Digital Commons Network^™

A Dynamic Online Dashboard For Tracking The Performance Of Division 1 Basketball Athletic Performance, Erica Juliano, Chelsea Thakkar, Christopher B. Taber, Mehul S. Raval, Kaya Tolga, Samah Senbel

School of Computer Science & Engineering Undergraduate Publications

Using Data Analytics is a vital part of sport performance enhancement. We collect data from the Division 1 'Women's basketball athletes and coaches at our university, for use in analysis and prediction. Several data sources are used daily and weekly: WHOOP straps, weekly surveys, polar straps, jump analysis, and training session information. In this paper, we present an online dashboard to visually present the data to the athletes and coaches. R shiny was used to develop the platform, with the data stored on the cloud for instant updates of the dashboard as the data becomes available. The performance of athletes …

A Framework For Biomechanical Analysis Of Jump Landings For Injury Risk Assessment, Srishti Sharma, Srikrishnan Divakaran, Kaya Tolga, Christopher B. Taber, Mehul S. Raval

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Competitive sports require rapid and intense movements, such as jump landings, making athletes susceptible to injuries due to altered neuromuscular control and joint mechanics. Biomechanical features during landings are associated with injury risk, emphasizing proper movement and postural stability. Computer vision techniques offer a time-efficient, noninvasive, and unbiased method to assess jump-landings and identify injury risks. This study proposes a video analysis framework to evaluate jump landing biomechanics in athletes todetermineirregularmovementsandincorrectpostures.It providesadviceandrecommendationstocoachesforinjury predictionandtrainingimprovements.Theproposedframework istestedusingcountermovementjumpvideosof17NCAA DivisionIfemalebasketballathletes.Theresultsindicateda lowMeanAbsoluteError(0.97),highcorrelation(0.89),high averageaccuracy(98.31%)andF1score(0.98),signifyingthe framework’sreliabilityinidentifyinginjuryrisk.

The Doctoral Symposium In Engineering Education Research At Sefi 2023, Jonte Bernhard, Shannon Chance, Tinne De Laet, Kristina Edström

Plenary Presentations and Doctoral Symposium

The 7th SEFI Doctoral Symposium in Engineering Education Research, held at the campus of Technological University Dublin on Sunday, September 10th, preceded the SEFI 2023 Annual Conference. In all, 37 Ph.D. researchers attended, which is a record number for this event. They came to share and further probe their Ph.D. research topics and plans of study and to strengthen and extend their professional networks. During this full and intense day, 27 established scholars provided the Ph.D. researchers with personal feedback and ideas regarding their research. The highlight, according to the Ph.D. student participants, was the warm and enthusiastic reception they …

Onshore Power For The Docked Container Vessels In Apapa Port Through Blended Finance, Oladayo Matthew Atilola

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Pros And Cons Of The Acquisition Of Training Ships By Metis, Jeremiah Yaw Frimpong

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cellulose Ester As Membranes For Controlled Release Fertilizer’S, Muhammed Salman Fajis

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing environmental pollution and non-sustainable materials has escalated the need for research in sustainable practices for many areas including crop production and fertilization. The conventional coating for the controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) is non-biodegradable. Hence, the development of novel biodegradable coatings for fertilizer prills has emerged as an important area of study. In this thesis, conducting synthesis and application of cellulose esters (biomass membrane) as an encapsulation for the controlled release fertilizers. Therefore, the coating would be effective for a controlled release of nutrients to the crops by sustaining nature. Here, synthesized biodegradable cellulose esters by 8 and 16-carbon fatty acids …

Iot Architecture For Enhancing Wayfinding And Accessibility In Smart Cities, Myles Keller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research explores the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) in enhancing urban wayfinding, particularly for the blind and visually impaired (BVI). Utilizing IoT's multi-layered architecture, smart cities deploy integrated sensors and devices to address urban challenges, with wayfinding as a key focus. While various accessible wayfinding methods have been explored, there exists a gap for more efficient solutions. Within this context, a collision warning system was developed for the BVI, integrated within a broader body sensor network (BSN) framework. Building on this, the study presents AWayNet, an RFID-based network, as a transformative solution. Simulations in the CARLA Simulator …

