Digital Commons Network^™

Estimation Of Benefits From Pedestrian And Bicycle Improvements, Dionysios Tzamakos, Nikiforos Stamatiadis, William Staats, Teng Wang, Reginald Souleyrette

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Delivering safe mobility for all users of the transportation system is a key priority of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). Because many system users rely on pedestrian and bicycle facilities, it is critical for KYTC to balance pedestrian and bicycle facility accommodations with those for motorized users. Currently, the Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) — the Cabinet’s systematic approach to scoring and prioritizing proposed roadway projects — awards up to five points (out of a possible total of 100) for pedestrian and bicycle projects. But the agency lacks a robust method for estimating the benefits of pedestrian and …

Computational Predictions Of Heart Failure Drug Effects On Cardiac Fibrosis, Aaron Gardner

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The extracellular matrix is a complex system surrounding cells that is crucial to all of the cardiovascular system’s functions. Fibrosis is an excessive accumulation (scarring) of the extracellular matrix. Fibrosis is typically a negative event, and the scarring must be reduced in the heart in order to maintain its functionality. Due to this, simulations are run using the software “Netflux” in order to determine the effects of different heart failure drugs on cardiac fibrosis. The drugs that were simulated were an ACE Inhibitor, BAR Beta Blocker, ARB Blocker, and Entresto. These drugs were simulated over 50 hours at three different …

Neural Network Based Digital Twin For A Half-Bridge Llc Resonant Converter, Nicholas Green

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This paper introduces a Neural Network based approach for creating a Digital Twin of a Half-Bridge LLC Resonant Converter. By using a set of measured inputs, the Digital Twin system can characterize the component values, and hard to measure switch characteristics such as the Junction Temperature or Gate-Source Capacitance. This capability is useful for reliability or health applications, and may also be useful for adaptive control. A case study is done for the LLC Resonant converter designed around an operating point. Data sweeps around that operating point are simulated to form a dataset. An introduction to Neural Networks is given …

Toward The Advancement Of High-Efficiency P-Type Doping In Iii-Nitrides: Novel Beryllium Doping Techniques, Benjamin Arthur Mcewen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The III-nitride material system is well-suited to a broad range of applications in light emitting diodes and laser diodes, photodetectors, power management, and telecommunications. Much of III-nitrides’ utility derives from their direct, wide, and tunable bandgap, but it is their ability to be doped n- and p-type that makes them especially useful and attractive. However, despite the decades of academic interest and commercial success, p-type doping in III-nitrides is infamously difficult and inefficient. Magnesium, the only currently viable p-type dopant in III-nitrides, is not a shallow acceptor, and as a result, the activation efficiency of Mg in GaN is only …

Design And Fabrication Of Injectable Alginate Hydrogel Microstrands For Mesenchymal Stem Cell Delivery In Salivary Gland Tissue Regeneration, Sujith Chander Reddy Kollampally

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Fibrosis is a pathological wound healing process, driven by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) following tissue remodeling. Fibrosis occurs in diseased or damaged salivary glands caused by several conditions, such as Sjogren’s syndrome or radiation for head and neck cancers. Having better insight into the cellular and molecular progression of fibrosis will allow us to model new therapeutic approaches as fibrosis prevents salivary gland tissue regeneration and function. Pharmacological, tissue engineering and cell-based regeneration strategies have been widely explored to restore lost salivary gland function. Among cell-based therapies, exploitation of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSC) for salivary gland regeneration has …

Quantifying Hurricane Effects On Housing: Evaluating Damage, Loss, And Shelter Demands Using Historical And Simulated Storm Tracks, Adish Deep Shakya

All Theses

This research introduces an advanced framework which employs parametric wind field models for peak wind speeds, and building fragility curves, loss functions, and demographic data to estimate for estimating housing damage and loss. The uninhabitable units immediate displaced households, short-term and long-term shelter need households are determined. with a particular focus on those eligible for FEMA assistance. The framework's validity is reinforced by a high correlation in the analysis of recent hurricane events between estimated numbers of displaced households and actual FEMA aid recipients, where FEMA aids about 20-60% of the predicted long-term displaced households. A novel application of the …

