Fragility Framework For Surface Erosion With Application To Earthen Dam Breaching, Ege C. Kurter, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, M. Hanif Chaudhry, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

Overtopping failures of earthen dams are a growing concern under intensifying extreme rainfall. This study introduces a probabilistic fragility framework that combines hydrologic modeling, hydraulic analysis, and soil erodibility to assess erosion risk under uncertain load and resistance. Fragility curves derived from Monte Carlo simulations quantify erosion initiation and severity as functions of rainfall depth and excess shear stress. Application to multiple dams affected during the 2015 South Carolina floods reproduces observed outcomes ranging from complete breach to no damage. The framework also captures cascading effects, where failure of an upstream structure increases downstream loading and erosion potential. Compared with …

Enhancing Nitrogen Removal In High Permeability Bioretention Media: The Combined Role Of Biochar, Wood Chips And Hydraulic Design, Joshelyn Guimaray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Urban stormwater runoff can transport high nutrient loads to receiving waters, leading toeutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and the formation of hypoxic zones. Bioretention systems are a form of green infrastructure designed to mitigate these impacts, but their application in dense, ultra-urban environments is often limited by large land area requirements. This has led to the adoption of high permeability media (HPM) to accommodate higher hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) and reduce the system footprint. However, conventional HPM systems often show inconsistent removal of dissolved nitrogen species due to short hydraulic retention times (HRTs), a lack of organic carbon, and insufficient anoxic …

Resonant Body Communication For Neurodivergent Contexts: A Multimodal, Temporally Elastic Blueprint For Inclusive Biometric Systems, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Prevailing emotion-sensing systems privilege a facial-and-gaze paradigm that encodes neurotypical tempo, channel priority, and expression classes, thereby mischaracterizing or erasing neurodivergent communication. This article advances a design-oriented framework for biometric sensing that centers resonant body communication: temporally extended, multimodal, and environmentally situated patterns of posture, gesture, rhythm, and interoception that carry affective meaning. Through an integrative methodology that synthesizes cognitive neuroscience, embodied arts practices, and human–computer interaction, the study formalizes a theoretical model with four pillars: temporal elasticity, multimodal sensory hierarchies, resonant gestures and rhythmic entrainment, and environmental attunement. Building on this model, the article specifies technical requirements for next-generation …

Multiscale 3d Whole Joint Cellular And Molecular Mapping Reveals Disease-Specific Neurovascular Plasticity Underlying The Structure-Pain Relationship, Peng Chen, Jiaxin Chai, Abirami Soundararajan, R. Glenn Hepfer, Benjamin Kheyfets, Jiaxin Hu, Ishraq Alshanqiti, Swarnalakshmi Raman, Ikue Tosa, Jun Tae Huh, Matthew Yee, Brooke J. Damon, Shangping Wang, Yu Shin Kim, Man-Kyo Chung, Mildred C. Embree, Janice S. Lee, Tong Ye, Hai Yao

Publications

Understanding musculoskeletal joints from a 3D multiscale perspective, from molecular to anatomical levels, is essential for resolving the confounding relationships between structure and pain, elucidating mechanisms regulating joint health and diseases, and developing new treatment strategies. Here, a musculoskeletal joint immunostaining and clearing (MUSIC) method specifically developed to overcome key challenges of immunostaining and optical clearing of intact joints are introduced. Coupled with large-field light sheet microscopy, this approach achieves 3D high-resolution, microscale neurovascular mapping within the context of whole-joint anatomy without the need for image coregistration across various joints, including temporomandibular joints, knees, and spines, and multiple species, including …