Book Review: Tom Nichols, The Death Of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge And Why It Matters (Ny: Oxford University Press, 2017) 252 Pp., Damon Coletta

Space and Defense

This review is dedicated to Lt Gen (ret.) Brent Scowcroft, twice National Security Advisor and one-time head of the Department of Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy. If he is looking down on our work today, we hope he liked this book, Death of Expertise, by a much admired Naval War College professor and enjoyed our department’s enthusiasm for participating in the conversation. Thank you, Gen Scowcroft (1925-2020).

Naval War College professor Tom Nichols built upon his popular essay in the Atlantic to deliver a blunt warning.1 After a venomous election in 2016 that swept the incumbent party from power, …

Cadet Voice: Extended Deterrence And Resilience In The Baltic States, Liam J. Connolly

Space and Defense

The following USAFA cadet independent study was supported by the Academy’s Nuclear Weapons & Strategy minor and the Cadet Summer Language Immersion Program to Lithuania. With minor formatting changes, the paper here appears as submitted to the USSTRATCOM Larry D. Welch Writing Award and the summer Deterrence Symposium (Omaha, NE), July 31-Aug. 1, 2019, where it won junior division, first place.

Since the end of the Second World War the United States has practiced extended deterrence as a means of resisting Russian expansion and aggression. In Europe, the US has done this with the support of the North Atlantic Treaty …

Editor's Note Vol. 12 No. 1, Damon Coletta

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Wastewater Samples To Explore Community Substance Use In The United States: Pilot Correlative And Machine Learning Study, Marie A. Severson, Sathaporn Onanong, Alexandra Dolezal, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Lisa M. Mcfadden

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Background: Substance use disorder and associated deaths have increased in the United States, but methods for detecting and monitoring substance use using rapid and unbiased techniques are lacking. Wastewater-based surveillance is a cost-effective method for monitoring community drug use. However, the examination of the results often focuses on descriptive analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore community substance use in the United States by analyzing wastewater samples. Geographic differences and commonalities of substance use were explored.

Methods: Wastewater was sampled across the United States (n=12). Selected drugs with misuse potential, prescriptions, and over-the-counter drugs …

Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches To Describe Factors Affecting Preweaning Mortality Of Piglets, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Vamsi Manthena, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the United States Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska, over the years 2016 to 2021. Sows were housed in a farrowing building with three rooms, each with 20 farrowing crates, and taken care of by well-trained animal caretakers. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the various sow, …

Knowledge Integration In Domain-Informed Machine Learning And Multi-Scale Modeling Of Nonlinear Dynamics In Complex Systems, Phat K. Huynh

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nonlinear dynamical systems have been extensively used to model various phenomena in the changing world around us, especially in science and engineering fields. Thanks to breakthrough advancements in sensing technologies, an increasingly high volume of multi-modal sensor data has been collected, which enables us gain better insights into complex systems dynamics and build sophisticated data-driven machine-learning-based dynamic models without having the access to the underlying governing equations. However, integrating domain-specific knowledge in machine learning algorithms remains pivotal for various reasons: it promises enhanced predictive accuracy, better model interpretability, and increased generalizability. This dissertation delves into three core research questions, each …

Characterization Of Environmental Levels Of Pesticide Residues In Household Air And Dust Samples Near A Bioenergy Plant Using Treated Seed As Feedstock, Jabeen Taiba, Eleanor G. Rogan, Daniel D. Snow, Chandran Achutan, Muhammad Zahid

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

Exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides is associated with adverse human health outcomes. There is environmental contamination in Saunders County, Nebraska, due to the accumulation of fungicides and insecticides from a now-closed ethanol plant using seed corn as stock. A pilot study quantified environmental contamination in nearby houses from residual pesticides by measuring dust and air (indoor/outdoor) concentrations of neonicotinoids and fungicides at the study site (households within two miles of the plant) and control towns (20–30 miles away). Air (SASS^® 2300 Wetted-Wall Air Sampler) and surface dust (GHOST wipes with 4 × 4-inch template) samples were collected from eleven study …