Improved Ballistic Impact Resistance Of Nanofibrillar Cellulose Films With Discontinuous Fibrous Bouligand Architecture, Colby Caviness

All Theses

Natural protective materials offer unparalleled solutions for impact-resistant material designs that are simultaneously lightweight, strong, and tough. Particularly, the dactyl club of mantis shrimp features chitin nanofibrils organized in a Bouligand structure, which has been shown to effectively dissipate high-impact energy during powerful strikes. The mollusk shells also achieve excellent mechanical strength, toughness, and impact resistance with a staggered, layer-by-layer structure. Previous studies have shown that hybrid designs, by combining different bioinspired microstructures, can lead to enhanced mechanical strength and energy dissipation capabilities. Nevertheless, it remains unknown whether combining Bouligand and staggered structures in nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) films, forming a …

Development Of A Cost-Affordable Thin-Layer Chromatography Testing Kit For Falsified And Substandard Pharmaceuticals In Tanzania, Eleanor Hatcher

All Theses

A significant number of pharmaceuticals supplied to Tanzania are falsified or substandard. A majority of these inadequate pharmaceuticals are medications to treat life-threatening conditions. This problem not only causes mistrust in the healthcare system but also prolonged illness and potentially death for the patients. This calls for the need for the development of a cost-affordable testing kit for falsified and substandard pharmaceuticals in Tanzania. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used as the testing method since it is inexpensive and requires a low skill level to complete. Malaria, human immunodeficiency virus, hypertension, tuberculosis, and diabetes are five of the most prevalent diseases …

Dynamics Of Link Importance Across Flood Disaster Phases And Flood Impacts On Operation Of An Industry, Navin Bhatta

All Theses

Transportation damage and disruptions will become increasingly common as the frequency of floods increases due to climate change. Given the size and cost of the transportation network construction, communities' mitigation measures should be supported by evaluations that cover both normal and disaster management phases. This thesis examines the criticality of road segments in the normal, flood response, and recovery phases, considering the effects on emergency services, healthcare, industry, education, recreation, and transit and analyses that whether a flood disrupts the operational trips of a company in Anderson County, South Carolina. A 100-year event and a 500-year flood event provides context …

Advancements Of A Breast Tissue Marker And Localization System, Azrin Jamison

All Theses

Breast cancer has become the most prominent cancer worldwide in women. Annual mammograms are encouraged for women of high risk to increase early detection allowing for lumpectomies rather than mastectomies to occur. Prior to a lumpectomy, a biopsy must be taken to determine if the tissue is cancerous, and a breast cancer biopsy marker (BBM) is left in the region of possible cancerous tissue. Wire localization has been the gold standard for localizing these BBMs. However, due to the reported patient discomfort and logistical inefficiencies faced by healthcare providers (HCP), non-wire localization solutions have been recently developed. This study aims …

Digital Twin In Military Ground Vehicles: Design And Predictive Maintenance, Conner W. Eddy

All Theses

Digital twin technology builds upon virtual engineering models, computer simulation, and real-time field data streaming to enable next-generation designs and predictive maintenance. A digital twin is a computer-based high-fidelity collection of models that predicts the performance of dynamic systems per operating cycles, input feature parameters, and data communication from a physical plant. Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is growing in importance and is central to virtual design processes where the digital twin toolset fits into this emerging architecture. The product design process can be advanced using digital twin resources by eliminating the need for, and cost from, continual physical prototyping, reliability …

Depression And Anxiety: Investigating The Impacts Of Scheduling On The Mental Health Of Healthcare Workers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Christofer Gonzaga

All Theses

Depression is a growing problem in the United States and has ballooned into a globally recognized mental health issue that affects shift workers in various fields (Lee et al., 2017). Rates of depression and anxiety have been shown to be substantially increasing and the COVID-19 pandemic amplified this prevalence of depression and anxiety. In the United States, the prevalence of depression symptoms was more than 3- fold higher during COVID-19 compared to before the pandemic (Ettman et al., 2020). The delivery of healthcare services is an ongoing and dynamic process, requiring clinicians to work in various shifts to ensure the …