Novel Fpga Speed Grade Authentication Method For Counterfeit Identification, Ana Maria Camacho Negrete

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Today's society runs on modern microelectronics. Whether it is our computers, smartphones and tablets, navigation systems, and even automobiles, the impact of inferior components on our society's functioning is a well-known and serious challenge.Inferior components, in this context, refer to non-specification compliant parts that are known to enter the global supply chain either due to manufacturing/quality control errors or intentional component counterfeiting by non-OEM (original equipment manufacturer) sources. This thesis discusses the latter, which is a well-documented and growing challenge that poses a serious risk to every sector of our society. This has been further exacerbated by the global pandemic-driven …

Structural Health Monitoring And Repair Of Welded Thermoplastic Composite Joints Using Embedded Multifunctional Films, Wencai Li

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Thermoplastic composites (TPCs) have gained widespread use, particularly in large or integrated structural components, necessitating effective joining techniques. Fusion bonding (welding) has emerged as a suitable method for TPCs due to their ability to be reshaped through heating and cooling, eliminating the need for mechanical fasteners, long curing times, and extensive surface preparation. Among the welding techniques, ultrasonic welding (USW) stands out for its fast-cycling time and potential for automating large-scale structures, thereby reducing energy consumption. However, limited industrial applications of USW in this context require further knowledge to instill confidence in the process. Moreover, composite structures are susceptible to …

Quantifying The Effect Of Covid-19 On Port Congestion, Corey R. Mayeux

LSU Master's Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruptions in global supply chains and port operations, leading to congestion, delays, and container shortages. Governments implemented containment measures, affecting social behavior and economic activity. Ports faced significant challenges due to shifts in demand, labor shortages, and supply chain bottlenecks. E-commerce surge and other disruptions intensified pressures on ports. The pandemic's impact exacerbated challenges for ports and supply chains, and triggered inflationary pressures. This research aims to investigate the impact of Covid-19 on port congestion and the global supply chain at the Port of Long Beach, Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of …

Does Drought Stress Eliminate The Benefit Of Elevated Co2,/Sub> On Soybean Yield? Using An Improved Model To Link Crop And Soil Water Relations, Wenguang Sun, David Fleisher, Dennis Timlin, Chittaranjan Ray, Zhuangji Wang, Sahila Beegum, Vangimalla Reddy

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

Crop simulation models are indispensable tools that facilitate studies to assess climate impacts and adaptation responses, but have not been adequately tested in terms of accurately predicting crop growth and water stress responses to high carbon dioxide concentrations [CO₂]. The soybean model, GLYCIM, previously modified with a coupled leaf-level gas exchange – energy balance model, was integrated with a two-dimensional convectivediffusive root growth module which linked soil and leaf water potentials with the regulation of stomatal conductance. We evaluated the accuracy of this modified GLYCIM using experimental data from a Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (FACE) site, SoyFACE, and …

Leveraging Vr/Ar/Mr/Xr Technologies To Improve Cybersecurity Education, Training, And Operations, Paul Wagner, Dalal Alharthi

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The United States faces persistent threats conducting malicious cyber campaigns that threaten critical infrastructure, companies and their intellectual property, and the privacy of its citizens. Additionally, there are millions of unfilled cybersecurity positions, and the cybersecurity skills gap continues to widen. Most companies believe that this problem has not improved and nearly 44% believe it has gotten worse over the past 10 years. Threat actors are continuing to evolve their tactics, techniques, and procedures for conducting attacks on public and private targets. Education institutions and companies must adopt emerging technologies to develop security professionals and to increase cybersecurity awareness holistically. …

The Aging Workforce: How It Relates To Incident Rates Within A Distribution Warehouse And A Chemical Manufacturing Building, Elisabeth V. Jones

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 20 years or so, the average age of the global population has slowly increased. This is due to low birth rates as well as increased life expectancy. With this global population aging, there has also been a shift in the global labor market causing a trend termed the “aging workforce.” However, with the aging workforce comes a new set of issues for the health and safety professional because they create new hazards. This is due mostly because of the body undergoing physical, psychological, and cognitive decline as someone ages which causes decreased capabilities. Thus, the purpose of …

Data For Ai In Network Systems Workshop Report, Kuang-Ching Wang, Ron Hutchins, Anita Nikolich

Workshop on Data for AI in Network Systems

No abstract provided.