Development And Evaluation Of An Arsenic Transport Model For The Maurice River Watershed, Christina Eddleman

All Theses

For many Superfund sites across the United States, arsenic is one of the most common contaminants of concern that must be cleaned up to protect human and environmental health. Past research and health studies have documented the harmful effects of inorganic arsenic on humans and the environment but selecting an appropriate remediation plan depends on several site-specific factors at each Superfund site. To assist in determining an appropriate remediation plan, sediment and contaminant transport models have been used to simulate the transport of arsenic and other contaminants of concern at contaminated sites to, e.g., make relative comparisons of the efficacy …

Innovative Rate Design As A Free Market Solution To Climate, Resiliency, And Economic Challenges, Brendan J. Moore

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A century-old problem of electricity rate design is cost-shifting between ratepayers (Wellinghoff, J. & Tong, J., 2015). A much newer cost-shifting example of great and increasing importance happens whenever ratepayer generated “renewable energy” is sold to the grid—all too often, this is accused of being unfairly rewarded (Ritchie, 2016). ProRate resolves both these concerns and ProRate can actually be derived simply from the premise of avoiding “all” cost shifts between ratepayers (Katz, CLEPm Rewards to Arrest Demand Cost-Shifting, 2019; Katz, CLEP5 Rewards to Arrest Energy Cost-Shifting, 2019). Another major problem with the Old Utility Model is the lack of price …

Great South Metals: Slitter Head Building Process, Nabhan Karim, Evan Swierski, Raven Morin, Patrick Kelsey, Michael Williams

Senior Design Project For Engineers

Great South Metals (GSM) operates two steel slitter machines, which take large coils of flat rolled steel and cut them into smaller strips for use in customers’ applications. Setting up the working components of each machine, called the slitter head, is a precise and arduous task. This system relies on several manually performed calculations and acute attention to detail; and thus, is prone to human error. The management at GSM commissioned our team to simplify the slitter head assembly process by creating an automated computer program and make additional recommendations to improve their operations.

The program we created is a …

Multilayer Shielding Design And Analysis Of Optimal Thickness For The Storage Of Highly Radioactive Sources Concerning Environmental Safety, Md. Mahfuzul Haque Rafi, Asma Ul Husna, Abdus Sattar Mollah

International Journal of Nuclear Security

As a kind of radiological protection, multilayer shielding is superior to a single-layer shield in terms of blocking off radiation. This study examined a multilayer shielding strategy to protect employees from potentially harmful gamma radiation from highly radioactive sources such as ⁶⁰Co. This paper presents a novel strategy for cost-effective and environmentally safe radiation protection by aligning expensive and heavy materials such as W and Pb to improve their effectiveness and limit exposure below the occupational dose. The largely unpublished set of final exposure rates for the W–Pb–Fe combination was calculated by the numerical interpolation method in MATLAB software. …

Design And Development Of A Radiation Survey And Rescue Robot With Shielding Of Electronic Equipment From Radiation Damage With Image Radiation Mapping Facility, Md. Sifatul Muktadir, Md. Nazmul Hassan, Md. Saimon Siddique, Dewan Nazmun Nur, Altab Hossain, Ahnaf Tahmid Chowdhury

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The use of remote-controlled robots in emergency fields is a necessary requirement at present, which includes the nuclear engineering field because the radioactive environment creates adverse effects on human health. This work describes the development of a remotely controlled rover capable of detecting ionizing radiation, isolating radiation sources using a robotic arm, and sufficient shielding for its internal components. A custom-made Geiger–Muller counter has been used to detect ionizing radiation. The radioactive environment is not only harmful for humans but also can cause severe damage to the electronic circuit mounted on the robot. Therefore, a custom concrete material sandwiched between …

Diegetic Sonification For Low Vision Gamers, Jhané Dawes

Master's Theses

There are not many games designed for all players that provide accommodations for low vision users. This means that low vision users may not get to engage with the gaming community in the same way as their sighted peers. In this thesis, I explore how diegetic sonification can be used as a tool to support these low vision gamers in the typical gaming environment. I asked low vision players to engage with a prototype game level with two diegetic sonification techniques applied, without the use of their corrective lenses. I found that participants had more enjoyment and experienced less difficulty …

Spatial Hearing In Simulated Reverberant Classroom Environments, Gabriel Seth Evan Weeldreyer

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Spatial hearing provides access to auditory spatial cues that promote speech perception in noisy listening situations. However, reverberation degrades auditory spatial cues and limits listeners’ ability to utilize these cues for segregating target speech from competing babble. Hence, spatial unmasking—an intelligibility benefit from a spatial separation between a target and masker—is reduced in reverberant environments as compared to free field. This work tests the hypothesis that interaural decorrelation, the result of increasing reverberation, will broaden the perceived auditory source width with a cascading effect of reduced auditory spatial acuity and subsequently poorer spatial unmasking. To understand the perceptual consequences of …

Next-Generation Crop Monitoring Technologies: Case Studies About Edge Image Processing For Crop Monitoring And Soil Water Property Modeling Via Above-Ground Sensors, Nipuna Chamara

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has advanced rapidly in the past two decades. Internet of Things (IoT) technology has advanced rapidly during the last decade. Merging these two technologies has immense potential in several industries, including agriculture.

We have identified several research gaps in utilizing IoT technology in agriculture. One problem was the digital divide between rural, unconnected, or limited connected areas and urban areas for utilizing images for decision-making, which has advanced with the growth of AI. Another area for improvement was the farmers' demotivation to use in-situ soil moisture sensors for irrigation decision-making due to inherited installation difficulties. As Nebraska …

Analyzing Diverse Student Experiences: The Intersection Of Equity, Inclusivity, And Biomedical Engineering Education Through A Clinical Observations And Needs Finding Course, Jacquelynn Horsey

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the field of biomedical engineering, needs identification and solution development are an important element of the design process. In our undergraduate curriculum, a course was designed to allow clinical observation and provide an opportunity for students to learn about engineering design and engage with clinicians via completing rotations in medical facilities near our campus. While this type of course is not unique, evaluating its efficacy is not simple. Given the broad range of institutional resources available- such as proximity to a medical school, or residency programs- reporting the quality of such courses within the context of such available resources …

High Bandwidth Hybrid Current Sensor Readout Interface For Power Applications, Asma Mahar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High-density and power-efficient circuits have become realizable with the advent of wide bandgap semiconductor devices due to their high switching speed and lower conduction/switching losses. The operation of these circuits requires current information for protection, monitoring, and control. For the realization and a further boost in the efficiency of such power circuits, small size, non-invasive, high bandwidth current sensors with noise immunity, accuracy, and linearity are required. Various hybrid sensors have been reported to meet the requirements of emerging power circuits. A combination of a magneto resistor or Hall sensor and a coil is used to cover a wide frequency …

Analyses Of Thermal And Spectral Characteristics Of Artificial Turf And Natural Grass In Las Vegas Valley, Tarannum Kalam Khandoker

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis presents a comprehensive analysis of the thermal and spectral characteristics of Las Vegas Valley (LVV). The first objective examines the effects of artificial turf on the urban thermal environment in the LVV by analyzing the impact of Land Surface Temperature (LST) and surface albedo at 26 ROIs that transitioned from natural to artificial turf, alongside another 26 ROIs that remained unchanged between 2018 and 2022 utilizing available Landsat 8 satellite images for the respective years. In the comprehensive comparison of ROIs over the two years in question, it was observed that transitioning to artificial turf correlated with elevated …