Manual Preparation Of Eyeglasses Based On Corneal Topographical Images For Keratoconus Patients, Bassma Sabah Majeed, Faiz F. Mustafa, Nebras H. Ghaeb

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

keratoconus (KCN) is a non-inflammatory, progressive thinning process of the cornea. It is considered one of the advanced biomechanical changes on the corneal surface, and methods of treatment in late cases are special designed contact lenses or surgical intervention. The objective of this paper is to customize the standard eyeglass lens in a way so that it fits with the abnormal shape and changes of the surface of the cornea of a patient suffering from KCN disease.The proposed method here, based on manual scratching of the external surface of the standard eyeglass lens under supervising of an expert optometrist, where …

Age-Friendly Educational Buildings Primary Schools In Kerbala - A Case Study, Anwar Fadhil Hussein, Ibrahim Jawad Kadhim

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The concept of age-friendly societies has gained international attention among researchers, policy makers, and community organizations since the World Health Organization launched the Friendly Communities Project in 2006, to address challenges in some countries, as these challenges affect all aspects of society, and the educational environment represents an important joint of those joints, being the environment that is the most effective and influential in shaping human behavior. The age stage that is most affected and capable of learning and shaping behavior is of importance, which is the childhood stage. Therefore, the research focused on school buildings, as they represent an …

Analysis And Mitigation Of Cyber-Attacks Targeting Infrastructures Operated By Iot Systems, Raja Salih Mohammed Hasan, Nadia Mahmood Ali, Ihsan Jabbar Hasan

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Numerous countries have a high impact on providing the planet with critical infrastructures offering very important services employed in different fields such as water resources management, public services, power grids, telecoms, commercials, and transportation. The increasing solutions in IoT systems made it possible to exploit internet connection services for supporting the critical infrastructures. The latest are being targeted by various types of cyber-attacks due to the advancement in internet services. Therefore, improving the security systems and the ways to detect the threats is highly required. Meanwhile, protecting the critical infrastructures from hostile cyber-attacks is of high significance. This article examines …

Leaching Performance Of Nanotechnology-Induced High-Arsenic-Bearing Tooeleite-Like Mineral Nanowaste, Arindam Malakar, Sanjit Das, Samirul Islam, Rajneesh Singh, Sugata Ray

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

For arsenic decontamination from groundwater, arsenic crystallization is becoming adopted due to its sustainability and economic benefits. However, arsenic crystallization technology is a two-step process, which makes it complex and generates hazardous waste. Successful efforts toward making it a single-step process are presented here. The addition of nanorods and ball-milled zinc sulfide nanoparticles to arsenic-contaminated water result in highly monodispersed and higharsenic- containing mineralized nanowaste with a crystalline structure similar to the mineral Tooeleite ((Fe³⁺₆(As³⁺O₃)₄SO₄(OH)₄•4H₂O)). This study reports the results of a short-term stability test …

In Silico Prediction Of Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 (Sglt2) Inhibition Activity By Allium Fistulosum Compound Based On Skelspheres Molecular Descriptor, Rudy Heryanto, Aryo Tedjo, Dimas Noor

Indonesian Journal of Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics

The Sodium-Glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor represents a novel agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Drugs of this class function by inhibiting glucose reabsorption in the kidneys, thereby controlling blood glucose levels. It is known that SGLT2 inhibitors activate the AMPK signaling pathway by increasing the expression and activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In vivo tests have demonstrated that ethanolic and aqueous extracts of Welsh onion leaves (Allium fistulosum L) can reduce body weight, liver weight, adipocyte size, and enhance AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression. In this study, the inhibitory activity (IC50) of compounds within Allium fistulosum against …