Assessment Of Success Factors And Comparative Analysis Of Public Private Partnership (P3) Project Performances Against Design-Build And Design-Bid-Build Project Delivery, Bandana Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Public-private partnerships (P3s) projects have gained widespread popularity in both developed and developing countries due to their ability to access new financing sources and shift specific project risks to the private sector. P3s has been an active area of research with a particular focus on the concept of Critical Success Factors (CSF). The growing interest and the diverse outcomes associated with P3s emphasize the need for a thorough investigation into the factors that contribute to successful P3 projects. This study focused on identifying the CSFs for P3 highway and building projects towards project objectives of achieving cost efficiency and schedule …

Developing Relationships Between Macroporosity And Tensile Strength By Imaging Failure Planes, James C. Mazzagotte Iii

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Porosity, which measures the empty spaces within rock structures, is crucial for determining properties like density, hydraulic conductivity, and mechanical strength, covering both microporosity and macroporosity. While many studies have explored how porosity affects compressive strength and stiffness in different rock types, less attention has been paid to its influence on tensile strength, especially in extrusive igneous formations like vesicular basalt. This research aims to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between macroporosity and tensile strength in vesicular basalt.

The study employed non-destructive techniques, including machine learning and manual image analysis, to calculate porosity, dividing it into specimen porosity …

Data Analysis Of Twitter’S Nasdaq100 Sentiments And Topics As Indicators For News Articles Retrieval: Fine-Tuning Roberta And Rag, Kagan Timur

ICT

This study explores the combination of sentiment analysis with vader-lexicon and semantic analysis with latent dirichlet allocation to identify real-life events, particularly in the context of Twitter datasets. While sentiment analysis alone may not provide accurate guidance, the inclusion of semantic analysis enhances the research process by helping to identify relevant news articles and comprehend brand perception on social media. Furthermore, the study fine-tunes the RoBERTa model specifically for question-answering tasks

Feasibility Study For The Detection Of Damage To Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels With Phase Array Ultrasonic Testing, Jordan Scott Hitter

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When discussing the field of Nondestructive Examination, there are various techniques and instrumentation that can be utilized for analysis of components. However, with newer technology and the development of newer forms of technique, it is critical to explore exactly how these can be applied. This work will aim to explore one newer technique, Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing, and determine the viability of its use for examining Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs). Currently, the types of vessels have been used in a variety of ways such as in transportation vehicles. More notably, these vessels are used in aerospace applications hence the …

Integrating Galectin-3 Into A Computational Model Of Cardiac Fibrosis Progression, Adam Pieratt

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiac fibrosis, a large contributor to heart failure, is the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix in response to stress or injury. There are no approved treatments for cardiac fibrosis, and targeting specific species involved creates complex problems for drug development, so a computational model of the cardiac fibroblast signaling network can be used to observe the interactions involved in the progression of cardiac fibrosis. In this paper, a new protein called galectin-3 is integrated into this existing model, and connections are established to expand the coverage of the network. The additions are described, simulated using Netflux biological system simulation software, …

Biomass Derived Lignin Polymer Modification For Sustainable Chemical Engineering Applications, Samantha Glidewell, Keisha Walters

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Lignin is an abundant naturally occurring plant-based polymer that is branched, highly unsaturated, and rich in aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyl groups. Lignin is a significant byproduct of the wood pulp and paper industries; however, it has yet to be widely utilized in commercial applications due to its non-linear structure, broad range of molecular weights, hydrophobicity, high rigidity, and brittleness. Recent investigations into modifying lignin to broaden its potential uses have shown promising results. This thesis explores different modification techniques of the naturally occurring hardwood lignin polymer for specific applications in areas of water treatment and polyurethane (PU) production. The first …

The Importance Of Text Representation For Neural Networks Through Natural Language Processing Techniques, William Parsley

Data Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Text representation is a fundamental aspect of natural language processing (NLP) when it comes to the performance of neural networks. Free-form text fields are being utilized in more and more industries. Anything from a description of an item on a web store to tracking service events to military-grade aircraft is being collected in free-form text. The goal of the thesis is to highlight best practices and discuss trends in data to prepare text for a neural network. It will demonstrate various techniques for representing free-form text in the context of neural networks, focusing on data preparation decisions, embedding techniques, and …