Acute Exposure To Two Biocides Causes Morphological And Molecular Changes In The Gill Ciliary Epithelium Of The Invasive Golden Mussel Limnoperna Fortunei (Dunker, 1857), Amanda Maria Siqueira Moreira, Erico Freitas, Mariana De Paula Reis, Júlia Meireles Nogueira, Newton Pimentel De Ulhôa Barbosa, André Luiz Martins Reis, Afonso Pelli, Paulo Ricardo Da Silva Camargo, Antonio Valadão Cardoso, Rayan Silva De Paula, Erika Cristina Jorge

Michigan Tech Publications

Limnoperna fortunei, the golden mussel, is a bivalve mollusk considered an invader in South America. This species is responsible for ecological and economic damages due to its voluminous fouling capability. Chemical biocides such as MXD-100™ and sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) are often used to control L. fortunei infestations in hydraulic systems. Thus, we proposed to investigate the effects of different periods (24, 48 and 72 h) of exposure to MXD-100™ (0.56 mg L−1) and NaDCC (1.5 mg L−1) on the gills of L. fortunei through morphological and molecular analyses. NaDCC promoted progressive morphological changes during the analyzed periods and only an …

First-Principles And Machine Learning Investigation Of Refractory High Entropy Alloys And Conventional Alloys., Uttam Bhandari

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Refractory high entropy alloys (RHEAs) are gaining prominence because of their balanced mechanical properties and are regarded as suitable alloys for a variety of applications such as aerospace, structural material, nuclear, and hydrogen storage. The first part of the dissertation explored the mechanical and thermal properties of RHEAs, specifically HfNbTaTiZr and Hf_0.5Nb_0.5Ta_0.5Ti_1.5Zr, which have potential uses in the health industry. The first-principles method using 100 atom supercell was carried out to compute the lattice constant, density, elastic modulus, Poisson ratio, and Vickers hardness. These calculated results were consistent with the available experimental …

A Fairness Assessment Of Mobility-Based Covid-19 Case Prediction Models, Abdolmajid Erfani, Vanessa Frias-Martinez

Michigan Tech Publications

In light of the outbreak of COVID-19, analyzing and measuring human mobility has become increasingly important. A wide range of studies have explored spatiotemporal trends over time, examined associations with other variables, evaluated non-pharmacologic interventions (NPIs), and predicted or simulated COVID-19 spread using mobility data. Despite the benefits of publicly available mobility data, a key question remains unanswered: are models using mobility data performing equitably across demographic groups? We hypothesize that bias in the mobility data used to train the predictive models might lead to unfairly less accurate predictions for certain demographic groups. To test our hypothesis, we applied two …

The Cr(Iii) Exchange Mechanism Of Macroporous Resins: The Effect Of Functionality And Chemical Matrix, And The Statistical Verification Of Ion Exchange Data, Khizar Hussain Shah, Noor S. Shah, Gul Afshan Khan, Sadaf Sarfraz, Jibran Iqbal, Aneeqa Batool, Ahmad Jwuiyad, Shabnam Shahida, Changseok Han, Monika Wawrzkiewicz

All Works

This study focuses on investigating and comparing the influence of the surface functional groups and chemical matrices of macroporous resin on the Cr(III) exchange mechanism. The results discussed herein indicate that sulfonic resin removed Cr(III) ions with faster kinetics than carboxylic resin. Equilibrium was established within 15 and 7 min for the carboxylic and sulfonic resins, respectively, with a 99.5% removal efficiency at 333 K. The Langmuir exchange capacity was observed to be higher for the sulfonic resin (1.5 mmol∙g−1) than the carboxylic resin (0.80 mmol∙g−1) at 333 K. The adsorption isotherms obtained for the carboxylic and sulfonic resins were …